Chapter 23: Chapter 23: Inviting a Wolf into the Den (Bouns Chapter)
Chapter 23: Inviting a Wolf into the Den (Bouns Chapter)
Mila Rose was frantic.
Her strong claws, capable of easily crushing steel, trembled with anxiety.
"Damn that lizard..."
Thinking back to the encounter yesterday, Mila Rose was consumed by a mix of guilt and fury.
Because her mistress had once again refused the invitation of the King of Hueco Mundo, they had been trailed for a long time by many Menos Grande seeking to curry favor with the ruler after leaving Las Noches. Eventually, a fierce and bloody skirmish had broken out.
To protect her, her mistress had taken the full force of an attack from a lizard-type Adjuchas with her own body.
A mere Adjuchas could not inflict a fatal wound on her mistress, naturally, but the toxins carried in those fangs were capable of paralyzing nerves and sapping strength.
The situation had spiraled rapidly. In the heat of the encirclement, her mistress had taken on heavier and heavier wounds. Although they had eventually managed to break through with a desperate charge, her mistress was now immobile and hovering on the brink of consciousness.
"Damn that lizard, and that Baraggan too!"
Mila Rose let out a low growl, continuing to dig at the ground like a maniac.
There were many bits of survival wisdom in Hueco Mundo. For instance, underneath the endless white sands, one could occasionally find a strange type of stone; grinding it up and swallowing it could neutralize most toxins!
However, no matter how she sniffed around or how cratered she made the desert beneath her feet, she found absolutely nothing.
Mila Rose refused to give up. She slammed her head against the ground in frustration, then raised her gaze, intent on searching elsewhere.
It was then that she finally noticed an anomaly she had been ignoring.
In the distance, there seemed to be a Spiritual Pressure that had been observing her!
"Who’s there?" She let out a low roar, her mane bristling. She crouched low, limbs tensed in a combat stance.
"Get out here!"
After a silence that didn’t last long, a figure slowly emerged.
"What are you..." Mila Rose bared her fangs and approached the stranger.
In her perception, the entity opposite her was a truly bizarre Hollow.
It resembled an amphibian, its skin devoid of the typical scales, replaced by a layer of mucous membrane. A white, triangular mask was perched on its head, and its massive, bulbous eyes shone as brightly as lanterns.
"Don’t be impulsive," Yato Uchiha said calmly.
"I don’t want any trouble. I’m leaving right now."
Within his crimson eyes, the three tomoe were spinning rapidly.
"Just like this, Yato," Akame’s voice resonated in his mind.
"The Spiritual Pressure of an Adjuchas isn’t much higher than yours. Genjutsu is enough to make her see an illusion, but remember to avoid combat at all costs. This illusion will shatter the moment it’s touched."
Outside, Mila Rose let out a muffled grunt and relaxed.
In Hueco Mundo, a hellhole filled with nothing but bloodthirsty maniacs, encountering an Adjuchas one could actually hold a conversation with was incredibly rare.
However, his Spiritual Pressure seemed quite weak... Did he just evolve into an Adjuchas?
Mila Rose secretly assessed the Hollow opposite her, and a sudden thought popped into her head. She blurted out:
"Your name?"
Mila Rose asked from a position of superiority. Her Spiritual Pressure was higher than his. In the survival-of-the-fittest world of Hueco Mundo, this attitude wasn’t just acceptable; it was standard protocol.
"Salamander," Yato replied with a wicked sense of humor. "Salamander Hanzō."
"Hmph. What a strange name. This creature... a salamander... is it a lizard? It looks like one."
"Both are cold-blooded animals; we’re distant relatives, I suppose."
"And salamanders also have poison glands?"
"Mm, highly toxic."
"Oh..." Mila Rose’s lion-like head bobbed up and down. She moved a bit closer, her massive frame exuding a powerful sense of oppression.
"Come with me. To a certain place."
Yato Uchiha retreated half a step, keeping his composure.
"I said it already, I don’t want any trouble."
"I’m not going to do anything to you. It’s just that a... friend of mine was hurt by a lizard’s toxin and is still very weak. It just so happens that a lizard is a distant relative of yours..."
"But I don’t know how to cure toxins either." Yato utilized Genjutsu, controlling the image of the salamander Hollow to display an expression of refusal.
"I don’t want to get involved in your business. Don’t worry, I’ll head east the moment I leave and won’t look back."
Yet, he didn’t know that this cautious demeanor only served to make Mila Rose feel more at ease.
He wasn’t reckless, he was afraid of death, and he even spoke with a hint of sophistication. Wasn’t this the doctor the heavens had sent to save her mistress?
"Don’t worry. Once the deed is done, we’ll help you find a few Adjuchas for you to devour."
Mila Rose cajoled him, ending with a hint of a threat:
"You can refuse, I won’t force you. Just dig out your poison glands and hand them to me, and you can leave."
"..."
I don’t even have those organs, you idiot!
Yato sighed inwardly, knowing the other party’s attitude was resolute.
Under normal circumstances, he could escape even if he couldn’t win, but he had just engaged in a skirmish with a Gillian. His Spiritual Pressure and soul were nowhere near their peak, and his speed was only at about seventy percent of his full capacity...
It seemed he had no choice but to go.
Seeing the salamander-type Hollow nod, Mila Rose’s massive lion head revealed a satisfied expression.
"Walk beside me. You are not allowed to leave my sight."
"Fine."
With no other choice, Yato had to follow Mila Rose and head off into the distance.
The direction they were traveling happened to be the exact opposite of the live combat exercise perimeter.
For a Soul Reaper, the cardinal directions in Hueco Mundo were notoriously difficult to distinguish; everywhere was filled with identical deserts and quartz-like withered trees. Everything looked the same.
The pair walked further and further away, finally arriving beneath a massive hill.
Boom!
The sound of explosions drifted from afar. Spiritual Pressure howled through the air along with the violent wind, and the faint, unmistakable scent of blood hung in the air.
"They’ve caught up after all." Mila Rose flicked her tail nervously and urged Yato forward.
"Don’t worry. That’s my companions engaging the pursuers. You just need to handle the detox, and then you can leave."
Before Yato could reply, she slammed her body into a massive boulder, revealing a cave entrance hidden behind it.
"Get in. Watch your words and actions, or the consequences... you should know."
Mila Rose gave one final warning before entering first.
Yato followed closely behind. It didn’t take long before they reached a spacious stone chamber.
In the center of the chamber lay a "person."
She was, of course, not human, yet she possessed the incredibly graceful lines and form of a human woman.
Her entire body was covered in white, keratin-like bone armor, revealing only the upper half of her face and her eyes. She had tawny skin and golden hair that fell to her shoulders. Those jade-green eyes were like pools of ice, carrying an innate coldness and detachment.
She was none other than the future 3rd Espada, the Vasto Lorde-class super Hollow, Tier Harribel!
"Rose..."
Harribel spoke. Her voice was raspy, laden with the weakness of one who had suffered a grievous injury.
"Where are Apache and Sun-Sun?"
"They seem to be engaging the pursuers." Mila Rose was overjoyed, gently touching the tip of Harribel’s foot with her nose.
"Are you able to move?"
Harribel didn’t answer. She merely turned her head and looked at Yato.
Those jade-green eyes held a look of profound confusion and scrutiny.
This gaze did not fall upon the salamander-type Hollow; instead, it pierced through the illusion, focusing squarely on the boy’s handsome face.
Just as I thought... Yato sighed in his heart.
The disparity in Spiritual Pressure is too vast. A three-tomoe Genjutsu just won’t work.
☆☆☆
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