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Harribel leaned against the wall of the pitch-black cave, her arms crossed over her chest. In the lower reaches of Hueco Mundo, in the Great Hollow Forest, the moon was not visible, but everything was clear in her emerald eyes.
The interior of this massive cave had been transformed into a labyrinthine network, with wind blowing in from outside and cold air being expelled from within, creating a refreshing sensation.
Harribel began to regret accompanying Aozaki Reiji for a chat.
She was usually taciturn in front of others, but today, in front of Aozaki Reiji, she had said too many things she shouldn't have, every word sounding unlike something that should come from her own mouth.
Her luck was good today; every inappropriate remark received the desired response, always making her heart leap. Logically, this was already good enough, and it should have ended here.
But for some reason, after seeing Aozaki Reiji's bright eyes, she had a strange feeling.
An indescribable emotion seemed to linger in her heart, and the last shred of rationality in her mind told her that this was enough, for now.
She recalled the elegant and handsome figure standing in front of her, shielding her—that was truly the closest she had ever come to death.
It was as if he was destined to stand there.
Death! What a heavy topic…
Aozaki Reiji stood beside her, bringing with him a scorching aura that nearly stopped her heart.
He was too close. Couldn't he give her a moment to compose herself?
She didn't know how to speak.
Harribel took a few deep breaths before she felt her heartbeat begin to slow.
"Harribel really hasn't changed at all. She's always been this cute. If only I had come to Hueco Mundo sooner, I could have met you earlier."
A teasing voice came from beside her, but it didn't have the effect of easing the atmosphere; instead, it made the listener's heart beat faster.
"Do you know what I was like before?" Harribel mumbled.
"I don't know. Harribel, do you want to tell me?"
Aozaki Reiji continued, but his gentle tone made one only want to nod and lower their gaze.
Harribel's chest heaved violently, then slowly calmed down. She gathered her courage and said, "Actually, I used to be very afraid of death."
"Afraid of death?" Aozaki Reiji thought.
He was stunned; it was hard to imagine that this queen, who was willing to sacrifice for her companions and single-handedly repel the Las Noches forces, would actually be afraid of death.
Even her opponents acknowledged her spirit of sacrifice!
"I don't like the feeling of life fading away," Harribel whispered. "But when I was an Adjuchas, there were times when I couldn't suppress my bestial nature and killed my own kind for power."
"It wasn't until I became a Vasto Lorde and no longer needed to feed on my own kind that I escaped that bestial nature."
"That was to gain the power to protect your companions, wasn't it? It was a last resort."
Aozaki Reiji shook his head.
"I understand you, Harribel. To be honest, Hollows are actually more extreme and purer than Shinigami. You are not someone who would kill for power."
"Not now, and certainly not before."
"This is also a sacrifice—causing yourself pain to protect your companions is undoubtedly your sacrifice."
"You don't need to blame yourself, and you don't need to feel ashamed. This is not something to be ashamed of."
Harribel stared blankly at the man before her, who was more agitated than herself, and couldn't help but smile.
"Lord Reiji!"
"What?"
"Please... please live."
"Of course. I'm very fond of my life now!"
"I don't want to see the lives of my companions disappear before my eyes again."
"And I won't let you see that happen," Aozaki Reiji said softly.
"I will hold everything firmly in my grasp. I am a greedy man, and I will never allow anything that belongs to me to be taken away." He looked at Harribel.
Harribel also looked at Aozaki Reiji, and something flashed in her emerald pupils—a recognition of shared ideals, or perhaps adoration and reverence? Aozaki Reiji couldn't tell.
"..."
Half an hour later, "Little Ulquiorra, are you very free right now?" Aozaki Reiji said as he took a book from the bookshelf and casually flipped through it.
At this moment, his other companion, Ulquiorra, was in the temporary data room, intently poring over the mountain of documents.
The interior of this extremely simple cave was dim, as if shrouded in a layer of gray. The newly arranged books had already accumulated a thin layer of dust in just three days.
Ulquiorra stretched out his arm, reached for, and took down a thick notebook.
"Researching at this late hour? You're certainly diligent!" Aozaki Reiji's voice appeared behind him.
Ulquiorra turned his head, and what met his gaze was the face that made him feel overshadowed.
"Lord Reiji, by all accounts, shouldn't you be resting in your room at this time?"
Ulquiorra felt a slight surprise at Aozaki Reiji's appearance.
Aozaki Reiji subconsciously scratched his ink-black long hair, the corner of his mouth slightly upturned:
"Staying in the room all the time gets boring, so I just came out for a stroll."
"Could it be... you're once again searching for the meaning of 'heart'?" Aozaki Reiji sighed helplessly.
Ulquiorra was silent for a while, then finally turned around obediently and said sincerely, "You are indeed correct, but I still cannot find that so-called answer."
Aozaki Reiji smiled slightly, as if he had already anticipated his reaction, and responded softly, "Actually, the principle is very simple. The 'heart' is not something that appears in books. Perhaps you should try to interact more with beings who possess hearts, such as your companions, or humans in the Human World..."
"Companions?" Hearing this word, Ulquiorra suddenly froze, a hint of confusion appearing in his eyes.
Aozaki Reiji nodded and continued to explain, "That's right, companions. Only when you interact and build connections with others can the 'heart' realize its true meaning. And you already possess a heart; you just haven't realized it yet."
Ulquiorra frowned tightly, his face full of doubt as he retorted, "Someone as ephemeral as I... can also possess a heart?"
Facing his doubt, Aozaki Reiji shook his head, then spread his hands, indicating his inability to help:
"Regarding this question, I'm afraid you'll have to explore and comprehend it yourself. Others can at most offer you some suggestions or references. As for whether you ultimately find the answer, the key lies with you."
Ulquiorra definitely had a heart, otherwise how could he show concern for himself and his companions?
It's just that these behaviors were displayed inadvertently, and Ulquiorra himself hadn't realized it yet.
When he comprehended the meaning of emptiness and heart, that would be the time he learned the second Arrancar.
Although this boy was a Vasto Lorde, his strength was still a bit lacking. Since he chose to follow him, it was best if he could become stronger.
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