Starrk's eyes went wide, his pupils contracting sharply as he felt the same familiar pressure from above. He instinctively looked up.
Right as Katerea Leviathan locked eyes with him.
Katerea's lips curled into a smirk.
"So" she said, voice dripping with condescension. "You must be the strongest one here?"
Arms crossed, chin slightly lifted, eyes staring down at him with contemptlike he was nothing more than a bug.
"Hope you're enjoying the little welcome gift I brought."
Starrk looked up, unfazed by the insult, and actually smiled a little. "Yeah definitely a bold introduction. I won't be forgetting it anytime soon."
"Tch. Enough talking," Baraggan cut in, stepping forward and locking eyes with Katerea. "You must be the strongest one, right? Then I'll deal with you myself!"
"You?" Katerea scoffed and tilted her head dismissively. "Nah. Don't waste my time. Let the guy next to you step up instead."
"You!!"
Baraggan was livid. He felt completely brushed off and immediately moved to use Sondo.
Snap!
But before he could move, a hand landed firmly on his shoulder.
"Baraggan."
It was Starrk's voicecalm, but serious.
"Let me handle this one. Like she said she's mine."
Baraggan's face twitched. Furious, he forced a laugh.
"...You think I earned my title as King of Hueco Mundo just 'cause I'm old?!"
He brushed Starrk's hand off and vanished with a burst of Sondo.
FWOOM!
He reappeared right in front of Katerea in an instant.
Without a word, eyes sharp as ice, he reached out.
Two massive obsidian axes materialized in his hands.
FWOOOSH
With no warning whatsoever, he swung both axes down on Katerea Leviathan with a savage roar!
.
.
.
Ingvild Leviathans Panic Attack!
DUANG!!
The battle axe came crashing down with a howl, but instead of the sickening crunch of steel meeting flesh, the strike was stopped cold with a sharp, ringing clang.
Baraggan Louisenbairn narrowed his eyes.
His twin axes had struck a glowing blue magic circleyet they couldn't pierce it an inch further.
Baraggan's brows furrowed slightly. He pressed down harder with his arms.
A shrill, grating sound filled the air. But that was it.
Katerea Leviathan cast him a sidelong glance and channeled more power into the magic circle.
BOOM!!
A surge of force exploded from the circle and sent a shockwave straight back!
Baraggan's pupils shrank.
A split second later, he was knocked off balanceand plummeted straight down.
CRASH!!
He slammed into the ground, sending dust and debris flying everywhere.
His knees buckled slightly as he looked up toward Katerea Leviathan floating above, his face full of disbelief.
It had only been a brief clash.
But at their level even a simple exchange was enough to gauge a rough measure of each other's strength.
This woman!
He glanced at Katerea again, then at Starrkand fell silent.
Sensing Baraggan's gaze, Starrk shrugged casually. "I did warn you."
Baraggan was quiet for a moment. Then, with a grin, he burst into hearty laughter. "To think she's on the same level as you"
He exhaled slowly and smirked. "But that just makes it even more fun."
As the former King of Hueco Mundo, Baraggan had never once feared raising his axe against a powerful foe.
"Rot Arrogante."
Baraggan spoke in a low chant.
As the words left his mouth, his pristine white uniform ignited in dark purple flames, quickly turning pitch-black.
His decaying flesh crumbled away, revealing a towering skeletal figure standing imposingly in his place.
Atop his skull sat a golden crown, with heavy chains trailing from it and coiling around his massive frame.
A deep, ancient sigh echoed from his mouth.
The purple flames spread rapidlyeverything they touched began to wither under the overwhelming concept of aging.
Even ruined buildings nearby decayed rapidly, as if centuries had passed in seconds.
Starrk clicked his tongue. "Going Resurreccin already, huh"
"Guess you're feeling the pressure."
Baraggan gave him a cold glare and let out a grunt.
But he didn't deny it.
Katerea Leviathan really was a difficult opponent.
And besides, this was Las Nocheshis palace.
Even if it now belonged to Aizen, someday, he would take it back.
And yet now, Baraggan glanced at the half-destroyed palace around him, feeling a pang in his chest.
She was destroying his stuff! His precious collection!
Otherwise Given how much he used to hate Aizen, would he really have stepped up first and started attacking this woman?
If it weren't for Las Noches, he'd be sitting comfortably inside, enjoying the chaos like a spectator at a play.
—
High in the air
Katerea Leviathan glanced down at the eerie, decay-infused flames.
"What an interesting ability," she murmured, eyes narrowing.
As expected, in other worlds, you really could find the strangest powers imaginable.
StillEven with that, she had zero interest in personally fighting him.
To her, Baraggan's powerwhile uniquewas still only at the level of an Ultimate-class devil.
Roughly on par with Kokabiel, maybe?
Someone of that caliber wasn't even worth her attention.
But he'd make the perfect sparring partner for Ingvild Leviathan.
At that thought, her eyes lit up. She turned and scanned the area, looking for Ingvild.
And finally
Katerea stared wordlessly at the sight of Ingvild Leviathan cowering behind Miko Yotsuya.
Expression blank, she yanked Ingvild out from behind Miko and snapped, "You're an Ultimate-class devil!"
"So why are you hiding behind someone who's just a high-class devil?!"
Miko: ""
Why does that feel like a dig?
Ingvild shrank back, casting a nervous glance at Baragganthen immediately looked away, voice trembling.
"Aa walking skeleton"
Katerea: ""
Seriously? That's what scares you?
"The Leviathan bloodline is seriously wasted on you"
Ignoring Ingvild's obvious panic, Katerea dragged her forward and pointed straight at Baraggan.
"He's yours. Take care of him."
"Ehhh?!"
Ingvild froze in place, eyes wide with shock.
Then she started frantically shaking her head.
"No no no no NO!"
Katerea's face remained impassive, her tone brooking no argument.
"Your opinion doesn't matter."
"He's got decent strengthperfect for your training."
"??!"
Ingvild opened her mouth to protest, but before she could say anything, Katerea activated a teleportation spell and sent her straight to the battlefield.
"!!!"
Ingvild stumbled as she landed, then looked up in horror at the looming figure of Baraggan.
She waved a tiny, awkward greeting.
"Um h-hi, Mr. Skeleton, s-sir"
She looked like she was on the verge of tears.
Sure, she'd inherited the blood of Leviathan. But could everyone stop forgetting she was also half-human?!
Before her devil blood awakened, she'd been a normal girl! And after that, she went into a comanot exactly a lot of battle experience!
Even after joining the Familia, most of her fighting had been against low-level monsters or weak cursed spirits.
She'd never been in a real, high-stakes battle like this!
What do I do, what do I do, what do I DO?!
Ingvild was trembling, her hands clenched together as sweat poured down her forehead. She was panicking, plain and simple.
Meanwhile, Baraggan stared at the young woman Katerea had teleported in front of him.
Even with nothing but a skull, it was like a dark cloud passed over his face.
Was this supposed to be a joke?
They seriously sent someone like this to fight him?
And on top of thatTraining practice?
"Heh heh heh!"
A low, bone-chilling laugh rattled out of his hollow skull.
The dark purple flames flared to life again.
"You"
"You really think the former King of Hueco Mundo is some kind of warm-up target?"
.
.
.
Leviathan
Even though it was just a skeleton, everyone present could clearly sense the fury emanating from that bony face.
Dark purple flames roared and crackled, swirling like a heavy mist. They half-obscured Baraggan Louisenbairn's skeletal visage, giving him an even more menacing and oppressive presence.
Baraggan slowly lifted his gaze and stared coldly at Katerea Leviathan.
BOOM!
A massive pillar of flames suddenly erupted from his body, surging straight toward Katerea like a tidal wave ready to consume everything in its path!
Katerea remained still, arms folded, her expression blank and unbothered.
She glanced at the oncoming firestorm with a slight tilt of her eyescompletely indifferent. She didn't even raise a hand to defend herself.
Just as the inferno was about to swallow her whole, she spoke softly:
"Ingvild."
Ingvild Leviathan flinched. Her eyelashes trembled as she closed her eyes and whispered, "I... I understand."
—
To recall:
[Ingvild Leviathan]
Rank: High-Class Devil
Position: Bishop
Race: Devil
Master: Lynn Valifer
Stats:
Strength: I0 Agility: I0 Endurance: I0 Magic: I0
Position Skill: Magic Resistance
Noble Phantasm: [Nereid Kyrie / Poem of Endless Green Sea]
[Nereid Kyrie]
Through singing, commands dragonkin (e.g., suppression, enhancement)
Sea Manipulation
Unique Skills: [Sea Serpent Devil]
[Sea Serpent Devil]
Deep Sea Resonance: In water, all stats increase by 50%; magic recovery doubles.Can sense all aquatic flows and predict enemy water-element attacks.
Spawn of Chaos: When HP drops below 30%, forcibly summons the "Leviathan Phantom."Triggers AoE psychic corruption (inflicts fear/confusion); Converts enemy magic into her own HP.
Devilization Sea Hymn Form: Uses a song to control liquid matter (water/blood/venom); Can mold into weapons or barriers. Absolute dominion over sea creatures, including mythical beings like Krakens.
Development Abilities:
Sorcery: S
Summoning: S
—
FWOOOO
After Ingvild made her move, it was like the air itself shifted.
Everyone suddenly heard the sound of waves crashing, as if a distant ocean had come alive in their ears.
Starrk frowned slightly."...Something's coming."
WHOOSH
The sound intensified. The air grew moist. Thick, humid pressure spread through the entire Las Noches palace.
And thena vast, brilliant ocean materialized out of nowhere!
Before Baraggan's flames could reach Katerea, the tidal force of the summoned sea surged forward and snuffed them out in an instant.
Baraggan Louisenbairn: "?!"
That alone was shocking enoughbut this wasn't just any water.
His flames carried the concept of aging and decay... and they were just casually drowned?!
And it wasn't over.
The endless ocean didn't stop at extinguishing his attackit expanded, swallowing the entire interior of Las Noches!
Seeing the rising tide, Starrk and the others immediately unleashed their Reiatsu and took to the air to avoid getting caught in the flood.
Starrk glanced down at the submerged fortress, his face twitching.
"Well... there goes the rest of Las Noches."
Before, only part of the place was destroyed. Now? It was completely underwater.
Still, that wasn't what bothered him most.
What really got his attention... was what just happened.
He stared at the shimmering ocean beneath him, then muttered, stunned: "She just... changed the entire environment...?"
Changing the battlefield wasn't unheard of.
But this was Hueco Mundo.
Filling a place as massive as Las Noches with this much seawaterimmediately and effortlesslywas not something just anyone could pull off.
Even he would struggle to manage something like that.
Starrk's eyes shifted to Ingvild Leviathan, who looked like a nervous wreck standing awkwardly above the waves.
He could hardly believe it.
That timid-looking girl... was the one responsible for this overwhelming phenomenon?
Harribel's expression hardened as well. Her voice low and serious, she muttered:
"She's at least on my level."
In fact, their powers seemed very similar. And if she were being honest... Ingvild might even surpass her in terms of command over the ocean.
Instinctively, Harribel's hand moved toward her Zanpakut.
HUMMMM
She pursed her lips.
Her swordTiburonwas trembling.
Ingvild Leviathan... Yeah, that had to be her name...
Her power wasn't just highit was terrifyingly high.
After silently evaluating the situation, Harribel shook her head.
"I don't think I could beat her."
Starrk: "Huh?"
He glanced at her in surprise. "You're rating her that highly?"
Harribel gave a quiet nod, her expression grim.
What she didn't know... was that Ingvild Leviathan had next to zero actual combat experience.
Otherwise, there's no way she'd have said that so confidently.
Starrk stroked his chin, narrowing his eyes. He looked down at Baraggan and said, "Better watch your step, old man. Wouldn't want to trip and drown now."
Baraggan Louisenbairn: ""
He wanted to say something, anything... but the sheer absurdity of what had just happened left him speechless.
Why did someone who looked so weak... unleash such terrifying power?
It didn't make sense.
Unconvinced, he locked his gaze onto Ingvild Leviathan and examined her closely.
"???"
Ingvild blinked in confusion, eyes wide and innocent. She quickly looked away, clearly flustered.
She was... scared.
Baraggan: "..."
Can you please act like a proper powerhouse?!
If you keep doing this...
Won't it make my flames look completely worthless?!
"Hey, Skullhead!" Grimmjow suddenly shouted.
"She clearly didn't underestimate youlook at the monster she sent to deal with you!"
He pointed toward Katerea, grinning smugly.
Baraggan snorted.
Ingvild blinked again, her face full of doubt.
Strong? Her?
Was... was he talking about her?
"Hmph."
Baraggan grunted, but didn't say anything else. He didn't even mention Katerea anymore.
Instead, his attention was fixed squarely on Ingvild.
"If that's how it is" he muttered in a low voice, "...then I'll take care of you first."
"Eek!"
Ingvild flinched before she could say a word.
Baraggan vanished in an instant.
And the next secondA massive skeletal head appeared right in front of her face.
"!!"
"D-Don't come any closer!! Aaaahhh!!"
Ingvild screamed in sheer panicher voice like a banshee's wail, echoing through the deep sea.
BOOOOOOOM
Baraggan's vision spun. His skull trembled violently as an unearthly shriek tore through the air.
