"My lord, I'm ready."
After a full day of issuing final directives—particularly to Jekain—Nel arrived at the meeting hall alongside Timd.
Originally, Nel had only been instructed to retrieve the latest communication equipment. However, Timd insisted on personally presenting the finalized version.
"Your Majesty," Timd said respectfully, presenting two smooth jade-like discs, "these are the devices you requested."
Sombravida accepted them, weighing them lightly in his palm. The material was a refined glass-stone composite produced through Mud's sand manipulation and heat-forging assistance. With their rising spiritual pressure levels, such craftsmanship had become feasible.
"These are not conventional communicators," Timd explained. "After learning of Your Majesty's spatial teleportation, I designed them specifically to complement your abilities."
Sombravida raised a brow slightly. "Go on."
"They contain a sealed fragment of my clone's spiritual pressure signature. If you are engaged and cannot return personally, you may crush the disc and speak. The signal will reach my clone instantly. Transmission duration: roughly thirty seconds."
"One-way?" Sombravida asked.
"Yes. The imprint cannot transmit back through that fragment. However, if we initiate emergency contact, the disc will heat and change color."
Timd released a pulse of spiritual pressure.
The jade disc shifted from white… to green… to yellow… then red.
"Green represents manageable developments — expansion conflicts, suspicious intrusions. Yellow indicates severe combat requiring reinforcement. Red will only be triggered if we face annihilation-level danger."
Sombravida nodded.
For someone capable of instant traversal across Hueco Mundo, this was near-perfect.
"Well designed," he said. "This will become our standard signal system."
Timd bowed deeply. "May Your Majesty return victorious."
Sombravida turned toward Nel.
"Let's go."
He placed a hand at her waist—
Space folded.
They appeared instantly within Barragan's domain.
The surge of Sombravida's reiryoku announced his arrival.
From within Las Noches, Barragan Louisenbairn emerged, skeletal frame towering, Respira faintly curling around him like smoldering shadow.
"Lord Sombravida," Barragan rumbled. "And this?"
"Nel. My companion."
Nel inclined her head without kneeling.
Her loyalty belonged only to Sombravida.
Barragan studied her briefly.
"Hm. Reminds me of a certain female Vasto Lorde who refuses my rule."
Sombravida's interest sharpened.
"Harribel?"
Barragan's empty eye sockets flickered.
"Tia Harribel. Early-stage Vasto Lorde. Shark-type."
A nearby shark-headed Adjuchas added, perhaps too eagerly—
"She resides east of—"
The pressure of Respira flared instantly.
The Adjuchas slammed to the ground, body aging and cracking at the edges.
"When did I permit interruption?" Barragan's voice chilled the air.
Sombravida stepped forward calmly.
"No need for escalation, Your Majesty."
Barragan withdrew Respira.
Sombravida continued evenly:
"I am interested in Harribel. If permitted, I would like to approach her first. If persuasion fails… elimination remains an option."
Barragan considered.
"Hmph. A minor thorn, but persistent. Very well. Remove her—or devour her."
Sombravida nodded.
He turned to the shark-headed Hollow.
"You served her once?"
"Yes… my lord," the Hollow said weakly. "She rejected all male subordinates. Drove us out."
Sombravida gave no visible reaction.
"Then guide us."
Moments later—
Sombravida grasped Nel with one hand, the guide with the other—
Space bent.
They vanished.
Barragan watched the empty air.
"He can transport multiple bodies through direct contact…"
The will-o'-the-wisp within his skull flickered thoughtfully.
"If his spatial dominion deepens further… troublesome."
He turned away.
"Mobilize."
After several controlled jumps across marked coordinates—
Sombravida, Nel, and the shark-headed guide arrived outside a canyon basin surrounded by cliffs.
At its center rose a solitary mountain.
Beneath it—
A cavern entrance.
"Harribel resides there," the guide said.
"She commands three Adjuchas-level subordinates — lion-type Mila Rose, deer-type Apache, and serpent-type Sun-Sun."
Sombravida nodded.
"Wait here."
He did not activate concealment.
Instead—
He released controlled Vasto-level spiritual pressure at the cave entrance.
The response came quickly.
Three Adjuchas emerged.
Mila Rose stepped forward first, golden mane bristling.
"This reiryoku… it rivals Lady Harribel's."
Apache narrowed her eyes toward the distant cliff.
"I smell Shakkashdaman's stench. So you crawled back with reinforcements?"
Sun-Sun's serpentine lower body coiled slightly.
"Lady Harribel is not present. State your business."
Sombravida spoke calmly.
"I seek Tia Harribel."
"Barragan's dog?" Apache snapped.
"No," Sombravida replied evenly. "I lead my own faction."
Mila Rose's tone hardened.
"Then leave. Lady Harribel bows to no king."
"Unless you intend to submit to her," Apache added mockingly.
Sombravida exhaled quietly.
"I would prefer dialogue."
Sun-Sun's eyes narrowed.
"Dialogue backed by Vasto-level pressure?"
Sombravida's expression cooled.
"If I wished to conquer you, you would already be gone."
Apache stepped forward despite the pressure disparity.
"If you want Lady Harribel, you'll go through us."
Sombravida's spiritual pressure surged.
Azure-gold reiryoku erupted skyward.
The three Adjuchas collapsed instantly.
The weight difference between Vasto Lorde and Adjuchas was absolute.
Mila Rose strained against it, lifting her head barely.
"He… suppressed his true strength…"
Apache grit her teeth, pinned to the sand.
Sun-Sun could not even raise her torso.
Sombravida summoned his Sky-Splitting Greatsword.
"If force is required to summon her," he said quietly, "so be it."
He swung.
A compressed azure-gold blade wave shot toward Mila Rose.
She closed her eyes.
Prepared for death.
Clang!!!
Metal met steel.
The sword-light shattered.
Mila Rose opened her eyes.
Before her stood a tall, composed figure clad in white bone armor, golden hair flowing behind her.
A powerful, oceanic reiryoku spread outward—stable, controlled, unmistakably Vasto Lorde.
She had intercepted the strike effortlessly.
Tia Harribel.
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