16 . Fraccion (1)

As I walked down the seemingly endless corridors of Las Noches, I couldn't shake the feeling of desolation that permeated the air. The grandeur of the fortress only served to accentuate the emptiness of the place. The few Arrancar that did cross my path seemed to avoid me, scurrying away as quickly as possible, as if afraid to be caught in my presence.

The silence was deafening, broken only by the soft sound of my footsteps on the hard floor and the occasional gust of wind that kicked up dust and sand from the lifeless surroundings.

I opened the massive metallic door that led to the hallway where my new recruit awaited. As I stepped inside, my gaze fell upon a petite Arrancar with striking purple hair. By the look of her expression, she was aware of who I was and appeared apprehensive.

Surprisingly, she put on a brave front and greeted me with a smile. "What a surprise, Acidwire." She smiled, trying to hide her unease. "I'm Cirucci Sanderwicci. You guys tend to despise us Privaron, so forgive me if I'm a bit surprised to see you here."

I was actually surprised by her knowing I didn't like to be called by my other name. It appeared she was familiar with the goings-on in the Arrancar community.

I appreciated her candor and decided to get straight to the point. "It's quite simple really. I want you to join me," I said. "As you probably know, I lost my subordinates to that silver bastard, and I need new ones."

My voice was not that convincing, but I actually remembered little about arrancars that were not Espada. That's why I decided to approach the first one I remembered.

She fidgeted, visibly uneasy. "Me, join another espada." She seemed to regain her calm after muttering to herself, her face turning serious. "But would the other Espada approve? And what about Lord Aizen?"

I ran a hand through my hair. "They probably wouldn't. But I don't actually care." I replied with a shrug. "I will deal with it, leave it to me."

She looked at my eyes for a moment and asked, "And what would happen if I reject your offer?"

At that I released my spiritual pressure, causing the air to crackle and the ground to shake beneath us. The pillars behind her trembled and cracked under the force of my power, sending debris tumbling down.

Cirucci's eyes widened in fear and awe as she struggled to maintain her footing. It was clear that my power was far beyond what she had expected.

"That would be a shame," I said, my voice low and menacing. "But I would accept it begrudgingly."

I let the pressure linger for a moment longer before releasing it and returning to my composed demeanor.

"But wouldn't you want to be back at the top of Hueco Mundo again, to overlook everyone else?" I asked, raising an eyebrow suggestively.

I really thought that what I did was excessive, but my show of power seemed to do the trick. With an uneasy expression, she clapped her hands.

"Well, I suppose I can call you boss now, right?" She said, a smile of a woman who loved power on her face.

I extended my hand for a handshake and she took it confidently.

"Let's work together to reach the top," I declared.

"Sure," she replied, determination shining in her eyes.

As I took a step back, I couldn't help but feel a bit of attraction towards her. "Trust me, Cirucci," I said, showing her a smile. "We'll make a great team."

She looked at me with a big smirk. "I believe you, Acidwire." She said, before quickly regaining her composure.

I chuckled inwardly, knowing that I had caught her off guard. "Good. Now let's get to work." I said, before turning to leave.

Omake

Acidwire quickly shoved Neliel away, trying not to be too rough. "Calm down, Neliel." He said, "I'll take care of this."

Neliel sniffed and pleaded, her snot almost falling on Acidwire's clothes "Please, help my friends."

Acidwire nodded and took a deep breath. With a running start, he leaped high into the air, careful to keep his distance from the tentacle hollow. He aimed carefully and fired several balas, blasting away the tentacles that were trapping Pesche and Dondochakka.

The two Arrancar were grateful and thanked Acidwire profusely. "You saved our lives!" exclaimed Pesche.

Acidwire smirked. "Yeah, yeah, just doing my good deed of the month." He then turned to the hollow, which was now wriggling around on the ground, its tentacles flailing wildly.

"Hey, you," he said, pointing at the hollow. "You're coming with me."

Pesche and Dondochaka looked at each other in confusion, but Acidwire simply gestured for them to help him tie up the hollow.

Dondochaka piped up, "Hey, I hope we're not going to be late for dinner. I'm starving!"

Pesche rolled his eyes and elbowed him in the side. "Shut up. We're lucky to be alive after that mess."

And so, the three Arrancar dragged the squirming hollow back to Las Noches, much to the amusement of the other hollow who watched as they passed by.