It had been a while.
Gabriel reclined back on his throne, listening to the Hollow who looked like a crow make his report about how the kingdom was running. You know, the stuff that he, as the king, needed to know to make decisions and all that.
"Speak," Gabriel commanded, rolling his wrist lazily.
The raven-like Hollow, named Corvus, cleared his throat before beginning his report.
Current Territorial Holdings:
Eastern Domain: Fully secured. About 3,000 Hollows inhabited the region, with nearly 400 Adjuchas and 12 Arrancar acting as enforcers. This was their strongest foothold, and any opposing forces were swiftly crushed.
Northern Domain: Recently conquered. A major battle against a rival Hollow faction ended with their total annihilation. The surviving warriors swore allegiance to Gabriel, increasing their forces by 120 Adjuchas and 500 Gillian.
Western Front: Actively contested. A rogue Hollow faction held firm, consisting of approximately 50 Adjuchas and 300 Gillian. These forces had built defenses and showed resilience, making them an ongoing concern.
Southern Domain: Still in flux. Not fully under their control, but scouts had been sent to assess the opposition. Preliminary reports indicated another 200 Hollows in that region, mostly unorganized, meaning an easy conquest.
Recent Battle Records:
Battle of the Black Dunes – A major victory, wiping out a former Espada-loyalist faction. They had taken down 80 Adjuchas and 3 Arrancar while suffering only minor casualties.
Skirmish at the Fangs of Hueco Mundo – A small but notable conflict. Gabriel's forces killed 30 Adjuchas, forcing the remaining 40 to submit.
Siege of the Obsidian Flats – A drawn-out battle resulting in the capture of two Adjuchas-class Hollows, who were now undergoing the Arrancar transformation process.
Military Strength Overview:
Total Hollow Forces: Approx. 4,500
Gillian-Class: 1,800
Adjuchas-Class: 600
Arrancar: 200 (with 12 being elite-ranked)
Harribel, as ruler in Gabriel's absence, had been overseeing these developments, ensuring their forces remained disciplined and well-integrated.
But the West... that was a problem.
Of course, shit couldn't be easy-peasy. Gabriel could not plow his wife in peace. Always had to be a problem.
Corvus finished his report and looked up. "The western holdouts remain a concern, my lord. They're well-entrenched, and while they haven't launched an attack, their presence could be a mild annoyance."
Gabriel cracked his neck. "Mild annoyance?"
"Yes, Your Majesty." Corvus nodded. "They've been holding their ground, not expanding, but refusing to submit. Our scouts estimate 50 Adjuchas and around 300 Gillian holding strong."
"That's not a real force. That's an inconvenience."
Nothing too strong, so Gabriel himself didn't have to show up. He could use that time to maybe train with Starrk or Harribel. To be fair, as of right now, those two were the only ones who could remotely make him use some power.
He rolled his shoulders, considering his options. A full-scale invasion was unnecessary—this was something that could be handled with surgical precision.
"Belial," he mused. "He's stationed the closest to them, right?"
Corvus bowed his head. "Correct, my lord. Belial and his personal squadron are positioned nearby."
Gabriel cracked his knuckles. "Send word. I want him to wipe them out. No survivors—except for the ones that can be used. If possible, I want some of the corpses brought back. I have... use for them."
Corvus shuddered slightly but nodded. He knew for a fact what would happen to those corpses. They would not be devoured... no, something worse would happen to them. "At once, my lord."
With that, he took off into the sky, heading toward Belial's outpost.
POV Change – Belial
Belial sat atop a massive, jagged rock, gazing at the darkened horizon of Hueco Mundo. A smile appeared on his Hollow face—he could feel Corvus' energy.
Meaning, His Majesty had something planned for him.
The raven-Hollow landed before him, bowing. "An order from His Majesty."
"Oh?" That meant he would get to use his sword. Right now, being the Sin stationed toward the west, he was sure this was that good stuff.
Slaughter.
"His Majesty commands the extermination of the western holdouts. You are to take your squadron and eliminate the 50 Adjuchas and 300 Gillian entrenched there. Additionally, if possible, you are to retrieve corpses for His Majesty's purposes."
Corvus could see the smile on Belial's face. The man had probably heard slaughter, and everything else had been tuned out.
Yup, he could do this.
After getting some shit done, Belial looked at his squadron.
A group of ten Arrancar stirred at his words. These were his elite squadron, warriors who had followed him through countless battles.
Most notable among them?
Lázaro Desgarrar.
A carefree, smirking bastard of an Arrancar, leaning against a boulder with his arms crossed. "Man, a cleanup job, huh? That's kinda boring," he yawned. "You sure we even need the whole squad for this?"
Belial's response was immediate.
BOOM.
A Cero blasted forth, obliterating Lázaro instantly.
Well, almost instantly.
A second later, the only thing left of him was his smirking head, alongside his body, which was basically 70% gone by now. Jeez, he didn't hold back at all.
"...Was that necessary?" Lázaro's disembodied head asked, still annoyingly smug.
"If I didn't do that, you'd start slacking off."
Belial knew his subordinate. This guy was his lesser Sin, and well... he was an interesting one, to say the least.
Lázaro's head twitched, then suddenly, his body regenerated in a flash, standing up and dusting himself off like nothing had happened. "Damn, boss. You gotta chill," he snickered, stretching his arms. "I was just kidding."
Only his body had regenerated.
Not his clothes.
So, he was out here speaking with his meat out.
Belial scowled but didn't argue. He turned to the rest of his squad. "Prepare yourselves. We move out immediately."
"And put some clothes on, unless you want Lilith to see it."
And just like that, the man had a brand-new pair of clothes on.
He wasn't scared of her.
No, he would never be.
She 100% did not steal his power once.
He was basically immortal, and somehow, he almost died because he couldn't regenerate fast enough.
A/N.....Trust Lillith is a pure girl.