Chapitre 4: Duel of kings
[PREVIOUSLY]
"I heard what you said back then, 'sacrifice..was useless…' right? Well, I don't know your opinion, but for me, all sacrifice is useless if you don't have the power to keep the one you love safe. But, anyway, it's my fault that you ended up like this, after all this hollow was an experiment of mine, I gave it a body, but not a mind..so..I'll apologize and clean up the trash I created…"
"W-WHAT? WAIT A MOMENT! L-LORD SZAY–" before the hollow could finish he interrupted himself, startled he saw several of Szayel's Tentacles pointing at him while accumulating a CERO
"Shut up..you…are just…TRASH"
BOOM
And as if it were nothing, the hollow that had crushed Harribel earlier, was completely obliterated by the CEROS released from Szayel's Tentacles.
Something that Harribel could only stare at in fear at her savior.
He slowly turned to her while his voice seemed to be excited.
"So…what do you think about a job opportunity for you and your companions?"
After witnessing this entire rollercoaster of emotions and extreme mental and physical fatigue, Harribel could only nod slowly before her eyes rolled back and she fainted, with everything going black.
_______
[CURRENTLY]
"What do you THINK you're doing… SzayelAporro GRANZ?!"
The eternally dark sky of Hueco Mundo reflected the oppressive darkness generated by the dark Reiatsu of the God-King of Hueco Mundo, Baraggan, who lay furiously on his throne upon witnessing the, in his opinion, RIDICULOUS request of his scientist.
He clearly rolled his eyes at Baraggan's drama, before responding with a tired voice, as if he were talking to a child:
"I said that 'I brought Harribel and her servants with me to be my assistants and guards' what's the problem? I solved the case of their denial to join your army and as a bonus I brought you new subordinates! WHAT are you complaining about?"
"YOUR CRAZY IDEA!" Baraggan roared as he banged on his throne of bones. "You were sent to ELIMINATE threats, not BRING CONCUBINES for yourself!"
"Well…they're not exactly concubines, but if you want to call them that…" Szayel was clearly laughing at "your majesty" by the tone of his voice at this point.
"ENOUGH! BIG FALL!" Before any of the hollows could react, a wave of corrosive Reiatsu was released from Baraggan, killing the hollows too slow to escape in time.
BAM
and just like that, with a whiz, Baraggan disappeared and appeared above the Vasto Lord Scientist.
Despite his skeletal appearance, Baraggan demonstrated clear strength and speed in his old body.
BOOOOM
Dust and debris flew in that part of Las Noches, victims of their ruler's fury.
And it was to this scene that Harribel and her servants woke up, two EXTREMELY powerful Vasto Lords clashing in the air and on the ground. The noise of their exchange of blows echoed like explosions and thunder in the dark sky of Las Noches.
"W-what are these monsters?"
Harribel watched as she asked herself the same question. Previously, if asked, she would say that she was confident of facing Baraggan, thanks to her equivalent status as a Vasto Lord, but if asked: Now? She saw that she was foolish and arrogant.
Back in the battle, Baraggan was still exuding fury in his Reiatsu.
"You, boy, have become too arrogant, I will teach you a lesson!" Old Baraggan had cuts and lacerations on his clothes and bones, but he still seemed as strong as before.
"True. I'm also not interested in being meticulous like Szayel was." Unbeknownst to Baraggan, he had tried his hand at using Szayel's original "Puppeteer" technique for the first time when he had grabbed Baraggan and his wings for a moment.
But as was obvious and he was an idiot, the old bag of bones had no organs! For this reason, he simply threw away Baraggan's puppet before adding: "Yes, I'm done with magic tricks! With you, the battle has to be with brute force!"
Baraggan seemed oddly pleased to hear this and in a strange display of honor and respect, Baraggan bowed his head in introduction:
- I am Baraggan Louisenbairn.
- I am Szayel Aporro Granz.
And immediately They clash. Szayel releases 「Ceros」 from his tentacles and Baraggan swings his Gran Caida imbued with his 「Respira」
BOOOOM
Space seemed to distort in a way that both Szayel and Baraggan, and they seemed to be euphoric and focused on the battle.
Even when one of Szayel's wandering tentacles destroys parts of the palace and kills unsuspecting hollows under Baraggan or when Baraggan corrodes his throne and underlings, they don't care.
FOOSH
In the face of the attacks, Szayel doesn't dodge or block, he stops Baraggan's Great Axe with Hierro (Iron Skin) alone. Even as he feels his limbs being aged to dust, he does not retreat, he rips off his own hand and continues the attack with a 「GRAN REY CERO」
Cien used his tentacles to tear off nearby quartz columns and throws them at Baraggan, knowing the futility, but enjoying the destruction.
"I don't need any kind of obstacle to fight you, OLD MAN!"
"Yeah, that's right. Brat." Baraggan agrees and releases a wave of 「 Breathe 」 that deteriorates everything around him.
Baraggan's Reiatsu also increases explosively. Szayel is happy to have such a strong opponent and to finally be able to use all that power he has, so they continue their fight.
[A LONG DISTANCE FROM THE BATTLE]
"Can you feel that Starkk?"
"Yes Lilynette"
"THEY ARE STRONG! STRONG LIKE US! WE ARE NOT ALONE STARKK! WE ARE NOT ALONE!"
"He…I can see Lillynete…I can see it"
"LET'S GO! Stop sleeping Starkk! LET'S GO!"
"Hya hya, I'm coming!"
[BACK TO THE BATTLE]
Szayel and Baraggan have been fighting for over an hour now. They are covered in blood. They are having a great time.
Even with all the destruction, Baraggan and Szayel are still fighting happily. Szayel is having a great time. His light pink hair is turning golden in places, probably due to Yylfordt's influence on his soul and his violent impulses emerging now that he is no longer trying to hide himself and his power.
Szayel remembers the time when the Granz brothers were still alive, he had no such memories before, but now they are coming like a tide to him.
He remembers that his days were filled with "death". Szayel is not like them, he does not want only power, perfection and battles. No, he likes to be surrounded by "death" and "calmness" and most importantly "pleasure". His reiatsu is becoming less and less like Szayel Aporro Granz's and more like himself.
"RAAAAAGH!"
"GRRAAAA!"
Old and new, stagnation and evolution, Szayel and Baraggan.
At this moment, while both vaporized and destroyed everything around them, both seemed to be strangely understanding each other. Something that is unusual and that originally Baraggan would never allow himself… but the young Vasto lord who challenged him reminded him so much of his old rival that the old man couldn't help but laugh at himself.
'Am I getting old… letting myself be affected by "nostalgia"?... something so beneath me… but this young man…' even lost in internal thoughts, Baraggan continued his battle, he was no longer looking down on Szayel, he was going all out, showing the "rats" why he was the king… and yet… Szayel was fighting back with equal savagery and… happiness, after damaging another shower of ceros in his direction, Baraggan continued his train of thought:
'he is something interesting… how many centuries has it been since someone dared to challenge me so blatantly?... I I see… I think… it's time to give up my crown… don't you agree?.. Ikomikidomoe… this brat… is he by any chance your son?'
The battle between Szayel and Baraggan continued to ravage Las Noches, transforming the place into a field of chaotic destruction. The endless sands of Hueco Mundo seemed to pulse, reacting to the release of their colossal energies. Ceros bolts tore through the air, while waves of Baraggan's corrosive Respira swallowed everything in their path, reducing even the most resistant quartz of the surrounding structures to dust.
Szayel, completely immersed in the combat, moved like a predator. His tentacles danced around him, blocking attacks and counterattacking relentlessly. Fragments of his own limbs regenerated almost immediately after being corroded. He was no longer the meticulous scientist who prioritized absolute control. There was something primal about his style now, as if he were embracing a savagery that had long been dormant.
Baraggan, on the other hand, was showing why he was known as the God-King of the Hueco Mundo. Every swing of his Gran Caída seemed to bring with it time and ruin. The impact of his blows shook the ground, and even those farthest from the epicenter of the battle felt the suffocating pressure of his reiatsu.
Despite the open wounds on their bodies, both seemed to be feeding off the confrontation. What had initially been pure anger towards Baraggan had transformed into something else. There was an unspoken respect growing, something he would not easily admit. Szayel's savagery and the cunning he displayed reminded him of the former king of his own past. As the clash progressed, Szayel began to channel his Gran Rey Cero again, but this time with an intensity never before seen. The energy condensed between the tentacles shone like a black sun, pulsing at an unmatched rhythm. He launched it directly at Baraggan, who responded with a wave of Respira, imbued with all the corrosive force he possessed. The two forces collided, creating an explosion so massive that the light illuminated all of Hueco Mundo for a brief moment, similar to a tsar warhead.
BOOOOOOOMMM
When the dust settled, they were both still standing, panting, but with their eyes shining with excitement. The ruins of Las Noches around them were witnesses to the magnitude of that confrontation.
Baraggan watched Szayel in silence for a moment, the tip of his Gran Caída resting on the ground. His posture was still that of a king, but there was something different. Szayel, on the other hand, seemed to move with more fluidity, almost as if he were transcending something within himself.
They both knew they could continue fighting for days, perhaps weeks, but something in the air had changed. A silent conclusion, even without words. It was not a question of victory or defeat, but of mutual understanding of their strength.
Szayel, still covered in blood and with some tentacles regenerating, stood up, his posture imposing and his eyes shining with renewed determination. Baraggan, with his overwhelming presence, took a step forward, observing the young Vasto Lord with an almost… fatherly expression.
Finally, the old king simply laughed. A deep, resonant laugh, echoing throughout the silent desert. A king recognizing the value of a possible successor. And as Szayel watched in silence, something deep within him seemed to have changed. Not only because of Baraggan's respect, but because of the feeling of being truly alive for the first time in ages. The battle did not need another blow. Both knew that what had been established here was more powerful than any other confrontation could determine. A tacit promise, a mutual recognition, and the beginning of a new era in Hueco Mundo. "Hey… boy… no… Szayel… you have proven your strength and worth… ah" the old king let out a breath of air from his nonexistent lungs as he looked at the ruins of what had once been his palace. Szayel, who was still regenerating, snorted:
"Now do I earn your respect?..." he said the same thing as he looked around, apparently he and Baraggan had moved far away after their battle, being kilometers away from Las Noches. "Have we come far, Old-HAM?" Looking at the God-King of Hueco Mundo Baraggan, Szayel saw the once powerful and arrogant king, sitting on a random rock, as if he were any old man, using his Axe GRAN CAÍDA as a simple cane while looking at the moon.
Witnessing such a scene, Szayel was speechless, he had gotten used to "Baraggan Louisenbairn, The Second Espada" the arrogant being who hated Aizen and treated everyone with disdain… but… looking at him now… he wonders if anyone will ever see the majestic and arrogant king, looking as aged as his age…
Without saying a word, Szayel crawled with his tentacles to the king's side, his wings too injured to support his weight flying.
The two just stood silently looking at the eternal moon in the sky, slowly regenerating…..
"Ah… boy… how old are you…?" The king questioned Szayel with a tired sigh.
"I can't remember well… but I think less than a century…" Szayel replied.
O'Que Baraggan let out a humorous laugh before replying:
"Ha… I'm over 2 thousand years old, boy… I've seen Hollows greater than you challenge me and be killed, run away or be subjugated by me… in 2 thousand years… only 1 being has challenged me and become my equal… his name has been lost in time… but for some reason, whenever I think of him, "Ikomikidomoe" comes to my mind… a nickname from an old man I would say…" Baraggan seemed to be remembering a distant and nostalgic past. "And then… after 2 thousand years… you came to challenge me… how ironic… Ikomikidomoe must be having fun with this…"
Szayel didn't interrupt the old king, he just seemed impressed by the king's words, as he slowly saw Baraggan and Harribel's army with their servants approaching, realizing that the battle between the two was already over.
"...I think I've reigned for too long… I never liked the idea of losing my position to an arrogant brat…but here it is…a brat who not only seemed to be on my level, but grew stronger the longer the fight went on…"
Beginning to realize where this conversation was going, Szayel felt his eyes widen and his mouth drop open.
"H-hey Baraggan! Aren't you thinking about-" Before the Vasto Lord scientist could finish, Baraggan stood up from his seat and looked at all the other hollows around him before shouting his announcement.
"HOLLOWS OF HUECO MUNDO, MY SUBJECTS! APPRECIATE AND PRAISE! FOR TODAY, A NEW GOD-KING OF HUECO MUNDO IS BORN! MY EQUAL, SZAYEL APORO GRANZ!"
And with this scream, howl and roars of victory and euphoria were released by the hollows, even though this fight had taken the lives of dozens of them, the hollows were selfish beings and had no ties like Humanity, in a world like Hueco Mundo, survival was of the fittest.
Szayel could only sigh, as he stood up and adjusted his "clothes"
"Ah... there's no stopping you, aren't you old man?..." Szayel said as he rolled his eyes with a whistle. While next to him Baraggan walked with a satisfied, but slightly irritated air ahead, which turned into an aura of extreme irritation upon hearing Szayel's next words.
"Well, Old Baraggan, it seems now that we're a god-king duo of the whole wide world?... well... whatever, the important thing is that now you'll have to share that seat with another couple besides your old, bony ass!"
"SZAYEEEEEEEL!"
"HAHAHHAHAHAHAHA"
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone