Sparring with an Equal

Harribel met his gaze. "Before we begin, I want to ask you something. Why do you want to become stronger?... Why do you want to fight?"

Everyone had their own reasons for pursuing strength. It might have been for survival, a sense of achievement, or simply to bully the weak.

Harribel was determined to become stronger for a meaningful purpose: to avoid pointless battles.

She wanted to become strong in body and mind so she could control her beastly desires.

She had another dream, but it could not be realized anytime soon.

Cangya smiled at her question. "For my survival, and to protect Apache... That's what's on my mind right now."

He wasn't obsessed with fighting, nor did he need to become stronger so he could kill indiscriminately.

His only wish was to live a life free from control.

This training was a necessary step toward securing his freedom and survival.

Harribel gave a rough nod, finding his reasons fitting for a Hollow. "I'll test you first."

"I might do terribly." He bowed gracefully, a courtesy his grandfather had taught him. "Please take care of me."

He had never actually been in a fight.

The closest he had come was in self-defense classes.

This would be his first real fight, and he would have been lying if he said he wasn't nervous at all.

"That's all right."

Harribel nodded curtly, and her powerful Reiatsu burst forth, wrapping around him like invisible bonds.

The Reiatsu was sharper than a blade, and he sensed danger.

In an instant, she vanished, replaced by a silver flash and the distant hum of Sonído.

Then she appeared in front of him, her sword-like arm whistling toward him.

Cold sweat broke out on his skin, and his heart pounded in his chest.

In an instant, he shifted his center of gravity and used the Sonído Technique.

His body vanished with a loud boom, kicking up a huge cloud of sand. Her sword missed and slammed into the ground, sending sand spreading outward in concentric circles.

That blow could have cut him in half—at the thought, he couldn't help swallowing. "This doesn't feel like training, Harribel. You're practically trying to kill me."

"It would only scratch your thick bones," Harribel said flatly.

"In Hueco Mundo's Reishi-rich environment, physical wounds caused without Reiatsu heal faster."

He looked at the aftermath of her attack. "Yeah, right, I totally believe you. Can we train without hurting each other?"

He wasn't ready to test his regeneration so soon, especially not by having his body crushed by her sword.

Harribel shook her head. "You have to train your body... Otherwise, when the crucial moment comes, it won't be able to cope."

Although fear of death could drive him beyond his limits, that same fear could also work against him in a dangerous situation.

He might abandon the people he wanted to protect.

"Lady Harribel, he has no experience!" Sun-Sun called. "You should start by teaching him the basics, like when to defend and when to attack."

Seeing how tough Harribel was being, Sun-Sun offered her advice to help Cangya.

"A Vasto Lorde who can't fight properly. That's a pretty cute sight."

"Even I could take him down," Mila Rose said, but no one paid her any attention. "Bunch of bastards."

"Hahaha." Apache was nowhere near as considerate.

She shook her head and giggled carefree. "The look on his face is so funny."

She laughed so loudly that Cangya heard her and glared back at her.

"I'll deal with you later."

"No—no, I was joking!"

Apache shuddered and fell quiet.

Sun-Sun and Mila Rose chuckled at her timid reaction.

Harribel frowned.

"Gaining experience through combat is the best training for you."

Cangya knew her advice was important.

He could use his Reiatsu to overpower weaker Hollows, but the same approach wouldn't work against other Vasto Lorde or stronger opponents.

A novice like him needed to invest time and effort to improve.

If he lost a fight against another Vasto Lorde, it would be because his skills were lacking.

"A skill issue, damn it." He patted his cheeks and clenched his fists. "No pain, no gain. Come on. Let's begin."

Harribel lunged at him without hesitation.

The wind howled as her sword-like arm came crashing down at him again.

She was fast, but he was a Vasto Lorde too, with a sharp body and keen senses.

He sidestepped her attack and saw an opening after her wide swing.

"Found an opening."

He raised his leg and kicked at her unguarded side.

Suddenly, goosebumps rose on his skin, a warning of danger.

Another strike came, a kick aimed at his abdomen with incredible speed.

"Hah!"

Without thinking, he leaped into the air.

With a whoosh, Harribel's leg swept through empty air. He dodged the deadly kick and landed on a boulder.

Pure adrenaline surged through him, and a wave of energy spread throughout his body.

The training had only just begun, but he could already feel the thrill of it.

Harribel used Sonído to appear in front of him in an instant, swinging her arm with force.

He barely managed to duck under it.

However, her arm changed direction and swept toward his knees.

The next moment, he fell face-first into the gray-white sand.

"Keep your eyes open and stay sharp," Harribel said calmly, crouching in front of him and ruffling his hair.

"Don't expect enemies to fight honorably... The survivor is the winner. That's the unwritten law of Hueco Mundo."

Cangya pushed himself up and spat the sand out of his mouth.

Despite the heavy impact, he felt no pain.

He looked up at Harribel.

There was not a trace of arrogance or negative emotion in her gentle gaze.

She looked like a teacher wholly devoted to teaching him well.

No, her gaze seemed more like that of a mother teaching her newborn child. She gave off that kind of air.

"You're driving me crazy."

Harribel almost wanted to leave him there to fend for himself.

She shook her head firmly, restraining the impulse.

I can't. I can't give up... I don't have enough strength to protect him from Baraggan. We both have to get stronger.

She clenched her fist, let him rest briefly, then resumed training.

She didn't hit him so hard after that, and he was mostly able to keep up with her series of attacks.

He continued sparring with her, letting his body adapt to her movements while expanding his knowledge of combat.