37 CHAPTER 38: Mommy?

Upon her return to Hueco Mundo, Cirucci could feel the Reiatsu of Apacci 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 her lap.

"You're back." Harribel broke the silence. "Did you find any Shinigami?"

"No, we didn't." Cirucci 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."

"Cirucci," Harribel said, her tone laced with uncertainty, "do you believe he should make his return to Hueco Mundo?"

"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."

Cirucci found the question unbelievably dumb but she didn't say it to Harribel's face. As much as she looked down on Kazuya's playful 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.

But Kazuya didn't find her logic appealing.

He prioritized his companions, otherwise, he wouldn't have waited this long to leave Hueco Mundo. She couldn't fault him for the decision.

Harribel raised her head and regarded Cirucci with an intense stare. "Are those your honest thoughts?"

Cirucci paused for a moment before she furrowed her brows. "If I was in his situation, I would never return to this hellhole… This place disgusts me beyond words."

She didn't hold back on her hatred for Hueco Mundo — the place that gave her nothing but despair.

Harribel offered a nod of acknowledgment before lowering her head. "Thank you for aiding me in making my decision."

"What decision?"

"I'll tell when the others are back."

After a few odd minutes, a lively chatter could be heard outside the cave.

"Apacci, what the hell is wrong with you? How can you eat so many souls?"

"Ara, Apacci is a growing woman. Let her eat as much as she wants."

"What Sung-Sun said."

Apacci and the rest casually strolled into the cave in high spirits. All three feasted on the Gillians that attacked Apacci before. It was a feast that Apacci fully used to amass power.

"Yo." Mila Rose greeted Cirucci with a grin. "How's Skull doing over there? Did he start flirting with some girls?"

Cirucci shook her head in response. "He is good… I don't know if he is flirting with anyone, but that guy asked me to become his 'mommy'? Can you believe it?"

Cirucci tried to make Mila Rose's smile wider but ended up triggering Harribel with her words.

Harribel's eyes snapped open, and her gaze locked onto Cirucci. "What did you say?"

The atmosphere in the cave went cold from the Vasto Lorde's voice.

Cirucci 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.

"Y…You." Cirucci 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."

The crushing pressure bore down exclusively upon Cirucci, who trembled under its intensity. Observing Cirucci's condition, Mila Rose stepped in, delivering a firm punch to Harribel's shoulder.

"Harribel-sama, stop! Why are you lashing out on Cirucci?"

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… I can't use Kazuya like that.'

It was incredibly selfish to project her desires on him, even if acting like his mother satisfied her ego.

"Harribel-sama?"

"I don't like Kazuya calling someone mommy," Harribel confessed in a low voice. "It's… so dumb, I know."

Mila Rose crossed her arms, leveling a penetrating gaze at Harribel. "You aren't his mother, Harribel-sama. Why are you jealous?"

"Because…" Explaining 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 display. "It doesn't matter… we're leaving."

"..."

"We're going far away from here."

"What? Why?" Apacci asked. "Kazuya will return soon. How will he find us if leave? Are you thinking about abandoning Kazuya?"

Mila Rose widened her eyes. "Skull went to Living World to find a safe place for us. It doesn't make sense to leave him behind!"

Sung-Sun also looked a little surprised. "Harribel-sama, please tell me we are not leaving to throw off Kazuya."

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.

"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."

Harribel's explanation quenched their worries for the time being.

Meanwhile, Cirucci relentlessly stared at Harribel, realizing Harribel's decision and how her own answer changed the said decision.

'She was thinking about leaving him… so he can be happy on the other side.'

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.

Harribel turned to Cirucci and lowered her head. "I acted out of line before… I showed disgraceful behavior as a leader."

"It's nothing. I understand you are conflicted about that 'mommy' matter." She waved her hand and faced Mila Rose, smiling a little. Out of all four, she had the most respect for Mila Rose, and it only increased after Mila Rose protected her from Harribel. "Thanks for helping me."

Mila Rose chuckled. "Aww, you're being too polite. We're all a family here. Covering each other's backs is what we should do."

Apacci nudged Sung-Sun with her horn. "Did she forget Cirucci recently tried to kill us?"

"It's Mila Rose. Don't expect complex emotions from her thick skull."

"..."

***

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