Having inadvertently intimidated the Arrancars of Las Noches with her Spiritual Pressure, Soifon felt that these unruly fellows had become much more respectful toward her as she walked down the corridors.
After the recent enhancement from the System, a sudden thought occurred to Soifon. Since Arrancars were Menos Grande who had received the power of a Shinigami, could they also develop a stage of power similar to Ulquiorra's Segunda Etapa?
Theoretically speaking, Segunda Etapa was a skill belonging to Arrancars. As long as they trained hard, every Espada should be able to master it.
She needed to find an opportunity to discuss it with Aizen and Szayelaporro, and perhaps conduct some research to test it out.
Harboring such thoughts, on her way to find Harribel, Soifon bumped into Starrk, who was walking toward her while taking Lilynette out to play.
Both sides stopped at a distance of three paces.
"Lady Soifon, what a coincidence?"
"Yo, shorty..."
Walking beside Starrk, Lilynette was just about to call out the nickname in her heart when her mouth was firmly covered by Starrk's hand.
"That Spiritual Pressure from earlier was released by Lady Soifon. Think carefully before you speak."
After rapidly chanting his warning, Starrk let go of Lilynette's mouth.
Her eyes darted around before she let out an awkward laugh. "Hey, Lady Soifon, how are you doing..."
Weighing the difference in Spiritual Pressure between Starrk and Soifon, Lilynette could only reluctantly concede and bow her head.
There was no helping it; she just treated it as doing it for the sake of Starrk's safety.
However, the Soifon standing opposite her merely let out a cold chuckle, staring at Lilynette for quite a while.
Heh, you think you can run after offending Captain Soifon?
A moment later, after staring the other party down until she shrank behind Starrk, Soifon finally spoke at a leisurely pace, "Starrk, and this shorty, hello to you both."
Shorty...?!
Lilynette completely bristled with anger, immediately becoming agitated.
"Who are you calling..." She jumped out from behind Starrk, a trembling finger pointing at Soifon. "Who's a shorty?!"
Soifon ignored her cursing demeanor, bypassing Starrk to continue heading toward the Espada's quarters. However, after taking a few steps, she stopped and looked back at Starrk.
"...Is there anything else, Lady Soifon?"
Sensing her gaze, Starrk clamped a hand over Lilynette's mouth and turned his head somewhat stiffly.
Soifon said, "If you have nothing to do lately, don't leave Las Noches."
Starrk frowned. "Why?"
"There might be a plan in the near future that requires the participation of you Espadas." Seeing his expression gradually turn grave, Soifon added, "It's a good thing that can enhance your strength."
Hearing this, Starrk's eyes brightened a little.
He had little interest in increasing his own strength, but he was very interested in his comrades becoming stronger.
"I understand." Starrk finally nodded. "Thank you for informing us."
Soifon said no more, merely waving her hand to indicate they could leave.
Dragging along the still muttering and complaining Lilynette, Starrk continued walking down the corridor.
A few minutes later, Soifon arrived in front of the connecting corridor between the palaces of the 3rd and 4th Espada.
As the only two female Espada Arrancars in Las Noches, Nelliel's and Harribel's palaces were built connected to each other. This was their special request when the palaces were constructed.
The main doors of the palace were wide open, but the area in front of the gates was empty, save for a solitary white figure standing there.
Sun-Sun was holding a broom taller than herself, sweeping the white sand in front of the door haphazardly. Her gaze wandered, her mind clearly not on the sweeping.
When the sound of Soifon's approaching footsteps grew near, Sun-Sun sharply raised her head. Seeing that the visitor was Soifon, she hastily threw aside her broom, trotted over, and bowed respectfully in greeting.
"Lady Soifon."
After speaking, Sun-Sun cautiously raised her head, covertly sizing up this new king of Las Noches.
Soifon nodded, her gaze sweeping over the empty interior of the palace before looking back at Sun-Sun. "Where are Harribel and Nelliel?"
"Ah, Lady Harribel and Lady Nelliel?" Sun-Sun straightened up and pointed toward the outside of the palace. "They went outside to spar. They said fighting inside the palace would easily break things, and Lord Aizen would be displeased."
Soifon raised an eyebrow. "How long have they been gone?"
"For a while now." Sun-Sun scratched her head. "I didn't pay attention to the exact time..."
Soifon didn't press the matter further, turning around to head outside.
"Lady Soifon, wait..."
Sun-Sun's voice suddenly called out from behind.
Soifon stopped and looked back at her.
Sun-Sun jogged a few steps to catch up, clasping her hands together with a pitiful expression on her face. "Lady Soifon, are you going to look for them? Can you take me with you?"
...
The white sands outside Las Noches gleamed with a cold luster under the moonlight.
When Soifon, with Sun-Sun in tow, found Harribel and Nelliel, the two were clashing on a relatively open stretch of sand.
There was no Resurrección, and they didn't even use much Spiritual Pressure. They were purely sparring with their Zanpakutō. The blades flashed and crossed under the moonlight, emitting crisp metallic clangs, but every strike was pulled just short of connecting.
If not for Soifon's powerful perception, she might not have even known there were two powerful Espadas fighting here.
When Soifon appeared within their perception range without concealing her Spiritual Pressure, the two almost simultaneously stopped and looked in the direction of her arrival.
Nelliel's eyes lit up. She immediately sheathed her sword, an undisguised smile of pleasant surprise blooming on her face, and dashed toward Soifon using Sonído.
"Lady Soifon!" The next moment, Nelliel appeared in front of Soifon. "Did you come specifically to see us?"
Harribel, following behind her, was much more composed.
Harribel sheathed her blade, walked up to Soifon, and gave a slight bow, her demeanor respectful. "Lady Soifon."
Apacci and Mila, who were watching the battle from a short distance away, also hurried forward and bowed respectfully to Soifon. "Lady Soifon."
Soifon nodded in response. However, Nelliel had already leaned in close, tilting her head up and bending her knees slightly.
This posture seemed to be the exact same one she had done right before Soifon left for the World of the Living to find Kōga Kuchiki last time.
Soifon extended a hand in resignation, rubbing Nelliel's soft, long green hair and tapping the mask on her head. The latter narrowed her eyes in satisfaction, letting out a soft purr like a kitten.
While patting Nelliel's head, Soifon looked up at Harribel. "Were you two sparring just now?"
Harribel nodded. "Yes, just getting some exercise occasionally."
Her hand paused mid-pat. Soifon tilted her head, observing the two of them for a moment. "Can it even be called a spar when you haven't broken a single drop of sweat?"
Even the students training at the Shin'ō Academy have a much higher intensity than your spar, don't they?
Or is it that after breaking away from the path-dependency of devouring to evolve, the Arrancars no longer know how to get stronger, so they started imitating the Shinigamis' methods of improvement?
Stunned by Soifon's question, Harribel subconsciously reached out to touch the perfect curve of her neck and the wicked cleavage on her chest.
—She really hadn't broken a single drop of sweat.
Does that mean... this kind of sparring has no effect?
"Lady Soifon, are you offering to give us some guidance?!"
As this thought flashed through Harribel's mind, her eyes lit up, and she looked at Soifon with a burning fighting spirit.
In her eyes, Soifon—who had killed Barragan—was no longer just the new king of Las Noches, but a kind of spiritual pillar.
It turned out that a woman could be so powerful, so composed, and so awe-inspiring.
"I can." Soifon agreed readily, then looked at Nelliel. "Do you want to join in too?"
Harribel's gaze also shifted over, carrying a hint of pleading. Her eyes practically screamed: I want a one-on-one duel.
Consequently, Nelliel smiled and shook her head. "Not right now. Lady Soifon, please fight Harribel first... I'd like to watch as well."
She retreated to stand beside Sun-Sun, Apacci, and Mila. The three Fracciónes sensibly backed away as well, giving the two enough space.
Under the silvery moonlight, Soifon and Harribel stood facing each other.
Harribel slowly drew the short sword at her waist. With a deep breath, her Spiritual Pressure began to climb steadily.
"Well then..." acting as the referee, Nelliel spoke up. "Begin."
The instant her voice fell, Harribel moved.
Activating Sonído, her figure vanished from the spot. In the next moment, she appeared directly in front of Soifon, her short sword slashing downward with a whistling sound that tore through the air!
She knew she stood absolutely no chance against Soifon, who had effortlessly slain Barragan, so she used her full power in her base state right from the start.
However, Soifon didn't even budge.
She simply stood there, watching Harribel's blade chop toward her neck without even blinking an eye.
The blade's edge abruptly stopped a mere centimeter away from Soifon's neck.
Harribel furrowed her brows tightly. She could clearly see that Soifon's gaze had been following the movement of her blade the entire time. It was impossible that she hadn't reacted...
Then there could only be one conclusion!
—Soifon was completely looking down on her!
"Lady Soifon!" Harribel's voice carried a hint of anger. "Are you underestimating me?"
Only then did Soifon raise her eyes, meeting Harribel's gaze. "By not following through with your strike just now, you were the one underestimating me, Harribel..."
Before she even finished speaking, Soifon's left hand had already shot up, grabbing directly onto Harribel's hollowed-out blade. Her fingers pinched the metal firmly, the immense force rendering Harribel's sword completely immovable.
Grabbing a sword like that... does Lady Soifon no longer want her left hand?!
In a flash, such a disrespectful thought surfaced in Harribel's mind.
However, considering Szayelaporro's dark medical technologies and the sheer force transmitting from the blade, she hardened her heart and violently yanked her sword... yet it still didn't budge an inch.
"Get serious, Harribel..."
"Now, who's the one underestimating whom?"
To make matters worse, Soifon even covered her mouth with her free right hand and let out a yawn.
Such blatant disregard—even if the other party was someone she deeply respected, Harribel absolutely could not endure this kind of humiliation!
Cero!
Golden light erupted from the blade in an instant. The blinding brilliance swallowed Soifon's figure whole. The ensuing explosion kicked up sand and dust into a massive mushroom cloud, and the shockwave sent the Fracciónes in the distance stumbling backward.
Nelliel narrowed her eyes, her perception firmly locked onto the center of the explosion.
The dust slowly cleared.
Soifon stood right where she was, not having shifted her position even a fraction of an inch. She still held Harribel's blade in her grasp, completely unharmed.
Instantly, Harribel's pupils quaked.
That was a point-blank Cero, how is it possible...
"Use your Resurrección, Harribel." Soifon released her grip on the opponent's blade. "You shouldn't be limited to just this level."
Sure enough, the Espada in their base state are only at this level.
Taking two steps back, Harribel raised her short sword high. Golden Spiritual Pressure surged up from behind her like a tsunami.
Resurrección—Tiburón.
"Lady Soifon..."
"Are you really not going to dodge?"
Harribel's sword began to condense the golden energy of a Cero, causing the surrounding space to gradually distort.
As her voice fell, a Gran Rey Cero engulfed Soifon's figure once again. This strike far exceeded the power of her previous Cero. The sand in its path instantly vaporized, and the space twisted and cracked visibly to the naked eye.
With Soifon as the epicenter, the blast left two distinct, diverging scorch marks extending hundreds of meters behind her.
She had tanked the attack to the face yet again, and remained entirely unscathed.
Remaining in place, Soifon carefully analyzed the Cero from just now. Although its power had increased, the manipulation of energy was actually less refined than in her standard Arrancar form, leaning closer to the instincts of a beast.
Is this the drawback of practicing Resurrección too little?
Just like her previous Bankai, the less she used it, the rustier she got. Soifon thought to herself.
Harribel froze in place. The Tiburón in her hand slowly lowered, and she subsequently deactivated her Resurrección.
—The gap was simply too vast.
Surging into her heart alongside her sense of defeat was Harribel's deep shame.
Just moments ago, she had actually thought that Lady Soifon was an arrogant and conceited person...
The more she recalled it, the more a distinct blush flooded Harribel's honey-colored cheeks.
She lowered her head, dropping to one knee in the white sand, and apologized to Soifon.
"Lady Soifon... I apologize for my misunderstanding and disparaging thoughts just now."
"Please... punish my disrespect!"
Step, step.
"It's fine..."
Soifon stepped forward and, just like she had treated Nelliel earlier, rubbed the top of Harribel's head, her fingertips gently brushing past the mask on her face.
Feeling Soifon's small hand caressing her head, a sense of embarrassment clashed with a certain feeling of reliance on a strong female figure in her heart.
After all, her subordinates and Nelliel were right there. Being treated to a head-pat in front of so many people was somewhat embarrassing. However, thinking about how Nelliel had just enjoyed the exact same treatment, Harribel felt a little more at peace with it.
Right at this moment, several white silhouettes rushed over from the direction of Las Noches. Almost the instant Soifon's voice fell, Sōsuke Aizen arrived at this battlefield with the remaining Espadas.
Aizen's gaze lingered for a split second on the kneeling Harribel before turning to Soifon. "Captain Soifon?"
The scene was a little awkward, but since they were already here, they still had to offer a greeting. After all, in Aizen's understanding, Soifon wasn't the type to be bored enough to go around noob-stomping.
"Since everyone is here, perfect..." Soifon cleared her throat. "Ahem, stand up, Harribel. You didn't do anything wrong."
Soifon didn't answer Aizen's question. Instead, she looked at the fully assembled Espadas.
"I have an idea."
"Your current application of Resurrección is too crude."
"Right now, your Resurrección merely increases your Spiritual Pressure output. It offers no qualitative improvement to your combat abilities at all."
Grimmjow couldn't help but speak up. "Hah? Isn't that exactly what Resurrección does..."
Soifon shook her head.
Her gaze swept over the visibly dissatisfied Espadas before finally settling on Ulquiorra.
"Ulquiorra, step forward," Soifon ordered. "Demonstrate to them what Segunda Etapa is."
Ulquiorra remained silent for two seconds before finally stepping out of the line and walking up to Soifon.
The other Espadas simultaneously cast inquiring gazes his way. Segunda Etapa?
What is that? We've never even heard of it!
As for Aizen, he actually knew the other party was hiding a special form. However, since he was ultimately someone who believed that Spiritual Pressure was everything, he had never bothered to press for details.
Urged on by the gazes of Sōsuke Aizen and Soifon, Ulquiorra began to draw his sword. "Enclose, Murciélago."
This was the first stage of his Resurrección, a form familiar to all the Espadas.
But Ulquiorra's movements did not stop. His Spiritual Pressure continued to pour out, the black aura beginning to drip from the sky like rain.
"Next, this is Segunda Etapa..."
Ulquiorra's body began to change, his bat-like, beastly features becoming increasingly pronounced.
"Oh?"
"After entering Segunda Etapa, the mask shell covering your body is already close to zero?"
"You sly bastard, you kept such an excellent experimental subject hidden from us and didn't even tell us sooner..."
Perhaps this form can mend the flaws in my soul and allow my strength to return?
Szayelaporro leaned in close to Ulquiorra, observing him with considerable excitement.
"What do you mean? Are you going to use me for experiments?"
Ulquiorra shot him a glance. The immense coercive pressure of his Segunda Etapa instantly caused Szayelaporro's expression to freeze.
In the next second, however, his words sharply contrasted with his cold expression.
"Very well. You may." Ulquiorra nodded. "For the sake of Lord Aizen and Lady Soifon, I can allow you to conduct your experiments."
____
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