Chapter 272: Rudbornn's Report
Two consecutive Reiatsu explosions threw all the Arrancars present into shock.
With the maturation of artificial Arrancar technology, these Adjuchas had completed their transformation one by one, their power skyrocketing.
Yet Harribel and Nelliel had failed to become Arrancars all this time.
Many began to speculate that these two probably lacked the aptitude for Arrancar transformation.
Their high status, they assumed, was merely due to the golden sign of being "Vasto Lordes."
Many Arrancars present wanted to prove that Adjuchas who became Arrancars weren't inferior to Vasto Lordes.
Little did they expect, before they could even make their moves, the two opposite them had simultaneously transformed!
HUM!!
The air suddenly vibrated.
Under the astonished gazes of the Arrancars, two figures appeared before them without warning.
On the left stood a tall, aloof woman with short golden hair and dark skin.
Her eyes were icy cold, looking down upon the Hollows as if surveying mere insects.
She wore the white uniform typical of Las Noches.
However, unlike the uniforms worn by most female Hollows, the upper part of her outfit had been modified—covering only her shoulders, arms, and the upper portion of her chest.
The lower part of her chest and her beautiful waist were exposed to the air.
Though inherently provocative, the clothing didn't appear overly sensual on her.
Instead, the revealing outfit, complemented by her cold demeanor, carried an inexplicable sense of sacredness.
Tier Harribel!
Beside her stood a female Hollow with long, curly green hair.
Her gray eyes displayed both determination and gentleness, like a devoted guardian.
The white Las Noches uniform completely covered her body, revealing nothing.
Yet, the more concealed she appeared, the stronger the impulse grew to uncover what lay beneath.
Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck!
Though seeing the two in this form for the first time, all Arrancars immediately recognized their names.
Incidentally, the above observations stem from objective analysis, completely devoid of any personal perspectives related to Satoru.
Seeing the two before him, Grimmjow couldn't suppress his anger.
"What the hell... If you could become Arrancars, why wait until now?"
"Are you mocking me?!"
Rage burned in his eyes.
Not because their sudden power increase frightened him.
His fury stemmed from feeling played for a fool.
Nelliel and Harribel—these two clearly possessed the ability to undergo Hollowfication, yet they had delayed it all along. Only when challenged by others did they suddenly reveal their true strength.
Were they treating him like a clown?
Hearing Grimmjow's furious questioning, Harribel replied indifferently:
"What does it have to do with you?"
As for Nelliel, she seemed somewhat embarrassed and slightly averted her gaze.
Back when the Arrancarization experiments had just begun, she had voluntarily applied to participate in the project and become an Arrancar.
But Satoru had stopped her.
Satoru had discovered that the early Arrancarization procedures had certain flaws.
Many Hollows who successfully underwent Arrancarization were left with strange scars on their bodies.
For example, Grimmjow had blue eyeshadow marks around his eyes.
Lindocruz had a green scar on his face.
If he remembered correctly, the original Harribel had a blue lightning-shaped mark on her face.
As for Nel, she had a long sunburn-like streak across the bridge of her nose.
Harribel's lightning mark was acceptable, but Satoru had always felt that Nel's sunburn streak was somewhat unattractive.
To avoid this, he postponed the Arrancarization of the two.
During this time, Aizen made slight modifications to the Hōgyoku's functions.
Finally, just before the challenge matches began, the task was completed.
At this point, Harribel and Nel's skin was flawless, without any strange marks left behind.
Satoru was very satisfied.
Harribel could follow along with satisfaction due to her strong loyalty.
Only Nelliel, upon hearing Grimmjow's question, couldn't help but feel a sense of shame.
As a warrior, she had delayed battle for such a reason.
However… recalling her previous conversation with Satoru, she felt that she had actually helped Grimmjow and the others.
Not long ago, Nel had approached Satoru.
"Lord Satoru, if the 'protection period' you mentioned ends and Lord Aizen hasn't finished modifying the Hōgyoku in time, would it be possible for me to request to fight in my current form then?"
Upon hearing this, Satoru thought for two seconds before nodding:
"Acceptable."
"However, I'd like to make a slight modification—change the one-on-one to a two-person format."
"You and Harribel will form separate two-person teams to battle the challengers."
Hearing this, Nel was shocked.
With Satoru's power level, teaming up with her would be like a professional boxer setting up a ring in an elementary school.
She smiled wryly, "Lord Satoru, if you do this, it will cause chaos in Las Noches."
Satoru chuckled, "No matter. Anyone who dares complain will get to taste Sōsuke's little schemes."
Nel: "..."
Compared to being beaten to pulp by Satoru or toyed to death by Aizen's schemes, waiting for her for some time didn't seem too unreasonable...
While she was lost in thought, Grimmjow had already strode forward.
"Hmph, I don't care if you're Arrancars or not."
"Since I said I'd challenge you, I won't give you any chance to escape!"
"All of you, prepare yourselves!"
As he spoke, he grinned and drew his Zanpakutō from his waist.
Seeing Grimmjow's actions, Nel and Harribel exchanged glances.
Harribel said, "Grimmjow, which of us are you challenging?"
Grimmjow declared loudly, "If we're fighting, I'll take on the strongest! Tier Harribel, I'll start with you!"
Hearing this, Harribel nodded.
She strode to the center of the arena and looked at Grimmjow.
Nel took several steps back, standing at the edge of the arena.
Not far away, on a high tower, Satoru and Aizen stood side by side, looking down at the plaza below.
Sensing the powerful Reiatsu emanating from Harribel, Aizen nodded slightly.
"Not bad. Just from the Reiatsu alone, she's already completely on par with veteran captains."
"Though slightly below my expectations, it's still quite good."
"In the past, Las Noches had experts like Baraggan Louisenbairn, but overall, it was completely unworthy of comparison with Seireitei."
"With these Arrancars, this place finally has the beginnings of a proper faction."
Meanwhile, Satoru was in an even better mood than Aizen.
The improved Hōgyoku not only enhanced Hollows' power but also had beautifying effects.
Earlier, before Harribel went into battle, he had personally helped her change into a new uniform.
While dressing her, he had tested her "humanity."
Very soft, very springy.
Perfect, one might say.
As for Nelliel, she felt even softer.
Each had their own merits, both perfect.
Hearing Aizen's words, he couldn't help but nod:
"You're right. Now, Las Noches truly has the beginnings of a paradise..."
"?"
Aizen narrowed his eyes.
Down in the plaza, the first battle had begun.
Grimmjow initiated his Resurrección first.
His Zanpakutō transformed into a beam of light, merging with his body, changing him from human form into a half-human, half-leopard warrior.
Each swipe of his claws left long trails of Reishi scratches.
It's you, Beastman Garuru!
Meanwhile, Harribel didn't even use her Resurrección, calmly swinging her Zanpakutō to neutralize each of Grimmjow's attacks.
After an Adjuchas becomes an Arrancar, their power can rival that of a non-Arrancar Vasto Lorde.
So what happens when a Vasto Lorde becomes an Arrancar?
Complete domination.
Surging waves of Reiatsu swept across the battlefield.
Grimmjow darted about with agile movements, using his superior speed to evade Harribel's attacks.
However, under the overwhelming stat advantage, he soon began showing signs of defeat.
Even the weakest five-star card is still a five-star.
Even the strongest four-star card is still just a four-star.
As Harribel's sword came to a stop right before Grimmjow's nose, he finally clicked his tongue in frustration and turned to leave.
Watching Grimmjow's reaction, the Arrancars exchanged glances.
Given this panther's temperament, even when defeated, he rarely admitted it and would only keep demanding rematches.
For him to give up so decisively... could Harribel really be that powerful?
Many Arrancars who had originally planned to challenge Harribel began to hesitate.
They turned their attention to Nel.
Harribel's strength must be because Lord Satoru had recognized her potential early on, hence granting her one of the three general positions.
Nelliel was merely one of the Seven Guardians—she couldn't possibly possess the same level of strength!
With this thought, some powerful Arrancars began challenging Nel.
Minutes later, they all lay defeated on the plaza square.
After losing to both women, the Arrancars—including Grimmjow—awaited judgment.
Before Satoru and Aizen's arrival, Las Noches' rule was that those who failed challenges could be disposed of at the victor's discretion.
Typically, they would be devoured by the winner.
Both Nel and Harribel—one disliking killing, the other disliking meaningless slaughter—casually pardoned all the Menos Grande present.
Grimmjow's expression darkened.
Though unpunished, this outcome felt worse to him than any punishment.
Among the other Arrancars, two couldn't help but approach Nel, kneeling on one knee.
"Lady Nelliel! Your mercy shames us. Please forgive our previous ignorance and disrespect!"
"If you're willing, we two wish to become your Fracción, to become your sword and shield from this day forward!"
"To repay what we've gained today, we would die without regret!"
Hearing this, Nel studied the two.
She initially intended to refuse outright, but in their eyes, she genuinely saw remorse and fierce loyalty.
Perhaps they weren't joking.
If a life-or-death crisis occurred in the future, they might truly risk their lives to repay her.
Nel didn't need their repayment, but she knew that if she refused, they would likely keep seeking ways to repay her anyway.
Rather than letting them endanger themselves over this, it would be better to make them her nominal subordinates.
After all... she would frequently be at Satoru's side, with little time to manage subordinates.
Looking at the two before her, she spoke:
"What are your names."
A tall, thin Arrancar answered immediately: "Reporting, Lady Nelliel! I'm Pesche, Pesche Guatiche!"
The other, bulkier Arrancar responded slightly slower: "My lady, I'm Dondochakka, Dondochakka Birstanne!"
"Mm, I've remembered your names."
Nel nodded gently.
"From now on, you may act in the name of being my Fracción."
"However, remember this—becoming my Fracción doesn't mean you've gained my protection to commit evil deeds."
"On the contrary, becoming my Fracción requires even stricter adherence to justice and conviction. If I discover you exploiting my name to bully the weak, I will end your lives immediately!"
Neither had any objection to Nel's warning, both nodding in agreement.
From the high tower, Satoru overheard this conversation from afar, his eyes revealing a hint of nostalgia.
If he remembered correctly, these two should be Nel's original Fracción from their world.
After Nel was ambushed and lost her powers, they had abandoned their honor and status in Las Noches without hesitation, following her into the endless desert.
When confirming that Nel was unlikely to ever regain her strength, they had even resolved to live permanently in the wasteland, never returning to Las Noches.
For Hollows, losing Aizen's protection and the possibility of evolution was more terrifying than death.
To maintain their convictions and remain loyal to their master under such desperate circumstances—these two Hollows could truly be said to possess golden spirits.
Hmm... Given their exceptional loyalty, he might as well spare some time to personally train them.
To help them grow stronger quickly, a slightly devilish training regimen should be acceptable, right?
The old man had trained him with similar intensity, and he had survived.
If he could endure it, others should be able to as well.
Having made up his mind, Satoru revealed a satisfied smile.
Seeing Satoru's smile, Aizen felt that someone was about to face misfortune...
Suddenly, a figure appeared behind them.
"Report, Lord Satoru, Lord Aizen!"
"An urgent situation requires your attention!"
The two turned to face the messenger.
It was a humanoid Hollow wearing the white uniform of Las Noches, with a sword at its waist.
Though it had completed its Arrancar transformation, it still wore a white bone mask covering its features.
His name was Rudbornn, captain of the Exequias in Las Noches.
To establish an intelligence unit, Aizen had specially created a group of unique Arrancar modeled after the Punishment Force standards.
Rudbornn was the captain of this unit.
Under their gaze, Rudbornn quickly reported:
"Not long ago, members of the Exequias accidentally discovered a powerful Hollow about 700 kilometers from Las Noches."
"Several members were instantly defeated and devoured by it."
"To confirm the target's information, I dispatched two teams of clones—all were defeated with no survivors."
"Lord Gontenbein, one of the Privaron Espada, went to capture it but lost contact two hours ago."
"Unless something unexpected occurred, he was likely defeated!"
Hearing this, Aizen raised an eyebrow.
A wild Menos Grande in Hueco Mundo capable of defeating a Privaron Espada?