"Yare yare…"
"Harribel actually appeared!"
"She's one of the top three Espada under Aizen-taichō, and one of the few Vasto Lorde in all of Hueco Mundo…"
Inside the 5th Division's secret base.
The moment Harribel's figure appeared on screen, Ichimaru Gin's pupils shrank. He couldn't hide his surprise and muttered in awe.
After all—
Even among the Espada, there was a clear hierarchy of strength!
Especially the top four: Starrk, Baraggan, Harribel, and Ulquiorra…
Those four were the highest lifeforms among the Arrancar—true Vasto Lorde!
And across all of Hueco Mundo, whether past or present, Vasto Lorde were legendary beings, each capable of overwhelming a Gotei 13 captain!
That was why—
When Harribel's figure was revealed, Gin felt both surprise and… doubt.
"Aizen-taichō…"
"I don't mean to sound like I'm questioning you…"
"But do you really think Hitsugaya has what it takes to be Harribel's opponent?"
"By all logic, this should be a one-sided slaughter!"
Gin narrowed his eyes into thin slits, speaking with certainty.
No doubt about it—
Hitsugaya had talent. He was the youngest captain in history, a prodigy with limitless potential.
But potential is not the same as strength.
And judging from the footage…
Hitsugaya hadn't shown much growth since the last fight we saw.
Which meant… unless he magically powered up on the spot, boosting his reiatsu and spiritual power severalfold…
The gap between him and Harribel would remain a canyon.
To put it bluntly—
She could probably fight three at once without breaking a sweat…
"Gin…"
"You're not wrong."
Behind his black-framed glasses, Aizen's expression remained unmoved. His voice was calm, almost cold:
"If Hitsugaya were truly that strong, he wouldn't have been in the Gotei for nearly twenty years with so little progress."
He spoke like an elder scolding a child.
Aizen's tone carried only disappointment.
A genius? Hardly. A true genius would never remain that weak.
"But…"
Aizen's eyes shifted. Instead of focusing on Harribel, he stared at the battlefield itself—Karakura Town's cityscape.
Watching the tall buildings rise into the sky, his lips curved into a faint smile.
"Gin… it seems my earlier deduction was correct."
"In the future, we really will clash with the Gotei 13…"
"And the battlefield will be Karakura Town itself! This so-called focal point of spirit energy…"
"The perfect place to forge the Ōken!!!"
In that moment—
Aizen spoke as though he was already gazing into the future.
His true goal was never just defeating the Gotei 13.
It went further—beyond the heavens themselves!
To stand above the Soul King's throne… and conquer the Royal Palace!
Meanwhile.
As Aizen allowed himself a rare indulgence in grand vision, Harribel's voice rang from the footage:
"My power level?"
"Shinigami… don't flatter yourself."
"Since when have you ever seen the true limits of my strength?"
Cold and commanding.
Her golden hair whipped about in the howling wind. Harribel's expression was icy, her words merciless.
"Hmph?"
"What an arrogant tone!"
"Taichō… don't you dare hold back against this woman!"
"Don't go easy on her just because she's female!"
Inside the 10th Division barracks, Matsumoto Rangiku frowned, speaking up with obvious irritation.
Whether it was her dislike of Harribel's sharp words—or the fact that Harribel's body rivaled her own curves—Rangiku couldn't help but feel a sting of competition.
Either way, she rallied behind her captain, cheering him on through the screen.
But the next moment…
What happened shattered both her expectations—and Hitsugaya's pride.
"Sonído—!!!"
Facing the camera, Harribel tugged down her collar, revealing the "3" tattoo above her chest.
Then, in the blink of an eye, her figure vanished!
Her speed so extreme, even the camera struggled to keep up, as she reappeared right in front of Hitsugaya!
"So fast…"
"No way! Didn't that black Espada earlier brag about being the fastest?!"
"Why does this woman make him look like a joke?!"
"The top three Espada… they really do live up to the hype!!!"
At once, countless viewers broke into a cold sweat.
That sonido—so sharp it seemed like teleportation—was terrifying to behold. Many strong fighters realized… even if they went all out, they wouldn't even glimpse her afterimage!
And on-screen—
Hitsugaya's face showed the same fear.
"Not good…"
Frozen in place.
He couldn't react in time.
Helpless, he could only watch Harribel close the distance.
And then—
The massive golden wave of her blade came crashing down!
"Damn it…"
"The gap is too great!"
Hitsugaya managed to raise Hyōrinmaru in defense at the last second, bracing himself with all his strength—
But…
"Clang—!!"
The golden slash smashed down, sparks flying, fueled by overwhelming reiatsu.
The force of the blow hurled Hitsugaya, sword and all, straight out of the sky!
"Uwah—!"
The boy captain groaned, his white-clad body plummeting into the ground in a violent crash.
He smashed through multiple buildings, dragged along the earth for hundreds of meters, before finally disappearing from the camera's view.
And just like that—
The first clash was over.
Harribel—calm, ruthless, efficient—had shown what it meant to be a Vasto Lorde-class Espada.
The reaction was instant:
"So strong!!!"
"That woman is terrifying!"
"A Vasto Lorde… no wonder the legends say they're unstoppable!!"
"So it turns out Hueco Mundo isn't all weaklings…"
"It's just that the earlier Espada we saw were trash!"
At last—
The Espada had their moment of pride.
Through Harribel's overwhelming display, the Arrancar had reclaimed some of their lost dignity!
(End of Chapter)
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