While Ren was eating, Ulquiorra just stood there, watching him.
A few days ago, by pure chance, the wandering Ulquiorra had discovered Ren's existence. Unlike the mindless, frenzied Hollows he had encountered before, he noticed something indescribable reflecting in this Hollow's eyes.
As Ren feasted, he would occasionally glance back at Ulquiorra. Every time their gazes met, Ulquiorra felt a sudden, inexplicable urge to swallow. He had no mouth, and he had never swallowed anything in his life, yet the impulse was there!
Finished with his meal, Ren looked at the Hollow who still showed no sign of leaving and frowned. "Hey, what exactly do you want?"
At their level, their intelligence was no lower than a human's; communication wasn't an issue. However, the being before him gave no answer, simply staring at him with a fixed gaze that made Ren's skin crawl.
"You're a psycho!" Ren spat. He turned and walked away.
But he didn't get far before stopping again. He turned back, his face a mask of helplessness. "What is it?! You've been following me for miles. Are you in love with me or something?"
Ulquiorra didn't understand a word Ren said. He was merely curious about the strange "thing" reflected in Ren's eyes. In all his years of wandering alone after leaving his kin, this was the first time he had felt such curiosity.
Faced with Ren's questioning, Ulquiorra remained silent for a long time before finally offering a response. He tilted his head slightly and widened his eyes, perfectly mimicking Ren's previous expression of exasperation.
"..."
I'm being mocked by a weird Hollow.
That was Ren's only thought. He stared in disbelief, and the white-clad Hollow immediately mirrored his wide-eyed look of shock.
"Seriously! You're just bored because you've got a full stomach, aren't you?" Ren was utterly speechless. He knew there were strange Hollows out there, but in all his time here, he hadn't met one this bizarre.
Well, today was the day.
And so, in a situation Ren couldn't begin to comprehend, he gained a shadow. He had tried to resist, but the other's strength was staggering—Ren suspected that even if he were ten times stronger, he still wouldn't be this guy's match. Since the winged entity showed no malice, Ren just let him be. Being "watched" wasn't a physical injury, after all.
Days turned into weeks. Ren hunted, ate, and slept. Ulquiorra watched.
One day, Ren took down a goat-headed Hollow. He gathered some dried brushwood and began a primitive attempt at starting a fire.
"Come on! Light up!"
Seeing the first wisps of blue smoke, Ren got excited. Through constant hunting, his strength was nearly ten times what it was when he first reached the upper levels. He was a minor power in his own right now. Since evolving to Vasto Lorde wasn't something that happened overnight, Ren decided to fill his boredom by researching the culinary arts.
In this world, only gourmet food cannot be betrayed.
Of course, the weird demon-Hollow next to him couldn't be betrayed either—mostly because he was terrifyingly strong. Ren still felt that the white guy could probably swat him like a fly with one hand.
"Honestly, what kind of monster are you..." Ren grumbled.
Ulquiorra couldn't understand the words, but from Ren's expression, he sensed it wasn't a compliment. He shot a warning look back, leaving Ren speechless. You haven't even mastered human expressions and you're already using them to threaten me? That's not how it works, buddy.
Ren shook his head and placed the prepared mutton on the grill, waiting patiently. As time passed, the aroma of roasting meat drifted into his nose, making him swallow hard.
Ulquiorra watched intensely. This was a new expression. Ren's eyes were full of greed, yet it was different from the hunger Hollows felt when they yearned to devour their own kind. It was... specific.
Ren fought the urge to tear into the meat, waiting for the perfect moment.
Sizzle—
The fragrant fat dripped into the fire, making a delightful sound. Finally, seeing the meat was cooked through, Ren grabbed it from the grill, ignored the heat, and took a massive bite.
Crunch.Gulp.
"HEAVEN!!!"
As the flavor hit his taste buds, Ren's eyes practically glowed. This sensation! How many years had it been? How many years since he had tasted anything other than raw, spiritual energy?
He began to demolish the roast, tears of happiness streaming down his face.
Beside him, watching Ren eat with such gusto, Ulquiorra finally reached a breaking point. His instinct forced him to swallow.
Gulp.
His Adam's apple bobbed. In that instant, a flood of sensations he had never experienced crashed into his brain! The sound of chewing, the sight of the grease, the aroma—everything combined into a wonder he couldn't describe.
Under the double stimulation of sensory input and sudden internal realization, Ulquiorra swallowed again.
Suddenly, a loud crack echoed through the air. Ren stopped eating and looked up. To his horror, cracks were spreading across Ulquiorra's white mask. A second later, the mask shattered completely, dissolving into dust.
"Ah... what?" A thousand question marks popped up over Ren's head.
Looking at the suddenly Arrancarized Ulquiorra, Ren felt the mutton in his hand lose some of its flavor.
"Wait? Based on what?!"
Ren paced back and forth, watching Ulquiorra tentatively pick up a piece of roast mutton. He couldn't wrap his head around it. This guy had never devoured another Hollow—how did he just "break his mask" like that? Ren had been chasing this goal for an eternity, and this guy just... did it? By accident?
It was then that Ren finally realized who he was looking at. He hadn't put the pieces together before, but looking at the face now, it was unmistakable: the future fourth Espada, the fan-favorite Ulquiorra Cifer.
I've been hanging out with him this whole time and I didn't realize? Whatever, that's not the point.
"I've worked my butt off for years, devouring countless Hollows just to reach Adjuchas, and Vasto Lorde still feels like a distant dream. You, who have never touched a fellow Hollow, just complete your Arrancarization because of some mutton? Is there no justice?! Is there no law?!"
While Ren ranted, Ulquiorra ignored him entirely, focused on the food. Recalling the expressions he had seen on Ren's face, he tried to mimic one. His lips curled into a terrifyingly stiff, awkward smile.
"Pfft! What is that face? It's way too stiff! Hahaha!"
Not far from them, the sound of high-pitched laughter rang out. A small girl was rolling on the sand, laughing her head off at the scene.