Chapter 72 Ichigo's New Hollow
The shadowy afterimages darted around the four lifeless deadpools like phantoms, but in a fleeting moment, Bawa Bawa, encircled by the deceased, vanished from the scene.
Perched on a white tree trunk several hundred meters distant, Ichigo grasped the massive form of Bawa Bawa in one hand, while Nell appeared above him with his other arm.
With a thud, Bawa Bawa tumbled from the trunk, jolted awake by the collision. He gazed at Nell with a look of dismay and whimpered.
Fatigue washed over him, the mask had dissolved from his face. He collapsed against the tree trunk, bracing himself with his hands, panting heavily.
"Huu. . . "
Concerned, Nell gently stroked Ichigo's back, only to discover his garments drenched in sweat.
"No. . . don't worry, Nell-cham, I. . . just overexerted myself. "
"Huh——————"
Taking several deep breaths, Ichigo turned to recline against the tree trunk, one hand shielding his eyes, while the other formed a tight fist, feeling an unexpected thrill within.
'It worked! I actually did it.'
Since gaining mastery over his Hollow abilities, Ichigo has increasingly adapted to the power within his body, even White, who had previously been restless, seemed to have reached an agreement with him.
Now, he could maintain a consistent connection with White, communicating as easily as he did with Zangetsu.
Previously, Ichigo ceded partial control of his body to the other, allowing for greater strength, yet the ultimate control remained his, enabling him to reclaim sovereignty whenever he chose.
What just transpired could be seen as the inaugural "collaborative" effort between Ichigo and White, also reflecting White's gesture of goodwill towards Ichigo.
"If~ it wasn't for Nell. . . "
Recalling how Ichigo had entered the Menos Grande forest to save her due to her own instability, Nell quickly expressed her apologies to him.
Without Ichigo, it's likely that she and Bawa Bawa would have been killed long ago. This thought made Nell begin to sob.
"I'm not blaming you, Nell. "
With great effort, Ichigo sat up, placing his hand gently on Nell's head, and reassured her, "I saved you because I wanted to protect you. This is my own issue; you don't have to be guilty."
Ichigo's kindness deeply touched Nell, prompting her to embrace his waist and cry even harder.
"Hey, hey, don't cry so loudly; you'll draw those monsters near. I don't have the strength to escape! "
Nell seized the edge of Ichigo's clothing and wiped her nose energetically, her eyes glistening with tears. She remarked, "We should be positioned in the southern section of the Menos Grande forest, which is the route closest to the Konya Palace. "
"South? Is the Menos Grande forest split into various sectors? "
"Exactly, the earlier structure of Menos Grande Forest was unsegmented, but following Fiander's management, five distinct regions were created. "
"Each sector has a designated Deadpool. "
Nell brought Ichigo down to the ground and crouched, sketching a basic distribution map with her fingers on the surface.
"The southern section is near the Night Palace, making it the nearest to there. "
"The central section lies beneath Fiander's domain and also serves as the entrance and exit route. "
Studying the map created by Nell, Ichigo probed, "Sectors? Do the Arrancars classify their territories similarly to humans? "
"Besides the southern and central regions, do the eastern, northern, and western areas belong to other Espadas? "
"Yes!"
Nell gave a slight nod.
"Then why are both the entrance and exit located in the same area? That seems illogical; aren't there any exits in the other regions? "
Nell quickly clarified, "The other areas function like the way we fell into the Menos Grande forest. They can only be drawn in by the quicksand vortex. "
"The top consists of hundreds of meters of thick sand, making ascent impossible; only the central region has the entrance and exit that Fiander established, and I only saw that a long time ago."
As Nell spoke, her eyes reddened, and she twirled her fingers, expressing, "I wonder how Fiander is doing; I miss him somewhat. "
Upon noticing Nell's demeanor, Ichigo recalled his defeat against Urahara's manager, leading to his retreat back to Hueco Mundo. He then inquired, "How is he currently doing? Is he badly hurt? "
Nell glanced at Ichigo, nodded sorrowfully, and fell silent.
"Really? That is concerning, but Nell-chan, don't be anxious; he is the most powerful Espada I have encountered, so he may recuperate quickly. "
"Thank you, Ichigo, you are the kindest person to me aside from Fiander."
"Okay, now our first destination should be the central region. By the way, do you know its direction? "
Ichigo scratched his head, feeling helpless.
"Grrr~~"
With Nell's stomach growling, she blushed and murmured, "I'm sorry, Nell doesn't know the way."
Hearing the rumble from Nell's stomach, Ichigo remarked, "Arrancars get hungry? Aren't you supposed to absorb spiritual particles? "
This fact was something Rukia had informed Ichigo: the advanced beings of Hueco Mundo absorb spirit particles to sustain their physiological needs.
"Hey~ Nell is always hungry! "
Nell rubbed her head and smiled at Ichigo bashfully.
"Alright, let's set out once Bawa Bawa is awake. Until then, let's address your food situation. "
"Enhm! ! "
Upon hearing about the food, Nell's expression brightened, and she gave Ichigo a hearty nod.
At that moment, Pesche and Dondachaka escorted Ishida and Sado into Fianders's domain. Reinhard, who had just hurried over from the Night Palace and was seated cross-legged on an enormous stone.
"Um? "
Reinhard, embodying Reiatsu, gradually opened his eyes and noticed Pesche and the others approaching him with two of the intruders identified by Aizen during the gathering.
Reinhard rose slowly, positioning himself above Pesche and the rest, his deep voice resonating.
"I didn't anticipate that you two would capture the intruders so swiftly, but why is one of them missing? "
"Also, where is Nell-sama? "
Reinhard's inquiry caused Pesche and Dondachaka to shudder, prompting them to kneel before him in fear.
"Master Nell was drawn into the Menos Grande forest by a quicksand vortex. "
"Master Reinhard, we beg for your assistance. "
The moment Pesche concluded his plea, an overwhelming Reiatsu forced him to the ground, leaving Ishida and Sado, trembling.
Just as Pesche felt as though his soul might detach from his body, a voice full of menace pierced his awareness.
"You guys are truly idiots ! ! ! "
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