Capitulation

After yielding to Ohta, Harribel, having reverted to her crop-top state, showed him to her fin-shaped palace. There, waiting on the massive balcony oriented toward the center of Las Noches, were three female Arrancar. The first was an inordinately slender woman with long, sleek, olive-green hair, long eyelashes, and lavender eyes whose half-mask and long-sleeved garments gave the impression of a serpent. The second was a tall, muscular woman with bronzed skin, wavy brown hair that flowed to the middle of her back, and an outfit reminiscent of an Amazon or a Greek warrior woman. The last looked like a slightly older version of Karin, giving the impression of a tomboy with a lean, athletic build and black hair that framed her face to her chin. More notably, her eyes were different colors, her right being ice blue and her left being muted brown, surrounded by a red outline. Her mask resembled the nose bone of a horse with a pointed horn growing out of it, while the muscular Arrancar's resembled a three-sectioned crown that followed the contours of her skull like a helmet.

While all three women glared at him, it was the tomboyish Arrancar who asked, "What's going on, Harribel-sama? Why did you bring this human boy here?"

Piggybacking off the shorter woman's words, the muscular Amazoness appended, "Yeah, isn't he the enemy? Just look at the robe he's wearing. That's the Royal Mantle of Lord Barragan."

"It's not just his robe I picked up," replied Ohta, whipping out the crown of Barragan from the cloak's interior, spinning it on the tip of his index finger.

Seeing Barragan's crown in Ohta's possession, the trio of female Arrancar became even tenser than they already were. Barragan may have been the Secunda Espada, but many believed him to be the most powerful entity in Hueco Mundo, sans Aizen.

"There is no reason to be afraid..." asserted Harribel, her voice calm and steady even though she didn't fully believe her words.

While staring at Ohta, Harribel gestured with her left hand toward the trio, revealing, "These are my Fraccion: Sung-Sun, Mila Rose, and Apacci. The four of us have lived together since before we became Arrancar..."

"Are you the only ones inhabiting this massive palace...?" asked Ohta, his senses probing the entire structure but only detecting the animalistic and insectoid Hollow that served as the fauna of Hueco Mundo.

Nodding her head, Harribel explained, "Female Hollows are rare and often become the victims or servants of more powerful male Hollows. With the exceptions of Lord Aizen, Coyote Starrk, and the deceased Lord Barragan, no males are allowed within my palace..."

"Guess that makes me an exception..." remarked Ohta, gazing at the trio while maintaining a relaxed posture. Each tensed as he did so, but only the snake-like woman averted her pink eyes, covering the lower half of her face with her inordinately long sleeve. The other two looked prepared to attack at a moment's notice...

Noticing Mila's and Apacci's hostility, Harribel crossed her arm, causing her perky brown breasts to stand out as she said, "Calm down, you two. Even if the four of us were to team up, our chances of victory are slim to nonexistent. As Lord Aizen appears to have forsaken us, I have chosen to yield without a fight. Do not provoke or antagonize him..."

"What does that mean for us?" asked the chocolate-skinned Mila, brows furrowed as she swallowed a knot that had formed in her throat. She had the most attuned instincts among the three Fraccion, so she didn't doubt Harribel's words when the latter asserted they couldn't defeat Ohta.

Following Mila's question, the slender Sung-sun questioned, "Is this man our new Lord and Master...?"

"That remains to be seen..." replied Harribel, directing a sidelong gaze at Ohta as she added, "My yielding was done to preserve our lives. As such, he will heed his instructions, but we will not fight at his behest. If he loses in the forthcoming battle, we will return to Lord Aizen's side as a matter of course..."

Interpreting Harribel's words to mean they just had to endure until Aizen killed Ohta, Sung-Sun, Mila Rose, and Apacci stared at their interim 'Lord' as if he were a dead man walking. Barragan's might was beyond standard comprehension, but Aizen had toyed with the former God-King of Hueco Mundo like he was a child. Even if Ohta was able to defeat the latter, they couldn't imagine 'anyone' defeating Aizen...

Noticing the change in the trio's gazes, Ohta raised his brows and asked, "What's with the vengeful looks? Last I checked, I haven't done anything to piss you off or upset you..."

Shifting his gaze to Harribel, Ohta added, "If anything, you should be thanking me. If I weren't conscientious about preserving the balance between the three realms, you and your Mistress would be dead now."

Nodding her head, Harribel replied, "For that, I am grateful. However, as your very existence has forced us into a perilous position, it's difficult to be truly thankful. After all, the only reason you're sparing us is to avoid an influx of Hollows invading your world..."

Shrugging his shoulders, Ohta offered a curt, "Fair point," before holding up his right hand and explaining, "Now, to ensure you can't stab me in the back or target the people I care about, I'm going to drain your energy and confine you within this cloak. You will be free to move around once inside, but if you cause any trouble, I'll eject and kill you. Any questions?"

"What do you mean by draining our energy?" asked Harribel, narrowing her eyes in suspicion.

"I won't be 'stealing' your power if that's what you're thinking," replied Ohta. "I'm only going to drain your Reiryoku, leaving you in a weakened but otherwise uninjured state. I might drain you a second time before my battle against Aizen, but you'll recover in a few days."

"And how do we know you won't kill us the moment we're vulnerable?" asked Mila, appending, "And what's to stop you from simply keeping us prisoner, draining our power at your leisure?"

"You don't, and nothing at all," admitted Ohta, shrugging his shoulders as he added, "However, unlike the cunt preventing you from teaming up to stop our invasion force from slaughtering you, I keep my promises. You're free to doubt me, but since I won't be depriving you of the freedom to move about, you can just kill yourselves if it looks like I'm going to betray you. I imagine that's better than living as a battery."

"..." x3 (Sung-Sun, Mila Rose, Apacci)

Nodding her head, Harribel responded with a curt, resolute "Very well..." before approaching Ohta, positioning herself in front of him. Their heights were an identical 175cm, so the two stood at eye level for several tense moments, Harribel's aquamarine eyes staring intently into Ohta's as if she were trying to peer directly into his thoughts.

"Then, pardon me..." said Ohta, extending his hand to touch the center of Harribel's chest. Her body tensed ever so slightly as he did, but she stood silent and resolute with crossed arms, offering no resistance as she felt a powerful suction depleting her Reiyroku at a startling rate.

Raising his brows, Ohta remarked, "Jeez...you have an insane amount of Reiryoku..."

"Is that a problem...?" asked Harribel.

Shaking his head, Ohta answered, "Not really. It's just surprising, that's all. The last time I encountered a 'sea' of Reiryoku like this, I was facing the Captain of Squad 11, Zaraki Kenpachi..."

As Harribel's hair gradually lost its golden sheen, gaining an ashen hue, Ohta retracted his hand, asserting, "That should do for now. You might feel fatigued, but your body is unharmed, right?"

Nodding in affirmation, Harribel turned to face her Fraccion, stating, "If this is the extent of what he has planned for us, it won't be a problem. Come forward..."

As Sung-Sun, Mila Rose, and Apacci reluctantly stepped forward, Ohta shook his head and said, "That won't be necessary. I don't view these three as a serious threat, so I won't drain their power. Just don't blame me if they try anything and have to suffer the consequences..."

Furrowing her brows, Mila asked, "Are you trying to say we're weak...?"

Turning to meet the dark-skinned woman's gaze, Ohta casually replied, "Compared to most, you're pretty strong. However, compared to me, your Mistress, and those who stand near the pinnacle of the three realms? You wouldn't be able to flaunt your so-called 'strength' without the backing of someone much stronger..."

Clicking her tongue, Mila crossed her arms under her sizeable breasts and averted her green eyes in vexation. Her Hollow form resembled a maned lioness with brown skin, dark fur, and a golden mask, so she was naturally a very proud woman. Being called weak by a 'scrawny brat' pissed her off, even if Ohta was much, much stronger than her...

Guiding the conversation back on track, Harribel asked, "What now? You mentioned confining us within your cloak..."

"Yeah, that looks something like this," replied Ohta, extending his hand to touch the crown of Harribel's head. Her hair was cold and bristly, but that wasn't all that important as she abruptly vanished, causing her Fraccion's eyes to widen until she promptly reappeared.

While raising her hand to calm Sung-Sun, Mila Rose, and Apacci, Harribel asked, "Was that the cloak's interior? I noticed there were two Shinigami, an unfamiliar Arrancar, and a large flame present..."

"Consider them your wardens," replied Ohta, refusing to elaborate further. "But, before I detain you, show me where you keep your food, water, and other supplies. I'm hungry."

"..."

Turning her attention to Fraccion, Harribel instructed, "Sung-Sun, you will prepare a meal for four. Mila Rose, Apacci, you will gather wine, food, and other essential goods and supplies..."

"While you're at it, grab enough bedding, blankets, and pillows for six-to-ten people," added Ohta. "I'm only planning to detain you for two to three days, but depending on how things play out, it could be longer. Sleeping is a good way to pass the time."

"You heard him," appended Harribel. "Now, go, and be swift about it..."

Though they weren't too enthused by having to follow Ohta's commands, the trio of Arrancar immediately obeyed when instructed by Harribel. As a result, she and Ohta were abruptly left alone on the balcony, a temperate breeze causing their hair and clothes to rustle as Harribel looked back to ask, "At the risk of sounding impudent...do you have any intentions toward my Fraccion or me?"

Understanding what Harribel was referring to, Ohta raised his brows and replied, "Not in the way you're thinking. My future wife is inordinately keen on having me 'experiment,' but I doubt she would be comfortable with me crossing the line with a Hollow, Arrancar or otherwise..."

"I see..." replied Harribel, promptly falling silent as she stood with her arms crossed. Her penetrating gaze caused Ohta to feel uncomfortable, but it didn't show on his face. Instead, he sported a relaxed, ostensibly amused smile, allowing the silence to persist for several seconds before turning his face into the breeze, closing his eyes, and enjoying the feeling of the wind blowing through his hair and the canine ears atop his head. Curiously enough, Harribel emulated his actions, giving off a markedly more 'mysterious' aura due to her high collar and the mask covering the lower half of her face...

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After introducing Rukia, Orihime, and Karin to Harribel and her Fraccion, Ohta enjoyed the surprisingly delectable food prepared by Sung-Sun, albeit after making sure it wasn't poisoned. Throughout the meal, Harribel revealed what she knew of Las Noches and the other Espada, providing a detailed account of their abilities and personalities. More importantly, she revealed the location of Karin's body. It had been entrusted to Barragan's former 'Royal Chief Scientist' who, after Aizen's appropriation, became the Octava(8th) Esapada and 'Head Researcher' of the Arrancar...

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(A/N: I'm already well over quota for the month, so chapters will be intermittent for the next couple of days as I play the Diablo IV Beta with some mates (O 3 O). Also, daily reminder that Not a Mob: Psycho is NOT a harem novel...)