Cero Repetition.
The sight reignited the fading red glow in Sombravida's eyes.
Hope returned.
Nel's spiritual pressure had clearly reached the Adjuchas level. Though still slightly weaker than Riat in raw power, she possessed an overwhelming tactical advantage.
And that advantage had just been unleashed.
The Counterstrike
The pink Cero roared forward.
At less than thirty meters, Riat had no room to evade.
The counterattack struck him head-on.
The heat — far greater than his own blast — engulfed his body instantly.
His carapace blackened.
Spiritual pressure burned violently across his frame.
With a single strike, he was severely wounded.
Nel's timing was flawless.
Sombravida had drained part of Riat's power.
Sombravida's apparent defeat lowered his guard.
Rage clouded Riat's judgment.
Nel struck at the precise moment of vulnerability.
Sombravida had taught her this principle:
Strike while the iron is hot.
She had never forgotten.
Emerald Spear
Before the smoke cleared, a double-bladed spear formed in Nel's hands.
Her soft voice, usually gentle, now carried cold fury.
"Emerald Spear."
The silver weapon streaked forward in a pink arc.
A wet, heavy impact.
The sound of flesh being pierced.
Riat screamed.
The scream ended abruptly.
A second spear formed instantly.
Nel hurled it toward the source of movement within the smoke.
A fatal strike.
Sombravida blinked in surprise.
Nel's decisiveness had become lethal.
But he quickly understood.
He had taught her the principles.
And Nel had learned them well.
Yet the truth was simpler:
She had sensed Sombravida's fading spiritual pressure.
She knew he was moments from death.
Compassion had no place for enemies.
Anyone who threatened Lord Sombravida—
must die.
Silence After Battle
Riat's spiritual pressure faded into nothing.
Sombravida collapsed backward, tension leaving his body.
"…I'm alive."
He stared up at the dim sky.
The pain from his severed limb seemed distant now.
"A damsel saving the hero…"
He let out a weak laugh.
"Never thought it'd happen to me."
Nel's Concern
"Lord Sombravida! Are you alright?!"
Nel rushed to his side, circling anxiously.
Her humanoid antelope form hovered beside him, checking his wounds.
Her voice trembled with worry.
"I'm fine," Sombravida said, struggling upright.
He patted her head with his remaining hand.
"Thanks to you."
"Hehehe…"
She lowered her head shyly.
Even through the mask, her happiness was unmistakable.
"Let me treat you."
Healing
Nel knelt beside the severed shoulder.
Her tongue extended beneath the mask.
Each luminous stroke sealed burns and scorched tissue.
Her evolved healing ability worked far faster than before.
Within minutes, the charred flesh restored itself.
The limb did not regrow—
but the wound closed completely.
"That's enough," Sombravida said gently.
"You've grown stronger."
"Yes," Nel nodded.
"The difference between Adjuchas and before… is like heaven and earth. Strength, senses, intelligence — everything has improved."
Sombravida smiled.
"That's good."
Then his expression sharpened.
"We must leave immediately."
Erasing Evidence
Nel vanished briefly.
She returned carrying Riat's mask.
Sombravida chuckled.
"Destroying evidence too, huh?"
He crushed and devoured it, restoring vital spiritual energy.
"Where do we go now?" Nel asked.
"We leave this forest," Sombravida replied.
"Riat's death will turn the core against us."
She nodded.
The Escape Problem
Sombravida hesitated.
"Can your super-acceleration carry me?"
Nel shook her head.
"With one arm, you cannot hold on. You would be thrown off."
Sombravida fell silent.
Then Nel raised a finger.
Space tore open.
A black rift formed.
Sombravida's eyes widened.
"A Garganta…"
He laughed.
"Nel, you keep surprising me."
Her tail wagged happily.
A New Destination
Sombravida's eyes glowed beneath his armored mask.
"Open it toward central Hueco Mundo."
"We're heading to the Central Hollow Forest."
A Garganta could drastically shorten travel time.
Journeys that once took a year could be reduced to weeks.
Its only flaw:
opening and stabilizing it required time and energy.
But it was their best chance.
Inside the Garganta
Within the black passage, Sombravida questioned Nel about her evolution.
Her answers surprised him.
During Adjuchas evolution:
she slept through most of the process
knowledge and combat instincts were imprinted afterward
she gained instinctive understanding of her abilities
But during Gillian evolution:
she received only basic instinctual guidance.
She never experienced the voice Sombravida had heard.
Sombravida kept his own experience secret.
Perhaps her loss of consciousness had prevented deeper contact.
Perhaps not.
For now, it didn't matter.
Days in the Void Passage
Time flowed strangely inside the Garganta.
Sombravida's arm healed slowly.
Days passed.
"Lord Sombravida," Nel said gently,
"we've been traveling for days. Should we leave briefly and find food?"
She wasn't hungry.
She was worried about him.
His injuries and energy deficit were slowing recovery.
Sombravida considered.
"They won't catch us now."
He nodded.
"Let's rest."
Returning to Hueco Mundo
They stepped out into the dim yellow wasteland.
Compared to the stagnant void, the flowing spiritual particles here felt refreshing.
Nel quickly located a small forest.
At their arrival, lesser Hollows fled in terror.
Nel moved like lightning.
Moments later, several high-level masks were in her grasp.
She handed them to Sombravida.
Then she hunted.
Relentlessly.
Not from cruelty—
but necessity.
She must remain strong while Sombravida recovered.
A Temporary Sanctuary
After clearing the forest center, Nel felled trees to form a crude barrier.
Within the enclosure, Sombravida rested.
Time passed.
By the next day—
new flesh had begun forming on his severed arm.
Sombravida stared at it in surprise.
"One day… and regeneration has begun?"
Ordinary Gillians would take years to regrow a limb.
At this rate, his arm could recover within months.
With greater spiritual energy—
even faster.
Regeneration was a Hollow's natural ability.
But its speed depended on spiritual pressure and evolution.
High-speed regeneration could visibly restore limbs.
Super-speed regeneration could do so instantly.
If his power continued to grow—
this ability could become one of his greatest strengths.
Sombravida closed his eyes and exhaled slowly.
For now, he was alive.
Nel was safe.
And for the first time since the war began—
they were free.