Gabriel had gotten the sample of Respira he needed. Once he handed it over to the Arrancar... it was destroyed—near instantly. Apparently, he needed to stop the aging process entirely.
This could work if Gabriel learned how to manipulate the fundamental structure of his soul to create a temporal anchor, preventing it from being affected by external aging forces like Respira. This would only work by freezing his soul's time state, making it immune to all effects that would normally degrade or alter it over time.
Or the much riskier option—the "fuck it, we ball" option—Gabriel could simply reverse the soul's transfiguration state, instantly restoring it to normal and negating any decay.
Though that was risky. He would need hella fast regen for that. Well, he would experiment on that stuff later...
Wait...
Gabriel looked at the Respira... he reached out his hand... instantly, his hand was turned into a skeleton.
Three seconds later, his hand was back to normal.
Okay, he needed to get better regen and have more Reiatsu than Barragan for this to work.
He could do it.
He had tortured thousands of souls for this very reason, after all.
Well... he was planning to buff Harribel later that day, so.
Later That Day
The air crackled with raw energy as Gabriel gently cupped Harribel's face in his hands. Her aqua-green eyes were closed, her expression serene, as if she were in the midst of a deep, transformative slumber.
His fingers brushed against the remnants of her Hollow mask, a lingering reminder of her past self. After a lot of failed experiments, and around 20 successful ones, he could confidently say he could create an Arrancar with ease... more like with a 99.99% success rate.
And it wasn't painful.
...So maybe he had to dull her pain receptors during the process. They would come back when she was fully evolved.
Drawing in a slow breath, he activated Ideal Transfiguration, his signature ability—one that had already reshaped the souls of countless others. But this time, he wasn't merely evolving an Arrancar.
No, he was transcending the very limits of Hollow evolution itself. The process required not just his own strength but the power and essence of five Arrancars he had personally created. Their existence now fueled this metamorphosis, their souls dissolving into the spiritual energy now coursing through Harribel's form.
A radiant glow pulsed from within her, illuminating the vast chamber with a golden-white light. Her body trembled, and Gabriel instinctively tightened his grip, steadying her as the energy swirled violently around them. Then, in an instant, the transformation reached its climax.
With a sudden, explosive release of power, Harribel's armor—her old, confining shell—was utterly obliterated. The Hollow plating that once covered her body shattered into motes of spiritual dust, vanishing into the void. The force of the change sent shockwaves rippling outward, causing Mila Rose, Apacci, and Sung-Sun to brace themselves.
Gabriel slowly opened his eyes, eager to witness the fruits of his labor. But as his gaze landed upon Harribel, his breath hitched.
...
She stood before him, fully transformed. Her previous armor was gone, revealing smooth, unblemished skin that glowed with an almost ethereal radiance.
The remnants of her Hollow mask now framed the sides of her face, her sharp jawline emphasized by its structure.
More remnants extended down her neck, forming an intricate, organic pattern that wrapped around her collarbones and trailed downward—enough to conceal, but also enough to emphasize the sheer humanity of her new form.
And apart from that...
She was naked. Completely, breathtakingly bare before him.
...How would you feel seeing such a woman in front of you... practically naked? If Gabriel had a dick...
Shit would be ROCK HARD.
He gulped. Oh, shit...
A muffled gasp came from behind him.
"Apacci! Mila Rose! Do something!"
Before Gabriel could react, both Apacci and Mila Rose lunged forward, immediately shielding Harribel from view. Apacci's face was nearly as red as his own, while Mila Rose glared at him with undisguised disapproval.
"The hell are you staring at?!" Apacci snapped, holding out her arms as if to physically block his sight.
Gabriel immediately turned away, rubbing his temples. His face burned, and to make matters worse, a small trickle of blood slipped from his nose. He wiped it away quickly, cursing under his breath.
I massacred thousands of souls for this experiment. I orchestrated the evolution of the Hollow species itself. I should not be getting flustered right now.
And yet, the image was already seared into his mind. Harribel—proud, powerful, beautiful—thanks to his help, had become something stronger.
"Damn it, Gabriel," he muttered. "Pull yourself together."
Behind him, he could hear the flurry of movement as Harribel gathered herself. There was a faint whoosh of spiritual energy, followed by the sensation of her Reiatsu stabilizing. A moment later, Apacci let out an awkward cough.
"You can turn around now. She's... uh, clothed."
Gabriel hesitated, then slowly pivoted back.
The golden radiance of her transformation dimmed, revealing the newly reborn Tier Harribel standing tall, exuding an aura of both regality and unshakable power. The remnants of her old armor were gone, replaced by an elegant yet commanding ensemble that signified her evolution beyond the limits of an Arrancar.
A luxurious fur-trimmed cloak billowed behind her, its deep blue and black hues shifting like the rolling tides, framing her figure like the mantle of a queen. It draped over her shoulders with effortless grace, the dark fur adding a primal, untamed presence to her regal poise.
Her new outfit was a fusion of Hollow remnants and royal attire—sleek, battle-ready, yet undeniably majestic. A high-collared vest, split down the center, exposed her toned midsection, emphasizing both her beauty and her lethality.
The once-restrictive armor that had bound her chest was gone, replaced by a more refined, flowing design that retained her iconic Hollow markings while granting her a newfound freedom.
The lower half of her attire consisted of pristine white, flowing pants, tailored to allow fluid movement, fastened by a striking golden sash that trailed downward in a ceremonial display of authority. The golden emblem resting at her waist shimmered under the chamber's dim light.
Her feet, adorned in gilded heels, barely made a sound against the ground as she stepped forward, each movement deliberate, as if testing the weight of her new form.
Yeah... Gabriel had fallen. This chick was just too hot.
Looking at her Reiatsu, in terms of sheer power, she had become stronger than him.
Going from being a decent bit weaker than him to a decent bit stronger than him was a huge leap in power. Granted, unlike natural-born Arrancar, his method of awakening her power was far more potent... she got like a 5x boost on top of the additional boost she had gained from becoming an Arrancar.
Holy shit, she was hot.
She had gotten strong—very strong.
His gaze landed on the woman in front of him.
"Gabriel Sanguinoso..."
Holy shit, she was using his full legal name.
"Are you serious about taking down Barragan?"
"Yes. You promised to marry me, didn't you? Don't you dare back down now."
Gabriel had already invested too much into this.
"I am not. I will simply go with you," were her rather calm words.
"No. I will go and fight Barragan. He is too strong, and I will never forgive myself if you were to die."
"So you want me to watch my husband die? I refuse."
...
Wait... did she say...?
...
...
...
A/N how happy must Gabriel feel right now.