Chapter 18 – Elsa
After quietly waiting for several hours, Tachibana Kyūjō kept his eyes on the Gillian before him.
The transformation had completed.
Where once stood a mindless, towering mass of spiritual energy and hunger, there now crouched a majestic creature—an enormous silver wolf, nearly two meters tall, its fur shimmering with a metallic glow under Hueco Mundo's pale moonlight.
It had successfully evolved.
This was no longer a Gillian, but an Adjuchas—a new, intelligent form of Hollow.
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The wolf's sharp eyes locked onto Kyūjō.
But it didn't charge. It didn't roar.
Instead, it took a cautious step back on its four legs, wariness thick in its body language.
"Hmm? You're not planning to lunge at me and devour me?"
Kyūjō tilted his head slightly, intrigued.
"Interesting... You seem smarter than the average Hollow. Can you sense my spiritual pressure?"
He stepped forward slowly, one foot pressing lightly into the pale sand.
The silver wolf tensed immediately.
Its mouth opened wide, revealing gleaming fangs, and it let out a low, threatening growl.
"Don't come any closer!"
"If you take one more step... I'll fight you!"
He couldn't understand the language of beasts, but the meaning was unmistakable.
Through the pressure in the air and the instincts he'd honed over many battles, Kyūjō could feel the message loud and clear.
So, he stopped.
And smiled gently.
Instead of speaking aloud, he sent a message directly into the creature's mind—through a carefully woven stream of spirit particles.
"My name is Tachibana Kyūjō. Don't be afraid. You can call me Kyūjō. I'm not like the others. I don't need to devour your spiritual pressure to evolve."
The wolf's eyes widened.
It jerked its head around in confusion, sniffing the air, searching for the voice that echoed inside its mind.
For hundreds of years, the Silver Wolf had survived in Hueco Mundo alone. Even while still a Gillian, it had retained a flicker of self-awareness. But never—never—had it encountered another Hollow with consciousness.
Its entire existence had been filled with nothing but violence, instinct, and hunger.
No conversation. No cooperation. Just devouring or being devoured.
Now, suddenly, a voice had spoken to it—with intention.
And that shattered something inside.
— — —
Kyūjō didn't rush.
He spent the entire day teaching the Silver Wolf how to express itself.
It was a basic ability for an Adjuchas—being able to speak, to connect.
And now, after countless tries…
"M-my... na-name... is... El...sa. Elsa... Kaslana."
Kyūjō let out a long sigh of relief and smiled, satisfied.
"You did it."
Elsa looked up at him, her voice becoming clearer, more fluid with every word.
"Thank you, Kyūjō. You didn't just teach me how to speak… You helped me recover memories I didn't even know I had."
There was gratitude in her tone.
But also… sadness.
Kyūjō could see it in her wolf-like eyes—a storm of emotions swirling beneath the surface.
"What's wrong?" he asked gently. "Shouldn't you be happy? You've evolved from a Gillian. You've gained a true form."
Elsa lowered her head.
"Evolving is part of our instinct... but that doesn't mean I like living this way," she whispered.
"With my memories returning... I've started to remember other things. Trees with green leaves. Blue lakes. Creatures living together… A world that's alive. Not like this... Not a desert of bones and silence."
Kyūjō said nothing.
He just listened.
There was a strange irony in all this—how a creature once driven by primal instinct now spoke like a philosopher.
Elsa's consciousness had grown rapidly after her evolution. Even if Kyūjō hadn't stepped in, she likely would've regained her sentience on her own.
Still, he was glad he had been part of her awakening.
After a moment of silence, he asked softly, "Elsa... Would you like to come with me?"
"In this Hueco Mundo, I doubt there are many Hollow like you—ones with awareness, with thoughts."
"If we can talk... maybe this place won't feel so empty anymore. And if I defeat other Hollow, you can absorb them to grow stronger."
Elsa nodded without hesitation.
In truth, even if Kyūjō hadn't asked, she would've followed him anyway.
She'd spent her entire life relying only on instinct. Now, with her mind fully awakened, she craved connection—something beyond mere survival.
"Where are we going?" she asked.
"Not yet," Kyūjō replied with a faint smile. "First, let me prepare something."
He closed his eyes.
And then—he activated it.
Breathing Technique 4.0 – Full Release
Fuuuh... sshhhh...
A fierce wind erupted around them.
Dust and sand swirled, and in mere seconds, particles of spirit energy were drawn into a massive vortex around Kyūjō.
Elsa watched in awe.
A massive tornado—dozens of meters wide—spun in place, violently pulling in spiritual matter from the surrounding air.
She could feel it.
The pressure, the density, the raw power.
This man... he doesn't need to devour Hollow to grow stronger...
His rate of absorption was leagues beyond her own, even when she had consumed hundreds of enemies.
One day passed. Then two. Then three.
When the third day came to a close, Kyūjō finally allowed the swirling vortex to slow and fade.
The local spirit concentration was back to average Hueco Mundo levels.
He could've kept going. His technique was still efficient, even as spirit density dropped.
But he chose not to.
Why?
First—because it was too conspicuous. The energy signature might draw unwanted attention.
Second—because maintaining full-power breathing for days would limit his focus. And Kyūjō had no intention of fighting mindlessly.
Besides, there were likely other locations like this throughout Hueco Mundo.
If this place had double the spirit density of Seireitei, then somewhere—somewhere—there might be a zone with triple or even quadruple.
Better to move strategically. Absorb what he could. Then move on.
Over-absorbing would drain the environment, possibly destabilizing the world's balance. And as part of the grand system shared by the Human World, Soul Society, and Hueco Mundo—such imbalance could ripple outward in dangerous ways.
— — —
As the last traces of the tornado vanished into the night, Kyūjō exhaled slowly.
"It's time to go, Elsa."
But before he could move, Elsa stepped in front of him and lowered her body.
"Kyūjō… may I carry you?"
"I think... when you're near me, my absorption speeds up too. Even if most of the particles go to you, I still gain more than I usually would."
Kyūjō smiled.
"Sure."
He lightly leapt onto her back.
Her fur was warm—surprisingly soft for a creature born of Hollow essence. It was like resting atop a bed of silver feathers.
And as for the spirit particles she absorbed?
Kyūjō didn't care.
To him, that was just a little overflow—nothing worth worrying about.
With no hesitation, Elsa bolted into the night, carrying him across the barren dunes of Hueco Mundo.
Their destination?
A place Kyūjō had sensed earlier—where the spirit energy was denser than anything they'd felt so far.
Their journey was far from over.
But with a new companion at his side...
It had only just begun.
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