Bleach: Watch Closely, This Is How You Use a Zanpakutō-Chapter 200: Greed

Harribel crossed her arms and leaned against the cold, dark wall of the cave. Deep within the lower levels of Hueco Mundo, the Forest of Menos was so vast and shadowed that even the moon was nowhere to be seen. Yet, in those emerald-green eyes of hers, everything remained crystal clear.

The massive cave had been modified into an intricate labyrinth, its passages stretching in all directions. A faint breeze drifted in from outside, carrying away the stale, cold air from within, leaving behind a refreshing chill.

Harribel was beginning to regret coming out to talk with Masatsuki Aozaki.

She was usually the quiet one among her peers, yet today, she had spoken far too much in front of him—words that didn't feel like her own.

Still, she had been fortunate. Every time she had said something she shouldn't have, she received the response she had wanted. It made her heart flutter in a way she wasn't used to. By all logic, this conversation should have ended by now.

And yet...

As she gazed into Masatsuki Aozaki's bright, unwavering eyes, an unfamiliar feeling stirred within her.

Something unspoken, lingering in the depths of her heart.

Her last bit of rationality told her that this was enough. She should leave it at that—for now.

Her mind drifted to the image of him standing before her, shielding her. That had been the closest she had ever come to death.

As if... he had been destined to be there.

Death—such a heavy subject.

Masatsuki Aozaki remained by her side, his presence radiating warmth. It almost made her heart stop.

You're too close... Can't you give me a moment to breathe?

She didn't know how to respond.

Harribel took a few slow, deep breaths, steadying herself as her heartbeat gradually returned to normal.

"You really haven't changed, Harribel," Masatsuki Aozaki suddenly said, his voice carrying a teasing lilt. "You've always been so cute. If only I had come to Hueco Mundo sooner... then I could have met you earlier."

His playful remark did nothing to ease the tension. Instead, it only made her heart beat faster.

"...Do you know what I used to look like?" Harribel muttered.

"I don't," Masatsuki Aozaki replied. "But would you like to tell me, Harribel?"

His voice was gentle—so gentle that it made her want to lower her head and simply nod.

Harribel's chest rose and fell sharply before she finally calmed herself, summoning the courage to speak.

"Truthfully... I used to be afraid of death."

"Afraid of death?" Masatsuki Aozaki thought, momentarily stunned.

It was difficult to imagine that the queen who had once sacrificed herself for her companions—who had stood alone against the forces of Las Noches—could fear death.

Even her enemies had acknowledged her willingness to sacrifice herself.

"I don't like the feeling of life slipping away," Harribel murmured. "But back when I was an Adjuchas, there were times when I couldn't suppress my instincts... When I killed my own kind for power."

"It wasn't until I became a Vasto Lorde, free from the need to devour others, that I finally rid myself of that primal hunger."

"That was to gain the strength to protect your companions—you had no choice," Masatsuki Aozaki said, shaking his head.

"I know you, Harribel. If we're being honest, Hollows are far more extreme and pure in nature than Shinigami. But you—you're not someone who would kill simply for power."

"Not now, and certainly not back then."

"This, too, was a sacrifice. Enduring that pain for the sake of protecting others—without a doubt, it was your own form of sacrifice."

"You don't need to blame yourself. And you definitely shouldn't feel ashamed. There's nothing disgraceful about it."

Harribel stared at him, the man who seemed even more impassioned about this than she was. Then, suddenly, she smiled.

"Masatsuki-sama..."

"What?"

"Please... live."

"That goes without saying. I value my life quite a bit."

"I don't want to see another companion's life disappear before my eyes."

"You won't," Masatsuki Aozaki said softly.

"I won't let anything slip from my grasp. I'm a greedy man—I refuse to let anything that belongs to me be taken away."

His golden eyes locked onto Harribel's.

Harribel gazed back at him, something flickering within her emerald irises—recognition, a sense of kinship... or perhaps something closer to admiration.

Masatsuki Aozaki couldn't quite tell.

...

Half an hour later...

"Ulquiorra, are you free right now?" Masatsuki Aozaki asked, pulling a book from the shelf and flipping through it absentmindedly.

At that moment, Ulquiorra was seated in a makeshift archive, completely absorbed in the mountain of documents before him.

The cave was dark and somber, shrouded in a layer of gray. The newly arranged books, untouched for just three days, were already coated in a fine layer of dust.

Ulquiorra reached up, retrieving a thick volume from the shelf.

"Studying in the middle of the night? You're quite the scholar," Masatsuki Aozaki teased, his voice sounding from behind.

Ulquiorra turned his head, his gaze landing on a face that made his own appear dull by comparison.

"Masatsuki-sama, logically speaking, shouldn't you be resting in your quarters at this hour?"

Ulquiorra was mildly surprised by his presence.

Masatsuki Aozaki absentmindedly ran a hand through his long, jet-black hair, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

"Staying cooped up in my room all the time gets boring, so I figured I'd take a walk."

He paused before letting out an exaggerated sigh.

"Let me guess... You're searching for the meaning of the 'heart' again?"

Ulquiorra fell silent for a long moment before turning back around, finally replying in a calm yet earnest voice.

"You are correct. And yet... I still cannot find an answer."

Masatsuki Aozaki chuckled lightly, as if he had expected that response.

"The answer is simple. 'Heart' isn't something you'll find in books. Maybe you should try interacting more with those who possess one—like your companions, or even humans from the World of the Living."

Ulquiorra's expression faltered slightly at the mention of the word.

"Companions?" He repeated, confusion flickering in his gaze.

Masatsuki Aozaki nodded.

"That's right—companions. Only through connection and interaction with others can the 'heart' reveal its true meaning. And you already have one, Ulquiorra. You just haven't realized it yet."

Ulquiorra frowned, deep in thought.

"Someone as hollow as I am... could truly have a heart?"

Masatsuki Aozaki let out a small sigh, raising his hands in a helpless gesture.

"That's something you'll have to figure out for yourself. Others can offer you guidance, but in the end, only you can find the answer."

Ulquiorra already had a heart—there was no doubt about that.

Otherwise, why would he show concern for his companions, even in the smallest ways?

It was just that these actions came naturally to him, so much so that he hadn't even noticed them yet.

But once he truly understood both emptiness and the meaning of the heart—

That would be the moment he unlocked his second Resurrección.

Although Ulquiorra was a Vasto Lorde, his strength was still somewhat lacking.

Since he had chosen to follow him, there was no harm in helping him grow even stronger.

...

(40 Chapters Ahead)

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