The moment Kurosaki Masaki heard Reno say he was taking her to Hueco Mundo, she screamed.
"Hueco Mundo?"
Reno paused, recalling that Masaki had also mentioned "returning" earlier. A realization struck him, and he grinned. "You're the princess of Hueco Mundo! The Hollow King's daughter! Right?"
"How do you know? Who are you? Did Father send you?" Masaki asked, startled. Her mind, still reeling from the recent climax and grief, immediately latched onto Reno's words.
"No! You couldn't have been sent by Father..."
Masaki suddenly realized that if Reno had been sent by the Hollow King to find her, he would never have dared to rape her.
"Heh... just as I thought..." Reno chuckled inwardly. He had long suspected the truth about Ichigo's mother's identity while reading the original manga, and now his theory had been confirmed.
In the original story, the Hollow within Ichigo was at least King-level, and his father was a Soul Reaper. Therefore, the source of the King-level Hollow within Ichigo must have been his mother, Kurosaki Masaki. Since Ichigo's Hollow was King-level, it was undeniable that Masaki was either the Hollow King's daughter or the Martial King's daughter—the princess of Hueco Mundo!
"Don't worry! I wasn't sent by the Hollow King, and I won't hand you back to him. So, what do you say? Will you agree to be my woman?" Reno continued, addressing Kurosaki Masaki. From her tone, Reno understood that Masaki had undoubtedly betrayed the Hollow King, which explained her fear of facing him again.
"No... As soon as I enter Hueco Mundo, Father will sense me. I refuse to go back! Besides, you raped me. If I return, Father will definitely kill you!" Masaki shouted immediately. She had no intention of ever returning to Hueco Mundo. Her only thought was, If Father finds out everything, Isshin, Ichigo, Yuzu, and Karin will all die!
Reno's body tensed at her words. He hadn't realized the Hollow King was so powerful—able to detect Masaki's presence the moment she entered Hueco Mundo, even if she had lost all her abilities.
Reno knew nothing about the Hollow King of Hueco Mundo. But since he was a product of that realm, he couldn't possibly be a good person. If the Hollow King learned that Reno had raped his daughter, Reno was certain he would be executed immediately.
The thought sent a chill down Reno's spine, cold sweat breaking out all over his body. But if he didn't take Kurosaki Masaki to Hueco Mundo, what was he supposed to do with her? Reno truly didn't want to kill her.
Pfft! Just as Reno was wavering, his attention momentarily diverted, Kurosaki Masaki suddenly stood up, seized his Zanpakuto, and plunged it into her own heart.
"No—!"
Reno's shout and outstretched hand came too late. The crimson Zanpakuto pierced Masaki's heart.
Cough...
Masaki coughed up blood, yet a smile bloomed on her face. "Even if Father never found out," she whispered, "I would never go to Hueco Mundo with you. I've betrayed Isshin. My body has been defiled by you. I no longer wish to live..."
As she spoke, her breath grew weaker. Finally, her body went limp, collapsing naked into the pool of blood.
"Damn it..."
Reno cursed under his breath, never imagining Masaki would choose death in the end.
As Reno cursed, he gripped the hilt of his Zanpakuto. A crimson light flashed and vanished, and Kurosaki Masaki's body instantly dissolved into spiritual particles, completely absorbed by Reno's Zanpakuto!
"Hmph... Good riddance. At least I won't have the Hollow King chasing me now!" Reno snorted coldly, withdrawing his Zanpakuto and sheathing it at his waist. He strode into Hueco Mundo, completely oblivious to the abnormality of his Zanpakuto absorbing Masaki, assuming she had merely vanished.
Above the endless desert, a black rift suddenly appeared, and a figure clad in crimson Shinigami robes plummeted through—Reno, having just entered Hueco Mundo!
The moment Reno crossed into Hueco Mundo, his Reiatsu was immediately detected by all present.
"This unfamiliar Reiatsu? Who is it? Another Pseudo-Arrancar? Its Reiatsu barely reaches Gillian level... Hmph..."
"Trash! Just a Great Hollow Arrancar of grunt rank..."
"This Reiatsu is strange... completely different from ours..."
It feels... hollow, yet not quite...
Within Las Noches, sensing Reno's Reiatsu, several disdainful voices echoed before dismissing him entirely. A mere Pseudo-Arrancar of Gillian-class strength was beneath the notice of the Espada.
Had Reno known how underestimated he was, he would have been furious. If not for the Void Lightning he'd exhausted breaking through Hell, his Reiatsu would have far surpassed the Gillian level. Even as an Arrancar, he had only reached Adjuchas-class Reiatsu. Moreover, he couldn't fully recover the Void Lightning.
So many powerful Reiatsu...
Reno silently marveled as he entered Hueco Mundo, his eyes immediately drawn to the towering Las Noches.
My strength isn't enough yet. I can't go there now...
Reno thought to himself. For a Hollow to grow stronger, there was only one path: devour other Hollows.
Pfft! As Reno stood still, a pig-shaped Adjuchas suddenly burst from the sand before him, its jaws snapping open to bite him.
"Hmph~" Reno snorted coldly. He had sensed the creature's Reiatsu the moment he entered the area. Though his own Reiatsu was currently only at the Gillian level, his powerful spiritual awareness remained intact, making it easy to detect the enemy.
"A Soul Reaper...?"
The Adjuchas burst from the sand and immediately recognized Reno. Clad in Shinigami robes and wielding a Zanpakuto, Reno was instantly identified as a Soul Reaper.
"Ha ha... Damn Soul Reaper... Die!"
Sensing Reno's Gillian-level Reiatsu, the Pig-shaped Adjuchas roared with laughter and lunged at him with a swift kick.
Pfft! To the Adjuchas' surprise, its ambush failed. The hoof struck only sand.
"Let's see who dies first..."
Reno's figure flashed behind the Pig-shaped Adjuchas. With a sinister grin, he drew his crimson Zanpakuto and slashed downward.
Swoosh! The crimson blade sliced through the air, leaving a shallow gash across the Adjuchas' back. To Reno's shock, the wound was barely superficial, failing to harm the creature. Instead, the impact left his own arm tingling with numbness.
"Damn it! The difference in Reiatsu..."
Reno cursed under his breath. He had assumed his Sonido-level speed would allow him to easily defeat these Pseudo-Arrancar Hollows, but he couldn't even scratch them!
Reno was shocked, but the Pig-shaped Adjuchas was even more astonished. Reno's speed far exceeded its expectations. A savage grin spread across the Adjuchas's face. If the Soul Reaper's Zanpakuto couldn't even cut it, what was there to fear?
Whoosh! Reno dodged again, reluctantly using his speed to evade the Pig-shaped Adjuchas's hoof attacks, letting them slam into the sand.
"Damn Soul Reaper... Stop running and fight!" the Pig-shaped Adjuchas roared in frustration after its repeated attacks failed.
"Hmph~" Reno scoffed coldly. Being forced into such a humiliating retreat by a mere Pig-shaped Adjuchas was a blow to his pride.
"Destroy the living, shatter space and time! Descend, Thunder Emperor!"
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