Kazuya crossed his arms as his gaze drifted across Mila Rose’s naked body. “You’re one terrifying exhibitionist kitten.”

She scoffed and picked up her shirt from the ground before putting it on. “Not more than you. When are you breaking your mask?”

She couldn't fathom facing him if he received the same power boost as her upon becoming an Arrancar. However, it didn't matter, as she was determined to hone her skills and grow even stronger.

“I wonder the same,” said Cirucci as she jumped down from the hill. “It’s the single biggest power boost you can get as a Vasto Lorde. I did it. She did it. When we’re in need of desperate power, why are you backing out of it?”

Having replenished a substantial portion of her Reiryoku, Cirucci had utilized some of her regained energy to clean herself and eradicate all traces of blood. Her silver mane now glistened with a captivating allure, revealing the meticulous effort she had invested in her appearance. Kazuya couldn't help but observe her once more: a regal mane joint with two droopy wings, and a sleek, dolphin-like tail trailing behind her — all the result of her damaged Zanpakutō leaving her in a peculiar half-released, half-Arrancar form.

"Wow, you went through all this effort just for me. I'm so touched," he teased with a playful wink. "Here's a compliment for you, Cirucci, our murderous goth chick — you look less fucked-up than before. Well done."

His backhanded compliment earned him a glare that could have slain a dragon. “Don’t change the topic. Are you perhaps afraid of failure? The big jerk who beat down two of the strongest Espada is afraid of death?”

Kazuya shrugged. “I am more afraid of letting everyone down. As much as I trust in their abilities, they can’t survive Baraggan without me.”

It was just a sophisticated way of admitting he was afraid of dying mid-process. He was living quite the life in Hueco Mundo. It would be almost tragic if he died like that. Knowing his luck, it might just happen.

He wasn't a coward. He was cautious.

Mila Rose frowned. “Then don’t fail, Skull. Here, I will break it with my sword.”

Kazuya caught her sword mid strike and raised a brow. “Cirucci, let’s leave.”

“Kazuya, don’t back out. Have trust in yourself,” Cirucci urged as she folded her arms. “The process is easy. Subdue your wildness and seal your powers in the form of an object. It’s how Szayel described it to Espada.”

She absolutely had no ulterior motive like witnessing his agonizing screams.

“Szayel? That mad scientist? He is an Espada?”

Cirucci’s heart skipped a beat as she realized her mistake in bringing up Szayel. She confessed to being a twisted soul, sometimes delighting in the suffering of others. But Szayel was an entirely different species of sadist—a deranged lunatic with no qualms about pushing the boundaries of his experiments. The sheer terror he invoked was the sole driving force behind her allegiance to Baraggan.

Life held no particular value for her, but she would do anything to avoid becoming a specimen in his laboratory of horrors.

Anything.

“Hey, what’s the matter?”

Cirucci felt a little calm after hearing his soothing voice. “Szayel is Baraggan’s Court Alchemist. Número Uno Espada. How do you know him?”

“Damn. Give me the name of the rest of Espada, their abilities, their strengths, and their weaknesses.”

Cirucci divulged the information without a moment's hesitation. While the Espada were comrades in the loosest sense, their alliance was born solely out of mutual subjugation to Baraggan. No true bond of camaraderie united them like genuine soldiers.

Kazuya became more and more surprised at the information being fed to him. How could he not? He never expected Espada under Baraggan to be as powerful as they would become under Aizen and his Hōgyoku. But the reality was completely different.

Baraggan had seven Espada serving under him, which got reduced to five with Dordoni and Cirucci’s departure.

#1 Szayelaporro

#2 Luppi Antenor

#3 Dordoni

#4 Loly

#5 Cirucci

#6 Aaroniero

#7 Gantenbainne

Kazuya marveled at the apparent weakness of the current Espada lineup. Aside from Szayelaporro and Baraggan, he anticipated little difficulty in defeating the remaining Espada. Their rankings weren't based on raw strength or their Aspect of Death like Aizen’s Espada; instead, they were determined by their usefulness and loyalty to Baraggan. After battling Dordoni and Cirucci, two of the strongest Espada, Kazuya had overestimated the might of Baraggan's forces.

‘Baraggan is the only problematic opponent. Well, let’s just have some relaxing time in Japan.’

The Hollow ladies would appreciate a refreshing change of scenery, particularly Harribel, who harbored no love for bloodshed.

Cirucci regarded his contemplative expression. “What are you thinking now?”

“Cirucci, can you use your tail ability?”

“Yeah. What do you want to do?”

“Do it for a second. I want to cut something. Make the spear as small as possible.”

Cirucci lifted her tail and conjured a pink lance at its tip before it shrank into a dagger-like weapon. Kazuya seized her tail and brought the dagger close to his face, sensing the vibrating Reiatsu emanating from every edge of the blade.

“Rose, take this and cut a small part of my mask. Keep it as small as possible.”

Cirucci’s spear was the sharpest and most precise weapon at his disposal.

“Ugh.” Cirucci grimaced as she saw her tail being passed around. Mila Rose gripped her tail hard, enough to make her wince. “Be gentle.”

Mila Rose laughed. “Bear with it, woman.”

Kazuya closed his eyes, demonstrating unwavering trust in Mila Rose. She grasped his chin and carefully guided the dagger along the side of his mask. A tiny fragment of white mask tumbled to the ground.

Kazuya flinched as a searing pain pierced his soul. In mere moments, the mask regenerated to its original size, confirming his hypothesis regarding his Hollow Mask. His regeneration powers had improved after his battle with Cirucci.

"Amazing," Cirucci murmured, awe lacing her voice. "I have never seen a Hollow regenerate their mask, much less with a speed visible to eyes. Your regenerative power is both astonishing and terrifying.”

Cirucci’s praises reminded Kazuya of the other Arrancar who had similar regeneration powers — Ulquiorra Cifer. Their wings and horns looked different, but they both looked close to a typical demon.

‘Are we related or what?’

He narrowed his eyes and beckoned Mila Rose. "Get back to your Resurrección form and shatter my mask. If I fail to control myself, knock me out cold. I'll recover… eventually."

The toughness of a Hollow Mask depended on their Reiryoku level. With his great Reiryoku, it would be hard to shatter his mask without a strong strike.

Mila Rose's grin widened, revealing her ferocious lion fangs. “I will chop your penis if you go berserk. You won’t ever be able to mate.”

Knowing Kazuya’s obsession with the act of mating, she threatened to cut off his most precious organ that allowed him to fulfill his sexual fantasies. The threat worked wonders as Kazuya shuddered visibly. Having experienced an injury close to his little brother, he was having traumatizing flashbacks.

“Don’t even joke about that!”

“Haha.” Mila Rose stepped closer and held her Zanpakutō. “How do you want me to strike? Horizontal, vertical or diagonal?”

“Strike the middle of my face. Just don’t leave cut marks.”

Kazuya closed his eyes, only to sense three presences closing in on him.

“Wait!”

Mila Rose paused and looked at Harribel and the rest. “Skull, they’re gonna chew you alive.”

Harribel crossed her arms on her chest, giving him a sharp look. “How many times do I have to say this? Don’t be reckless.”

Apacci, on the other, seemed pissed. “He tells me to hold off, then he pulls off something like this.”

“Ara, I’m sure he is taking the risk to protect us. However.” Sung-Sun sharpened her reptilian eyes. “At least inform us if you’re making a decision of this stature.”

They seemed pissed at his choice to recklessly start the process behind their backs; their anger showed their care for him. It also reminded him of his previous lover. Yumi was easy to anger but always cared about his well-being.

“It’s not reckless, geez. Listen…”

Kazuya explained the reasoning behind his impulsive decision. Despite his sweet voice and persuasive skills, it took him a full minute to alleviate Harribel's fears, yet a hint of concern still shone in her eyes.

Undeterred by their worries, Kazuya urged Mila Rose to proceed.

“Devour, Liona!”

Unleashing her released state, she swung her Zanpakutō with one hand, slicing his mask in two.