BOOM!
The impact shook the brittle trees of the white forest. Bone-dry branches rattled, and flocks of bird-type Hollows burst into the air, fleeing the disturbance.
Sombravida dropped from a tree branch and exhaled slowly. Though Hollows did not sweat, he instinctively wiped his brow — an unconscious remnant of human habit.
"That… was exhausting."
He looked toward the shattered pit trap beside him.
"It was only one tier above me… and it nearly killed me."
The opponent had been an elite-density humanoid Hollow nearing the threshold of Menos evolution. Unlike the mindless predators he had hunted before, it possessed clear tactical awareness. It adjusted its guard, tested terrain, and even recognized irregular ground patterns — evidence of emerging intelligence.
Without the trap field, Sombravida would not have survived the encounter.
After several brutal exchanges, he had finally blinded it by damaging its eye sockets, sacrificing two bone blades in the process. Using fluctuations in his reiatsu to lure it through successive traps, he slowly weakened it until it could no longer resist.
Sombravida approached the corpse, tore away the cracked mask, and climbed a nearby tree to feed.
After prolonged hunting, his absorption rate had improved significantly. The dense spiritual particles flowed into his core more quickly than before.
"The reiatsu density is completely different…"
He flexed his right hand.
Fragments of bone blade began regenerating. The broken sections showed clear signs of regrowth — a benefit of increased spiritual density.
The bone plating along his arm had spread further across his torso. What had once resembled armor was now integrating into a continuous skeletal reinforcement.
His Hierro density had strengthened noticeably.
The bone blades were longer.
Sharper.
More resilient.
He could now endure sonic shock attacks that previously would have staggered him.
Sombravida studied his form.
His height now approached three meters — a result of accumulated reishi density expanding his spiritual body. In Hollows below Menos evolution, growth often manifests as increased size and bone reinforcement.
His strength had increased accordingly.
With his current power, he doubted anything in this forest could easily kill him.
Only one step remained:
continue devouring… and evolve.
Hueco Mundo had no concept of time.
Sombravida had no idea how long he had existed here — nor where events in the wider world stood.
If this was before the great upheavals to come, he still had time.
If not…
Hueco Mundo and Soul Society alike would be death traps.
"At my current level… even a seated officer could destroy me."
His resolve hardened.
"I need to grow stronger."
He rose, preparing to reset his traps—
A crushing reiatsu struck from behind.
Instinct saved him.
He leaned forward and spun, slashing backward.
CLANG
Claw met claw.
The attacker landed on the branch.
Sombravida dropped to the ground below, embedding his claw into a tree trunk to halt his fall.
He looked up.
A cheetah-like Hollow stood above him.
Its body was layered in hardened bone plates, densest along the skull and limbs. A Hollow hole opened near its lower spine. Saber-like fangs protruded from its jaw.
Its reiatsu dwarfed his.
This was no elite-tier opponent.
This was a high-density Hollow approaching Menos threshold.
A voice echoed in Sombravida's mind — transmitted through spiritual vibration rather than spoken air.
"So you're the one hunting in this forest."
Sombravida stiffened.
"You can communicate?"
The feline Hollow tilted its head.
"…And you possess intellect. Interesting."
Predatory curiosity replaced hostility.
"It is said devouring Hollows with self-awareness accelerates evolution."
Its reiatsu sharpened.
"I wonder if that is true."
Sombravida's lips curved coldly.
"You can try."
He launched forward, claw descending.
The feline Hollow vanished from the strike path with effortless speed.
"Give up," it transmitted with disdain.
"Your reiatsu is inferior. Your movements are slow. Become nourishment."
Its spiritual pressure surged.
In the next instant, it appeared before Sombravida.
Its barbed tail whipped forward.
Sombravida barely raised his guard—
THUD
The impact hurled him through the air.
He slammed into a tree and crashed to the ground.
"The weak exist to be devoured."
The Hollow landed lightly.
"But you endure. Impressive."
Sombravida forced himself upright.
This was different from the totem giant.
That brute relied on mass and force.
This predator possessed speed.
Running blindly would fail.
He steadied his chaotic reiatsu flow.
Then turned—
and ran.
Behind him lay the trap field.
The feline Hollow pursued instantly.
Within seconds it closed the distance.
As its claws reached—
Sombravida grabbed a passing tree trunk, pivoted around it, and counterpunched.
The feline Hollow leapt clear.
Sombravida used the moment to widen the gap.
The pursuit continued.
Seconds later, they crossed into the trap zone.
Sombravida turned and blocked a strike, allowing the impact to push him backward toward a marked tree.
He slammed his fist into the trunk.
A cascade of sharpened branches dropped, exploding dust and splinters into the air.
A distraction.
Massive suspended logs followed, crashing downward.
The feline Hollow dodged — but the evasive motion forced a predictable trajectory.
Sombravida burst from the smoke.
Five bone blades slashed toward its flank.
Mid-air, the predator twisted, tail intercepting the strike.
CLANG
It deflected the attack — but Sombravida had already moved.
He drove a punch into the lumbar region as it landed.
The impact slammed the Hollow into the ground.
Sombravida disengaged immediately.
Dust obscured vision.
He waited.
Seconds passed.
The feline Hollow rose slowly.
Rage flooded its reiatsu.
Blue spiritual light gathered around its forelimbs.
Sombravida's pupils contracted.
Spiritual energy condensed into cutting arcs.
The attack released.
Six crescent blades of compressed reiatsu tore through the air.
Sombravida dove aside.
One grazed his left arm.
Bone split.
Dark fluid sprayed.
He rolled clear.
This was not a Cero.
It was a localized reiatsu projection — a high-level Hollow combat technique born from instinctive energy shaping.
Sombravida steadied himself.
The feline Hollow panted.
Its reiatsu had dropped sharply.
Such attacks consumed immense energy.
Sombravida maintained distance.
If it attacked again and failed…
the advantage would reverse.
The predator understood this as well.
The blue light faded.
Its stance shifted.
"You fight well," it transmitted.
"My name is Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez."
Sombravida froze.
"I will remember your reiatsu. Survive until we meet again… and I will devour you."
With that, the Hollow turned and vanished into the forest.
It needed to recover.
Remaining injured in hostile territory meant death.
Sombravida remained still.
Only after the reiatsu signature vanished completely did he collapse onto the sand.
Then he laughed.
"Grimmjow…"
In the distant future, that name would shake Hueco Mundo.
An Adjuchas.
An Arrancar.
One of the Espada.
And now…
only a high-density evolving Hollow.
Sombravida's excitement surged.
The timeline was clear.
This was before Aizen's arrival.
Before the Arrancar army.
Before the reshaping of Hueco Mundo.
He clenched his claws.
If he grew strong enough before that era arrived…
he might escape the fate of becoming a disposable soldier.
He might survive.
He might remain free.
And in Hueco Mundo—
freedom belonged only to the strong.