Chapter 30: Harribel and Her Group
Narrator POV
"Who's this little guy?" —a mocking, playful voice asked. The lion-like Adjucha stared at him with a disdainful smirk. "Why would Harribel bring someone this weak? He's not even a Hollow."
"Maybe she felt sorry for him. He's so… tiny. Look at him," added the deer-shaped Adjucha, circling Akira slowly with curious steps but clear intent in her eyes. "A human? Still alive? How nice… we could kill you." Her grin widened, clearly enjoying the idea.
"Could you behave yourselves? We have a guest. That's why none of you are attractive… especially you, Mila Rose. You look more like a gorilla than a lioness," said Sung-Sun in a sharp, dry tone, not even bothering to look directly at her companion.
Sung-Sun's words hit like a dart, and the effect was immediate. Both Adjuchas turned toward her, eyes blazing.
"Pff—HAHAHAHA!"
Apacci, the deer-bodied Adjucha, couldn't hold back her laughter after hearing Sung-Sun's insult. The mental image of a golden-maned gorilla made her laugh even harder.
"WHAT'S YOUR PROBLEM, SUNG-SUN?! YOU WANNA FIGHT OR WHAT?!" roared Mila Rose, stepping forward menacingly. But Sung-Sun just looked away with bored indifference, as if Mila Rose didn't exist. "And YOU, stop laughing, Apacci!"
Meanwhile, Harribel watched the scene silently, not moving a muscle. She was used to these outbursts. The three of them fought over the smallest things, and it was rare for a day to go by without an argument.
Akira, for his part, raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms with visible disbelief.
"What… an interesting dynamic you all have," he commented, watching the three of them bicker in what seemed more like a daily ritual than an actual fight.
"That's just how they are…" Harribel said with a quiet sigh, observing as Apacci and Mila Rose began shoving each other again. "The one with the serpentine body is Cyan Sung-Sun. The lioness is Franceska Mila Rose. And the other, Emilou Apacci. They're Adjuchas I helped when others tried to devour them. You could say we formed a group."
Her sea-green eyes turned to Akira, analyzing him calmly—as if peeling away the layers of his soul.
"And you, human… How has someone like you managed to survive in this world? Especially with that dark energy you emit. It would draw Hollows to you like flies to blood."
"My name's Akira. I don't have a last name… or maybe I forgot it. I've been here for two days," he replied evenly, though his guard remained up.
The way Harribel looked at him made him feel as if she were measuring him.
"Two days…" she repeated quietly.
That was far longer than any normal human could have survived in Hueco Mundo. Harribel suspected that strange power she had sensed in him had much to do with it.
The shadows that emerged from his body… the daggers hidden at his side… and that dark, cursed energy that seemed almost alive. He was no ordinary human.
Beyond Akira's relaxed exterior, Harribel could see potential. If he really fought Apacci or Mila Rose, he probably wouldn't struggle too much.
"Show me what you've got, Akira."
"Eh? Straight to the point, huh?" Akira raised an eyebrow with a faintly amused grin. "Wouldn't you prefer a coffee first before asking me for something that intimate?"
Harribel's eyes narrowed slightly, though her expression remained cold. Was that… flirting?
She couldn't tell if he was joking or serious, but either way—it was intriguing. Few ever dared speak to her like that… especially not someone who wasn't a Hollow.
Even if her form wasn't conventionally "humanly" attractive, Harribel knew Akira wasn't speaking out of weakness. There was confidence in his tone—and that was what made him interesting.
Apacci and Mila Rose froze mid-fight, staring in disbelief. No one—absolutely no one—had ever dared speak to Harribel like that. Much less a human.
"Your powers. Your weapons," Harribel said coldly, her tone like ice. She wanted to understand how he had survived so long in Hueco Mundo—and whether he was a threat to her group.
"You really take the fun out of life," Akira replied with a lopsided grin, stretching his arms.
With a flick of his wrists, two daggers appeared.
One crimson, pulsing faintly as if filled with living blood. The other, as black as night, its jagged edge crawling with cursed energy.
He let the dark aura rise around them, the air itself humming with a sinister vibration.
"Happy now?"
Harribel examined the weapons carefully.
They were far from ordinary. The red one—she could feel it—was made to tear through Hollows with merciless precision. The other, more insidious, felt designed to drain and destabilize, to erode life itself. They weren't mere tools. They were extensions of his cursed power.
"I also want to see what you're hiding in your shadow," she added bluntly. She would not allow someone so mysterious to conceal a possible threat within her territory.
"And why would I show you that?" Akira raised an eyebrow—not out of defiance, but out of habit.
In a blink, Harribel was right in front of him. Her weapon had materialized, its cold edge resting against his throat with perfect precision. There was no anger in her eyes—just a silent warning.
"That's why I was saying… I'll totally show you what's in my shadow," Akira said with a nervous smile, swallowing hard and raising his hands in peace.
Akira's shadow spread behind him like a living stain. From it emerged several dark figures—first, the hooded assassins, then the glowing-eyed mages, followed by armored knights of pure black steel.
And finally, stepping forward with regal poise, came Igris, his most loyal knight, wrapped in an aura of noble darkness.
Akira had kept the Gillian in reserve. He knew bringing it out here would be reckless—its sheer size could obliterate the entire lair in seconds. He wasn't eager to start a war.
The air grew heavy with tension. Harribel observed silently, weapon lowered, her expression unreadable. Apacci and Mila Rose exchanged glances, their earlier disdain replaced by something else — curiosity.
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End of Chapter.