Chapter 13

(Mc pov)

'What was that saying again, ah, yes. You could not see the forest, for the trees. That fits both of you well.' I thought, looking over at mila who sat against the wall, seeing her eyes closed as i turned my head to the ceiling.

"How long do you plan to stand in the shadows, did you not want to see me?" Speaking as i turned my head, opening my eye as i looked in to the darkness of the hallway. Hearing taps of footsteps as someone came in to the light.

"So you finally recovered. Sorry, i don't have a place more comfortable but it was good enough to let you heal in this place. Away from the other hollows." Harribel said, coming into the light.

"Beautiful, truly. Uh, but thank you. You could have let me lie amongst the sand." I thought but my mouth moved on its own, seeing her blue skin, her bone armor that covered the curves and bust. Hugging tightly as it reached her face. Her eyes, cheeks and hair not covered as i couldn't help but find her beautiful.

Mila looked at both of us, looking at my face while I turned my head away from what I said. Then at Harribel who had a ever stoic face, but seeing her body shift a little to the side at my words. Both of us turning away a little as she could only shake her head and look down.

'This is awkward, like watching to hollows trying to understand there feelings for each other.' Mila thought, even if it wasn't common. There were hollows that formed relationships, even if far and few between. Mila misunderstood from my words that I just cared deeply for Harribel. After all it is hard for hollows or even at all to understand love.

"Come, I wish to talk to you. Mila we will be stepping out for a while." Harribel turned away, looking back at Mila as she spoke and watched her nod her head.

"Very well, once again mila. Thank you." I stood, pulling my robe together more as I thanked Mila again, seeing her lean back and only nod I smiled.

Walking over to Harribel as she turned and walked up the steps, we stayed in silence for a while. I watched her back, looking at her spine like tail that came from the back of her head. Looking at its shark like features, then fixated at how there was a difference on her back, above her ass and towards the womb area of her spine. Seeing as the hollow hole had a strange star like pattern in it. It was still hollow but at the center it was closed ever so slightly.

'What's that, I have no idea truly how to mix hollows and soul reapers that helps them become more whole. Even as a vasté lord, the hole is present and open. what does this mean? How did she become more complete?' While thinking i pushed everything out, not hearing the words Harribel had been saying.

"Do you not wish to speak to me, you have yet to respond to anything I've asked." Harribel stopped, her legs apart as one was on the step above her. Turning her head back slightly so her eyes could see me.

"I'm sorry, I was caught up looking at you. Uh, I mean, your new armor. It would seem you have evolved more, your strength has grown a lot from your form, when I first met you." Talking, I caught myself like an idiot. I saw Harribel's eyes sharpen, seeing me change my answer so she didn't think I was roaming her body.

"Yes, my form before was incomplete. Thanks to our fight I was able to complete it and become a true vasté lord. Along with Mila rose, we both have become a lot stronger." Thinking on my words, she turned away. Continuing to walk up the steps and hearing me follow.

'Strange, when he looks at me with those eyes. It's not like the hollows around me. I don't understand but, but, I don't mind it.' Harribel thought, not understanding herself why she was feeling so different.

"It had nothing to truly do with me, you both fought with everything. You were able to come this far with you alone. Now you both have the strength to fight together." Thinking I walked passed her, feeling the cold wind rush down from above.

"It is thanks to that fight, I wanted to fight with someone by my side, but I couldn't see I had stopped Mila roses growth, trying to keep her safe I was not fighting as a group. I ignored Mila's feeling for my own, saying we could fight together when it was me who was only protecting her in the end." Harribel looked at my back, the strange clothes and the sword in my hand, then the wrap on my head.

"That is what is amazing to me, you grew. Instead of most hollows who would devour others if it meant strength, or even go against what was told to them. You had the Capacity to grow, to understand your flaw and grow stronger for it. Along with Mila who finally accepted to not hold you both back and to fight." Walking out slowly from the dark, turning back to Harribel as she watched me smile.

'You say that, but without that push. I think we would have been in this cycle for a long time. You helped me move passed my fear of sacrificing others, like Mila. Now I don't have to.' Thinking Harribel watched as I walked over to the massive rock that covered the entrance down in shadows. Running my hand across it and smiled.

"It is just as beautiful as always, Harribel, if I can call you that." I said, making it into the moon light as I looked up. Turning back as I did, seeing Harribel had closed her eyes and was thinking.

"You are the one who gave me it, you may call me it, if you wish." Harribel said, looking up to the moon with me.

"Every name needs another, so what about tier, tier Harribel?" I said seeing her eyes lock on to me, from her look I could tell she didn't mind.

"You may call me it if you wish, thank you. I never saw the use in one's name. Tier Harribel? Very well." Harribel liked it, even if she did not understand why she wanted to accept it she did so.

"Come, Harribel." I said walking to her, seeing her step back a little.

"Where? I thought this would be a good place to ask you a question." Harribel, steeped back only to lean on the stone, she felt no danger and only wished to ask a few questions.

"That can wait, I want to show you." Walking up to her, seeing her eyes sharpen as I touched her arm.

"Show me.." before she could finish, we disappeared.

"The beauty of this world.." i said to her, who looked around.

We sat high above, the closest I could get to the moon. The vast sands and pillars everywhere. The shadows that danced and the soft wind that blew against the never ending sand. The moon like that flickered on things giving the mixture of dark and light a peaceful feeling. Harribel who did not understand how to fully use her power looked down, then up to me with a suspicious look. Not seeing she had latched on to me to hold herself up.

"Do not look at me with those eyes, that feeling inside you. The power you can bring out. Hollows call it spiritual energy, some call it spiritual pressure or Reiatsu. It is in all beings, be it some have a stronger amount of it, like you do now. Then there is Reiryoku, the Application of this power brought out in different forms like this. Close your eyes." I said, looking at Harribel's eyes who opened at my words, taking them in as she squinted.

"Trust me, Harribel." I said, smiling as I did not wish to hurt her.

Hearing this Harribel looked at me for a few more seconds, closing her eyes as she did not understand but didn't feel I wanted to hurt her. Feeling the wind as my words were soft and full of understanding in her apprehension.

"Feel that power, the feeling that leaks off you and makes up your very being. Reach out and grab a hold of it." I said, watching her concentrate. Only to see her spiritual pressure come off in waves.

"You are not fighting it, it is your power alone. You only need to guide it, for hollows you have the instinct to use it but not control it. Do not fight with it, grasp on to it and use it as you would do with out even thinking about it. This time you will actually need to have a understanding of that power." I said, feeling her spiritual pressure start to move in a rhythmic fashion. Smirking at how fast of a learner she was.

"Do you feel it?" I asked.

"Yes, it's like a rushing River." Harribel said, seeing in her mind her floating, a massive pillar of yellow spiritual energy in front of her, it moved erratically as she tried to touch it.

"Do not get swept up into it, just guide it. Reach out and try to understand it bettter."I said looking at her sweat a little as I pulled her closer to me.

Harribel nodded her head, in her mind she no longer tried to crush it, both fighting one another. This time reaching her hands out around it as the glow took over everything. She opened her eyes and looked at the moon.

"What now? How do i control it."Harribel asked looking up.

"You truly are amazing, look at yourself. You already have." I said looking at Harribel.

"What do you.." Harribel wanted to say looking down, only to see my back that was away from her. Then at the ground far below as she stood in the air. Looking all around her at the different shadows and the glow of the moon.

"Isn't it beautiful, to think you would catch on so fast. This power will only grow as you understand how to control it." I said looking up to the moon myself, feeling my work here was done.

'Controlling it, with it I could become stronger. Mila rose could become stronger and any others that follow, maybe..' Harribel thought, she looked at my back and the moon like that shined over me as I stood there and thought.

"What is your name?.." Harribel said, her voice having a strange sound to it.

"It has been a long time, since anyone has asked me that. Or since i said it myself, it is Kokutō." Saying my name after a long time, gave me a strange feeling as I heard the rings of steps behind me on the air.

"Please, teach me. Lord Kokutō." Harribel said, making up her mind about something.

Turning I looked back at Harribel, she sat on one knee. Her blade out beside her and her head low as she asked me. The moon shining down on this ever lasting night.