"Lord Sombravida, the forest ahead spans roughly seven kilometers. What do you think?"
After nearly two months of travel, Sombravida and Nel stood atop a low hill overlooking the forest below.
During their westward journey, they had encountered many Hollow strongholds. Yet none suited Sombravida's needs — some were too small to sustain growth, while others were dominated by large numbers of high-level Hollows, making them unnecessarily dangerous.
It wasn't fear that made him avoid those territories.
It was responsibility.
Nel had only recently advanced to a high-level Hollow. Charging into a forest packed with powerful Hollows would force Sombravida into constant defense, limiting his ability to protect her.
So he chose patience instead.
The forest before them, though modest in size, was ideal.
Not long ago, a mindless Gillian had emerged from within it — likely the result of a brutal internal struggle. Such an upheaval would have emptied the forest of its strongest inhabitants.
For Sombravida and Nel, this meant opportunity.
That Gillian had already become their prey.
Its enormous spiritual mass had allowed Nel to successfully advance into the ranks of high-level Hollows.
"This will do," Sombravida said after sensing the forest's interior. No dominant spiritual pressure remained.
It was time.
He had traveled far enough west.
It was time to prepare for evolution.
"Let's go," he said, patting Nel's back. "We'll take this forest."
Training a Future Powerhouse
This time, Sombravida did not ride her.
Whenever combat was expected, he fought alongside Nel — partly to guide her, partly to teach.
Combat rhythm.
Tactical positioning.
Survival instincts.
Over two months, the Hollow born in Hueco Mundo had become far more capable.
Yet one thing had not changed.
Nel disliked killing.
She obeyed Sombravida in battle, but unless the enemy posed immediate danger, she would weaken opponents rather than finish them — leaving the final blow to Sombravida.
He had tried correcting this.
It never stuck.
Nel's physiology was different.
She possessed a passive absorption ability that drew spiritual particles from Hueco Mundo's atmosphere. The amount was small, but constant.
Perhaps this explained her potential.
A Hollow that fed slowly but continuously.
A Hollow that endured.
A Hollow destined for something greater.
Still, hunting remained necessary. Ambient energy alone could not sustain growth.
Entering the Forest
Towering trees stretched skyward like pillars of bone.
A perfect hiding ground.
A perfect battlefield.
A perfect training field.
Sombravida considered building traps — but with only two of them, elaborate preparations would take too long.
Besides:
Below Gillian level, Sombravida was virtually untouchable.
Even if dozens attacked, he could escape.
And he could sense such threats long before they approached.
"Lord Sombravida, shall we proceed directly?" Nel asked.
"Yes," Sombravida replied calmly. "If anything appears — we kill it."
"Yes."
They moved deeper into the forest.
First Encounter
"Hiss!!"
A humanoid high-level Hollow emerged, roaring a territorial challenge.
Sombravida barely glanced at it.
Because Nel had already moved.
Spiritual pressure surged.
She launched forward.
"Super Acceleration!"
Her body became a streak of green light.
Before the Hollow could react, her hardened horn slammed into its torso.
Bone shattered.
The body flew backward.
Victory — in a single strike.
Nel approached the fallen Hollow, tore off its mask, and returned to Sombravida.
"Not bad," he said, accepting it.
"You assessed its pressure, predicted damage output, confused it with initial speed, then broke its adaptation timing with acceleration. That was a perfect strike."
He patted her head.
Nel gave no verbal response.
But her tail swayed.
She returned to absorb the corpse, drawing its spiritual particles completely into herself.
Meanwhile, Sombravida snapped off pieces of the mask and chewed them absentmindedly.
Yet his thoughts were elsewhere.
The Problem Ahead
My spiritual energy is nearing saturation.
Inora's words echoed in his memory.
Even with extreme compression, he could only absorb perhaps one-fifth more before evolution became unavoidable.
When that happened…
The Gillian summons would begin.
He would be forced to leave.
And Nel would be alone.
Hueco Mundo was infinite.
Finding her again would be nearly impossible.
Unless fate intervened.
Unless someone like Aizen gathered the strongest Hollows.
But by then…
It would be too late.
Sombravida looked at Nel stretching after feeding.
What if she advances first?
If Nel evolved into a Gillian, her potential suggested she might retain consciousness.
If their evolutions aligned…
They could survive together.
A New Directive
"Lord Sombravida, shall we continue?" Nel asked.
"Let's go," he said, stroking her horns.
"For a while, I need you to grow stronger quickly. When we fight — do not hold back."
Nel blinked in confusion.
"Are we in a hurry?"
"You could say that."
He nodded.
"The Gillian stage is dangerous. I'm close to evolving. If our advancement happens near the same time… we may be able to protect each other."
Protect each other.
Nel pondered the phrase.
Such words did not belong to Hollows.
Hollows devoured.
Hollows betrayed.
Hollows survived alone.
Yet when Sombravida spoke them…
they felt natural.
"…I understand, Lord Sombravida."
Rising Dominance
As expected, the forest had been weakened by the Gillian's emergence.
Only scattered high-level Hollows remained.
They posed no threat.
Some even proposed cooperation.
Sombravida declined.
They were insignificant figures.
Unworthy of his attention.
He allowed them to leave.
The rest became training for Nel.
Stronger enemies Sombravida handled personally.
Day by day, their dominance grew.
Evening Rest
"Nelu, how was the hunt?" Sombravida asked one evening, reclining in a rock chair he had carved beneath a natural canopy.
"Three high-level Hollows. Sixteen elite. Several lesser ones," she replied, settling beside him.
"I already consumed them. Nothing remains for you."
Sombravida sighed dramatically.
"How heartless."
This exchange had become routine.
"Are you afraid I might eat you someday?" he teased.
He immediately winced inwardly at the unintended double meaning.
Nel did not understand the nuance.
Without hesitation, she nuzzled his shoulder and pressed her head against his hand — as if offering herself.
Sombravida laughed softly.
"You brat."
He tapped her head and gently stroked her horn.
Moments like this almost made him feel human again.
"Rest," he said. "I'll hunt. Tomorrow you'll need more prey."
"Yes, Lord Sombravida."
She hesitated, then asked quietly:
"…Why must we advance so quickly?"