Meanwhile, in the newborn land, Vritra remained completely unaware of what had transpired in the Domain of Hollow Devouring.
He was still eagerly hunting down newly born Hollows.
His spiritual pressure and body continued to grow steadily.
A serpent-like Hollow, about four meters long, had tightly coiled itself around a boar-like Hollow, constricting its prey with relentless force.
With a sudden surge of power, the serpent Hollow tightened its grip.
Crack!
A muffled snap echoed as the boar Hollow's bones shattered, leaving it lifeless.
Just as the serpent Hollow was about to savor its freshly caught meal, the sand beneath it trembled. Without warning, a massive white centipede tail burst from underground, crackling with dark-golden lightning.
Boom!
With a fierce strike, the centipede tail slammed the serpent Hollow deep into the sand, burying it several meters below the surface.
Hiss!
The serpent Hollow screeched in pain and struggled to rise.
"Heh, for a mere newborn Hollow to survive a hit from my tail whip… you should be proud of yourself!"
Vritra's upper body emerged from the sand, his gaze filled with amusement as he looked at the resilient serpent Hollow. But admiration didn't mean mercy—his attacks did not cease.
Golden arcs of lightning flickered along the centipede tail as it lashed down once more.
Sizzle!
A sharp electric crackle rang out. Vritra even caught the faint scent of roasted meat.
Glancing at the charred, blackened serpent Hollow, he shook his head, somewhat exasperated.
"Seems like I overcooked it."
Still, he didn't mind. Like casually munching on a snack, he stuffed the entire serpent Hollow into his mouth, his cheeks puffing up for a moment before returning to normal.
With the serpent gone, Vritra turned his attention to the boar Hollow's corpse. In just a few bites, he devoured it as well.
"A mere snake dares to attack mighty Vritra!"
After fully digesting both Hollows, Vritra patted his stomach in satisfaction.
Unknowingly, two months had already passed since he arrived in this world. By now, he had completely adapted to life in Hueco Mundo. Still, he occasionally missed his past life—games, anime, entertainment, and of course, the girls.
"This world has a human realm too. If I evolve into a Vasto Lorde and then break my mask, maybe I can return to human society."
Shaking his head, he dismissed the thought.
"No point overthinking. Without knowing the timeline, the only truth is to grow stronger!"
He quickly regained his focus. Just as he was about to hunt for more prey, he noticed movement ahead.
"Something's happening up there?"
Vritra suppressed his spiritual pressure and burrowed beneath the sand, swiftly tunneling toward the disturbance.
"Whimper… woof woof!"
As he got closer, he saw a small, battered yellow dog being chased by something invisible.
The pup leaped desperately, narrowly dodging an unseen lash. But then, an enormous force struck it, sending the dog tumbling dozens of meters away.
"...Milo?"
The sight of the small yellow dog yanked Vritra's memories back to his past life.
As a child, he had picked up a stray puppy and raised it. Those years were the happiest of his childhood. But one day, three years later, Milo vanished after school. All that remained was a bloodstained leash.
Since then, Vritra had never owned another dog.
If not for the faint white mask on its face and the Hollow hole in its belly, he might have believed this was his Milo. The resemblance was uncanny.
"But it's just a weak, newborn canine Hollow… not my Milo."
The entity chasing the pup wasn't eating it outright. It was toying with it, torturing it for amusement. That meant it had intelligence.
Judging by its spiritual pressure, it was stronger than Vritra. But as long as he had the advantage of a sneak attack, he was confident in winning.
"No need to hesitate—let's blast it first and ask questions later!"
His right index finger emerged from the sand, gathering black-red spiritual energy at its tip.
Zing!
A crimson beam streaked through the air, barely missing the pup's tail. Even that slight graze from the Cero was enough to scorch its tail, leaving behind a blackened scar.
"Yelp!"
The pup yelped and rolled aside.
ROAR!!!
A deafening, enraged howl erupted from behind it.
Then, a massive figure appeared—a dark green chameleon-like Hollow, standing five meters tall and stretching nearly thirty meters long.
In its hands were two massive bone spikes, sharp and deadly.
Its mouth gaped open, revealing a shredded, burnt tongue. Its reptilian eyes locked onto Vritra, seething with murderous rage.
"A lizard? No… a chameleon!"
Judging by its size and spiritual pressure, this chameleon Hollow was a giant Hollow.
A tier above Vritra.
But upon seeing its revealed form, Vritra felt reassured. Its primary weapon—its tongue—was already destroyed by his Cero. A crippled Gillian was nothing to fear!
"Damn it! Who dares to attack me?! I'll tear you to pieces!!!"
The chameleon bellowed in fury.
Vritra hadn't expected to find an intelligent Hollow so soon, but this was hardly the time for a chat. Instead, he silently slithered through the sand, repositioning himself behind the chameleon.
Then, with a sudden strike, his centipede tail lashed out, crackling with lightning.
Caught off guard, the chameleon was sent flying.
"You bastard! How dare you interfere with me?! I'll kill you! I'LL KILL YOU!!!"
Vritra ignored its frenzied howls.
With lightning still coursing through its body, the chameleon struggled to rise.
Vritra took advantage of its weakened state, surging forward. His upper body burst from the sand, and with both fists crackling with golden electricity, he rained down a relentless flurry of punches on the chameleon's exposed belly.
Initially, Vritra could only channel his electric ability through his centipede limbs. But now, he could infuse his entire body with lightning!
"ORA ORA ORA!"
With a furious barrage of blows, he pummeled the chameleon Hollow's soft underbelly. Each strike tore through flesh, leaving deep, bloody holes.
Zzzap!
Then, a terrible realization struck him.
Its blood was corrosive!
The dark green liquid sizzled as it burned through his fists, slowing his assault.
...............................
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