"I will defeat you and compel you to heal them," Harribel immediately determined the optimal solution.

If Shiroha's assessment proved accurate, then saving her three subordinates required defeating him without delay.

Regardless of difficulty, she must overcome this man.

This represented both vengeance and responsibility.

While speaking, Harribel cast a wary glance toward the immense ice sword standing silently nearby, internally alarmed:

"During combat, I must maintain maximum distance from that sword. So Shiroha possesses ice abilities similar to that young Shinigami captain. They both wield ice-type Zanpakutō, yet the disparity is inconceivable. If that captain's Hyōrinmaru truly represents the strongest ice-type Zanpakutō... how does one explain Shiroha's capabilities?"

Shiroha responded calmly: "Your courage deserves acknowledgment. It's beneficial to harbor dreams. Now represents the perfect opportunity for fantasy!"

Among the top three Espada, Harribel embodied true "responsibility."

Primera Espada Starrk possessed extraordinary talent but lacked fighting spirit—reminiscent of a powerful warrior who refuses to embrace his potential, ultimately rendering him ineffectual.

Shiroha suspected Starrk's reluctance to exert full power wasn't conscious choice but inherent limitation.

Other Arrancar had devoured countless Hollows to increase their strength.

Starrk, conversely, divided his soul to diminish his power, a deliberate weakening that proved irreversible.

While other Arrancar gained enhanced abilities through the Hōgyoku, Starrk's wish was to become weaker—a desire the Hōgyoku faithfully granted.

After two distinct instances of self-limitation and with defeatism entrenched within his essence, Starrk's supposed full potential remained purely theoretical.

His situation was irredeemable.

In truth, Starrk, who superficially appeared integrated with his companions, remained fundamentally disconnected from the other Espada.

His counterparts disregarded their comrades' survival and pursued individual agendas.

Aizen had accounted for everyone's motivations.

Only Starrk persisted in envisioning a harmonious, unified collective.

Ultimately, this imagined family inevitably fragmented.

A wolf separated from its pack was destined for isolation, with defeat representing the inevitable conclusion.

Segunda Espada Baraggan, before his demise, contemplated betrayal against Aizen—the quintessential opportunist.

Consequently, Aizen exhibited such indifference toward him that he scarcely acknowledged the elderly Arrancar's existence.

Thus, Baraggan represented failure, his actions contemptible.

Compared to the "wavering" Primera and the "treacherous" Segunda, Tercera Espada Harribel maintained unwavering loyalty and dedication to Aizen.

Tragically, she placed her faith in the wrong individual, her devotion squandered.

From Aizen's perspective, his opponents' desperate struggles appeared unseemly and slightly irritating. Aizen had declared that if defeating the Gotei 13 proved so challenging, he couldn't afford to retain assets of such limited utility!

Therefore, Aizen ultimately struck down Harribel with his blade.

Naturally, this held no relevance for Shiroha.

He remained indifferent to Harribel's loyalty or naiveté.

His only concerns were defeating her, subduing her, educating her, and conquering her.

Such treatment befitted an enemy.

He wondered if following her defeat she would plead: "Enough! End me!"

He anticipated this possibility with interest.

Harribel had already directed a Cero toward Shiroha.

Though she maintained outward composure throughout, this attack revealed her genuine fury.

Yet confronting this unfathomable opponent, she recognized the necessity of maintaining discipline and exerting her maximum capabilities.

Otherwise, forget avenging her subordinates—she herself might perish instantaneously.

Consequently, this Cero manifested with extraordinary power and precision.

The Tercera Espada's capabilities increased dramatically following Resurrección, enabling even her most conventional attacks to exert devastating force, easily eliminating lieutenant-level opponents within seconds.

However, facing this potentially lethal technique, Shiroha merely inclined his head slightly to avoid the Cero, remarking casually:

"You possess considerable strength and speed, but your accuracy remains somewhat deficient. If this represents your full capacity, perhaps you and your sisters should select appropriate crutches."

The earlier spectacle had consumed significant reiatsu, so he intended to employ only fundamental abilities while toying with Harribel.

In honesty, Harribel's Resurrección form remained aesthetically compelling.

Golden hair and eyebrows, curvaceous physique, bronze complexion, cold beauty, azure eyes tinged with subtle malevolence!

Undeniably attractive, profoundly alluring, yet maintaining imposing presence and dignified bearing—the quintessential ice queen.

Such a woman most effectively evoked the desire for conquest.

He wondered if some tradition existed among female Espada, as both Neliel and Harribel possessed remarkably generous physical attributes!

Confronted with Shiroha's provocative statement, Harribel regarded him coldly.

Her reiatsu grew increasingly frigid and dense, as if capable of freezing everything within proximity.

Internally, she experienced genuine surprise.

That Cero had been merely exploratory, certainly not expected to harm him.

Yet Shiroha's effortless evasion proved genuinely astonishing.

Her precision couldn't possibly be so inadequate.

Perhaps excessive concern for Apache and the others had compromised her technique?

Quickly, Harribel dismissed this hypothesis.

As their exchange intensified into rapid sequences of strikes, every technique she employed missed its target.

Harribel grew certain something fundamentally undermined her attacks.

She experienced repeated failures, her slashes posing absolutely no threat.

Shiroha didn't even bother counterattacking, merely evading with casual indifference, leaving her profoundly embarrassed.

This couldn't be classified as combat, not even qualifying as practice—it constituted nothing beyond mockery.

An ordinary individual might succumb to self-doubt, assuming Shiroha's overwhelming presence induced their continuous errors.

However, as Tercera Espada, Harribel possessed exceptional talent—a warrior forged through countless lethal encounters.

Consequently, she recognized with certainty that the deficiency lay elsewhere.

"My vision serves as my measure, yet I consistently misjudge your position," Harribel appeared genuinely perplexed.

"How do you achieve this? You've deceived even my spiritual detection! To my knowledge, other Shinigami possess no comparable ability."

Controlling distance, rapidly identifying an opponent's attack patterns, and swiftly counterattacking represented skills embedded within every powerful combatant's fundamental nature.

Identifying weaknesses in an enemy's techniques with minimal delay and attacking with maximum efficiency constituted the foundation of victory.

Transforming these principles into instinct and muscle memory rendered one nearly invincible in combat. This represented the fundamental quality of the truly powerful.

Harribel had repeated this process innumerable times.