'I might have overdone it a bit,' Gabriel thought to himself as he saw Harribel fall from the sky.
He had thought that the gap between them was pretty wide, that it would take him a long time to reach her level.
Unaware that his power was growing every single day, his control over his soul had ensured that even if he did not train, he could still be a threat.
By this point, he had reached 60% of that energy—he was no average Hollow. He was something more.
Harribel's body plummeted from the sky, her golden eyes dim with exhaustion. The battle had pushed her further than she had expected, far beyond the casual sparring she had intended. Even with her immense power, even as a Vasto Lorde, she felt it.
The fire Gabriel had unleashed still lingered in the air, its embers crackling with heat unnatural to Hueco Mundo's lifeless sands. She had endured much in her long existence, but that boy—no, that man—had forced her to move with a level of seriousness she had not used in centuries.
If Gabriel had heard her thoughts, he would be so happy right now, jumping for joy even.
Just before she could crash into the ground, strong arms caught her.
He would not let her get hurt, even if previously he had been using fire to beat her ass—that was just a minor detail.
"I got you," he said, his voice laced with confidence.
Harribel, despite herself, sighed. "I can stand."
"No, you can't," Gabriel countered, adjusting his grip. "That fire drained a lot out of you, and you took some heavy hits. Let me do this."
She gave him a long look, her expression unreadable. Then, with a quiet exhale, she relented.
Gabriel couldn't stop the pride swelling within him. He had proven himself, had shown her that he was strong, that he could be her equal. And yet... why the hell was she still looking at him like a proud mother?
Being mother-zoned like this did not feel nice. Like, sure, he was barely a year old, but he was the strongest one-year-old around! The heck was she looking at him like he was just a baby?
His jaw clenched slightly, but he shook off the irritation. This was just the beginning.
Harribel was a warrior, a leader. To her, he was still a growing cub—a promising one, but a cub nonetheless.
That would change.
That had to change.
Time skip.
Somehow, he managed to get her back to the base, which was their little cave. They were always on the move, and thus, the little cave tended to change a lot.
Apparently, she was being hunted. He knew that whoever this Barragan was, he was the reason she was on the run.
If he could kill Barragan, would she see him as more than just a cub? She would have to see him as more than just a cub.
He laid her down carefully in their quarters, her body resting against the cool stone floor.
Without warning, he placed his hand over her chest—not in a crude way but in a deliberate, focused manner.
Harribel's eyes narrowed slightly. "What are you doing?"
Gabriel's golden eyes shimmered with an intensity she hadn't seen before. "Healing you. And improving your soul while I'm at it."
Before she could protest, a warm, almost divine energy spread from his palm. Unlike regular Hollow regeneration, this wasn't just simple mending—it was an enhancement. He was evolving her very being, strengthening her core, refining her power.{Hm...this rewrite is sounding a bit ai ish}
For free, of course. Favors helped. He felt like he was acting like a simp, which to be fair he was, on the other hand though, he had used his very potent flames against her, so he injured her, so now he was healing her.
Harribel's eyes widened slightly as she felt the shift within her. It wasn't invasive, nor did it force change upon her. Instead, it was like a gentle whisper—an invitation to grow stronger.
She had never encountered something like this before.
Gabriel smirked. "See? I told you I'd heal you."
Harribel sat up slightly, watching him with an unreadable expression. "Why do you go this far?"
The question caught him off guard. Why did it feel like his presence made people around him feel like he was the #{We don't that shit here} devil incarnate.
For a moment, he hesitated, then sighed. "Because I love you." He wanted to avoid the question, say some dumb shit, but he couldn't it, the mere though of hiding his desire and not following his instinct made something within him recoil.
There was no beating around the bush. She made his heart flutter... He had no fucking heart. There was a fucking Hollow hole where his heart was supposed to be, plus his hollow hole wasn't even on his body, that shit was outside.
His golden eyes locked onto hers. "Maybe it was just a crush at first," he admitted, "but not anymore. I love you. And I'd do anything to be with you."
Harribel was silent for a long moment. Then, she closed her eyes. "You're still young."
Ah... the fucking mother zone. That was painful. He didn't like it.
"I don't care," Gabriel shot back. "I know what I want."
And he was a Hollow—he kind of lived off of desire. And what he wanted was this woman.
Her golden gaze met his once more. "I cannot be in a relationship right now," she said, her voice calm yet firm. "I am being hunted. Barragan sees me as a threat. If you involve yourself with me, you will be dragged into this war."
Gabriel scoffed. "Oh, so much care," he teased, though there was genuine warmth behind his words.Then his voice did soften a bit. "You're making me fall even harder for you."
Harribel exhaled softly, shaking her head. "You are reckless."
An idea suddenly appeared in Gabriel's mind... Barragan. What if he was taken out of the equation?
...
A timer was placed on the king life.
Gabriel leaned forward, his eyes intense. "If Barragan was dead... would you marry me?"
She blinked, caught off guard.
There was no hesitation in his voice. He was serious.
Harribel studied him carefully before finally sighing. "Yes," she said. "If Barragan is dead, I will marry you."
Gabriel grinned. "Promise?"
"...I promise."
And that day, a timer began on Barragan's life. The ruler of Hueco Mundo would die because a newborn Hollow wanted to be with a shark Hollow.
Time skip.
When they returned to the base, Gabriel was giddy. He had won. Well, not fully, but he had a promise.
Yes, they had multiple bases—they worked as checkpoints. By "returned to base," he meant where the three other Hollow chicks were.
"You look... unusually happy," Sun-Sun mused. Of course, the snake lady noticed something.
Gabriel didn't even try to hide it. "Oh, I am," he said, leaning against the wall with a cocky grin.
"Alright, I'll bite. What happened?" Apacci looked curious.
"I asked Harribel to marry me."
The room went silent.
Then—
Mila Rose burst out laughing. "You? You think you can beat Barragan?!"
Apacci looked at Harribel for confirmation, and the blonde woman said nothing. That silence was all they needed.
"You serious?" Apacci blurted. "You really told him yes?"
Harribel didn't respond.
"...Lady Harribel, please tell us this is a joke," Mila Rose muttered. "Please"
Gabriel rolled his shoulders. "What's so crazy about it? Barragan is just a Vasto Lorde. If I need to be a Vasto Lorde to kick his ass, then I'll just become one."
Apacci snorted. "If it were that easy, everyone would be a Vasto Lorde."
Well, she wasn't wrong. For someone to become a Vasto Lorde, that shit was rare.
Then—
Gabriel's body began to glow.
What kind of harem protagonist bullshit was this?
A deep, primal energy surged through the room, the pressure so intense that the very walls of their hideout trembled. Sand outside began to rise, spiraling into the air as if caught in a storm of raw evolution.
Sun-Sun's eyes widened. "What the—?!"
Gabriel's skin began to lighter, his Hollow mask shifting, reshaping itself into something more refined, more regal. His body grew taller, more imposing, his muscles compact yet brimming with power. His golden eyes took on a brilliant, almost divine glow.
His body became slimmer, his fur receded back, and he began to take on a human appearance. His Reiatsu exploded outward, a deep golden hue mixed with black streaks.
His claws flexed, sharper than before. His horns—yes, horns—curled slightly backward, akin to a demon king.
A/N....Hey...he is a vasto lorde now.