Time skip.
Roughly a week had passed since that day. The girls had been training hard every day, and Gabriel would randomly show up to buff them—more precisely, buff their speed and ability to run away.
Just in case shit went south.
Like for Sun-Sun—after brutally molesting a mole Adjucha, he gave her a burrow ability. She could now burrow in the sand of Hueco Mundo and move quite fast...
Hell fast.
For Apacci, a rabbit Adjucha had to run them one, got robbed of his legs. On a side note, in her Resurrección, her legs were now much more powerful, and she could jump quite a distance.
As for Mila Rose, he had decided to find a predator-type animal and also give her speed. A trait all three of them now shared was that their eyes had been upgraded. They could now see more—basically, ultra HD vision.
The girls didn't seem to mind the upgrades. Sun-Sun even teased that he was spoiling his concubines... Yeah, he was never going to get used to that.
But yeah, it was on the table.
Either that, or she was fucking with him—and considering Sun-Sun's personality... hm, yeah, she would do that.
Gabriel had gone into the Menos Forest about a week or so ago. Apparently, he was going to find some reinforcements to help them.
The Present Day
Inside the towering depths of the Menos Forest, the air was thick and laced with tension.
The reason was simple.
The so-called "God-King" of Hueco Mundo, the undefeated, glorious, extravagant, all-powerful majesty...
The magnificent Baraggan Louisenbairn.
The man who claimed to be the strongest.
Yet Quincy Hitler would whoop his ass, a bald monk would make him beg for mommy, and an old man in his retirement home would make him piss himself.
No, he was the strongest in Hueco Mu—
...Second strongest in Hueco Mundo.
Behind the self-proclaimed king of Hueco Mundo, an army of Hollows stood in eerie silence. Gabriel noted that Barragan only had a few Arrancar left, meaning they couldn't be mass-produced.
Gabriel definitely could not create hundreds, if not thousands, of Arrancar daily... Nah.
Gabriel looked at the old man. He wasn't worried.
Matter of fact, this would be quite fun for him.
Next to him, Tier Harribel stood firm, and behind her, the three newly transformed Fracción.
The difference in numbers was vast, though.
Barragan exhaled, a condescending scoff escaping his ancient, decayed lips.
"So, you are the one who thinks himself worthy of challenging my reign?" His voice was laced with disdain, echoing through the forest like a death knell. "Boy, kneel before your king, surrender your little toys, and perhaps I will let you live."
Gabriel didn't flinch. His arms remained crossed. Who the fuck did this old man think he was?
"Over my dead body."
Barragan's expression didn't shift—he had ruled for centuries, seen countless creatures challenge him, only to crumble before his might.
"That can be arranged," he muttered, his skeletal fingers gripping the hilt of his massive battle-axe.
His empty eye sockets glowed with an eerie light as he turned toward Gabriel's companions, his voice thick with mockery.
"Even if by some miracle you have the strength to survive me, your little toys—"
"Partners, not toys," Gabriel corrected sharply.
Barragan paused before chuckling.
"Hmph. Fine. I will humor you, boy. Partners." His tone dripped with condescension, as though the mere act of acknowledging their worth disgusted him. "But it makes no difference. They will die screaming all the same."
"Who said there were only five of us?" Gabriel said in a calm voice.
The moment those words left his lips, about 50 or so Arrancar emerged from the shadows.
Gabriel thought he did quite well with them. Sure, they were expendable soldiers, but they were strong, and all he needed was their strength—nothing more. As of now, he didn't care about their individuality.
They all wore white uniforms, but on their backs was an image of a demon—just a little touch he added.
He found it suitable. This place was practically hell, and if Gabriel was to make an army, what better way to represent it?
Also, these Arrancar would never betray him—not because they were loyal for being given so much power. No. They were formerly Gillian. They had been mindless, but now they could think and speak.
Gabriel had forcefully evolved them from Gillian to Adjucha. The difference? Apart from their size, an Adjucha had a proper anchor soul—a dominant soul—while a Gillian was a mess of countless souls fighting for control.
So, all Gabriel had to do was find a Gillian, identify the most likely anchor soul, forcefully awaken it, stabilize its existence as an Adjucha... then rip off its mask.
It was quite consuming, since Gabriel was still unfamiliar with the technique. So, like, a few hundred Gillian may have died...
Well. Just minor sacrifices.
Barragan barely spared them a glance. His bony shoulders shifted in a dismissive shrug.
"And what of it?" he sneered. "This... pitiful rabble? Do you think this is enough to challenge me?"
"Well, it's better than whatever you have here," Gabriel replied calmly.
He wasn't wrong. This was basically a real-life showcase of quality over quantity.
On his side stood a Vasto Lorde in Harribel, who could easily take on five of Barragan's top fighters at once and still come out on top.
Then, there were the three Adjucha, who were hella powerful.
And then, behind them, were 50 Adjucha-turned-Arrancar.
Yeah. Taking care of Barragan's army would be easy...
The hard part was the old fuck himself.
A flash of irritation crossed Barragan's decayed face. No one had dared to speak to him with such disrespect in centuries. No one.
He took a single step forward, and with it, the very air around him began to decay, distorting as an ominous black mist started to seep from his body.
Respira.
The instant the deathly miasma spread—
BZZZT—BOOM!
Gabriel Sonído'd away, reappearing at a safe distance. At the same time, he unleashed a massive wave of fire—an intense wall of blue flames rising between his forces and Barragan's army.
The inferno split the battlefield in two, forcing the combatants apart.
The message was clear.
This fight was between them. Gabriel wasn't trying to have his allies become collateral damage.
Barragan narrowed his eyes.
"Hiding behind flames, are we?" His voice was heavy with mockery. "Pathetic. I decide where we fight, child."
Gabriel tilted his head, amusement dancing in his gaze.
"Oh? Then why are you here challenging me?"
Barragan's jaw tightened ever so slightly. It was true—he had come to crush Gabriel, to erase the anomaly that had begun gathering strength in his domain.
But for this boy to say it so blatantly...
Gabriel smirked wider.
"You're the one coming after me, old man. So that means I'm the one who gets to decide where we fight."
Barragan's fingers twitched.
The arrogance. The sheer impudence.
This boy had no respect for his authority, no fear of his power.
The King of Hueco Mundo would teach him his place.
The miasma of death around Barragan thickened. His Respira spread outward, rotting the very ground beneath him.
Gabriel didn't move. His golden eyes shone bright in the darkness.
"Let's see if you can even make me kneel."
With that, the battle began.
And Gabriel swore on his damn life... he would drag this bastard's soul to hell.
A/N I Don't care what yall say, Original Stark, the one before the split is putting this old man in a retirement home, he is like the only hollow Aizen approached after gaining the Hogyoku, and not for the fact he didn't know Stark existed, he knew, Matter of fact I think somewhere in club Outside Kubo said that Aizen specifically waited after he got the Hogyoku before approaching him.
And I say Barragan weaker because, Aizen no hogyoku, came to this ma castle, said this shit mine now, and Barragan had to sit down and take it like a good little boy, embarrassment so bad, he even became second strongest in the army.
So yes, currently second strongest hollow, if the hollow seal in a sword he has no rights, I don't make the rules.