"Nelliel…"
Deep within the depths of Hell.
The moment Lynn saw Nelliel on the virtual screen, he instantly recognized her.
After all…
There were only a handful in Hueco Mundo qualified to be called peerage-worthy talents.
And Nelliel was definitely one of them.
Originally, Lynn had planned to visit Hueco Mundo someday to scout.
But this was even better.
She showed up on her own.
However...
Lynn narrowed his eyes.
If he remembered correctly, Nelliel should be residing somewhere near Las Noches, right?
Her appearance here…
Could it mean Las Noches is actually close to where Kikyo and the others are stationed?
---
Meanwhile, in Hueco Mundo.
Midoriko looked helplessly at Nelliel, who was flailing about, and tried to reassure her gently. "Don't worry. We're not here to capture you."
This little one...
Did she escape from somewhere?
When she noticed the scar on Nelliel's face, a trace of sympathy appeared in her eyes.
Who in the world would hurt such a cute little girl?
Even a child isn't spared?
Of course—
Midoriko's anger was mostly stirred because of Nelliel's innocent, childlike appearance.
Still...
The hidden spiritual pressure emanating from her small body was far from ordinary.
Midoriko stayed cautious.
"Huh?"
Upon hearing Midoriko's words, Nelliel paused in her struggle, blinked curiously, and asked, "Really?"
Midoriko nodded firmly. "Really."
Nelliel's eyes sparkled. "Yay! Big sis, you're a good person!"
"...."
She believed that way too easily!
Midoriko looked conflicted.
But Nelliel paid no attention to her expression. Tugging at the sleeve of her miko uniform, she tilted her head and asked with curiosity, "Big sis, did you come from far away?"
Midoriko collected her thoughts and replied in a coaxing tone, "Why do you say that?"
Nelliel tapped her lips with a finger and answered matter-of-factly, "Because Nelliel's never seen Big Sis before!"
Midoriko: "…"
Nelliel's expression suddenly turned serious.
"Big Sis, don't go any farther. There are bad people ahead!"
"Really, really bad people!"
She frowned as she spoke.
"Bad people?"
Midoriko and the others exchanged glances, then asked, "What kind of bad people?"
"Umm…"
Nelliel made a face, then spread her arms wide and described, "It has two big horns, and it's really tall…"
Listening to her description, realization flashed through their minds.
A human-shaped Hollow...
That had to be their current target.
"I understand," Midoriko said, crouching down and placing Nelliel on the white sands, gently patting her head.
Though…
It was a bit hard to the touch.
After all, her head was more bone than flesh.
This little one...
She was probably a human-type Hollow too.
Was this the Arrancar that Lynn mentioned?
Midoriko fell into thought.
---
Elsewhere, not far from Las Noches in a well-hidden area...
Dondochakka Birstanne and Pesche Guatiche exchanged glances before shouting in unison, "Where is Lady Nel!"
Realizing something, they quickly panicked. "Quick, we need to get Lady Nel back! If Nnoitra Gilga finds her, we're doomed!"
At the same time.
Unaware that someone was desperately searching for her, Nelliel proudly marched forward with Midoriko and the others.
With every little step, her tiny feet left footprints in the white sands.
She tilted her head and asked, "Big sis Midoriko, will you protect Nelly?"
Midoriko patted her head, smiling. "Of course. If anyone bad tries to take you, I'll beat them all up!"
"Mm!"
Nelliel nodded enthusiastically, pumping her tiny fists. "Beat up the bad guys!"
Midoriko smiled warmly at the sight.
---
After a brief discussion, the group decided to press on.
Nelliel eagerly volunteered to lead the way.
Even though she warned them about bad guys ahead…
There was clear excitement in her eyes the moment they decided to keep going.
That palace—
She'd wanted to sneak in and explore for a long time now!
Of course—
Midoriko and the others weren't just charging ahead recklessly.
They still planned to hunt a few Adjuchas along the way to level up.
So, their pace wasn't particularly fast.
And with Nelliel guiding them, it became quite easy to find an Adjuchas.
Well...
It was basically leading them into a trap.
---
Meanwhile, deep in the third level of Hell.
After defeating the last Hell Guardian, Soi Fon finally allowed herself a moment of relief.
Clap clap clap!
Suddenly.
A crisp sound of clapping echoed.
Soi Fon's muscles tensed instantly.
"Who's there?!"
A lazy voice responded.
"You've made impressive progress over the years."
That voice.
Soi Fon's eyes widened. Her pupils contracted, and her body began trembling.
She slowly turned her stiff body around in disbelief.
And saw.
A tall, mature woman with dark brown skin, a high ponytail, and orange tights standing behind her.
"Shihouin…"
"Yoruichi!!"
The moment she saw her clearly, Soi Fon clenched her fists tightly, her voice shaking with anger and pain.
In an instant, her expression twisted in fury.
"Why are you here?!"
Yoruichi remained calm, shrugging. "Ah… shouldn't I be the one asking you that?"
Then her expression grew serious.
"Soi Fon, why are you in Hell?!"
If they were in the real world or even Soul Society, Yoruichi might have just ignored her spiritual pressure.
But this was different.
This was Hell.
More specifically…
Hell now under Lynn's control.
She feared that Soi Fon might recklessly provoke Lynn.
If that happened, there might not even be a chance to regret it later.
After all...
She had watched Soi Fon grow up. How could she not care?
But hearing Yoruichi's words left Soi Fon stunned for a moment.
She instinctively replied, "The miasma from Hell started leaking into the Soul Society. The Captain-Commander sent me—"
"Wait!"
She suddenly caught herself, gritted her teeth, and snapped, "Why should I explain to you?!"
Ah…
But she had already done it.
Yoruichi chuckled teasingly. "You're still so cute, Soi Fon."
So cute I can't handle it!
(To be continued.)
***
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