Chapter 77: The Shinigami Of The Menos Grande forest
"Saliva? "
Noticing the crystal slime trickling from the edge of Nell's mouth, Ichigo felt a shiver yet managed to rise and rotate his shoulders.
"I feel good? "
Ichigo freely swung his arms before exhaling and asked, "Nell, how long have I been unconscious? "
"One, two, three. . . "
After carefully counting on her delicate fingers for a few moments, Nell held up four fingers and remarked, "It must be four hours. "
"So we have been moving toward the center for four hours? Did we encounter any threats on the way? "
Seeing that Nell bore no wounds, Ichigo questioned instinctively.
"No~"
Nell shook her head, continuing, "I waited for Bawa Bawa to awaken before setting off with you. In fact, we've only been walking for over an hour. Strange as it may seem, there really hasn't been any attack during our journey. "
"Really? That's reassuring! "
Ichigo released a breath of relief, gradually sitting down and asking Nell, "How far is it to the exit? "
"There should still be two hours remaining, and I can already spot some white spectral trees, indicating we are on the right path. "
Ichigo remained silent, continuing to sit with his hands clasped in worry.
"What's on your mind? "
Noticing Ichigo's distracted demeanor, Nell turned and asked him.
"No. . . it's nothing, just an unsettling feeling that started from the beginning. Moreover, the closer we get to the exit, the more intense that feeling becomes. "
Ichigo clutched his chest and spoke absentmindedly.
As Bawa Bawa guided them into a dense grove of white trees, they soon discerned smaller figures wandering through the underbrush.
Further ahead, some hollows turned their heads to glance at them, but they only dared to observe from a distance and did not approach.
"These. . . "
Ichigo gazed curiously at the numerous young Hollows encircling them. Upon first hearing about the Menos Grande Forest, he had presumed there were solely Menos Grandes above the Gillian tier in this area.
Surprisingly, these lower-tier hollows also inhabited this space.
"That doesn't semm right, Nell. "
"What's the matter? "
Noticing Ichigo's hesitation, Nilu asked, perplexed.
"The Menos Grande forest is such a perilous location. How do these weaker hollows manage to survive? "
Ichigo suddenly realized that since becoming a Shinigami, he hadn't comprehensively grasped the true nature of this world, and many commonly accepted facts from others were still unclear to him.
"Generally, these low level Hollows primarily need to absorb the spirit particles present in the air to stay alive. As for the rest, they are driven by their instincts to consume each other and grow. "
Regarding their ability to reside here, Menos Grande has a particular aversion to Hollowa with low spiritual strength. To elevate their rank, Menos Grande can only consume beings of equivalent power.
Nell revealed these insights with a sense of calm, yet Ichigo found it hard to believe how much information could fit into her mind.
"How. . . how do you possess this knowledge? " Ichigo asked, his voice laced with skepticism.
"Huh? Nell doesn't have an answer for that; it's as if the information simply appears in Nell's mind when asked," she responded.
"What? Is that really possible? "
Just as Ichigo experienced a moment of pause, a swift black shadow materialized before their eyes, landing on a nearby tree trunk.
In Ichigo's perception, the figure radiated minimal Reiatsu, yet sported a coat of virtual fur and wore a large horned skull mask, with what appeared to be a Zanpakutō weapon secured at his waist.
"What is that? An Arrancar? "
Ichigo sprang to his feet, surprised to encounter an opponent so soon after a brief respite.
Bawa Bawa halted and ceased to advance, while Nell nervously clutched Ichigo's trousers.
The adversary standing before them was fixedly glaring, their hostile gaze unsettling for reasons unknown.
"Hey! Who are you? A Deadpool or Arrancar? "
After a moment, Ichigo grasped his Zanpakutō with one hand and pointed at the intruder with the other.
However, before Ichigo could react, the opponent charged toward them, drawing the weapon from his waist and swinging it at Bawa Bawa beneath them.
"Bawa! Bawa! ! "
The blade's cold gleam startled Bawa Bawa, causing him to flinch. Ichigo swiftly grabbed Nell and swung his sword to intercept the attack.
Zheng! !
The brief clash of metal allowed Ichigo to see that the adversary was wielding a Zanpakutō.
"Who are you? "
The foe remained silent, disengaged, then kicked out fiercely before executing a backhand slash aimed at Nell, who was still in Ichigo's grasp.
"You jerk! If you don't answer, don't blame me for what's about to happened next. "
Seeing that the opponent was tight-lipped but executed precise, lethal moves, Ichigo understood the gravity of the situation.
Boom! !
Ichigo countered fiercely with Zangetsu, forcing the enemy backward while jumping off Bawa Bawa's back, holding Nell securely.
Seizing the opportunity as the opponent was mid-air and unable to evade, Ichigo unleashed a slash, aiming a Getsuga tenso at him.
Whoosh----
Yet, only an afterimage remained as Ichigo's attack pierced through the space where the opponent once was, striking the tree trunk behind.
Suddenly, a sharp glint flashed behind him as the adversary, gripping his Zanpakutō with both hands, lunged directly at Nell once more.
Clang! !
Ichigo swiftly intervened again, blocking the assault aimed at Nell.
Yet, a trace of uncertainty lingered in Ichigo's gaze, as he recognized that the technique his adversary had just employed was Shinigami's Shunpo. Thanks to Yoruichi's training, he could discern it clearly.
"Are you. . . a Shinigami? What brings you here? And why are you attacking us? "
Ichigo clenched his teeth and regarded the opponent warily, though he refrained from making the first move again.
"Attacm? "
Abruptly, the opponent's dull and deep voice cut through the air, but it sounded rough, as if the vocal cords were damaged.
"This… Question should be posed by me to you! "
It was as though he hadn't spoken to anyone in ages, each word escaping slowly, lacking coherence.
"Why. . . does a Shinigami associate with a damned Arrancar? ? WHY! ! ! "
The last words erupted from the adversary with sudden intensity.
Ichigo was taken aback and questioned, "Who are you? "
"No, will you, answer? "
"Fine, then! "
"Then you'll die alongside, that damned Arrancar! Traitor! ! "
In an instant, the mask concealing the opponent's face shattered, revealing a Shinigami visage marred by scars reminiscent of a wild animal's bite.
Ichigo watched as the opponent gripped his Zanpakutō tightly with both hands, lifting it high while proclaiming, "Swing it! Skysuck! "
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