CHAPTER 5

c5 - Charlotte Cuuhlhourne

A new region within Hueco Mundo—Nueva Vida.

As its name suggests, this vast expanse marks the outermost reaches of the endless desert, a place where newly born Hollows gather. It is a domain teeming with unstable souls teetering on the brink of transformation.

"ROAR!"

A guttural, feral cry echoed through the desolate wasteland. At the source, a writhing mass of white liquid twisted and coiled, engulfing what had once been a humanoid form. In mere moments, the struggling figure was no more, replaced by a spider-like Hollow, half the size of a man, its fresh carapace glistening under the pale moon.

This was the final moment of a soul succumbing to its fate—a human consciousness fading, swallowed by the eternal hunger of Hollows.

When Ye Chuan first noticed the figure, he had mistaken it for a living human. But as he neared, it became clear: the soul was too far gone, its mask already forming. Without hesitation, Ye Chuan surged forward, his enormous form erupting from beneath the sand, devouring the fledgling Hollow in one swift motion.

"Instead of losing your mind and becoming a mindless beast, isn't it better to become my sustenance? To join me in eternity?"

Ye Chuan patted his abdomen in satisfaction as the Hollow dissolved into reishi, adding to his ever-growing strength.

For days, Ye Chuan remained concealed in the sands of Nueva Vida, ambushing freshly transformed Hollows. With careful planning and the advantage of stealth, his hunts were effortless, devoid of risk. He was not like the others—mindless, instinct-driven creatures. He retained human intelligence, patience, and strategy. Reckless combat would be foolish; he was still weak, lacking a sealed power or any extraordinary ability beyond his own wit and hunger.

Before long, ten days had passed, and his body had expanded to a towering ten meters. Despite the increase in strength, he continued his hunt within the same territory, lingering in hopes of encountering another Hollow that had retained its human reasoning.

But there were none. Only mindless beasts, driven by hunger and instinct.

Though disappointed, he was not discouraged. His strength continued to grow. Through meticulous training, his Cero had improved, now 70% as strong as those fired by a standard Gillian-class Menos. More importantly, he could now fire two without exhausting himself. This meant that against most adversaries, he could strike from the shadows, unleashing a surprise attack before closing in for the kill.

Even though he had yet to evolve into a Gillian himself, he estimated that by striking first, he could even take one down. Regular Gillians were massive, but sluggish. They lacked individuality. He, however, was different.

But a Vasto Lorde? Or an exceptional Gillian, like the one he had encountered before? That was another matter entirely. The alien Gillian he had witnessed possessed intelligence and combat prowess beyond the norm. It was a reminder that raw size alone did not determine victory in Hueco Mundo.

—

Elsewhere in the desert, a slaughter was reaching its climax. For over ten days, an intense battle had raged among a gathering of Hollows. A Baixu Mutual Devouring, a brutal convergence where a hundred Hollows consumed one another, vying for dominance. Now, only two remained.

Two massive, hyena-like Hollows, their jet-black bodies marred with deep wounds, stood among the carnage. One had short, jagged teeth, while the other's fangs were elongated and razor-sharp. They were the same Hollows Ye Chuan had stolen from mere days ago.

But something was different now.

According to the natural order, these two should have fought to the death, the victor consuming the other to evolve into a Gillian. Yet, instead of attacking, they stepped toward one another, licking each other's wounds in a bizarre display of camaraderie.

Then, the impossible happened.

Their bodies melted.

Like pools of living ink, the two Hollows dissolved into twin masses of viscous, black liquid. These separate pools then merged, forming a larger, writhing mass of darkness. The fused entity pulsed, bubbled, and finally, rose—a towering column of liquid that solidified into a monstrous frame.

A skeletal hand clawed its way free. Then another.

The new form stepped forward, its mask gleaming under Hueco Mundo's eternal moonlight. Unlike typical Gillians, it bore not one but two distinct heads. One had jagged, monstrous fangs; the other, smooth and featureless, save for its hollow eyes.

A dual-headed Gillian. Another anomaly.

"ROOOOAAARR!!!"

Its twin voices howled in unison, celebrating its newfound existence.

Then—

Clap. Clap. Clap.

A slow, rhythmic applause echoed through the night, followed by a sickly sweet voice.

"Oh my, what a delightful surprise! A mutant Gillian! My, my, what a prize for Lord Baraggan! Perhaps I'll even get a reward~!"

Both heads of the newly-formed Gillian turned toward the voice. Standing atop a nearby sand dune was a figure far smaller than themselves—only about seven or eight meters tall. By human standards, he was a giant, but before them, he was like an insect.

Yet, despite his diminutive size, his mere presence exuded an overwhelming spiritual pressure.

This was not an ordinary Hollow.

Even in their newborn state, the two-headed Gillian recognized what stood before them: an Adjuchas—a Hollow of a superior class.

"Who… are you?" The fanged head rasped, its words sluggish and unrefined, as if speaking for the first time.

"I am the supreme king of Hueco Mundo's sands, the great general of Lord Baraggan Louisenbairn's army, the unparalleled beauty and might of Las Noches… Charlotte Cuuhlhourne!" The voice dripped with exaggerated flair, its owner striking a dramatic pose.

"M-meet… Lord… Charlotte…" the two-headed Gillian stammered, still adapting to its newfound speech.

"Hehehe~ Don't be so nervous! Lord Baraggan adores promising young ones like you! Now, come along, it's time to meet the King himself!"

With a flicker of Sonído, Charlotte appeared beside the massive Gillian. Despite the absurd size difference, he grasped the creature's towering frame with ease, as if guiding a mere child.

Then, without another word, they vanished into the distance, heading toward Las Noches, the dark heart of Hueco Mundo.