After leaving his wife to rule the kingdom, he soon arrived where the last squadron was.
Sonido was proving to be quite the useful ability. He was mastering it quite well, and covering that great distance with just two Sonido showcased how truly fast he had become with it.
With some more research—torturing some Hollows, which, to be fair, this was Hueco Mundo, so he would never run out of research subjects for his experiments—he could continue refining his knowledge.
Though, he did need some Shinigami corpses.
He should send some soldiers to the human world, some lower-ranking ones... make them lure out a Shinigami by taking a human or two.
And then, once the Shinigami showed up, have one of his high-ranking members sneak them.
And Gabriel would experiment on them.
That sounded fun enough.
Gabriel looked around. There were corpses everywhere, so many Hollow bodies just dead on the floor. But that wasn't even the most chilling part. It was the fact that he could see no sign of struggle, no sign of a fight at all.
As if they had just died.
That couldn't be possible. Hollows were naturally stronger than other races and were practically immortal. As long as they weren't killed, they could continue getting stronger. A ceiling of power was not something a Hollow had.
Hollows were superior in that way. Plus, in some twisted way, Hollows could be seen as the true path to strength—the natural evolution of the human soul.
Enough about Hollows and how they were just better.
These dead corpses made no sense. It was as if...
They had simply... died.
Gabriel crouched near one of the bodies, placing a hand on its chest. The corpse was cold, drained of all life. His golden eyes narrowed as he examined the others. Each one told the same story. They had suffocated under a force too great to bear, their souls crushed under the weight of something... immense.
...
Did they get... spiritual pressure diff'd?
A smile appeared on Gabriel's face. This was either a fight, or he was about to get a new ally.
Either option, he got a powerful soldier—whether as an Ídolo Transfiguración or a member of the Seven Deadly Sins.
Gabriel turned his gaze toward a lone figure sitting lazily atop a large rock.
A man with unkempt brown hair, tired blue eyes, and stubble lining his jaw. His Arrancar uniform was messy, the jacket open, revealing his toned chest. He looked as if he had just woken up from a nap, one arm resting on his knee while the other hung lazily at his side. A single, jagged Hollow mask fragment wrapped around the crown of his head like a broken headpiece.
Gabriel immediately understood what had happened. This man—no, this Arrancar—hadn't lifted a finger. His mere existence had been enough to kill everything around him.
"You must be pretty strong if even breathing around you is a death sentence," Gabriel said casually, standing upright and dusting off his coat.
The man tilted his head slightly, regarding Gabriel with a tired expression. "Didn't mean to kill 'em," he muttered, his voice as lazy as his posture. "They just got too close. Not my fault."
"Well, I can tell that. Just like it's not the ocean's fault when people drown." He looked at the man closer. Yup, he had found his Sin of Sloth.
"Guess you got a point," the man said in a rather calm voice.
Gabriel, feeling like this could end rather peacefully, decided to open his mouth and say,
"So, what's your name?"
"Starrk," the man replied.
"Starrk, huh?" Gabriel repeated, rolling the name around in his head. "Well, Starrk, I can tell you're not really the 'murderous rampage' type. But let me guess—you've been alone for a long time, haven't you?"
Starrk didn't respond immediately, but his silence was an answer in itself.
Gabriel smirked. "Thought so. That spiritual pressure of yours—people can't even exist near you without dying. That's gotta be pretty lonely, huh?"
Starrk let out another slow sigh. "Maybe," he admitted. "But what can I do about it? It's just how I am."
Gabriel crossed his arms, his grin widening. "Well, lucky for you, I have a solution."
Starrk raised an eyebrow.
"Join me," Gabriel said simply. "I've built something different—a place where the strong don't have to be alone. A real army. You won't have to hold back, and you sure as hell won't have to be lonely anymore."
Starrk's gaze remained unreadable. "An army, huh? Sounds like work."
Gabriel chuckled. "Not as much as you think. I run a fun operation. You'll have people to talk to, people who won't drop dead just from standing next to you. Hell, you might even enjoy yourself."
Starrk leaned back slightly, rubbing his chin. "Hmm... sounds better than wandering around alone, I guess."
Gabriel extended a hand. "So? What do you say?"
Starrk stared at the offered hand for a moment before sighing, a small smirk forming at the edge of his lips. "Eh... why not?"
With that, he reached out and shook Gabriel's hand.
A/N