Apache the Mount

Before he could continue exploring his system, a thunderous roar caught his attention.

Apache shuddered, recognizing its owner.

"It's back. Ah, we're dead. Run!"

A few days ago, she had encountered the enormous Adjuchas.

Only her Sonído and natural agility had allowed her to escape its ravenous maw.

However, her current Reiatsu was only enough to use a basic level of Sonído for thirty seconds—not nearly enough time to evade the Adjuchas determined to eat her.

"An enemy? That's trouble."

He had yet to master basic Hollow skills, such as controlling his Reiatsu, or spiritual power.

Although his Reiatsu was comparable in quantity to that of an ordinary Captain-level Soul Reaper, he had no experience controlling it.

"That's right." Apache kicked off the ground and sped up. "Learn to fly, damn it. I don't want to carry you around like a slave."

Their predator appeared atop the hill behind them—a huge serpentine beast with eight arms and a caterpillar-like lower body.

The skull mask on its head and the bone armor on its shoulders softened its terrifying appearance somewhat.

The monster seemed right at home in Hueco Mundo, that barren land filled with suffering.

The Adjuchas leaped down the hill and chased them on its many writhing legs, kicking up a cloud of sand behind it.

"Little deer, you have only one fate. Stop resisting and become part of a stronger Adjuchas like me."

Cangya was surprisingly unafraid of the situation, as if his brain refused to recognize the enormous beast as a threat.

He patted Apache's back. "Buy me some time. I'll kill it."

Apache could feel the confidence in his voice, like a warm, invigorating elixir dispelling the fear and doubt that echoed through her mind.

She found herself unable to question where his conviction came from, as if she had faith in him.

"A Hollow with conviction."

She snorted, a hint of doubt coloring her thoughts.

"Trust me."

Then his pleasant whisper, like a gentle breeze, caressed her ears and blew away her doubts.

She was like a desperate moth, irresistibly drawn to a blazing fire.

Apache groaned at the absurd predicament she had landed in.

She had only two choices left: be swallowed by a Hollow, or trust this man who had unwavering confidence in his own abilities.

"Don't let me die!"

She poured Reiatsu into her legs, and a thunderous boom rang out behind her.

Although her Sonído wasn't particularly good, the sudden acceleration caught Cangya off guard.

The wind battered his face. In his old body, the sensation would have been enough to make him sway in the air.

In his current state, however, the wind invigorated him, reminding him of riding a Suzuki motorcycle.

"I love this world."

He seized the opportunity to close his eyes and immerse himself in the energy surging through his body.

Controlling Reiatsu was an innate instinct for every Hollow, and he skillfully guided the flow of energy with his mind.

"Easier than I thought."

Suddenly, Apache's knees went weak under his chilling Reiatsu.

She stumbled, and they both fell to the ground. Cangya's clothes became even more tattered after he rolled through the white sand.

He stood and brushed the sand off himself, seemingly unscathed by the devastating fall.

The hole in his Hollow body did nothing to hinder his movements; it was merely a decorative symbol.

The sand in Hueco Mundo was peculiar. Its grains held together more tightly than those on a beach, as if an invisible energy bound them together.

"Whew, I'm not crippled."

Meanwhile, Apache stared dumbfounded at the bright blue Reiatsu radiating from Cangya, shocked and frightened, her body unable to move.

The concentration of his Reiatsu exceeded the Adjuchas level, hinting at a greater power.

It was as if...

"Haha, I didn't expect you to bring someone else." The enormous Adjuchas laughed, completely oblivious to Cangya's Reiatsu, as if its senses were severely dulled.

In fact, the serpentine Hollow was on the verge of degeneration.

"I'll eat you first, then enjoy the female over there."

Cangya turned to the gluttonous Adjuchas and concentrated his Reiatsu in his hand.

A dense sphere of blue energy appeared, its presence distorting the air around it.

"Can you—" Suddenly, an icy chill spread down the Adjuchas's spine, sending a tingle through his nerves.

His heart pounded wildly as he hurriedly turned around, his eyes wide with panic and fear, desperately trying to flee the chilling presence lurking behind him.

"Cero..."

At Cangya's command, the energy sphere shot forward and expanded into a dense beam.

The Cero beam destroyed the Hollow's mask and head, then tore a huge hole through a distant hill.

Cangya was a little dazed by his first kill, but for an entirely different reason.

"Haha, I'm strong."

[Race ability: Learned Cero.]

[Current mastery: Basic.]

The immense destruction caused by his rudimentary grasp of Cero left him amazed. He could scarcely imagine its power when fully mastered.

He shook his head and walked toward Apache, who was still in shock, and no wonder.

The Adjuchas that had nearly killed her had been wiped out by a single Cero from him.

She gazed into his eyes, seemingly trying to see through to his "true" intentions.

"Ha... ha."

He was a Vasto Lorde Hollow, a being most Hollows in Hueco Mundo feared.

Although not as common as Gillians and ordinary Hollows, Adjuchas could be found throughout Hueco Mundo, especially in Las Noches.

Will he... eat me?

She swallowed hard and staggered to her feet.

Being eaten by him seemed more acceptable than dying at the hands of that enormous Adjuchas, but she would never surrender without a fight!

"I... I won't die so easily."

Oblivious to her inner struggle, Cangya jumped onto her back and stroked it.

"I told you to trust me... And I think I'm a Vasto Lorde."

"You sure are..." she murmured, suddenly realizing he was lying on her back.

"Huh? What's this supposed to mean? You're not going to—" She stopped herself in time, not wanting to give him any ideas.

What if... he doesn't know Hollows can grow stronger by devouring others?

She thought it was quite possible, considering he had only just realized how strong he was as a Vasto Lorde.

Perhaps he had lost his memory in a battle and ended up buried where she had found him.

She could spend her whole life guessing about his past and still never know exactly why he had those moments of ignorance.

"Stop muttering. We need to go."

Apache slapped his back with her tail in protest, the only act of resistance she could manage at the moment.

"You can walk and fly. Get off my back!"

He leaned down and stroked her ears.

"I'll protect you from the other Hollows, and you let me ride you. That's a fair deal, right?"

Hueco Mundo seemed unbearably dull, with so little change in its surroundings.

He needed her in his life, or he might be consumed by boredom.

His soothing voice left her speechless for a moment.