Another day, another stupid plan.
I woke up again, face buried in sand, mask half-submerged. The familiar sensation of grains shifting beneath my colossal form is just another part of the routine now.
"GRUOOOHHHH…"
(Translation: Another beautiful night… I guess?)
I stretched my limbs, giving the sand a good shake, and the hollow trees around me trembled slightly. Not that they cared.
I tried standing up — slowly this time. My body was massive, now more than 6 stories tall, and I'd learned over time that sudden movements only made me fall face-first into the dirt.
I groaned, trying to stand with the grace of a lumbering giant.
"GROOOAAAHHHH…"
(Translation: Okay… we're good!)
I took a few awkward steps. The desert was always quiet — no sounds except for the eerie wind. But today was different. There was something out there. Something big.
I heard rustling in the distance. Something moving fast. The air itself felt tense.
My instinct was to hide, as it had been when I saw other Hollows. But I wasn't about to let another day slip away in cowardice. So, I decided…
Today, I would do something ridiculous.
After a few more steps, I saw it — a dog-type Hollow, about 3 meters tall. It had sharp, glowing red eyes and dark fur with jagged, bone-like protrusions sticking out of its back. A powerful beast in its own right, but still…
just a dog.
It growled at me. Low. Threatening. As if trying to decide if I was a threat. Well, I wasn't about to let some random dog Hollow threaten me.
"ROOOAAGH!"
(Translation: Come at me, mutt! I dare you!)
I puffed out my chest — or at least, I tried. Given the size of my Gillian body, it didn't exactly work out. The dog narrowed its eyes. I wasn't sure if it was confused or just annoyed by my stupidity, but it stalked closer.
"GRRROOOAAAH!"
(Translation: I'm ready to fight, just try me!)
The Hollow dog stared at me for a moment, then…
it did something completely unexpected. It sat down in front of me, tail wagging.
"…Huh?"
I blinked. This wasn't exactly the violent fight I had planned. But the dog was looking at me, almost expectantly. Like it wanted… something.
"ROOOOH…"
(Translation: What the hell? You want to be my friend?)
The dog tilted its head, letting out a curious bark.
"GRAAAAHHHH!"
(Translation: Are you for real?)
This wasn't the typical Hollow behavior I was used to. Usually, they just attacked and tried to devour each other. But this dog Hollow? It seemed… friendly.
The absurdity of the situation hit me like a ton of bricks. Here I was, a stupid Gillian who couldn't even make a decent throne, and now I had a dog asking to be my pet?
I mean, what else could I do? This was the perfect opportunity for another stupid thing!
"You know what, you're coming with me." I said, despite my inability to speak anything coherent as a Gillian. It was just a grunt of sorts, but the dog seemed to understand.
I didn't have much of a plan, but I could at least call him something. Something important.
"I'll name you Aizen!"
It felt fitting. After all, Aizen was the name of the man who ruled Hueco Mundo. The man who would eventually be the mastermind behind many plots and schemes. So why not name my new pet after him?
The dog, Aizen, barked happily and bounded to my side.
"GROOOAAAAH!"
(Translation: You've made a wise choice, my new friend.)
We walked together through the desert, Aizen prancing along beside me. He was a sight to behold — a dog-like Hollow with glowing red eyes and sleek fur, complementing my ridiculous stature. Despite the occasional growl or warning bark from other Hollows, none dared challenge me. Maybe it was the size of my Gillian form, or maybe it was just how utterly ridiculous I looked walking with a dog on a leash. Either way, it worked in my favor.
The surreal part? I was becoming quite fond of him. Aizen was loyal — a good, strong pet. Something I never knew I needed until today.
Hours passed. I did my usual routine of stupid things, but this time I wasn't alone. Aizen was by my side, wagging his tail every time I did something incredibly pointless. He was a perfect companion for a dumb Gillian like me.
I'm not sure what kind of bond we were forming, but as I looked down at my new dog, I realized something:
I was starting to enjoy Hueco Mundo a little bit.
No more being a solitary idiot. I had a partner now. Sure, he was a dog — but he was my dog.
[SYSTEM NOTICE: Aizen has been successfully adopted as your pet.]
[NEW PET STATUS: Aizen - Dog-Type Hollow. Loyal companion.]
As the sunless sky loomed over us, I realized that, despite everything…
I had somehow managed to make a friend in the most absurd way possible. And this, I thought, was the weirdest success I'd ever had.