Just as Barragan's mind was reeling, a golden flash of lightning streaked by.
"Shunko!"
Yoruichi's figure appeared before Barragan as if by teleportation. Her fist, wrapped in high-level Kido and her own Reiatsu, landed squarely and without any flourish on his sternum.
Thump… Crack!
The dull sound of impact was accompanied by the clear crack of bone. Barragan's massive skeletal body flew backward as if struck by a meteor, arcing through the air before crashing heavily into a distant sand dune, tumbling several times before finally stopping.
Setsuna, Aizen, Azashiro, Yoruichi, and Zaraki… the five of them stood in a semicircle, looking down imposingly at Barragan lying in the sandy crater.
Harribel had long since ceased her attacks and retreated to one side, her gaze filled with indescribable shock, fixed on these five Shinigami who had suddenly appeared and crushed Barragan with overwhelming force.
Watching the five descend from the sky, Barragan was stunned.
Although he stood at the apex of the Menos Grande, almost every one of these five individuals could exert immense pressure on him.
Especially Setsuna, who hadn't even made a move yet, gave him a feeling of fatal threat.
'Such powerful enemies, and they were ganging up on me alone? Wasn't this overkill?'
Suppressing his fear and humiliation, Barragan roared with blustering bluster, "What... what do you bastards think you're doing? Invading Hueco Mundo so openly, attacking the King of Hueco Mundo, do you want to completely destroy the balance between Hueco Mundo and the Soul Society that has been maintained for thousands of years? Aren't you afraid of triggering an all-out war that plunges both worlds into chaos and suffering?"
Faced with this feeble threat, Setsuna finally spoke. "Balance? War? Barragan, you think too highly of yourself."
He raised his hand slightly and instructed the three beside him, who were eager to join the fray. "Zaraki, Soya, Yoruichi, keep this 'His Majesty' well exercised. Let him fully experience the Soul Society's hospitality. Just be careful..."
Setsuna paused, adding the most crucial point. "Don't kill him. Take him alive."
"Roger!" Yoruichi twisted her neck, golden lightning crackling again.
"Heh, I wasn't done having fun anyway!" Zaraki grinned, dragging his Zanpakuto as he strode forward.
Azashiro silently raised his hand, a new Kido light flickering in his palm.
"Wai... wait! You can't… Aaaaaagh!"
Barragan's protests and threats were instantly drowned out by an even denser, more violent barrage of attacks.
Crimson slashes, scorching white Kido, golden lightning fists… they rained down upon his already battered skeletal frame like a hailstorm.
He swung his giant axe futilely, releasing his decay Reiatsu, but surrounded by the coordinated assault of three Captain-level Shinigami, he could only parry, completely unable to fight back. Screams of pain and the sound of shattering bones filled the air continuously.
Harribel, watching from the side, was utterly stunned.
Barragan, the [King of Hueco Mundo] who had been so arrogant mere moments ago, forcing her to submit and proclaiming his intention to invade the Soul Society, was now like a worn-out punching bag, being brutally and almost mockingly beaten by three Shinigami right before his own stronghold in Hueco Mundo, completely devoid of dignity.
'The Soul Society... is this powerful?' Harribel's assessment of the Soul Society was completely overturned. 'And Barragan wanted to invade a place like this? He's insane!'
Against the backdrop of the 'symphony' woven from Barragan's roars, the sounds of shattering bones, Kido explosions, and the whistling of slashes, Setsuna calmly turned his gaze towards Harribel, who stood at the edge of the battlefield.
Setsuna moved slightly, and in the next instant appeared in mid-air not far in front of Harribel, maintaining a polite distance conducive to clear communication.
Setsuna asked calmly, "You seem to lack the deep-seated hatred and urge to devour humans and Shinigami that is common among ordinary Menos Grande?"
Harribel's body tensed almost imperceptibly for a moment. Although Setsuna showed no hostility, he still exerted immense pressure on her.
She was silent for a while, as if weighing something. After a long moment, she spoke. "Vasto Lorde-class Menos Grande possess intelligence and emotions not inferior to, and even surpassing, most humans. We also have desires and fears, and feel loneliness and confusion. In essence, aside from this form and the source of our power, we are no different from humans or Shinigami."
Her tone carried an indescribable sense of detachment. "Compared to those lower-level Hollows that only follow instinct and indulge in endless slaughter and devouring, I... perhaps, in my heart, am more inclined to identify with the remnants of the human I was in life. This body is a Hollow, but certain cores driving it prevent me from resonating with meaningless slaughter."
This was a fairly candid confession, even somewhat dangerous for a Hollow.
Hearing this, Setsuna nodded slightly. "Well said. Just as humans evolved from apes no longer see themselves as the same species as the apes in the jungle, a leap in life form inevitably brings a shift in cognition and identity. Your having reached this stage, possessing this wisdom and self-reflection, is in itself proof of 'evolution'."
The gaze behind Harribel's mask flickered slightly. She hadn't expected this powerful Shinigami Captain to respond in this way.
Immediately after, Setsuna presented a proposal that shook her to the core. "That being the case, Harribel, are you willing to submit to me?"
"You're not going to kill me?" Harribel was astonished.
"Don't be surprised." Setsuna's tone was steady. "As long as you are willing to submit, not only will I not kill you, I will make you the new King of Hueco Mundo."
Harribel couldn't help but ask, "Why?"
Setsuna smiled. "It's simple. Hollows are born from the fall and loss of souls, it's part of the world's rules. As long as souls flow between the Living World and the Soul Society, as long as despair and obsession exist, it's almost impossible to completely eradicate Hollows. Since they can't be eradicated, learning to accept and manage them is the wiser choice."
His gaze swept over the still-wailing Barragan in the distance before returning to Harribel. "Instead of letting a madman like Barragan, whose mind is filled only with conquest, slaughter, and invading the Soul Society, who sees chaos and war as glory, rule Hueco Mundo, bringing endless trouble and turmoil to both worlds..."
"Why not choose a rational ruler, one with higher wisdom and empathy, one who even identifies with their former human identity?"
"Have you become the King of Hueco Mundo, restrain those bloodthirsty and violent Menos Grande, establish some order, reduce indiscriminate attacks on the Living World, and even, when necessary in the future, act as a potential buffer and bridge for communication between the Soul Society and Hueco Mundo."
"This would be beneficial, with no downsides, for the long-term stability of Hueco Mundo, for the safety of the Soul Society, and even for the peace of souls in the Living World."
Harribel listened quietly. The turmoil in her heart gradually subsided, replaced by a sense of clarity and an indescribable feeling of agreement.
"I do detest my kin who only know slaughter. I cannot change the fact that I am a Hollow, but perhaps I can change some of the rules of Hueco Mundo?"
She already lacked acceptance for her identity as a Hollow. Having nearly been killed by Barragan and then saved by Setsuna and the others only deepened her disgust and alienation towards the identity of 'Hollow' and the cruel, law-of-the-jungle rules of Hueco Mundo. Naturally, she didn't mind being a 'Hollow Traitor'.
After several seconds of silence, with Barragan's weakening screams as a backdrop, she released her grip on her sword's hilt and knelt on one knee.
"I, Tier Harribel, am willing to submit to you and become the administrator of Hueco Mundo."