The palace halls lay silent. Only the steady rhythm of footsteps echoed—da, da, da…—as four figures moved deeper inside.
The boy in front walked with an unhurried pace, expression calm, while the little girl clutched his sleeve with nervous hands, her steps hesitant. Behind them, two figures—one thin, one stout—tiptoed like burglars, their bodies stiff with unease. It was Su Li and his companions.
"Gulppp…" Peixue and Donde Chaka swallowed hard, their eyes darting about.
No wonder their nerves frayed. This was Las Noches. Though the path here had been strangely unguarded, each step now drew them closer to the inner sanctum—the true core of the palace, where the Espada resided. The ten blades of Hueco Mundo. Each one powerful enough to obliterate them with a gesture.
They had witnessed Su Li's strength already, and it was terrifying in its own right, yet Espada were on another level. For safety's sake, they felt compelled to remind him.
"Su Li-san, the inner palace is near," Peixue whispered frantically. "If we continue, we're bound to meet a guardian. We should think of a way—if those Espada are alarmed, it will be terrible!"
"Espada… fishy?" Su Li tilted his head, eyes clear.
"Very strong!!" Peixue and Donde Chaka blurted at once.
"They are the ten most powerful Hollows in Hueco Mundo!" Peixue's voice quivered. "Not even comparable to a watchdog like Lunuganga!"
But Su Li's expression didn't change; his tone remained light. Just as Peixue prepared to beg further, Su Li's gaze brightened. "Huh? The entrance to the inner palace?" He looked ahead at the glowing threshold and walked straight toward it.
"W-wait!! Su Li-san!!" Peixue's voice cracked with panic as he tried to restrain him, but Su Li ignored the warning and strolled on with Nilu at his side.
"Damn it… so brazen…" The two exchanged horrified looks before clenching their jaws and chasing after him.
Soon, the four stood before three enormous gates. Su Li glanced at Nilu. "Which one?"
But Nilu froze. The sight of the gates stirred something strange in her—a blend of familiarity and estrangement. "Ahh… my head…" She clutched at her temple, face twisted in pain.
Su Li's eyes softened. Since her regression, Nilu had lost her memories. He touched her head gently, murmuring, "Sorry, my fault." The warmth of his hand seemed to melt the pain away; her breathing steadied.
"Peixue. Lead the way," Su Li ordered.
Peixue flinched. Why does he think I'd know? Yet with no time to question, his mind scrambled desperately, constructing routes through the labyrinth of Las Noches, each turn meant to avoid Espada. He had barely begun when the air shifted.
A gust roared, whipping across the hall. A shadow dropped from above, blocking the gate.
"Sorry, invaders," the newcomer said coolly. "Your journey ends here."
Peixue and Donde Chaka stiffened, blood draining from their faces. "Y-you… you are—!" Peixue's voice cracked.
The man straightened elegantly, mustached face calm, voice resonant. "I am Arrancar No. 103… Dorudoni Alessandro Del Socacchio."
Su Li rubbed his chin. The mustache tickled his memory, yet he could not place it.
"Run! Run quickly!" Peixue's voice shook with sheer terror.
"Eh? Why?" Su Li blinked. "Isn't he just number 103? Not Espada."
"N-no!" Donde Chaka stammered, biting his fingers, trembling uncontrollably. "He… he was once Espada No. 3!!"
"What?! The original Espada?!"
Dorudoni burst into booming laughter. "Oho! To think someone still remembers my glory! Wahahaha! It seems my name has not faded after all! Children! Do you want my autograph? Or perhaps a swimsuit photobook? My generation is generous!"
Su Li and Nilu exchanged baffled stares. One moment he was a refined uncle, the next a ridiculous clown. The shift was so abrupt it gave them whiplash.
"Number 103… number 3…" Nilu murmured, and her mind stirred violently again. Pain spiked, and she screamed, grabbing Su Li's hand and pressing it to her head. His touch soothed her instantly, calming the storm inside her.
Dorudoni paused, watching her, then sighed with a trace of regret. "…Yes. I was once Espada No. 3. But strength fades. I was replaced, cast aside." For a moment, loneliness flickered in his eyes. But then his gaze hardened. "Still… this is my duty. Intruders, I cannot allow you to pass. Even if you admire me, I must stop you here."
The seriousness in his tone made Peixue and Donde Chaka swallow hard, throats dry.
"Peixue," Su Li asked lightly, "do you remember the way?"
"What?!" Peixue froze. His careful plans had scattered the instant Dorudoni appeared.
Su Li shrugged. "It doesn't matter which way anyway." He stepped forward, calm as ever, walking directly toward the mustached guardian.
Dorudoni's composure cracked. With a sharp movement, he vanished into sonido, reappearing as a shadow lunging for Su Li. "I told you—this way is closed!!"
His leg whipped out in a crushing arc, power tearing the air itself.
"Ahhh!" Nilu shrieked, clinging to Su Li's arm.
"W-we're dead!!" Peixue and Donde Chaka wailed.
But Su Li only lifted his hand lazily, as though brushing aside an insect. His palm met the strike with a dull boom.
In an instant, Dorudoni was sent flying, his body swatted aside like a fly.
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