Mila Rose's new form

Dordoni's eyes remained open, however, fear etched into them even though a brave smile still lingered on his lips.

"This bastard is going to give me nightmares."

Cangya gently closed Dordoni's eyes. "It's all over..."

"For now," Tier Harribel said softly.

She landed silently beside him and took his hand, giving it a warm squeeze. "Are you tired?"

"A little."

Tier Harribel led Cangya away from Dordoni's corpse and had him sit down at the entrance to a nearby cave.

"Baraggan will keep hunting us... Whatever happens, I'll be with you... We'll stand against him together."

Cangya would have been overjoyed if Tier Harribel hadn't said those words with that gentle, motherly look in her eyes.

"Tier Harribel."

She looked at him, happiness in her eyes.

She seemed glad that Cangya had come through the encounter relatively unscathed.

He couldn't bear to shatter her happiness with his own questions. He sighed and looked up at Hueco Mundo's moon, which seemed so close.

"Thank you for supporting me."

Tier Harribel could tell something was on his mind.

She chose not to press him and followed his gaze, admiring the solitary moon in the sky.

"You're my family, Cangya... You, Apache, Mila Rose, Sun-Sun—you've all given me hope in this world. We Hollows can live together in peace instead of killing each other for selfish gain."

She dreamed of turning Hueco Mundo into a peaceful utopia.

But with her strength, she was far from capable of realizing even a small part of that dream.

"Without everyone, I would have given up hope long ago... If necessary, I'll give my life to protect my family."

"You're hopeless, Tier Harribel," he sighed, using his Pressure ability to restore his body to its original state.

Freed of his unusually dense muscles, he rested his head on her lap. "I'm going to sleep for a while."

He was too tired to argue any further.

She chuckled softly and gently stroked his hair. "Sleep well..."

In the silence, she thought about his words.

He had said she was hopeless, and he wasn't entirely wrong.

In this world, everything came at a price.

For her "family's" safety, her life was a negligible price to pay.

After all, protecting someone wasn't just about helping them stay alive.

It meant giving them a place to belong, somewhere they could feel safe and free.

Cangya walked into his sanctuary, and the sight before him took him by surprise.

Mila Rose paced back and forth, her breasts swaying with every step.

The dark-skinned beauty suddenly stopped in front of him, one hand on her curvaceous hip.

Cangya's gaze wandered over the alluring details of her body: her pink nipples, the Hollow Hole above her navel, the well-defined abs below it, and the enticing gap between her legs.

Her Resurrección form gave her a piece of sexy armor that her ordinary Arrancar form lacked.

Aside from the three-piece Crown on her head and a white necklace, she was practically naked.

Cangya shook his head. "Good lord, spare me."

"Don't stare at me so rudely, skeleton." Mila Rose covered her crotch with one hand and her breasts with the other, her brows knitting in displeasure.

"Since you've had such a good look, tell me what you think. This is my ordinary, unreleased form. Do you think it's better than my Adjuchas (intermediate Menos Grande) form?"

Though she was confident in her Arrancar form, she still wanted his approval.

This form let her wield greater strength with far less effort. Her combat abilities had advanced by leaps and bounds, far exceeding her expectations.

"Much better, if you ask me." He took off his shirt and tossed it to her.

"Don't run around naked. My heart can't take it."

Even before he became a Hollow, he had impressive muscle definition.

After a month of rigorous training, his physique had developed further, and now he strode along confidently, wearing nothing but jeans.

"Pervert." Mila Rose grinned, sniffed his shirt, and wrinkled her nose. "It reeks of blood... But thank you anyway. I appreciate it."

She put on the shirt, covering her ample upper body.

The shirt was just long enough to cover her most private parts.

Though she was 177 centimeters tall, she looked petite beside Cangya.

After all, Cangya stood 192 centimeters tall and towered over her.

The difference in their heights allowed her to wear his shirt as a makeshift dress, the fabric draping gracefully over her curves.

With a gentle flick of her wrist, she summoned a surge of Reiatsu and, using her perfect control over it, removed the bloodstains from the fabric.

Her Resurrección form hadn't given her any special abilities.

Becoming an Arrancar, however, had improved her base strength and her control over Reiatsu.

Apache came out of her room in the cave, a mischievous gleam in her eyes, and poked Mila Rose's butt with her horn. "Quit being so full of yourself, bitch."

"Ow. Stop poking my butt, you little slut."

Apache walked over to Cangya and affectionately rubbed her head against his leg. "I'm glad you're all right."

"Of course." He gently patted her head. "Someone's not hiding her affection today."

"That bastard wanted to take you and Lady Tier Harribel away from us. He got what he deserved."

Apache had no mercy for anyone who tried to hurt her or those close to her. In some ways, she was even more ruthless than Cangya.

"Good work, Cangya and Mila Rose," Sun-Sun chimed in, slipping out of her hiding place.

"I suggest we move before Baraggan sends someone to investigate the missing Espada."

"Before that." Cangya turned to Mila Rose.

"Tell us about your experience, Rose. Since everyone here wants to become an Arrancar, it would be helpful. Am I right?"

"Of course! I promised you I'd become the strongest Arrancar."

"There's nothing wrong with gaining more power in Hueco Mundo... Especially now that we've made an enemy of the God King."

Apache and Sun-Sun exchanged a determined look. Their desires to gain Arrancar forms were distinct yet intertwined, and they spurred them on.

Tier Harribel nodded thoughtfully, watching their desire for power.

"It's a good way to improve our strength, but we can't be reckless."

She was glad there was a way to grow stronger without devouring other souls, even if it meant dancing with death.

Mila Rose smiled, a hint of recollection flashing in her eyes.

"I thought you'd never ask, Cangya. Well... I remember it hurt. I nearly lost my mind before you pulled me back."

She pointed at him with a questioning look. "How did you do it?"

"I'm not sure myself," he admitted with a helpless shrug.

"Maybe opening our hearts to each other before the fight helped me touch your soul."

He offered a vague excuse for his Shattered Heart ability.

After all, they were Hollows, and even if he told them about the concept of a "system," they wouldn't understand.

"Oh, that." Mila Rose gave an awkward chuckle.

"Looking back, that conversation was pretty strange. I'm sorry I kept misunderstanding you."