The Cero had been devoured. Dordoni's anchor soul had been destabilized, and a couple of thousand souls escaped... which meant he was weaker now.
Not much weaker, but he'd have to train for a while to regain his former strength—maybe five years... or go to the Menos Forest and eat, like, 100 Gillian.
Oh, wait—he wasn't Gabriel. That 100 turned into 100,000.
Either way, both options would take a long time.
The man could be seen lying on the ground, his body aching. He had been run through... more than a Christian girl raised by her grandma.
...
...
No comments.
He couldn't even feel his legs anymore. It was like the soul had been sucked right out of them.
Gabriel's flames weren't just fire. They were darker, and more ancient.
Above him, Gabriel stood tall, his golden eyes burning like miniature suns. The flames around his body had begun to settle, but the heat still radiated from him in waves.
The heat was hot... like, very hot... like Selena Gomez-level hot.
Dordoni coughed, forcing himself to look up at the young warrior.
"Why... cough ...didn't you finish me off?"
Gabriel tilted his head, studying the older Arrancar. His expression was unreadable for a moment before he let out a slow breath.
"You sound familiar," he admitted. "Your voice... your accent... sound familiar."
Yes, the man was only alive because he faintly reminded Gabriel of his dad. No ifs, ands, or buts about it.
Dordoni raised a brow, his mind foggy. "Someone important?"
Gabriel placed his hand on the man's chest.....
He spoke with the man for a couple of seconds....before idle transfiguration was used.
He swallowed the orb...the full power of the man now his to control.
Instead, his gaze drifted toward the distance—toward where Harribel was fighting. His eyes sharpened.
Then, without another word, he disappeared.
BZZZT—BOOM!
POV Change
Harribel gritted her teeth, her breaths coming in sharp, controlled gasps.
Cirucci hovered above her, enjoying her advantage. The Privaron Espada's body had changed entirely—her Resurrección had granted her immense speed and razor-sharp wings that could slice through the very air. She wielded them like blades, striking at Harribel relentlessly.
She enjoyed this twisted game. Some of y'all would really let her whip you.
Harribel had fought well, countering with her water-based techniques, but Cirucci was faster. Every time she tried to retaliate, the sadistic woman simply danced around her attacks, slowly whittling her down—like a predator toying with its prey.
Blood dripped from several of Harribel's wounds. Cirucci was not the gentlest of women.
She was currently kneeling, her sword buried in the sand that supported her weight.
"Oh? Is that all, Miss High and Mighty?" Cirucci landed gracefully, stepping forward with a delighted smirk. "You were supposed to be special, you know? But in the end... you're just another disappointment."
Harribel said nothing, simply gripping her sword tighter.
Cirucci sighed dramatically. "What a waste of time."
Her wings extended outward, crackling with energy.
"I guess I'll just split you in half and be done with it."
She raised her bladed appendages—then lunged.
A gust of wind. A blur. A shockwave.
BZZZT—BOOM!
And then—a hand caught her attack mid-air.
Cirucci's eyes widened in shock.
Gabriel had appeared between them in an instant, his grip like iron around her bladed wing. Sparks flew as his Reiatsu flared, sending waves of heat rolling off his body.
Cirucci tried to pull back, but Gabriel's fingers dug into her weaponized limb.
"What the—?!"
Before she could react, a surge of power blasted outward. The sheer force sent her flying backward, crashing into the sand with enough force to leave a crater.
Gabriel didn't even glance at her. His focus was solely on the woman in his arms.
He wanted to make sure she was fine. Checking her state, he saw her body was battered. Yet, when her golden eyes met his...
He saw no fear in them.
"I got you now," he said, holding her close.
He placed his hand on her chest... not like that. His flame could be seen healing her.
Her eyes widened slightly. Then, her gaze shifted toward Cirucci.
Oh, she sees... this is what he was doing.
Once he made sure his wifey was healed—cringe all you want, he does not care—
Maybe he let his hand stay there a bit too long. Her breasts felt soft.
...
Do not judge him.
BZZZT—BOOM!
Sonído truly was a very nifty skill.
In the blink of an eye, he appeared near Apacci, Mila Rose, and Sung-Sun. The three Fracción immediately snapped to attention, eyes wide in shock as he carefully set Harribel down before them.
Apacci clenched her fists. "What the hell happened?! Is she—"
"She'll be fine," Gabriel interrupted. His voice was calm, but there was an undeniable edge to it.
Mila Rose narrowed her eyes. "And what about you? Where are you going?"
Gabriel straightened, his gaze turning back toward the battlefield. His golden eyes burned.
"No one hurts my wife and gets away with it."
A stunned silence.
Even Harribel's breath hitched slightly at the casual declaration.
Before anyone could respond, Gabriel was gone.
Gabriel's power began to soar even higher.
One of the values he lived by was being disrespected.
What kind of man would he be if he couldn't protect his {soon-to-be} wife?
BZZZT—BOOM!
Gabriel appeared in front of Cirucci, who still hadn't fully recovered from the ass-beating he gave her.
Cirucci spat out sand, her body aching from the impact. She wiped blood from her lip, growling in irritation.
"Tch. That was annoying."
She looked up—just in time to see Gabriel standing over her. His expression was unreadable, his body wreathed in flames.
His eyes, however, were filled with something undeniable.
Hatred.
Cirucci scoffed, flicking her hair back as she rose to her feet. "You really think you can intimidate me, boy toy?"
She spread her arms mockingly.
"I broke your precious little queen. What are you gonna do about it?"
Gabriel's expression darkened.
Gabriel simply gave her a cold look, and she felt it..... The hollow hole Gabriel tried so hard to suppress came back, as Gabriel himself decided to finally let out all that pent-up aggression he had been feeling lately.
He disappeared.
Cirucci barely had time to react before—
BAM!
A fist slammed into her gut, folding her in half. The force sent her crashing through several dunes before she could even scream.
She coughed violently, struggling to push herself up—but he was already there.
BZZZT—BOOM!
Another blow.
BAM! Her face snapped to the side.
Sparks of black flickered around his fists.
She growled, wings flaring as she tried to take flight—
BZZZT—BOOM!
Gabriel appeared above her.
A devastating axe kick sent her plummeting back into the sand. The earth cratered beneath her, a shockwave erupting outward.
BZZZT—BOOM!
She tried to rise—only for Gabriel to stomp down on her wing, pinning her in place.
Cirucci screamed, pain shooting through her body as the once-powerful appendage was crushed under his strength.
Gabriel leaned down, his golden eyes piercing.
"You like making people feel helpless?" His voice was eerily calm. "You enjoy breaking them?"
She gritted her teeth, refusing to show weakness. "You—"
Another stomp. The bones in her wing audibly cracked.
She shrieked.
Gabriel exhaled sharply. "I could kill you right now."
Cirucci trembled, struggling to maintain her usual arrogance. "Then... do it," she spat.
He stared at her for a long moment.
Then, slowly, he lifted his foot—only to place it firmly on her face, pressing her into the dirt.
"You're not worth killing," he said coldly.
So instead he transfigured her, her orb would be used to heal Harribel.
His golden eyes flickered toward the distant shadows of Las Noches.
The old fuck would pay for this.
A/N....he doesn't play about his (soon-to-be)wife