Chapter 5: Goals


    <span style="font-weight:400">Kazuya''s eyes narrowed, taking on the intensity of a predator stalking its prey. The wheels in his mind turned with an audible creak as he tried to recall all the details of Bleach. He was having difficulty remembering certain things, but there was one image that stuck in his head: a tanned woman with hair the color of shimmering gold, her seductive curves hugged by a white skin-tight jacket, and her ever soposed gaze holding an air of authority.


    <span style="font-weight:400">The future número tres of Espada, Tier Harribel.


    <i><span style="font-weight:400">‘She should still be a Vasto Lorde like me.’</i>


    <span style="font-weight:400">Unlike other Hollows, Tier Harribel kept most of her humanity in this form. She, who didn’t mind sacrificing her life for her Frión, her Aspect of Death was fittingly ‘Sacrifice.’


    <i><span style="font-weight:400">‘Hot, strong, and extremely devoted to her closed ones. Yep, just my type of woman.’</i>


    <span style="font-weight:400">He never hesitated when it came to women. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have gone after his teacher instead of his fellow students. Was his new race going to stop his vile seductions?


    <i><span style="font-weight:400">‘Nope.’</i>


    <span style="font-weight:400">His new race merely elevated his goal. Now he could live without the restraints of conventional morals. He didn''t mind meddling with the plot either. The timeline already veered off course as soon as he interacted with this tomboyish tsundere deer serving as his mount. He wasn''t going to live in fear because of things beyond his control.


    <span style="font-weight:400">After all, he was a—


    <i><span style="font-weight:400">‘What was that?’</i>


    <span style="font-weight:400">The word representing something crucial teased the tip of his tongue, only to vanish like a fleeting shadow. He scratched his head, furrowing his brow as he tried to summon the lost thought. It never returned.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Harribel also disappeared from the hill while he was confused.


    <i><span style="font-weight:400">‘Fuck…</i> <i><span style="font-weight:400">System, tell me about your functions.’</i>


    <span style="font-weight:400">An awkward silence answered his inquiry. He asked the same question several times, only to receive a cold shoulder from his System.


    <i><span style="font-weight:400">‘A System without sentience. Am I in the wrong genre?’</i>


    <span style="font-weight:400">He sighed and turned his attention to Api. She quietly nibbled at the Hollow, like a delicate mouse picking at a giant wheel of cheese. At her pace, it would take weeks to finish the towering beast. Fortunately, she had her fill in a few minutes, restoring her Reiryoku to nearly full.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Kazuya patted her back gently and directed her toward Harribel''s location.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Don''t think I''ll let you ride me everywhere,” Api grumbled with reluctance, yet still obeyed hismand. “This is maddening.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Listen here, you little deer. You can ‘<i><span style="font-weight:400">ride’ </i><span style="font-weight:400">me when you be an Arrancar.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Arrancar?” Api shook her head. “I don’t know what an Arrancar is, but sure. I’ll ride you once I be Arrancar.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“That’s a promise then.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">There was nothing ostensibly rming about his proposition, yet Api felt like a mouse that had willingly walked into a mousetrap. The unabashed happiness in his voice sent a shiver down her spine, leaving her to wonder what she had just agreed to.


    <span style="font-weight:400">After nearly an hour of searching, he didn’t find any trace of Harribel, as if she had retreated into her base after she saw him annihte the Adjuchas. She may have mistaken him for another bloodthirsty monster. As a lover of peace and a hater of sacrifice, she went out of her way to avoid conflict with him.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“You know what, Appaci? I’m gonna practice flying.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">It would be a colossal waste not to utilize his wings. He stood on Api''s back and leaped into the air. She howled behind him as he spread his wings like an eagle preparing for flight. His feet brushed the sand before his wings powerfully pped, thrusting the air downwards. A swirling cloud of white sand enveloped Api. She coughed a few times before forcefully expelling the sand with her Reiatsu.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Damn, get away from me.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Kazuya nearly tumbled out of the sky with the sudden shift but managed to stay afloat with nimble ps of his wings. He felt like he was learning the delicate art of bnce all over again. As he practiced, the movement of his wings became more familiar. In just an hour, he was soaring through Hueco Mundo’s skies, while Api gazed up at him with envy.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“You can’t fly?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Api shook her head at his question. "I can create footholds under my feet with my Reiatsu. It''s not the same as flying… and boy, does it use a lot of Reiryoku."


    <span style="font-weight:400">The dense concentration of Reishi in Hueco Mundo made it more difficult to create footholds in the air. While any Hollow could fly in the World of Living due to its low concentration of Reishi, Api''s conservative approach to life ruled out flying because of its expensive energy cost.


    <span style="font-weight:400">"Creating footholds?" Kazuya mumbled, his wings continuing their steady rhythm. He manifested his Reiatsu and focused it beneath his feet, instantly feeling a stable tform materialize. "Like this?"


    <span style="font-weight:400">"You improve fast," Api granted him a rarepliment.


    <span style="font-weight:400">"I don''t find it draining, though."


    <span style="font-weight:400">"…"


    <span style="font-weight:400">If she had fingers, she would be flipping the middle ones at his face.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Kazuya chuckled. With nothing else to do, he began training his racial abilities. As a creature of instincts, he possessed a basic understanding of each one. Mastering his racial abilities was simply a matter of investing time and effort.


    <span style="font-weight:400">While frolicking with Api, he stumbled upon another Hollow, which he rapidly dispatched with a powerful Cero. He felt grateful for his reincarnation as a Vasto Lorde; random Hollows and Adjuchas posed no threat to him. At present, his most significant concern was the Hollow reigning over thend of Las Noches as its king. His arsenalcked the means to counter that skeleton guy''s Decay ability. It was wiser not to provoke him.


    <i><span style="font-weight:400">‘That reminds me of Ulquiorra. Wasn’t he a natural Arrancar?’</i>


    <span style="font-weight:400">He saw some hope in fulfilling the seemingly life-threatening task. Ulquiorra transformed into an Arrancar by identally breaking his mask. There were more circumstances at y for sure.


    <i><span style="font-weight:400">‘Are Espadas a thing yet?’</i>


    <span style="font-weight:400">He remembered Aizen crafting his own Hōgyoku to experiment with Hollows and create Arrancars. However, he was clueless about the current state of Espada as an organization.


    <i><span style="font-weight:400">‘Forget about Espada. I should make some personal goals.’</i>


    <span style="font-weight:400">Shaking his head, he pondered some personal goals. After all, everyone needed to strive for something to keep life interesting. His objectives were straightforward, such as traveling across Hueco Mundo to find Tier Harribel, honing his Vasto Lorde''s power to its limits, and bing an Arrancar.


    <span style="font-weight:400">He also wanted Api to be an Arrancar, just so he could fuck around with someone. Seducing her would take nearly zero effort.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Heaving a sigh, he let his gaze wander. "Let''s take it slow. One day at a time."


    <span style="font-weight:400">He had only just been born. As a Hollow, he possessed all the time in the world to experiment with new ideas.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“It''s always night in Hueco Mundo, don’t you know?” Api snickered. “You silly goose.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“...”