Kyiv breathed deeply as he stared at the gigantic ice tower before him. That stretched above the clouds and dozens of more miles into the air. Yet never once let his guard down or even dared to shatter the monolith for fear of retaliation. For despite her imprisonment, the Second Espada was still alive.

And she was readying herself to make a comeback.

Nothing in this world is gained without sacrifice.

Withier, it is the lives of others or casting parts of your own life to survive, and as one of the few Hollows who was blessed with the potential to become a Vasto Lorde, I believe that upon achieving that pinnacle of power. I would no longer need to sacrifice others to survive or protect those that I hold dear.

But in the end...I was naïve.

Long ago, within the distant past of Hueco Mundo...

Tia Harribel coughed as a sizeable blond Quincy with a scar on his head choked her with his right hand while an entire settlement was burning in blue flames around her.

'This is a Vasto Lorde ?' He asked his partner in disappointment. 'I thought they were supposed to be stronger than a Sternritter, Jenorme?' he questioned while eyeing a sizeable black skin ape-man with gray corn-rolled hair and fangs. Who then looked at the Woman dismissively.

'She either just became a Vasto Lorde or is among the weaker ones, ' He commented before glaring at the struggling Hollow. 'But regardless, our orders are clear...eliminate any high-level menos within Hueco Mundo before they are recruited into Barragain's army' he turns his back around. 'Finish her Argola'

The large then smiled. 'Glady...' He then began to tighten his hold on Harribel's throat, intending to crush it.

But then, right when Harribel thought her time had come, The Quincy suddenly stopped, and as Tia further opened her eyes, she saw, to her amazement, that not only he but also Jenorme and the flames burning down her home ceased moving. Then looking from the right corner of her eye, she saw a brown-skin older man in a tattered hooded cloak walking down a hill, and to her horror and disgust, she recognized him.

'Barragan Luisenbarn...' Harribel said coldly as she got herself out of Quincy's grip. 'Why have you come to aid me?'

The ancient hollow king initially didn't respond or even look at Harribel but darted his eyes in her direction. 'Isn't it obvious, Tia?' he questions sarcastically. 'I am here to recruit you into my army.'

The younger Vasto Lorde then barred her teeth under her mask. 'I told you once before that I will never serve you, Barragan, regardless of the power you wield, and neither will my comrades!' she spate out, but the ancient man only raised his eyebrows in bemusement.

'Really?' he asked mockingly. 'Without my power, these Quincies would have exterminated you and your comrades' He then eyed a trio of Arrancar girls about to be stabbed to death by a group of Officers and then back to Harribel. 'And yet you still refuse to join me?'

Tia then shook both of her fists in fury. 'The only reason that they and I are even hunted down is that you decided to have all of Hueco Mundo wage war against the Soul Society to begin with!'

Barragan then narrowed his eyes. 'And that somehow excuses your weakness?' he responded evenly, which silenced Harribel. 'For centuries, you tried to live a decent life as a Vasto Lorde by not trying to devour other Hollows and tried to substitute power by gathering comrades to work together and to protect...and as a result, it led nearly all of them to their deaths.

Harribel looked away even as the Hollow directed his entire attention to her. 'I can give you the necessary power to protect yourself and those you hold dear, but only if you serve me in return, and if you are wise, you would accept it.'

'So that's what you are doing, Barragan, by using this situation to force me to join you!' the Vasto Lorde cried out.

'That depends if you value your rebellious pride over the lives of yourself and your friends Tia Harribel' The king spoke condescendingly. 'Otherwise, I will find another to join my cause.'

Tia Harribel then began to shake her entire body in rage, but then she looked at her injured comrades and sighed in resignation before bowing towards her new lord and master.

Who then smiled in satisfaction.

'Do not worry, Harribel...' Barragan reassured. 'For I promise you that with the strength you will soon receive...' He then reached out his hand to Tia Harribal. 'You will no longer have to sacrifice anything to protect your loved ones ever again.'

And just as he promised, Barragan granted me power by transforming myself and my friends into Arrancar, all to take vengeance on the Quincy who took everything from us and So great our might was that not even the Sternritter stood a chance against us.

But then all that changed when my three girls went to the mountain fortress to take their revenge on Jerome.

'What do you mean a lowly Sternritter killed them!' Harribel raged within Barragan's court while the king looked down upon her.

'It is as you heard,' Barragan responded. 'One of the Apprentice knights has inherited Jerome's power, and through his rage and might, he was able to defeat the three Trea Bestia and their monster Allon' He then folds his hands. 'I waited till now to tell you this because I didn't want to risk you heading to the soul society alone and getting foolishly killed.'

Tia's hands then trembled. 'I plagued myself to you in hopes that my comrades and I would gain the power necessary to both protect ourselves and achieve our vengeance and now you are saying that it is no longer enough!'

Barragan narrowed his eyes. 'And did you think all our enemies would stagnate while you and your friends grow stronger?' He then shook his head. 'You are far too old and experienced to allow such ignorance to cloud your judgment Harribel. 'He then folded his hands. 'The main reason I spared Jerome and his squadron when I rescued you and your girls was that I knew that you would have been able to slaughter them upon becoming Arrancar...but for Quincy like Kyive?' He then closed his eyes and took a deep breath before opening them back up. 'To deal with someone like him, you need far greater power still.'

Tia then growled in fury. 'I don't want any power or anything else from you other than my vengeance!' she spat out before pointing her blade at Barragan. 'And if you dare interfere with it, I will use this power you gave to cut you down myself!'

The hollow king looked at Tia, took in her words momentarily, and then shrugged.

'Very well, I permit you to take on Jeager. As I prefer that you die by an enemy's hand than my own, and who knows, you may get lucky enough actually to kill him' He then stared at the Woman that, made her uneasy. 'But either way, you will serve me, Harribel, if you intend it.'

The Soundtrack of Choice: Moving Mountains by Two Steps From Hell

So I went on my own to confront the Apprentice knight who took those I loved away from me, and when I saw that, he was nothing more than a boy. I had thought that my vengeance was all but assured.

And yet...he had a fury and rage that rivaled my own, for regardless of what I tried to attack or defend myself against as he overpowered me at every turn till I was eventually left at his mercy.

But even then, I continued to act in defiance of him, crying at him, cursing at him, daring him to finish me off to show that I did not fear him or death.

However, the child did something far worse to me than defeating and killing me.

He gave me pity by sparing my life and...running away.

Never have I been so humiliated, as if all I lost and endured meant nothing.

And so I trained, pushed myself beyond my limitations, and sacrificed everything I had that had made me weak. Such as my love, empathy, and desire to protect.'

All so I can gain the power to execute my vengeance and redeem myself for my pathetic loss.

'Even if it means becoming the very type of monster that I despise.'

A crack appeared within the tower, and Kyiv readied himself, and as he looked on, he saw that crack soon spread out throughout the entire structure while a dark golden flash of energy filled it.

And then it exploded. Sending countless ice shards that rain down from the sky in a blazing shower of shining ice and spiritual power, and within the center of the Spectual stood Tia Harribel, though now she was in a new form.

Her white skirt and pads were replaced with black and white armor in jagged coral-like shells; one covered her right arm while the other lay bare. While her legs were covered in dark gray pants, and her ankles sported two black fins. Her breasts were empty except for a thin, jagged armor covering her nibbles and groan. While her once blond hair turned into a pale white main that was braided and reached down to her body, and in her left hand was a dark gray shell harpoon with three white floating arrow-like blades on top.

But her most disguises feature was her eyes, which shone the same early light blue of an ocean storm.

'Segunda Etapa, ' She uttered, then pointed her Harpoon at Kyiv's ice Gaint.

'Evaporator...' She spoke in barely a whisper, and then in an instant, Kyiv's Ymir Gaint immediately had a humungous hole shoot into its body, taking out a massive portion of his chest and causing the bemouth to collapse to the earth and quickly evaporating into vapor which then swirled around her.

'She...' Kyiv thought as his eyes widened at his enemy in awe, shock, and terror. 'Took down Ymir with a single strike, and she doesn't look like she was even trying! He then immediately clapped his hands together. 'There is no helping it; I will have to use all of my power to create a large and powerful storm to imprison her once more before she can attack again!'

'You are a fool Jageur...' Harribel insulted her enemy while staring down at him. 'You may think that as long as you have the heavens at your back and call, you will always stand above me...' she taunted, raising her spear high. 'But to me, all I need to do is simply flood them!'

'Submerged!' She shouted. Then, within a flash, the entire area for hundreds of miles around was instantly engulfed in a sea of water. In a moment of panic, Kyiv immediately used his spiritual pressure to make himself breathe in the water.

But the Espada was far from done.

Like lighting, Harribel swam through the water with unnatural speed and grace as she rapidly slashed at Kyive with her hyperon and with the pressure of the water slowing down his movements. The Sternritter was helpless as his uniform and body were cut to shreds while his blood dyed the water around him red.

'Do you regret it, Jeager!?' Horrible question spitefully to her barely conscious foe. 'For sparing me back then, for not ending my life when you had the chance?' She spate before pointing her Harpoon at Kyiv and directed the water currents to restrain his body and make him face her forcibly. 'Because every day and night since then, I train myself to the brink and beyond to attain this power. To face you, to defeat and humiliate you as you did to me!' She then places the tip of her weapon under Kyiv's chine, who remains silent. 'And you will feel the full fury of it!'

She placed her Harpoon in front of herself, and the three arrowheads on top began to spark and glow yellow with electricity. At the same time, particles of reshi swirled around its blade like a swarm of fish.

'Stinger of the lighting current!' she roared and raised her Harpoon at Kyive, transforming into a bright dark golden whip of Spiritual energy that lunged at the Sternritter. Then when it stabbed him in the chest, an enormous vortex of electricity surged out of his body and made Kyiv scream in unimaginable pain.

Eventually, the energy radiating from Kyiv's body boiled and evaporated the entire sea around him into steam. By the end of the attack, the only thing left of his uniform was a belt and tattered pants. Exposing his black scorched chest, now barring a new mark, as he fell to the ground below.

Seeing that her foe was finally defeated, Tia Harribel turned around to leave.

...only to suddenly feel a cold chill running down her spine and her eyes and then widen in disbelief.

The Soundtrack of Choice: Bound By Purpose

'It can't be...' Tia Harribel said slowly, her tone filled raged and denial. 'You should be dead! No one, not even you, should have been able to survive that!'

A voice then called out to Tia, yet it seemed to echo everywhere.

'I would have been dead, Harribel, if not for my last ace in the hole,' he said as his voice became more robust. At the same time, flashing back to when he embedded his chest with the nail he was given. 'Which is why I wanted only to use this when you were at the peak of your power, and now that I have fully seen what you are capable of...'

The Espada then turns around upon feeling a presence behind her.

'I can now finally end this battle,' Kyiv spoke as he manifested in front of Harribel. Though now, aside from his tattered clothes. His body looked healed entirely but also completely different.

His scorched skin had fully healed, saved for his scars, yet his freshness was as blue and transparent as a glacier, while his eyes glowed purely white with energy, and on his back were two angelic wings made of frost and ice.

Yet despite his imitating appearance Harribel merely bared her teeth in disgust and annoyance before pointing her Harpoon at him. 'If you can manipulate the heavens to freeze me again because of your new power. Then you are even more of a fool than I thought!'

Kyiv then began to walk over to Harribel slowly. 'I am afraid that won't be necessary.'

Feeling that she was being insulted, Harribel grabbed her Harpon tightly in her hands.

'Such arrogance...' she sneered and pointed her weapon at Kyiv. 'Sumerge!'

And just like before, an entire sea immediately flooded the whole heavens. But right before the water could engulf Quincy, it was frozen solid when it got a few feet before him. Much to Tia's bafflement, when he took another step toward all, the entire air around her became deathly cold to the point that frost began to cover her body, making her shiver.

'The power of the Rime...' Kyiv explains while looking at Tia is the power not just to control ice or even the weather...but rather the fundamental nature of cold itself. Yet, at the risk of freezing myself and damaging my own body, I was limited in using the full power of my Schrift' He then flexed his fingers. 'But since I technically no longer have a physical body to damage,' he made a single flap of his wings, and the entire air below his feet froze solid for hundreds of miles instantly. 'I can now use my power to its full potential.'

Now realizing that she was outmatched then, Tia immediately used shunpo to escape, hoping to find another area with enough moisture to turn the tide of this battle back in her favor. Only to immediately realize that Kyiv didn't just freeze part of the Atmosphere for the show, but instead trapped them both within a hollow ice globe in the sky, and to her further surprise, the Sternritter then 'emerged himself out of the ice.

'You will not escape,' he spoke lowly, then raised his right hand to the sky.

'Loftsteinn af Frør' (Air-stone of the Frost)' Ice-like angle called out, and soon a massive five-kilometer ball of ice shining with freezing energy came crashing down towards Tia Harribel, who immediately braced for impact as the huge frozen object slammed into her spear and plowed her through the firm ground of the globe.

However, even then, the Espada refused to be overpowered. She immediately channeled all her strength into her Harpoon, cut through the ice spear, and quickly dug herself back up to the surface.

'Is this best you can do, Jaguar!' Tia Harribel shouted in defiance. 'Throwing mere ice sculptures at me until I topple over!

Kyiv then stared blankly at her before speaking. 'Actually...' He then gazes up. ' I wondered how well you will do with the other twelve sculptures I sent.'

Harribel's heart skipped a beat, followed the man's gaze, and saw over twelve ice meteors hover above her—some even much larger than the one she cleaved apart.

And then Kyiv snapped his fingers, and all the ice balls simultaneously fell on her.

Five years ago, in Las Noches

'Are you sure this is what you want, Harribel?' Neil asked as the Segunda Espada continued to swing her blade.

'There is nothing else I want, Neil, ' Harribel responded coldly. 'He dared to spare my life when I sought vengeance upon him and refused to be made so lesser than him.'

Neil then stared at Harribel for a few moments and then breathed inward. 'Tia...you must know that killing this man will not bring your friends back, and he knew that for himself when he spared your life.'

'And you think I care about any of that!' Tia snapped at Neil, who then stepped back. Whether killing him would bring my fraccion back is irrelevant, and what pain he feels for losing his loved ones is nothing compared to my love for mine!'

Neil then frowns at Tia. 'And how do you know that?'

Harribel then silent as she stopped swinging her sword. 'I...I do'

Neil then closed her eyes. 'Harribel...in war, it is inevitable for friends and families on both sides to be destroyed, and everyone is or can be guilty of destroying friends and families of others. We all must accept it when joining this type of life...even when it is unbearable.'

Harribel then shook her fists and stared hatefully at Neil. 'That is the mindset of a coward and a slave who is both unable and unwilling to sacrifice to achieve what needs to be done!'

Neil then stood silent as she then walked up in front of Harribel. 'And me, Tia, what exactly will you sacrifice to achieve your vengeance when power alone is insufficient?'

The blonde Woman kept quiet as Neil went on. 'Your Humanity, your empathy, your honor?' She turned around and began to walk away, but then she turned to face Harribel one last time. 'For a coward and a slave are not just limited by a lack of actions, but also by what they choose to do with their actions.'

Present time

The Soundtrack of Choice: Final Confrontation By Max ll

Tia Harribel then woke after being crushed by well over trillions of tones of ice that cracked her shell armor, her weapon, and even some of her bones. But she is nonetheless still alive and ready to fight one more.

Yet even then, she knew it was hopeless.

Despite the power of her Segunda Etapa, she was still powerless, just like before, just like the last time they faced one another, and just like before, he would spare her and humiliate her twice. Leaving her friends unavenged and with her accomplishing nothing.

But then she remembered what Neliel had said to her.

'What will you sacrifice?'

'And then a horrible, terrible, unforgivable action crossed Harribel's mind...but she desperately took it anyway.

Later Kyiv heard a crack from below the globe, and at first, he thought Tia would come and attack him again after surviving his latest blows. But then his eyes winded in confusion as he sensed the Espada rushing down to the Silver City as fast as possible, and then when he too descended from the ice globe and ran up to Harribel.

Kyiv gasped in horror when he realized where she aimed her now charged-up Harpon.

'Harribel, what the hell are you doing!?' Kyiv soured over. But the Espada continues to push through.

'You brought this upon yourself, Jaeger,' she muttered in a low bitter whisper. 'Just as you Sacrifice the limitations of your body to defeat me, so too will I sacrifice the last bits of my humanity to deliver you the ultimate pain!'

Kyiv then rushed in faster with his wings, but even in his divine form, he was marginally quicker than Harribel and thus could only slowly reach her.

'They have nothing to with this! Our fight is just between us!'

Tears then began to pour from Harribel's eyes. 'Everyone has everything to do with this. Ever since this war started, they are as just deserving of my vengeance as you!' She cried out as she increased her speed further.

Kyiv then tried to freeze the air around Harribel to stop her. But she quickly retaliated by launching a golden bala from her hands, forcing the man to dodge out of the way and breaking his concentration when he realized they were nearing the city. Jagear screamed in his head in panic.

'Then I will offer my life to you without a fight so that you can have your vengeance just don't drag them into this!'

Hearing that, Harribel almost slowed herself down...but only went faster.

'And that is perceivably why they must die...' she was then right above the city and readied her Harpoon. 'You are unwilling to sacrifice your love, empathy, and honor. 'She then tightened her grip.

'While I have!' She then threw her Harpon at the city as it glowed bright golden with Spiritual energy and electricity.

NO!' Kyiv screamed out as he used all of his power to make the longest and fastest flying step he could manage, and with no time to block, He took the spear right into his back with his wings spread.

Yet the energy inside was still enough to obliterate the Silver-city even at a distance he stopped it at, and so with a deep breath, he used all of his remaining power to freeze the Harpoon, and when it detonated, it created a frozen explosion of lighting and ice that can be seen all over the Silver-City before shattering into pieces.

While Kyive, now wholly spent, fell to the ground with a thud. Shirtless, bruised, and barely conscious. While Harribel slowly walked up to him to finish her enemy off.

Only to find a woman standing in her way.

'...move,' Tia ordered threateningly and coldly, but The Quincy refused to budge, and when Kyiv managed to look up, his heart was grasped with horror upon recognizing who the person was.

'Bambettia,' Kyive said as he tried to get up on fell, but several Soldats held him up. 'Why..what are you doing here!?' he shouted in a panic, but the Woman smirked at him.

'Saving your sorry hide, that's what,' She spat while crossing her arms. 'After-All it is the least I can do after getting side-lined for so long.'

Kyive then shook his head in frustration. 'YOU IDIOT!' The man screeched in anger and fright. 'If you fight her, you will kill yourself; leave me and get out of here!'

Bambettia then turned to look at Jeager and smiled at him warmingly, much to his confusion.

'You have been carrying this guilt for a long time, huh?' She questioned, and the man then looked away shamefully. 'Blaming yourself for taking this woman's friends and trying to fight against her to make up for it' The former Sternritter then narrowed her eyes at Tia Harribel with contempt. 'And yet this bitch would go so low as to kill a bunch of innocent bystanders just to settle a grudge.

The Espada then bared her teeth. 'Don't you dare judge me, Quincy, when you killed-

'And think that justifies lowering yourself to our level Hollow!?' Bammbeitta snapped, which made Tia heisted. 'Does it justify you acting like a coward by using his better nature against him?' she walked next to the Espada, who slowly backed away. 'Do you think you're friends would look up to you with honor after what you did!?

Tia then body began to tremble as the Woman's words cut through far more profoundly than any of Kyiv's attacks ever could.

Bambeitta then eyed her lowly and gave a disgusted look. 'I think both of us know the answer to that do we, Tia Harribel' She readjusted her composer and raised two fingers. 'So you have two choices: retreat and fight against him next time...or get him through me!'

Kyiv then winded her eyes in dread upon hearing the deal. 'BAMBIETTA!' he screamed as tears of fear and desperation fell from his face, as he knew he was utterly powerless to save the woman he loved. In contrast, Tia looked on at the Woman in shock and confusion.

'Well...' Bambeitta said while drawing her sword at the Espada. 'What is it going to be?'

Tia Harribel's grip on her Harpoon began to shake as she struggled with one part wanting a far more fair fight and leave, another desiring to end it now by cutting the arrogant Woman down. Yet both would fill her with more shame.

If she retreated, it would be no different than surrendering, and her rank and position as an Espada would be forfeited and hunted down as a traitor. But if she were to kill the Quincy that stood before her...it would be no different than how the Quincy murdered her comrades when they were too powerless to do anything about it. Regardless of how much the girl tried to act proud and arrogant, her spiritual power was barely around the level of an Apprentice Knight.

It was comedic irony; all Tia Harribel wanted to avenge those lost to her and Sacrifice everything to get it.

...Yet none of it was ever worth it.

Tia Harribel then raises her Harpoon. 'If I were to retreat now, it would be no different than betraying the King, and if I were to cut you down to get to him, Then my pride would be forever tainted' She turned the weapon around. 'And so...there is only one way left for me.'

SHIREK!

In one swift motion, The Espada thrust her Harpoon into her heart, soul, sleep, and chain. Then as the blood splattered from her chest, her hair bread unveiled itself, revealing her massive mane of white hair. It quickly turned blonde before collapsing on the ground, and her life faded from her body. She remembered the last time she hung out with her three friends.

'Appacci, Mila, Sung-Sun...' she whispered with her last breath as death finally claimed her.