Slime Soul (Tensura x Bleach Crossover) (Patreon)

Chapter 7: The Harvest Begins

It took a few minutes for Nel to calm down from her excitement and be properly introduced to the others, who were still looking at her with a mix of awe and slight wariness, particularly Rukia and Renji, probably after sensing just how strong she was.

“Hey, Nel, or do you prefer I call you Neliel now?” I asked hesitantly, unsure if I should keep addressing her like before. My question immediately caught her attention.

“Hmm, you can just keep calling me Nel if you want, Caius. We’re friends after all~” she replied with a warm smile before tilting her head. “So, what did you need?”

“Very well,” I said with a nod. “May I talk to you in private for a moment, Nel?” I asked, gesturing off to the side.

“Of course~” Nel agreed without hesitation before turning to the others. “We’ll be back in a moment, everyone,” she said with a small wave before vanishing with the familiar sound of Sonido.

“Don’t go in without us. This’ll only take a few moments,” I added quickly before disappearing in the same manner, not giving them a chance to question me.

Reappearing beside Nel, I smiled at her and snapped my fingers, forming a faint shimmering barrier around us that sealed all sound within.

“There, we can speak privately now. This barrier stops any sound from leaving it,” I explained when I saw her curious expression.

“You really aren’t a Hollow, Shinigami, or Quincy, huh?” Nel murmured, studying me intently with a hand on her chin which did interesting things to her chest. “I didn’t sense any Reiryoku when you cast that. Fascinating~” Then she smiled. “So, what did you want to talk about that needed such secrecy?”

“It has to do with me being a Majin,” I began with a small sigh. “You see, just like Hollows, I also have the ability to evolve if the right conditions are met.”

“Evolve? But you’re a cute slime, right? What can you possibly evolve into?” Nel asked curiously, tilting her head cutely in a way that somehow made her even more distracting, especially given how little she was currently wearing.

“Hehe, thanks. And to be honest, my physical form won’t change much aside from getting a bit bigger. My evolution focuses more internally than externally,” I explained, doing my best to keep my gaze focused on her hazel eyes. “Technically, I’ll be undergoing two evolutions at once. One will change my race from a Slime to a Demon Slime, while the other is more of a title, and that’s where I’ll need your help.”

Nel listened closely, her smile calm and thoughtful. “Two evolutions at the same time, huh? That kind of process could put a lot of strain on your soul,” she said, eyes narrowing slightly in concern.

I blinked, then smiled, impressed. I forgot that the real Nel was actually pretty smart which contradicted her playful side quite a bit. “Correct. You caught on quick, Nel.”

“Hihihi, thank you~” she said bashfully, rubbing the back of her head before clearing her throat. “Ahem, so, you were saying?”

“Right,” I continued. “I’m very close to evolving, and I have a feeling my next battle will push me over the edge. When that happens, though, I’ll lose consciousness for a while, and I’ll need someone to protect me while my body and soul recover.” I took a deep breath, meeting her eyes.

“I know it’s a lot to ask, especially since we’ve only just met, but would you be willing to—”

I didn’t even get to finish before Nel interrupted with a gentle but firm voice. “Leave it to me, Caius. I’ll protect you with all my strength while you’re indisposed.”

Taken aback, I blinked. “Just like that? But I hardly know this side of you.”

Smiling gently, Nel shook her head, her long green hair swaying softly in the breeze. “We’re friends, and friends protect each other, don’t they?” she said simply. “Besides you’ve been protecting me since we met, it’s time I do the protecting for once.

“…Thank you, Nel,” I replied sincerely, a small smile tugging at my lips.

“You’re welcome~” she said with a brighter smile before her expression turned thoughtful. “Though, I do have a question for you.”

“Go ahead,” I said, nodding for her to continue.

“You’re already quite strong from what I can sense,” she began, her tone shifting into something more serious. “So, what will you do with your newfound strength? More importantly, what is your definition of power?” Her gaze sharpened, studying me with genuine curiosity and intent.

“It’s simple,” I said, matching her seriousness. “There’s a place I want to travel to, and for that, I’ll need to become far stronger than I am now.” I paused briefly, choosing my next words carefully. “Ideals without power are nonsense, and power without ideals is empty. I don’t have an interest in seeking power just for the sake of power, without the ambition to do something with it. That’s what I honestly believe.”

When I finished, my serious expression faded into a small, easy smile.

For a long moment, Nel said nothing. Then a soft, beautiful smile bloomed across her face before she broke into happy giggles. “Hihihi~ I knew there was a reason I liked you from the moment we met. Alright, that’s all I needed to hear. Thank you for answering honestly.”

‘That’s right… Nel’s always been somewhat of a pacifist. Her views on strength aren’t that different from mine. No wonder she looks so happy right now,’ I thought quietly.

“Thanks again, Nel. Really,” I said with another genuine smile. “Now, we should probably head back. Knowing Ichigo, he’ll start yelling if we take too long.”

“Mhm~” Nel hummed with a playful nod. “He does seem like the type, doesn’t he?”

“Yep.” I snapped my fingers, dispelling the barrier. “A hothead through and through.”

The next instant, we both vanished with Sonido and reappeared with the group.

“I heard that, asshole!” Ichigo immediately barked, arms crossed.

“You were expected to,” I replied calmly, then turned to the others. “Anyway, everyone ready?”

“We’ve been ready!” Ichigo shot back, only for everyone else to ignore him and nod in agreement.

I could tell that they were curious about what we had talked about but thankfully nobody said anything about the matter and I didn’t bring it up.

“Then let’s move,” I said, stepping forward toward the towering white wall. I drew back my fist and punched straight through it, creating a perfectly round hole. “Looks like I found the door,” I added lightly, a small smirk tugging at my lips.

“Let me take the lead. It’s been a while, but I should still remember my way around this place,” Nel offered, stepping forward confidently.

“We’ll be right behind you,” I said with a nod, falling into step beside her as Pesche and Dondochakka quickly joined me on either side.

“It’s nice having someone on our side who actually knows the layout,” Ichigo muttered, trailing behind with his friends.

“You could easily get lost in a place this massive,” Uryu said calmly, glancing around the endless white corridors.

With Nel guiding us, it didn’t take long before we arrived at a crossroads where five different paths branched off. We came to a stop in the center, the air heavy with spiritual pressure leaking from each corridor.

“Looks like we’ve got no choice but to split up from here,” I muttered loud enough for everyone to hear, already making a mental note of the path Rukia was eyeing. That would be my target.

‘Sorry, Rukia… but you won’t be getting closure with Kaien this time around. I need Aaroniero to trigger my evolution.’

“Seems like there’s no other choice,” Renji agreed, already peering down one of the tunnels, tension in his shoulders.

“They’re strong,” Ichigo said grimly, his brow furrowed. “I can feel it... from all directions.”

“Pesche. Dondochakka,” Nel said, calling her subordinates to attention. The two immediately bowed low.

“Please join our friends and support them.”

“Of course, Neliel-sama!” they replied in unison.

Without missing a beat, Pesche strolled over to Uryu and threw an arm over his shoulder.

“I’ll be tagging along with you, Ichigo!”

“It’s Uryu!” the Quincy immediately corrected hotly with a flushed face, brushing his arm off.

“Sure thing, Ichigo,” Pesche replied with a wink, completely ignoring the correction.

Uryu muttered something under his breath that was definitely not a compliment.

Meanwhile, Dondochakka turned to Renji and nodded. “I’ll stick with you.”

Renji gave him an uncertain look but nodded anyway.

“What about you two?” Rukia asked, glancing between Nel and me with a raised eyebrow.

“I’ll be staying with Caius, of course,” Nel said simply, flashing a small smile as she moved to my side, completely relaxed.

“Sorry, everyone,” I added. “I’ll be needing Nel’s help with something. But don’t worry, our deal still stands. I’ll be heading straight for the strongest Arrancar we can sense right now.”

I gestured to the passage behind me. My senses were sharp, the immense pressure coming from that path could only belong to Aaroniero. The fact that Rukia had been subtly eyeing that same corridor only confirmed it.

“Very well,” Rukia said after a pause, moving to stand beside Sado. “I’ll go with Sado, then.”

That left Ichigo as the only one without a partner, but as the Protagonist of this story, he was bound to be fine.

“Well, I guess that settles it,” he muttered, then straightened with a serious expression. “Let’s do this.”

Right on cue, Renji stepped forward and gave an embarrassing but motivational speech. The others chimed in, one by one, echoing his promise.

Each of us turned toward our chosen path, each path leading into battle. We didn’t know what waited for us, but we made a silent vow as a group:

We’ll survive. And we’ll meet again.

=====

As we ran side by side, I turned to Nel and caught her gaze. “Nel, please let me handle the upcoming fight. I want to finish this quickly and trigger my evolution as soon as possible.”

Nel studied my face for a moment before nodding. “Very well. I’ll only step in if it looks like you're in danger. Though, judging by the spiritual pressure ahead… I doubt that’ll be necessary.”

“Hopefully the evolution goes smoothly,” I replied, letting a flicker of concern slip into my voice. “The last thing I want is for you to have to fight and guard me at the same time.”

I’d already altered the timeline just by existing, and truthfully, I had no idea what the future held anymore. That uncertainty fueled my need to grow stronger. And for a slime like me, there was only one sure path to overwhelming power:

Devour the strong until no one can challenge you.

Only then would I feel secure enough to leave this world behind... and make my way to the Central World.

As if sensing the direction of my thoughts, Nel’s hand slipped into mine. I blinked in surprise but instinctively squeezed back before turning to look at her.

Her eyes held a quiet warmth, steady and calm. “Stop worrying so much,” she said gently. “Everything’s going to be alright, you’ll see.”

A small, grateful smile tugged at my lips. “Thanks, Nel.” I exhaled deeply, letting the tension ease from my shoulders. “Seems I’ve been thanking you a lot lately.”

“Hihihi~ That’s okay,” she giggled. “I’m just happy I can be helpful again. And that’s all thanks to you.”

My smile widened. “I’m glad I met you.”

Her eyes sparkled at my words, but I forced myself to focus, shaking off the moment.

“Now,” I said, my tone sharpening, “let’s end this quickly. I don’t want to miss any of the real battles coming up.”

“Right.”

Up ahead, the corridor opened into a wide chamber. At first glance, it looked almost like we’d stepped back into the human world, the warm glow of a sunlit sky greeted us. But one glance at the white walls, sterile air, and the sand-covered ground erased that illusion.

“Surprising, isn’t it?” Nel murmured, eyes turned upward toward the fake sun. Her expression was wistful. “It’s artificial, of course… created to mimic the real one.”

There was a quiet longing in her voice, soft, bittersweet.

“Someday we’ll see the real sun again,” I said firmly. “I promise.”

Her lips curled into a soft smile. “I’ll look forward to that day.”

But the moment of peace shattered as a prickling sensation ran down my spine.

“We’ve got company,” I muttered, scanning the area with narrowed eyes before focusing on a certain direction.

“I sense it too,” Nel said, her voice growing tense.

“Stay back. I’m going in,” I told her, and the next moment, I vanished with the sharp echo of Sonido.

=====

I reappeared a moment later beside the stunned Ninth Espada, greeting him with a downward slash of my sword. He barely managed to dodge, jerking his elongated head to the side just in time to avoid being cleaved in two.

Still, he didn’t escape unscathed, my blade bit deep into his shoulder, drawing a grunt of pain from him.

I didn’t give him time to recover. My foot lashed out in a spinning roundhouse kick, catching him square in the ribs and sending him crashing through the wall of the nearby building in an explosion of dust and rubble.

I followed without hesitation, landing softly in front of the crater he’d left behind.

Aaroniero groaned as he slowly pulled himself from the wreckage.

“Wait!” he cried, raising his hands in surrender. “I’m not your enemy!”

I paused, just for a moment.

Seeing that hesitation, he quickly made sure no sunlight reached his body before removing his helmet, revealing a familiar face.

“My name is Kaien Shiba,” he said, offering a soft smile. “I was a Shinigami once. I heard an old squad mate of mine is here. I just want to help her if I can.”

A complete lie, of course, but a convincing one, delivered with all the sincerity of the man whose face he wore.

I stared at him, cold and silent, before a smirk tugged at my lips.

“Even if that were true, which I know it’s not, it doesn’t change the fact that you’re my enemy right now.”

His eyes widened as he sensed movement behind him, too late.

Another version of me, an exact replica I’d summoned using Body Double, lunged for him from behind. The Body Double moved sluggish and a bit jerkily but it was enough to get his attention.

Panicking, he spun around and slashed his zanpakutō, slicing cleanly through the double. The clone grinned at him just before it dissolved into black smoke.

“Die,” I whispered from behind.

He barely had time to turn before I drove my sword straight through the back of his head.

“AAARRGGGHHH!”

His disguise shattered, Kaien’s face melting away to reveal the true grotesque form of Aaroniero Arruruerie, shrieking in agony.

Cold eyes locked on his trembling form, I raised my hand and spoke the last word he would ever hear.

“Gluttony.”

A torrent of black and violet smoke surged from my palm, engulfing the Ninth Espada in seconds. His screams were consumed with him.

Silence followed, and then Great Sage’s voice echoed in my mind.

“Confirmed. Unique Skill: Merciless acquisition successful.”

“Notice. Verifying number of souls required for evolution.”

“The conditions have been met.”

“The Harvest Festival will now begin.”

The moment she finished speaking, a heavy wave of exhaustion slammed into me. My vision blurred as my body weakened, and I dropped to one knee.

Through the haze, I heard the familiar sound of Sonido, and turned my head just in time to see Nel arrive, her expression filled with concern.

I forced a small, reassuring smile.

“It’s starting,” I managed to whisper, right before my body reverted to slime form, too drained to maintain my human shape.

Before I could hit the ground, Nel caught me gently in her arms, holding me close to her chest.

“Don’t worry… I’ve got you,” she said softly, her voice steady despite the worry in her eyes.

“I’ll… see you in a bit,” I muttered, trying to sound lighthearted, but the words barely made it out before everything went dark.

And I knew no more.