It was a pity that a Menos Grande—a Hollow whose mask granted only sight—could not hear.
Akira paused, then shaped his reiatsu into visible words in the air. With his peak-level spiritual pressure, such refined manipulation came effortlessly.
Fortunately, the Menos Grande retained a faint echo of its past life—an instinctive memory that allowed it to understand language.
"You know me?"
The Hollow's voice carried a rare note of surprise.
For the first time, the Menos Grande showed something resembling emotion.
"I know everything," Akira declared, feigning omniscience. After all, no better explanation came to mind.
But he'd underestimated the simplicity of a Hollow raised in Hueco Mundo's desolation. Compared to human children, some Hollows were even more gullible.
"Oh… is this a Shinigami's Zanpakutō ability?"
Ulquiorra tilted his head slightly. "I've heard each Shinigami wields a unique power. I didn't expect one capable of such… omniscient perception."
Akira: "…"
He had no idea how to respond to that.
Nelliel, ever earnest, clapped her hands. "Wow! Akira, you're amazing! I thought you only did those golden energy blasts!"
Akira's eye twitched. He decided to change the subject.
So the three of them—one Shinigami and two Hollows—remained where they were, talking as Nelliel slowly healed from her injuries. Neither she nor Ulquiorra feared rival Hollows; both were exceptional even among Adjuchas, warriors in their own right. And Akira? His overwhelming reiatsu made caution unnecessary.
Ulquiorra said little, spending most of the time watching Akira as he wrote in the air with spiritual energy. Yet despite his silence, Akira sensed something shifting—Ulquiorra was becoming… more human.
"Another day gone," Akira murmured, gazing up at Hueco Mundo's endless, ashen sky. He rose to his feet. "We should find shelter. See you next time."
Ulquiorra's eyes flickered toward the fading words in the air.
"Can I… come with you?"
Akira froze. He wants to follow me?
He hadn't realized how deeply his presence had affected Ulquiorra—whose entire existence had been defined by emptiness. For so long, Ulquiorra had known only void, even contemplating the surrender of his own consciousness. But now, the golden light Akira radiated had become the first true brilliance to pierce that darkness.
"It wouldn't be right," Akira said gently. "A Menos Grande walking beside a Shinigami? The Soul Society wouldn't allow it. And I can't stay in Hueco Mundo forever."
He thought for a moment, then shaped new words in the air:
"Find me after you've become an Arrancar."
From what Akira knew, Ulquiorra was destined to evolve—even without Aizen's Hōgyoku. His innate power and will would eventually shatter his mask on their own. And once he did, he'd no longer appear as a Hollow to Shinigami senses—at least, not at first glance.
"Eh? If I become an Arrancar too, can I go see Akira?" Nelliel asked, eyes wide with hope.
Akira smiled. "Of course. You're always welcome."
Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck and Ulquiorra Cifer were among the most powerful Adjuchas in Hueco Mundo. Even after becoming Arrancar, they would remain formidable fighters. If he could recruit them, it would be a tremendous advantage.
"Okay! I don't know exactly what becoming an Arrancar means, but I'll do my best!" Nelliel declared enthusiastically.
Akira smiled and said, "You'll find out soon enough."
The moment he finished speaking, his expression shifted abruptly.
Ulquiorra and Nelliel, standing beside him, also turned sharply in the same direction.
From the distance, a horrifying Reiatsu surged toward them—vast, oppressive, and filled with malice. Its sheer magnitude dwarfed anything they had ever sensed from an Adjuchas before, and it was closing in at an alarming speed.
"That… That's what a Vasto Lorde feels like!" Nelliel gasped in shock. "Akira, we have to leave! Vasto Lorde-class Hollows are the strongest in all of Hueco Mundo!"
She had heard rumors that a true Vasto Lorde could rival even a captain-class Shinigami. Instinctively, she doubted that Akira could stand against such a foe. After all, captains were the pinnacle of Soul Reaper strength—unless one belonged to the Royal Guard, but that was another matter entirely.
"It's too late," Akira replied calmly. "He came for us."
As if on cue, a towering figure materialized before them. Baraggan Louisenbairn stood in the desert wind, his skeletal armor and crown radiating ancient, suffocating authority. A black aura of decay swirled around him, and even Ulquiorra—normally impassive—tensed visibly.
"The king was wondering why Charlotte and the others' Reiatsu vanished so suddenly," Baraggan said, his eyes flicking to the massive crater nearby. With a glance, he deduced the outcome.
"Hmph. Useless vermin. Six Adjuchas, and not one could handle a single intruder."
His gaze swept over Ulquiorra and Nelliel, but he dismissed them at once. To Baraggan, they were insignificant—just two more Adjuchas, barely worth noting.
"Who are you?!" Nelliel demanded.
"The King of Hueco Mundo…" Ulquiorra murmured, as if confirming a long-held suspicion. His voice remained steady, but Nelliel paled. She had heard legends of the despot who once ruled Hueco Mundo from Las Noches—but she never imagined he still walked these sands.
"You… you…" Nelliel stammered, then clenched her fists. "If you lay a hand on Akira, we won't just stand by!"
Baraggan ignored her completely. His hollow eyes locked onto Akira.
"So. You're the Shinigami who dares trespass in my domain?" His voice dripped with contempt. "You wear no captain's haori. A lieutenant, perhaps?"
Akira gave a faint chuckle. "You're mistaken. I'm only a third seat."
"…A third seat?" Baraggan paused—then burst into deep, mocking laughter.
"A mere third seat dares enter Hueco Mundo uninvited? For a moment, I thought a member of the Royal Guard had descended. But you're nothing more than a gnat."
His Reiatsu erupted like a storm, crushing the air around them. Sand trembled; the sky itself seemed to darken.
"Kneel before the King of Hueco Mundo!"
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