5 - Restored Will

I took a deep breath, my heart racing with anticipation as I surveyed my new form. The rush of power that surged through my body was indescribable, like a hurricane coursing through my veins.

"Ha! Yes!" I shouted triumphantly into the empty desert. I knew it was stupid, but I couldn't help feeling invincible at that moment, the newfound strength and agility at my disposal almost overwhelming.

After consuming an entire horde of gillians, I had finally reached the next stage of my evolution.

I clenched my armor-covered fists, the air trembling with the action.

"Take that, mom" Now she couldn't be here to point out how lacking I was compared to others. This was the new freedom I had worked hard to achieve, and I couldn't help but laugh in delight.

Slowly, I regulated my trembling body, trying to regain my calm. As the adrenaline began to fade, I calmed myself. I took a deep breath, focusing on the task at hand.

Yes, I was now an adjuchas. My upper body was now covered in white armor, but my tail and neck remained unprotected.

As I looked down at my white armor, I noticed red lines running from my fingers to my hollow hole. It was a subtle change, but it made my new form all the more intimidating.

With a small twitch in my arms, a pair of hidden spikes sprang forth, glinting menacingly. Another twitch and they were concealed once more.

Despite my evolution, my physical appearance had not changed significantly. I was now a meter taller, my teeth even bigger than before, and my hair longer. However, the power within me was another story, it had reached a level unlike anything I had experienced.

The problem was that a month had passed since I began the arduous journey to regain my will as a gillian. I was now in my fifth month since being reborn into this world.

A heavy pressure returned to my shoulders, reminding me of the urgency of my situation. I had less than a year to become a vasto lorde, the pinnacle of evolution for our kind. I could feel it, my soul was strong enough to reach such a stage, but the path ahead felt like an endless staircase, with each step larger than the last.

"Time is running out," I muttered to myself, my eyes scanning the horizon for any sign of danger. I had to be cautious, as Aizen's men could appear at any moment.

Suppressing my spiritual power, I felt the sand tremble beneath my tail as it was released from the pressure. I couldn't risk being detected.

With a fierce determination burning within me, I set off once more. It was time to continue my hunt for more power.....