The moment Saitō's voice rang out, Fujimiya Makoto suddenly realized what the "bad woman" sitting in his lap had just done.
"Ah, sorry, sorry."
"Makoto, are you okay?"
Kaname Tōsen put on her usual fragile, helpless expression, nodding apologetically in Fujimiya's direction.
But Fujimiya could clearly see the amusement hidden behind her glasses.
What a scheming little—
Just as Kaname tried to get up from Fujimiya's lap, she felt a pair of strong, bony hands suddenly wrap around her slender waist, pressing firmly against her stomach to keep her in place.
Kaname's expression stiffened.
Fujimiya rested his chin lightly on her soft shoulder, as if savoring the faint fragrance of her hair.
From an angle where Saitō couldn't see, he whispered:
"Captain Kaname."
"You did that on purpose, didn't you?"
"On purpose? What do you mean?" Kaname blinked innocently.
Fujimiya couldn't even be bothered to play along. "Tch… Don't mess with Saitō just because she's an idiot."
"That's not something a good girl would do."
"Huh?"
Kaname let out a confused sound, as if she had no idea what he was talking about.
But before she could finish, a hand—taking advantage of their position—sneakily gave one of her ample "snow peaks" a firm squeeze.
Kaname's entire body froze mid-motion, her words dying in her throat.
When she finally processed what had happened, she turned her head slightly, her gaze behind her glasses shifting into something strange and… intrigued.
Yet, after a moment, her expression returned to that same soft smile—if anything, even more delicate than before, her eyes glistening like dew.
…As expected.
Makoto is a very interesting man.
Now, it was Fujimiya's turn to act innocent.
He leisurely helped Kaname up, dusted himself off, and whistled as if nothing had happened.
Saitō stomped over, her face burning, stopping right in front of the two of them.
But when she opened her mouth, she found herself at a loss for words.
Her lone eye darted toward Fujimiya, as if hoping he'd say something to defuse the situation like he always did.
Fujimiya, ever the reliable "external brain," obliged with a sage nod:
"Captain Kaname, you really should be more careful."
"Acting so intimate could easily be misunderstood by other men!"
"Luckily, it was me."
"If it were another squad member you sat on, they'd probably already be thinking about what to name your kids."
With Fujimiya breaking the ice, Saitō's verbal faculties suddenly reactivated. Like a reincarnated Zhang Fei, she loudly parroted:
"Exactly! Exactly!"
"If you sat on another squad member—"
Halfway through, however, Saitō realized that Fujimiya's words weren't quite what she wanted to say. She abruptly cut herself off.
Her eye narrowed at him. "What do you mean, 'thinking about kids' names'?!"
"What kind of idiot would jump to that? Huh?!"
"A-And! So what if she sat on you for a bit?!"
"It's not a big deal!"
The angrier she got, the more irritated she became at Fujimiya's infuriatingly calm smile. In a fit of pique, she plopped herself right onto his lap.
And then… she just sat there.
Yep.
Given their size difference, Fujimiya's body practically functioned as a human-shaped chair, perfectly accommodating Saitō's petite frame with room to spare.
If not for Saitō's aggressively scowling face and eyepatch, the scene might've looked like a heartwarming father-daughter moment.
"Eh?!"
"Now I'm starting to wonder what to name the kid too…"
Kaname muttered under her breath, covering her mouth with a small hand.
Saitō's eye twitched at Kaname's "clueless" act—and those generous snow peaks of hers—before her temper flared inexplicably.
"Tōsen!!"
"Today, this old lady will teach you a lesson in swordsmanship—as your senior!"
"Ehh—?! S-Saitō-senpai?!"
Kaname immediately bolted, with Saitō hot on her heels, sword slashes slicing through the air and kicking up clouds of pale sand.
Fujimiya, still seated, propped his chin on his hand as he watched Kaname—completely unharmed—flee.
What a strange, wicked woman.
---
In the days that followed, the Hueco Mundo Expeditionary Force's base no longer encountered massive waves of Adjuchas like the first one.
In fact, even the nearby Adjuchas colonies seemed to have gotten wind of the Shinigami's arrival and migrated further away, engaging in battles with other Hollows instead.
A vast, empty zone had formed around the Expeditionary Force's territory.
This wasn't hard to understand.
Just as most Adjuchas (and even some intelligent Gillians) would avoid areas inhabited by Vasto Lordes, the Expeditionary Force—led by Fujimiya and the others—was essentially perceived as a super-colony with the equivalent of four or more Vasto Lordes.
No Hollow with a survival instinct would willingly throw itself at them.
However, this eerie quiet ended up causing problems for the Expeditionary Force's mission.
With no powerful Hollows nearby, the Shinigami had to spread out over much larger areas to scout and hunt.
Over the next few days, hundreds of Shinigami were gradually dispersed across a vast radius.
Only the higher-ups carrying the Automated Processing Devices had it slightly easier—but even then, the distances they had to cover were no joke.
---
Rustle… rustle…
Beneath the pale sands, a massive body moved slowly, its movements almost imperceptible as it crept toward a giant Hollow ahead.
Then—SNAP!
The thick, worm-like body of the Adjuchas suddenly lashed out, its jagged maw clamping onto part of the other Hollow's mask with a sickening crunch.
The giant Hollow struggled violently, but the Adjuchas' strength far surpassed its own.
The moment those thick coils wrapped around its body, the battle was already decided.
However—
Just as the worm-like Adjuchas was about to enjoy its meal—
"Cero!"
A black-red beam shot out from beneath the sands, scorching the air as it pierced through both the giant Hollow and the Adjuchas' masks, leaving a deep scar on the desert's surface.
"Go! Mermaid Beast!"
Following Fujimiya's playful command, Harribel's figure darted through the sand like a fish through water.
In a flash, she grabbed both corpses and swiftly returned to Fujimiya's side.
Much like weaker predators—cheetahs, foxes—who would drag their kills back to a safe spot to eat, Hollows weren't so different.
The only difference was that Harribel instinctively considered Fujimiya's presence to be her "safe zone."
She opened her mask's maw, and the two corpses dissolved into streams of glowing spiritual particles, pouring into her mouth.
Compared to her previous feast on the Vasto Lorde, this one was over much faster.
Fujimiya, meanwhile, petted her large tail like he was playing some kind of raising sim, looking immensely satisfied.
"Good, good."
"Eat up so you can evolve faster."
Harribel flicked her streamlined tail irritably, but when Fujimiya's grip tightened slightly, she gradually relaxed, letting him stroke her as he pleased.
This feeling of being treated like a pet was… honestly pretty annoying.
But over time, even Harribel had somehow gotten used to it.
Hueco Mundo was no paradise.
On the contrary, it was a different kind of hell—one where you had to fight and kill until you died.
In such an extreme environment, having someone like Fujimiya—who could provide a sense of security—act as her "master" wasn't so bad.
But still…
Harribel stole a glance at him from the corner of her eye.
Fujimiya was still staring at her mermaid-like form, lost in thought.
This guy's tastes are really weird…
'Has she gotten smaller again?'
'Is she close to evolving?'
Fujimiya was also deep in thought, filled with anticipation.
If he could personally raise an Adjuchas into a Vasto Lorde… wouldn't that count as a "bond"?
It might not directly boost his spiritual pressure, but talent points were always useful!
"You done over there?"
Saitō's voice called from a distance. "Found another target!"
"Coming!"
---
"As I thought."
In a dark underground lab, Szayelaporro stared at the translucent screen floating before him, murmuring in fascination.
"The Soul Society does have researchers who share my interests."
"No…"
Szayelaporro replayed the footage, his brilliant brain analyzing Fujimiya's every move.
After his last encounter with the Expeditionary Force, he hadn't been idle.
Aside from driving the nearby Adjuchas colonies further away, he'd also planted countless spiritual particle sensors around their base, monitoring these "guests" at all times.
He had no intention of driving them off just yet. Despite Baraggan's strict orders, nothing was more important to Szayelaporro than his own research.
If he could uncover something unique from these rare Shinigami specimens, his "Perfect Lifeform" experiments might make a breakthrough.
And among them, the one who interested him the most was undoubtedly the pervert who'd instantly pinpointed his mask's location.
Not because they were "kindred spirits," of course.
But because… this Shinigami was always accompanied by a specific female Adjuchas.
He even helped her hunt and eat.
This bizarre behavior immediately caught Szayelaporro's attention.
All his other "eyes" were now focused solely on Fujimiya.
Over the past few days, everything Fujimiya did—observing the Adjuchas' feeding habits, petting her tail, communicating, those inexplicable actions—filled Szayelaporro with intense curiosity.
What is he trying to accomplish?
"Is this some kind of special study on Hollow ecology?"
"Or is he researching the entire Adjuchas-to-Vasto-Lorde evolution process?"
"How absurd."
Having conducted similar experiments himself, Szayelaporro knew exactly how long it took for an Adjuchas to overcome its "evolution crisis" through continuous feeding.
Back when he'd created the inferior specimen "Dragon-Eyes," he'd gone through hundreds of Adjuchas over an extended period—a staggering number even for Las Noches.
But then… why?
Szayelaporro carefully compared Harribel's size in the latest footage to earlier recordings, his brow furrowing so hard his pupils constricted unnaturally.
Her size… changed?
Impossible!
How?!
In an instant, Szayelaporro's excitement skyrocketed. His eyes widened as he scrutinized the two recordings.
The time gap was long enough to show noticeable differences.
How is this possible?
What did he do?!
Szayelaporro's focus sharpened to a razor's edge as he studied Fujimiya's actions.
What's the meaning behind these movements?!
Is this… the power of the 'heart'?
Just what is—
He clawed at his hair violently, his steel-like skin screeching under the force.
For a researcher as obsessive as him, being unable to decipher something was worse than torture.
Finally, he stopped.
"...As I thought."
Szayelaporro's voice was low, almost reverent.
"It'd be easier to just capture him."
"Now… how to do it…"