A second ago, the two were still arguing in the Garganta about how to capture a batch of relatively strong Menos Grande to build a faction capable of rivaling Las Noches.
The next second, Naraku Sora stepped out of the Dangai and was immediately blasted in the face by countless Ceros.
Perhaps because the Reishi concentration in the chosen Dangai area was too high, neither Aizen nor Naraku Sora had managed to detect the Reiatsu fluctuations at the exit.
Boom!!
Amidst the deafening explosion, countless grains of silver sand shot into the sky, and the Reishi suddenly boiled.
Accompanied by an earth-shattering roar, the boundless desert surged with waves from the violent tremors.
A change in quantity had triggered a change in quality.
Furthermore, the creatures firing the Ceros were modified Menos Grande, born from Szayelaporro's painstaking research.
Using Gillians as a blueprint and implanting collected Soul Reaper powers, although it couldn't elevate these worms to Arrancars, it was enough to bring them to the level of Adjuchas.
And this was one of the important products of his march toward perfect lifeforms.
Watching the scorching smoke billow into the sky, a trace of sorrow flashed in Nelliel's eyes.
Although she didn't know which poor soul had suddenly stumbled into the battlefield, there was no doubt that the newcomer had blocked this near-fatal strike for her.
The inherently kind-hearted Nelliel felt extremely guilty about this.
If she hadn't suddenly stopped here, perhaps that person wouldn't have died...
A fierce wind blew away the billowing smoke, revealing a pair of eyes sparking with electricity. Nelliel's eyes widened instantly, her face beneath the bone mask filled with astonishment.
'How is this possible... to actually...'
"Greeting guests with Ceros right off the bat, the local gangs here are way too impolite."
The blood-red Reiatsu, after being powerfully compressed, formed a high-strength barrier that completely blocked the barrage of Ceros, not even allowing a single speck of dust to touch him.
Another figure walked out of the shattered spatial rift. His calm gaze swept across the area, immediately noticing the centaur-like sheep girl protecting a crippled Menos Grande behind her.
Aizen narrowed his eyes, somewhat surprised. "A Vasto Lorde?"
As an expert on Hueco Mundo, no one understood the Menos Grande better than him.
For the sake of his research, Aizen had dissected everything from Gillians to Vasto Lordes, and even the rarest Arrancars.
Surprisingly, they had encountered a Menos of this caliber at their originally designated coordinates.
However.
When he noticed the Vasto Lorde's gaze lingering on Naraku Sora, Aizen subconsciously raised his right hand, a wisp of pitch-black Reiatsu flashing briefly at his fingertips.
But he quickly dispelled the Kidō he was brewing.
Aizen suddenly realized that this Vasto Lorde seemed different from the Menos Grande individuals he knew.
As a Menos Grande, looking at a Soul Reaper without the slightest hint of hostility—this was the first time he had seen such a thing.
'Perhaps she could serve as one of the anchors for this operation?'
In an instant, countless thoughts popped into Aizen's mind.
On the other side, the dust completely settled. Naraku Sora opened his hand, catching the final Cero in his palm.
Relying on his absurdly unreasonable raw stats, he forcefully crushed it.
He looked up, his ferocious smile entering the sight of the giant worm Menos.
The next second, blazing Reiatsu erupted, instantly distorting the surrounding atmosphere and making his figure blur.
Naraku Sora raised his arm, shifting his muscles and bones, and a terrifying aura erupted like an erupting volcano.
He clenched his fist and punched forward.
"Ikkotsu."
Under Aizen's somewhat surprised gaze, a massive pillar of air suddenly blasted apart the accumulated silver sand ahead, plowing a deep and wide trench that instantly swept across the battlefield.
Wherever it passed, several giant worms were shattered and annihilated, unable to even let out a wail.
'Ikkotsu can be used like this?'
As someone who had also mastered the secret techniques of Genryū Hakuda, Aizen was well aware of this move's destructive power.
However, what Naraku Sora displayed was a path he had never envisioned.
When it came to combat, this guy's mind was truly unconstrained and imaginative.
The smoke-filled battlefield was instantly torn open as a blazing figure charged into the massive group of Hollows. Wherever he went, explosive roars followed.
The giant worms, which ordinary Adjuchas would struggle to fight, couldn't even withstand his most basic attacks, instantly falling apart.
Their massive bodies were reduced to mush, spreading out and leaving bright red trails across the silver desert.
Nelliel's eyes widened, staring in disbelief at the figure amidst the Hollows.
'He's so strong!'
As a Vasto Lorde, she was undoubtedly one of the top combatants in Hueco Mundo. Yet, even she couldn't guarantee she would emerge unscathed against such a swarm of Hollows.
However, in front of that figure, they were as fragile as paper.
'Run.'
'Wait!'
'He seems to be a Soul Reaper!?'
The slow-reacting naive girl finally snapped back to reality, realizing the identity of the person slaughtering the Hollows.
Nelliel's breath hitched.
She suddenly remembered that Soul Reapers and Hollows were natural enemies. If she waited for him to finish off the Hollow swarm, would she and Pesche be next?
The massive Hollow swarm was instantly crushed by Naraku Sora.
The turbulent shockwaves scattered in all directions, forming visible ripples under the night sky.
When Naraku Sora arrived in front of Nelliel and locked eyes with the bewildered naive girl, she finally reacted, instinctively preparing to hoist Pesche onto her shoulder and run.
But before she could make a move, a calm voice came from the side.
"If you choose to leave, that Adjuchas will die in half an hour."
Despite her deep distrust of Soul Reapers, upon hearing those words, Nelliel forcefully halted her steps.
She looked toward the source of the voice and saw a figure in a black Shihakushō walking over slowly with an indifferent expression.
'Another Soul Reaper!'
Just as Nelliel was falling into despair, the Soul Reaper wearing plain glasses continued:
"But if you choose to stay, Lord Naraku might be able to save his life."
Naraku Sora gave Aizen a weird look, not understanding what kind of crazy act this guy was pulling.
'Everything was fine, so why is he suddenly calling me "Lord"?'
'If he really wanted to use an honorific, he should be calling me "Godfather".'
Seeming to read the offensive thought from Sora's eyes, Aizen's expression stiffened, his blood pressure spiking slightly. Considering their subsequent plans, he decided not to bicker with this guy for now.
'I'll make a note of this and settle the score later.'
Hearing this, Nelliel's eyes widened. She stared intently at Naraku Sora and asked excitedly:
"Can you really save Pesche?"
"Pesche?"
Naraku Sora looked confused, feeling like he had heard that name somewhere before.
"Pesche Guatiche," Nelliel hurriedly introduced. "That's his name. He is my follower, and he was injured by other Menos Grande."
"I am Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck."
Hearing the introduction, a look of realization dawned on Naraku Sora's face. He finally recognized that the Menos Grande in front of him was the future Espada No. 3.
Actually, he couldn't be blamed for not recognizing her.
Before Menos Grande achieved Arrancarification, their bodies maintained their original forms, lacking any human appearance, and even their faces were covered by bone masks.
Moreover, Nelliel's current form was quite different from her Resurrección form.
Considering the diverse varieties in Hueco Mundo, it was perfectly reasonable not to be able to tell them apart.
"S-Soul Reaper, can you really save Pesche?"
Nelliel's expression was anxious; she had already believed their words.
Pesche still hadn't regained consciousness, and his Reiatsu was growing weaker by the second. He could return to the embrace of Hueco Mundo's earth at any moment.
Just as Naraku Sora was about to answer, Aizen's voice suddenly rang in his ears.
"Agree to her."
"She is a Vasto Lorde. We can use her as an anchor for our subsequent plans. I will assist you from the side; she won't notice."
Although he wasn't quite sure what Aizen was plotting, out of trust for his good brother, Naraku Sora nodded decisively.
"It's a piece of cake."
Under Nelliel's nervous gaze, he placed his hand on the mutilated body and injected his Reiatsu.
Taking advantage of her blind spot, Aizen crushed several pills into powder and used the airflow to funnel it into Pesche's mouth and nose.
In just a few moments, amidst a fit of violent coughing, the Adjuchas who was supposed to die regained his vitality and opened his eyes.
However, the first thing that entered his sight was a figure exuding a violent aura, wearing a menacingly kind smile.
When he caught sight of the residual Menos Grande blood on the man, Pesche's vision went black, and he fainted once again.
Aizen fell completely speechless. "..."
'As expected, weirdos share a common language.'
'Anyone who could mix with an inherently kind-hearted Menos Grande like Nelliel obviously wouldn't be very normal either.'
Although Pesche had fainted again, Nelliel knew very well that he was out of the critical stage. Therefore, the gaze she directed at Naraku Sora was now filled with gratitude.
"Thank you, Soul Reaper."
Naraku Sora grinned, earnestly observing the centaur-like sheep girl in front of him who had yet to take human form.
An antelope-like bone mask covered her face, and the human portion of her body revealed breathtaking curves, with her entire form covered in fur.
Although there were scorch marks from being hit by the Ceros, they seemed to have already healed thanks to her High-Speed Regeneration.
'A genuine Vasto Lorde.'
"Although you are a Soul Reaper, I don't sense any killing intent from you. Can you tell me your purpose for coming to Hueco Mundo?"
Nelliel looked at the two of them with some curiosity.
'One has a sincere and amiable expression, with powerful Reiatsu. He must be an elite among Soul Reapers.'
'The other has a calm expression and unremarkable Reiatsu. Judging by his form of address, he should be this kind Soul Reaper's lackey.'
'Mhm, both of them are good people.'
In the naive girl's innocent worldview, the fact that they not only took care of her enemies but also saved the dying Pesche made them anomalies among Soul Reapers.
Facing Nelliel's question, Naraku Sora grinned:
"To spread justice, of course!"
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