"Hmph, little one, daring to show off in front of me. When I catch you, I'll definitely teach you a lesson," Toshiro shouted towards the distant Nel.
Then, Toshiro made as if to give chase.
"Waaah—" Nel let out another cry and continued running forward.
Ashido beside Toshiro, hearing his words, gave him a strange look up and down, then said incredulously, "Hey, Toshiro, you're not actually planning to go play that endless chase game, are you?"
"Well, it's my fault too. I've been too focused on your strength and subconsciously ignored your age. I forgot that at your age, you love to play. Go on, Toshiro! Go play the endless chase game with them! Don't mind me. After you've had enough fun, we'll find the Hueco Mundo Expeditionary Force. I'm in no hurry."
Ashido patted Toshiro's shoulder, wearing an understanding expression.
"Hey! What's with that look like I'm some mischievous kid who only wants to play?! Ashido!" A big '#' symbol appeared on Toshiro's forehead as he roared at Ashido.
"I was just pretending, to make Nel and the others leave! I'm not really going to chase her, got it?!" Toshiro explained.
"Yeah, yeah." Ashido nodded casually.
But his dismissive attitude showed he clearly didn't believe Toshiro.
"Well, whatever. Let's go meet up with the Hueco Mundo Expeditionary Force soon," Toshiro said, feeling mentally exhausted.
Nel in the distance really thought Toshiro was chasing her, so she was running hard. But Toshiro turned around, ready to leave.
"Hey, Toshiro, you really don't want to play with them? You don't need to mind me. I've been in the Forest of Menos for centuries, so waiting a bit longer is fine. You can have your fun, then we'll go," Ashido persuaded.
Toshiro's eyes turned icy. "Enough! Ashido! I said I—"
"Ah—" Suddenly, a scream rang out.
Toshiro looked back. Nel, running too excitedly, didn't watch her feet and tripped over a dried branch on the sandy ground, falling hard.
Moreover, Dondochakka, Pesche, and the large pet Bawabawa following closely behind couldn't brake in time, also tripped, and their bodies crashed towards Nel.
The current Nel had lost her power. If crushed by Dondochakka, Pesche, and the large Bawabawa, she'd be seriously injured or worse.
Shunkuho!
Toshiro's figure flickered, instantly vanishing from his spot.
Swish!
Toshiro's figure appeared beside the fallen Nel, scooped her up, and instantly moved away.
Thud!
Just after Toshiro carried Nel away, Dondochakka, Pesche, and Bawabawa crashed heavily where Nel had fallen.
The large Bawabawa pinned Dondochakka and Pesche underneath.
Dondochakka and Pesche screamed miserably under Bawabawa.
Toshiro placed the Nel in his arms on the ground.
"Nel, are you okay? Can you stand?" Toshiro asked with concern.
Saying this, Toshiro brushed off the sand stuck to Nel from her fall.
"You saved me?" Nel asked softly after recovering, none of her earlier wild playfulness remaining.
"Of course. If you were crushed underneath, you'd definitely be flattened," Toshiro said, stroking the cute skull mask on Nel's head.
"How about it? Not hurt, right?" Toshiro carefully examined Nel, concerned.
"Ah... yeah, yeah." Seeing Toshiro's caring expression, Nel was taken aback, then nodded repeatedly.
A strange feeling rose in Nel's heart. Few cared so much about her safety. Although Dondochakka and Pesche also cared and often played with her, they never expressed it so earnestly.
"That's good. As long as you're not hurt," Toshiro said.
"We have things to do, so goodbye," Toshiro said somewhat reluctantly.
With that, Toshiro turned to leave.
Watching Toshiro's receding figure, a strong sense of loss surged in Nel's heart. It felt like something important was slipping away. If she didn't hold on, she'd surely regret it.
"You... are you running away?" Nel shouted at Toshiro's back.
"Huh?" Toshiro turned, puzzled.
"You're just going to escape like this?" Nel shouted, her face full of reluctance.
Toshiro said somewhat helplessly, "I'm not—"
But before Toshiro finished, tears welled up in Nel's eyes. She pursed her lips, trying not to cry.
"Sigh! We have things to do, so no time to play with you," Toshiro sighed, somewhat helpless.
"Waaah— You're so mean! I wanted to play more! You actually refuse so heartlessly! If I'd known, I'd rather you killed me outright..." Nel cried pitifully.
"Could you stop crying?" Toshiro said, unable to bear it.
Just then, a voice suddenly rang out.
"Then let me be the one to kill you!"
"Hmm!"
Hearing the voice, Toshiro immediately became alert, scanning the surroundings.
"Here?"
After carefully sensing the surroundings, Toshiro quickly locked onto his right-hand direction.
Underground to Toshiro's right, a Reiatsu was rapidly approaching.
Boom!
Sand and soil flew. A massive figure suddenly emerged from underground.
"This is..." Toshiro looked at the giant sand-formed humanoid creature before him, feeling somewhat familiar but unable to recall.
"Th-th-this is-is the Guardian of White Sand … Runuganga-sama!" Seeing the sand-formed humanoid, Nel was so scared she couldn't speak properly.
Runuganga was a Hollow formed from sand, subordinate to Las Noches, usually active within Las Noches's sphere of influence.
The area Toshiro and the others were in now happened to be just outside Las Noches's influence. Unexpectedly, someone had pursued them.
The giant sand-formed humanoid looked at Nel, Toshiro, and Ashido. "I heard Las Noches's alert earlier, saying Shinigami entered Las Noches's territory. That's you, right?"
Although Las Noches didn't order its subordinate forces to pursue Toshiro, Runuganga, relying on his special abilities and not taking intruders seriously, specifically chased them.
"And you little maggots, actually colluding with intruders! Unforgivable! You shall also become sand in this desert!" Runuganga also said to Nel and the others.