Capítulo 37: Chapter #30 - Hot Springs (2)
The sky was bright, and the air was full. The women's section of the hot spring, which anyone who couldn't see outside might mistake for Earth, looked like a scene from heaven.
Kizuna had done his best work, aided by the System, carefully considering every detail for the women. Various herbs were scattered around, not only adding beauty but also releasing a relaxing fragrance.
The scene felt so heavenly that it was hard to believe they were in Hueco Mundo. If this place was a heaven, there must be angels, and just as we mentioned that, the first three angels slowly walked in from the entrance.
The first to come was Mila Rosa, as powerful as an amazon warrior, with bronze skin and a mane of thick, lion-like hair. She tossed aside the towel wrapped around her body and immediately stepped into the hot spring. Spreading herself out, she sighed in relief, "Damn, this place is really relaxing." A satisfied expression appeared on her face.
Next to her was Emilou Apacchi, who had the fierce and aggressive attitude of a Roman legionary. She complained, "This damn place is too hot," but like Mila Rosa, she carelessly threw her towel aside.
Despite her complaints, her body betrayed her words as she visibly relaxed. The tense and hardened expression she usually wore faded away, if only for a moment, as she sank further into the water. Her medium-sized chest became difficult to see through the misty steam and water.
At that moment, Cyan Sung-Sun moved gracefully among the stones of the hot spring like a snake and teased, "Kukukuku~! I didn't expect you all to relax this quickly."
She slowly removed her towel, folded it neatly, and placed it nearby. Then, with elegant but alluring movements, she sat down next to Emilou in a corner of the hot spring. Testing the water with her feet, she slowly slid in and, like the others, began to relax.
The trio quickly returned to their own conversation. The topics shifted rapidly, sometimes joking about the water's heat and sometimes reviving old disputes. At one point, Emilou's gaze landed on Cyan Sung-Sun's chest, and with a mix of mockery and curiosity, she asked, "Hey! Did your boobs get bigger?"
Cyan Sung-Sun paused for a moment. She hadn't paid much attention, but it was true that there had been a noticeable, albeit small, development compared to her usual flatness. Her brief surprise turned into a giggle, "Kukukuku~! It seems Kizuna's attention has done me good."
Emilou shot up from the water, protesting in a rebellious tone, "Hey! We all get the same attention!"
She found the situation grossly unfair. Her average, small chest barely moved as she glared at Cyan Sung-Sun. Mila Rosa, who had the largest chest of them all, laughed, "Don't be childish, Emilou. If Sung-Sun's grown, yours will too."
As Emilou continued to argue, two more girls entered. Both had come with small towels, which they clutched tightly. One seemed relatively more at ease, while the other was clearly more cautious.
Loly, with her black hair tied in a bun, exuded the charm of youth as she walked slowly. She was far shyer than the other three but tried to act unashamed. Meanwhile, Menoly appeared far more reserved.
As the conversation between Emilou and Cyan Sung-Sun shifted back to an argument between Emilou and Mila Rosa, Cyan Sung-Sun noticed the new arrivals, giggling softly as she waved her hand in a slow, graceful manner and invited, "Come, come. The water's nice and hot."
Loly, feeling her shyness was noticed, blushed even more. She coughed, trying to act casual, and tugged on Menoly's arm, pulling her along, "We're coming, we're coming! Come on, Menoly!"
Menoly, the beautiful girl with short blonde hair, had been lost in the aroma of the scents around her when she was suddenly yanked by Loly. Caught off guard, her towel slipped, and she panicked, "Loly, wait! My towel fell!" she cried, but Loly dragged her into the warmth of the hot spring.
Loly threw her own towel carelessly aside and stepped into the water. The experience of feeling the warm water around her surprised her for a moment. It was warm and comforting, just like Kizuna-sama's lap... though, maybe not quite that much.
Shaking away the thoughts in her head, Loly got Menoly into the water. Menoly was still glancing at her fallen towel, sighing softly before finally giving in and letting her body relax in the soothing heat.
Cyan Sung-Sun couldn't help but giggle at their slight nervousness before rejoining the conversation between Emilou and Mila Rosa.
"I told her this: blah blah blah!" A girl's voice, full of excitement, echoed through the room. Her energy was evident from her tone. Small but athletic, her head adorned with a helmet-like mask showing a flame-shaped mark, this was none other than Lilynette. She hadn't even bothered with a towel, completely exposing her body, she clearly didn't care at all.
In stark contrast to her excitement, a calm voice came from a girl with soft brown curls, bouncing slightly with each step. "Hmhm… I see."
Her voice was emotionless, and her movements were simple. Antonella, true to her usual tidy and measured self, carefully adjusted the towel wrapped around her.
A third voice, laced with sarcasm, grumbled, "Do you ever say anything other than 'I see'?" These words came from Cirucci, who was throwing a scrutinizing look at Antonella with her short purple hair and narrowed violet eyes. She slowly walked around, as if challenging Antonella, before finally finding a spot to settle in. Without her usual makeup, her gothic look was far more natural, as if her gothic lolita vibe had temporarily faded.
Antonella and Lilynette exchanged a brief glance. If this were an anime, Antonella might have had a giant question mark floating over her head. Lilynette chuckled at her softly.
"Don't worry about it. Let's get in before the water cools."
Antonella muttered under her breath, "I don't think the water's going to cool."
Nevertheless, they both entered the hot spring. Nearly everyone was now in the water. In a place as merciless as Hueco Mundo, this scene was so peaceful, it felt like heaven, so unbelievable it seemed unreal.
Antonella, as usual, stayed silent, submerging herself up to her head in the water, her towel left to the side. Every now and then, bubbles appeared in front of her face as she breathed.
As the conversations continued, the topics shifted. Soon, the discussion focused more and more on Kizuna, and Lilynette frowned. It confused her how Kizuna could gather everyone like this, with none of the women complaining. Then again, everything about Kizuna was strange, and when the conversation finally came to him, she couldn't help but ask:
Lilynette, sounding more confused than angry, asked, "Are you all really okay with this?"
As all eyes turned to her, she repeated, "Isn't he basically collecting you all like trophies or prizes? How are you all okay with this?"
Her words clearly irritated Loly and Menoly, while Mila Rose laughed as if it was the funniest thing she'd ever heard. Cyan Sung-Sun also giggled softly, and the atmosphere became strangely dynamic.
Antonella remained silent, and Cirucci listened with curiosity, as it was something she had wondered about too, though she hadn't thought to ask. As she waited for an answer, the only response was laughter and sulking.
Lilynette's face flushed at the unexpected reactions. She shouted angrily, "What's so funny!?"
"They're laughing at what you said. You just don't understand our relationship with Kizuna," a deep voice interrupted. The speaker's silver hair stood out, perfectly complementing her golden locks. A gentle, understanding smile graced her face.
Mila Rose let out a relaxed breath and smiled, "Harribel-sama! You've finally arrived!" Emilou grinned, "Perfect timing!" while Cyan Sung-Sun giggled softly, muttering, "Things are about to get interesting."
Loly pointed to Lilynette as if complaining to her older sister, "Harribel-sama! Please explain it to her!" Menoly nodded in agreement with Loly, "Yes! Yes, please, Harribel-sama!"
If they hadn't promised Kizuna to behave, they would undoubtedly be far more aggressive.
Tier waved her hand dismissively, indicating it wasn't a problem. "Nel-san and I got caught up in conversation," she explained her late arrival simply. She neatly placed her towel aside and sat comfortably near Tres Bestias.
As Tier mentioned her, all eyes turned to Neliel. Apologizing softly, Neliel said, "Sorry about that," before carefully considering where to sit. There was now a clear divide between the older and newer group members. The older ones moved comfortably, while the newer arrivals were hesitant and cautious.
Neliel eventually chose to sit in the middle, between the two sides. Carefully placing her towel aside, she held her chest modestly, her cheeks slightly pink.
Lilynette's gaze was full of questions as she looked back at Tier. After a moment of surprise, she frowned and asked, "What do you mean?"
Tier responded with another question, "What do you think of Kizuna?"
Without hesitation, Lilynette replied, "He's an insanely strong, perverted, and stupid Espada."
She paused for a moment. It seemed like a sufficient description, but... it also felt incomplete. As if she were missing something.
Tier noticed the shift in her expression and felt the need to elaborate. "Yes, you're right. But he's also kind, compassionate, helpful, and loyal. These are qualities you won't easily find in Hueco Mundo."
She paused, glancing around at everyone before continuing. "Why don't we all share our experiences with Kizuna? Maybe that will help Lilynette understand better. What do you say, girls?"
And so, the stories began to flow. Tres Bestias emphasized Kizuna's self-restraint, despite being far stronger than any of them and having the authority to command, he never sought control or tried to exert power over them. That was the most striking thing.
Then it was Loly and Menoly's turn. Their story was perhaps the harshest of the lot, but they couldn't deny the respect Kizuna earned after sparing them and, instead of killing them, bringing them into his fold.
Neliel, too, was clearly someone who had been touched by Kizuna's kindness. She was grateful to him for saving her and her fracción from a grand scheme that would have otherwise ended badly for them.
Lilynette sat in rare silence, listening to everyone's accounts. At that moment, she realized that their relationship with Kizuna was far more complex than the rumors she'd heard. He wasn't treating them like trophies or possessions, nor did he view them as mere subordinates.
During all of this, Antonella silently nodded along, affirming everything the others were saying without speaking herself.
Cirucci, however, furrowed her brow, voicing her confusion. "Then why are we here?" She took a deep breath and continued, "Everyone has different stories and close connections to him. But me? I'm just here under a temporary arrangement."
Lilynette didn't respond this time, instead falling into deep thought. The puzzle pieces in her mind were slowly starting to come together.
Neliel, preferring to listen rather than ask questions, remained quiet. She had already asked Tier most of what she wanted to know before coming here and was content with the answers she had received.
Tier sighed softly in response to Cirucci's words. "As Kizuna told me, he wanted to bring everyone together before things started getting hectic again. That's all."
Kizuna had taken on much of the workload in Aizen's mission to search for Vasto Lorde, so it wasn't uncommon for him to struggle with organizing his thoughts.
A flicker of empathy crossed Antonella's eyes as the subject came up. Cirucci, on the other hand, pouted, her lips tightening as she muttered, "So he rushed us here just because things were going to get busy soon. Great~!"
Despite her complaint, she was comfortable here. She couldn't deny that. She was away from the usual petty politics and nonsense, and she was fine with that. For a moment, she wondered if her relationship with Kizuna might become as close as the others'.
And then a brief silence filled the hot spring. But it didn't last long before the chatter started up again.
---
In contrast, the men's hot spring was far calmer and quieter. Kizuna had made all the necessary adjustments with the System to ensure that Pesche and Dondochakka didn't cause any disturbances. As a result, the atmosphere was perfectly peaceful. Starrk, of course, needed no mention, he had already spread out the moment he entered the spring, closing his eyes and drifting into a relaxed state. Even Dondochakka, who was usually prone to bursts of tears, had finally found some peace.
Kizuna noticed Pesche's sharp gaze on him and turned to face him. Pesche, with his pale skin and noble bearing, was quite a handsome man, though his occasional antics with Dondochakka could get out of hand. But right now, Pesche had an unusually serious look on his face.
Their eyes met for a moment, and Pesche's gaze gleamed with determination. With a respectful tone, Pesche began, "Plata-dono," his voice filled with deference, reflecting the many questions swirling in his mind about Kizuna's kindness and motives. No matter what, it was his duty as a fracción to serve his Espada, and he didn't want any harm to come to Neliel. Thus, he asked carefully, "We appreciate your kindness and everything you've done for us, but… what is your true goal?"
Pesche's question sent ripples through the hot spring. Rudbornn Chelute immediately interjected, "How dare you question our master-" but Kizuna cut him off with a calm, "It's fine." Scratching the back of his head, Kizuna hadn't expected such a question and was momentarily unsure of how to respond.
Just as he was about to speak, another voice cut in.
"I've been wondering that too. How about explaining it to us, Kizuna-kun?"
When Kizuna turned toward the voice, his mouth fell open. The graceful sound of approaching footsteps belonged to none other than the true rulers of Hueco Mundo.
The voice's owner was Aizen Sousuke, a figure who commanded attention wherever he went, with his tall, imposing presence. His handsome face, cold demeanor, and nearly regal elegance made it seem as if he challenged the entire world.
Even though he and his companions—Gin and Tōsen—were wrapped in towels, there was no hiding their impressive physiques. Their bodies, like Kizuna's, were sculpted in a way that could easily captivate any woman. And there was no need to mention the confidence in their postures.
With Aizen's arrival, the peaceful atmosphere of the hot spring was completely disrupted.
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