Chapter 28: Adjuchas y Vasto Lorde
Narrator's POV
Akira walked calmly across the white sands of Hueco Mundo. He had made a few modifications to his cloak — added spikes to the shoulders, sharp-edged arm guards, and the fabric itself was torn and frayed from constant battles against hundreds of Hollows.
His appearance had taken on a rough, almost apocalyptic edge. And considering where he was… the place truly looked like the end of the world.
Only five hours remained of his time in Hueco Mundo. Two days had already passed since his arrival — two days in which sleeping peacefully was nearly impossible. There was no such thing as rest here. Only vigilance… and survival.
During his stay, Akira had made a somewhat disturbing discovery: his cursed energy seemed to attract Hollows, as if it were some kind of spiritual bait. It acted like a signal — one that screamed, "Prey is here." And that was anything but good.
"For these past few days, I've let my Gillian devour every Hollow we've defeated," he muttered, recalling how his shadows fought tirelessly, then stepped aside to let the massive Gillian feast on the remains. "But there's been no sign of it starting to evolve… Maybe devouring Hollows alone isn't enough."
Akira frowned. There had to be a hidden requirement — some specific condition for a Gillian to ascend into an Adjucha. Maybe it wasn't just about consuming others… perhaps it needed to confront those of its own kind, or absorb a certain amount of power.
"I need to understand how this really works… I'm not wasting the potential of a shadow like that."
What truly set an Adjucha apart from a Gillian — beyond sheer size and strength?
Akira felt the answer lingering on the tip of his tongue… a truth that refused to fully form in his mind.
That's when Igris pulled him out of his thoughts.
With one raised hand, the shadow knight pointed toward a distant area — what looked like a forest, but not a normal one.
The trees were dry, tall, and crystalline, as if carved from ancient quartz worn smooth by time.
Akira narrowed his eyes, adjusting his vision.
In the distance, three figures moved with murderous intent. Three Adjuchas. But there was something different about their interaction — two of them were circling the third, surrounding it like predators.
"So those are Adjuchas…" he said, watching closely. "It's true. To avoid regressing back into Gillians, they have to keep devouring other Hollows…"
The scene was both savage and tragic. Evolution in Hueco Mundo did not forgive weakness.
One of the Adjuchas immediately caught his attention. Its appearance was striking — an enormous serpent with pale gray scales and a white underbelly, three pink spots on each side of its head.
Its mask was elongated and elegant, adorned with three pearl-like pendants hanging from either side like ritual jewelry.
That one… was different. There was something in its gaze — something not entirely feral.
Akira: "Igris."
Just the sound of his name was enough. The shadow knight vanished in a blur of speed, sword already drawn, its dark energy gleaming wickedly.
Akira wasn't far behind. He dashed after him, his speed leaving trails in the white sand. When one of the Adjuchas lunged at its prey, Akira intercepted midair — and delivered a powerful kick straight to its face.
The impact wasn't normal. At the moment of contact, the air vibrated, and an explosion of black lightning burst outward in every direction. A perfect Black Flash. Time itself seemed to distort for a fraction of a second.
The Adjucha was hurled backward, crashing into a quartz tree that cracked under the impact before shattering in two. Akira landed gracefully, his eyes locked on the second attacker, while Igris was already sliding through the battlefield like a living shadow, ready to eliminate the remaining threat.
Igris appeared before the second Adjucha in a flash of darkness, his sword tracing a deadly arc through the air.
But this opponent was no ordinary Hollow.
With a roar, it raised its arm and blocked the slash with the brute strength of a body hardened by centuries of survival.
But Igris didn't stop. With his usual, icy composure, he activated the Ruler's Authority. Dark energy coiled around his palm, and with an invisible force, he forced the Adjucha's arm downward. A sharp crack echoed in the air.
Seizing the opening, Igris spun and delivered a devastating kick to the creature's chest, sending it flying several meters backward, shattering the quartz ground on impact.
"This isn't like anything I've faced before…" Akira murmured, feeling the weight of an overwhelming spiritual pressure. The air itself seemed to hum and vibrate around the Adjucha. "So this is the true level of an Adjucha…"
He didn't hesitate another second. In one swift motion, he drew both weapons — the Demon's Blood Dagger and Kasaka's Dagger, their blades gleaming with a dangerous mix of dark and poisonous energy. Together, they granted him a combined +70 boost to his attack power — a bonus he wasn't about to waste.
"Igris, this one's not like the others… he's strong," Akira warned, lowering his stance with the balance of a trained assassin.
Igris nodded wordlessly. He felt it too. This wasn't a mindless Hollow. This was a warrior — hardened, intelligent, and experienced. Not like the clumsy Gillians that roared and swung wildly. This one was strategic. This one knew how to fight.
A faint smile curved Akira's lips. Not one of arrogance… but of contained excitement. He had massacred Hollows, survived deadly challenges, and climbed in power until reaching level 57. Now, he finally had the chance to test everything he had earned.
"Let's see… how much I've really grown," he said softly, tightening his grip on his daggers. He wanted to test his limits.
A crushing spiritual pressure descended like an avalanche—heavy, suffocating, bending the air itself as if gravity had multiplied. Akira froze mid-step, every muscle in his body tensing by instinct as a shiver raced down his spine. For a few seconds, he couldn't move—he could only breathe with difficulty as beads of cold sweat rolled down his forehead.
He had never felt anything like this before. Carefully, he turned his head toward the source of that overwhelming force. What he saw made his blood run cold.
From between the white quartz trees, a feminine figure emerged—walking with deliberate grace, each motion radiating natural dominance and lethal authority.
A Vasto Lorde.
And not just any Vasto Lorde.
Tall, with a sculpted and powerful physique, her olive-toned skin contrasted sharply with the bone-like fragments that covered much of her body.
Her sea-green eyes glimmered with contained intelligence and latent danger.
From her head extended a sleek Hollow mask adorned with a long shark-like tail that swayed behind her like a living extension of her being.
Her short, sun-golden hair shone vividly against the pale desolation of Hueco Mundo. Sharp protrusions jutted from her shoulders and elbows, while her legs bore ridged grooves that emphasized her predatory form.
(I'm not sure if this is a blessing… or a curse.)
Akira swallowed hard.
He knew exactly who she was. That figure… that spiritual pressure… that presence—there was no mistaking it.
It could only be Tier Harribel.
One of the most dangerous beings in all of Hueco Mundo. And paradoxically, someone he had no desire to fight… yet.
"As long as I don't pose a threat to her… everything should be fine."
Without taking his eyes off her, he subtly raised his hand and signaled to Igris. The shadow knight understood immediately, dissolving silently into his master's shadow.
The situation had changed. It was no longer about hunting Adjuchas. Now, the hunter's focus had shifted—to not becoming the prey.
Akira sheathed his daggers into his inventory with a casual motion, resuming his usual calm demeanor, though his eyes never left the imposing figure of the Vasto Lorde before him. Despite his apparent composure, he didn't lower his guard for even a second.
The two Adjuchas, who only moments ago were ready to fight, recoiled instinctively. One stared at the newcomer, trembling; the other simply turned and fled. Even they knew they stood no chance against a presence like that.
(Now that… that's how you inspire fear and respect—without saying a word.) He noticed the serpent-like Adjucha hesitate before retreating, glancing nervously at the Vasto Lorde. (She's one of the future Arrancar, isn't she? What was her name again… Sung-Sun? Eh, whatever…)
Then, she looked at him.
Her sea-green eyes locked onto his, studying him, analyzing him… weighing his very existence.
Akira held her gaze, remaining calm even under the crushing spiritual weight that seemed to thicken the air itself. He knew—or at least suspected—that she wasn't like the others. That she didn't follow Hueco Mundo's brutal law of "only the strong survive" with the same mindless devotion.
That thought, at least, brought him some relief.
He didn't believe she would attack him without reason.
"What is a non-soul doing in this place…?" she asked softly, narrowing her eyes with a trace of curiosity. "You're still alive…"
Her words carried doubt—but not hostility.
She observed Akira closely, perceiving that he lacked a chain of fate, that his spiritual energy was… different. He showed no signs of hollowfication, no aura of a shinigami, and yet… he stood there, in the heart of the Hollow realm.
An anomaly. An impossible presence. And yet—completely real.
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End of Chapter.