Chapter 185 Is this shame? (185)

Gabriel had honestly wanted to continue.

He was having a good time, after all. There were still plenty of interesting people sitting in that colosseum, and he was curious to see what they could do.

Unfortunately…

Nobody seemed particularly interested in volunteering anymore.

What a bunch of pussies.

Didn’t they have some warrior pride or whatever the fuck? They had spent centuries building their reputations as the strongest warriors in their respective branches, and now they were suddenly developing stage fright?

Pathetic.

Gabriel clicked his tongue.

“Well, that’s disappointing.”

Starrk glanced at him.

“You were expecting more volunteers?”

“Obviously. I was even considering offering free drinks to whoever stepped forward.”

“That wouldn’t have helped.”

“Probably not.”

Oh well.

It seemed the hope was draining from their eyes. Some were trying to hide it, others weren’t even bothering. The realization that they were significantly outmatched had settled rather firmly into everyone’s minds.

Still, Gabriel was a good king.

A very generous king, actually.

He wasn’t going to send his guests home without giving them a proper farewell.

So, rather than press the matter, he arranged a rather extravagant banquet in their honor. The finest food, heavenly wine, entertainment, and accommodations were provided. His servants made sure everyone was treated with the utmost courtesy.

Gabriel even personally wished the leaders well before they departed.

“Safe travels, everyone. It was a pleasure having you here. Do come visit again!”

He smiled warmly.

Several of the guests returned the gesture, although their expressions were considerably less enthusiastic.

Shunsui offered a polite bow.

“Thank you for your hospitality, King Gabriel.”

“Anytime!”

Please don’t invite us again.

That was probably the general sentiment.

And so, the delegations eventually departed Hueco Mundo, returning to their respective territories with considerably more questions than answers.

For some, the tournament had been an eye-opening experience.

For others…

It had been a rather brutal reality check.

And perhaps nobody had taken it harder than Byakuya Kuchiki.

The journey back was relatively quiet.

Byakuya sat with his arms folded, his eyes fixed on the scenery beyond the transport.

His Zanpakutō rested beside him.

He hadn’t said much since leaving Nocturna Vastoria.

His defeat against Lucius had certainly been humiliating. Having his blade shattered, his spiritual structure damaged, and his opponent practically dismiss him as an insignificant obstacle had been a rather unpleasant experience.

But strangely enough, that wasn’t what had truly crushed his spirit.

It was watching Hrólf fight.

Not because he hated the man. Quite the opposite, actually. The Viking was an admirable warrior, and Byakuya had no particular resentment toward him.

The problem was simple.

Hrólf was stronger than him.

By a fairly considerable margin.

And despite that…

He had gone through an extreme-difficulty battle against a Sin.

A Sin that, by Byakuya’s estimation, was weaker than Lucius.

He had watched the entire fight carefully, paying attention to every movement, every exchange, and every increase in spiritual pressure.

And not once…

Not a single fucking time…

Had either Hrólf or Grimmjow reached the level of pressure he had experienced when standing before Lucius.

Not even during their strongest attacks.

Not even when Hrólf unleashed his Ninefold Storm.

Not even when that enormous construct of lightning came crashing down upon Grimmjow.

The difference was unmistakable.

And that was what bothered him.

Hrólf had needed to bring out practically everything he possessed to defeat Grimmjow. Yet Lucius had defeated Byakuya without even needing to exert himself.

And from the way Gabriel’s faction behaved, Lucius wasn’t even the limit of what they had to offer.

How much stronger are they?

Byakuya closed his eyes.

He remembered Lucius’s words.

You have reached your peak.

At the time, he had been furious.

He had wanted to reject the statement entirely. After all, he was Kuchiki Byakuya, Captain of the Sixth Division, one of the most accomplished Shinigami of his generation.

How could he possibly have reached his peak?

He had trained for centuries.

He had refined his swordsmanship, mastered his Zanpakutō, strengthened his body, and pushed his spiritual power to its limits.

He had dedicated his entire existence to becoming stronger.

And yet…

Perhaps Lucius had been right.

There was a limit to what his body could produce as an ordinary Shinigami. No matter how much he trained, no matter how many times he pushed himself until his muscles tore and his spiritual pathways nearly collapsed, he would eventually reach that same ceiling.

A plateau.

One that could not be overcome simply by working harder.

He needed something more.

Something beyond what he currently was.

His thoughts drifted toward the war.

The invasion.

The countless lives lost.

The helplessness he had experienced when facing enemies far beyond his capabilities.

He remembered the same feeling.

That suffocating sensation of being unable to do anything.

Of watching others fight while he could do nothing to change the outcome.

He had felt it during the war.

He had felt it against Lucius.

And now, after watching Hrólf fight…

He felt it again.

Too weak.

His fingers slowly curled.

He looked down at his hand.

The same hand that had once commanded thousands of blades with a single gesture.

The same hand that had defeated countless enemies throughout his lifetime.

And yet, when faced with something truly beyond his capabilities…

It had been useless.

His expression hardened.

No.

He would not accept this.

Not after everything.

Not after all the effort he had put into reaching his current position.

Not after everything he had lost.

Byakuya clenched his fist tightly.

There must be a way.

He didn’t know what it was yet.

Perhaps it involved a new form of training. Perhaps he needed to explore abilities beyond the traditional limits of a Shinigami. Maybe there were methods of evolution that the Soul Society had never properly investigated.

Whatever it was, he would find it.

He would not simply accept that he had reached his limit.

And he certainly wouldn’t accept being left behind.

His eyes opened.

For the first time since leaving Hueco Mundo, there was something different in his expression.

Determination.

I will become stronger.

Not for his pride.

Not merely to reclaim his reputation.

But because the next time he stood before someone like Lucius, he refused to experience that same helplessness again.

As Byakuya was having his MC moment, Gabriel was currently enjoying life.

His kids were busy this week—they were being trained and prepared to go to school. Yes, he was prepping them for school; he might even send them to the Human World just for shits and giggles.

An attendant approached him and bowed deeply.

“Your Majesty.” Gabriel raised an eyebrow, signaling that the woman was allowed to speak.

“The delegation has safely departed. The banquet’s arrangements have also been concluded.” Ah, she was very efficient with her duties. “Is there anything else you require, Your Highness?”

Gabriel thought about it for a moment.

“Not really. Just clean their seats and sweep the area for bugs.” While he was indulgent, he was no dumbass. He knew the delegates had come here to spy and gather intelligence. He didn’t mind giving them a front-row seat to his power while crushing their morale in the process, but while he allowed it during the event, he didn’t want any lingering surveillance afterward. As long as it happened during the actual exhibition, he turned a blind eye—which was the exact reason Mayuri’s hidden camera inside Shunsui’s eyepatch had been allowed to function.

Gabriel was well aware of the spying. However, the second the event was over, if he caught even a glimpse of a bug, he would destroy it—and violently destroy one of the owner’s internal organs at the exact same time.

“Understood.” The Hollow bowed before turning to walk away. She was neat, and her kind were gradually becoming more humanoid, which Gabriel didn’t mind at all.

Her Hollow hole was only about the size of a tennis ball—which might not seem like a huge deal, but compared to the usual massive size of those things, her hole was remarkably small.

He dismissed his servant. He could go train himself, but standard physical training wouldn’t help him much; he naturally grew stronger with age anyway. Though, developing finer control over his demon power would certainly be useful.

Nah, he would just spend the next few weeks holed up in a lab somewhere, analyzing all the data he had gathered and cooking up countermeasures. Give him a month, and he could probably produce a 25% resistance to every form of damage showcased here today.

Science was fun.

He had noticed the murderous glare in Byakuya’s eyes earlier, but frankly, he gave zero fucks. The man could try whatever the fuck he wanted.

Meanwhile, somewhere else…

“Lilith, are you okay?” Adam looked a bit confused, gently pressing his palm to her forehead as if checking her temperature. She was acting quite odd.

“I am fine.” Her voice came out flat and blunt, lacking any attempt at seduction whatsoever.

She didn’t look like she wanted to be here. Adam made her feel strange; she couldn’t explain why, but that was just the effect he had on her now.

If one were to inspect Adam’s life force, they would see it had fully replenished. It looked healthy, as if the constant drain on his vitality had completely vanished. Well, the explanation was simple: she had stopped feeding on his life force. Don’t ask why—she just felt like stopping.

She couldn’t explain it, but she found herself unable to look him straight in the eye. A strange, unfamiliar feeling was bubbling up to the surface. And no, it wasn’t love—if it were love, she would have known. It was something else entirely.

In the past, she used to be able to tell her so-called “husbands” that she loved them, only to shameless step out on them the very second their backs were turned.

But now, for some inexplicable reason, she couldn’t even meet his eyes.

A/N…Do keep in mind she is a succubus.

Forgot what Adam power, i just know its either time or space related.