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"The number of Hollows in the Forest of Menos has exceeded safe thresholds." Shihouin Yoruichi, having just exited the Garganta, landed beside Moyu with a feather-light step, her presence sudden but precise. "The situation's worse than I anticipated," she muttered, eyes narrowing before shifting toward Nilu, who stood quietly beside Moyu. Tilting her head with curiosity, she added, "I didn't expect her to trust you so quickly. How did you manage that?"
Under Yoruichi's piercing gaze, Nilu instinctively clung to Moyu's sleeve, shrinking behind him slightly. "Well…" Moyu responded, lips quirking as he thought aloud, "Maybe it's because I'm sincere." He reached down and gently ruffled Nilu's soft lake-green hair, still smooth as ever.
"The Hollow pack's moving in," Yoruichi warned, watching Nilu once more and subtly comparing their physical sizes. Seeing no threat from the little girl, she relaxed and dropped the matter. "Let's move. This place won't stay quiet for long."
Moyu nodded, extending his arms toward Nilu. "Come on. I'll take you somewhere safe." Without hesitation, Nilu opened her arms and slid naturally into his embrace. Sometimes, trust formed in a heartbeat. After a brief period of contact, Nilu had clearly chosen to believe in the man who once lay gravely wounded before her. He had become a "kindred" soul—one saved by her own hands. As for Yoruichi, despite her strength and poise, she was almost completely ignored. Perhaps it was the quiet law of same-sex repulsion, or simply a child's instinct.
With their mastery of Shunpo, escaping the pursuing Hollow horde posed no difficulty as they vanished into the shadows of the forest.
---
Half an hour later, deep within the Menos Forest beneath the towering quartz trees, the three found a small clearing where they could rest. Yoruichi and Moyu sat back-to-back, breathing quietly in the warded space, a seal-based Kidō field spread across the perimeter, expertly crafted to suppress their spiritual pressure. Finally, with a moment of peace, Moyu turned his attention to Nilu.
The little Arrancar blinked at him, still perched near his chest with a strangely blank expression. "Moyu, what is it?" she asked softly. Her eyes flicked toward his arms again—nostalgic, perhaps, for the warmth she had just left. The look on her face was neutral, almost dull, yet completely endearing.
Moyu gently set her down in front of him and asked seriously, "Nilu, why were you in the Forest of Menos? And do you know anything about what's been causing the disturbances here?" Yoruichi's attention sharpened at the question. This small Arrancar, barely an Adjuchas in strength, might hold a key to understanding the growing chaos in Hueco Mundo.
And yet, Yoruichi frowned. Nilu's Reiatsu—wasn't it… too weak? That was abnormal, even among young Arrancars.
Nilu pressed her finger to her chin and began to think aloud. "Nilu was playing an endless game of hide-and-seek with Dongde Chaka and Pesshe," she said cheerfully. "Then—bam! The ground caved in! All at once!" She gestured wildly, throwing her hands up for emphasis. "We fell straight into the Dead Forest!" Her voice grew softer. "Nilu got separated from them. Then… I met Moyu."
Though her words were simple, Moyu had already pieced things together. The sudden collapse of the terrain—likely due to the expansion of the Forest of Menos—had dragged Nilu and her companions down into the lower levels. Isolated, she'd likely attracted the attention of the Hollow pack. And given their instincts, a Hollow that wishes to evolve must consume others, absorbing their spiritual pressure to ascend.
But Nilu… she used to be a Vasto Lorde-level Arrancar—her Reiatsu was far from ordinary. To the average Hollow, her soul was the perfect meal. If they could consume her, they might accelerate their evolution toward Vasto Lorde status themselves. No wonder they had hunted her so relentlessly. But now, injured and depleted, Nilu had no fighting strength left. And if her spiritual pressure were exhausted mid-pursuit, her fate would be sealed.
"I don't know what changed in the Forest of Death," she said softly, looking around. The shadows under the quartz trees twisted like claws, swallowing all light. She shivered and instinctively crawled back into Moyu's arms.
"Forest of Death," Moyu repeated, glancing at Yoruichi. She nodded. "That's what some Arrancars call this place—the Forest of Menos. For the weak, it is death." Moyu pulled Nilu closer, thoughtful. Her current state made her extremely vulnerable. They couldn't stay here long.
"What's our next step?" Yoruichi asked, watching the darkness stir beyond the seal. "Should we head back to the Living World?"
Moyu closed his eyes briefly as countless fragments of intel swirled in his mind. Suddenly, his expression sharpened, and his voice rang out with quiet resolve. "No. We're not done here. There's someone else—someone who knows exactly what's going on. He'll have the answers we need."
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