Chapter 135: The Death

Chapter 135: The Death

Nelliel hadn't forgotten her oath to Kazuya. In order to honor her vow, she didn’t have to just value her life but also thrive in the treacherous landscape of Hueco Mundo. By virtue of her strength, she had overcome all hostile forces except for one harrowing encounter with a group of battle-hungry Adjuchas that forced her to flee.

Today, fortune seemed to favor her with a bizarre discovery — a sprawling cave that burrowed deep into the Hueco Mundo. Amidst the plethora of crumbling ruins that littered this realm, none ventured so deep below the ground as the one before her.

‘Perhaps I’ll stumble upon another treasure here.’

She had come across her lance in one of the ruins. The promise of another treasure led her deep within the ‘abyss.’ Towering, skeletal trees pierced the inky darkness around her. But any wonder at the surreal underground forest was quickly swallowed by the clamor of battle that reverberated through the still air. Her steps hesitated momentarily, until she sensed an anomaly — a Reiatsu both piercing and sinister, an energy signature that neither belonged to Hollow or Shinigami.

Drawn as if by a magnetic pull, she pressed on, each step accompanied by the torturous cries of Hollows, their voices thick with an unsettling terror and despair. These lamentations roused something primal within her, propelling her forward with redoubled urgency.

She arrived at a tunnel more ominous than any she’d seen, a maw bathed in an impenetrable darkness. Suddenly, the cries faded, replaced with a silence so absolute, it seemed as if the very air had been sucked away..

‘They all... died.’

Nelliel galloped into the dark expanse. A nauseating waft of blood enveloped the cave, coming from the Gillians’ corpses haphazardly strewn about the place. Death was everywhere, and it weighed her down with sorrow.

“It depends on who is asking. Is it the man who served the Gotei 13’s soldier or the beast sharpening his fangs by living among monsters?”

“...Both are me.”

“For the Shinigami, I’m Muramasa, a Zanpakutō Spirit serving Koga Kuchiki. For the beast, I’m a lost traveler crawling in the desert in search of an oasis.” He spread his arms, and his fingernails uncurled with audible clacks. “A crimson oasis of Hollow flesh and blood. These vile creatures... they’ll quench my thirst and satiate my hunger. The Hueco Mundo will become my banquet.”

Ashido loosened the grip on his katana. “Slaughter them as you wish. I’ll not stop you.”

He leaped towards a platform near the ceiling and disappeared into a cave.

Muramasa didn’t stop Ashido. Fighting a Shinigami, especially one close to Vice-Captain level, would have been an effortless task in his peak form. However, centuries of separation from his Master had deteriorated his strength. He could still use his abilities to make a Shinigami’s Zanpakutō rebel but it just wasn’t worth it at the moment.

Ashido’s departure was the best case scenario for Nelliel as she didn’t have to fight two opponents at the same time. However, she wasn't relieved. Her mind was hung up on Muramasa casually revealing his plan to slaughter all the Hollows in Hueco Mundo. She felt a visceral stir within her core. Her very spiritual energy flared up and recoiled at the thought of his pure evil. Unaware of the raw, intense emotions pushing her Reiatsu past her natural limits, she continued glaring at Muramasa.

“You will not kill anyone... I’ll kill you.”Yôur favorite stories at novelhall.com