After several ambushes and counter-encirclements, every Adjuchas detectable by the Automated Task Processor in the area had been wiped out, and Adjuchas-level Hollows were no match for the two of them.
Soon, Makoto and Saitō paused to rest.
Crackle.
The campfire flickered.
The branches of the Forest of Menos, stretching from underground up to the pale desert, burned well in the high-density Reishi environment, making for a decent fire.
Makoto and Saitō sat on opposite sides, draped in thick Hollow pelts as cloaks, leaning against the wind-sheltered edge of a dune.
From a distance, they looked like a pair of cavemen.
Harribel coiled naturally a bit farther from the fire.
A closer look might reveal her size had shrunk slightly.
A sign her Reiatsu rank had ticked up a notch.
From the Gillian stage onward, Hollows' bodies trended toward smaller forms.
Of course, compared to Makoto and Saitō, she was still massive far too big to fit in any car.
But unlike her initial wariness, Harribel now seemed to have dropped nearly all her guard. Her sleek, serpentine mermaid form curled into a ring, basking in the rare warmth of the firelight.
In Hueco Mundo, few Hollows ever lit fires.
Not just due to lack of smarts it also attracted others of their kind.
A bright light source in this eternal night stood out too much, especially to eyeless Hollows hypersensitive to heat.
Maybe Harribel herself hadn't noticed, but Makoto's flawless promise-keeping had all but erased her defenses against these natural enemies.
Makoto gazed her way, an odd sense of déjà vu bubbling up like watching a wolf evolve into a house dog.
If she kept eating like this, would Harribel still resemble that future Ruler of Hueco Mundo?
"Hey!"
Lost in thought, he suddenly felt his cheek pinched and stretched like rubber.
Turning, he met Saitō's weirdly intense stare, her expression downright bizarre.
She lowered her voice, uncharacteristically shy and awkward. "You… you're not actually into Adjuchas too, are you?"
"Huh?"
Makoto blinked blankly at her, then glanced at Harribel.
Thick fish-like tail, a streamlined body, smooth leather-textured skin, a vaguely feminine form, Hollow hole at her abdomen, and a mask covering her pretty face.
Which man out there could get it up for that?
His gaze turned odd as he shot back, "What made you think that?"
"Well, obviously because…" Saitō nearly blurted it out.
But then her eyes darted away, dodging the question.
Obviously because, these past sleepless days, both Makoto and his Zanpakuto had been fawning over Harribel, critiquing her every detail, and hadn't even spared a glance at her feet!
For Makoto, that was just too weird!
Plus, only about half the Hollows they'd killed on this trip got broken down, the rest went straight to Harribel's gullet.
It's not that Saitō didn't trust him.
But quite the opposite, her faith in Makoto's quirks ran so deep that she fully believed he'd try anything.
After all, if you squinted…
Adjuchas kinda had human shapes, right?
Makoto caught the unspoken vibe in her words.
His face darkened as he stared at her.
Did he look like that kind of guy?
But as he mulled it over, a twinge of guilt crept in.
If Harribel became an Arrancar, maybe it wouldn't be so…
Pah!
It's all his Zanpakuto's fault!
For a moment, they sank into an eerie silence.
Crackle! Crackle!
The fire licked at the compressed ration biscuits Makoto had skewered on sticks.
Standard Hueco Mundo expedition rations.
Flavorless, but packed with dense Soul Society Reishi.
In a pinch, one bite could fill you up and keep you going for a month without food.
And since Makoto had snagged a box of pepper-flavored powder from Senjumaru beforehand, roasting them added a faint savory kick.
After a long silence, Saitō mumbled, fidgeting uncomfortably, "If… if you get weird…"
"I've got a spare pair of tabi."
Makoto's face stiffened, retorting weakly, "I told you, I'm not that kind of guy!"
But almost simultaneously, his Zanpakuto out of nowhere chimed in loudly, indignant.
[Yeah, yeah!]
[Who do you think I am?!]
[Do I look like that kind of guy?!]
Makoto's eyes lit up. "See? Even my zanpakuto agrees!"
Saitō froze, eyeing Makoto and the blade suspiciously.
Like she'd spotted something bizarre.
Then the blade piped up again, louder.
[Mere tabi? How could that satisfy me and Makoto?!]
[Even if you don't use your feet to step on me, at least use your thighs to pin me! If you can't even manage that, I'll just have to settle for Harribel's fish tail to pin me!]
"How dare you slander me again!"
"Shut up!"
Makoto's eyes widened.
He barked the order instantly.
It hit him, had he just been dumb enough to trust the blade would behave?
But its little mouth was too quick, his shout couldn't keep up!
Harribel, hearing her name, glanced toward his blade.
Seeing it was just those two Shinigami warming up for their usual mating ritual, she lost interest, she'd witnessed this routine plenty over the past few days.
She lowered her head, focusing on compressing her Reishi.
Saitō, though, looked utterly shaken, staring at Makoto in a daze.
Panic flared in his chest.
This idiot didn't actually believe his blade's nonsense, did she?
Saitō stood rooted, lips trembling for ages before stammering, "F-Fish… and Hollows, isn't that a bit…"
"Makoto! If you've got some weird sickness, I'll help you as a friend!"
"Don't turn into some freak with twisted tastes!"
Saitō grabbed his shoulders, her face a mix of shock.
Her gaze on Makoto bordered on pity.
"No!"
"Please, don't look at me like that!"
Meeting her eyes, Makoto knew he'd been pegged as some pitiful weirdo.
[Then stick your foot out already!]
His Zanpaktuo sprang back to life!
"Shut up!"
This was the third gag order of the day.
But Saitō only paused for a moment.
The girl glanced at Harribel's fish tail in the distance, then at Makoto, before letting out a helpless sigh like some exasperated parent.
"Really, what am I gonna do with you?"
Somehow, her tone carried a smug edge.
As if she'd finally outdone that fish tail!
This idiot always found pride in the weirdest places.
She kicked off her straw sandals, stuffing her tabi inside.
Then she plopped her bare feet onto Makoto's knees, casual as could be.
Those feet, though, were delicate, naturally pink toenails glinting faintly under Hueco Mundo's eternal moonlight. A day of fighting hadn't worn down her Shinigami spirit body; her slim arches gleamed snow-white, faint blue veins visible beneath the skin.
Clean.
Pretty.
Sometimes Makoto couldn't help but think it was a damn shame that a nutcase like Saitō whose only hobby was killing had every part of her body looking this good.
"Here."
Only after shedding her shoes did Saitō remember why she'd started, tilting her head to ask, "So, what's the plan after sticking my feet out?"
"Like last time?"
She meant that time in Makoto's room when she'd "almost" gotten caught by Katori during their feet massage.
Makoto had mumbled something about a massage.
Totally uncomfortable.
And super embarrassing!
But today, Saitō had conquered it.
She played it off like nothing, face blank.
Makoto gawked at her defenseless feet, his eyes widening instinctively.
'Gremlin, you're the MVP!'
Staring at them, an idea sparked. He checked his panel.
[Shunpo: Tier-12 (99/100)] · [Talent Capped]
[Art of Footwork]
If that's the case…
He eyed Saitō's feet on his knees, testing the waters. "Could you… step on my back?"
"Huh?!"
Saitō nearly blew up.
What was this old-dad-style massage nonsense?!
But catching Makoto's earnest look and the fish tail swishing in the distance, she raised her voice unconsciously.
"You-"
"…"
"Fine, whatever."
"Go lie down."
[What about me?! Where's my foot massage?!]
The blade's childish voice yammered on beside them.
But Makoto was out of gag orders for the day.
Resigned, he let it whine and ramble.
"Stay over there."
Saitō watched Makoto flop onto the sand by the fire, a strange thought flashing through her dim brain had she just been tricked?
But she'd already said it, no taking it back now!
That wasn't her style.
Plus, this was for saving Makoto's pitiful life.
If Unohana ever found out this idiot came back from Hueco Mundo hooked on fish tails, that psycho would probably gut her alive.
The thought made even fearless Saitō shudder.
What a bad way to die!
So, her bare feet gingerly stepped onto his back.
Makoto sprawled out, a comfy look creeping onto his shadowed face by the firelight.
Saitō might yap about "old soul" all day, but her girl frame was light as a feather. With her weight, the pressure was just right.
Lying there, he could feel her jade-like toes curling slightly, padding softly across his back.
The day's battle fatigue melted away in an instant.
Foot-back-stepping was peak civilization!
But that wasn't his real goal.
He glanced at his panel no change in Art of Footwork. This level clearly wasn't enough to trigger an upgrade.
So, he started remote-controlling Miss Saitō.
"A bit to the left."
Her brows twitched at his bossy tone, but she complied.
"Yeah, that's it! Harder."
Saitō's patience thinned, veins faintly pulsing on her forehead.
"Don't just stomp, use technique!"
Saitō's feet scrubbed hard against his back, no technique, just raw friction!
"Heel! You know what a heel is, right?"
"Saitō…"
The next second, as he turned his head, a foot slapped his face. Her pink-tinged toes and half her dainty sole shoved right into his mouth, nearly planting his head in the sand.
Saitō glared with her lone eye, griping loudly, "So annoying!"
"Be grateful I'm even stepping on you, you jerk!"
"What's with all the demands?!"
And yet, after all that fuss, this one move did the trick.
"Pah! Ptooey!" Makoto spat out her foot, shouting, "Idiot! We've been running around outside all day!"
"I don't care!"
Just as Makoto opened his mouth to argue, a panel popped up.
[You've advanced further on the Path of Footwork!]
[Shunpo (Talent Cap): Tier-15 ↑]
[You fucking basatar! Let me have a taste too!!]
He fell silent, his gaze on the little broken blade layered with complexity.
If it's your kink, why don't you eat it?!
Suddenly, Makoto felt like a living tool.
Pitiful. Helpless.
Only the lifted Shunpo cap could soothe his soul.
But…
He glanced at Saitō's feet as she huffily pulled them back, a thought striking him.
If his zanpakuto was this freaky already, what'd happen if he needed to push the cap higher later?
His eyes drifted downward.
"…"
No way, right?
Quickly, Makoto shut down that train of thought.
If it came to it… he'd just use talent points.
Humans had limits.
Push too far, and he couldn't guarantee he wouldn't get stabbed especially down there.
"Ugh… sticky."
Saitō kicked her feet in the sand, face scrunched in disgust.
Catching Makoto's glance, she clicked her tongue and turned away.
But unintentionally, a faint blush tinged her ears.
Her feet got eaten.
Kinda embarrassing.
This guy Makoto always pulling weird stunts!
Hmph!
Still, the seasoned Saitō wouldn't be fazed by a little scene like this.
Saitō forever finds pride in the oddest places.
Just as they settled back into silence, a familiar Reiatsu pinged in both Makoto and Saitō's minds.
Bakudō 77: Tenteikūra.
Kinroku's voice came from the base, faint sounds of brutal combat in the background.
His tone was calm and steady.
"Reporting to headquarters now."
"Base under attack by seven to fifteen groups of Adjuchas, minimum three per group."
"Units One, Two, Nine, Eleven return to base for defense."
"All others, steer clear of the base and ensure your safety."
"Over."
Makoto and Saitō's faces hardened, leaping up from the sand with a whoosh.
They were Unit One.
"Makoto!"
"Let's go!"
Gone was the shy idiot who'd blushed over a back-stepping.
Hearing the voice in her head, Saitō's trademark wicked grin returned.
As long as there was a fight, she was the unbeatable Saitō Furōfushi!
"Let's kill to our heart's content!"
***
Bonus Chapter:
100 Power Stones = 1 BC
300 Power Stones = 2 BC
500 Power Stones = 3 BC
700 Power Stones = 4 BC
1000 Power Stones = 5 BC
***
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