Bargaining

"This is really convenient..." mused Ohta, unable to keep a smile from his face as he floated through the sky, ostensibly alone.

"That may be so, but we can't stay in here forever. We need opportunities to grow and gain experience," replied Rukia, her voice emanating from the interior of Ohta's cloak.

"And you will," assured Ohta. "It's just safer for me to move around alone. If I encounter an enemy I think you'd be a good match for, I'll let you out to have fun."

Hearing Rukia exhale from the interior of his cloak, Ohta's smile waned as he said, "I might be acting casually, but this isn't a game, Rukia. I don't want to inhibit your girls' growth, but with the world's fate hanging in the balance, it's best not to take risks..."

"That's why you should be preserving your strength," replied Rukia. "Your power isn't infinite, Ohta. Even if the remaining Espadas don't prove much of a challenge, facing former Captain Aizen with diminished strength isn't wise..."

"Then we'll take things nice and slowly," replied Ohta, landing atop one of the kilometer-tall crimson pylons before releasing the trio from his cloak's confines.

Blinking in surprise, Rukia asked, "Why did you eject us all of a sudden...?" while looking around.

"So we can take a break and discuss our next target," replied Ohta, taking the initiative to sit down. "We still have around twenty-two hours to locate Karin's body. I should be able to recover my depleted reserves within one, maybe two at most. Assuming Ichigo's group manages to take out at least one Espada, that leaves six locations for us to search, seven if we assume Aizen lied and hid Karin's body within the Tres Espada's palace."

Shrugging her shoulders, Karin contended, "You said it best. Recovering my body is pointless if that Aizen guy wins in the end. Even if you destroy the remaining palaces like you did that bone dude's, I don't really care so long as I get a replacement."

"That's fine with me," replied Ohta. "No offense, but I'm more concerned with Aizen and the top-ranking Espada. If we want to leave the scavenger hunt to Strawberry's group, our next target can be the Trest Espada, that golden-haired chick called Harribel, or whatever her name is."

"Are you sure that's wise...?" asked Rukia. "Even if we disregard former Captain Aizen's warning, Yoruichi-sama also advised against eliminating the three most powerful Espada. The presence of Vasto Lorde and other powerful Hollows function as a natural limiter to stop the rest from acting freely. Have you heard of the Menos Forest...?"

With no one responding, Rukia explained, "It's a vast, seemingly endless forest that's said to run beneath the entirety of Hueco Mundo. Bar a few exceptions, the majority of Hollows inhabit the Menos Forest, consuming and assimilating one another to produce Menos Grande, Gillian, and other varieties of Hollow. Those Hollows then move to the surface and establish territories, competing with one another and preventing others from rising."

"Then what's the problem?" asked Ohta. "Even if all the most powerful Hollows and Arrancar are eliminated, others will eventually rise to take their place."

"That is precisely the problem," replied Rukia. "Before becoming Adjuchas and evolving into Vasto Lorde, Hollows are creatures of instinct that only know how to survive and consume. Their fear of being devoured by those far more powerful than themselves is what compels most Hollows to live the bulk of their lives in the Menos Forest. If the surface were to abruptly become much safer than the forest, countless Hollow would migrate to it and, as a result, trespass into the Human World..."

"..."

Imagining millions, if not billions, of Hollows invading the human world, Ohta's desire to destroy Las Noches and eradicate every single Espada abruptly vanished. Instead, he smiled and said, "Then it's a good thing I swiped this pendant. With it, we should be able to capture and detain any critically injured Arrancar. Then Orihime can treat their wounds while you and Karin serve as wardens. Sound good?"

Nodding in affirmation, Rukia replied, "It's certainly better than killing all of them and unleashing a horde of Hollows on the Human World. Better yet, there is the option of forcibly capturing weaker Arrancar and allowing us to fight them within the cloak's pocket dimension. Then you won't have to worry about us being caught off guard or captured behind your back..."

"That's...not a terrible idea..." admitted Ohta. It was strange to imagine people battling within the cloak, but they had already verified that it was possible. The only downside was that any attacks used placed a burden on the person wearing the cloak, weakening its defensive properties and increasing the pressure on their body.

"Then we'll hang out here for a few hours so I can accumulate power," said Ohta. "After that, we'll go and capture the Tres Espada. She seemed fairly level-headed and cautious the last time we fought, so she might not even put up a fight once she realizes the difference in our power."

"Even if she does, you should extract her Reiryoku," stated Rukia. "Doing so will make her easier to detain and prevent her from freeing herself at a critical moment."

"It'll also make me more powerful," mused Ohta, liking the idea more and more. If he could capture and siphon the power of the remaining Arrancar, his chances of victory against Aizen would increase. That is, assuming his body could withstand the burden. Draining the energy from Rukia's Bankai had nearly destroyed his arm. If he drastically exceeded the limits of what his body could contain, he might explode...

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After taking a two-hour nap atop a soft cushion of psychic energy, Ohta, full of energy, streaked across the sky toward Harribel's palace, a large, fin-shaped structure primarily comprised of golden-hued stone. From a distance, it resembled an 1800m tall shark's fin protruding from the white sands of Las Noches, but there was a large 'balcony' protruding from the side, supported by two massive pillars.

Before Ohta could reach the fin-like palace, a familiar Reiatsu surged toward him, followed by Harribel appearing in a golden light. However, unlike when he had encountered her previously, she was bereft of her mask and high-collared crop top. In their place, she had on a bone-white choker that followed the contours of her body, splitting at her cleavage to form armored plates that covered her nipples but left most of her breasts exposed. Similar bone plating protruded from the base of her cleavage, resembling a chain of shark teeth that ran down the line of her stomach before disappearing into a Hollow hole above her womb. The rest of her outfit consisted of a shadow and bone miniskirt, sleek bone greaves that formed points at her toes and extended past her knees, gauntlets that covered her forearms, extending past her elbows and having fin-like spikes on the back of her hands, pauldrons that covered her shoulders, framed her face, and had two fin-like protrusions resembling shark tails protruding from their backs. More importantly, in place of her short, stout, mostly hollow blade, she wielded a large, spear-like gauntlet resembling an elongated shark's tooth.

"Well, look at you," mused Ohta. "Did you change your outfit and get all dressed up just for me? Or is this your Resurreccion? If so, I have many questions..."

As an Arrancar's 'Resurreccion' typically had them revert to their original form as a Hollow, albeit with human features, Ohta couldn't imagine what Harribel must have looked like to appear even more human with it active. He wasn't complaining, as the golden-haired woman was a genuine feast for the eyes, but it was more than a little odd...

Seemingly ignoring Ohta's comment, Harribel remarked, "You defeated Barragan..." with a serious look on her face. Then, before he could offer a retort, she added, "What is it you hope to accomplish once all this is over? Even if you manage the impossible and defeat Aizen, your world will fall to ruin if the Menos and Adjuchas rampage..."

"Yeah, I've already received that lecture," replied Ohta. "As for what it is I hope to accomplish..."

Adopting a faint smile, Ohta revealed, "I simply wish to live in peace and protect the people and things I cherish. Power for any reason beyond that is just imposing your will on others..."

Not anticipating Ohta's response, Harribel fell silent for several seconds before responding with a faint, "I see...then, if I tell you where to locate what it is you seek, will you leave me and the things 'I' wish to protect in peace...?"

"That depends on you..." replied Ohta, crossing his arms as he stated, "If I had some kind of assurance that you 'wouldn't' invade the human world to aid Aizen, I'd turn around right now. Unfortunately, you wouldn't obey him if you didn't fear his power or believe in whatever promises he made. That leaves me with little choice but to capture and lock you away until all this blows over..."

Raising her brows ever so slightly, Harribel asked, "You didn't come here to kill me...?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Ohta responded, "You said it yourself. My world would fall to ruin if I just slaughtered you all. Besides, my only real beef is with Aizen. Once his bitch ass is out of the way, you and that coyote fuck can do whatever you want with this place. Though, now that I'm saying it aloud..."

Imagining himself as the ruler of Hueco Mundo, claiming Las Noches for himself, Ohta's smile faded, replaced by a serious expression. It certainly wasn't the worst idea. Rather, in the absence of Barragan, Hueco Mundo 'needed' a King. More importantly, the excess Reishi would allow him to grow much faster, and if any enemies appeared, he wouldn't have to hold back nearly as much as he did in the Human World...

Discarding such thoughts from his mind, at least until Aizen was defeated, Ohta became serious as he said, "For your sake, and the sake of all those you hold dear, I suggest you give up and sit the remainder of this conflict out. You know you can't defeat me on your own, and because of that cunt you've chosen to serve, neither you nor your kin will be receiving backup."

Furrowing her brows and lowering her gaze, aquamarine eyes reflecting the sands of Las Noches, Harribel seriously contemplated Ohta's words. If surrendering without a fight could guarantee her life and the lives of her comrades, it was certainly the best option. However, if Ohta were lying to get her to lower her guard, everything she wanted to protect would perish with her. Furthermore, even if he weren't lying, if he failed to defeat Aizen, she and her comrades would die regardless...

Seeing through the golden-haired Arrancar's thoughts, Ohta remarked, "If any of you truly mattered to him, he wouldn't have ordered you to stay put and guard your palaces. I mean, come on. The man's encouraging us to team up against you while you're expected to sit on your asses, waiting to be hunted and unable to aid your would-be companions. Do you honestly think he'll give a fuck about you or the things you want to protect once he becomes a God? He doesn't even care 'now'..."

"..."

Unable to refute Ohta's words, Harribel stared at her tooth-like weapon with a pensive expression. She didn't like fighting and strongly opposed the notion of killing others, especially to gain power. She only joined Aizen because he promised to restructure Hueco Mundo so that it wasn't merely a den of monsters senselessly slaughtering and devouring one another to get stronger. However, if he weren't willing to take action to prevent Ohta and his friends from slaughtering them, how could she possibly trust him to act in the interests of her and her people...?

Releasing her grip on her weapon, allowing it to fall to the sands below, Harribel raised her head to meet Ohta's gaze, her voice calm and deep as she said, "I yield..." in a resolute tone...

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(A/N: Ohta's talk-no-jutsu is surprisingly effective...)