Comforting the Other One

Apache felt proud of herself for risking her life for a corpse.

"I'm glad you're alive." He rested his chin against her Hollow mask and used his Reiatsu to clean the blood off her.

Her tail swayed adorably, even though she didn't dare look at Cangya. "There, you're clean now."

Sun-Sun came over after Cangya finished cleaning Apache, while Tier Harribel and Mila checked on Apache from a distance before returning to the base.

Sun-Sun looked at the Gillians, who had been beaten to a gruesome state, and playfully poked Cangya with her tail.

"Oh my, am I interrupting an intimate moment?"

Apache glared at Sun-Sun. "My Reiatsu is exhausted right now, and Cangya is helping me clean up."

"Once I become an Arrancar, I'd like to ask Cangya to clean me too. Since we're friends, it'll be free, right?"

"Of course it's free. If you like, you can bring another friend along."

After some lighthearted teasing, Sun-Sun left Cangya and Apache alone.

That was for the best, because Cangya needed to talk to Apache in private, without anyone else watching.

"Apache, I care more about you than that corpse. If you died protecting a corpse, I'd be very sad. You know, I can find Arrancar corpses in Las Noches, but I can't find another Apache."

His gentle words had the intended effect. Apache stared at him in silence, touched by what he had said.

"Oh—of course. There's only one Apache in this world, but there are thousands and thousands of Mila Roses. You won't find me anywhere else."

He chuckled at the jealousy she had shown, perhaps jealousy of Mila Rose.

He playfully tugged on her ear, making her frown in pain. "So don't risk your life for pointless reasons anymore."

"It wasn't pointless!"

"How was it not? You could have called me, Sun-Sun, or even Tirutī. Fighting them in your condition was too reckless. If I hadn't arrived in time, you might have died."

His sharp tone stood in stark contrast to his usual gentle, sweet voice.

Apache felt as though time had frozen. She had been waiting to be rewarded for fighting with her life on the line.

Instead, Cangya was scolding her for her recklessness.

For the first time, Apache felt the sting of betrayal.

Cangya sighed and gently stroked her horns.

"Listen, I'm sorry I was too harsh and overbearing just now, but I'll do everything I can to protect you and the others." He pointed at Dordoni's corpse. "You can eat him."

Apache understood his reasoning, but that did nothing to ease the bitterness in her heart.

"No, you eat him. That'll increase your Reiatsu capacity. It's good for you."

"If you eat him, you might evolve into a Vasto Lorde."

His tempting words made her pause and think, briefly forgetting his scolding.

"A Vasto Lorde..." Apache said softly. "If I become a Vasto Lorde, will I have a body like Tier Harribel's?"

She imagined herself taking a form similar to Tier Harribel's, and most likely Mila Rose's as well, her voice filled with envy.

"Very likely."

"I..."

"Don't hesitate. You risked your life to protect this corpse, so now it belongs to you."

Apache looked in Dordoni's direction and shook her head.

"Making you stronger is more important than making me stronger. I can eat any Hollow and gain a little power."

For once, she acted selflessly, hoping Cangya would feel the care behind her small sacrifice and stop being so harsh.

She only hoped Cangya would go back to being his easygoing, joking self.

Cangya grinned. "Oh, don't stare at me like that. I know I'm handsome and you love me, but before we take things any further, you should take on a human form."

"Who loves you, skullhead?" Apache muttered, lowering her head as her heart pounded in her chest. "Leave me alone!"

"All right, enjoy your meal, my adorable little darling."

He left Apache alone to enjoy her "feast."

She might reach the level of a Vasto Lorde, or at least come close to it.

More importantly, it would help her wounds heal faster and restore her lost Reiatsu.

Apache trudged back to the gloomy cave, the pressure weighing on her like a heavy burden, leaving her short of breath.

Her dejection was not without reason.

She had eaten every last bit of Dordoni's body, absorbing his flesh and blood to strengthen her Reiatsu.

Yet despite her efforts, becoming a Vasto Lorde remained a distant dream. That level was still far beyond her reach.

"Should I break my mask?" she wondered, recalling the powerful force that simple act might unleash.

But she also knew that great power came with great risk.

Ever since witnessing Mila Rose's awe-inspiring power, she had been unable to resist the temptation of that possibility.

"I promised Cangya I'd wait patiently... but I also promised to become the Strongest Arrancar."

Though she longed to fulfill her promise, she had no choice but to slow down.

Her gaze fell on Cangya, who was nestled beside Sun-Sun's enormous, cyan serpentine body.

Sun-Sun's scaly tail covered him like a protective shield, and he seemed to have found comfort in its embrace, sleeping soundly beneath it as though it were a makeshift blanket.

Surrounded by cute pets, he could be said to be enjoying a pleasant time.

He made a promise with me, yet he's sleeping with her. How awful! Did he coax her into making some kind of promise too?

Her heart filled with jealousy.

Sun-Sun raised her head and hissed, "The little deer returns triumphant after devouring the eagle, yet there is not a trace of joy on her face. Does this foretell an impending tragedy?"

Apache roared at Sun-Sun's unnecessary comment about her. "To hell with joy."

Cangya stirred and sat up, beckoning Apache over. "Come here."

She obediently moved closer and laid her head on his leg, using his thigh as a pillow.

"I want to use your body too."

"Use my body however you like," he murmured, a gentle smile on his lips. "My adorable little deer, what's troubling you?"

Cangya could feel the storm within her, and her intense longing for power, a longing that was filling the emptiness in her soul.

Sun-Sun's words about tragedy were not unfounded. Apache was very likely to do something reckless in her pursuit of power.

Her Hollow Hole was powerful proof of her craving for primal power.

Apache clenched her teeth. "I'm angry with myself. I just want to get stronger and beat the crap out of Baraggan with you... but at my current strength, I can't even get close to the Espada. It makes me so angry."

Cangya listened intently to her passionate outburst, his fingers gently stroking her head.

She leaned involuntarily into his gentle touch, finding comfort in his caress.

"Then stop dwelling on it," Sun-Sun suggested calmly. "Only a fool focuses solely on surpassing an opponent's strength. Why not try outsmarting your opponent? Like Cangya's plan to go to the World of the Living."

"Running away to some faraway place isn't a clever strategy."

"And is it clever to fight an opponent when the difference in strength is so great?" Sun-Sun scoffed.

"Don't make me laugh, Apache. I want to fight as much as you do. You need to learn patience, or you'll end up as someone else's food."

Apache clenched her teeth in frustration.

For years, she had relied on running and hiding.

Yet now, she could not suppress her desire for more power, as though devouring Dordoni had made her hunger even stronger.