Humiliation was bitter, but it was far better than death.
As the battle subsided, Rosalyne and Ganyu approached. Merely admitting defeat wasn't enough; a seal had to be placed. The power of Tiburon was bound, ensuring that Tier Halibel could not revolt or cause chaos in the battles to come.
Rosalyne acted swiftly. The Chains of Heaven bloomed and bound the Espada. Against such a divine artifact, even the Primera would face a grisly end, let alone the Tres.
"Don't worry, we won't kill you," Rosalyne remarked. "But you will be our prisoner for a time. We grant our captives better treatment than the Shinigami—at the very least, we won't dissect you."
"I hope you keep your word," Halibel replied. Her weapons had been confiscated, her body was heavily wounded, and now her spirit was sealed. She had no room left to resist.
With that settled, Rosalyne checked the group's mission list. "Progress is fast. Less than half the battles remain. Now we just have to see how Beidou and Ulquiorra are doing. Hopefully, those two won't take too long."
"We should keep a close eye on Baraggan and Stark," Ganyu added softly. "Those two are the most troublesome, especially the former. His power of aging is a direct decree of death. Defeating him won't be simple."
Rosalyne nodded. "Don't worry. With the weapons Su Han gave us, we don't need to fear him. Let's head to the upper floors. Beidou and Ulquiorra should be in the thick of it by now."
The Lightning Empress vs. The Black-Winged Demon
The battle at the top of Las Noches was indeed frenetic. Ulquiorra fired three successive Cero Oscuras, aiming straight for Beidou's head. With a casual flick of her blade, Beidou shattered the dark blasts.
"Hey, kid. Bring out your real power," Beidou taunted. "These tests are getting boring. How about something exciting? I'm done playing around with you."
Ulquiorra's brow twitched. "You haven't been using your full strength?"
"Of course not. That was just a warm-up. You didn't think that was my limit, did you? Thunder Emperor!"
When Beidou unleashed her Bankai and summoned her Flying Sword, the violent aura she radiated made Ulquiorra realize she had indeed been holding back. A cold fury rose within him. Did she truly look down on him so much?
"Resurrección: Segunda Etapa."
A rain of pitch-black spiritual pressure began to fall from the sky. The crushing weight of it made Orihime Inoue gasp for breath in the distance.
Beidou, however, stood at the center of the storm and laughed. "Yes! That's the stuff! This is a power worthy of my full attention. Come! Since I got this Flying Sword, I haven't had a chance to test it against a real foe. You'll be the first."
A flash of light cut the sky as a Gran Rey Cero surged forward. Beidou vanished instantly. Ulquiorra sensed a presence and swung his blade to parry. The collision sent a terrifying shockwave through the air.
"You've gotten much faster," Beidou grinned. "But it's still not enough, kid. Your second stage is... well, a bit weak."
In her Thunder Emperor state, augmented by the speed of her Flying Sword, she far surpassed Ulquiorra's perception.
"Ten Thousand Blade Sunder!"
Beidou pulled back and swung once. The strike fragmented into countless bolts of lightning, blanketing the entire area. Ulquiorra had no choice but to take the hit. As the electricity touched his skin, a massive numbing force invaded his system.
This lightning... it can penetrate the Hierro?!
Ulquiorra retreated quickly, firing a Cero to disrupt her rhythm. But before the blast even left his hand, Beidou was already in his face, her longsword swinging down. Her Flying Sword was now composed of pure lightning. Ulquiorra tried to parry with his own weapon, but it was destroyed as if made of glass.
"Lanza del Relámpago!"
Retreating further, Ulquiorra summoned his ultimate technique. The spear of spiritual energy vibrated with such force that the air itself groaned. Beidou didn't dodge; instead, she concentrated the power of the Gnosis within the air.
"Fine move. I'll show you some respect, then. Blade of the Thunder Emperor!"
Under the drive of her soul, the sword-light solidified. The teal spear of light collided with the silver lightning. A deafening roar shook Las Noches, and the walls were punctured by the raw pressure.
When the dust settled, Beidou stood unscathed. Ulquiorra's shoulder was shredded, and though he was regenerating rapidly, it was clear that if Beidou chose to strike now, he would die.
"Why... why do you not attack?" the youth asked, his voice hollow with confusion. "To save that girl, you should have killed me. My body will recover soon."
Beidou gave him a radiant smile. "I want to recruit you. Come with me. Don't be a subordinate to that idiot who only knows how to hypnotize people. Follow me to other worlds. Your life is empty, isn't it? Let me give you a chance at sublimation."
Ulquiorra didn't refuse, nor did he agree. He simply stood there, contemplating.
Beidou continued, "You want to find the meaning of the 'Heart,' don't you? Follow me, and you'll find a place to belong. Plus, you'll get to enjoy fights like this every day. What do you think?"
"How will you fill the void in my body?" Ulquiorra asked. "I am a Hollow. I do not understand emotions or the 'heart' you speak of. As you said, I am nothingness itself."
"Simple. You lack the power of the soul. Follow us, and you will gain it. If your body resists, I will help you reshape it."
"Fine."
Ulquiorra accepted. He decided to follow Beidou to other worlds. Betrayal? Such a concept was irrelevant to him. His only mission was to find a purpose for his existence. Beidou placed a seal on him—to finalize the "capture" as per the mission rules.
The King of Hueco Mundo
As her battle concluded, reports of victory came from across the palace. Aaroniero and Yammy had been defeated by Kujou Sara and Kaeya. Both had struggled at first, but once they acclimated to the high-speed combat, they finished their foes easily. Kaeya, in particular, had demonstrated his own Bankai, having been pushed to his limits by Diluc's constant training in Teyvat.
With eight Espada down, only Baraggan and Stark remained.
The group gathered. Nelliel, seeing the devastation, was in shock. "You people... you are truly terrifying."
"We're alright," Beidou shrugged. "But where are the last two? The mission won't end until we deal with them. Orihime is safe, so let's wrap this up."
Ulquiorra spoke up quietly. "They are likely somewhere outside..."
"Then we wait," Beidou nodded. "By the way, Hanachirusato, how many soul fragments did you collect?"
"Many," the Kitsune smiled. "Every Espada and Gillian killed has been stored. We can refine quite a few pills with these. A good haul."
Using the souls of the wicked Hollows as alchemical materials was a much better outcome than wasting them, and since they were "evil spirits," there was no moral weight to the harvest.
In the chat group, the spectators were enjoying the show. Arlecchino, watching from Sumeru, was stunned. The "Skeleton Emperor," the "Black Demon," and the "Shark Empress"—the sheer power of these foreign beings made her realize how vast the multiverse truly was. And yet, Su Han knew every detail about them despite never visiting their world.
Paimon: "I really want to see that Baraggan. His release must be scary!"
Lisa: "Indeed. The power of aging... the polar opposite of life. Quite shocking."
Raiden Shogun: "Hmph. Such power only works within the laws of their world. If he came to Teyvat, I have a hundred ways to kill him. Aging is not the same as erasure."
While they talked, a shadow fell over the group at the top of the palace. An elderly man appeared at the edge of a shattered wall, his gaze cold and imperious as he looked at Beidou and the others.
"It seems my domain has been disturbed."
Baraggan Louisenbairn has arrived.
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