Not a Mob: Psycho

Unaware that he had been marked for death, a tall, thin, bespectacled Arrancar with shoulder-length pink hair and bangs to the right side of his face couldn't help smiling as he gazed through the eyepiece of a uniquely 'organic' microscope.
Though he had been instructed not to conduct any experiments before the preservation period had expired, that didn't stop the Octava Espada, Szayelaporro Granz, from taking tissue, follicle, and other samples from Karin's body, suspended naked in a tank of glowing green liquid.
"So this is what the DNA of a Quincy looks like..." mused Szayelaporro, analyzing Karin's genes with an ease that would make scientists in the Human World foam at the mouth like a pack of Saint Bernards with late-stage rabies.
"How truly fascinating. To think cells could exist in a state of quantum superposition, both physical and spiritual, concurrently. With their innate ability to absorb Reishi, they should have attained biological immortality, yet even in a state of suspended animation, their cells continue to divide and decay. Could they be impervious to temporal phenomena? To what end...?"
Shaking his head, Szayelaporro muttered, "No matter. This specimen is far too precious. With such a uniquely dualistic constitution, her womb could serve as a bridge between the spiritual and physical planes..."
Though it might not matter if Aizen succeeded in his goal of becoming a God, Szayelaporro grinned at the notion of invading the so-called 'Human World' with an army of Hollows given physical form.
At present, even the most powerful Vasto Lorde-turned-Arrancar could only stay in the human world for a few hours before their power began to deplete rapidly, leaking from the hole in their bodies. With a physical body to serve as a container, they should be able to stay as they want, leisurely consuming the billions of humans and creatures that called it home.
Eager to test his hypothesis, Szayelaporro used a microscopic needle to extract the nuclei from ten of Karin's egg cells before implanting five with somatic cells harvested from her body and the rest with genetic material procured from the other Espada. He was tempted to 'rebirth' himself, but he wanted to perform a few experiments first.
After placing the first five eggs into pitcher-like sacks filled with a dark purple liquid, Szayelaporro attempted to implant the genetic material he had harvested from the former Tres Espada into the sixth. However, when the genetic material was introduced into the egg, the petri dish containing it exploded, releasing vaporous steam.
Furrowing his brows, Szayelaporro repeated the experiment with the remaining eggs, each bursting without fail. To make matters worse, the growth medium he was using to accelerate the development of Karin's clones had started to bubble, nearly boiling over as the contents within hissed like acid atop a hot pan.
Undaunted by his failure, Szayelaporro held a small microphone up to his mouth, stating, "As expected, the subject's egg cells reacted adversely to the introduction of Hollow somatic cells. It would appear that, even at the cellular level, Quincies reject the very existence of Hollows..."
Setting aside the microphone, Szayelaporro grinned evilly as he mused, "It's fortunate that I happen to have the perfect sample on hand to try my next experiment~."
Retrieving a silver test tube labeled 'Tribrid Specimen 001' from a cold storage compartment, Szayelaporro slowly thawed its contents before extracting a small amount of carmine liquid. Then, using the eggs he had prepared during the thawing process, he implanted the somatic material into its center without incident.
"Marvelous..." muttered Szayelaporro, placing the fertilized egg into the growth solution before readying the next. The solution began to hiss as it had during the previous experiments, but Szayelaporro expected this. He simply wanted to confirm it wasn't viable before moving on to something else.
Placing the newly prepared egg cell in a tank similar to the one preserving Karin's body, albeit much smaller, Szayelaporro filled it with a mitogenic nutrient solution before increasing the internal pressure to stimulate cell division. He generally used this method to produce limbs and replacement organs when full-body cloning was simply a waste of resources, but there was no reason it couldn't work on a fertilized egg and embryo.
Matching Szayelaporro's expectations, though he would never admit to anything exceeding them, tiny bubbles began to form with the glowing blue solution. When he checked on it twenty minutes later, a tiny speck, roughly the size of a vanilla bean seed, could be seen floating near the center of the tank. Twenty minutes later, it had practically 'exploded' to 6mm in length.
Convinced the method was working, Szayelaporro prepared nine more tanks, four containing the embedded cells of Tribrid Specimen 001 and the remaining five using Karin's somatic cells. Once he had viable clones to work with, he could experiment without jeopardizing the integrity of the original sample. At the rate the clones were gestating, he would only need four and a half hours to prepare them and an additional 2-3 days to make the most promising samples 'experimentally viable.'
"Master Szayelaporro! Master Szayelaporro~!" exclaimed a pair of fat, spherical Arrancar with matching features, the only notable difference being their hairstyles. One had a black ponytail, while the other had two pigtails protruding from the back and sides of their hemispherical, broad-mouthed heads.
"What is it?" asked Szayelaporro, staring at the nearly identical Arrancar with annoyance and disgust. He hated having his experiments intruded upon. Even more so when he was required to step away from them for a pointless meeting or something similar...
"Lady Harribel has arrived!" revealed the male Arrancar, Verona, followed by his female counterpart, Lumina, exclaiming, "And she brought the man who killed Lord Barragan...!"
Hearing the duo's exclamations, the pupils of Szayelaporro's amber eyes contracted. He and Harribel weren't on good terms(for many reasons), but her arrival alongside Ohta could only mean two things. She had betrayed the Espada, or she was being manipulated in some way to do the latter's bidding. Either way, it wasn't good for him.
"Dammit...!" exclaimed Szayelaporro, slamming his fist into the tank he was standing next to, shattering it to pieces and causing its contents to spill across the floor. If he had more time, he could have given Ohta one of the clones, and he would be none the wiser. Now, unless he wanted to die, his only options were to hand over Karin's body or retreat, fleeing far from Las Noches to his secret laboratory in the South. The problem with that was Aizen. If he ran away before the final battle, the wannabe deity would likely condemn or ridicule him...
Before Szayelaporro could decide on the best course of action, a tremor caused the glassware in his laboratory to shudder, followed by the floor beneath him abruptly lurching upward like an elevator.
"What the hell...!?" exclaimed the pink-haired Arrancar, pushing aside Lumine and Verona as he rushed to his monitoring station to see what was happening. To his surprise, the external cameras showed that his entire palace was being lifted into the sky, one of them zooming in on the image of a grey-haired Harribel and a dark-haired figure wearing a familiar cloak.
"What is he doing...?" wondered Szayelaporro aloud. Ohta's ability to lift his palace into the air wasn't too surprising, at least, that's what he told himself, but he couldn't fathom what the monstrous human was hoping to achieve. It wouldn't kill him even if Ohta dropped the palace from the canopy of Las Noches.
Furrowing his brows, Szayelaporro speculated, "Could he be trying to destroy the Quincy girl's body? Or is this his way of compelling me to relinquish it without a fight...?"
Receiving his answer, Szayelaporro could hear the metal and stone in his palace begin to groan under intense pressure. At the same time, his hair and clothes began to be drawn toward the wall behind him, followed by everything that wasn't held down 'falling' in the same direction. It was like the direction of gravity had reversed, causing Szayelaporro's amber eyes to widen as he drew his Zanpakuto, holding it aloft like a sword swallower as he shouted, "Sip...!" before inserting it into his throat...
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"Are you sure about this?" asked Harribel, his expression and tone calm, borderline apathetic despite the awe she was experiencing.
"If this guy is anything like what you've described, there's no way we can be trusted to return Karin's body without implanting a trap or pulling some trick," replied Ohta, gradually closing his hand as he added, "Besides, we have the means to provide her with a replacement, so there's no reason to put ourselves at a disadvantage acquiring the original..."
Sensing a sudden burst of Reiatsu from within the crumbling palace, Ohta caused Harribel to shudder as he adopted a toothy, unabashedly sadistic grin and increased the rate at which he closed his hand. Unfortunately for Szayelaporro, Ohta's psychic crush worked by extending an invisible mass of psychic energy from his body rather than trying to interact with it from a distance. This made it easy to dodge, but escape was nearly impossible once you were trapped within.
Breaking through the walls of his palace with Karin's tank enveloped in his weird wings, Szayelaporro attempted to flee into the sky but smacked his head into Ohta's dense psychic membrane. As he did so, a repulsive force radiated through his body like a shockwave, damaging his internal organs and spreading to Karin's tank, causing the interior fluid to become crimson as her body ruptured violently.
("It's a good thing the people inside the cloak can't see what's going on outside...") thought Ohta, discarding his sadistic grin for a markedly more serious, resolute look. Szayelaporro appearing with Karin's body in tow was all the confirmation he needed to know the pink-haired Arrancar was up to something, so he used Harribel's tremendous Reiryoku to empower his psychic crush further. As a result, Szayelaporro's massive laboratory, initially resembling a green dome with multiple lesser domes on top, went from 2500m in diameter at its base to a dense, white-hot sphere of Reishi fewer than 50m across.
Exhaling
As Szayelaporro's Reiatsu had disappeared long before the sphere took its final shape, Ohta exhaled a contented sigh as he allowed the white-hot mass to plunge into the sands of Las Noches below, its heat and density causing it to sink like an iron ball into ice, making a loud hissing sound as a plume of liquefied glass erupted from the hole it produced.
Turning to Harribel, Ohta regained his smile, asking, "I trust you won't be missing him...?"
Shaking her head, Harribel replied, "Among the Espada, Szayelaporro was the most likely to invite trouble to Las Noches, regardless of the outcome of your and Lord Aizen's battle. His death serves the interests of all three realms..."
"Then let's keep up this momentum," said Ohta. "Tell me which Arrancar and Espada you believe should be spared and which you think should die. You and that coyote bastard are likely to rule this place after everything is said and done, so I'll do you a favor by helping you eliminate anyone who might oppose you. Then, assuming I drag Aizen's face through the dirt, you can return the favor by letting me use this place as a vacation home and training venue. Sound fair?"
"..."
Though she doubted Ohta's ability to defeat Aizen, even after witnessing his nigh-incomprehensible display of power, Harribel eventually nodded in affirmation, answering, "Very well. Our&ndash;I mean, your next target should be Nnoitra Gilga, the Quinto Espada. He is a violent and egotistical individual who can't stand to be beneath others, especially women. He ignored Lord Aizen's order forbidding internal conflicts among the Espada. And, despite being spared by her several times, he eventually managed to land a sneak attack on the former Tres Espada, Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck, leaving her in a state arguably worse than death..."
"Sounds like a cunt," replied Ohta, his expression and tone dismissive as he didn't care about Nnoitra's or this Nelliel woman's past. He might get Orihime to heal the latter if she was still around, but that wasn't on his list of priorities. He had a purge to perpetrate, so after Harribel pointed him in the right direction, Ohta returned her to the cloak's interior dimension and flew toward Nnoitra's palace at Mach speeds...
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(A/N: Boy be zoomin' (O 3 O). Also, just in case this is the only chapter today, here's your daily reminder that Not a Mob: Psycho is not a harem novel.)

After reaching what he presumed to be his destination, a structure more closely resembling a coliseum than a palace, Ohta brought out Harribel, startling her a bit as she had been mid-conversation.
"Is this the place...?" asked Ohta.
Nodding in affirmation, Harribel answered, "Indeed. Nnoitra is a savage who revels in conflict and believes that battle is the only thing that gives life meaning."
"Sounds like he's the Kenpachi among the Espada..." noted Ohta, briefly considering leaving the man for Zaraki to deal with. The latter should be arriving as a part of the Attack Squad, so it was certainly an option.
"Does he have any Fraccion...?" asked Ohta, prompting Harribel to nod and explain, "Yes, a man called Tesra Lindocruz. No one knows why, but Nnoitra allows him to tag along and serve him despite his belief the weak should perish to the strong..."
Shrugging his shoulders, Ohta remarked, "I'm sure there's a reason, but it doesn't really matter. I was only asking because I wanted to give the girls a chance to fight."
"We appreciate the consideration, but, as you stated previously, this isn't the time to be playing around," responded the voice of Rukia. "Once this is over, we'll have plenty of time and opportunities to grow stronger."
Though she couldn't see him, Ohta nodded in approval before descending toward the coliseum, leaving Harribel to decide whether she would wait or follow after him. She was the best candidate to rule Hueco Mundo in his stead, so it was important for her to witness him brutalizing those she had marked for death. That way, while she might never truly respect him, she would 'thoroughly' understand the futility of betraying him...
Matching Ohta's expectations, Harribel briefly hesitated before following after him in silence. When they reached the center of the arena, however, nothing happened.
After spreading his senses through the area, Ohta raised his brows and mused, "Looks like no one's home."
"That would appear to be the case..." replied Harribel, using the Arrancar's version of spiritual sense, Pesquisa, to confirm that the coliseum was truly empty. There were presences deep underground, but that was most likely Nnoitra's food supply.
"Hmmmm..."
After a moment of deliberation, Ohta surprised Karin by ejecting her from the cloak's interior, causing her to exclaim, "Whoa! Warn me before you do something like that...!"
Ignoring Karin's remark, Ohta asked, "See this place...?" while gesturing to their surroundings.
"Yeah? What about it...?" asked Karin, crossing her arms and staring at Ohta with slightly furrowed brows. She was the one that had permitted him to do so, but she was still a little miffed that he had obliterated her original body, seemingly without hesitation.
"I want you to destroy it," revealed Ohta. "Go wild, and let me see what you're capable of."
Adopting an almost too-excited smile, Karin exclaimed, "Can I!? You're not just pulling my leg, right!?"
Nodding his head, Ohta explained, "While it's important you learn how to control your power, it's far more vital to know what you're capable of and how to grow further. That goes doubly for me. If I'm going to teach you, I need to know what you can do."
Forgetting her mild frustration, Karin shouted, "Then you better keep your eyes peeled...!" before leaping toward the empty, ruined viewing stands. Most of her movements and attacks were based on instinct, so she didn't know how to fly or form footholds yet. As a result, she just leaped around like a human-sized flea, tearing apart the coliseum and unleashing energy attacks with reckless abandon, laughing all the while...
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Once Karin had thoroughly tuckered herself out, Ohta entrusted her to Orihime before perching himself atop a slanted red pylon more than 1.2km in height.
"What exactly are these things?" asked Ohta, his question directed at the increasingly gold-haired woman observing and following him since he let her out of the cloak's interior.
"They were intended to be the residences of lower-ranking Arrancar and promising Hollows that were not part of an Espada's Fraccion," replied Harribel. "However, due to fools like Nnoitra and Grimmjow, our numbers have increased much slower than they could have..."
"Lucky us," mused Ohta, gesturing for Harribel to sit on the same ledge as him before asking, "So, is that what you'll do once you become the ruler of Hueco Mundo? Gather Hollows with intelligence to form a society? The Soul Society might not be too happy about that."
Catching Ohta a little off guard, Harribel replied, "Then we'll work with the Soul Society to regulate the flow of Hollows into the human world..."
Raising his brows, Ohta questioned, "You'll hunt your kind at the behest of those who have hunted you for eons...?"
Closing her eyes, Harribel replied, "Most Hollows are mindless beasts who only know how to consume and obey their instincts. As we transition from Gillian to Adjuchas and finally Vasto Lorde, we gradually regain our reason and intellect, increasingly resembling the humans we once were..."
Opening her eyes and turning to meet Ohta's gaze, Harribel added, "The nature of Hueco Mundo might never change, but it does not need to be a place devoid of thought, emotion, and reason. All Hollows, regardless of their stage of evolution, ultimately pursue the same thing. We wish to fill the void created when we lost or discarded our humanity..."
Though she likely didn't intend for it to be sensual, Harribel's narrow-eyed gaze and the placement of her Hollow hole, located over her womb, made it seem like she was attempting to entice Ohta as she placed the very tips of her fingers inside of it. Her voluptuous body, dark skin, and increasingly golden hair certainly reinforced the notion...
Tearing his gaze from Harribel's lower abdomen, Ohta asked, "And then what? Say you turn Las Noches into a sanctuary filled to the brim with Hollows seeking to regain their humanity. The simplest way to achieve that is to kill themselves and return to the cycle of reincarnation. What meaning is there in clinging to such a 'hollow' existence if they can never fill the void within?"
"I imagine it's the same reason Souls within the Rukongai persist for hundreds of years after their deaths," replied Harribel. "It's instinct and familiarity, the desire to become 'more' and the fear of parting with the memories and experiences that define each of us..."
Raising her gaze skyward, Harribel added, "Besides...you do not know for certain that it's impossible to fill the void within a Hollow. There must be a reason we become more humanoid as we evolve. At the very least, I've chosen to believe that there is a greater 'purpose' behind the existence of Hollows. We can't exist solely to destroy and consume...not when we have the capacity for so much more..."
*karow* *fwoom* *vwrrrrrrrrrrrr*
As if to spite Harribel's words, an electric-blue light tore through the sky on the far side of Las Noches, followed by a large explosion. The sound hit them about a minute later, so Ohta approximated it to be 90km away.
Before Ohta could ask, Harribel furrowed her brows into an almost pouty expression and groaned, "Grimmjow..." accusingly.
"Isn't that the guy I sent flying a few weeks ago...?" asked Ohta, recalling Grimmjow's pained expression of disbelief as he shattered the man's arm and broke most of the ribs on the left side of his body.
Recalling the incident Ohta was referring to, Harribel responded, "Indeed. And that attack he just used is called a Gran Ray Cero. Lord Aizen strictly prohibited its use within the canopy of Las Noches..."
Getting straight to the point, Ohta asked, "Is he someone that needs to die? It seems he has an issue respecting authority..."
Surprising Ohta, at least a little, Harribel replied, "No. While Grimmjow is similar to Nnoitra in temperament, his pride makes him honorable, and he can also be reasoned with. Nnoitra is the type to resort to underhanded means to get what he desires. Grimmjow won't go out of his way to attack those weaker than him and prefers to fight those he has acknowledged at full strength..."
"Hmmm..."
Alighting from the ledge and floating in the air, Ohta preempted Harribel's question by stating, "If that's the case, I think I know where we can find our missing Espada."
Blinking in realization, Harribel asked, "You think Nnoitra is waiting for an opportunity to ambush your friends...?"
"Didn't you say he attacked the previous Tres Espada...?" asked Ohta. "If he isn't hunting Strawberry's party, he could be seeking to eliminate other Espada to improve or secure his standing. Those who will do anything to stand at the top tend to have a penchant for suppressing those 'beneath' them."
"That certainly sounds like Nnoitra..." admitted Harribel, descending from the ledge to stand beside Ohta with crossed arms. Then, without further discussion, both vanished in the blink of an eye, one with a sharp 'fwish' and the other with a booming 'fwoom.'
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Though he managed to get the upper hand after donning his Hollow mask, Ichigo found himself on the backfoot after Grimmjow released his Resurreccion state, giving him a feline, distinctly predatory appearance. His teeth had become sharp and jagged, his hands and feet had become black-clawed paws, and a slender, whip-like tail protruded from the sleek, bone-white plating covering his body. His pale blue hair had also become much longer, flowing to the backs of his knees and prevented from falling over his face with a forehead protector. More notably, he had blades on the backs of his forearms, and the green markings under his blue eyes had elongated, curving around the sides of his face and flowing into his distinctly cat-like ears.
"What's the matter...!?" screamed Grimmjow, grinning from ear to ear as he bellowed, "I've been waiting for this day ever since you gave me this scar on my chest! At least put up a fight...!"
Punctuating his words, Grimmjow launched himself with tremendous momentum, kicking up a large plume of sand as he did so. Ichigo was able to get his guard up, but the force of Grimmjow's kick sent him crashing through one of the massive red pylons littering Las Noches. In the very next moment, Grimmjow was behind him again, foot raised high in preparation for a powerful heel drop.
"Dammit...!" exclaimed Ichigo, his voice echoing with a ghastly resonance due to his Hollow mask. Unfortunately, while he managed to react quickly, intercepting Grimmjow's heel with the ebony black blade of his Bankai, it barely created sparks as he was sent crashing to the ground, producing a large column of sand and a sizeable crater.
Grinning to the extent it looked like the muscles in his face might tear, Grimmjow exclaimed, "You're so we-" before evading to the side with Sonido as a beam of black, red-hue energy tore through the area he had been standing.
Emerging from the sand column with enough speed to cause the entire thing to disperse, Ichigo's arm and sword appeared to bend and elongate, the energy within causing the surrounding space to distort as he shouted, "Getsuga Tensho...!"
Trusting his instincts, Grimmjow didn't try to block Ichigo's attack as he had done his other blows. Instead, he spammed Sonido, creating a fair distance between himself and the attack as all natural light faded from the world, overtaken by the eerie 'radiance' of Ichigo's Getsuga Tensho seemingly encompassing the sky.
Suppressing the fear that momentarily consumed him, Grimmjow regained his vicious grin and shouted, "Now that's more like it, Shinigami...!" before charging at the visibly exhausted Ichigo with a relentless momentum. The latter's Hollow mask had started to crack, but instead of letting it disperse as it normally would, he quickly swept his hand across his face, forcing it to regain its structure before shouting, "Grimmjowwwww....!" with his eerie intonation...
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(A/N: Harribel's sentiments are as deep as an ocean...also, daily reminder that Not a Mob: Psycho is not a Harem novel.)

After yielding to Ohta, Harribel, having reverted to her crop-top state, showed him to her fin-shaped palace. There, waiting on the massive balcony oriented toward the center of Las Noches, were three female Arrancar. The first was an inordinately slender woman with long, sleek, olive-green hair, long eyelashes, and lavender eyes whose half-mask and long-sleeved garments gave the impression of a serpent. The second was a tall, muscular woman with bronzed skin, wavy brown hair that flowed to the middle of her back, and an outfit reminiscent of an Amazon or a Greek warrior woman. The last looked like a slightly older version of Karin, giving the impression of a tomboy with a lean, athletic build and black hair that framed her face to her chin. More notably, her eyes were different colors, her right being ice blue and her left being muted brown, surrounded by a red outline. Her mask resembled the nose bone of a horse with a pointed horn growing out of it, while the muscular Arrancar's resembled a three-sectioned crown that followed the contours of her skull like a helmet.
While all three women glared at him, it was the tomboyish Arrancar who asked, "What's going on, Harribel-sama? Why did you bring this human boy here?"
Piggybacking off the shorter woman's words, the muscular Amazoness appended, "Yeah, isn't he the enemy? Just look at the robe he's wearing. That's the Royal Mantle of Lord Barragan."
"It's not just his robe I picked up," replied Ohta, whipping out the crown of Barragan from the cloak's interior, spinning it on the tip of his index finger.
Seeing Barragan's crown in Ohta's possession, the trio of female Arrancar became even tenser than they already were. Barragan may have been the Secunda Espada, but many believed him to be the most powerful entity in Hueco Mundo, sans Aizen.
"There is no reason to be afraid..." asserted Harribel, her voice calm and steady even though she didn't fully believe her words.
While staring at Ohta, Harribel gestured with her left hand toward the trio, revealing, "These are my Fraccion: Sung-Sun, Mila Rose, and Apacci. The four of us have lived together since before we became Arrancar..."
"Are you the only ones inhabiting this massive palace...?" asked Ohta, his senses probing the entire structure but only detecting the animalistic and insectoid Hollow that served as the fauna of Hueco Mundo.
Nodding her head, Harribel explained, "Female Hollows are rare and often become the victims or servants of more powerful male Hollows. With the exceptions of Lord Aizen, Coyote Starrk, and the deceased Lord Barragan, no males are allowed within my palace..."
"Guess that makes me an exception..." remarked Ohta, gazing at the trio while maintaining a relaxed posture. Each tensed as he did so, but only the snake-like woman averted her pink eyes, covering the lower half of her face with her inordinately long sleeve. The other two looked prepared to attack at a moment's notice...
Noticing Mila's and Apacci's hostility, Harribel crossed her arm, causing her perky brown breasts to stand out as she said, "Calm down, you two. Even if the four of us were to team up, our chances of victory are slim to nonexistent. As Lord Aizen appears to have forsaken us, I have chosen to yield without a fight. Do not provoke or antagonize him..."
"What does that mean for us?" asked the chocolate-skinned Mila, brows furrowed as she swallowed a knot that had formed in her throat. She had the most attuned instincts among the three Fraccion, so she didn't doubt Harribel's words when the latter asserted they couldn't defeat Ohta.
Following Mila's question, the slender Sung-sun questioned, "Is this man our new Lord and Master...?"
"That remains to be seen..." replied Harribel, directing a sidelong gaze at Ohta as she added, "My yielding was done to preserve our lives. As such, he will heed his instructions, but we will not fight at his behest. If he loses in the forthcoming battle, we will return to Lord Aizen's side as a matter of course..."
Interpreting Harribel's words to mean they just had to endure until Aizen killed Ohta, Sung-Sun, Mila Rose, and Apacci stared at their interim 'Lord' as if he were a dead man walking. Barragan's might was beyond standard comprehension, but Aizen had toyed with the former God-King of Hueco Mundo like he was a child. Even if Ohta was able to defeat the latter, they couldn't imagine 'anyone' defeating Aizen...
Noticing the change in the trio's gazes, Ohta raised his brows and asked, "What's with the vengeful looks? Last I checked, I haven't done anything to piss you off or upset you..."
Shifting his gaze to Harribel, Ohta added, "If anything, you should be thanking me. If I weren't conscientious about preserving the balance between the three realms, you and your Mistress would be dead now."
Nodding her head, Harribel replied, "For that, I am grateful. However, as your very existence has forced us into a perilous position, it's difficult to be truly thankful. After all, the only reason you're sparing us is to avoid an influx of Hollows invading your world..."
Shrugging his shoulders, Ohta offered a curt, "Fair point," before holding up his right hand and explaining, "Now, to ensure you can't stab me in the back or target the people I care about, I'm going to drain your energy and confine you within this cloak. You will be free to move around once inside, but if you cause any trouble, I'll eject and kill you. Any questions?"
"What do you mean by draining our energy?" asked Harribel, narrowing her eyes in suspicion.
"I won't be 'stealing' your power if that's what you're thinking," replied Ohta. "I'm only going to drain your Reiryoku, leaving you in a weakened but otherwise uninjured state. I might drain you a second time before my battle against Aizen, but you'll recover in a few days."
"And how do we know you won't kill us the moment we're vulnerable?" asked Mila, appending, "And what's to stop you from simply keeping us prisoner, draining our power at your leisure?"
"You don't, and nothing at all," admitted Ohta, shrugging his shoulders as he added, "However, unlike the cunt preventing you from teaming up to stop our invasion force from slaughtering you, I keep my promises. You're free to doubt me, but since I won't be depriving you of the freedom to move about, you can just kill yourselves if it looks like I'm going to betray you. I imagine that's better than living as a battery."
"..." x3 (Sung-Sun, Mila Rose, Apacci)
Nodding her head, Harribel responded with a curt, resolute "Very well..." before approaching Ohta, positioning herself in front of him. Their heights were an identical 175cm, so the two stood at eye level for several tense moments, Harribel's aquamarine eyes staring intently into Ohta's as if she were trying to peer directly into his thoughts.
"Then, pardon me..." said Ohta, extending his hand to touch the center of Harribel's chest. Her body tensed ever so slightly as he did, but she stood silent and resolute with crossed arms, offering no resistance as she felt a powerful suction depleting her Reiyroku at a startling rate.
Raising his brows, Ohta remarked, "Jeez...you have an insane amount of Reiryoku..."
"Is that a problem...?" asked Harribel.
Shaking his head, Ohta answered, "Not really. It's just surprising, that's all. The last time I encountered a 'sea' of Reiryoku like this, I was facing the Captain of Squad 11, Zaraki Kenpachi..."
As Harribel's hair gradually lost its golden sheen, gaining an ashen hue, Ohta retracted his hand, asserting, "That should do for now. You might feel fatigued, but your body is unharmed, right?"
Nodding in affirmation, Harribel turned to face her Fraccion, stating, "If this is the extent of what he has planned for us, it won't be a problem. Come forward..."
As Sung-Sun, Mila Rose, and Apacci reluctantly stepped forward, Ohta shook his head and said, "That won't be necessary. I don't view these three as a serious threat, so I won't drain their power. Just don't blame me if they try anything and have to suffer the consequences..."
Furrowing her brows, Mila asked, "Are you trying to say we're weak...?"
Turning to meet the dark-skinned woman's gaze, Ohta casually replied, "Compared to most, you're pretty strong. However, compared to me, your Mistress, and those who stand near the pinnacle of the three realms? You wouldn't be able to flaunt your so-called 'strength' without the backing of someone much stronger..."
Clicking her tongue, Mila crossed her arms under her sizeable breasts and averted her green eyes in vexation. Her Hollow form resembled a maned lioness with brown skin, dark fur, and a golden mask, so she was naturally a very proud woman. Being called weak by a 'scrawny brat' pissed her off, even if Ohta was much, much stronger than her...
Guiding the conversation back on track, Harribel asked, "What now? You mentioned confining us within your cloak..."
"Yeah, that looks something like this," replied Ohta, extending his hand to touch the crown of Harribel's head. Her hair was cold and bristly, but that wasn't all that important as she abruptly vanished, causing her Fraccion's eyes to widen until she promptly reappeared.
While raising her hand to calm Sung-Sun, Mila Rose, and Apacci, Harribel asked, "Was that the cloak's interior? I noticed there were two Shinigami, an unfamiliar Arrancar, and a large flame present..."
"Consider them your wardens," replied Ohta, refusing to elaborate further. "But, before I detain you, show me where you keep your food, water, and other supplies. I'm hungry."
"..."
Turning her attention to Fraccion, Harribel instructed, "Sung-Sun, you will prepare a meal for four. Mila Rose, Apacci, you will gather wine, food, and other essential goods and supplies..."
"While you're at it, grab enough bedding, blankets, and pillows for six-to-ten people," added Ohta. "I'm only planning to detain you for two to three days, but depending on how things play out, it could be longer. Sleeping is a good way to pass the time."
"You heard him," appended Harribel. "Now, go, and be swift about it..."
Though they weren't too enthused by having to follow Ohta's commands, the trio of Arrancar immediately obeyed when instructed by Harribel. As a result, she and Ohta were abruptly left alone on the balcony, a temperate breeze causing their hair and clothes to rustle as Harribel looked back to ask, "At the risk of sounding impudent...do you have any intentions toward my Fraccion or me?"
Understanding what Harribel was referring to, Ohta raised his brows and replied, "Not in the way you're thinking. My future wife is inordinately keen on having me 'experiment,' but I doubt she would be comfortable with me crossing the line with a Hollow, Arrancar or otherwise..."
"I see..." replied Harribel, promptly falling silent as she stood with her arms crossed. Her penetrating gaze caused Ohta to feel uncomfortable, but it didn't show on his face. Instead, he sported a relaxed, ostensibly amused smile, allowing the silence to persist for several seconds before turning his face into the breeze, closing his eyes, and enjoying the feeling of the wind blowing through his hair and the canine ears atop his head. Curiously enough, Harribel emulated his actions, giving off a markedly more 'mysterious' aura due to her high collar and the mask covering the lower half of her face...
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After introducing Rukia, Orihime, and Karin to Harribel and her Fraccion, Ohta enjoyed the surprisingly delectable food prepared by Sung-Sun, albeit after making sure it wasn't poisoned. Throughout the meal, Harribel revealed what she knew of Las Noches and the other Espada, providing a detailed account of their abilities and personalities. More importantly, she revealed the location of Karin's body. It had been entrusted to Barragan's former 'Royal Chief Scientist' who, after Aizen's appropriation, became the Octava(8th) Esapada and 'Head Researcher' of the Arrancar...
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(A/N: I'm already well over quota for the month, so chapters will be intermittent for the next couple of days as I play the Diablo IV Beta with some mates (O 3 O). Also, daily reminder that Not a Mob: Psycho is NOT a harem novel...)

Chapter 85: Nipping Troubles in the Bud