Chapter 246: Even Shinigami Need Land Under the Moonlight!
"Shunkō: Bakuen Musō!!"
Amid the dazzling Cero radiance, Satoru grinned wildly, his entire upper body engulfed in blue flames.
Clad in raging flames, he charged forward like a raging bull.
Harribel's eyes widened.
She had intended to warn Satoru that the opponent's Cero was unusual.
But before she could speak, he had already surged ahead.
BOOM!!!!
The moment Shunkō-enhanced Satoru collided with the Cero, a terrifying force erupted in all directions.
Harribel quickly raised her arms, conjuring a Reishi barrier.
The violent shockwaves persisted for over ten seconds before gradually dissipating.
Harribel waved her hand, tearing through the billowing dust ahead to see what lay beyond.
There, a certain righteous character was charging forward with maniacal laughter.
Mid-air, Satoru trailed a brilliant blue light, one hand outstretched as he reached for Nelliel.
Nelliel, treating him as a grave threat, rapidly retreated, leaving a long trail of green light behind her.
One blue, one green—they spiraled through the sky like twin strands of a DNA helix.
"Kekekeke, little girl, you can't escape my grasp! Surrender quietly and spare yourself the pain!"
Satoru's grin widened, flames roaring around him like a demon descending upon the world.
Even though Nelliel was accustomed to all manner of monsters in Hueco Mundo, the sight of Satoru still stirred a sense of panic within her.
During the earlier Cero clash, all the clothing on Satoru's upper body had turned to ash.
His well-defined, powerful muscles were dazzling to behold.
This sudden intruder, while appearing to move with wild, unbridled motions, actually possessed immense technical skill.
From time to time, he would suddenly stomp hard on the air, using some peculiar method of exerting force to unleash a terrifying impact, abruptly accelerating toward her.
If not for her innate talent of "Super Acceleration," she would probably have been caught by now!
The most frightening thing was that this guy hadn't even used his Zanpakutō yet.
It was said that every Shinigami's blade possessed a unique ability, which could be unleashed by reciting a release incantation.
Without knowing the ability of his Zanpakutō, she absolutely couldn't act recklessly!
Just as she made this decision, she saw Satoru, who had been maintaining a similar speed to hers, suddenly accelerate.
One Bone—Accelerated Version!!
Satoru stomped hard on the air, his entire body shooting forward like a cannonball, his speed greatly increasing as he charged toward Nelliel.
Nelliel had grown somewhat accustomed to this move of his.
Using her Super Acceleration, she dragged a green trail of light as she moved horizontally to the side.
Satoru's charge could only go straight ahead; as long as she moved sideways, it wouldn't be a problem.
Just as she thought this, she suddenly saw Satoru, who had just brushed past her, look at her with a strange smile.
"Limbo, Border Jail!"
What did that mean?
Nelliel instinctively looked around, wondering if there was some pre-arranged trap waiting for her.
There was nothing.
The surrounding airspace was completely clear, allowing free passage.
The moment she reached this conclusion, the sensation of her skin being sliced open suddenly came from her back.
RIIIP!!!
A long wound stretched from her left shoulder blade all the way down to her right waist.
Blood gushed out!
Under Nelliel's stunned gaze, she completely lost strength and plummeted from mid-air.
THUD!!!
From hundreds of meters in the air, Nelliel crashed headfirst into a sand dune, sending clouds of dust flying into the sky.
Satoru descended slowly with his legs together, like Unit-06 that had just thrown the Spear of Cassius.
"Lord Satoru, thank you for your assistance."
Harribel approached him, slightly bending at the waist.
Satoru nodded.
At this moment, he felt somewhat regretful.
Earlier, when Sung-Sun told him that a strange individual was hunting Harribel, his first thought had been Starkk.
After all, in his view, only an Arrancar could defeat a Resurrección.
The thought of Starkk's soul fragment, that girl named Lilynette, had stirred a flicker of excitement in Satoru.
Well, this excitement referred to curiosity about soul division—certainly not any particular interest in a girl with that kind of figure.
But upon arriving, he discovered it wasn't Starkk but Nelliel.
Though Nelliel was fine too, compared to Lilynette, the excitement level fell somewhat short.
As he mused, Nelliel had already leaped out of the sand pit.
Half-human, half-goat, she flipped mid-air and landed steadily on the sandy ground.
Gazing at Satoru floating in the air, her eyes filled with astonishment.
This Shinigami... is incredibly strong.
No wonder Harribel switched sides. Facing such power, submission was only natural.
She took a deep breath, tightening her grip on the lance.
Though outmatched, she would never allow this person to wreak havoc in Hueco Mundo!
If this man intended to destroy Hueco Mundo, he would have to step over her corpse first!
Seeing Nelliel's resolute gaze, Satoru showed a curious expression.
"You are... Nel, right?"
"Please do not address me with such familiarity."
Nelliel's voice was icy.
Satoru acted as if he hadn't heard.
He shook his head. "If I recall correctly, you're not the type who enjoys killing or conflict."
"Why did you attack Harribel?"
Nel repeated what she had told Harribel earlier in a calm tone.
Hearing this, Satoru scoffed. "I see. So joining forces with Shinigami makes it unjust?"
"I never expected someone who prides themselves on justice to have such narrow thinking."
"Who decided that Hueco Mundo must belong solely to Hollows?"
"Shinigami also desire land under the moonlight!"
"I haven't done anything wrong, yet just because I'm a Shinigami, you deem me unjust? Is there any logic in that?"
"This is malicious discrimination—Shinigami lives matter too!"
Nelliel froze for a few seconds.
Then, she shook her head. "No, you're mistaken."
"If Shinigami and Hollows had equal power and could keep each other in check, your argument might hold."
"But currently, the Shinigami's power far surpasses that of Hueco Mundo."
"Hueco Mundo's only advantage against Shinigami is its vast, boundless land and hard-to-detect settlements."
"If Shinigami gained assistance from some Hollows and launched a large-scale invasion of Hueco Mundo, it would be catastrophic."
"As a guardian of justice, I must stand with the weaker side."
"Without a doubt, you are my enemy!"
Hearing this, Satoru chuckled.
"You must stand with the weaker side?"
"Fine. In that case, let's make a pact: I, Satoru, swear never to lead a large Shinigami force to invade Hueco Mundo!"
"Then, right now, I'll face the pursuit of Tsunayashiro Senzaemon and Baraggan Louisenbairn alone."
"In this battle, who is the weaker side?"
"..."
Nelliel fell into thought.
A few seconds later, she spoke. "Relatively speaking... you are the weaker side."
"Excellent!"
Satoru clapped his hands: "In that case, as a protector of the weak, please protect me!"
"As long as I don't break the contract, please continue protecting me until those two cease their hatred toward me!"
"This..."
"Hmm? What's wrong, Miss Knight? Is there a problem?"
Satoru narrowed his eyes.
"Could it be that because I'm a Shinigami, even if I'm weak and get killed by those in power, it doesn't matter?"
"That's not it, just..."
"Just that you discriminate against me?"
"I..."
Nelliel looked somewhat bewildered.
She stood in place, thinking for a long time, as if contemplating the entire universe in her mind.
Though it felt somewhat strange, Satoru wasn't wrong.
Baraggan was immensely powerful, standing at the pinnacle of Hueco Mundo—this was undeniable.
As for the renegade Shinigami, though she hadn't fought him personally, anyone who could reside in Las Noches and form a cooperative relationship with Baraggan must surely be a powerful Shinigami.
Under their command were numerous Adjuchas and Shinigami warriors.
Faced with such a formidable force, Satoru was indeed the weaker party.
As a knight who believed in justice, she had a duty to protect him.
Moreover, during this process, she could also monitor him to ensure he wouldn't bring Shinigami reinforcements.
Having reached this conclusion, her expression turned resolute, and she nodded.
"I understand."
Nelliel bowed slightly.
"I, the knight Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck, hereby swear an oath."
"During the contract period, I will fully ensure..."
Here, she paused briefly.
Harribel said calmly, "Lord Satoru."
Nelliel nodded.
"I will fully ensure Satoru's safety."
"And Satoru must not guide the Soul Society or lead Shinigami forces here."
"This contract shall remain in effect until Satoru is free from Las Noches' pursuit."
Satoru grinned, raised his hand, and extended his thumb.
Nelliel also extended her thumb, and the two pressed them together mid-air.
"Contract sealed!" ×2
...
...
On his way to assist, Aizen saw Satoru's group returning.
In addition to Harribel, there was one more person.
He looked at Satoru with a questioning expression.
Nelliel was also startled.
Were there other Shinigami besides Satoru?
She quickly turned to Satoru for an explanation.
Under both their gazes, Satoru smiled and pointed at Nel.
"Sōsuke, this is Nelliel, the bodyguard I found."
"Like Harribel, she's also a Vasto Lorde with formidable combat power."
"You know how it is—a weak man like me traveling through Hueco Mundo is too dangerous. Finding a bodyguard is perfectly normal."
Aizen: "..."
There was a lot to process here.
First, ignoring the nonsense in the last sentence and focusing on what came before—
This guy, after being gone for such a short time, had already subdued another Vasto Lorde?
If the information he possessed was accurate, there were no more than single-digit Vasto Lorde in all of Hueco Mundo.
And now, Satoru alone had three under his command!
Not even considering the middle and lower tiers, just looking at the top-tier combat power, this guy could already rival Las Noches, couldn't he?
Looking at Satoru's foolish grin, Aizen curled the corner of his mouth.
Truly worthy of being the one he had his eye on—this ability to attract and connect with talent could only be described as innate.
He nodded to Nelliel as a greeting.
Satoru turned his head.
"Nel, this is my chancellor. His family name is Aizen, given name Sōsuke, known as the Crouching Dragon by Daoist title, and the Young Phoenix by Buddhist name."
"Throughout the entire Soul Society, aside from myself, he is the foremost expert in strategy."
"Our bond is like insulin and hyperglycemia—inseparable and profoundly deep."
"Even when coming to Hueco Mundo, I must bring him along to feel at ease."
Nel suddenly understood.
So that's how it is... If he only brought one person, that's still acceptable.
This man called Aizen appears scholarly and frail, not looking like much of a fighter.
Without a doubt, in the confrontation with Las Noches, Satoru remains the disadvantaged party.
...
...
Returning to the laboratory, Satoru introduced Szayelaporro to Nel.
Looking at the pink-haired pervert, Nel fell into silence.
Although she hadn't had much contact with Las Noches, she had a general understanding.
While there are numerous Adjuchas, when it comes to Vasto Lorde, Las Noches seems to only have one or two, right?
How does Satoru already have two under his command?
Plus herself as a bodyguard... that makes three Vasto Lorde in total!
For a moment, she suddenly felt somewhat doubtful.
Which side is truly at a disadvantage?
As he pondered, Satoru sighed beside him:
"They say that the ruler of Las Noches, Emperor Baraggan, possesses divine and mysterious powers."
"Even Adjuchas, let alone Vasto Lordes, would meet instant death if touched by that power."
"Faced with such a supreme being, numerical advantage becomes completely meaningless."
Nel nodded slightly.
Indeed.
Although Satoru's description was somewhat exaggerated, she had indeed heard that Baraggan possessed a special ability capable of effortlessly claiming lives with no means of evasion.
Having reasoned this through, she fell silent, saying nothing more.
Meanwhile, Satoru suddenly turned his gaze toward Szayelaporro.
Through his recent interactions with Szayelaporro, he had roughly deduced the reason for the latter's decline in strength.
Unlike other Hollows solely focused on becoming stronger, Szayelaporro's desires lay almost entirely in the realm of scientific research.
He had always sought to refine his special abilities, aiming to evolve a unique effect.
After extensive study, he finally conceived a method.
By splitting his soul and altering the "fundamental code" of his structure, he could utilize a new, easily manipulated and rewritten body to regain power, thereby achieving evolution.
Regardless of whether this approach would succeed, even if it did, his strength would significantly decline.
This was likely the reason he ranked only eighth in the original storyline.
Perhaps he should go the extra mile and help split Szayelaporro's soul ahead of time?
That way, he would have only two Vasto Lordes under his command, and Nel would become even more loyal.
Heh heh.
Feeling Satoru's gaze, Szayelaporro shuddered inwardly.
It was a blatant malice, a terrifying stare as if intending to cast him into hell.
Could it be that Satoru had learned of the treasonous words he had just spoken to Aizen?
He forced a smile, cold sweat breaking out on his back.
Though usually maintaining a gentle demeanor, when angered, Satoru exuded an unexpectedly terrifying sense of threat.
In an instant, Szayelaporro's fear and respect for Satoru surged to a new level.
Standing nearby, Aizen listened to their exchange and quickly surmised what had transpired.
Feigning weakness, acting cute, seeking protection.
Such antics were truly something only a certain individual would resort to.
As for himself, engaging in such behavior was utterly out of the question.
Seeing that someone had finished his bluster... ahem, explanation, he approached.
"Satoru, don't forget the main task."