The Las Noches was plunged into the vast ocean, and everywhere in sight was azure blue.
Caught off guard, the Menos Grande were swept away, buildings crumbling and the ground sinking.
Harribel looked at her "masterpiece," her expression calm as ever.
This was different from the Waterfall Strike she used when fighting Shendu.
This vast ocean was simply a pure flow of water, incapable of breaking the defenses of the Menos Grande.
At most, it made them choke on a couple of mouthfuls of water.
After all, the Las Noches Palace's scope was no smaller than a real city's.
If Harribel destroyed Las Noches with spiritual water, her Reiatsu might not suffice for her to leave.
"Despicable..."
Baraggan seemed to regain his composure.
His men hadn't died; most were merely drowned by the tide.
"This grants you death."
As the king of Hueco Mundo, Baraggan held no notions of sparing life in battle.
Certainly, Harribel's method of declaring war played a role in this.
Flooding someone's lair as a declaration of war would infuriate anyone.
In comparison, Baraggan had been very restrained.
"The breath of death."
Pale and distinct bone claws stretched out, pointing at Harribel from afar.
In an instant, the black aura centered on Baraggan rippled outward like waves, spreading rapidly.
Harribel, having fought him before, knew the terror of this black aura.
She swung her sword again. Endless white steam gushed from the giant white bone sword emitting golden light, forming a protective barrier to block the breath of death.
Sea Current.
The shield-shaped water vapor defense, strong enough to withstand a Menos Grande Cero of the same level, disintegrated into nothingness within three seconds.
But those three seconds were enough for Harribel to activate sonido.
"I have issued the declaration of war," Harribel's clear voice echoed across Las Noches Palace.
"In a few days, His Majesty Shendu will visit Las Noches in person!"
By the time Baraggan's breath of death swept past where the voice had come from, Harribel had already disappeared into the distance.
Only water vapor lingered in the sky.
Above, Baraggan's expression darkened to its ultimate grimness.
He hadn't expected the newly evolved Vasto Lorde to challenge his status.
Even worse, the group he sent out was annihilated.
Even Szayelaporro chose to surrender to that entity.
And now Harribel herself had been subdued by this Shendu.
What had transpired in such a short time?
Baraggan felt completely disconnected from the world.
"Is this your choice?"
He gazed down speaking hoarsely to himself.
"I'll show you how unwise that choice is..."
Streams of black aura hovered from his fingertips, devouring the remaining water vapor in the decaying air.
Shendu had no idea what Harribel was doing.
But if he knew, he'd likely praise her work without hesitation.
Baraggan, who had existed since ancient times, was a pure egoist.
Shendu had long disliked him.
Not because of any particular conflict—he simply found Baraggan unappealing.
That was all.
Led by Kurotsuchi Mayuri, the Shinigami exploration team finally located their first target near a cave 3,000 kilometers from the Menos Grande Forest.
A Menos Grande, resembling a massive yak, bent its head low as it voraciously consumed its prey.
Thick fur covered its body, six sharp knife-like horns jutted from its massive head, and its white mask twisted, smeared with dark red blood.
Its appearance alone marked it as a pure war machine.
Its burly figure dwarfed the conventional Gillian.
A single charge from it could flatten any city wall into rubble.
"Reiatsu is far stronger than a Gillian's,"
A team member in the front reported quietly, fearing to disturb the yak Menos Grande.
"Based on its behavior, its individual consciousness has awakened. It should be at the Adjucha level."
"No special abilities detected yet."
Gillian, composed of over a hundred different consciousnesses, exhibited chaotic behavior and acted purely on instinct.
But upon devouring enough of their kind, they purified their consciousness, evolving into Adjucha.
A few rare individuals with great potential even gained special abilities during this stage.
"Plan No. 2, double the poison gas," Kurotsuchi Mayuri ordered coldly.
Upon receiving permission, a team member activated a special spiritual tool.
Faint purple gas diffused from their palm, enveloping the yak Menos Grande.
In the dim light of the crooked moon, the Shinigami's movements were concealed.
This method emitted no Reiatsu fluctuations.
By the time the yak Menos Grande realized something was wrong, its massive body had stiffened, incapable of moving.
Neurotoxin.
Kurotsuchi Mayuri's specialty. Potent enough to ossify an Adjucha.
"The hunt is complete," Kurotsuchi Mayuri grinned.
"A specimen this size will suffice for 139 experiments."
"If we're frugal, perhaps even 150."
"Pack it up. Prepare to return to Soul Society."
The team moved quickly, using Kidō and spiritual tools to secure the incapacitated Menos Grande.
But then—
Hum—
A violent vibration filled the air, high-density spiritual particles clashing chaotically.
A scorching heat spread instantly, raising the temperature drastically. The cool night now felt like noon under the blazing sun.
The team was terrified as their throats burned as if they were breathing fire.
"Captain..."
A terrifying Reiatsu belonging to a Vasto Lorde descended upon the area.
Grains of sand trembled visibly.
Under the Shinigami's horrified gazes, a dark green figure emerged from the distant horizon.
Shendu's magnetic voice echoed across the desolate desert.
"Welcome to my domain."
Blood-red eyes locked onto the Shinigami.
"Kurotsuchi Mayuri..."
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