"Bloodline…" Harribel murmured, "so, your method can't be replicated?"
"Theoretically, that's correct," Arata said honestly.
"But…" he suddenly revealed a mysterious smile, "I actually have a method that is much more suitable for you."
Arata stared directly into Harribel's emerald eyes, his fingertips gently gliding across the system panel.
1998 destiny points, that was nearly half of his current savings, but the woman in front of him was worth the investment.
[B-rank item – Hogyoku (one-time use)]
[Confirm exchange]
With a slight thought, an irregular prismatic crystal appeared in his palm out of nowhere, glowing faintly with a bluish light.
A liquid-like glow flowed across the Hogyoku's surface, and inside it seemed as if a misty galaxy was rotating, illuminating the entire dark cave like a dream.
"This is—"
Harribel's pupils suddenly contracted, and her body instinctively stepped back half a step.
Her subordinates reacted as if facing a powerful enemy, immediately assuming battle stances.
"Don't be afraid." Arata handed her the Hogyoku and softly explained, "This is the key that can help you break your limits."
"If you touch it with your Reiatsu, you can surpass the limits of a Hollow and become a higher form of life an Arrancar."
A ghostly silence suddenly fell over the cave.
Harribel stared motionlessly at the blue gem in front of her, her fuller chest rising and falling rhythmically with tense breathing.
"What's the price?" her voice, hoarse from nervousness, was full of caution.
It wasn't that she didn't trust Arata, it was just that this power seemed too easily obtained, and that made it hard to accept all at once.
Arata didn't mind. He took half a step forward and said, "I'll need allies in Hueco Mundo. Maybe at some point in the future, you'll be able to help me."
"Hueco Mundo shouldn't be Baraggan's playground. It deserves a better order and a better ruler."
This sentence was half-truth, half-pretense. He did want to develop some power in Hueco Mundo, but his goal wasn't to rely on Harribel and the others.
On the contrary, he didn't want Harribel to one day die in vain from Aizen's backstab.
What's more, Arata didn't want to watch Nnoitra attack Neliel again and shatter her mask, turning her into a little loli.
He was a loyal member of the oneesan faction!
Of course, the most important point was that changes in Hueco Mundo would help trigger new decisive fate moments in the system.
The butterfly effect from someone like Harribel was enough to create a massive storm.
By then, fate points would come rolling his way.
As he spoke, Arata tossed the Hogyoku toward Harribel.
Harribel caught it reflexively. The moment the crystal touched her skin, her bone armor naturally reacted.
Tiny golden lines gradually lit up.
"I hope that, once you succeed, you'll help me unite the remaining Vasto Lordes and Adjuchas in Hueco Mundo who share your principles."
"If everything goes as planned, you may even form your own faction that will stand against Las Noches under Baraggan's rule."
Harribel lowered her head, contemplating Arata's words while staring at the Hogyoku in her palm. Suddenly, she smiled.
"Shinigami, aren't you afraid that once I gain power, I'll break the deal?"
"Are you really that weak?" Arata asked, his gaze sweeping across her three subordinates.
If Harribel had such a treacherous nature, how could she have gathered three followers so loyal to her?
Harribel fell silent. Arata's words truly touched her heart.
She honestly wouldn't be able to do something so contrary to her own principles.
The silence lasted for a full three minutes.
In the end, Harribel made her decision.
"I accept."
She mobilized the spiritual pressure within her body and merged it with the Hogyoku in her hand. Her movement was so natural that the subordinates gasped in surprise.
"Lady Harribel!"
Golden light exploded from Harribel's body, quickly forming a sphere of light resembling a cocoon that completely enveloped her.
Contrary to expectations, there was no spectacular explosion or destructive wave of spiritual pressure, the Hogyoku from the system proved to be extremely gentle and obedient.
Although this was essentially the ritual of a Vasto Lorde undergoing Arrancarization, not the slightest turbulence of Reiatsu could be felt.
The golden light cocoon lasted for several minutes, until, at the peak of its brightness, a clear sound like shattering glass echoed from within.
The light gradually faded, revealing the figure inside.
The mask on Harribel's face was completely shattered, and the bone parts slowly dispersed into the air, revealing a beautiful face hidden for hundreds of years.
Harribel slowly, with accelerated breath, welcomed her new life.
The bone armor that once covered her entire body was now replaced with a white uniform, almost identical to the one from the original.
Her honey-colored skin glowed like a pearl, and on her back appeared a Zanpakutō with a purple hilt.
"This is… an Arrancar?" she looked at her now almost human body, her voice trembling with disbelief.
The three subordinates were completely stunned.
It turned out their mistress was actually this beautiful?
Even Arata paused for a moment.
The Harribel from the original was already extremely beautiful.
But witnessing her current transformation into an Arrancar with his own eyes made his heart skip a beat.
Especially those full, snow-white breasts that rose and fell rhythmically with her breathing, as if they were about to burst out of the uniform on her chest at any moment.
However, unlike in the original, there was no number "3" engraved on the southern hemisphere of her body, but instead a unique plum blossom-shaped symbol.
"My power…" Harribel suddenly clenched her fists, and an unprecedented surge of strength burst from her body. "This is the feeling of surpassing limits."
She drew her Zanpakutō, a broad, hollow saber that hung down her back.
She didn't know exactly when it began, but names she had never heard before slowly emerged in her mind.
Arrancar, Resurrección, Tiburón…
Arata spoke at just the right moment: "You can slowly get used to this power later. I believe you'll find it very satisfying—"
Harribel suddenly stepped forward and, with the strength of an Arrancar, pinned him against the stone wall.
She suddenly realized that her skin tone was somewhat similar to his, and a natural sense of closeness spontaneously arose within her.
The tips of their noses almost touched, and Arata could clearly smell a desert rose-like scent coming from her body.
"Why did you choose me?" Uncertainty flickered in her emerald eyes. "It's clear you have far stronger options…"
"Because… you're beautiful." Arata looked straight into her eyes, his heart beating faster.
Harribel was speechless and attributed it to his awkward excuse.
"I will establish a base in the White Rift Valley, northwest of Las Noches. When you need me, come and find me there."
Arata nodded in agreement.
Just as he was about to say goodbye, Harribel suddenly stopped him.
"At least tell me the name of your ally?"
"Saito Arata."
"Tia Harribel."
"I look forward to the day I see you again as the queen of Hueco Mundo."
As Arata's figure disappeared over the sand dune, Apacci quietly asked, "Lady Harribel, are we really going to help that Shinigami build his strength?"
"It's not about helping him, it's about helping ourselves."
Harribel stared at his silhouette growing distant. The face behind the Arrancar mask was stunningly beautiful under the moonlight.