Sung-Sun watched with growing fascination. Nelliel's sharp demeanor radiated an intent to kill. Nelliel, who once loathed the very act of killing, thirsted for the blood of Kazuya's enemies. This shift deepened her worship for her unfathomable lover, no, her husband. It wouldn't be wrong to call Nelliel a permanent ally of their faction.
With so many powerful Hollows on their side, they might even have the strength to repel even a full Soul Society invasion of Hueco Mundo.
What did having such strength signify? The ability to create a haven for Hollows. The ability to fulfill Harribel's lifelong dream unobstructed.
'We owe everything to Harribel-sama's… material fetish—instincts.'
Without Harribel's sudden impulse to shelter Kazuya that fateful day, none of this would have been possible. Had things progressed the usual way, she knew they would've been dragged into Aizen's new Espada as his pawns.
Turning to Grimmjow, Sung-Sun showed a look of pure disdain. "Nel, don't concern yourself. Grimmjow doesn't have the qualifications to be Kazuya's enemy."
Grimmjow's fists clenched, but he couldn't refute her obvious contempt. In a battle to the death, he might not match this arrogant woman, let alone Nelliel or their golden-haired leader.
His grand ambition of ruling Hueco Mundo now seemed laughably naive.
Even so, he stood his ground. "I have no love for these idiotic Espada. Boss… Cazador, you should know that I can be reckless, but I don't seek death."
Kazuya took this as confirmation that Grimmjow had kept his secrets from the Espada—though the reassurance felt unnecessary. Grimmjow never knew of his dual identity anyway. What surprised him was the lack of grudges. Then again, Grimmjow's group had tried to kill Mila Rose; they had no one but themselves to blame for biting off more than they could chew.
"Why are you standing in our way?" Sung-Sun asked with narrowed eyes that gave Grimmjow the feeling of being eyed by a vicious snake. "Why do I not see your men? They… Ah, were you helping Espada because they took your comrades hostage?"
Sung-Sun made a wild guess after noticing Grimmjow's obvious reluctance to oppose them. Despite his battle-hungry nature, he wasn't a suicidal fool. Opposing Kazuya was no different from lifting a boulder to drop it on his own feet.
Grimmjow's surge in Reiatsu confirmed her suspicion.
"They weren't taken hostage," Kazuya said, shaking his head. "They became lab rats."
He had seen Grimmjow's remaining comrades dying at Cirucci's hands. They were covered in scars and stitches, as though Szayelaporro had grafted different Hollow parts together. The result was obvious. The three had lost their minds.
It wasn't hard to piece together the series of events that took place following Grimmjow's departure. He tried to use the old devouring method to gain strength, got noticed by Las Noches, received an invite, arrogantly accepted the said invite, was forced to become an Espada by Ulquiorra and Yammy, intentionally or unintentionally provoked Szayelaporro and had his comrades "apprehended".
Grimmjow let out a hollow laugh. "Strength. Strength. Strength. It started because I wanted to be strong, and everyone died because I was never strong enough."
He'd anticipated this day since first meeting Szayelaporro, yet still joined Espada under pressure. Either die and contribute to Szayelaporro's experiments with his corpse, or stay alive and contribute to Espada. He'd have died rather than accepting the humiliation, but he wasn't alone. He had a couple of subordinates/friends to look after.
Kazuya looked Grimmjow in the eye. "You thought you could return to Hueco Mundo and continue living like before. The death of your friends—it's on your hands. Nobody else."
He never felt angry towards Grimmjow, who just wanted to live a life without shackles—a desire he couldn't be more familiar with. Of course the sympathy was just that, sympathy. He wouldn't have helped Grimmjow even if he had known about Grimmjow's situation.
Grimmjow severed all ties once he escaped Karakura Town.
"I know." Grimmjow clenched his fists, a vicious scowl on his face. "I will avenge them. I… I'll kill that fucking scientist… and Aizen."
Kazuya burst into laughter. "Szayelaporro is dead. And I'd suggest dropping your grudge against Aizen."
"Why? You think I'm too weak for that?"
He nodded without hesitation. "Pathetically so. Besides, Aizen is my prey."
Truthfully speaking, he had no deep grudge against Aizen. He just couldn't let a dangerous and ambitious man cause chaos everywhere. Worse, he carried too many secrets, any of which could land him on Aizen's hit list. If he wanted a peaceful life, he had to kill Aizen.
A fight for survival—his reason for killing Aizen was as simple as that.
Grimmjow received the blunt advice poorly, looking ready to curse Kazuya's entire bloodline for the insult. His mood soured further when he realized he could do nothing to vent these emotions. Any Arrancar under Kazuya could crush him.
With a frustrated growl, Grimmjow kicked through the wall and stormed off. Where was he headed? Even he didn't know. He just wanted distance from Kazuya, from the damned Espada, from Las Noches itself.
Kazuya exchanged a meaningful glance with Harribel, both shaking their heads dismissively. Whether Grimmjow stayed or left mattered little. If anything, his continued rampage across Hueco Mundo would drive more Hollows to seek shelter here.
"Get rid of him if he kills too many."
"I hope it doesn't come to that," Harribel whispered. "Kazuya, what now?"
There was a hint of reverie on her face, as though she still couldn't believe that her dream had turned into reality.
Kazuya's gaze drifted toward the chamber where he'd instructed Yoruichi and Soi Fon to wait. Both had already returned.
"Explain the new rules to everyone and then accompany me to see someone." He glanced at Nelliel. "You don't have to keep your Resurrección up."
Nelliel shook her head firmly. "There is still one opponent left."
"Starrk can handle him."
Nelliel studied his masked face for a long moment, then cleared her throat awkwardly. "...I don't have spare clothes."
An uncomfortable silence stretched, deepening the flush on Nelliel's cheeks. The Yammy battle had shredded her dress, leaving barely enough fabric to cover her chest. She'd have no dignity if she undid her Resurrección right now.
Kazuya offered a comforting pat on her arm. "Return to the Living World, then come back properly dressed."
As much as he wanted to tease her, resolving other pressing matters took priority. He saw Nelliel off before turning to Harribel for a crucial discussion.
...
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