The instant Saitō's voice rang out, Makoto realized what this scheming woman in his lap had been up to.
"Oh, sorry, sorry."
"Are you okay, Makoto-kun?"
Katori slipped back into her usual frail, helpless act, nodding apologetically toward Makoto.
But he caught the glint of amusement in her eyes behind those glasses.
What a sly fox.
Just as Katori tried to rise, she found a pair of strong, knuckled hands clamping her slender waist, pinning her down.
Makoto's chin rested lightly on her soft shoulder, as if savoring the faint fragrance of her braided hair.
Out of Saitō's sight, he lowered his voice. "Captain Katori."
"You did that on purpose, didn't you?"
"Purpose?" Katori played innocent.
Makoto didn't buy it, grumbling, "Come on… don't toy with Saitō just because she's a dunce."
"That's not what good girls do, right?"
"Eh?"
Katori let out a puzzled hum, as if clueless.
But as her voice faded, a sneaky hand seized the moment, giving her snow pears a firm pinch.
Katori's face froze, her words caught in her throat.
When she recovered, she turned, her gaze behind the lenses odd yet subtle.
But soon, her soft smile returned, maybe even softer, her eyes glistening like they held water.
As expected.
Makoto-kun was a fascinating man.
This time, Makoto played the innocent, leisurely helping Katori up, dusting himself off, and whistling like nothing happened.
Saitō stomped over, glaring at both of them.
But when it came time to speak, she faltered, unsure what to say.
Her single eye glared at Makoto, as if expecting him to bail her out like usual.
Makoto, ever reliable, sat back down, speaking earnestly. "Captain Katori, so careless."
"Such intimate behavior could easily be misunderstood by other guys!"
"Good thing it was me."
"If another squad member had your ass sitting on their lap, they'd probably be picking baby names by now."
With Makoto's external brain taking the lead, Saitō's tongue came alive, shouting. "Exactly, exactly!"
"If another squad member got sat on…"
But halfway through, she realized Makoto's point didn't quite match hers, her voice cutting off.
Her eyes slid to him, yelling, "What's that about 'picking baby names'?!"
"What kind of idiot does that? Huh?!"
"A-And! It's just sitting for a bit!"
"What's the big deal!"
The madder Saitō got, the more annoyed she became, especially seeing Makoto's smug grin. Fuming, she plopped her ass right onto his lap.
And stayed there.
Yep.
With their size difference, Makoto was like a human armchair, perfectly cradling Saitō's petite frame, with room to spare.
The cozy scene were it not for Saitō's ferocious expression and eyepatch might've evoked a heartwarming dad holding daughter vibe.
"Eh?!"
"This really does make you wonder, 'What's a good name for this kid?'"
Katori covered her mouth, muttering a soft jab.
Saitō, seeing her airheaded act and those heavy snow pears, felt an inexplicable surge of rage.
"Katori!!"
"Today, as your senpai, I'm gonna teach you a lesson in Zanjutsu!"
"Eek! S-Saitō-senpai!!"
Katori bolted, Saitō hot on her heels, her blade flashing like water, kicking up clouds of pale sand.
Makoto's gaze lingered on the unscathed Katori, propping his cheek with one hand.
What a weird, sneaky woman.
…
Over the next stretch of time, the expedition's base saw no more massive Adjuchas waves like the first.
Even nearby Adjuchas clusters seemed to catch wind of the Shinigami invasion, migrating to distant territories to clash with other Hollows.
The vast area around the base became a hollowed-out void.
This wasn't hard to grasp.
Just as most Adjuchas and some sentient Gillians steered clear of Vasto Lorde territories, the expedition led by Makoto and crew was like a super-cluster with four-plus Vasto Lorde-level threats.
Any Hollow wanting to live wouldn't court death.
But this eerie quiet threw a wrench in the expedition's work.
With no strong Hollows nearby, squad members had to venture farther to scout and search, spreading hundreds of Shinigami across a massive range.
Only the few wielding the Automated Task Processors had it slightly easier.
Even so, the round-trip distances were no joke.
...
Rustle! Rustle! Rustle!
Beneath the pale desert's surface, a massive form slithered, its faint sounds belying its bulk as it crept toward a towering Hollow ahead.
When it closed to striking range, the thick, insectoid body sprang forth, its grotesque mandibles clamping onto a chunk of the target's mask with a grinding crunch.
The giant Hollow thrashed, but the Adjuchas's strength far outmatched it.
The moment the bug's coils wrapped its body, the fight's outcome was sealed.
But just as the insectoid Adjuchas readied to savor its dessert.
"Cero!"
A black-red beam erupted from beneath the pale sand, scorching the air as it pierced dozens of meters, blasting through both the giant Hollow's and the Adjuchas's masks, leaving a deep scar on the desert's surface.
"Go, Mermaid!"
With Makoto's cheeky shout, Harribel's form darted through the sand.
In a flash, her hands seized both corpses.
Then she zipped back to Makoto's side.
Like a cheetah or fox instinctively dragging prey to a safe spot to eat, Hollows weren't so different.
Harribel just happened to see Makoto's side as relatively safe.
Her massive maw opened beneath her mask, and the two corpses dissolved into shimmering Reishi, streaming into her mouth.
Of course, compared to devouring a Vasto Lorde before, this meal was much quicker.
Makoto, like he was playing a nurturing game, gently patted her large tail, beaming with a sense of accomplishment.
"Good, good."
"Eat plenty to evolve nicely and fast."
Harribel flicked her streamlined fish tail irritably, but when Makoto's grip tightened slightly, she unconsciously relaxed, letting him stroke it freely.
Being treated like a pet was honestly kind of annoying.
But over time, even Harribel found herself oddly used to it.
Hueco Mundo was no paradise.
On the contrary, it was a hell where killing never stopped.
In such an extreme environment, someone like Makoto who gave her a sense of safety wanting to be her master didn't seem so bad.
Still…
Harribel stole a cautious glance at him.
Makoto was staring at her mermaid-like form, lost in thought.
This guy's tastes were so weird.
Harribel thought as much.
She's shrunk a bit more, hasn't she?
Is she close to evolving?
Makoto mused, brimming with anticipation.
Raising an Adjuchas into a Vasto Lorde with his own hands… that'd count as a Bond, right?
It might not directly boost his Reiatsu, but talent points were plenty useful!
"You done over there?"
Saitō shouted from afar. "We've locked onto another target!"
"Coming!"
…
"Sure enough."
In the pitch-black underground lab, Szayelaporro gazed at the translucent screen floating before him, murmuring in awe. "Soul Society really has researchers who share my vision?"
"No."
"This guy's research direction… it's different from mine."
Szayelaporro replayed the screen's footage, his sharp mind dissecting Makoto's every move.
Since his smooth retreat from the expedition force, he hadn't been idle.
Beyond driving nearby Hollow clusters farther out, he'd seeded a vast area around the expedition's base with Reishi sensors to monitor these outsiders constantly.
He had no immediate plans to oust these guests, despite Baraggan's strict orders, for Szayelaporro, nothing trumped his research and observations.
If he could uncover something from these rare Shinigami that Hollows lacked, it might fast-track a breakthrough in his perfect being experiment.
Among them, the one who caught his eye most was the freak on the screen who'd instantly spotted his mask's location.
Not because they were kindred spirits.
But because… this shinigami always had a specific female Adjuchas by his side.
Even helping her hunt and feed.
This bizarre behavior grabbed Szayelaporro's attention at once.
The eyes he'd spread across other shinigami all zeroed in on Makoto.
These past days, whether Makoto was observing Hollow feeding, patting tails, communicating, or making seemingly nonsensical gestures, Szayelaporro's curiosity burned.
He needed to know what this guy was up to.
"Is this some special study of Hollow ecology?"
"Or research into the Adjuchas-to-Vasto Lorde evolution process?"
"How fanciful."
Having run similar experiments, Szayelaporro knew how grueling it was to guide an Adjuchas past its evolution with sustained feeding.
To create the shoddy Doragon, he'd burned through hundreds of Adjuchas over ages, a staggering number even for Las Noches.
But why…
Szayelaporro scrutinized the last recorded footage of Harribel's size, then the latest, his brows knitting tightly, pupils shrinking unnaturally.
Her size… had it changed?
Impossible!
How could it change?
In a flash, Szayelaporro's spirits surged. He widened his eyes, meticulously comparing the two recordings' sizes.
The time gap made the difference clear.
How was this possible?
How did he do it?!
Szayelaporro's focus peaked, eyes glued to Makoto's actions.
What strange significance did these movements hold?!
What was this…
He clawed at his hair, his Hierro screeching under the strain.
For a researcher driven near-mad by curiosity, not knowing what he craved to understand was worse than torture.
Finally, he stopped.
"As expected."
Szayelaporro muttered softly, "It'd be easier to just grab this guy."
***
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