Chapter 4: A New Purpose
Ichigo flew through the skies at remarkable speeds closing in on Las Noches. He was quickly distracted however when he noticed a deer like Adjucha. It was running away from what appeared to be one of Barragan's Adjucha hunting packs.
The orange haired Vasto Lorde quickly landed between them causing the Adjuchas to stop in their tracks and the deer like hollow to look back confused. The Adjucha hunting party all growled as intimidating as they could, but immediately stopped when two blades shot out of Ichigo's arms.
"Who are you? What hollow dares to interrupt King Barragan's army?!" one of them demanded.
Ichigo hissed as menacingly as he could, "White…"
All of them gasped worriedly at the idea that this small hollow could be the infamous dragon. Their leader seemed to shake off the idea dismissively, "You're bluffing…White is a dragon Adjucha! You're just a puny…"
"Vasto Lorde…" Ichigo interrupted causing the other hollow to immediately regret his words.
Ichigo roared deafeningly causing a fearsome hollow howl to shake the desert. The deer Adjucha was too afraid to run away as it watched the orange haired Vasto Lorde slice the hunting party to pieces. Just for overkill, Ichigo finished off the last one with a cero.
After the horrible display of might, he turned back towards the fearful deer Adjucha. It stood there terrified wondering if running was the best option or not.
Ichigo quickly receded his swords and held up a hand, "Relax, Adjucha…I'm not going to hurt you."
"Y-you're White!" it bellowed fearfully. The voice was feminine much to Ichigo's surprise. He calmly approached the frightened Adjucha and sighed, "If I was going to kill you, I already would have…calm yourself."
"What do you want from me?" she asked still slightly nervous.
Ichigo simply chuckled, "I just saw you were in trouble…I thought I'd help. I know what it's like to be hunted out here. Are you all alone?"
"Yes…" the deer replied slowly.
Ichigo eyed her curiously, "What's your name?"
"Why do you care? What does a Vasto Lorde want from me?" she asked defensively.
Ichigo shrugged, "Nothing I suppose…I just wanted to protect you."
The deer Adjucha eyed him uncertainly, "What? Why? You're the most infamous hollow in Hueco Mundo."
"You never did tell me your name…" he changed the subject.
The deer Adjucha gulped before speaking, "Apacci…"
"Nice to meet you, Appaci…I'm White, but you can call me Ichigo," he replied.
The deer cocked her head confused, "Ichigo? What kind of name is that?"
"It was my name when I was a human. It's how I would prefer to remember myself," he replied. Afterward he eyed her for a brief moment before turning away, "Take care, Apacci…"
"Umm…wait," she caught his attention.
He looked at her curiously, "What?"
"Why did you protect me…what do you want from me? I don't understand," Apacci asked again.
"When I was an Adjucha…a female Vasto Lorde helped me once. She healed a painful wound Barragan had inflicted on me," Ichigo explained.
Apacci eyed him curiously, "A female Vasto Lorde helped you?"
He nodded, "She did…sometimes I wished I had stayed with her. It can get pretty depressing out here all by yourself."
"You're…strange. But thanks for saving me," Apacci finally replied after an awkward silence.
"You're welcome to come with me if you want…I wouldn't mind the company," he said calmly.
"I-I don't know…I mean I appreciate the help and all, but don't go assuming I'm going to be your slave or anything like that," she protested.
"You don't have to…and you wouldn't be my slave. I just like having company. Being alone out here can be dangerous…even for me, and especially you," the Vasto Lorde explained.
"Alright…I suppose that's okay with me. Umm…where are we going?" she asked.
He thought for a moment, 'Maybe I should go find other Adjuchas like her. Having others to protect would really keep my mind preoccupied. Though…there's still the matter with Barragan. But I suppose that can wait for now. He's not going anywhere.'
"There's a cave I wouldn't mind returning to. It was a pretty defensive place…it would be a safe home I suppose," Ichigo thought aloud.
Apacci followed him as he ran in a particular direction, "Are you sure it's a good idea to head this direction? Isn't Las Noches this way?"
"Don't worry, I'll keep you safe…and I can teach you what I know if you want to get stronger," Ichigo replied.
The deer Adjucha perked up excitedly, "You would do that?"
"Of course…from here on out, we'll have our own hunting party. If I find others like you, I'll let them join us," he continued.
Apacci cocked her head as they ran, "Others like me?"
"Loners…the kind that don't support Barragan's monopoly of power here," Ichigo explained.
The deer Adjucha nodded but inwardly she was excited, 'This is unbelievable…Not only does an actual Vasto Lorde wants to train and protect me, but the infamous White himself wants to? This is too good an opportunity to pass up. I'll become strong if I stay with him…or at least safe.'
As the two hollows departed, a blonde Vasto Lorde watched them from a Cliffside with a strange reaction, 'White protected a female Adjucha…he spoke to her so nicely. Is this really the hollow that caused such a big fuss with Barragan? Strange…perhaps I should speak to him. I sense no foul intent…'
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Soul Society Squad One Barracks Captain Meeting XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"Captain Aizen…you will explain to me why two Vasto Lorde class hollows appeared in the world of the living and were not dealt with despite the presence of four captains." Yamamoto bellowed.
The brown haired man nodded, "Of course Captain Commander…one of the hollows was the one we have been searching for over the past two years. It was clearly the evolved 'White.' The other one, was likely its ally of some kind. They fought with remarkable prowess."
"Captain Commander if I may interrupt," Hitsugaya spoke up, "the creature took Rukia Kuchiki hostage before we had the chance to use our full power against it. It was also the most powerful hollow I've ever faced in combat."
"Do you agree with this statement, Captain Zaraki?" Yamamoto asked the spiky haired warrior.
He chuckled at the question, "You got that right…that thing can put up a fight."
"Excuse me, but how the hell did FOUR captains fail to kill TWO Vasto Lordes? And from what I understand in the report, one of them fled?! So essentially ONE outsmarted FOUR of you?" Soifon interjected almost angrily.
"Calm yourself, captain," Byakuya sighed, "this was a very difficult situation. As Captain Aizen's report mentioned, the hollow took a hostage when it knew it couldn't defeat us. It had very high intelligence as one would expect of a Vasto Lorde, but this being was not only cunning, but also malevolent. It knew how to get to us…"
"That monster was a coward!" Toshiro growled angrily, "most hollows are simply mindless beasts driven by hunger, but this one was simply cruel. Hiding behind a hostage is despicable."
Kyoraku cocked his head curiously, "If it's so good at fighting, why would it do that though? From what Captain Zaraki mentioned, this thing wasn't really in danger of dying when it took Rukia Kuchiki hostage."
"I believe the hollow had some other agenda in Karakura town. When I first arrived to the scene, it had almost no interest in my presence," Byakuya mentioned passively.
Ukitake frowned at his comment, "What interest would a hollow of that power level have in the world of the living? We know that the existence of Vasto Lordes are quite rare…but I find it more alarming that two were traveling together. Do you have any theories on what they were after?"
Byakuya frowned, "I do not."
"What became of the hostage? Is she alive?" Soifon asked anxiously as she crossed her arms.
Aizen nodded, "Rukia Kuchiki is in fact alive and unharmed. I was very curious why it spared her. She claims that the hollow dropped her after tracking down some humans in Karakura Town."
"Humans? Why would a Vasto Lorde be interested in humans? They don't feed on them, and are almost never seen outside of Hueco Mundo anyways. That's odd," Kyoraku said with a downcast stare.
"Regardless of its reason for being there, this hollow is easily on par with a captain in terms of power, but its cunning nature is what makes it the most dangerous. The way it neutralized four captains with something as simple as a hostage situation was rather disturbing," Aizen noted though inwardly he thought it was impressive.
"This creature seems to possess an unnatural hatred for Shinigamis…yet despite its actions it shows mercy to its hostage? That is unusual." Tousen added.
"I wouldn't mind facing White in battle. This hollow gets more fascinating each time we encounter it," Gin spoke up with a sly grin.
"I highly doubt you would fare better than we did, Captain Ichimaru. It did things I've never seen a hollow do before. It had blade like arms it could retract and extend which it used to counter our Zanpaktous. It channeled an unusual type of spiritual energy over them when it fought. They fired waves of black energy similar to a cero but more refined," Toshiro shook his head annoyed.
Gin simply smiled, "Oh I see…well he is quite the powerful one then. By your estimate, what would it take to kill this hollow?"
"All it'd take is me with nobody else in my way!" Kenpachi spoke up assuredly.
Hitsugaya scowled at him, "You would have lost an arm to that monster if I hadn't been there to block it. You insist on dragging out fights with powerful enemies, but eventually you'll bite off more than you can chew. Who knows how powerful this thing will be the next time it appears? We didn't even see its full power."
"It didn't get to see mine either!" Kenpachi countered causing several captains to roll their eyes.
"To answer your question, Captain Ichimaru, It's very difficult to gauge that hollow's power. It was never pushed to the brink of death; most hollows won't use their full power unless they're in danger of defeat. White used a considerable amount of power to fight us, but it did not appear to be worried for its life in the slightest," Byakuya cut in stoically.
"That's enough of this hindsight! Do I have to kill this thing myself?!" Yamamoto demanded annoyed, "the incompetence displayed in this situation was shameful!"
"Head Captain, we tried to return, but by the time we got back, the hollow was gone," Hitsugaya tried to explain.
Yamamoto pounded his cane into the ground, "This meeting is adjourned until further notice…I want all of you to take this time to inform the ranks of 'White' and its new likeness. We will put an end to this creature once and for all."
"Yes sir!" Everyone shouted in unison.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Two Days Later XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
The two days Apacci spent with Ichigo had been the most unusual and strangely relaxing days she could remember. The orange haired Vasto Lorde seemed very curious about her past and asked a lot about her life as a hollow.
As they ran, Apacci continued her story, "And then, that's when I ran into the pack from Barragan's army. You know the rest, I assume."
"Wow…so you've been an Adjucha for that long? How have you not regressed back into a Gillian?" Ichigo asked curiously.
The deer shrugged her head, "It hasn't been that long…besides, I'm not as powerful as you. I only hunt when I have to or when I can."
"I suppose that makes sense…" he nodded in understanding.
"Why did you think it was a long time? How long were you an Adjucha?" she asked.
Ichigo thought hard for a moment, "It's hard to really remember the exact amount of time, but I'd say a little over a year maybe. I've only been a hollow for two years supposedly."
"What?! A year…that's crazy. You must have killed hundreds of other hollows then to evolve so fast," she said shocked.
The horned Vasto Lorde thought for a moment, "Thousands…I killed thousands in the Menos Forest before I came to the surface."
"What?! No way…there's tons of Gillians down there though," Apacci said disbelievingly.
He glanced over, "Well obviously I didn't kill them all…but I ate my fill. Gillians didn't sate me for long as an Adjucha. I killed all the Adjuchas in the Menos Forest though."
"No wonder everyone's so afraid of you…" she noted, "so how did you become a Vasto Lorde?"
"Well that didn't take very long since every other day I had an army of Adjuchas hunting me down for the glory of killing me. Plus…I just had this drive to become stronger. I don't like Barragan, and I wanted nothing to do with him or his army," Ichigo said as the two continued.
"What's it like to have so much power? You must feel invincible sometimes…" she asked.
Ichigo shook his head, "Not really…in my experience all it seems to do is paint a large target on my head. Those with power are inevitably drawn to each other…if by instinct or by fate. To be honest, I feel nothing…I needed a good reason to have these powers. Which is why I want to help others like you…"
"I see…" Apacci nodded. The deer Adjucha found his explanation very interesting, 'That explains a lot about him. I'm glad he trusted me enough to explain. Hopefully things will continue to go well.'
As the two hollows continued, Ichigo found the cave he had once resided in during his twilight days as an Adjucha. He briefly looked around as he stepped inside and spoke authoritatively, "Bug girls are you there?"
"Bug girls?!" an angry voice shouted causing Apacci to step back worried. She calmed down when she noticed Ichigo's calmness.
"Err…what were your names again? Loly? Menoly?" Ichigo restated.
From the ground, the two Adjuchas burst forth, both eyeing him uncertainly. Upon seeing him, the centipede spoke first, "Oh damn…it's a Vasto Lorde! That spiritual power is…"
The scorpion seemed to recognize his voice and horns, "You know our names? Wait…you look familiar somehow. A-are you White?"
"You recognize me?" Ichigo asked surprised.
"Menoly! Are you out of your mind? If that's really White then we should be getting out of here!" Loly said fearfully.
They both quickly noticed the curious Adjucha standing behind him. The centipede was quick to mention her, "What's with the Adjucha? And are you really White?"
"He is, Loly…look at that mask. There's no mistaking it…plus he knew exactly where we were and who we are!" Menoly spoke up.
"Before you two lose your minds, I wanted to run a proposition by you…" Ichigo spoke calmly.
Both traded a look of confusion before turning back to the horned Vasto Lorde. "What do you want from us?" Loly asked.
"I was wondering if we could stay here for a while. This cave is a pretty safe place," Ichigo requested.
Apacci shook her head at the notion, "Why are we asking them, Ichigo? Can't you just take it?"
"Who's she supposed to be anyway? You got a stray Adjucha following you around now?" Loly taunted.
"Loly! Stop it!" Menoly shook her head annoyed, "Don't listen to her, White…I don't mind if you stay here so long as you don't kill us."
"I'm not going to kill you two…" he shook his head and laughed, "otherwise she wouldn't really be threatening me."
"Alright fine…you can stay. Though what's the deal with her anyway? And did she just call you Ichigo? What the hell is that?" Loly asked.
"It's his name!" Apacci huffed irritated, "so how's about you shut up!"
"What did you just say to me?!" Loly shot back.
"Everybody calm down…I trust you two won't give Apacci and me any trouble?" Ichigo practically threatened.
The two Adjuchas traded looks of concern before shaking their heads. Menoly gave verbal confirmation as well, "We won't attack you two…that's suicide."
"Good…then how's about you listen to my proposition," he began.
"Alright fine…what do you want?" Loly half-demanded.
He looked back at Apacci before speaking, "I recently rescued Apacci from a pack of Barragan's followers. She doesn't support him and has agreed to travel with me."
"So?" Loly said carelessly, "what's that got to do with us?"
"I know you two have each other, but it must be pretty dangerous to be all alone out here so close to Las Noches' field of influence. I was wondering if you cared to join us?" Ichigo finally asked.
Menoly seemed surprised by the request, "Why would you want us to go with you? We can't offer you anything you don't already have…"
"That's where you're wrong…" Ichigo replied, "I've met a lot of hollows in my time here, and have spared very few of them. I kept you two alive because you seemed interesting to me. I wouldn't mind your company."
Loly seemed put off by the suggestion, "Our company? What's your game, White?! Is this some sort of trap?!"
"We don't need them, Ichigo. You have my company," Apacci spoke up as she directed a condescending look at the two other Adjuchas.
"I don't understand…you're super powerful. What do you want us to come with you for?" Menoly asked.
Ichigo sighed, "As I already explained to Apacci…I don't really like to be alone out here. It's dangerous and extremely boring…not to mention depressing. You two would be much safer in a group with us…plus I could train you if you'd like."
"You would do that?" Menoly's voice sounded almost excited.
Loly on the other hand was more skeptical, "What's the catch? I don't like the idea of you ordering us around."
"Life's full of trade offs…think of it this way. Would you rather be with me or against me the next time Barragan sends an Ajucha hunting party out here?" Ichigo restated.
The centipede Adjucha seemed more convinced as she nodded, "Okay I get it…but let me ask you one thing. Would you actually train us to become stronger?"
"Of course I would…I want my pack to be strong," Ichigo replied.
Menoly stepped forward and immediately spoke her mind, "I accept, White…it would be an honor to follow you. What do you want us to do?"
"Menoly! Don't be so subservient! He's asking us to follow him not to be his slaves," Loly protested.
The scorpion sighed, "This is a good thing, Loly…you're always talking about us getting stronger. White's spared our lives twice now. Plus he's already got her following him. I don't sense any deception."
"Alright fine…we'll follow you then. Happy now? You better protect us though if we're going to throw our lot in with you!" Loly responded.
Apacci shook her head and huffed, "That one seems really ungrateful…maybe we should leave her and take the other."
"What did you just say to me?!" Loly demanded.
"Enough! Let's get one thing straight here…nobody is forcing you to do anything. I'm just trying to recruit other hollows who I saw potential in. If you have a problem doing what I say then you don't have to come with me. It's as simple as that," Ichigo interrupted.
Loly immediately calmed down, "Fine…you're the boss then, White. I'll do what you say, but I'm not going to let deer girl over there trash talk me."
"Funny coming from a giant bug!" Apacci shot back.
Both immediately shut up as Ichigo's spiritual pressure rose, "Let's go ladies…since you're all so full of energy, I'll start your training right now."
Ichigo left the cave and turned back awaiting the three Adjuchas to come outside. Apacci eagerly ran outside first, followed shortly after by Loly and Menoly. As they exited Ichigo motioned for them to line up. Apacci held her head curiously as she wondered what they were going to do.
"Ichigo…I was wondering how are you going to train us? Hollow powers are instinctual. We use what we know and hope its stronger than what our opponent has," Apacci stated.
He gave her a nod, "Yes, that is true…but in my experience, there is always a way to improve so long as you have the willpower to do so. I want each of you to tell me your motivations. Why do you want to get stronger?"
"Umm…to survive, duh!" Loly stated with annoyance. The other two nodded in agreement, despite the rude way in which Loly said it.
He shook his head at the statement, "No…that is an instinctual need. It drives you to survive, but not to become stronger. You need a reason to become powerful. Tell me, Loly, what would you do if you were as strong as I was?"
The centipede seemed unable to answer his question for a moment. Loly slowly spoke up, "I don't know…I guess I never thought about that before."
"There's my point…what about you Menoly? What would you do?" Ichigo turned his head towards the Scorpion.
"I would keep Loly safe," she replied.
Ichigo nodded approvingly, "Good answer…you would protect her?"
"Protect?" Loly said distantly, "is that why you want to help us?"
"Makes sense doesn't it?" he noted. All three nodded in approval. Afterward, Ichigo glanced at Apacci, "What would you do Apacci?" the horned Vasto Lorde asked.
She held her head down, "I would kill Barragan's army so they would stop coming after me."
"These are good reasons for you to get powerful…but try to look beyond them for a moment. Is there some emptiness you wish to fill other than your own hunger? Do you want to make a better life for yourselves in this place or languish in the emptiness?" Ichigo continued.
"Of course I would…but how?" Apacci replied hopeful.
"You want to change the way the law of Hueco Mundo works? I mean it'd be great, but I don't' see how it is even possible." Loly sighed.
Menoly spoke the most assuredly, "I would do anything to achieve that."
He laughed, "If you three want to change the way things are in this place, then you share my desires. Since we all strive for the same thing, it makes us kin."
"Kin? How are we like you though? You've already evolved into a Vasto Lorde," Loly said doubtfully.
The orange haired hollow looked at her with his haunting golden eyes, "That doesn't make us different…I can tell you from experience, that the emptiness only gets more unbearable at my stage of evolution. I want to help you three…but I want you to help me as well. Nobody can survive this place alone without eventually giving into despair."
His words seemed to strike deep as the three Adjuchas silently contemplated on his words. After a long silence Ichigo looked over the trio, "I want you three to show me what you can do…and I will show you how to make yourselves stronger."
"I'll go first," Menoly stepped forward. She stepped forward and charged a red cero like orb between both claws. She jabbed it forward and released the attack in a beam. Much to her shock, Ichigo appeared in front of the cero and quickly deflected it with his bare hand.
The scorpion seemed surprised by his action. Ichigo looked at her closely, "You're a scorpion…have you ever considered using the power of your cero in a different way?"
"What do you mean?" Menoly asked confused.
"Imagine yourself in a battle. For the sake of practice, I'll let you use it on me. Don't worry about hurting me and just try to grab me with your claws while you fire your cero from each one," he requested.
Menoly seemed confused by the remark but nodded, "Okay…but I don't see what the point of that would be." She charged two independent ceros in each claw this time and as she fired them she tried to snap her claws at Ichigo.
Much to her astonishment, it launched a wave like split from each claw splitting the two ceros into four beam like extensions. They followed the motions of her claws and quickly surrounded Ichigo. She was worried it would hurt him for a split second but sighed in relief as he blocked the spirit claws with each of his hands.
Ichigo laughed approvingly, "Good…now show me what that stinger is capable of!"
Doing as instructed, Menoly's stinger flailed towards him remarkably fast. She wondered how he would block it with both hands preoccupied. Shockingly, her tail was stopped as Ichigo jumped up with both feet catching it between them.
She followed up by releasing a poisonous shot out of the stinger which he promptly dodged. "Good work, Menoly…you caught on fast. As you can see, your spiritual pressure is like an extension of your own body. A normal Adjucha would have no defense against what you just did."
"Amazing! Why haven't I ever done this before?" Menoly said to herself as she backed off of Ichigo.
He turned his head towards Loly, "Your turn, Centipede…show me what you can do."
Loly hissed as she immediately burrowed underground. Ichigo calmly stood still awaiting her to emerge. The Adjucha burst out at surprising speed as she quickly circled him. Her additional legs quickly seemed to harden as her spiritual pressure rose. They appeared bladed as she tried to ensnare him.
Ichigo quickly evaded her and reappeared nearby and shook his head, "No…that won't work against a faster or a stronger opponent. You need to do what she just did…find a way to trap me."
The woman pounced aggressively as her front arms attempted to fire a cero. As she did this, the back half of her segmented body unleashed a poisonous cloud. It didn't seem to affect him much to Loly's surprise, but she followed through with her strategy nonetheless, and channeled spiritual pressure over her bladed bone like legs. This gave her an almost serrated appearance. Moving fast, she fired her cero whilst simultaneously trying to wrap Ichigo.
He easily deflected her attack and leapt over her ensnaring body before jumping back. The Vasto Lorde nodded, "Good…if you get a bit faster then that technique would be quite effective against other Adjuchas."
Loly seemed proud of herself as she moved back in line. Ichigo finally rested his eyes on Apacci who seemed a bit skittish. The deer like Adjucha looked at him uncertainly, "Well…I can't really do fancy stuff like that."
"Just show me…this is to help you all improve," Ichigo spoke reassuringly.
The deer finally sighed in acceptance, "Okay, here goes…"
Ichigo watched curiously as she charged a small cero on her front horn. She jerked her head and launched it forward towards him.
Ichigo easily caught the attack, "Don't hold back…you're not going to hurt me, Apacci."
"Fine, but you asked for it," she replied before repeating the same action. This time, the cero grew larger. Instead of firing it like he expected, she came charging forward. He was surprised when she launched it nearly point break range. Instead of firing like a typical beam, it compressed into a spiked extension of her horn.
As he caught it, Ichigo immediately tossed her down to the side, throwing Apacci off balance. The deer stumbled over and spoke up embarrassingly, "Ugh…sorry. That's the first time I've tried something like that."
"It wasn't bad…did you try to do what they did?" Ichigo asked her.
Apacci nodded almost embarrassed, "Y-yeah…I guess it didn't go as well as I had hoped."
"I wouldn't be so sure…" Ichigo replied as he pointed to a devastating trail of destruction behind him.
The deer Adjucha stared at the scene wide-eyed, "Did I do that? But…you stopped my attack."
"What happened was you fired off a compressed cero. The remaining spiritual energy formed an extension over your horn which you charged me with. Something like that could be quite effective if you knew how to use it. I can see it working especially well against an opponent who underestimates you," Ichigo said thoroughly.
Apacci simply looked at him surprised, "I had no idea I could do that…"
"That's the whole point of this little training session. I want you three to think about what you just did. You have your abilities, and you know how to use them…but there is always room for improvement. There is always a way to make it more effective," he continued.
The three Adjuchas watched him awestruck. Loly seemed to be much less hostile now as she spoke approvingly, "This might actually be worth it…"
Menoly seemed shocked by Loly's words but quickly followed up with her own comments, "You see the world so differently than we do…I think I prefer your way. Is this how you've become so strong?"
"It's part of the reason…but like I said, if you have the will to achieve something, then nothing is impossible. Follow your instincts, but never rely solely upon them. Ingenuity and ambition will motivate you to push your capabilities to the limit," he concluded.
"Can we keep training?! I'm enjoying this!" Apacci spoke enthusiastically as she pranced towards Ichigo again. The Vasto Lorde cackled at her enthusiasm, "Alright…then I want you to try something else, Apacci."
"What?" she asked immediately with glimmering anticipation.
"Make that cero larger…use as much of your spiritual power as you possibly can. I want you to fire it at me again. This time, don't trip either," he laughed.
She did as commanded and kicked up sand as she charged him. While doing so she charged the cero over her horn with as much power as she could. Ichigo wasn't satisfied by its size, "Focus it between your antlers…like I did with my horns when I killed the last of those Adjuchas hunting you."
Apacci slowed down slightly as she tried to do so. Much to Ichigo's approval, the red cero began to grow larger as it formed between her forward horn and two antlers. She almost couldn't believe the power behind her own cero, 'Have I had this potential all this time? I've never felt this kind of power before…'
As she closed in, Apacci released her cero causing Ichigo to block it with one hand. As it fired, she charged low and swept her antlers at Ichigo. She was hoping to take advantage of the fact he had only one hand to fight back.
Ichigo was pleased to see that she had her spiritual pressure focused around her antlers as she pushed him back. This allowed her cero to actually collide. She followed up by trying to stab him with her charged horn. However, this time before he could grab it, the Adjucha kicked back on her hind legs and leapt over him.
She hoped to land a sweeping hit, but was swiftly tripped as Ichigo deflected the rest of her cero. Afterward he nodded proudly, "You're getting better at it. Just remember not to overextend…durable opponents could easily have countered you as I just did."
"So what do I do then?" She asked disappointed.
"You need to get faster…in fact, all three of you would be a terror on the battlefield if you improved your speed," Ichigo said as he looked over their mixed reactions.
Menoly shook her head, "How though? I don't see how it's possible for an Adjucha to get any faster other than evolving."
"That's where you're wrong…you know what a sonido is correct? How good are you three at doing it?" Ichigo asked causing the three to eye him slightly downcast.
Loly sighed, "Yeah we know what it is…It's that loud sound hollows make when they move super fast. I'm okay at it I guess."
"I'm pretty good at doing those…but how does that help in combat?" Apacci wondered.
Ichigo immediately appeared right next to her with a Sonido and placed a hand on the deer Adjucha. Her eyes widened with disbelief, "H-how did you move that fast?!"
"I've always been fast…I don't know if I can teach you how to move as fast I do, but I do have an idea. I want you to Sonido back and forth between this cave and that direction," Ichigo pointed.
"Just do it as many times as you can," Ichigo said as the three gave him uncertain looks.
Loly huffed in annoyance, "What's the point of that? It sounds like a waste of time and energy…"
"It will build your stamina and maybe improve your speed as well. If you manage to do it one hundred times without stopping, then you'll be ready for the next stage of speed training," he explained.
"You already have training planned for us?" Menoly asked surprised.
Ichigo nodded, "I thought about it on the way here…somehow I figured you two wouldn't turn me down."
"What's THAT supposed to mean?" Loly protested.
"This might take some time, so be patient…just focus on what you're doing. Once you all improve your speed, we'll go hunting together," he replied.
"I don't care how long it takes, I want to move like you do!" Apacci spoke up excitedly.
She immediately used a sonido to appear far into the distance. A Moment later she reappeared at the cave. The deer adjucha laughed eagerly, "This isn't that hard! I doubt this will take long at all!"
Menoly and Loly both repeated the action and swiftly reappeared. Loly sighed in annoyance, "This is such a waste of time…how is this supposed to make us faster?"
"Just keep going…" he responded with an amused tone.
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All three Adjuchas were on the ground collapsed from exhaustion. Ichigo shook his head at the sight, "It took you longer than I thought it would."
Loly seemed aggravated, "This is…wasting our energy. What are we going to do if another hollow attacks us in this condition?"
"Nothing's going to happen to you as long as I'm here. We can do this later if you're all too tired to continue," he replied calmly.
Apacci stood up first, "We don't have to stop! I want to keep training unlike this pushover!"
"Who are you calling a pushover?!" Loly sprung off the ground with newfound vigor. Ichigo couldn't help but find the scene amusing.
"Obviously you since you're complaining about wasting energy. I feel fine!" Apacci replied.
Loly scoffed at her, "Your legs are shaking…I don't believe you. Besides, you're way smaller than we are so it should be easier for you!"
"It's not my fault you're encumbered unlike me," Apacci shot back.
Menoly shook her head and sighed, "Honestly, I feel okay too, Loly…though I am tired."
"Now that you've all had some time to train and get to know each other, I think it's time we went on our first hunt together. We can continue this training later. Honestly, I don't know how long you've been without eating," Ichigo interrupted their argument.
Menoly immediately perked up, "Hunting? You want us all to go hunting?"
"Yes…while this training is beneficial, you three do need to keep improving your power the traditional way as well," the orange haired hollow explained.
"I've never really hunted in a group before…" Apacci spoke up somewhat nervously.
Ichigo glanced over at Loly and Menoly, "I doubt they have either. They're used to trapping and ambushing. Not that there's anything wrong with that. You three could find a way to work together."
"How though?" Menoly asked uncertainly.
Apacci held her head dejectedly, "What kind of hollows would we be hunting though? I don't like the idea of picking off stragglers. That's just unfair."
"Oh don't you worry…we're hunting the hunters. Let's see how mad I can make Barragan when my pack starts preying on his army," Ichigo laughed.
The deer Adjucha seemed shocked, "We're hunting Barragan's army?! That's crazy…we'll be killed!"
"No you won't…I'll be there to make sure you three don't die. This will be some good combat experience wouldn't you say?" the hollow continued laughing.
Menoly shook her head, "I know you're not afraid of Barragan, White…but we are! Wha-what if he starts coming after us?!"
"I'm counting on that…instead of tracking down stray hollows to eat, you three can just eat the idiots that line up to come after us," he said enthusiastically.
Loly traded an uncertain look with Menoly, "I don't know…some of Barragan's followers are pretty strong."
"Well I'm in! Let's go find some right now!" Apacci chanted eagerly.
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"Umm…you've got to be kidding me right?!" Loly shook her head worried.
"What's the problem?" Ichigo asked curiously.
The Adjucha raised a brow and gave him a look of disbelief, "There's over a dozen of them!"
"So what? Numbers means nothing in the grand scheme of power here. There's three of you…Apacci is the fastest, so she should go in first and lure them back. You two could ambush from below and easily catch them off guard. If any give you trouble then use your new abilities," Ichigo replied thoughtfully.
Menolly seemed concerned about his explanation, "So what will you be doing, White?"
"Watching of course…it'd be too easy if I helped you kill them. I'm just there to make sure you don't die," he explained casually.
Apacci's eyes widened, "Why do I have to be the bait though!? Some of those guys are huge!"
"It sounds to me like she's scared…maybe we should come up with another plan so princess here doesn't get hurt," Loly cut in dryly.
The deer Adjucha directed a fearsome glare towards her, "I'm not scared! I'll do it…just you watch!"
"Go then…we're waiting," Loly taunted with a smug grin.
"Well…what should I do exactly?" Apacci asked Ichigo. The orange haired Vasto Lorde chuckled at her question, "Just go bad mouth Barragan and say that I'm stronger than he is. I'm sure that'll get them angry at you."
"Err…right," Apacci said slightly skittish, but nevertheless she made her way towards the Adjuchas grouped up in the distance.
"She's totally scared…" Loly laughed.
"I would be…I'm just glad White's here otherwise we'd be in trouble," Menoly said worriedly.
Ichigo glanced at the scorpion, "Don't underestimate yourselves…you three will be masters at this in no time."
"Anyone that serves Barragan is weak!" Apacci shouted as she neared the hunting party.
"What did you just say!? You're going to be our next meal, little Adjucha!" an angered voice bellowed in the distance. Ichigo, Loly, and Menoly looked over to see Apacci running extremely fast towards them.
The Vasto Lorde motioned for both of the remaining Adjuchas to get in position for their ambush. They each burrowed beneath the sand as Apacci kept running. Ichigo himself quickly vanished from sight high into the air where he could watch the scene from above.
Almost all of the Adjuchas came charging after Apacci angered by her shout. As the group got nearer, Apacci stopped in her tracks and flipped around charging a cero over her front horn and antlers. This caused the other Adjuchas to stop as they contemplated the idea of dodging or countering it.
Then much to their shock, the deer Adjucha came charging towards them with the orb still charged over her horn. Several tried to move out of the way, as she got near, but each flank was immediately blocked as both Loly and Menoly sprung out of the sand.
Loly wrapped two of the Adjuchas between her bladed legs as she unleashed a torrent of poison into the group. Menoly cleaved through the other side with her cero like claw extensions causing heavy damage to several of them outside hollows.
The front of the pack was unable to avoid the charging Apacci and chose to counter her cero with their own instead. However, as they fired prematurely due to her close proximity, Apacci leapt into the air and jerked her head downward causing the attack to blast them from a higher angle.
Several tried to flee, but were unable to as Menoly grabbed them with her claws. Loly's poison seemed extremely effective in disorienting and damaging the group, preventing them from countering the landing Apacci. With her horned extension, Apacci impaled several bringing down quite a few. Those left alive tried to cheap shot the deer, but were immediately met with a sting from Menoly completely paralyzing them.
The aftermath was twelve downed Adjuchas and three very surprised ones. Apacci pranced around joyously, "We actually did it?!"
"That was an impressive move, Apacci…" Menoly complimented as she let out a sigh of relief.
"They didn't even see us coming…" Loly noted as she began to eat one of the downed hollows. Ichigo landed nearby and nodded approvingly, "That was a good first hunt. You three work better together than I thought you would. Let's head back to the cave. Get some rest. From here on out we're going to train, hunt, and sleep."
Apacci gave Ichigo a strange look, "Hey Ichigo…"
"What is it, Apacci?" the orange haired hollow asked.
The deer looked away, "Do you think any of us have the capability to become Vasto Lordes like you? I mean…I've heard a lot about them. Some Adjuchas say that those who become Vasto Lordes were meant to and that not every Adjucha has the capability."
"I don't know…it's difficult to say that only a select few were meant to become the elite. Although there may be some truth in the matter. To be honest, I think that's a question you have to ask yourself. When I first learned about Ajuchas and Vasto Lordes as a Gillian, I knew that one day I would become one. There's no doubt that I was born with more power than a typical hollow should have. That being said, I believe anything is possible," Ichigo said distantly.
Loly simply shrugged, "I could care less about evolving…I just don't want to become a Gillian again."
Menoly nodded in agreement, "You got that right…though I want to be as strong as I can be…whether as an Adjucha or a Vasto Lorde."
"That's a good attitude to have," Ichigo said as he glanced back down at the defeated hunting party, "eat up, girls…
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Okay so there's a quick update for now. Not a very eventful chapter, but things will start to pick up soon. Thanks for reading, and hope you enjoyed it.