Chapter 19: Spirits Are Forever With You

Past, Hueco Mundo

At some point in the past, a pink-haired Vasto Lorde possessing four, droplet-like wings and a tentacle-dress for a lower body. In front of the Hollow is a white spider Adjucha, remaining silent and bowing slightly at the higher being in a show of respect.

The Vasto Lorde's have tentacle-like extensions, clearly visible as it points at a pile of rocks and hisses at the spider, "Don't think you have any will of your own. When you aren't useful to me, you are that same as those roca over there."

There is a brief pause before the pink-haired Hollow comes to a sort of realization and hums, "…ah, that's a perfect name for you… you shall be Roka Paramia from now on."

The spider, still bowing, responds with an ever so slightly happy tone, "Yes, Master Szayelaporro…"

That was how he named me…

…shortly before Lord Aizen made me into an Arrancar…

Ever since I was created, I have wondered…

…why am I alive?

I am a tool whose will aligns with Master Szayelaporro's…

…yet he had granted me with a sense of self…

…I was granted autonomy…

…why am I alive…?

Indeed, such is the question that Roka Paramia often asks herself. Why would a tool have use for a normal body with its own autonomy and sense of self? From her perspective, Szayel could have created an actual tool who possessed all of her qualities and powers while lacking a sense of or potential for individuality. As such, she cannot help but wonder from time to time why she was created to be how she is.

I was created as a result of Master Szayelaporro's experiment where he intertwined countless souls together and artificially created a Menos Grande…

I was merely supposed to be fodder for the Captain of Squad 11, but he chose to spare me…

…I do not understand why he, a Shinigami, let me live either…

I thought Master Szayelaporro was going to kill me anyway…

…I felt relief in that, since it meant I would no longer have these confusing thoughts…

…but he didn't kill me…

…instead, he had gotten an idea after watching the captain who spared me get slain in a duel…

For 200 years after that duel, Master Szayelaporro experimented on me…

…he would chop me up endlessly to the point where I would lose my voice from screaming due to the pain, only to have it return as my throat healed itself through high-speed regeneration…

…it wasn't long before he gave me anesthesia as he grew tired of my screams.

In the end, I obtained a new power…

…the power to connect with all matter via my golden negación threads…

…I can share spiritual energy, information, and am even able to create telepathic links with others, which soon became Lord Barragan's favorite way to communicate with his army…

…the King used me and Master Szayelaporro to spread his glory across Hueco Mundo as my new power was a way for him to look across the sands and know when there were those who questioned his rule…

I was happy to be of use to Master Szayelaporro, as he used me to gain favor with Lord Barragan and later Lord Aizen…

…this usefulness to Master Szayelaporro didn't last.

It wasn't long after Lord Aizen appeared that Master Szayelaporro lost interest in me…

…Lord Aizen decided that my abilities were unnecessary as well…

…my reason for existence was once more stripped away…

I would go on to work as a nurse for the other Arrancars and the Espada, but it soon became clear that none of them needed me either…

When Lord Aizen made me into an Arrancar, I lost the ability of high-speed regeneration, although I found that my golden threads worked well enough as a substitute…

Some of the stronger Hollows would beat and brutalize me to the point of near death after Master Szayelaporro declared that everyone else could do what they want with me…

I soon found that the core of my ability is to act as a 'backup' or an external storage of sorts.

I can duplicate my soul and memories…

I can pull from them whenever something happens and revive myself.

Evidently, Master Szayelaporro knew about the nature of my powers as well…

…I found copies of his soul stored and 'backed-up' within my threads as I continued to master my abilities…

Even so, I became nothing more than an information storage for him…

…that is…

…until White appeared…

I was happy to once more be of use to Master Szayelaporro.

Something as aimless as freedom means nothing to me, I want purpose…

…

…or so I thought…

…

I now find myself yearning for it…

…

…a tool has no need for freedom, so why…

…

Why am I alive…?

Shifts within Roka's soul occur as she subconsciously begins to reconsider her stance on her place in the world. Such shifts have been prompted by her interactions with Nelliel, Pesche, Dondochakka, and now the newfound 'friends' she finds herself with.

Present, Karakura Town

Roka looks in mild interest at the lively group before her, in front of the ice cream parlor in Karakura Town, "That boy reminds me of Pesche and Dondochakka for some reason…"

Szayel hisses through their mental link, "Silence! I am trying to focus on White's sister!"

The Arrancar girl closes her eyes as she accepts mentally, "As you wish, Master Szayelaporro…"

Meanwhile, Keigo shifts uncomfortably as a drunken Candice inspects his face more thoroughly, "Yeah you could grow up to be a real stud, kid…"

Keigo twitches, "T-thanks…?"

Mizuiro smirks as his friend's situation is quite amusing. Upon leaving the parlor, the group finds the cameramen are long gone. Yuzu can't help but have a bad feeling.

Chad notices this, "What's wrong?"

Yuzu shakes her head, "I don't know… I just have a bad feeling…"

Roka suddenly furrows her brow, noting, "I feel it too…"

Kanonji, looking between the two, determines that a spiritual occurrence is about to happen. However, this sentiment is short lived as a car pulls up on the side of the road, causing Don Kanonji to sweat bullets as the window rolls down.

"Yo Kanonji! Your ass owes us money! Now pay up!", a man yells from the inside.

Everyone in the group eyes Kanonji seriously, especially Chad, who asks, "You're friends with the Yakuza?"

At the boy's words, Kanonji waves his hands in denial, "No way! I've never seen this group before in my life!"

At this, the man steps out of his car, "Yo, do I need to grab my piece?!"

The man starts walking to the trunk.

Keigo starts screaming at this, "AHHH! He's gonna shoot us!"

Keigo jumps behind Chad for cover, causing Candice to scoff, "Cowardice isn't attractive in men…"

Keigo screams, "Cowardice and stupidity are two different things, woman! You should take cover too if you don't want to get shot!"

Candice scowls, "You calling me stupid?! Come here!"

Chad sweat drops as Candice chases Keigo in circles around him. While this is happening, Yuzu starts freaking out too, but Mizuiro gives her a friendly look as he starts grabbing things out of his bag, fiddling with them.

Kanonji walks over to the man, who now is now holding a gun, "Look here, sir. I'm sure we can work something out. See I don't get paid until next week and—"

The man slaps Kanonji with the back of his gun, causing his glasses to fly off.

The man scowls, "No more excuses. Either you pay up or get filled with lead!"

Before Kanonji responds, Mizuiro throws some kind of can which starts emitting some smoke.

"Run for it!", the boy calls, prompting Chad to grab Keigo and Candice simultaneously while he and the others jump into Kanonji's car and make a run for it.

Gunshots and Japanese swears can be heard as they make their escape.

Elsewhere in Karakura Town

Ginjo, Riruka, and Bambietta walk out of a bar in downtown Karakura Town.

Ginjo and Riruka wear the same get up they usually do—black leather jacket and pants and a black and white dress with a white bunny hat, respectively. Bambietta, on the other hand, wears quite the unique casual fit: a red jumpsuit that exposes her midriff and a teal hat with the bill pointing towards her right.

Ginjo remarks, somewhat surprised, "You're far better at singing than I thought you'd be, Bambietta. Dare I say, you're actually good."

Bambietta smirks proudly, "But of course! I do not tolerate people bringing my talents into question!"

Ginjo looks playfully at the other girl, "Well, you're worlds better than Riruka, that's for sure."

"HEY!" Riruka squawks.

Bambietta chuckles at this, agreeing with Ginjo's assessment.

Just then, a pink car comes racing by, pursued by shady black cars, followed by cop cars blasting their sirens.

Riruka gawks, "Wait, those were our people in the pink car!"

Bambietta nods, "Yeah. I'd recognize Candy's hair anywhere."

Riruka squawks demandingly, "What should we do, Kugo?"

The girls turn to Ginjo, who is already walking away.

Riruka cries, "Hey! Shouldn't we go after them?!"

Ginjo, now joined in his stride by Bambietta, glances back at Riruka, "Feel free to help them if you want. Whatever mess they got themselves in, I'm confident they can handle themselves…"

Riruka glances back at the cars, now disappearing from sight, before following Ginjo down the street.

Karakura Town Outskirts

After ten minutes of driving, Kanonji's car fumbles to a halt, having run out of gas. The group gets out one by one.

"Well… I think we lost them…" Mizuiro huffs.

Keigo screeches at Kanonji, "Yakuza?! YAKUZA?! WHY ARE YOU ASSOCIATED WITH YAKUZA?!"

Kanonji looks off in the distance, "Long story, kid. Unfortunately, it's one I don't quite have the time to tell right now."

Keigo doesn't notice the way Candice, Chad, and Yuzu tense up, taking aggressive stances. Keigo continues to shout at the man but stops as he feels an eerie sensation.

Kanonji regards Roka, "You feel it too… the vengeful spirits have come upon us…"

Roka looks at the man after he says this, correcting him, "That isn't right… these… are hollows… you all can see them too, right?"

Roka looks at Chad, Yuzu, and Candice, who are only mildly shocked at the revelation.

Candice, slightly less drunk than earlier, decides to ask, "Who are you?"

Roka stares blankly at her for a moment before answering with a silly dance, "I am Karakura White."

She speaks in a monotone, looking at Kanonji, "Did I do it right?"

Kanonji nods, "Not bad for your first time. But next time, do it with more enthusiasm."

Candice opens her mouth to say something again, but one of the hollows speak in a shrill voice that sends chills down the spines of Keigo and Mizuiro, who can only faintly see them, "Hand over Yuzu Kurosaki, humans, and we may make your deaths short and painless."

"Ha! That's funny! You two think you can even so much as harm me! I'll show you how wrong you are!" Candice starts walking towards them, with sparks flashing off her body.

The hollows back away as Candice looks ready to launch an attack, but Yuzu slide tackles the woman, knocking her to the ground.

Candice hisses, "WHAT WAS THAT ABOUT KID?! I CAN ONE SHOT THESE LOSERS!"

Yuzu's expression is stern with disapproval, as she begins to scold the woman, "Are you stupid?! We can't use our powers so openly like this!"

Candice groans, "Do you have any better ideas?"

Keigo answers that question for her, "RUN!" as he takes off past Yuzu and Candice, who follow his lead.

Chad looks at Kanonji and Mizuiro, picking the two up and running off in a different direction as Roka follows.

The hollows start laughing, realizing that the powerful individuals have decided to lower themselves down to weakling levels. Bulbous G decides to go after the other group, as they will be tasty meals for him, Numb Chandelier unable to stop the much stronger hollow. The tentacle hollow decides it's better this way as they can claim all the credit with Grand Fisher.

Forest, Karakura Outskirts

Chad places Mizuiro and Kanonji down in the middle of a clearing as Roka checks to see if either of the hollows took chase.

"The larger one is after us.", the girl states in a monotone.

Chad wonders how she knows this but chooses not to ask, as there are more urgent concerns.

Chad glances at Mizuiro, "Do you still have any smoke bombs in your bag?"

The boy nods, wearing a curious expression.

Chad turns back to look into the darkness before them, "Good, use them on my signal. After that, I want all you guys to get out of here."

Kanonji protests, "No can do, my boy. We've done a lot of running tonight, but Superheroes shouldn't run away. They should face the challenge head on, y'know?"

Chad nods in understanding, "In that case, just be careful…"

"Come out humans! I want to feast on you!", the hollow roars, pushing over trees in its wake.

Once it enters the middle of the clearing, Chad calls "Now!" as two smoke bombs roll out, obscuring the beast's vision.

Bulbous G roars, "You think this will impede me?! Foolish humans, I will—"

Just then, the hollow doubles over in pain, feeling a fist punch it in the middle of its stomach.

"Sorry, but, I'll have to make this longer than usual since I can't use any reiatsu." Chad states, prompting the hollow's eyes to widen as the boy delivers a punch to its face, sending it crashing through some trees and cracking its mask.

The hollow screams in rage, "Not death by a mere human!" and charges towards where the boy was but feels a thread around its ankle, forcing it to the ground.

"Good job, Karakura Blue, Red, White! Now it's my turn to put an end to this!" Kanonji yells, jamming his staff into the hollow's mask crack, forcing pieces of it off and the hollow to cry out in pain.

Both Chad and Roka's eyes widen.

Roka urges, "We must leave immediately!"

Kanonji tries to protest, but he is grabbed by some threads and pulled away, as Roka makes her escape. Chad carries Mizuiro under his arm and follows shortly after.

The hollow roars, "Cowardly humans! I'll get—" however the hollow cannot finish its sentence as it is cleaved in half.

A short, dark-haired woman with a bun sheathes her sword upon the purification of the hollow, "That hollow was yelling at humans… but it looks like they fled the scene… I'd better tell captain Aizen about this."

Abandoned Train Station, Karakura Outskirts

Keigo falls to the ground near the old, abandoned train station near the outskirts of Karakura, completely winded, but nearly gasps as Yuzu and Candice appear immediately after, completely fine.

"How aren't you winded?!" Keigo somehow manages to shout, despite being short on breath.

This prompts Yuzu to pathetically attempt to pretend she is winded, inhaling and exhaling loudly, "I… I am… winded…"

Keigo shouts, "I'm not buying it!"

This causes the girl to rub the back of her head, wearing a sheepish smile.

Candice looks back in the direction they came from, "It's still following us… I can feel that the other one was killed, though."

Keigo responds with an air of sarcasm, "Hooray! Now it's just one monster we can't defeat!"

Candice glares at him, "I could've killed them both easily, boy. Still can."

Keigo taunts her at this, "Oh, then why don't you? Too chicken? Bawk bawk bawk!"

Keigo starts doing the chicken dance in front of Candice, causing a knot to form on her forehead as she smirks at the boy, eyes full of rage, "Why you…!"

"Enough!" Yuzu calls out, bringing the two to silence.

"We have to find a way to defeat the hollow unconventionally… honestly, you shouldn't even be here Keigo…", Yuzu looks at the older boy with worry-filled eyes.

Keigo returns her gaze with a rare, serious one of his own, "If I ever left Ichigo's little sister to fend for herself from a beast like that, I could never live with myself."

Yuzu's expression shifts to one of nostalgia, as though that is something similar to what her brother himself would say. Candice raises a brow, finding the boy's change in mood quite odd, although not unappealing.

Yuzu looks at the old train sitting under a pavilion before deciding something, "I think I have a plan."

2 Minutes Later

"Come out, little Yuzu… I promise to make the deaths of your friends quick if you come with me." Numb Chandelier calls out, only to be met with no response.

"Very well then.", the octopus hollow launches multiple seed-like objects into the building, crashing through windows and walls alike, tearing apart the old train station building.

Still, nothing.

"You cannot hide forever!" the octopus cries, frustrated.

The group sits inside the building, on the rails where the trains travel, as the building shakes from the hollow's onslaught.

Inside the railcar, Candice looks at Yuzu, "You sure this will work?"

The girl shrugs, "Honestly, I don't know. But it's our best and only option, unless we want Shinigami to know we're here."

Yuzu's brow furrows, "Speaking of which, they should be here by now… have they not noticed the hollows?"

Keigo sighs before he grabs the door to exit the car.

"Wait, Keigo!" Yuzu calls after him in a hushed tone, prompting the boy to glance back at her.

Keigo gives Yuzu a smile, "Well, we need a distraction, and you two will be busy preparing the train…"

The two Quincies stare at him awestruck.

Candice scowls, "Boy, you won't last two seconds against that thing—"

"Just let me do this." Keigo stares at the woman with a fire in his eyes.

"What is it with these people?" Candice sighs, "Want to be the hero? Fine. But if you screw up, don't say I didn't warn you this was a dumbass decision…"

The woman looks away while Yuzu still looks at the boy with a worried expression.

"Hey ugly!" Keigo shouts at the creature when he's fully walked out from the pavilion.

The hollow hisses, "You insolent human, I'll devour you!"

Keigo looks up in the beast's general direction, taunting it by flipping it off, "I'd like to see you try!"

"That's it!" the hollow starts firing off more seeds, but Keigo has already ran to the left towards an empty railcar a distance away.

"You won't escape!" the hollow declares, taking the bait.

It fires more seeds, one hitting Keigo in the ankle forcing him to the ground before the railcar as he screams out in pain.

"Now point to where your friends are!" the hollow orders.

"Like hell I will!" the boy declares defiantly.

However, once another seed hits him in the arm, he feels it moving against his will to point towards the train under the pavilion.

"What the hell?!", the boy is dumbstruck.

Numb Chandelier chuckles, "Very good, boy. Now your soul is mine!"

As the hollow wraps its tentacle around Keigo's body, the boy can't help but curse himself as he fades into unconsciousness, "Looks like Candice was right… not even two minutes… damn…"

The hollow is about to eat Keigo when it smells something funny, "Why do I smell smoke?"

Suddenly, a voice calls out, "Ya did good, I'll take it from here", before a blue flash akin to a lightning bolt passes by the hollow, after which the tentacle holding Keigo explodes, leaving Candice to catch the boy.

The woman smirks, "You really ought to keep your tentacles off another woman's man, you disgusting hollow!"

"You ingrate!" the hollow calls but then starts seeing smoke coming out of the train sitting on the rails.

Numb Chandelier hisses, "What did you do?!"

Candice shrugs, giving the hollow a wicked smirk, "Oh, I just gave it a little zap."

The woman raises her hand and small sparks of electricity fly off.

"You think I'll just wait around for this train to explode?! Not a chance!", the hollow moves to leave but suddenly feels a kick to the back of its head, sending it spiraling to the ground next to the pavilion.

"We ready to bounce, kid?" Candice asks Yuzu, who nods, after falling to the ground next to her companion.

On cue, the two Quincies activate their Heilig Pfeil and lightly blast the hollow with enough reiastu to push it back, but not enough for any Shinigami to sense their reiatsu, forcing it into the train, immediately using Hirenkyaku to escape afterwards. The train erupts into a gulf of flames, consuming the entire pavilion with the hollow inside.

"NOoOoOOOoooO!", the hollows distorted screams cry out as the train explodes.

Nearby

In the forest near the wreckage of the abandoned train station, Yoruichi sits quietly on a tree watching the Quincies make their escape.

Suddenly, the voice of a teenager that the cat has gotten quite familiar with over the past few days calls out, "Alright Yoruichi, I'm here. Where's Yuzu?"

Yoruichi regards the boy looking up at them before glancing back at the burning wreckage.

Uryu's eyes widen with rage at this, "No—!"

The cat cuts him off, "Calm down, she escaped. And that Hollow is in no condition to follow."

Uryu looks at the wreckage once more before phrasing a question to the cat, "Shouldn't I just finish the job anyway…?"

Yoruichi denies this of the boy, "No. I have been observing the girl all night, and despite her mediocre effort of minimizing the attention of Shinigami, she actually hasn't attracted any pursuers from them, from what I can tell. We shouldn't jeopardize that now. Besides, Shinigami should be here any minute. You'd best leave."

Uryu looks a bit disappointed at this, having gotten fully dressed in his Quincy attire and everything, only to show up and do nothing. The boy begrudgingly complies with the cat's demands, however, and starts walking back towards town.

The cat jumps off the tree, staring at the fire one last time, "It's a stroke of good fortune I didn't have to get involved. That would have complicated things…"

The cat turns away from the flames, following the boy out of the forest.

As if to prove Yoruichi's sense of caution, Squad 5 Captain, Sosuke Aizen, appears in the sky above the abandoned train station, witnessing the wreckage below.

The man smirks at the sight, "Excellently played, Yuzu Kurosaki. Perhaps you are worth my time as well…"

Suddenly, there is a roar of anger as Numb Chandelier bursts out of the wreckage, "I won't die here, not to the likes of humans!"

Suddenly the hollow gasps, feeling a nightmarishly high reiatsu.

"Oh no, Miss Kurosaki would absolutely be cross to find out that her plan didn't work… fodder like you should just lie down and die." Aizen commands exerting his reiatsu on the hollow, causing it great amount of fear and pain.

"I could use my Zanpakuto to perform Konso on you, but I am afraid that a being such as you has earned a worse fate for going after one of my passion projects… so, disappear!" Aizen commands once more, focusing his reiastu on the creature before him, crushing its entire body into nothing as its cries of pain fade likewise into the void.

Meanwhile

Yuzu and Candice, who is still carrying an unconscious Keigo, are nearing the area where Kanonji's car sits on the side of the road.

Yuzu glances at her mentor briefly deciding to ask about something, "Hey, Candice?"

"What's up kid?", the woman acknowledges carelessly.

Yuzu continues, "Were you serious back there… at the train station?"

Candice raises a brow, "About what?"

Yuzu pauses, turns her head away, before glancing back at the woman a bit awkwardly, "…about Keigo being your man?"

Candice is quiet for a second before she starts laughing out loud, "Of course not, he's just a boy, isn't he? I just wanted to trash talk and that's what came to mind."

Yuzu nods hesitantly, "Yeah… I guess that makes sense."

Yuzu looks away while Candice looks down at the boy with a somewhat sad expression, muttering something to herself, "A killer like me doesn't deserve something like that. Battle is all I know—a life full of happiness has no place in the Wandenreich…"

"Did you say something?" Yuzu asks, glancing back once more at her mentor.

Candice shrugs, noticing a group of people up ahead, "You probably heard the wind… it looks like the others are waiting for us."

As the group approaches the others, Yuzu notices that the sun has started to rise, marking the beginning of a new day.

"Good job team, the monsters have been vanquished! I knew I made the right decision making you all the Karakura Superheroes!" Kanonji states, nodding his head in self-approval.

Everyone present, save for Roka, sweat drops at this.

Suddenly, Roka winces in pain.

"I am satisfied with the data you have collected. Return to me at once." Szayel's voice commands through their link.

Kanonji offers Roka support to stand, "What's wrong, Ms. Roka?"

The girl ignores him, focusing on the voice in her head, "Master Szayelaporro, I do not wish to return. I owe this man a debt of gratitude. He taught me the joys of ice cream…."

Roka states this innocently, but of course, Szayel is not amused, "How many times do I have to tell you?! You belong to me! You are my tool! An object! If you choose not to return, I will punish you—Barragan will know of Nelliel's treacherous plans!"

Roka's eyes lose any light they may have gained from her trip here, "I understand Master Szayelaporro…"

Szayel's voice calms down a bit, "Good, now return back so you can receive your punishment…"

Roka addresses Kanonji with a sad look, throwing him off guard, "Forgive me, but I must leave now…"

Kanonji, noticing that her gaze is even more helpless than when they met earlier, tries to persuade the girl, "Wait! You can't leave now! There are so many joys you've yet to experience!"

Roka shakes her head, "Unfortunately, that will have to wait for another time… although I doubt it will come to pass… farewell, Don Kanonji and my fellow Karakura Heroes—I will never forget your kindness. May the spirits be forever with you."

With that, Roka disappears in a flash, stunning everyone present.

"HOLY SHIT! She really was a ghost!" Keigo blurts out, scaring Candice, not realizing he was conscious, causing her to flinch and drop him to the ground.

"Ow…" Keigo mutters after hitting the ground.

Mizuiro gives the boy a deadpanned look, "Seriously, dude? Even I figured that one out…"

Candice stares at the location where Roka was standing previously with a contemplative expression.

Las Noches

Upon Roka's return to Las Noches, she is immediately greeted by Szayel's fist in her face, knocking her hat off as blood spews from her nose. He kicks her so hard she is implanted into the wall. Szayel grabs one of his 'tools' from the testing table and pierces Roka's stomach with it, causing her to cry out in pain as tears fall from her eyes.

"Ah. It seems your senses have recovered during your trip to the human world. That's good, it's not fun when they don't scream…" Szayel presses the 'tool' even deeper within Roka causing her to writhe in pain in his grasp.

The sadistic Arrancar then tears the tool out of her body and discards her on the floor, her blood having stained his shirt.

"Look at what kind of mess you made. Now I'll have to get changed before my meeting with Barragan. Hmm, no matter, I don't care for his silly meetings anyway…" Szayel regards Roka's limp, motionless body on the floor.

"I do hope you have learned your lesson this time… try and make yourself presentable before I return." Szayel states coldly, before marching out of the room.

Meanwhile, Hueco Mundo

Upon devouring the corpse of an Adjucha laying on the ground before him, White stares off distantly as he licks his bloodied jaws. The vision of the two girls from one of his previous visions becomes clearer to him, as he can now hear highly muffled voices.

This causes the dragon to growl, "I can hear them, but I still can't understand a damned thing they're saying!"

White's thoughts are interrupted as a wave of pain assaults him once more, the dark wound in his chest eating away at his internal organs as his body continuously and desperately regenerates itself in an effort to keep the Miasma at bay.

After the pain subsides, the dragon perks up as he hears two buzzes sound behind him, a young-sounding voice calling to him, "There you are, Dragon! We'll make you pay for what you did to Patros!"

White turns around, with bloodlust evident in his piercing, cold eyes. What he finds are two bipedal Adjuchas with completely white bodies. The owner of the voice is a Hollow with two segmented arms which resemble a tail with sharp points at the ends. Further, a tail sprouts from its lower back, identical to its arms. On its torso is white armor, with the hollow hole still visible in the dead center of the chest. The armor continues up the creature's neck, leading to its unique pointed mask, which interestingly covers its eyes. Lastly, red fur covers the creature from the sides of its head all the way down to its waist.

The other Hollow is bulkier in comparison, having two large arms that are nearly the size of the rest of its body. The Adjucha is completely covered in white armor, which looks worn down as if to suggest the Hollow has fought many battles. Six large, armored, segmented appendages sprout from the creature's back, which appear the most worn. Lastly, and most notedly, its mask is identical to its partner.

White would normally pause to regard and observe the sight of Adjuchas with identical masks, as he did with the female bug Adjuchas he met a while back. However, right now he does nothing of the sort as he is a starving, wounded animal whose instincts direct him to do one thing and one thing only.

The dragon, not bothering to regard the two Adjuchas, immediately pounces at the still speaking red-haired Adjucha, bringing a clawed hand down at them. White's black claws rend the Adjucha's armor, causing blood to spurt from it as its body staggers. The dragon attempts a follow-up slash with its other front, clawed hand, however, an armored round object impedes his path. His claws get stuck in the armor, causing the dragon to snort before spewing black flames from its mouth on the object that dares block its path. As White ceases his attack, his eyes widen slightly as the armored Hollow, underneath the round shell made from its six appendages, looks perfectly fine.

A rough voice growls, "You'll find I'm a bit tougher than Patros and Menis. My Hierro has weathered attacks from countless Adjuchas before you—a dying animal like you won't take me down."

White hisses as he attempts to remove his claws from the armor, only for them to become seemingly even more lodged into it as the armored Hollow grunts, "You're not moving from this position! Sonido will not help you, nor will your desperate attacks!"

Despite the claims of the Adjucha, White proceeds to slam his other clawed hand against the armor to pry himself free. As he continues his attempts to escape, a buzz sounds behind him, revealing the wounded and pissed form of the other Hollow, Menis.

The red-haired Adjucha growls lowly as it bares its pointed appendages as if they are whips, "Hold him right there, Aldegor! I'm going to enjoy this..."

The first strike slashes White across the back, causing him to wince in pain as blood oozes from the now open wound. The dragon grits his teeth as he prepares to whip his tail at the red-haired Hollow, however, his body seizes under the assault of Respira, sending his pain receptors into overload.

As White howls to the sky in pain, Menis laughs sadistically, continuing to whip the dying animal, "That's right, keep screaming! Patros is probably singing in elation among the tempest of souls you've devoured, Dragon! After you die, we'll achieve his dream of becoming one of Lord Barragan's Generals!"

The red-haired Adjucha whips the Hollow again and again. White's howls continue in earnest as his vision becomes fuzzy, now completely red.

As the dragon's eyes begin to close, instinctually coming to terms that he's going to die, a monstrous, angry voice roars within the depths of his being, "KILL!"

White opens his golden eyes with black sclera, the black slits within the golden pupils becoming extremely narrow and focused, a sign of the merciless predator that these Adjuchas have unleashed. As Menis throws his right whip at White again, the dragon somehow finds the strength to turn its body away from the armored Hollow slightly before grabbing the incoming whip appendage in his clawed arm.

The armored Hollow growls, beginning to charge a Cero at the dragon, whose other clawed hand still stuck in his armor, from behind his armored shell. However, the dragon's claws, and the rest of its body shortly after, are coated in black and red flames, which cause both other Hollows to burn under the heat of them. They both cry out in pain as White roars, pulling violently on the red-haired Hollow's arm as his other hand is now free.

The dragon catches the form of Menis by puncturing him through the chest with his freed-up, flaming arm, gutting him, killing him instantly. Simultaneously, the dragon whips its flaming tail around the armored Hollow's neck, constricting it tightly and forcing him to his knees. After another moment, as White begins devouring the smoldering body of Menis, his tail constricts so tightly that Aldegor's head quite literally pops off, his neck completely destroyed.

Having won the battle, the flames around White dissipate as he finishes devouring the two Adjuchas. The dragon's body once more glows a furious red, even more energy returning to him than when he devoured Patros. Shortly after, his eyes return to normal, no longer blood lusted.

White shakes his head, downcast towards the ground, somewhat disoriented as he groans, "Ugh… my head…"

The dragon softens his gaze somewhat, "Now that I think about it... those were that other guy's friends..."

White then looks up at the moon above, melancholically, "That's right... Why am I even devouring all these other Hollows? Even if I do have sisters, I saw how things played out with Sora's sister… I can't imagine mine would want to see me like this, either…"

He sighs deeply, beginning to realize something as the light of the moon reflects off his blackened eyes, "What's the point of living on if all that awaits me is loneliness...?"

White contemplates this further in this precious moment of clarity. However, is soon forced back into the harsh reality he lives in. The Miasma in his chest glows a darkened purple, causing him to wince in pain, nearly doubling over as he clutches his chest in his claws.

Once the bout of pain is over, White stares into the distance with intent, desperate eyes, "NONE OF THAT MATTERS RIGHT NOW! I'll kill as many as I must to survive and evolve!"

After his declaration, White disappears with a buzz of Sonido, continuing his hunt despite his conflicted feelings about it.

Ishida Estate

Yuzu enters the Ishida manor quietly, however, the black cat she was hoping to avoid calls out behind her, "Is last night what you call simply, 'Hanging out with friends', because that's not what I would call it, young lady…."

Yuzu can hear the disapproval in the cat's voice, looking down with an expression of shame.

"So, you were following me, Yoruichi…" Yuzu states.

The cat nods, "You can't be so reckless. It's a stroke of good fortune I didn't have to get involved."

Yuzu raises a brow, unsure of what the cat means, but chooses to defend herself, "Those hollows were targeting me specifically, Yoruichi. They would have popped up anyway and I would have had to defend myself…"

Yoruichi sighs, "I know, and it makes me worried that some other, stronger hollows are after you as well. If that is the case, you won't be able to defend yourself without using your powers… I suggest you always accompany at least two or three others among your allies. We can't afford the Shinigami to learn of your presence, but we also can't afford being cornered by hollows…"

Yuzu nods, understandingly.

The cat's tone becomes more casual, "Good. I will speak to Ryuken regarding the hollows, so don't worry about him. I suggest you go get some rest. Kon has no doubt been distressed all night awaiting your return."

Yuzu wordlessly returns to her room, ignoring Kon's complaining about how late she was, before collapsing on her bed, finally succumbing to the fatigue after the long night.

Author's Note:

The events regarding Roka and Szayel were directly inspired by the Spirits Are Forever With You light novel. I wanted to adapt this interesting and unexplored relationship in my fic (even though it is morally fucked). I will be touching up on them again in the following arc, but I just wanted to include them here in some way first as a means of introduction.

The next few chapters will be the closing act for this arc.