Bonus chapter 2/3. Gonna post the last one tomorrow.
...
Kazuya spent some time chatting with his new group, getting to know them more. To be honest, it was mostly him and Sung-Sun vibing in each other's company. She was a fun person to be around with. After that, Harribel motioned for him to come after her. He along with Apacci followed Harribel out of the cramped cave, which couldn't fit everyone without it feeling cramped. He preferred having his own place with Apacci 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, which was completely unnecessary. The young man just wanted a reason to touch her. "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?"
"After some rest."
He had to address Apacci's concerns first. As soon as Harribel left, Apacci pushed his back with her head. She was angry for obvious reasons. He had put her into a dilemma and forced her to lie. Now was the time to reward her for making the right choice.
"You forced me—gahh!"
Appaci nearly choked when Kazuya hugged her neck, squeezing the deer for her dear life. She was in Heaven and Hell at the same time.
"Apacci, thanks for having my back. I appreciate it."
Not expecting words of gratitude, Appaci stood there like an idiot even as he drew back from her. He patted her head with a cheeky smile, which prompted her to slap his hand with her horn.
"You little… did you rip their masks for your Arrancar thing?"
"I did, and the results were as expected," he said with a sigh. "Anyway, 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. A new idea flashed in his mind. The weak unnamed NPC Hollows 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!"
That risk remained just an idea in his head. It wasn't worth the risk. 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.'
To distract his mind, he chose to call it a day here.
***
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 under 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, which was to avoid meaningless violence. 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. Now, she wished to know his reason to seek strength.
Kazuya smiled at the 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."
"Don't expect too much." 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 as his previous battles were one-sided stomps, thanks to his Vasto Lorde status. Saying he wasn't a little nervous would be a lie.
"There is no need to be anxious. I'm not going to hurt you."
Harribel's powerful Reiatsu shot out, wrapping around him with an invisible grip. It was sharper than a blade, triggering his sense of danger. In an instant she was gone, replaced by a silver flash and the distant sound 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 that split second, he shifted his body weight and used Sonído. His body disappeared with a loud swoosh followed by a giant cloud of sand—Harribel's sword missed its mark and slammed into the ground, sending sand cascading outward.
The attack could have sliced him in half—the realization made him gulp. "What happened to the 'not hurting' rule? It doesn't apply if you're straight-up trying to kill me?!"
"It'll only scratch your thick bones," Harribel said in a calm voice that only made him worry more. "Physical injuries without Reiatsu heal faster in Hueco Mundo. The energy here is very abundant."
He glanced at the aftermath of her attack and gulped. "Yeah, right. I totally believe you. Can we like do it without stabbing each other? I'm a rookie."
He wasn't ready to test his regeneration skill so soon, especially not by getting his body crushed by Harribel's 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, that was Harribel's reasoning to beat the fighting instinct into his body.
"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, knowing that his revenge could be utterly devasting for her. Sung-Sun and Mila Rose chuckled at Apacci's timid response.
Harribel, who wad facing Dante, 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, but the same method wouldn't work against another Vasto Lorde or similarly strong opponents. A novice like him needed to invest both time and effort to improve.
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 fight."
Harribel rushed 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 in a vulnerable state in the aftermath of 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. He sensed frontal kick coming at his midsection.
"Haph!"
He leaped in the air without another thought. Swish! Harribel's kick split the air, barely missing him. He had dodged a fatal kick to his chest. As he landed on a boulder, he felt pure adrenaline pumping through him, a surge of energy rolling through him in waves.
The training had barely started, but he was feeling its rush.
Just as he was catching his breath, Harribel used Sonído to near-teleport to his side 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.
"I know."
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 must 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.