Shinigami: Medicine Can't Save The Soul Reaper Society

This was the clash of two Vasto Lordes—the apex predators of Hueco Mundo.

It was a collision of a colossal sword against a massive battle-axe.

Despite both combatants appearing humanoid in stature, the sheer force unleashed in their exchange sent tremors rippling through the surrounding sand. Even the nearby Adjuchas, some of whom dwarfed them in size, instinctively retreated several steps under the pressure.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

A series of sharp, metallic crashes echoed through the desert.

While Vasto Lordes might lack the refined techniques of captain-class Shinigami, they compensated with something more primal—pure, predatory instinct.

Every Vasto Lorde was born from endless carnage, forged through the blood of countless slain Adjuchas and the bones of uncountable adversaries. Each had honed a distinct, instinctive combat style through the crucible of survival.

The fight quickly escalated into a frenzy of strikes and parries as Harribel's sweeping blade clashed repeatedly with Baraggan's bone-forged axe.

But there was a disparity.

While Harribel fought with focused resolve, Baraggan moved with an almost lazy ease. His skeletal jaw opened in a mocking grin.

"Too weak! Far too weak, Harribel! If this is the best you can muster, you disgrace the name of Vasto Lorde!"

As his taunt echoed across the battlefield, his free hand lifted, bone fingers shrouded in a swirling black mist.

Decay.

The moment his battle-axe locked against Harribel's sword, his skeletal hand shot toward her face.

For the first time, her expression shifted.

The hollow core of her oversized blade hummed with spiritual pressure.

"Go!"

The sword pulsed, releasing a cerulean blast of spiritual energy similar to a Cero's concussive force.

Boom!

The explosion detonated between them, forcing Harribel back as a cloud of smoke obscured Baraggan's figure.

As the smoke cleared, he stood untouched, save for a faint wisp of vapor rising from his left hand.

Baraggan examined the smoking bone and gave a contemptuous snort.

"Pathetic. The rumors are true, then." His voice crackled with disdain. "After becoming a Vasto Lorde, you refused to devour your own kind. And here I thought it was just some naïve myth."

Harribel said nothing, but her grip on the hilt of her sword tightened.

Behind her, Apacci, Sung-Sun, and Mila exchanged anxious glances. They knew the truth of Baraggan's words.

Harribel had never consumed another Hollow after becoming a Vasto Lorde.

Unlike others who continued to devour their kind to grow stronger, she had stagnated. Her strength remained potent but lacked the relentless growth her adversaries enjoyed.

Mila Rose, still collapsed in the sand, bit her lip. Pain and resolve warred within her.

"Harribel-sama… devour me."

Her voice trembled but did not waver. "Use my power. Stop holding yourself back. Don't let me be a burden when I can be of use."

Apacci and Sung-Sun's eyes widened in shock before realization dawned.

"She's right!" Apacci shouted. "You've protected us long enough! Let us return the favor!"

"Please, Harribel-sama!" Sung-Sun added, voice trembling. "Take our power. If it means we become part of you, we'd give it willingly."

The surrounding Adjuchas faltered, stunned by what they heard. Even Baraggan's hollowed-out eye sockets seemed to narrow in surprise.

Voluntary sacrifice?

To a Hollow, the idea was absurd. Hollows were defined by their hunger, by the emptiness within their souls. Their existence revolved around devouring others to fill that void. The very notion of willingly surrendering to that fate contradicted everything fundamental to their nature.

This… this was unnatural.

Harribel turned her emerald gaze to the trio behind her. Her golden lashes lowered, then rose as her eyes refocused on Baraggan.

Her voice, soft but firm, cut through the stillness.

"No. That won't be necessary."

Apacci opened her mouth to protest, but Harribel shook her head.

"Sacrifice requires cost. And if I truly believe in sacrifice, then I must bear that cost myself."

She paused, her voice softening. "You've already shown me that the bond we share isn't hollow. Hollows can have hearts—hearts that understand each other, hearts willing to sacrifice for one another. And that is enough."

The Adjuchas horde stirred.

Even Makoto, hidden amidst the desert landscape, felt a shift within himself.

She's willing to fight for them… even if it costs her life.

He'd initially dismissed Harribel as some naïve idealist clinging to empty compassion. But this was different.

She wasn't demanding others sacrifice for her ideals. She was offering herself as proof of those ideals.

Even Hollows can form bonds beyond predation.

The sentiment resonated, even though Makoto wasn't the type to be swayed by abstract ideals.

But for Baraggan, the words were an affront.

"Foolishness," he spat.

"Foolish words. Foolish beliefs. Foolish actions!"

His bony hand swept toward Harribel.

"That weakness is why you will die here today. And your precious subordinates…" He paused, letting the threat hang before addressing his forces.

"Consume those three! Leave nothing behind!"

The horde surged forward.

Harribel's composure cracked as rage flared across her face.

"Who gave you permission… to touch my subordinates?!"

Her spiritual pressure exploded outward, sand and air swirling in a vortex around her.

She pivoted and swung her massive blade horizontally.

"Hirviendo!" (Burning Current!)

A blistering torrent of superheated water erupted from the blade's core. The scorching wave, unnatural in the frigid atmosphere of Hueco Mundo, surged into the charging Adjuchas.

Those caught in its path dissolved on contact, their bodies reduced to steam.

But as the tide of water subsided, Harribel sensed a shift behind her.

A chill far colder than the desert night descended upon her.

Baraggan's decaying mist rolled in from behind.

His axe rose high above his head, the black miasma coiling around the blade like a serpent.

"It's over, Harribel," he declared, voice cold and absolute.

"Die with your foolishness."

The axe came crashing down.

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