Reno recognized Nelliel instantly. He almost blurted out her name before realizing his mistake, quickly feigning confusion. "Am I still alive? Where's Cassiro?"
To run into Nelliel so soon? Is this fate? Reno thought inwardly. Nelliel was one of his favorite original female leads—a beauty who embodied both the innocence of a loli and the allure of a mature woman!
"Hehe... you're so silly! How could you ask me questions if you were dead? Who's Cassiro? The guy you were fighting?" Nelliel giggled at Reno's words, then tilted her head, her large eyes sparkling with curiosity, looking utterly adorable.
"Yeah! How is he?"
Reno nodded slightly and sat up, his crimson Shinigami robes having mysteriously reappeared on his body.
As he sat up, Reno noticed Nelliel's two Fracción, Pesche and Dondochakka, standing behind her, along with that strange bug.
"He's dead! You killed him!" Nelliel exclaimed.
"He was blown up by your last Lightning Orb!"
"Oh! What's your name, little sister?" Reno asked, feigning ignorance of Nelliel.
"To think you could kill Cassiro so easily... That's a remarkable technique. I'll call it Thunder Burst from now on!" Reno mused inwardly, still marveling at how his Lightning Orb had obliterated Cassiro.
"I'm Nelliel! They're my Big Brother and Second Big Brother—Dondochakka and Pesche!" Nelliel replied immediately.
"What's your name, Big Brother? Let's play hide-and-seek together!" she added excitedly.
"Oh! I'm Reno!" he replied quickly, ignoring her invitation to play hide-and-seek. He had no interest in such childish games.
"Nelliel! We've already woken him up. Let's go play hide-and-seek now..."
At that moment, Pesche spoke up from behind Nelliel. He had only agreed to help heal Reno because Nelliel couldn't handle it alone. Now that Reno was awake, they didn't want Nelliel getting mixed up with him. They immediately recognized Reno as an Arrancar—and a newly formed one at that! Before their expulsion from Las Noches, neither Pesche nor Dondochakka had ever seen Reno before.
"That's right, Nelliel! Let's play hide-and-seek!" Dondochakka chimed in with a grin.
"Ah! Reno, you're not playing?" Nelliel asked, her eyes shining with hopeful anticipation, making it impossible to refuse. When she spotted the Zanpakuto at Reno's waist, her heart skipped a beat.
"No, you guys..." Reno began, about to say, "You guys go ahead," when Nelliel suddenly snatched his Zanpakuto!
"Hehe! Reno-kun, if you want your sword back, come catch me! And remember, if you catch Nelliel, you have to spank her until she cries! Nelliel's a masochist!" Nelliel taunted, holding Reno's Zanpakuto high as she darted away, sticking her tongue out at him over her shoulder.
"Damn it... Nelliel, don't run!" Reno yelled, dragging his still-weakened body after her in pursuit.
***
Watching Nelliel and Reno dash off, Pesche and Dondochakka exchanged bewildered glances. They hadn't expected Nelliel to enjoy playing with Reno so much. If they had known, they wouldn't have agreed to let her heal him!
"Pesche! What should we do now?" Dondochakka asked anxiously.
"Let's follow them," Pesche replied. "Reno doesn't seem like a bad person. Even in her smaller form, Nelliel-sama's senses are still sharp. If Reno had any ill intentions, she wouldn't be playing with him. We just need to keep a close eye on them."
With that, the two quickly set off after Reno and Nelliel.
"Waaah~ Help me! Nelliel's about to get caught!" Nelliel cried, tears welling up as she glanced back at Reno, who was closing in on her. To an outsider, it would have looked like Reno was bullying her.
"Nelliel, stop running!" Reno called out, torn between amusement and exasperation. The little Nelliel was being so mischievous! Yet as he ran, he noticed his body was rapidly recovering. He was confident he'd be back in peak condition soon.
"If I catch you, I'll spank your butt! I won't be Reno if I don't!" Reno declared indignantly when Nelliel suddenly turned and stuck her tongue out at him.
"Ooh Reno-nii-chan, come catch Nelliel! Nelliel's waiting for Reno-nii-chan to spank her butt" Nelliel taunted, running even faster and playfully patting her rear as she laughed at Reno.
"Hmph!" Reno snorted, his resolve to spank Nelliel's butt hardening. Feeling his strength returning, he suddenly surged forward, closing the distance between them.
"Hehe~ Watch Nelliel's super speed!"
Seeing Reno's sudden burst of speed, a glint flashed in the eyeholes of Nelliel's mask. She vanished in a blur, reappearing instantly to the side, leaving Reno to lunge at empty air.
"Super speed..."
"Super speed..."
"Super speed..."
...
In moments, Reno and Nelliel had left Pesche and Dondochakka far behind, forcing them to follow the scent trail left by the insect tracking Nelliel's scent.
"Ah~!" Nelliel screamed as Reno suddenly tackled her from above, wrapping his arms around her.
Thud! Reno and Nelliel crashed into the sand together. After chasing her for so long, Reno had finally seized the perfect moment to pin her down.
"Waaah~ Nelliel got caught! Reno-nii, spank Nelliel's butt!"
Nelliel, nestled in Reno's arms, exclaimed excitedly, as if she were having the time of her life playing with him.
"I would have done it even if you didn't ask!" Reno replied immediately. Whether it was to punish Nelliel or reward himself, he was determined to spank her delicate bottom.
With that, Reno flipped Nelliel over, pinning her across his lap with her bottom facing him. After a couple of playful pats, he pulled up her green skirt-like garment and tugged down her underwear, exposing her pristine, tender bottom.
"Ah~ Reno-nii, you're such a tease!" Nelliel blushed crimson as she playfully scolded him, but she didn't resist. After all, she had enjoyed playing with Reno all day.
Smack! Reno's palm landed with a light force on Nelliel's plump, resilient bottom, sending a thrill through him. He followed with two more smacks!
"Ouch... Reno-nii, be gentler... sniff..." Nelliel immediately squeezed out two tears, feigning pitifulness.
"Alright, alright! I won't spank you anymore. Don't cry, Nelliel!"
Seeing her distress, Reno's heart softened. He placed his right hand on her tender, resilient bottom and began to gently rub it.
"Nelliel, do you know where there are more Adjuchas?" Reno asked, pulling up Nelliel's underwear and putting her clothes back on. He knew her two Fracción were about to arrive.
"Why does Reno-nii-chan want to know?" Nelliel asked innocently.
"To devour them! Reno-nii-chan is still just a Gillian, you know!" Reno replied honestly.
"Wow~ Reno-nii-chan took down an Adjuchas even as a Gillian! You're amazing! Nelliel could only run away from them..." Nelliel exclaimed, her eyes shining with admiration.
"Hehe..." Reno chuckled, patting her head. If you were back in your adult form, Nelliel, taking down an Adjuchas would be a piece of cake for you, he thought.
"Nelliel will ask Pesche and Dondochakka for you, Reno-nii-chan! They definitely know where the Adjuchas nests are!" Nelliel said cheerfully.
Soon, Nelliel's two Fracción arrived. She immediately asked them about Reno's request.
"Adjuchas nests? Those are terrifying places, you know!" Dondochakka replied, his face pale with fear.
"That's right, Nelliel! We can't go there! It's too dangerous!" Pesche added.
"No, no! Nelliel wants to play with Reno-kun..." Nelliel immediately threw herself to the ground, rolling around in protest.
Unable to resist Nelliel's stubbornness, Dondochakka and Pesche reluctantly agreed to help Reno find the Adjuchas' lair. To ensure Nelliel's safety, they focused on searching for the smallest Adjuchas nests first.
Reno found himself spending his days with Nelliel and her companions. When he wasn't hunting and devouring Adjuchas, he was playing with the mischievous little girl. Gradually, Reno realized he had grown fond of Nelliel's innocent antics—she was simply too adorable!
During battles with Adjuchas, Nelliel would often provoke one, leading to a chase where she would scream for Reno to save her.
Through these relentless battles, Reno grew rapidly stronger. His Thunder Fist technique became increasingly formidable, and he finally mastered Thunder Burst, preventing it from detonating prematurely and injuring himself.
As for his Zanpakuto's Shikai ability, Reno hadn't used it while traveling with Nelliel and her companions. He was saving it for his planned trip to the Soul Society, where he intended to learn more about its full potential.
Reno also spent every night inside his Zanpakuto, "training" Kurosaki Masaki. He justified this by claiming it would help him understand her better and accelerate his progress toward mastering Bankai.
"Haha! I'm finally about to break through..."
_________________
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