Despite Makoto being completely certain that he was nothing more than an upright and virtuous healer, and that his intended research on Nelliel was also purely academic and legitimate…
It was just like how no doctor would chat with their patient mid-surgery about whether their liver, heart, spleen, lungs, or kidneys looked aesthetically pleasing.
Yet, as Nelliel, whom Makoto had initially considered nothing more than experimental material, suddenly opened her eyes, the entire atmosphere in the room tightened in an instant.
Given the current situation—Nelliel's clothes already removed—should the research continue?
If not, wouldn't that mean the effort of undressing her had been wasted?
And if he were to postpone it, he'd have to go through the trouble of undressing her all over again next time.
But if he did proceed, Makoto couldn't shake off the feeling that something about this scene felt… off. The atmosphere, the tone—it carried an inexplicably perverse undertone.
After a long silence, locked in an awkward and utterly dumbfounded gaze with Nelliel, Makoto, influenced by memories of his past life, unconsciously blurted out:
"Uh… Are you hungry? Do you want me to make you something?"
Nelliel blinked her large eyes and asked, "Make something? What's that?"
"It's just…"
Makoto's voice abruptly cut off. He suddenly realized that in Hueco Mundo, noodles didn't exist. He could only vaguely respond, "It's something really delicious."
In that instant, Nelliel's eyes visibly lit up. She immediately sat up, raised her little arms, and eagerly exclaimed, "I want some! I want some!"
…???
Makoto.
Now he was caught in a dilemma.
Where in Hueco Mundo was he supposed to find food for Nelliel?
However, after a brief moment of contemplation, an idea flashed through his mind. He turned his back to Nelliel, lowered his head, and began fiddling with his hands.
"Huh?"
Nelliel curiously tilted her head, attempting to sneak a peek, but Makoto's back completely blocked her view.
A few moments later, just as Nelliel had unconsciously started crawling closer to get a better look, Makoto turned around—now holding a steaming bowl of plain, white noodles.
"What's this?"
Nelliel twitched her nose, sniffing at the bowl with curiosity.
"This is the food I just made—noodles," Makoto replied with a smile, though inwardly, he couldn't help but ridicule himself for wasting his Spirit Particle Manipulation ability on something so trivial.
After all, both Hueco Mundo and Soul Society were composed entirely of spirit particles. However, he had never attempted to form something as specific as noodles using Spirit Particle Manipulation before. That was why he had taken so long, barely managing to create a simple bowl of plain noodles.
Of course, now that he had done it once, it would be much easier in the future.
But as Makoto glanced down at his creation, he realized that the noodles were completely bland and lacked the vibrant colors that real food should have. They were just plain, unseasoned noodles.
Just as he was about to suggest adding some seasoning, Nelliel eagerly grabbed the oversized bowl—almost as big as her head—and started slurping down the noodles with shocking enthusiasm.
In mere moments, the flavorless, unappetizing noodles were completely devoured. Nelliel even licked the bowl with her small, pink tongue, as if still unsatisfied.
Watching this, Makoto couldn't help but murmur in disbelief, "Was it really that good?"
"It was! It was super, super delicious!"
Nelliel's eyes sparkled as she looked at Makoto with absolute delight. "You're such a good person! Thank you for the—"
Before she could finish her sentence, Nelliel suddenly clutched her head, her expression twisting in pain.
"I… I can't remember my name! Who am I…?"
"Ne… I… It hurts, it hurts…!"
At that moment, Nelliel suddenly felt a weightless sensation as a warm hand gently rested on her head. A calm and gentle voice followed.
"Your name is Nelliel."
"…Nelliel?"
Slowly, Nelliel raised her head, staring at Makoto, her lips subconsciously repeating the name a few times before asking, "Then… who are you?"
"Me? My name is Asura Gensei," Makoto answered.
"Asura… Gensei…"
Nelliel mumbled the name, as if trying to commit it to memory. Then, as if something suddenly occurred to her, she looked at Makoto and asked:
"…Are you Nelliel's father?"
…???
Makoto.
Wait a second.
For a moment, Makoto nearly choked on his own breath.
If Unohana found out that he had gone to Hueco Mundo and somehow ended up with a daughter…
And not just any daughter—but a Hollow.
Wouldn't that lead her to some very troubling assumptions? That something… interspecies had happened?
Or worse, if he explained things directly—would Unohana have to suddenly accept herself as a stepmother?!
"No, that's not—"
Before Makoto could even clarify their purely professional relationship, Nelliel had already convinced herself. Her innocent face lit up with joy, and without warning, she threw her arms around him, nuzzling her head against his chest.
"Thank you, Father, for the food! Your noodles were so yummy! Next time, you have to make more for Nelliel to eat~!"
Makoto opened his mouth. Then closed it.
Then opened it again.
Then sighed.
In the end, he abandoned the idea of explaining how, while she had been unconscious, he had totally not inappropriately undressed her for scientific research purposes.
---
Meanwhile, Not Far Away…
Not too far from Makoto's room, three figures stood in eerie silence—Aizen Sōsuke, Gin Ichimaru, and Kaname Tōsen.
Hueco Mundo's fortress, Las Noches, was still in its early construction phase. Naturally, Makoto's quarters had not yet been equipped with any surveillance equipment. However, the room did not have any spiritual pressure-blocking barriers either.
As a result, Aizen, Gin, and Tōsen could sense everything happening inside with absolute clarity—including every movement and shift in spiritual energy.
At this very moment, in their perception, Makoto and Nelliel's spiritual pressures were completely overlapping. Moreover, Nelliel's energy signature kept shifting slightly, as if she was… nuzzling against him.
More importantly, they all knew exactly what form Nelliel was in right now.
And she was… still a Hollow.
Tōsen, who typically upheld a strict sense of justice, visibly scowled with open disdain and muttered coldly, "Asura Gensei's preferences… are truly reprehensible."
"Yeah… It's hard to imagine," Gin added with an odd smirk. However, as he spoke, an image of a much younger Matsumoto Rangiku flashed through his mind, and he instinctively averted his gaze.
Not that anyone would notice—his eyes were always squinted shut anyway.
As for Aizen, a rare flicker of visible confusion crossed his face.
'Could I have been mistaken…?'
'Is there truly no connection between Asura Gensei and Makoto?'
'Otherwise, no matter how I look at it, Makoto wouldn't possibly develop such lowly and ridiculous interests…'
'And besides… He's been under my surveillance this entire time. Was I really just overthinking everything?'
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