"I want to know," Nel's grip tightened further, "how can I... always feel Kensei here?"
Kensei had always been a man of action.
For a situation like this, he needed only to let his actions speak instead of words.
Kensei lowered his head, gently kissing Nel's forehead, then the tip of her nose, and finally lingering on her lips—a tender reassurance.
Nel's body instinctively tensed for a moment, then she began responding clumsily, with a warmth uniquely her own.
She mimicked Kensei's approach, exploring carefully, her arms looping around his neck as if trying to completely erase the distance between them.
That kiss was like a key, unlocking the floodgates of Nel's emotions. She grew unsatisfied with this mere taste, following the instinctive wildness of a Hollow, attempting deeper exploration.
Nel's fingers threaded through Kensei's hair, her movements urgent, as if afraid this feeling might suddenly vanish.
Finally, Nel pulled back slightly, breathing heavily. A faint blush colored her cheeks, but her eyes gleamed brighter, like a child discovering something fascinating.
"Close enough like this?"
"Not yet." Nel licked her lips, her grip on Kensei's chest fabric tightening further. "I want your scent... to get inside me."
What followed happened naturally. Bonding Fusion!
"Kensei..."
Nel murmured his name, her voice trembling slightly. She held him tightly, her tone catching: "Now... finally close enough."
Though Nel's understanding of the outside world still had many blanks, certain instincts were remarkably clear.
Nel's exploration carried a Hollow's wildness, yet mixed with her unique tenderness. She knew no techniques, only followed her most honest reactions.
When nervous, she would lightly scratch Kensei's back with her fingertips. When pleased, soft sighs escaped her. When she felt the sensations she crved becoming more real, she would cup Kensei's face and study it carefully.
The Qiantang River's tide rises, and naturally it falls. Nel went limp in Kensei's arms, a light sheen of sweat covering her body, her green hair clinging to her face.
She felt utterly exhausted, lacking even the strength to lift a hand—yet unprecedentedly satisfied.
"Warm... safe."
Nel pressed gently against her lower abdomen, nuzzling against Kensei's chest. Content, she could no longer resist her fatigue and curled up in his arms, falling deeply asleep.
Kensei looked at Nel, who even in sleep held firmly onto him, and couldn't help but smile. He kissed her forehead and closed his eyes.
Hueco Mundo had no day or night, but Kensei's biological clock still woke him at the appropriate time. His arms felt heavy; Nel still clung to him with all four limbs.
Just as Kensei started to shift his numb body, he sensed an intensely present gaze upon him.
He slowly turned his head toward the bedside, then a question mark practically appeared above it.
Ulquiorra stood there—who knew how long. She had changed into the white Arrancar uniform, her black hair hanging quietly, her eyes fixed on the two sleeping entwined, filled with exploration.
That alone would be one thing, but she also held a notebook, occasionally recording something with her pen.
"?"
Kensei's brain took a few seconds to process whether he was still dreaming.
"Ulquiorra. Do you know what this kind of behavior is called?"
Kensei spoke before Ulquiorra could lift her pen to record again, breaking the room's strange silence.
"Intruding into private space, violating your right to privacy." Ulquiorra answered calmly, her writing uninterrupted. "I understand this concept."
"Then you—?"
"I was only recording outside the door before you fell asleep. That doesn't count as a violation of privacy."
Ulquiorra looked at the peaceful expression on Nel's face as she lay in Kensei's arms. She could sense that Nel had undergone some change. Was this also what was called the heart's influence?
"Your interaction provided valuable records for my understanding of 'heart.'" Ulquiorra looked at Kensei somewhat curiously. "Didn't you say before that you would provide me assistance?"
Kensei opened his mouth, momentarily unsure what to say.
"Though I still cannot understand, the observation samples have indeed increased."
Ulquiorra closed her completed notebook and turned toward the door. At the threshold, she paused to add: "Oh yes, Lord Aizen asked me to remind you that we need to discuss the reconstruction plan for Las Noches later."
After Ulquiorra left, Nel stirred in Kensei's arms, opened her eyes, and gazed at him with sparkling intensity.
"Kensei! Good morning!"
She sat up, stretching—though her body was that of a mature woman, her movements still carried a childlike quality.
After quickly tidying up, they pushed open the door and stepped out.
Outside, Yoruichi leaned against the wall, arms crossed, wearing an expression that suggested she'd been waiting quite some time. Seeing them emerge, she raised an eyebrow, a mischievous smile playing on her lips.
"Well, well. Looks like our new King of Hueco Mundo did an excellent job appeasing the populace last night?"
Kensei coughed, putting on a serious face. "As a leader, one must naturally care about the psychological state of one's companions. It's a leader's responsibility."
Yoruichi couldn't be bothered arguing with Kensei and rolled her eyes. It wasn't like she and Kensei hadn't played plenty of "superior-subordinate" or "teacher-student" scenarios before.
Glancing at Nel, still giggling and clinging to Kensei's arm, Yoruichi waved dismissively. "Fine. The others are already waiting."
In the main hall, the team members sat waiting—except for Stark, who had already slumped onto the table, snoring softly.
Aizen sat in a chair, holding a makeshift drawn sketch of Las Noches. He tossed it to Kensei, seated beside him.
"See if anything needs modification."
Kensei picked up the sketch and examined it. Fundamentally, it didn't differ much from the original Las Noches—at least Aizen's aesthetic sensibilities were intact.
"Do whatever you think. But with just us few, how are we supposed to rebuild something as huge as Las Noches?"
Kensei scanned those present. They didn't exactly have any Hollows skilled in civil engineering lying around. Who was going to mix the concrete?
"There are plenty of Hollows in Hueco Mundo. Aren't they all labor?"
Aizen gestured with the Hōgyoku in his hand, and Kensei suddenly understood.
Right. Just turn those Hollows into Arrancars too. Being able to complete their Arrancar transformations would make them grateful beyond words. Surely they'd be happy to join Las Noches' construction crew.
Truly, only Sōsuke—with the Hōgyoku in hand, he could conjure up a million-strong Arrancar army in an instant.