Chapter 38: Mommy?


    <span style="font-weight:400">Upon her return to Hueco Mundo, Ciri could feel the Reiatsu of Api and the others in the distance — but the only one she saw was Harribel, sitting alone in the cave with her back pressed against the wall and an egg on herp.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“You’re back.” Harribel broke the silence. “Did you find any Shinigami?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“No, we didn’t.” Ciri responded, her voice barely audible as she quietly nestled herself into a shadowy corner of the cave. “He told me to wait for a few days.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Ciri,” Harribel said, her toneced with uncertainty, “do you believe he should make his return to Hueco Mundo?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Why should he not? His friends are all here. I have seen how much he cares for you and the rest. He even lost an arm protecting you from me… temporarily.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Ciri found the question unbelievably dumb but she didn’t say it to Harribel’s face. As much as she looked down on Kazuya’s yful nature, she admired him for his unwavering loyalty. If it was any other Hollow with his ability to switch races, they would have long abandoned Hueco Mundo for the Living World.


    <span style="font-weight:400">But Kazuya didn’t find her logic appealing.


    <span style="font-weight:400">He prioritized hispanions, otherwise, he wouldn’t have waited this long to leave Hueco Mundo. She couldn’t fault him for the decision.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Harribel raised her head and regarded Ciri with an intense stare. “Are those your honest thoughts?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Ciri paused for a moment before she furrowed her brows. “If I was in his situation, I would never return to this hellhole… This ce disgusts me beyond words.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">She didn’t hold back on her hatred for Hueco Mundo — the ce that gave her nothing but despair.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Harribel offered a nod of acknowledgment before lowering her head. "Thank you for aiding me in making my decision."


    <span style="font-weight:400">“What decision?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“I’ll tell when the others are back.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">After a few odd minutes, a lively chatter could be heard outside the cave.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Api, what the hell is wrong with you? How can you eat so many souls?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Ara, Api is a growing woman. Let her eat as much as she wants.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“What Sung-Sun said.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Api and the rest casually strolled into the cave in high spirits. All three feasted on the Gillians that attacked Api before. It was a feast that Api fully used to amass power.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Yo.” M Rose greeted Ciri with a grin. “How’s Skull doing over there? Did he start flirting with some girls?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Ciri shook her head in response. “He is good… I don’t know if he is flirting with anyone, but that guy asked me to be his ‘mommy’? Can you believe it?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Ciri tried to make M Rose’s smile wider but ended up triggering Harribel with her words.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Harribel''s eyes snapped open, and her gaze locked onto Ciri. "What did you say?"


    <span style="font-weight:400">The atmosphere in the cave went cold from the Vasto Lorde’s voice.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Ciri felt like she was being ripped apart alive under Harribel’s sharp Reiatsu and buttload of killing intent. She pushed back with her own Reiatsu which didn’t seem to be enough to contend against a mature Vasto Lorde like Harribel. She might have been unfazed if she was at her peak. In her current state she was no match for Harribel’s icy Reiatsu.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Y…You.” Ciri misinterpreted Harribel''s actions as a brazen effort to intimidate and assert dominance over her, the newest member, in Kazuya''s absence. She stood her ground, refusing to submit to such oppressive tactics. “These are your true colors, Harribel.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">The crushing pressure bore down exclusively upon Ciri, who trembled under its intensity. Observing Ciri’s condition, M Rose stepped in, delivering a firm punch to Harribel''s shoulder.


    <span style="font-weight:400">"Harribel-sama, stop! Why are youshing out on Ciri?"


    <span style="font-weight:400">Harribel snapped out of her daze. Faced with a straightforward question, she couldn’t help but ponder. The thought of Kazuya addressing someone else as ‘mommy’ made her blood boil as if she had unconsciously taken Kazuya as her son.


    <i><span style="font-weight:400">‘I… I can’t use Kazuya like that.’</i>


    <span style="font-weight:400">It was incredibly selfish to project her desires on him, even if acting like his mother satisfied her ego.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Harribel-sama?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“I don’t like Kazuya calling someone mommy,” Harribel confessed in a low voice. “It’s… so dumb, I know.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">M Rose crossed her arms, leveling a prating gaze at Harribel. “You aren’t his mother, Harribel-sama. Why are you jealous?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Because…” Exining the situation like this was sending unexpected stabs of embarrassment and contempt right through her and out the other side. She shuffled her feet and sat cross-legged, the tail attached to the back of her head waving with her, as if putting her embarrassment on full disy. “It doesn’t matter… we’re leaving.”


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


    <span style="font-weight:400">“We’re going far away from here.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“What? Why?” Api asked. “Kazuya will return soon. How will he find us if leave? Are you thinking about abandoning Kazuya?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">M Rose widened her eyes. “Skull went to Living World to find a safe ce for us. It doesn’t make sense to leave him behind!”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Sung-Sun also looked a little surprised. “Harribel-sama, please tell me we are not leaving to throw off Kazuya.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Harribel couldn’t help but feel surprised by the resistance from everyone. It seemed like she wasn’t the only one who created a deep bond with Kazuya in the past month.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Nobody is leaving Kazuya. We’re simply changing our base to keep Baraggan from tracking us,” Harribel said as she embraced the egg. “Kazuya is a Vasto Lorde and an Arrancar... He can sense our… his Zanpakutō’s Reiatsu from far away.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Harribel’s exnation quenched their worries for the time being.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Meanwhile, Ciri relentlessly stared at Harribel, realizing Harribel’s decision and how her own answer changed the said decision.


    <i><span style="font-weight:400">‘She was thinking about leaving him… so he can be happy on the other side.’</i>


    <span style="font-weight:400">Harribel could sacrifice her life to save others but she couldn’t bear to see Kazuya waste away his life in Hueco Mundo when he could be a perfectly normal human in Living World.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Harribel turned to Ciri and lowered her head. “I acted out of line before… I showed disgraceful behavior as a leader.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“It’s nothing. I understand you are conflicted about that ''mommy'' matter.” She waved her hand and faced M Rose, smiling a little. Out of all four, she had the most respect for M Rose, and it only increased after M Rose protected her from Harribel. “Thanks for helping me.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">M Rose chuckled. “Aww, you’re being too polite. We’re all a family here. Covering each other’s backs is what we should do.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Api nudged Sung-Sun with her horn. "Did she forget Ciri recently tried to kill us?"


    <span style="font-weight:400">"It''s M Rose. Don''t expectplex emotions from her thick skull."


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