Slime Soul (Tensura x Bleach Crossover) (Patreon)

Chapter 4: An Unlikely Partnership

Sometime Later

After playing tag for an indeterminate stretch with Nel and the others, I’d been stealthily working on her mask whenever a moment presented itself. Now only a small crack remained.

Pesche noticed, obviously. Dondochakka took longer to catch on, he was a bit slow, if I’m being honest. Neither said anything, which I appreciated; Nel was still blissfully oblivious, and her speech patterns were improving as I patched her up.

Because of our games and how chaotic Nel’s group was, we hadn’t made much progress toward Las Noches, but I didn’t mind. My priority was healing Nel and building a real connection.

That complacency bit me. We were suddenly ambushed by a massive hollow made of sand, something that could manipulate the desert itself.

“Intruders!” a deep voice echoed from all around as the sand rose and coalesced into a towering hollow.

Nel froze, then shouted its name in terror. “It’s Runuganga, the Guardian of the White Sand!”

“I was informed moments ago by Las Noches that there were intruders. To think a single intruder would be associated with you pests,” Runuganga boomed, his attention sweeping the group and lingering on me, perhaps noticing the Shinigami-style clothes I still wore.

‘He probably thinks I’m part of Ichigo’s group with my clothing.’ I thought privately but didn’t say anything.

“Unforgivable… I will turn you all into desert sand!” Runuganga declared as he prepared to strike.

“No—” Nel cried, frantically waving her hand. “It’s not like that! We actually—”

I cut her off. I stepped forward and shielded Nel with my body, voice low and steady. “Stand back, Nel. It’s obvious he’s not here to talk or listen what we have to say.” I readied myself.

“But Runuganga is invincible in the desert!” Nel cried, worry written all over her face.

I reached out and gave her a gentle pat on the head, making her blink up at me in surprise. “Don’t worry about that. I’m pretty strong myself, even without a name.” I said it confidently as I strode forward, turning just enough to flash Nel and her “brothers” a reassuring grin. “Besides, I’m literally this guy’s worst matchup imaginable.”

Runuganga seemed to catch on that I was mocking him. His massive face twisted into a scowl. “Arrogant intruder! I’ll finish you off for your insolence!”

With a thunderous sweep of his arm, three raging tornadoes of sand and wind barreled toward us. Nel’s group screamed and ducked behind me, the air vibrating with the oncoming storm.

“…Weakling.” My voice came out cold, emotionless.

I raised a hand, and with a flick of my wrist, the tornadoes collapsed into harmless dust, dispersed by my Wind Manipulation Extra Skill. Before Runuganga could even register what happened, I vanished in a blur of Sonido and reappeared before him.

Using Water Manipulation, I encased his entire body in a swirling sphere of water. He thrashed wildly, panic flashing in his glowing eyes. “W–Wait! We can talk about this—!”

“Disappear.”

My voice was calm. Detached. With another gesture, a razor-thin Wind Blade cleaved him cleanly in half. The desert shuddered as his enormous form began to dissolve—only to be swallowed whole as I unleashed Gluttony, devouring every trace of him.

When the sands finally settled, I landed lightly on the ground, brushing off the stray grains that clung to my clothes.

“Extra Skill: Sand Manipulation acquired.” Great Sage’s emotionless tone echoed in my mind.

I turned back toward my small crowd. Nel’s wide eyes and trembling lip made a faint knot form in my chest, though I’d never admit it out loud. Let’s see how she reacts to that little display…

“…Sorry if I scared you guys.” I said at last, managing a small smile to hide the flicker of nervousness I felt at the thought of Nel being afraid of me.

To my quiet relief, her expression softened into one of pure relief. She sniffled, taking hesitant steps toward me. “N-Nel was so scared! Mr. Slime!”

Before I could react, she launched herself at me. I barely caught her, cradling her small form against my chest as she sobbed into my shirt.

“Mr. Slime sure is strong,” Pesche said proudly, puffing out his chest like he had been the one to take down Runuganga.

“It’s so reassuring!” Dondochakka added dramatically, fist raised high in approval.

‘Mr. Slime, huh? …I guess that’s fine for now,’ I thought, amused despite myself.

Patting Nel’s head, I offered her a reassuring smile. “See? I told you I was strong. So, you can leave the fighting to me from now on, okay? I’ll protect you.”

Nel sniffled once more, then pulled back slightly to look at me. Her hazel eyes shimmered with warmth as she wiped at them with the back of her hand. “Really, Mr. Slime? You’ll protect Nel?”

“Of course.” I nodded, still smiling gently.

“Then Nel will protect Mr. Slime too~!” she declared suddenly, her tiny face set with fierce determination despite her childish tone and current form.

The sweetness of the moment didn’t last. In the next instant, I felt it—three spiritual pressures closing in fast. A heartbeat later, three figures landed nearby, the air rippling with their presence.

“That spiritual pressure came from around here, right?” a young male voice asked, tone brash and curious, like a delinquent sniffing for trouble.

“That’s correct,” another voice replied, calm and faintly haughty. “Though from the looks of it, whatever happened is already over.”

“…It seems they noticed us,” the third voice said quietly, his distinct Spanish accent rolling through the dry air.

‘So, they finally caught up,’ I thought, slightly lowering my guard as I recognized the familiar trio approaching through the sands.

It was none other than Ichigo, Uryu, and Sado.

Apparently, all that time I’d spent playing tag with Nel and her group had given them more than enough time to catch up.

=====

With Nel perched on my shoulders like a proud little general, I watched as Ichigo’s group cautiously approached. They stopped a fair distance away, each of them clearly unsure how to start the conversation, and instead settled on awkwardly staring.

Behind me, Nel’s “brothers” huddled together behind me for protection, while Nel herself held onto my head like a kid riding a roller coaster for the first time.

“Well, are you three going to say something?” I finally asked, raising a brow. “Or just stand there staring all day? I know I’m handsome, but unfortunately for you three, I don’t swing that way. I only like girls.”

The effect was instantaneous. Especially knowing the hotheads that Ichigo and Uryu were.

“What did you say, you dumbass?!” Ichigo barked, taking a menacing step forward, his right eyebrow twitching like crazy and an embarrassed blush on his cheeks. “And for your information, I like girls too!”

“We were simply trying to be polite,” Uryu said, pushing up his glasses with his middle finger in that oh-so-dramatic Quincy way. “But clearly, that was a mistake.” He paused, glaring at me from behind the glare of his lenses. “Also, I like girls too.”

“Calm down, you two,” Sado sighed, the voice of reason as always, though even he looked vaguely exasperated.

“Those three are a bunch of weirdos, huh?” Nel muttered from atop my shoulders, intending to whisper, but going so long with only the two idiots behind me as company had its consequences, and due to it her definition of whispering didn’t exist.

Everyone heard her.

“Total weirdos,” Pesche agreed, crossing his arms solemnly as if passing judgment from on high.

“Buncha weirdos, don’t cha know,” Dondochakka added in the exact same pose, the two of them forming a synchronized idiot wall.

I barely managed to hold in my laugh as Ichigo and Uryu’s expressions twisted further into irritation, veins bulging on their foreheads like they were about to burst.

Finally, Ichigo couldn’t hold it in anymore and exploded.

“That’s rich coming from you two weirdos!” he snapped, pointing accusingly at Pesche and Dondochakka before rounding on me and Nel. “And you two, what are a couple of humans doing in Hueco Mundo hanging out with a bunch of hollows!?”

“And stupid too,” Pesche said solemnly, shaking his head as if lamenting Ichigo’s intelligence.

“Indeed, very stupid,” Dondochakka nodded along, both of them wearing identical pitying expressions.

Ichigo’s eye twitched so hard I thought he might sprain it.

“Hey, that’s rude!” Nel yelled from her perch on my shoulders, glaring down at him. “Don’t call Nel’s brothers weirdos, you strawberry! And for your information, Nel and Mr. Slime are not human! See this mask? Nel is an Arrancar, and Mr. Slime is a Majin!”

“My name is Ichigo! Not Strawberry!” he barked automatically.

He looked ready to keep arguing when her words finally clicked. Blinking, he leaned forward and squinted at us.

“Wait—a real Arrancar? You’re an Arrancar?” he asked, clearly confused but unable to deny the shiny fragment of bone mask on her head.

Then his gaze slid to me, suspicion flaring again. “And what the hell is a Majin? Also, who goes around calling themselves ‘Mr. Slime’? That’s the dumbest name I’ve ever heard.”

Before I could say anything, Nel puffed up like an angry kitten. “Stop being so mean to Mr. Slime, you meanie! Who even are you guys anyway!?”

The three looked at each other, realizing they hadn’t actually introduced themselves. Their scowls faded as they each stepped forward.

“Ichigo Kurosaki,” Ichigo said, hands on his hips, “Substitute Shinigami.”

“Uryu Ishida. Quincy.” Uryu adjusted his glasses with his middle finger, striking a pose so chuuni it probably caused secondhand embarrassment in three different dimensions.

“Sado Yasutora,” Sado said calmly, giving a small wave. “Human.”

For a moment, silence hung between us, then, as if choreographed, Nel and her brothers gasped and screamed in perfect unison just as they had once done in my introduction.

“Aaaah! You guys are bad guys!”

Finally deciding to step in, having had quite enough of these shenanigans, I clapped my hands, the sound snapping everyone’s attention to me. Also, I wanted to stop Nel before she accidentally spilled something she shouldn’t. From what I knew, Uryu had been bugged by that mad scientist Mayuri Kurotsuchi, and anything said near him was as good as broadcast straight to the guy’s lab.

“Alright, let’s calm down, everyone. This is honestly getting a bit ridiculous for my tastes,” I said with a sigh, inwardly glad the chaos had simmered into silence.

“You’re the one who started all this, Mr. Slime!” Ichigo shot back, grinning smugly when he emphasized the nickname.

“Hey!”

Nel’s indignant shout made me grin despite myself. Ignoring it, I gave Ichigo a flat smile. “I was trying to break the ice, dumbass. Anyway, since you guys introduced yourselves, we might as well do the same.”

I gestured casually behind me. “This little Arrancar on my shoulders, as you already know, is Nel Tu. Behind us are her brothers, Pesche and Dondochakka. The eel’s their pet, Bawabawa. And finally, for your information, my name isn’t ‘Mr. Slime.’”

“Arrancars have families?” Ichigo asked before his brain caught up to his mouth. Nel and her brothers visibly deflated, and Ichigo immediately backpedaled. “Sorry. I mean—uh—what’s your name then?”

With a calm smile, I answered simply, “I don’t have one.”

“You don’t have one?” Uryu repeated, frowning as he adjusted his glasses. “Do you just not remember it from when you were alive? You called yourself a Majin earlier, meaning you’re probably not human, right?”

“Good deduction,” I said with a nod, watching him straighten up ever so slightly at the compliment. “But unfortunately, incorrect. My kind aren’t born with names, we have to be given one.”

Ichigo crossed his arms, confusion written all over his face. “So why didn’t they give you one?”

At that, Nel slumped against my shoulders, her earlier energy fading into quiet sadness. I squeezed her leg gently in reassurance before answering.

“Nel wanted to, but it’s not that simple,” I said softly with a shake of my head. “Giving a name to someone like me requires a certain amount of strength.”

Sado’s calm voice cut in, serious as ever. “Is it dangerous?”

“Not if you’re strong enough,” I replied, shaking my head once more before letting my gaze sweep over the trio. “Out of you three…” I let the silence hang for a beat before pointing at Ichigo. “Only you could do it without issue.”

Ichigo blinked, clearly caught off guard. “Me?”

I only smiled.

In truth, I was manipulating him, just a little. Ichigo Kurosaki was one of the strongest beings in this world, even if he hadn’t reached that level yet. He was the safest choice, the ideal one to give me a name.

Gifting someone with a name created a certain bond between the one giving the name and the once receiving it. I’d rather have Ichigo give me a name then say someone like Aizen, Yhwach, Yamamoto or the Zero Squad. Less risk that way of one of them finding someway to gain some form of control over me.

If this worked, I’d gain what I needed without putting anyone in danger, and as thanks I would lend the hotheaded kid a hand later down the line once or twice. He would certainly need it.

Just as Ichigo was about to speak, Uryu, ever the cautious one, stepped forward, his expression sharp as he leveled me with a steely stare.

“And how do we know you’re not working for Aizen? We just met you, after all. And from the way you describe it, giving you a name sounds like a big deal.”

“Stop being so paranoid, Uryu!” Ichigo barked, sounding more irritated than concerned.

But before he could continue, Sado took a step forward too, his tone calm but firm. “I agree with Uryu, Ichigo. We just met them. We have no idea what their intentions are.”

Their caution was understandable, but it still made me chuckle, earning a few confused looks. “You’ve got good friends, Ichigo,” I said warmly before letting the grin fade, my voice taking on a more serious edge. “And they’re right. You can’t really trust me since we just met… so how about I sweeten the deal?”

Ichigo’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean?”

“I heard some talk that a human girl was taken to Las Noches,” I began casually, watching Ichigo’s eyes widen in surprise. “And seeing you three here, I’m guessing you came to rescue her, right?”

“T-That’s right,” Ichigo said, recovering quickly as his usual determination burned through the surprise. “We’re here to take her back.”

“I figured,” I nodded, my tone turning almost businesslike. “So here’s my offer: in exchange for giving me a name… I’ll help you find your friend.”

My words hung in the air for a long moment. The three of them looked at me like I’d just offered to wrestle an Espada bare-handed, which, to be fair, wasn’t entirely wrong.

Uryu was the first to recover, pushing up his glasses with that trademark flick of his finger. “Just like that?” he asked skeptically. “You do realize that means fighting the Espada, the most powerful of Aizen’s forces?”

A slow grin crept across my face. “Oh, I realize it,” I said lightly, though the edge in my tone was unmistakable. “And you’ll find I’m not very fond of Aizen, for a variety of reasons. As for the Espada…” My smile turned sharp, dangerous. “Let’s just say I’ve got a score to settle with more than one of them.”

I didn’t elaborate, but in my mind, I could already see their faces.

Aaroniero, the Ninth Espada—my ticket to evolution.

And Nnoitra, the Fifth—the one who hurt Nel in the past.

Two birds with one stone.

Silence hung for a beat before Ichigo stepped forward, hand extended. “You’ve got yourself a deal.”

Grinning, I met him halfway and wrapped my fingers around his in a solid, manly grip. “I was hoping you’d say that. Let’s cause some chaos~”