Back in Hueco Mundo, Stella was freaking out. Her massive Gillian body stomped through the barren wasteland, her mind a scrambled mess as she tried to make sense of everything.
"Shit, shit, shit! What am I even thinking?!" she yelled, her voice echoing into the emptiness. "Mayuri? MAYURI, I ALMOST DIED!!"
Panic raced through her, the last fragments of her human self slipping away. The hunger was always there, gnawing at her, but now fear twisted inside her, mixing with the screams of the hollows she'd devoured. She couldn't shake the image of those cold, calculating eyes and that twisted grin. Mayuri wasn't just any Shinigami; he was a nightmare in the flesh. If she hadn't escaped, he'd be slicing her apart right now for his twisted experiments.
"I'm too weak. I need power," she growled through clenched fangs.
The encounter with Mayuri shook her, but she wasn't going to let fear control her. Still, one question lingered—why had he let her go? There had to be a reason, and whatever it was, it couldn't be good. That thought alone made her skin crawl.
"Focus, Stella, focus," she muttered, shaking her head to clear the fog. "Power. That's the only way out of this."
"Menos Forest... more hollows, more food," she murmured as the hunger flared up again. Her Gillian form had one purpose: devour or die.
Without hesitation, she opened a garganta, stepping into the dark void and emerging into the thick, suffocating air of the Menos Forest. It was filled with countless hollows, most as mindless as her current form. But scattered among them were stronger prey—the kind she needed to devour.
Stella didn't bother hiding her presence. Let them come. Let them try. She'd crush and consume every last one.
Soon, she spotted movement ahead—a trio of Gillians lumbering toward her. They were big like her, but weaker. She could feel it.
"Perfect," she whispered, a twisted grin forming on her monstrous face.
With a burst of speed, she charged. Her hands pierced the nearest Gillian's flesh, and within seconds, it was over. She ripped the mask off and devoured the hollow whole.
The other two hesitated, but only for a moment. Driven by the same mindless hunger, they lunged at her. Stella roared back, fueled by rage and excitement. This was what she lived for—devouring, growing stronger. She easily dodged the first attack and slammed her fist into the second Gillian, sending it crashing into the ground with a sickening crack.
The third tried to fire a Cero, but she was faster, tearing into its throat before it could. The hollow's body splattered across the sands as she ripped it apart, bit by bit, until nothing remained but crushed bones.
And she didn't stop. She devoured the second, then the third. Her body moved on autopilot, driven by hunger and the intoxicating rush of power. With every bite, she felt stronger, the voices in her head growing louder, but she stayed in control.
Panting, Stella stood in the carnage. Power coursed through her, but the transformation she craved wasn't here yet. It was coming, slowly. Her spiritual pressure was growing, but she knew it would take time—maybe months, maybe years—before she could evolve into an Adjuchas.
"Not yet," she muttered, frustration creeping in.
She started moving again, dragging herself through the endless white sands of Hueco Mundo. The hunger gnawed at her, but she knew this wasn't a sprint. She had to keep devouring, keep growing, until the time came to break free and become something more.
Her path was clear now. Hueco Mundo wasn't a place to hide—it was a place to grow. She'd tear through the hollows, devour everything in her way, and evolve. Once she became an Adjuchas, nothing would stop her.
The human world was tempting, but it was a trap right now. Too many eyes. Too many Shinigami. She had escaped once, but she wouldn't be so lucky next time if she wasn't ready.
"I'll be back, but next time, I'll be Stronger, far stronger."