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“Lord Wayne, why must we rush to advance so urgently?” Nel’s question made Wayne pause.
That she could even ask such a thing proved her intelligence had already reached an exceptionally high level, her thirst for knowledge could rival a human’s.
No wonder she had the potential to become a Vasto Lorde.
The higher the intellect, the greater the evolutionary potential.
The one flaw was Nel’s naivety.
In a world as treacherous as this one, that kind of nature would only lead to suffering.
Such an innocent character belonged under the sunlight of the World of the Living.
And yet she had been born a Hollow.
Whether that was fortune or misfortune was hard to say.
“Why, you ask?” Wayne smiled, leaning back against the stone chair and settling in.
His hand found its familiar place on Nel’s head.
“Nel, do you know what the World of the Living looks like?” “The World of the Living?” The term seemed entirely new to her.
“It’s where humans dwell.
Soul Society is where the Soul Reapers live.
And Hueco Mundo — where we Hollows exist — sits in the gap between the two.” Wayne spoke slowly, letting each piece settle.
“We Hollows have no hearts.
The place where a heart should be is an empty hole.
Our Hollow Masks take the heart’s place — they become our core.
What’s called the Spirit Core.” “Mm.
That concept was in my awareness from the moment I was born.” Nel thought for a moment.
“A Hollow’s Mask cannot be destroyed.
If it is, what follows is regression — or death.” “Exactly.
Which is why we devour one another.
Hollows with intelligence and strength use their wisdom and power to become kings of Hueco Mundo, ruling over those beneath them.
And those at the bottom can only grovel for the mercy of their betters.” Wayne’s voice hardened.
“That is not the life I want.” “But Lord Wayne, your abilities should already be one in ten thousand in the Outer Circle, shouldn’t they?” Nel pressed.
“If that’s the case, why keep pushing to advance?
Wouldn’t it be better to rule as king right here?” “Nel, becoming a Gillian is a stage every High Hollow must pass through.
From there, everything depends on potential.
Some push forward, become Adjuchas, become Vasto Lorde.
Some may even become the legendary King Hollow.
But others spend their entire existence trapped at the Gillian level.
Playthings.
Fodder for those above them.” Wayne looked at her seriously.
“I refuse to become a plaything.
That’s why I push to advance, why I accelerate the pace.
I’m planning for my future.
I can feel it, a great calamity is coming to Hueco Mundo.
I need to build strength for what’s ahead.” “A calamity?” Nel’s eyes widened.
“Lord Wayne, can you see the future?” “Heh.
I wish.” Wayne smiled ruefully, stroking her jaw like someone petting a beloved animal.
“As for why I say that, time will prove it.
For now, our task is to gather strength quickly, so we stay ahead of every other Hollow.
Oh, right.
I mentioned the World of the Living and Soul Society.
I haven’t explained those yet.” He straightened slightly.
“Soul Society is home to the Soul Reapers.
They are our natural enemies.
Every Soul Reaper sees Hollows as foes.” “Why?” “Because our very nature is to kill and devour.
Beyond our own kind, we can grow stronger by consuming the souls of Soul Reapers and humans.
Human souls are weak, a single ordinary Hollow Beast can slaughter thousands of them.” “Then wouldn’t humans be devoured to extinction?” “In theory, yes.
But Hollows rarely enter the World of the Living.
The Reishi there is thin, it’s unsuited for us.
Only a small number of humans who die without a Soul Reaper’s Konso become Hollows and remain there.
The Soul Reapers exist to protect the World of the Living and maintain balance between Soul Society and Hueco Mundo.
They slay Hollows that kill humans and guide the souls of the dead, keeping the three realms — the World of the Living, Soul Society, and Hueco Mundo — in equilibrium.
Without that, the realms would collapse.” “So Soul Reapers and humans are the good ones…
and we Hollows are evil?” Confusion crept into Nel’s voice.
“Well…
you can’t quite put it like that.” Wayne smiled.
“We devour each other because it’s our nature.
Soul Reapers slay us because they’re doing what they believe is right.
Protecting their kind from destruction.
Nothing more.” “Lord Wayne, how does fighting us protect their kind?” “If the slaughter of humans isn’t stopped, Hueco Mundo will gradually consume the World of the Living.
Soul Society will lose its source of new souls and collapse.
In the end, Hueco Mundo erodes all three realms, and both humans and Soul Reapers vanish from existence.” Wayne’s tone was calm, matter-of-fact.
“But don’t underestimate humans.
Their wisdom has made them the apex species of their world.
It’s only because Reishi is thin there that they lack Reiryoku and can’t see us.
They used their wisdom to create nations, gathering places called cities.
In the World of the Living, there are green mountains and clear waters, birdsong and flowers, sunlight and laughter, and all kinds of delicious food.
It’s nothing like this barren, flavorless wasteland.
That world is far more vibrant than Hueco Mundo.” “Lord Wayne, I don’t quite understand all of that.” Nel couldn’t picture such a scene.
“But…
do you long for that world?” “Ah.
That’s one reason I want to grow stronger.” Wayne nodded.
“It’s said that after becoming a Gillian, some Hollows learn to use the Garganta, to open a path between Hueco Mundo, Soul Society, and the World of the Living.
We could go there.
See that vast, beautiful world for ourselves.” “We?” “Of course.
If I couldn’t bring you along to see it, wouldn’t I be lonely going alone?” Wayne smiled.
“Nel, your bright nature is perfectly suited to the World of the Living.
That’s why I want to take you there.” “Really?
Lord Wayne would take me?” Faced with the unknown, Nel’s heart stirred with longing.
Her fluffy tail swayed back and forth, unable to contain her excitement.
“Haha, look at you.” Wayne grinned.
“Nel, work hard to advance.
Then we’ll go to the World of the Living together.
And for that, we need to hurry, watch out!” BOOM!
Before the words finished, the stone bed Wayne had been lying on exploded into rubble.
In the instant of detonation, Wayne swept Nel into his arms and flashed away with Shadow Step.
But the sudden ambush, and carrying another body, slowed him by half a beat.
The blast’s impact left his back scorched and blackened in an instant.
“Hmph!
What worthless insects, daring to run your mouths on my territory and disturb my sleep!” A crude, rough voice cut through the billowing smoke.
“You really thought you could just take over while I was napping?!” With a thunderous roar, the dust dispersed on the wind.
A massive, insectoid Aberrant Hollow, over five meters tall, loomed before Wayne’s eyes.
“Ngh…
Nel, are you alright?” “Lord Wayne…
you…” Nel shook her head, but her eyes were fixed on his injuries.
“It’s nothing.” Wayne’s voice was calm.
He turned to face the creature that had burst from underground.
Then he felt its Reiatsu, surging, nearly a match for his own, and his composure cracked.
“Tch.
To think a forest barely past the Gillian stage would harbor something this terrifying.” He pulled Nel behind him.
“Who are you?
State your name!” “You lowly wretch, daring to disrespect me!
Hmph!
But since you’re about to become my first meal after being woken up, I’ll tell you!
Remember it well, my name is Yammy Llargo!” BOOM!
A shockwave of Reiatsu surged toward Wayne.
His eyes sharp, his hands fast, he grabbed Nel and flashed sideways.
“The 0 Espada.
The Rage Beast.
Yammy Llargo.” Wayne’s mind raced as he dodged.
What a coincidence.
“Lord Wayne, his Reiatsu seems roughly equal to yours.
I’ll hold him off, can you cripple him in one strike?” Beside him, Nel began raising her own Reiatsu, ready for a desperate fight.
“No, Nel.” Wayne thought for several seconds, then spoke decisively.
“We can’t beat him.
We retreat.” He stepped forward, shielding her.
“Honored warrior, we meant no offense.
We didn’t know this was your territory.
We’ll leave now.
Please, calm your anger.” “Leave whenever you want?
Who do you think you’re dealing with?!” Yammy wasn’t satisfied.
“But if you leave that Hollow beside you as a snack…
maybe I’ll consider letting you go.” “Lord Wayne…” Fear crept into Nel’s voice.
“Heh.
Of course.
As you wish, my lord.” Wayne’s tone turned respectful.
He grabbed Nel.
No matter how she struggled, she couldn’t break free.
“My lord, she’s yours.” Wayne gripped her neck and walked forward step by step.
Nel’s four limbs scrabbled backward, but it was useless.
The gap in Reiatsu was too wide.
She couldn’t resist at all.
“Lord Wayne, no!
Please!
Don’t hand me over!” Her struggles futile, Nel began to plead.
It didn’t change Wayne’s course.
He kept walking.
“Sorry, Nel.
I’d rather not die just yet.” His voice was a soft murmur.
“If you don’t want to either…” “Super Acceleration!” Before Wayne could finish, Nel’s Reiatsu surged to its absolute limit.
She shot toward Yammy, now less than a hundred meters away.
The moment she broke free, Wayne launched into Shadow Step, rushing forward as if to catch her.
“Haha!
Two interesting little insects.
How pitiful.” Yammy laughed.
“Come on, little girl, rush into my arms!
Maybe I’ll help you take out that bastard behind you!” Nel’s speed kicked up another notch.
A hundred meters closed in an instant.
She crashed headlong into Yammy’s body, the impact sent the off-guard giant stumbling backward.
“Hey, little girl, that charge was really something…
Huh?!
GYAAAH!” Before he could react, a gaping wound tore open in Yammy’s chest.
Crimson blood gushed out.
“Shattering Slash!” After Shadow Step’s charging impact, Wayne poured every drop of Reiatsu into his right claw and unleashed his strongest attack, carving a wound so deep on Yammy’s body that bone showed through.
“Retreat!” One strike landed, withdraw immediately.
Wayne gave the order.
Nel rushed to his side.
She hoisted him up, his Reiatsu already flagging, and drove Super Acceleration to its absolute limit, sprinting into the distance.
She had never been trying to flee from Wayne.
She had crashed into Yammy deliberately, to coordinate with him.
And once Wayne had burned through his Reiatsu, she carried him away.
“Damn it!
You little bastards, making a fool of me!” Even someone as dull as Yammy couldn’t miss what had just happened.
The wound on his chest left no doubt.
He’d been played by two Hollows now running for their lives.
He had been played.
Everything had been arranged in advance.
Throughout the long days traveling together, the first thing Wayne had taught Nel wasn’t combat, it was emergency response.
What just happened was one of the scenarios they’d rehearsed dozens of times.
Facing a powerful enemy, Wayne would signal Nel through their conversation.
She would respond through action and words once ready.
When Wayne spoke a specific phrase, she would coordinate, and they would strike.
It wasn’t just this situation.
They had commands and coordination for every scenario: launching a surprise attack when negotiations were about to collapse, choosing to retreat or strike when encountering another Hollow on the same path, and more.
Wayne had spent months drilling these responses into Nel’s mind until they were bone-deep.
He would trigger commands mid-conversation at random, training her subconscious to take over, to move her body in perfect coordination with his, whether to attack or flee.
The brainwashing-like training had given Nel lightning-fast reflexes.
And her trust in Wayne had grown imperceptibly with every repetition.
These reflex-driven surprise attacks almost never failed.
If Wayne assessed that an opponent would see through one, he simply ordered a retreat from the start.
“Lord Wayne, why are we running?” Nel carried him at full speed toward the forest’s edge.
“Your Reiatsu shouldn’t lose to his, should it?
And he’s already wounded.” She had traveled with Wayne long enough to know, he had never shown fear, even against Gillians.
But faced with this High Hollow whose Reiatsu rivaled a Gillian’s, he had chosen to run.
It made no sense.
“The Rage Beast Yammy is no ordinary Hollow.” Wayne sat on her back, recovering his spent Reiryoku as fast as he could.
“I’ve heard of his ability.
The more injured he gets, the angrier he becomes, and the stronger he gets.
And by gorging himself and sleeping, he can accumulate Reiatsu without limit.
He’d just woken up and already matched me.
If he goes berserk…” “You lowly bastard!
Die!” Before Wayne could finish, Yammy’s Reiatsu exploded to a terrifying level.
The pressure alone slowed Wayne’s own speed.
Calling Yammy an upper-tier Gillian now wouldn’t be an exaggeration, he was brushing against the threshold of Adjuchas.
In the original story, Yammy before Resurrección was only an ordinary Adjuchas.
But after Resurrección, he instantly surpassed all the Espada, reaching Vasto Lorde-class Arrancar.
Here, as a High Hollow leaping two major tiers and touching Adjuchas, this might not even be his limit.
But such a monstrous ability, in the Outer Circle, was already absurdly overpowered.
“Lord Wayne…” Nel’s voice trembled with fear.
Her pace slowed involuntarily.
And this was only the Reiatsu of someone barely grazing Adjuchas.
If it grew any stronger, she might lose the will to stand entirely.
“Go!” Feeling the crushing Reiatsu bearing down from behind, Wayne leapt from Nel’s back.
He swept her into his arms, flashed a hundred meters with Shadow Step, and then, ignoring the drain on his Reiatsu, kept flashing forward, again and again.
BOOM!
BOOM BOOM BOOM!
Behind them, Yammy advanced at terrifying speed in a bizarre, lurching posture.
Dark-red spheres condensed at his fists, blasting toward Wayne without pause.
Bala.
Weaker than Cero, but twenty times faster, a special Reiatsu attack.
Yammy hadn’t advanced to Gillian, so he couldn’t wield Cero.
But Bala, a pure-energy attack, could be condensed and released continuously as long as his Reiatsu held out.
The prerequisite: the user’s Reiatsu had to be at least at peak Gillian level.
For the berserk Yammy, this form of attack was a perfect fit.
Sphere after sphere of energy exploded around him.
Wayne’s focus sharpened to a razor’s edge.
Shadow Step’s evasion distance was roughly a hundred meters, but it was a straight-line technique.
Once Yammy predicted his trajectory, the Bala’s blast radius would catch him.
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