CHAPTER 197-198: The Proposal

Kazuya arrived in Hueco Mundo in his female body without his armor. This place was under Aizen's rule. Until he dealt with Aizen, he'd have to keep up this appearance to deceive him. He still kept up his Partial Resurrección, a form requiring minimal energy to function.

'And there she is.'

With Tier's unique spiritual energy signature etched into his memory, locating her was effortless. Swiftly, he glided through the air, muffling his own Reiatsu to maintain the element of surprise.

Nearly a mile away, his keen eyes caught the sight of Tier, locked in a fierce standoff with Ulquiorra. Both of their Reiatsu flared intensely.

He had come just in time the battle escalated to what promised to be an ultimate technique battle between them.

Tier's deep yet warm voice echoed, "Cascada."

{Woah.}

A torrent of high-pressured water, condensed to the brim, gushed from Tier's sword arm. Ulquiorra countered with his Cero Oscuras, a colossal beam of black energy that initially vaporized Tier's water attack. Yet, as Tier funneled more Reiryoku into her assault, the balance shifted, her high-pressure torrent gradually overpowering Ulquiorra's Cero.

Normally, Cero only lasted for a brief moment, as even a small exposure to it could annihilate opponents. Ulquiorra extended his Cero's duration by consuming more Reiryoku.

The battle scene, illuminated by the stark contrast of Ulquiorra's black Cero against Tier's luminescent, high-pressure water, captivated Kazuya. He could afford a moment of admiration since Tier's technique steadily sliced through Ulquiorra's Cero.

{Sheesh, our mom slays. We were worried about her for nothing… Or were we?}

Kazuya shook his head. In a barren place like Hueco Mundo, where moisture was extremely limited, Tier's technique was a double-edged sword, depleting her Reiryoku at an alarming rate to both generate water and maintain its immense pressure. Even if she overpowered Ulquiorra in his Resurrección state, she wouldn't have been able to fight the other Shinigami in the area, let alone the Arrancar reinforcements heading their way.

'Is it Gin or Tosen?'

{Why does it matter?}

'It does. If it's Gin, I can get him to do my dirty work.'

{Ohhhh, that's so brilliant of my beloved.}

The battle's intensity escalated as Ulquiorra unleashed the full magnitude of his Reiatsu, enveloping the area in a suffocating, ominous aura. He brought his other hand into the mix and channeled more Reiryoku into his Cero. "Get lost, Miserable Trash."

It was Tier's turn to lose ground.

{Partner, do something! Save our Mommy!}

Kazuya stopped holding back his Reiryoku, which caught both Ulquiorra and Tier's attention. "Hey, Tier."

Hearing the enchanting voice, Ulquiorra straight-up fell into a daze. The momentary lapse cut off the Reiryoku supply to his Cero, leaving him vulnerable.

The forceful rush of Cascada's stream launched him backward, his body colliding forcefully with a nearby hill. The force of the pressurized water was unforgiving, mercilessly shredding his Hierro, tearing into his flesh, and audibly fracturing his bones. His regeneration ability kicked in, intensifying the already gruesome spectacle.

Desperately, Ulquiorra attempted to block the water jet with his hands, only to find them bending unnaturally under immense pressure.

Tier ceased her Cascada, her face glistening with sweat from the exertion. When she turned to face Kazuya, her expression transformed from exhaustion to shock. "You—"

"Shhh. No need to act so surprised," Kazuya interrupted, appearing behind her and gently placing his hands on her back. "Relax your nerves. I'll transfer some energy to you."

His voice, altered due to his temporary gender change, lacked its usual enchanting effect on females. Tier, however, thought very little of it. She was simply relieved to see him. "Did you finish your business?"

"Thanks to you," he replied. "You wanna go back home?"

Tier's gaze shifted back to Ulquiorra, who had completely healed during their brief exchange. Ulquiorra possessed so much power, yet his regeneration remained remarkable — another trait he shared with Kazuya.

She couldn't help but feel curious about the mysterious link between Kazuya and Ulquiorra. "Don't move. You have already lost…"

"I'm not talking to you." Ulquiorra dismissed Tier and glared at Kazuya. "You, why does your—"

Rather than indulging Ulquiorra's curiosity, Kazuya forcefully grabbed Ulquiorra's pale face and hurled him towards the ground. Ulquiorra swiftly halted his descent, using his dark, feathery wings to regain control. In an instant, he conjured two gleaming, emerald javelins in his hands and swiftly launched them towards Kazuya.

The green javelins sliced through the air with a piercing sound, reaching Kazuya's chest in a split second. However, Kazuya's reflexes were equally impressive as he effortlessly caught the javelins in his hands.

"Futile." Kazuya clenched his fists to crush them to dust. "You aren't using your energy to regenerate your internal organs. You think you can beat me as you are? How laughable."

Ulquiorra appeared normal on the surface, but Tier's Cascada had ravaged most of his internal organs. He was a 'Hollow' husk until he focused more Reiryoku into regeneration. However, he had reserved his spiritual energy for offense, believing he could defeat Kazuya without fully healing himself.

Ulquiorra showed no change in his expression and calmly produced another pair of javelins. "Who are you, and why is your Reiatsu similar to me?"

The Original Hollow could feel a sense of connection with Kazuya, whom he had never met in his life. Pairing it with their similar Reiatsu, he became curious to know the truth.

As Kazuya disappeared from his line of vision, his pupils contracted. In the next instance, he felt Kazuya's presence right beside him.

'She slipped past my Pesquisa?'

Ulquiorra swiftly used the javelins as melee weapons and attempted to slash Kazuya, but they crumbled against his Hierro. Kazuya gripped the back of Ulquiorra's head and forcefully drove him down onto the ground. His colossal strength sculpted a hollow into the ground. Ulquiorra attempted to shift his position, but he pushed his heel firmly onto Ulquiorra's chest, just beneath his Hollow Hole.

"This is for calling Tier a miserable trash."

He was restricted in his Shinigami form, but handling Ulquiorra was effortless for his Hollow form. All of his taunts were just to provoke Ulquiorra into triggering the second release state of his Resurrección — Segunda Etapa.

Ulquiorra gripped Kazuya's ankle with both hands, his claws digging deep into his skin and drawing out blood. Kazuya remained calm, as if not registering his attempts.

"I'll acknowledge she isn't trash. Her having a 'Heart' makes her unique among Hollows."

"Of course she is special. She is my lover, after all."

Ulquiorra's eyes grew wide as he stared at him, then he shook his head. "You're also delusional like her… here I thought you'd provide me with some answers. You turned out to be the same kind as her."

"Huh?"

"This is meaningless. You have already defeated me. Just kill me and get it over with it."

Kazuya stepped back, allowing Ulquiorra room to rise. "I can answer the things that complicate you in life but you have to become loyal to me and me only."

Ulquiorra was a perfect killing machine, who followed orders without a question. His proposal was less about getting Ulquiorra to work for him and more about crippling Aizen's kingdom. Moreover, he could also learn the process of gaining the Segunda Etapa form from Ulquiorra — an evolution that was still beyond his comprehension.

After all, everything about the Segunda Etapa was covered in mystery, apart from its obvious benefits of boosting one's strength.

Ulquiorra considered the offer, his head tilting slightly. "I serve Lord Aizen because he is the pinnacle of strength in Hueco Mundo. You don't cut the bill."

In a world ruled by the survival of the fittest, allegiance to Aizen was not just a choice, but a necessity for survival. Aizen's commands also added an element of unpredictability that Ulquiorra found intriguing.

"Lord Aizen? Are you talking about that brown-haired Shinigami?"

"How do you know that? Did he also turn you into Arrancar?"

Kazuya laughed heartily. "It's such a small world, isn't it? I'm just coming from the Living World after giving that guy a thorough ass-whooping. He had to hide behind his Seniors to save his sorry ass."

Ulquiorra, skeptical, gestured towards his eye. "Rip out your eye and show it to me. I need to verify the truth of your words."

"I'm not going that far, but I have proof." He whipped out the Hōgyoku he had snatched from Aizen and let it hover above his palm. "You know what this is?"

Ulquiorra seemed calm but his eyes betrayed his shock. "It's the Hōgyoku. Aizen used this to enhance me. How did you get your hands on one?"

"Can't you fucking hear me? I got it from him."

"I—"

Before Ulquiorra could respond, Kazuya unleashed his Reiatsu in full force, a display of power that significantly overshadowed Ulquiorra's, despite both being Vasto Lordes. "I'll eliminate you if you continue to doubt my words."

Ulquiorra slowly nodded his head. "You do have the power to contend with Lord Aizen…"

The unexpected appearance of the Hōgyoku not only secured Ulquiorra's trust but also drew out the Shinigami who had been lurking in the shadows.

Gin Ichimaru approached, his characteristic unsettling smile on display. "To defeat Captain Aizen and take his prized Hōgyoku… you are amazing beyond words."

"I know, right?" Kazuya responded with a self-assured smirk. "I also destroyed the Zanpakutō he was waving around. If not for that fossil-looking Shinigami, I'd have killed Aizen right then and there."

Gin's blue eyes opened briefly, a testament to his shock. "You destroyed Kyōka Suigetsu in its Shikai form? Given Aizen's Reiatsu, it'll need days to regenerate."

Thoughts of vengeance swirled in the white-haired snake's mind, envisioning a perfect moment to strike now that Kyōka Suigetsu was temporarily out of the equation.

Kazuya flung a harmless Reiryoku bullet at Gin's face. "By the way, you're friends with Aizen. Do you want to take this Hōgyoku from me?"

His bloodthirsty smile was all the proof one needed to read his mind — he was looking for a bloody fight, looking for an excuse for an excuse to beat people to death.

Gin nervously shook his head. "No, of course not. I have more pressing concerns. It was a pleasure chatting with you!"

Gin took flight in a hurry, quickly becoming a white dot in the distance before completely vanishing from their sight. Kazuya could only hope that Gin took this opportunity to kill Aizen or die trying.

{Sending Rangiku's childhood friend to death so you can give her a shoulder to cry on… You're so evil, Partner. My type of evil.}

Kazuya smiled and slapped Ulquiorra, who was pondering something deeply. "Have you decided to trade your loyalty for the truth?"

Ulquiorra remained unswayed. "Your victory over Lord Aizen doesn't change the status quo. As long as Aizen controls Hueco Mundo, I will follow his command."

He flicked his wings and flew away, showing no intention of either fighting them or joining them.

Tier placed a hand on his shoulder. "Is letting him go a good idea?"

She didn't say it outright but her words implied killing Ulquiorra was the better option out of everything. For a peace-loving woman, it was quite a drastic shift in her perspective.

"He'll be more useful for us alive." He placed his hand on hers and brought it to his face. Feeling her warmth, he smiled. "You must have questions about Aizen… and everything that happened today."

She gently nodded. "Naturally. Are you finally ready to reveal everything?"

His secrets were his alone until he chose to share them with her. She didn't want to push him into revealing anything and needlessly straining their relationship.

He couldn't help but feel warm at her understanding. "Let's talk with everyone after I make sure others are alright."

{Speaking of secrets, you didn't tell me how you changed genders so fluidly.}

He dismissed Nami with a brief 'Later' excuse. "Tier, you can cancel your Resurrección. I'll take care of everything."

"Do you not find me tempting in this outfit?"

He blinked his eyes. The soft smirk and mischievous look dancing in her eyes revealed her intention to tease him. It was surprising since she had never teased him to this day. So her teasing just came out of nowhere.

Unbeknownst to him, his height was the true reason behind Tier's behavior. In his female form, the System reduced his height to 5'7", making him a few inches shorter than Tier. This striking contrast with his usual 6'4" form stirred Tier's playful instincts — the same instincts that led her to tease Apacci and Mila Rose once in a blue moon.

{Your new body is getting everyone frisky, including me. I wanna push you down and cuddle with you all day. Having a hunk as my lover is fine and all but turning my partner into a hot babe… it sounds so forbidden! I love it!}

'Go away.'

Nami began sulking in his mind, which he completely ignored.

"Tempting, yes. Also distracting," he replied to Tier's earlier question. "You can keep it activated and help me fight — huh? Where did they go?"

She also showed a confused look. "It's odd those Hollows I sensed earlier didn't show up. Did that Shinigami send them back?"

While he fought Ulquiorra, Gin secretly met up with the Arrancars and sent them away to keep his meeting with him a secret.

...

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