Bonus chapter 2/3. Gonna post the last one tomorrow.
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Kazuya spent some time chatting with his party. Harribel then motioned for them to follow her. They soon stepped out of the cramped cave, which had been narrow to fit everyone without it feeling cramped. He preferred it this way as it also helped Mila Rose and Sung-Sun slowly become used to his and Apacci's presence.
Harribel turned around to leave. "I'll inform you when we leave. Until then…"
He reached out and grabbed her hand. "I have a request. Can you help me with my training?"
"Training?" Harribel readily asked. "What type of training?"
"What skills do I need in Hueco Mundo?"
Harribel's eyes turned soft. "Fight… right now?"
"I'll ask you later."
He had to address Apacci's concerns first. As soon as Harribel left, Apacci glared at him for obvious reasons. He had put her into a dilemma and made her lie. Now was the time to reward her.
"You forced—gahh!"
Appaci nearly choked when Kazuya hugged her neck, squeezing the deer for her dear life.
"Thanks for having my back."
Not expecting words of gratitude, Appaci stood there like an idiot until he drew back from her.
"Did you rip their masks to transform them into Arrancar?"
"I did, and the results were just as I expected. Also, don't feel bad for them. They came to kill us, remember?"
All three Hollows ended up burning their souls, temporarily showing Reiatsu of Vasto Lorde-Class. He had a sudden idea. The unnamed NPCs couldn't endure the demanding process of Arrancarization, but Apacci was a different breed. She was a named character with her own role to play in the massive war caused by Aizen.
The chances of Apacci succeeding were enormous.
Apacci shivered as his 'intent' locked on her. "What are you thinking now?!"
"I feel hungry! Can I grill your leg?"
"No!"
He decided to ditch the risky idea. The one percent chance of Apacci dying or being inflicted with Amnesia like Neliel was simply unacceptable.
'I'm getting way too obsessed with this Arrancar shit.'
He shook his head and decided to relax for the day.
***
Sometime later.
Kazuya strolled across the rocky terrain of Hueco Mundo until he came face to face with Harribel. On the cliff in the distance were Mila Rose, Sung-Sun, and Apacci, their shadows falling long and dark in the twilight sky.
All three Adjuchas watched, fascinated, as the two Vasto Lorde silently sized each other up.
Harribel made eye contact with him. "Before we start, let me ask you something. Why do you want to become strong? …Why do you want to fight?"
Everyone needed a reason to seek strength, whether it was for survival, a sense of accomplishment, or simply to tyrannize the weak. Harribel was determined to have strength for a meaningful purpose: to avoid meaningless fights. She wanted to become strong in body and spirit, gaining her control over her own animalistic desires.
She had another dream, one that couldn't be fulfilled in the near future.
Kazuya smiled at her question. "For my survival and to protect Apacci... That's all I have on my mind right now."
He wasn't obsessed with fighting, neither did he need to become powerful to kill mindlessly. His only wish was a life free from control. This training was a necessary step in assuring his freedom and survival.
Harribel gave him a cursory nod, finding his reason appropriate for a Hollow of his age. "I'll test you first."
"I'll perform really bad." He gave an elegant bow, showing manners rooted in him by his grandfather. "Please take care of me."
He never got into any brawl. His closest experience to a fight was during the self-defense lessons. This would be his first rodeo. Saying he wasn't a little nervous would be a lie.
"It's fine."
Harribel gave a single, sharp nod and her powerful Reiatsu shot out, wrapping around him with an invisible grip. It was sharper than a blade, giving him a sense of danger. In an instant she was gone, replaced by a silver flash and the distant hum of her Sonido. Then she was in front of him, her sword arm howling through the air.
His skin broke out in cold sweat and his heart raced in his chest. In a split second, he shifted his body weight and used the technique of Sonido. His body disappeared with a loud swoosh followed by a giant cloud of sand as Her sword missed its mark and slammed into the ground, sending sand cascading outward in concentric circles.
The attack could have sliced him in half — the realization made him gulp. "This isn't training, Harribel. You're straight-up trying to kill me."
"It will only scratch your thick bones," Harribel said in a neutral tone. "Physical injuries without Reiatsu heal faster in Hueco Mundo's rich Reishi."
He glanced at the aftermath of her attack. "Yeah, right. I totally believe you. Can we do it without inflicting injuries?"
He wasn't ready to test his regeneration skill so soon. Especially not by getting his body crushed by her sword.
Harribel shook her head. "You have to teach your body… or else, it'll not be ready when the moment comes."
While the fear of death was necessary to push him to his limits, the fear could work against him in dangerous situations. He might abandon those he wished to protect.
"Harribel-sama, he is inexperienced!" Sung-Sun shouted. "You should start with basic things like when to defend and when to attack." Sung-Sun gave Harribel directions to help Kazuya with Harribel's inflexible demeanor. "A Vasto Lorde who can't fight properly. It's quite an adorable sight."
"Even I can knock him out," Mila Rose spoke but no one paid her any attention. "Fuckers."
"Hahahaha." Apacci wasn't so considerate. Throwing her head around, she let out a carefree giggle. "His face is so hilarious."
Her laughter was loud enough to reach him, prompting him to glare at her in return.
'I'll take care of her later.'
"N-No, I was kidding!"
Apacci shivered and settled down. Sung-Sun and Mila Rose chuckled at her timid response.
Harribel frowned. "Gaining experience through battles is the best training for you."
Kazuya knew the importance of her advice. He could brute force weaker Hollows with his Reiatsu only; the same method wouldn't work with another Vasto Lorde or stronger opponents. A novice like him needed to invest both time and effort to get better.
If he lost against another Vasto Lorde, it would be due to his lacking skills.
"Skill issue, fuck." He clapped his cheeks and clenched his fists. "No pain, no gain. Come. Let's start."
Harribel pounced at him without hesitation. The sound of rending air reached his ears — her sword arm once again came crashing down on him. She was fast, but he was also a Vasto Lorde, both in body and senses. Stepping to the side of her attack, he saw her vulnerable after her wide attack.
'Found an opening.'
He raised his leg to kick her undefended side. Goosebumps suddenly crawled on his skin, signaling danger. Another strike was coming. A frontal kick to his midsection at tremendous speed.
"Haph!"
He leaped in the air without another thought. Swish. Harribel's kick rended the air; he dodged a fatal kick to his chest and landed on a boulder. Pure adrenaline pumped through him, a surge of energy rolling through him in waves.
The training had barely started, but he was feeling its rush.
Harribel reached him instantaneously with Sonido and swung her arm with brute force. He barely ducked to dodge. Yet, her arm changed its course and took his knees out from under him. Next thing he knew, he was kissing the ashen sand.
"Keep your eyes open and sharp," Harribel said calmly as she kneeled before him and ruffled his hair. "Don't expect your enemy to fight with honor… the survivor is the winner. It's the unwritten law of Hueco Mundo."
Kazuya pushed himself up and spat the sand out. Despite the ridiculous impact, the pain was nonexistent. He looked up at Harribel. Her soft gaze lacked any arrogance or negative emotions, for that matter. She looked like a teacher fully committed to coaching him to the very end. No, he felt like her gaze was more akin to a mother teaching a newborn. She radiated that type of aura.
"You're gonna drive me nuts."
Harribel almost felt compelled to leave him alone and happy. She firmly shook her head, resisting her impulses.
'I can't. I can't stop… I lack the strength to protect him from Baraggan. We both have to grow.'
Clenching her fists, she told him to have a brief rest before continuing the training. She didn't use lethal force afterwards, and he could mostly keep up with her flurry of attacks. He continued trading blows with her, adapting his body to her movements and expanding his combat knowledge.
***
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