There was no sand fissure.
No dune breach.
No sudden collapse of terrain.
What Pyromon's forces believed to be a geological anomaly was nothing more than the aftermath of Sombravida's harvesting.
Gillian populations had not migrated.
They had been systematically culled.
Controlled Harvest
As usual, Sombravida, Jekain, and Nel continued harvesting Gillians within Pyromon's territory.
More than a year of precision hunting and battlefield refinement had honed Sombravida's combat efficiency to a frightening degree.
His reiatsu density was approaching mid-tier Adjuchas levels.
Not from lack of consumption…
but from excessive compression.
Even against Nel — already mid-tier — Sombravida's combat capability was not inferior.
And the resources of this territory were only part of his objective.
He wanted momentum.
Incoming Targets
Inside Jekain's spatial seal, he spoke calmly:
"My King. Three Adjuchas are approaching at high speed."
Sombravida finished a strike, his blade cleaving through a Gillian mask.
Nel tore the mask free while subordinate Adjuchas devoured the remains.
"They're slower than expected," Sombravida said calmly.
"That's good."
He turned.
"Continue harvesting. Nel — with me."
"Yes, Lord."
The subordinates knelt as he departed.
Tactical Decision
"My King, how shall we proceed?" Jekain asked.
"Only three?"
"No additional reiatsu signatures detected."
"Then we devour them."
Jekain paused.
"Should I reinforce the barrier?"
"If you fully seal the zone, residual Gillian reiatsu may alert them," he added.
Sombravida shook his head.
"No. Maintain hunting posture."
"You remain as bait."
"If danger escalates, have one subordinate deploy the Reverse Memebrane."
"Nel and I will eliminate them."
"Yes, my King."
Jekain never questioned Sombravida's judgment.
Trust was absolute.
Air Flash
Sombravida vanished.
Not Sonído.
Not simple concealment.
He fused stealth with spatial distortion and Sonído trajectory displacement — a new movement technique.
Air Flash.
He masked his reiatsu.
Shifted spatial coordinates.
Reappeared along a pivot vector.
Faster than conventional Sonído.
With sufficient refinement, the movement could produce afterimages indistinguishable from true displacement.
If he abandoned concealment, the distortion alone could create false positional echoes — similar to high-speed Sonído mirages.
Silent Positions
Nel moved separately, using sonido-enhanced acceleration to reach a canopy vantage point.
She concealed her reiatsu.
Her perception remained fixed on Sombravida's position.
Even in Hueco Mundo, few could match her burst speed.
Contact
Two hours later, the three Adjuchas reached Jekain.
"Yinfeng?"
"What are you doing here?"
Their leader stepped forward.
"What am I doing?" Jekain replied coldly.
"Can't you see?"
"Spatial sealing? What are you hiding?"
"Are the Gillian disappearances connected to you?"
"You know what you're seeing," Jekain answered.
"Or would you prefer I explain it slowly?"
Rage flared.
"You dare plunder my lord's territory?"
"Are you trying to start a war?!"
"We are already enemies," Jekain replied evenly.
"War requires recognition. You are late to that realization."
The Messenger
The lead Adjuchas turned.
"You — report to the lord. We will delay them."
A smaller, humanoid Adjuchas — built for speed — turned to flee.
He never made it far.
First Kill
Sombravida appeared behind him without warning.
Reiatsu spiked.
The Adjuchas' movement rhythm destabilized.
Rift formed in Sombravida's left hand.
One clean stroke.
The head separated instantly.
A low-tier Adjuchas slain in a single motion.
No struggle.
No second strike.
Realization
The remaining two froze.
"…concealment of that level…"
"…Yinfeng… the assassinations… it was you."
"Your deduction is sound," Jekain said.
"Your timing was not."
He fired a Cero.
They evaded.
Which is exactly what Sombravida intended.
Dimensional Slash
A spatial fracture opened beside one of them.
A blade of compressed reiatsu emerged from the rift.
Dimensional Slash.
The attack struck before the Adjuchas could track the vector.
He twisted aside at the last instant.
The strike severed his arm instead of his neck.
Sombravida's eyes narrowed slightly.
Still imperfect.
Panic
"It's spatial manipulation!"
The wounded Adjuchas staggered.
"Run! Warn the lord!"
He charged Sombravida in desperation.
Sombravida deflected the blow effortlessly and pivoted.
A second Dimensional Slash crossed his chest.
The cross-shaped wound tore deep into his torso.
He collapsed.
Concealed Cero
Sombravida raised his hand.
A colorless Cero discharged directly into the wound.
The Adjuchas died instantly.
"No need to finish your speech."
Sombravida removed the mask.
Consumed it.
Nel's Return
At the forest's edge, pink reiatsu briefly flared.
Minutes later, Nel returned.
A mask hung from her mouth.
The fleeing Adjuchas.
Neutralized.
Total engagement time:
less than ten minutes.
Power Surge
As Sombravida consumed the third mask, reishi began spiraling toward him.
The surrounding spiritual particles condensed into a vortex.
The air vibrated.
This was the same phenomenon that accompanied Nel's mid-tier evolution —
except her reiatsu was rose-colored.
Sombravida's burned pale gold.
Jekain released the seal.
Subordinates accelerated harvesting.
Masks were brought and cast near Sombravida.
They disintegrated into reishi dust before touching the ground.
The vortex intensified.
Light condensed.
Then slowly drew inward.
Silence followed.
Sombravida's reiatsu surged.
Vast.
Dense.
Controlled.
If he fought the three Adjuchas again now…
he could end the battle in a single exchange.
Mid-Tier Advancement
"Congratulations, Lord Sombravida!" Nel said, delighted.
Dozens of Adjuchas knelt.
They had long since learned who ruled this territory.
Sombravida had stepped beyond early Adjuchas.
He had reached the mid-tier.
Yet no new traits manifested.
Because at Adjuchas level, evolution shifts from mutation…
to mastery.
Abilities do not appear.
They are developed.
This is why intelligence deepens.
This is why strategy emerges.
Strategic Consequences
"My King," Jekain said,
"Our presence has likely been detected. Shall we engage Pyromon directly?"
Sombravida shook his head.
"All subordinates remain within their territories."
"Hunt independently."
"Assist sentient Gillians in advancing."
"Bring only elite sensory units."
"The four of us are sufficient."
Jekain bowed.
"Yes, my King."
Guerrilla Doctrine
"A direct confrontation wastes resources," Sombravida continued.
"We wage mobility warfare."
"Four Adjuchas move faster than an army."
"If necessary…"
"We disappear into Garganta."
No one questioned the order.
Because in Hueco Mundo,
those who survive are not the strongest.
They are the ones who choose when to fight.
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