Nelliel was somewhat shocked.
She had never really encountered many Soul Reapers.
Hollows, especially Menos, rarely went to the Human World.
And if they stayed in Hueco Mundo, they almost never encountered Soul Reapers.
Although Soul Reapers occasionally traveled from the Soul Society to Hueco Mundo to fight Hollows, such occasions were few and far between.
So Nelliel didn't have any particular hatred for Soul Reapers.
But Hollows were still Hollows, and Soul Reapers were still Soul Reapers. The two were natural enemies.
So Nelliel had never imagined that a Soul Reaper would stand in front of her and say he wanted to be her friend...
"You..."
Nelliel fell silent for a moment, then said, "If your companions find out you're associating with a Hollow, they'll probably treat you as a traitor, won't they?"
"It's fine." Gaoyu smiled. "My Captain is easy to get along with. He sees Soul Reapers and Hollows much the same way and doesn't think there's any difference between them."
"A Soul Reaper of Captain rank actually thinks that way?" Nelliel could hardly believe it.
"Well... I think you'll meet him sooner or later. You'll see for yourself then."
Gaoyu wasn't lying. In Aizen's eyes, Soul Reapers and Hollows really were no different. They were all just a bunch of "inferior people."
"..."
Nelliel watched as Gaoyu jumped down from the Menos's corpse, then turned around.
"If you want to follow me, go ahead. But I never said I'd be friends with a Soul Reaper."
With that, she continued walking over the sands of reishi.
Gaoyu smiled. That tsundere act wouldn't work on him, because he could see how favorably other people viewed him.
At that moment, Nelliel's favorability toward him had reached thirty.
It wasn't very high, but for a Hollow and a Soul Reaper, thirty was already pretty good.
Gaoyu also wanted to obtain Nelliel's "size-changing" ability. Since he'd gone to Hueco Mundo with such difficulty, he might as well raise her favorability as much as he could.
So he followed behind Nelliel, chatting with her about this and that.
Nelliel rarely encountered anyone she could talk to in Hueco Mundo, let alone a Soul Reaper.
Meeting Gaoyu was a very unusual experience for her.
She was also quite interested in the Soul Reapers' civilized society.
So she asked, "How did the Soul Society go from barbarism to civilization?"
"Civilization?"
Gaoyu thought for a moment, then shook his head. "There isn't really any distinction between civilized and uncivilized. The Soul Society is just like Hueco Mundo: the strong survive, and the weak are reborn."
"You think the Soul Society is civilized only because, compared to you Hollows, we Soul Reapers are better at using tools."
"Tools?"
"That's right. For example, Zanpakuto." Gaoyu drew his Zanpakuto.
"A Zanpakuto is a tool."
"Before Zanpakuto existed, Soul Reapers were very weak. They could only fight using the most basic Zanpaku-tō, Kidō, Hakuda, and Shunpo."
"Back then, the upper ranks of the Menos—Vasto Lorde-class Menos—could run rampant in the Soul Society."
"But with the advent of Zanpakuto, Soul Reapers became much stronger. Even an ordinary Captain-level Soul Reaper could take on a Vasto Lorde."
"...That's just an increase in military strength," Nelliel countered.
"Military strength goes hand in hand with control. The stronger the military, the tighter its control over those below. That's how civilization came about in the Soul Society. In essence, it's no different from the rule of the King of Hueco Mundo."
"Civilization is the sum of the cultural spirit, inventions, and creations that have accumulated throughout human history, help people understand and adapt to the objective world, fulfill their spiritual pursuits, and are acknowledged and accepted by the vast majority of people."
Gaoyu launched straight into a definition from Baidu Baike, then added, "Do you think the vast majority of people in the Soul Society accept the so-called 'civilization' of the Seireitei?"
"...Well..." Nelliel didn't know much about the Soul Society, but she knew that most of its people lived in Rukongai.
Would the people of Rukongai accept the so-called civilization of the Seireitei?
She didn't know. She had rarely been to Rukongai.
It was difficult for Soul Reapers to enter Hueco Mundo, but Hollows could easily travel to the Soul Society.
That seemed a little unfair, but while Hollows had a deficiency in their hearts, their bodies did possess powerful natural abilities.
Talents like Super Regeneration, Hierro, and Sonído came naturally to them.
The Garganta was the most incredible ability of all. It let them travel freely between the Three Realms. Soul Reapers still needed a Senkaimon to travel to other worlds, and even then, entering Hueco Mundo was difficult.
But any Menos could pass through the Garganta and travel freely between the Human World, the Soul Society, and Hueco Mundo.
"Let me put it this way. In the Rukongai districts beyond the fiftieth..." Gaoyu said evenly. "The souls there live no differently from those in Hueco Mundo."
"So I don't accept the Soul Society's so-called civilization. It's just a band of thugs using their superior strength to uphold a system that benefits the rule of the nobility."
"Maybe..."
He lowered his head slightly and spoke softly. "Even this order was built on lies and betrayal."
"You..." Nelliel turned to look at Gaoyu, momentarily dazed.
"You seem to know a lot. Are all Soul Reapers like you?"
"If they were all like me, the Soul Society would be in chaos." Gaoyu suddenly stopped, then said, "But at least you've met me now, as well as my Captain. We're both... eccentrics."
"Isn't that right, Captain Aizen?"
The space ahead rippled, and Aizen's figure emerged from it.
The moment Nelliel saw the Captain's haori on Aizen, she immediately went on high alert.
"No need for that," Aizen said calmly. "You're a friend Gaoyu made in Hueco Mundo. There's no need for us to fight."
He had just used a cloak made by Kisuke Urahara that concealed his spiritual pressure, along with a Kidō spell that made him invisible.
But Gaoyu had still spotted him at a glance.
That didn't mean Gaoyu had some incredibly powerful ability or strength. It was simply because he could see Aizen's Soul Ability marker.
That Soul Ability indicator really was a great way to deal with people who could turn invisible or create illusions. As long as he kept an eye on the Soul Ability, he could tell where they were.
"Captain Aizen, have you taken care of everything?"
Gaoyu narrowed his eyes slightly, then smiled faintly. "I should be able to go back now, right?"
"Of course," Aizen said.
"But could I bring this young lady Hollow back with me? I'd like to invite Miss Antelope to visit the Soul Society."
Before you continue