Encountering an Enemy

"Lord Wien, why do we have to be in such a hurry to advance?" Nel's question gave Wien pause. The fact that Nel could ask such a question proved that her intellect had reached an extremely high level, and her desire for knowledge was comparable to a human's. No wonder she had the potential to become a Vasto Lorde. Sure enough, the higher the Intelligence, the greater the potential for evolution.

The one flaw was Nel's innocence. A personality like hers was bound to put her at a disadvantage in this treacherous world.

An innocent character like hers was better suited to living beneath the sunlight of the World of the Living. Yet she had been born a Hollow. He really didn't know whether to call that lucky or unfortunate.

"Why?" Wien smiled and lay back against the stone chair again, placing a hand on Nel's head once more. "Nel, do you know what the World of the Living is like?"

"The World of the Living?" Nel seemed to be hearing the term for the first time.

"The World of the Living is where humans live, while Soul Society is where Soul Reapers live. Hueco Mundo, where we Hollows live, exists in the gap between the two," Wien explained slowly.

"We Hollows have no hearts, because there's a hole where a heart should be. Our masks take the place of our hearts and become a Hollow's core, the so-called Core."

"Mm, that concept was already in my mind when I was born," Nel said after thinking for a moment. "A Hollow's mask must not be destroyed. Once it is, the Hollow will be downgraded or even die."

"That's right. That's why we devour one another. Hollows with Intelligence and power use their wits and abilities to become rulers of Hueco Mundo, commanding lesser Hollows. Those beneath them can only beg their superiors for mercy, and that's not the kind of life I want," Wien replied.

"But Lord Wien, with your current abilities, shouldn't you already be one in ten thousand in the outer ring?" Nel continued. "If that's the case, why are you still in such a hurry to advance? Wouldn't it be better to rule here?"

"Nel, becoming a Gillian is a stage every High-Level Hollow must pass through as it grows. After that, each Hollow develops according to its own potential. Some continue onward, becoming Adjuchas, then Vasto Lorde. It's even possible to become the legendary King Hollow.

"But some can only remain Gillians for the rest of their lives, becoming playthings and food for those above them." Wien looked at Nel seriously. "That's why I have to work hard to advance and pick up the pace, so I can plan for my future instead of becoming a superior's plaything.

"I can sense that a catastrophe will descend upon Hueco Mundo in the near future. I need to build up my strength for it."

"A catastrophe?" Nel was surprised. "Lord Wien, can you see the future?"

"Heh, I wish I could." Wien smiled wryly and rubbed Nel under the chin as though petting an animal.

"Time will prove why I say that. In any case, our task now is to build up our strength quickly, so we can stay ahead of the other Hollows.

"Oh, right, I mentioned the World of the Living and Soul Society earlier. I haven't explained them to you yet," Wien said, suddenly remembering. "Soul Reapers live in Soul Society. They're the natural enemies of Hollows, and every Soul Reaper regards Hollows as enemies."

"Why?"

"Because killing and devouring are in our nature. Besides our own kind, we can also strengthen ourselves by devouring the souls of Soul Reapers and humans. Human souls are very weak, and an ordinary Hollow beast is enough to kill thousands of humans."

"In that case, wouldn't humans be completely devoured by us?" Nel asked.

"Theoretically, yes. But generally speaking, Hollows rarely enter the World of the Living. Spiritual Power is scarce there, so it isn't suitable for Hollows to live in. Only a small number of humans who aren't sent on by Soul Reapers after death become Hollows and survive in the World of the Living.

"Soul Reapers exist to protect the World of the Living and the balance between Soul Society and Hueco Mundo. They slay Hollows that cause destruction and kill humans, and send the souls of dead humans on, keeping the beings of the three realms—the World of the Living, Soul Society, and Hueco Mundo—in balance, so that the three realms don't collapse because of it."

"Does that mean Soul Reapers and humans are good, while we Hollows are evil?" There was a trace of confusion in Nel's voice.

"Well... you can't put it like that." Wien smiled.

"We Hollows devour one another simply because it's in our nature. And Soul Reapers slay Hollows simply because they're doing what they believe is right, so their own race won't be destroyed."

"Lord Wien, why do Soul Reapers oppose us Hollows to keep their own race from being destroyed?"

"If the slaughter of humans by Hollows isn't stopped, Hueco Mundo will gradually devour the World of the Living. Soul Society won't receive new souls and will head toward collapse. In the end, Hueco Mundo will consume the three realms, and humans and Soul Reapers will both disappear from this world," Wien said indifferently.

"But don't underestimate humans. Their intelligence has made them the foremost species in the World of the Living. It's only because Reishi is scarce there that they have no Spiritual Power and can't see us.

"They use their intelligence to create settlements called nations and cities. In the World of the Living, there are green mountains and clear waters, birdsong and fragrant flowers, sunlight and laughter, and all sorts of delicious food. It isn't desolate and dreary like Hueco Mundo, filled with chaos and gloom. Life in the World of the Living is far more wonderful than in Hueco Mundo."

"Lord Wien, I don't quite understand." Nel couldn't picture such a scene. "But do you long to see the World of the Living, Lord Wien?"

"Yes, that's one of the reasons I want to grow stronger." Wien nodded. "It's said that after becoming Gillians, some Hollows can learn to use Garganta. That lets them open a connection between Hueco Mundo and Soul Society or the World of the Living. Then we can go and see that vast, beautiful world."

"We?"

"Of course. If I couldn't take you to see such beautiful sights, wouldn't I be bored on my own?" Wien smiled. "Nel, your sunny personality is perfectly suited to life in the World of the Living, so I want to take you there."

"Really? Will you take me with you, Lord Wien?" Nel, too, longed to see these new and unfamiliar things. Her fluffy tail swayed excitedly behind her.

"Haha, look how excited you are." Wien smiled. "Nel, work hard to advance, and then we'll go see the World of the Living together. To do that, we also need to speed up... Watch out!"

Boom!!!

Before he finished speaking, the stone bed Wien had just been lying on was blasted to pieces. The moment it exploded, Wien swept Nel into his arms and flashed away with Shadowless Strike.

But the sudden attack and using Shadowless Strike while carrying someone slowed Wien by a beat. The blast instantly scorched his back black.

"Hmph! Where did you insects come from? How dare you spout nonsense on my turf and disturb my nap!"

A crude voice reached Wien's ears through the billowing smoke. "Did you really think you could just take my turf because I was asleep?!"

With an angry roar, the dust and smoke from the explosion slowly dispersed in the wind. A gigantic insect-shaped Mutant Hollow, more than five meters tall, appeared before Wien.

"Mm... Nel, are you all right?"

"Lord Wien... you..." Nel shook her head, but she was concerned about Wien's injuries.

"I'm fine..." Wien said calmly. He turned to look at the fellow who had been hiding underground and suddenly leaped out. After sensing the surging Spiritual Pressure that nearly matched his own, Wien could no longer remain calm.

"Tch, I never expected a Forest that had only just produced a Gillian to have such a terrifying existence." As Wien spoke, he pulled Nel behind him. "Who are you? Give me your name!"

"Lowly bastard, how dare you be so rude to me? Hmph! But since you're about to become my first fine meal after being woken up, I'll tell you my name! Remember it: I'm Yammy Llargo!"

Boom!!!

As the enormous Mutant Hollow spoke, a shock wave filled with surging Spiritual Pressure rushed toward Wien. Quick to react, Wien grabbed Nel and flashed to the side.

The Zero Espada, Ira. Yammy Llargo. What a coincidence. Having dodged the attack again, Wien recalled in alarm the identity of the Mutant Hollow beast before him named Yammy.

"Lord Wien, his Spiritual Pressure seems almost equal to yours. If I hold him off, can you seriously injure him in one strike?" Beside Wien, Nel slowly began raising her Spiritual Pressure, preparing for a fight to the death with the enemy before them.

"No, Nel." Wien thought for a few seconds, then said decisively, "We can't beat him. Retreat." With that, Wien put Nel behind him once more and stepped forward.

"Respected strong one, we meant no offense, and we didn't know we had entered your territory. We'll leave at once, so please calm your anger."

"You think you can leave whenever you want? What do you take me, the great Yammy, for?!" Yammy was not satisfied with Wien's words. "But if you're willing to leave that Hollow beside you as a snack for me, I might consider letting you live."

"Lord Wien..." Yammy's words filled Nel with a trace of fear.

"Heh, of course. As you wish, sir," Wien said respectfully. He grabbed Nel behind him, and no matter how she struggled, she couldn't escape his grasp.

"Sir, she's yours." Wien seized Nel by the neck and walked forward step by step. Although Nel kept scraping backward with all four hooves, it did her no good. The difference in their Spiritual Pressure was too great; she couldn't resist at all!

"Lord Wien, don't! Please! Don't hand me over!" Realizing her struggles were useless, Nel began to beg, but Wien didn't change his mind and kept walking forward.

"Sorry, Nel. I don't want to die yet," Wien murmured. "If you don't want to either..."

"Super Acceleration!" Before Wien finished speaking, Nel's Spiritual Pressure instantly surged to its peak, and she charged at Yammy, who was now less than a hundred meters away. Once Nel slipped from his grasp, Wien also rushed forward with Shadowless Strike, trying to catch her.

"Haha, what an amusing pair of insects. How pathetic," Yammy laughed. "Come on, little lady, run into my arms. Maybe I'll help you get rid of the bastard behind you."

As soon as Yammy spoke, Nel sped up a little more. She crossed the distance of less than a hundred meters in an instant, and she didn't disappoint Yammy: she slammed headfirst into him. The enormous impact sent the unprepared Yammy stumbling. "Hey, little lady, that was quite a hit... Huh?! Argh!!!" Before he finished, a sizable bloody hole appeared in the chest of the still-dazed Yammy, and scarlet blood spurted out.

"Shatter Slash!" After Shadowless Strike's thrusting impact, Wien immediately channeled all his Spiritual Pressure into his right claw and unleashed his strongest attack, slashing a wound into Yammy that was deep enough to expose bone.

"Retreat!" His strike landed, and he immediately pulled back. At the same time, Wien ordered Nel to withdraw.

Hearing Wien's command, Nel rushed to his side, hoisted him up as his Spiritual Pressure dropped, and ran into the distance using Super Acceleration driven to its limit with Spiritual Power.

Nel hadn't charged forward to escape Wien, but to cooperate with him. She then took him away after he had expended too much Spiritual Power.

"Damn it, you two bastards! How dare you trick me!" No matter how stupid Yammy was, the scene before him and the wounds on his body made it clear that he had been fooled by the two Hollows now running away.

Yammy had indeed been fooled, because Wien had planned all of it long ago. During his long travels with Nel, the first thing Wien had taught her was not combat skills, but how to handle emergencies.

What had just happened was one of the surprise attacks Wien and Nel had practiced many times. When faced with a powerful enemy, Wien would give Nel a hint through conversation, and Nel would respond through her movements and words once she was ready. After Wien spoke a specific phrase, Nel would join him in launching a surprise attack.

It wasn't just for the situation they had just faced. There were also commands and coordinated responses for all sorts of unexpected situations, such as launching a surprise attack when negotiations with an enemy were about to break down, or choosing to retreat or strike first when encountering another Hollow on the same path.

Wien had spent months getting Nel to engrave this kind of coordination into her mind. From time to time, he would issue these commands during conversations, so that her subconscious would take control of her body's movements and cooperate with Wien to attack or flee.

It had to be said that this brainwashing-like instruction had given Nel lightning-fast reactions, while her trust in Wien had also grown imperceptibly.

This kind of reflexive surprise attack rarely failed. After all, if Wien judged that they had encountered an opponent against whom a surprise attack would fail, he would simply order a retreat.

"Lord Wien, why are we running?" Nel asked as she raced toward the edge of the Forest with Wien on her back. "With Spiritual Pressure like that, you shouldn't be any weaker than him, should you, Lord Wien? And he's injured too."

Nel had been with Wien for quite some time. Wien hadn't been afraid even when facing a Gillian, but against a High-Level Hollow whose Spiritual Pressure was comparable to a Gillian's, he had chosen to run instead. Nel didn't understand.

"Ira Yammy is no ordinary Hollow!" Sitting on Nel's back, Wien recovered the Spiritual Power he had just expended as quickly as he could.

He continued, "I've heard about his ability. The more injured and angry he gets, the stronger he becomes. And by eating and sleeping wildly, he can accumulate Spiritual Pressure in his body without limit. He had only just woken up and his Spiritual Pressure was already no weaker than mine. If we waited for him to go berserk, then..."

"Lowly bastards! Die!" Before Wien finished speaking, Yammy's Spiritual Pressure instantly surged to a terrifying level. Its intensity nearly slowed Wien down. It wouldn't have been excessive to place Yammy at the level of an upper-tier Gillian now; he had even reached the threshold of Adjuchas.

In the original story, Yammy's strength before Resurrección was only that of an ordinary Adjuchas, but afterward, he immediately surpassed all the Espada and became a Vasto Lorde-level Arrancar. Now, with the body of a High-Level Hollow, leaping two major ranks to touch the edge of Adjuchas might still not be Yammy's limit. But an ability this monstrous was already considered extremely heaven-defying in the outer ring.

"Lord Wien..." Nel's voice trembled with fear, and her running involuntarily slowed. This Spiritual Pressure had only just touched the threshold of Adjuchas. If it were a little stronger, Nel probably wouldn't even have the will to stand.

"Go!" Feeling the terrifying Spiritual Pressure behind them, Wien leaped off Nel, swept her into his arms, and flashed a hundred meters away with Shadowless Strike. Then, heedless of the Spiritual Pressure he was expending, he kept flashing away.

Bang! Bang, bang, bang!!

Not far behind them, Yammy sped forward in a very strange posture. At the same time, dark red spheres formed around his fists, and he continually fired them at Wien.

Bala was a special Spiritual Pressure attack weaker than Cero, but twenty times faster. Yammy had not advanced to Gillian, so he couldn't master Cero. Bala, however, was a pure energy attack that could be formed and released continuously as long as one had enough Spiritual Pressure. The prerequisite was that the Spiritual Pressure used to release Bala had to be at least at the peak of Gillian level. For Yammy in his berserk state, this form of attack was ideal.

Energy balls exploded around him, and Wien focused to his absolute limit. Although Shadowless Strike could dodge a distance of about a hundred meters, it was ultimately a straight-line movement skill. Once Yammy anticipated Wien's movements, the blast radius of Bala would eventually injure him.