Deva

by Chris David

Dev

29. Tddf

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RoseWhisky

Chapter 56: Renji's Transfer

New

January 30

"Hey... Renji."

Haruki sighed, looking at the anxious Renji and couldn't help but say, "Can't you just go see her yourself?"

"I..." Renji hesitated, then his face turned slightly red. "I... I'm still just an ordinary Shinigami. Rukia is from a great noble family. Until I can stand on equal footing with her, until I become strong enough, I should let Rukia live her life with her family."

Renji knew that while Rukia might seem carefree on the surface, she deeply cared about her family. Now that she finally had a family, he absolutely couldn't disrupt her life.

Haruki found Renji's mindset somewhat frustrating. He had tried to convince Renji that the Kuchiki family wasn't as intimidating as he thought. Who said an ordinary Shinigami couldn't interact with the Kuchiki family?

But...

Renji insisted on facing Rukia as an equal, meaning he wouldn't approach her until he at least became a vice-captain.

So Haruki stopped trying to persuade him. Everyone had their own way of thinking, after all.

All he could say was, "Rukia didn't suffer any physical injuries. She might have been mentally shaken, which is why she hasn't woken up yet."

"But after treatment from the 4th Division, she should recover soon."

"That's good to hear." Renji let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Vice-Captain Haruki. I heard you were the one who carried Rukia and the others back."

"It's my shame, really. I couldn't do anything about that Hollow in the end."

"Vice-Captain Haruki, I heard there's going to be a squad sent to Hueco Mundo, is that true?" Renji suddenly asked.

"..." Haruki was momentarily stunned, then smiled. "You're really well-informed. Even I just found out about it not long ago."

"I heard it from Momo," Renji said. "So it's true, then?"

Haruki nodded.

"Can I..." Renji's gaze grew determined as he said firmly, "join that squad?!"

"Huh?" Haruki frowned, puzzled. "Why do you want to do that?"

"I... I want to become stronger. Fighting in Hueco Mundo will help me grow faster," Renji explained. "And I also want to avenge Rukia!"

"Do you know how difficult and dangerous it is to find a specific Hollow in Hueco Mundo?"

Haruki couldn't help but say, "You could search for a hundred years and still not find that Hollow. And Hueco Mundo is filled with dangers. You might get killed by other Menos before you even find the one you're looking for."

"I know, but even so, I want to try."

Seeing Renji's unwavering determination, Haruki knew he couldn't stop him from this reckless plan.

Fine, fine...

"I can bring this up with Captain Aizen. Whether it happens or not will depend on his decision."

"Thank you!" Renji said with a look of relief. "Just having you mention it to Captain Aizen is enough."

"Alright, you can go now. I'll head over to Captain Aizen's office later."

"Thank you..." Renji bowed slightly to Haruki before leaving.

Haruki didn't think much of the matter.

After all, he had already obtained Renji's soul ability.

He first finished updating the next chapter of The Thousand-Year Blood War during work hours. The Soul Society Bulletin was a weekly publication, so Haruki only needed to update one chapter per week.

He brought the completed draft to Aizen, who needed to review it first.

Haruki had initially thought Aizen only liked obscure, hard-to-understand "academic papers," but surprisingly, Aizen seemed interested in his novel.

He sat across from Aizen, one arm resting on the table, his hand propping up his head.

Aizen had been reading for a while, and Haruki couldn't help but yawn.

"Is this all there is?"

Aizen sounded somewhat disappointed.

The latest chapter ended with the Straw Hat crew successfully defeating the werewolf Arlong and setting sail with their companions.

To fit the Soul Society's style, Haruki couldn't completely copy One Piece, as it might not pass censorship.

First, he had to replace the names with ones more fitting for the Soul Society, which was why he named the protagonist "Kehokugama." Second, the story wasn't entirely set at sea.

At least up to this point, the story took place in the Rukongai, and after passing through the 80th District of East Rukongai, they would head eastward into the sea.

Haruki had named this sea the "Quincy Sea," where the Quincy, defeated by the Shinigami a thousand years ago, were hiding.

"My dear Captain Aizen, do you think writing a novel is easy?" Haruki said with a pained expression. "It's incredibly draining on the brain, you know?"

"By the way, do you know who will be part of the Hueco Mundo expedition team, Captain Aizen?"

"Haven't you already heard from Kyōraku?"

"As expected of Captain Aizen, nothing escapes you." Haruki flattered him, then added, "So, I assume you already know about Renji's request?"

"Abarai-kun..."

Aizen's glasses seemed to glint as he spoke softly, "I was already considering transferring him to the 11th Division."

"Right, Renji isn't like Kira or Momo. He's not someone easy to control."

"Alright, I'll let him know it's fine. We'll transfer him to the 11th Division and send him to Hueco Mundo with those brutes as part of the expedition team."

Haruki chuckled. "After all, even if they search for a thousand years in Hueco Mundo, they won't find their target."

He walked out, and Renji, who had apparently noticed Haruki entering the captain's office, was already waiting outside.

Haruki gave him a thumbs-up. "Don't worry, I've already spoken to Captain Aizen. The only thing is, you'll need to transfer to the 11th Division."

"After that, we'll be in different divisions."

"Huh?" Momo, who was nearby, looked surprised. "Renji is transferring?"

"I..."

Renji hesitated for a moment, but soon his eyes filled with determination.

"I can transfer!"

"Good. I think the expedition team will be formed soon." Haruki walked over and patted Renji on the shoulder. "I hope you can find that Hollow in Hueco Mundo and then..."

"Return victorious."

"Don't worry, Vice-Captain Haruki." Renji smiled. "When I come back, I'll definitely make you see me in a new light!"

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RoseWhisky

Chapter 57: The Hueco Mundo Expedition Team

New

January 30

The Hueco Mundo expedition team was finally assembled a month later.

Led by Vice-Captain Shiba Kaien, the team consisted of the 3rd, 5th, 9th, 11th, 15th, and 18th to 20th Seated Officers from the 11th Division, along with over a hundred Shinigami soldiers.

Yes, there are actually 20 Seated Officer positions in total, but those beyond the 10th Seat are essentially just slightly more capable Shinigami soldiers, considered lower-tier officers with very little presence.

They don't even generate soul abilities, so Haruki didn't pay much attention to them.

Traveling to Hueco Mundo is no easy task. The Soul Society rarely sends Shinigami there, as their abilities don't naturally allow them to move freely between the three realms.

Shinigami rely on the Senkaimon to travel between the three realms, but while locating the human world is relatively straightforward, pinpointing Hueco Mundo is much more difficult.

Thus, a special Senkaimon had to be constructed specifically for Hueco Mundo, a task naturally assigned to the 12th Division.

By the time the expedition team was assembled, the Senkaimon was also ready.

Before their departure, Ukitake informed Haruki.

Haruki paid a visit to the Shiba household.

The Shiba family is one of the five great noble families of the Soul Society, but among them, the Shiba family is somewhat ostracized, or rather, the weakest of the five.

It's said that the Tsunayashiro family, the head of the five great noble families, led the exclusion of the Shiba family, which has led to their gradual decline.

Even so, the Shiba estate is still quite impressive. While it can't compare to the Kuchiki or Tsunayashiro families, it still exudes the aura of a noble household.

"Haruki, you're here!"

Shiba Kaien was genuinely happy to see Haruki, as Haruki had essentially saved their lives back then.

Kaien was a very emotional person, the type who would repay kindness tenfold.

In some ways, he was similar to Ichigo Kurosaki. They even looked somewhat alike and shared a similar approach to dealing with others.

This is partly why "Killer Ichigo" is considered one of the legendary figures in Shinigami debates. It's worth mentioning the significance of Shūkurō Tsukishima, the only antagonist who managed to bring out "Killer Ichigo."

Haruki admitted to himself that he couldn't achieve something like that, which is why he couldn't be the protagonist. He just wasn't "kind" enough.

Kaien's favorability toward him had already reached 79, meaning he was close to permanently obtaining Kaien's "Resemblance" ability.

And tonight, it should finally happen.

"Vice-Captain Haruki…"

Aside from Kaien, there were two other members of the Shiba family present.

One was Kūkaku Shiba, and the other was Ganju Shiba, Kaien's younger sister and brother.

Haruki noticed that Kūkaku's soul ability was "Fireworks Master," while Ganju's was "Sandification."

'Fireworks Master: Can transform objects into dazzling fireworks or powerful bombs.'

'Sandification: Can cause a designated object to turn into sand.'

Both abilities were quite useful. "Fireworks Master" would allow him to create bombs, while "Sandification" could be used as an offensive technique, adding more versatility to his combat skills.

However, what he wanted most right now was Kaien's "Resemblance," and he was just one step away from obtaining it permanently.

Isshin Shiba, however, wasn't present. Isshin was their uncle but didn't seem to live with them.

It didn't matter, though, as Isshin wasn't the reason for his visit anyway.

"How are the preparations going?"

Haruki asked, "You're about to enter a place like Hueco Mundo, after all."

"I'm fully prepared," Kaien said solemnly. "I've been waiting for this for a month!"

"Well, I hope you can find him and return safely. One of my subordinates volunteered to join the expedition team. If possible, I'd appreciate it if you could look out for him."

"Huh? He's not from the 11th Division?" Kaien was surprised.

"That's right, so he decided to transfer to the 11th Division. His name is Renji Abarai, a very talented young man."

"And he's a friend of Rukia's."

"Rukia…" Kaien fell silent for a moment, then gestured for Haruki to sit at the table. "Rukia hasn't returned to the 13th Division since she woke up. I wonder how she's doing."

Rukia Kuchiki had been unconscious in the 4th Division for about a week. After she woke up, the Kuchiki family took her home, and she hadn't returned to the 13th Division since.

It was said that she was recuperating at the Kuchiki estate, and she would only rejoin the division once the family confirmed she was fully recovered.

"The Kuchiki family is a prestigious noble house. They wouldn't fail to protect their own daughter," Haruki said with a smile.

Then he looked outside.

"Ah, Captain Ukitake is here too."

Today was essentially a reunion of the team that had fought White, though Rukia wasn't present. Then again, she hadn't really been a combatant against White in the first place.

Ukitake was the last to be discharged from the 4th Division. His body had always been frail, and during the battle, he had a sudden relapse of his illness, even getting his chest pierced by White.

Even though his external injuries had healed, his chronic condition couldn't be cured quickly.

His illness was incurable and could only be managed through rest. After leaving the 4th Division, he had been recuperating in the 13th Division's Rain Pavilion.

Only now had he finally improved somewhat.

"Captain Ukitake…"

The two of them went out to greet him. Ukitake's face still looked pale, indicating he hadn't fully recovered.

After they all sat down, Haruki moved the sake cup away from Ukitake.

"Captain Ukitake, if you want to drink, let's wait until you've fully recovered."

Ukitake was momentarily stunned, then smiled wryly. "You're right. And I'm not like Kyōraku."

Unlike Kyōraku, who loved his alcohol, Ukitake wasn't much of a drinker. He wasn't opposed to it, but he only indulged occasionally and in moderation.

In contrast, Kaien was the more boisterous type, especially now that he was grieving the loss of his wife. He needed alcohol to numb his pain.

"I can't offer much help for your journey to Hueco Mundo."

The three of them sat around a small table. Although they were in the Shiba household, Ukitake naturally took the seat of honor.

He looked at Kaien and said, "I just hope you don't let hatred blind you. If things don't go as planned, don't rush. The 13th Division will always be your home."

"…Understood!" Kaien nodded firmly.

"Captain, don't underestimate me."

"Hueco Mundo might actually be a place where I can grow stronger quickly. When I return, I might just surprise you."

Haruki didn't have much to say. After all, he was relatively new, having just graduated from the Shin'ō Academy not long ago. Anything he theoretically should know, Kaien would know even better.

So he didn't offer any advice, simply joining Kaien in drinking the farewell wine.

And in doing so, he raised Kaien's favorability to 80.

The next day, after the drinking session, Haruki watched as Kaien and the members of the 11th Division stepped through the specially constructed giant Senkaimon.

This Senkaimon would transport them to Hueco Mundo, a world similar to the Soul Society yet fundamentally different.

However, neither Kaien from the 13th Division nor Renji, who had transferred from the 5th Division to the 11th Division, showed any fear. As for the battle-crazed members of the 11th Division, fear was the last thing on their minds.

According to Aizen, Zaraki Kenpachi had also wanted to go to Hueco Mundo, but Captain-Commander Yamamoto had refused.

With Zaraki's personality, if he went to Hueco Mundo, he wouldn't focus on finding the strange Hollow. Instead, he'd be looking for fights everywhere.

Invading Hueco Mundo to eliminate Hollows wasn't the duty of Shinigami. Their role was to maintain the balance of the three realms, so under normal circumstances, neither the Gotei 13 nor the Central 46 would allow Zaraki to lead such a mission.

Captains were the strongest fighters of the Gotei 13, each standing at the pinnacle of the Soul Society. They weren't supposed to be deployed lightly.

Still, the 11th Division sent quite a few of their elites.

The 3rd Seat, Ikkaku Madarame, and the 5th Seat, Yumichika Ayasegawa—both future notable figures—were part of the expedition team.

Ikkaku's soul ability was "The Well-Known Secret," while Yumichika's was "The Beautiful Thing."

'The Well-Known Secret: Designate a secret you wish to hide, and it will be inadvertently discovered by others.'

'The Beautiful Thing: Designate a person or object to make them more beautiful.'

Hmm, while these abilities didn't seem combat-oriented, they were still quite interesting.

"The Well-Known Secret" was likely a reference to Ikkaku's Bankai.

In the story, Ikkaku hid the fact that he had achieved Bankai so he could continue fighting under Zaraki Kenpachi in the 11th Division. However, it seemed like everyone eventually found out anyway.

Thus, the origin of "The Well-Known Secret" soul ability. While it might seem useless at first glance, Haruki could think of a few ways to use it.

Letting others discover your secret wasn't ideal, but what if the secret was fabricated?

For example, what if he hid the secret that "Haruki Murakami is actually a part of the Soul King"? Then, through various coincidences or "careful consideration," others would discover this secret.

Since it would be a conclusion they reached themselves, no one would doubt it. Wouldn't that make Haruki Murakami truly a "part of the Soul King"?

When everyone believes you are something, you become that thing, whether it's true or not.

There were many other uses for this ability. For instance, he could designate the secret that "Aizen is actually a traitor to the Soul Society." Over time, this secret would gradually be discovered by others, exposing Aizen's schemes ahead of time.

Or he could designate the secret that "The Quincy are still alive, hiding in the shadows of the Soul Society and have established the Wandenreich." After some time, wouldn't someone uncover the Quincy's existence?

Of course, the "secret" being leaked had to have some basis in reality, at least enough to make it seem plausible.

For example, if Haruki said his secret was "I am Aizen's father," no one would believe that, right?

But if he said "Aizen is a traitor," someone like Kyōraku Shunsui, the cunning old fox, might believe it.

Similarly, if he said "The Wandenreich, the Quincy's empire, exists in the shadows of the Soul Society," someone like Kyōraku or Mayuri Kurotsuchi might eventually uncover it.

But claiming to be someone's father? No one would buy that!

As for Yumichika's "The Beautiful Thing," it was also a pretty useful ability. Like Rukia's "Star," it was a convenient way for Haruki to gain favor.

After all, who doesn't love beautiful things?

Haruki could use this ability on himself to become more handsome. In a world where most people judged by appearances, having a good-looking face could give him an edge in many situations.

In fact, there had once been a seated officer in the 5th Division with a similar ability, but she was no longer around.

During a patrol mission, she encountered a Menos and ultimately died in the Rukongai. Haruki never had the chance to obtain her "Beauty Enhancement" ability.

Now that a similar ability had appeared, Haruki was determined to get his hands on it.

However, they were about to head to Hueco Mundo, and Haruki didn't have the chance to speak with them.

He had no interest in going to Hueco Mundo. There were still plenty of soul abilities in the Soul Society waiting for him to obtain. He'd have to be crazy to go to Hueco Mundo.

After waving them off, Haruki watched as Kaien led the Hueco Mundo expedition team through the Senkaimon.

Then he returned to the 5th Division and resumed his daily life.

Every day was either work or training. He could now understand why so many Shinigami seemed to react slowly and why Kyōraku's heart had such thick walls.

It couldn't be helped. When you spend decades or even centuries doing the same things day in and day out, your heart's walls naturally grow thicker.

Work itself wasn't scary. What was scary was having to work for decades.

The thought of spending the next few decades working for the Soul Society made Haruki sigh.

"Vice-Captain Haruki, are you unhappy?"

Momo, who had just walked in, noticed Haruki sighing and asked curiously.

"Ah, no." Haruki shook his head. "Just thinking about work."

"Work?" Momo looked puzzled. "But Vice-Captain Haruki, you've been handing most of your work to me, haven't you?"

"Uh…" Haruki quickly changed the subject. "Momo, did you come here for something?"

Momo also seemed a bit troubled. "I heard from Captain Aizen that Kira might be transferring divisions too?"

"…" Haruki paused, then nodded. "Yes, it seems he's transferring to the 4th Division."

"Sigh…" Momo sounded regretful. "After Renji left, I thought Kira would stay. I didn't expect that in less than two years, Kira would be leaving too."

It had been nearly two years since the Hueco Mundo expedition team entered Hueco Mundo. In those two years, there had been no news from the team.

Haruki hadn't made any special effort to follow up. He didn't think the team would simply die in Hueco Mundo.

Even though there was no captain in the team, there were still several captain-level fighters among them.

Shiba Kaien, Ikkaku Madarame, and Yumichika Ayasegawa—as long as they didn't provoke a Vasto Lorde, they wouldn't be in any real danger.

After all, Hueco Mundo hadn't yet been upgraded by Aizen using the Hōgyoku. Without the Arrancar, only the higher-tier Menos posed a real threat.

Of course, there were some lower-tier Menos that could still threaten captain-level Shinigami, but the expedition team wasn't made up of just one Shinigami.

They would likely lose a lot of cannon fodder, but the truly strong members would be able to return.

However, they were destined not to find White, because Aizen hadn't yet created a second White.

"It's just a transfer."

Haruki smiled, comforting Momo. "The 4th Division isn't far from the 5th Division. You two can still meet up easily."

"That's true… I just wonder how Renji is doing. It's been so long, and there's been no news."

"Don't worry. Renji is strong. I'm sure he'll come back from Hueco Mundo much stronger. Who knows? He might even become a vice-captain before you and Kira."

"I don't want to become a vice-captain!" Momo quickly said. "I just want to stay in the 5th Division!"

Since Haruki was the vice-captain of the 5th Division, if she wanted to become a vice-captain, she'd have to transfer to another division, right?

That wouldn't do. She had to stay in the 5th Division because only the 5th Division had Aizen.

Seeing the strong admiration for Aizen in Momo's words, Haruki sighed inwardly.

Poor kid. Trusting anyone but Aizen would be better. Aizen was a cold and ruthless man.

After talking with Momo for a while, Haruki walked out of the office with her.

Haruki wanted to get some fresh air, but he happened to see Aizen outside as well.

Once Momo was out of earshot, Haruki said coldly, "Didn't I tell you not to come out unless absolutely necessary?"

If anyone else saw Haruki speaking to Aizen like this, they'd think he was insane. But only Haruki knew that the Aizen in front of him wasn't the real Aizen.

This was one of Aizen's subordinates, disguised as him using Kyōka Suigetsu.

The real Aizen had been conducting experiments in the lab recently.

"Vice-Captain Haruki," the fake Aizen said, "Captain Aizen's experiment seems to be complete. He asked me to bring you over."

"Understood." Haruki nodded.

White II was already done?

That was fast. It had only been two years.

For Shinigami, two years really wasn't much.

When Haruki arrived at the lab, he saw Aizen sitting in front of a computer, typing away as if adjusting some program.

Curious, Haruki walked over and looked at the code on the screen.

Crap, I don't understand any of this.

Although he had no idea what the lines of code meant, Haruki kept a straight face, pretending he understood.

Ah, so that's how it is.

Haruki had been studying scientific knowledge recently. His training included reading.

Because he often read, his relationship with Nanao had improved significantly. They frequently went to the library together, borrowing books and recommending useful ones to each other.

However, most of the books Haruki read were related to training, such as techniques for improving Zanjutsu, Hakuda, Hohō, and Kidō, as well as principles of spiritual energy usage.

As for scientific theory, he was still just a beginner.

If he were in the Research and Development Institute, he'd probably be relegated to running errands and moving supplies.

But that's fine. The tides will turn. Just wait until I outwork them all!

"Captain Aizen, this isn't the same as White, is it?"

Even though he didn't understand any of it, that didn't matter. He believed Aizen wouldn't go through all this trouble just to create the same thing.

Scientists like Aizen pursued the unknown. When unexpected changes occurred, Aizen would get excited.

The original White was an accidental creation after fusing with Haruki's "soul supplement pills," but Aizen had already figured out its data and principles.

In other words, White no longer held much mystery for Aizen.

So why would Aizen spend so much effort creating something he had already "lost interest in"?

Therefore, Haruki guessed that this new White must be different from the original.

This had nothing to do with scientific knowledge. Haruki simply believed he understood Aizen.

Aizen smiled. "As expected of Murakami. You're absolutely right."

He stood up and led Haruki to a device that resembled a hibernation pod.

Inside lay another "White."

However…

This White was different from the original.

It was entirely black, similar in shape to the original White, but…

It only retained…

a pair of eyes!

This "White" had no ears, no nose, no mouth. Its appearance…

reminded Haruki of Aizen after merging with the Hōgyoku in the original story.

When Aizen entered the second stage of his Hōgyoku transformation, his body was covered in a milky-white substance, and his face only had a pair of eyes, with no other sensory organs.

Or perhaps… it resembled an "Asauchi."

When Ichigo Kurosaki was training in the Soul King Palace, he was thrown into a pile of Asauchi by Ōetsu Nimaiya, the God of the Zanpakutō. The Asauchi he saw at the time looked somewhat similar to this.

The only difference was that this "White" was black, while Aizen in his second Hōgyoku stage and the Asauchi were white.

"Is this… a Zanpakutō?"

Haruki murmured.

Ōetsu Nimaiya once said that Aizen's creation of "White" was similar to his own process of creating Asauchi. This form made Haruki recall that statement.

Could Aizen have turned White into an actual Zanpakutō?

If so, would Ichigo even need to go to the Soul King Palace to forge his Zanpakutō in the future?

"Only somewhat similar."

Aizen said, "But it's not a Zanpakutō. And it's too early to call it a new species. Let's let it hunt first."

"Right now?" Haruki asked, puzzled. "The Soul Society is still very wary of White. If White II is discovered, it could draw a lot of attention."

"No need to worry." Aizen turned around, looking at Haruki calmly. "If it's tripped up by something this trivial, then White II would be a failure."

"…I see." Haruki said softly. "Captain Aizen, can I ask what the biggest difference between White II and the original is?"

"That…"

Aizen's lips curled into a mysterious smile. "You'll find out soon enough."

Mysterious as always…

Haruki curled his lips.

Fine, don't tell me. It's not like I care.

This time, White's favorability toward him wasn't as high.

The first-generation White's favorability had increased quickly because it contained fragments of Haruki's soul.

The second-generation White didn't have any of Haruki's soul fragments, so its favorability was back to normal.

Moreover, the second-generation White wasn't fully transformed yet and hadn't even generated a soul ability.

Once the second-generation White generated a soul ability, Haruki might be able to figure out some clues.

And those clues didn't take long to appear.

About a month later, Haruki returned to the lab.

He saw that the second-generation White was no longer in the incubation pod but had been moved to another device—one that allowed it to stand upright, submerged in an unknown liquid.

Haruki looked over and noticed that the second-generation White's soul ability was "Cocoon Transformation."

'Cocoon Transformation: Can be used upon reaching a new stage. After activation, the user will be enveloped in a white cocoon. Upon breaking free, the user's spiritual pressure, slashing power, speed, defense, and recovery will all be enhanced.'

'Note: The stronger the user, the longer it takes to break free from the cocoon.'

"…" Haruki stared at the ability, feeling like he was drooling.

I want it, I want it, I want this ability!

He turned to Aizen and couldn't help but ask, "Captain Aizen, is White II complete?"

Aizen nodded. "Whether it can be considered a finished product still requires further testing."

"Let me handle the testing, okay?" Haruki said. "I don't have much going on right now. I'll take responsibility for White II's growth."

If he wanted to obtain the second-generation White's soul ability, he needed to spend more time with it. How else could he raise its favorability?

That's why he made the offer to Aizen.

"It's rare to see you so enthusiastic about something like this." Aizen smiled. "I was originally going to assign this task to Tōsen, but since you've offered, I'll leave it to you, Murakami."

"Thank you, Captain Aizen." Haruki expressed his gratitude. "I'll need you to use your ability to cover for me, though. Just during the day. If someone asks me out for drinks, I'll still go."

"Haha… You've been spending quite a bit of time with Kyōraku lately."

"Not really. Captain Kyōraku isn't the easiest person to get along with."

After chatting with Aizen for a bit, Haruki left the lab.

From now on, Haruki would likely spend most of his time in the lab.

Aizen would use Kyōka Suigetsu to create a fake version of Haruki to cover for him in the outside world.

All Haruki needed to do was focus on building a relationship with White.

With that in mind, Haruki walked up to White.

According to Aizen, the second-generation White was created by fusing the souls of 133 Shinigami. From birth, it possessed spiritual pressure and combat power equivalent to a high-ranking seated officer.

Both in terms of technology and the quality and quantity of the souls used, the second-generation White was superior to the first-generation White.

Well, the only advantage the first-generation White had was the "soul supplement pill" Haruki had contributed.

Haruki had originally wanted to raise the first-generation White's favorability further, but before he could make much progress, the first-generation White had transferred into Rukia Kuchiki's body. Who knew what would happen to it now?

Tsk. Following Aizen's instructions, Haruki sent the second-generation White to the human world.

The second-generation White would capture souls in the human world—whether they were human souls, Shinigami souls, or Hollow souls…

Haruki's job was to record all of its combat data and observe its changes.

This work was incredibly boring, especially since the second-generation White didn't communicate with Haruki.

Although it had intelligence, and its intelligence grew with each battle, it didn't seem to have the ability to speak.

However, Haruki wasn't discouraged. He patiently accompanied the second-generation White.

As time passed, Haruki spent most of his time in the lab, occasionally going out to drink with Rangiku and the others.

During this time, Hitsugaya Tōshirō graduated.

Yes, the prodigy Hitsugaya Tōshirō graduated from the Shin'ō Academy and caused quite a stir.

But Hitsugaya decided to join the 5th Division, as Haruki had been the one to bring him out of the Rukongai.

By the time he graduated, Hitsugaya had already mastered Bankai. Haruki couldn't help but marvel at his talent.

Even Haruki himself, after repeatedly using Hitsugaya's "Prodigy" ability, felt that he was approaching Bankai.

This wasn't to say that the "Prodigy" ability was inferior to Hitsugaya's talent. Rather, Haruki's studies were more diverse. He didn't just focus on training.

He often used the ability to study various theories, as well as to delve into Zanjutsu, Hakuda, Hohō, and Kidō. These activities took up about a third of the time he spent using the ability.

The remaining two-thirds of the time were spent increasing his spiritual power and communicating with his Zanpakutō.

Moreover, the ability had a one-day cooldown.

Still, even though he hadn't achieved Bankai, Haruki's strength wasn't heavily reliant on it.

He now possessed many soul abilities, several of which were combat-related. Even without Bankai, his combat power was on par with some captains.

On the day Hitsugaya graduated, Haruki took him to the 6th District for a good meal. After they parted ways, Haruki returned to the lab.

While monitoring White, Haruki noticed that it seemed to sense something and then opened a Garganta, entering Hueco Mundo.

Fortunately, Aizen's surveillance was flawless, allowing them to monitor White even in Hueco Mundo.

In Hueco Mundo, White stood still.

"What's it doing?"

Gin asked curiously.

"It's searching for something." Haruki had spent a lot of time with the second-generation White and had a decent understanding of its thoughts.

Even though White couldn't speak, Haruki could understand its intentions.

White was searching for something, something that had caught its interest.

"Interesting. Something that can attract White…"

Aizen walked over at this point. It was a time when their little group was usually together.

Aizen looked at the screen, where White seemed to have found its target and began moving.

Haruki said, "It seems whatever's attracting it is quite significant."

Then, he saw White stop in a certain area. Looking at the two figures on the screen facing White, Haruki narrowed his eyes.

It's you two…

These two people…

Haruki knew them, but at the same time, he didn't.

He knew them from the manga, but he hadn't seen them in this world yet.

A man and a woman, one tall and one short, wandering in Hueco Mundo without the masks that typically represented Hollows.

They wore tattered cloaks and seemed to have noticed White's presence.

These characteristics were too distinctive.

Coyote Starrk and Lilinette Gingerbuck, the future Primera Espada.

Aizen, of course, also saw the two at this moment. His gaze revealed a hint of curiosity and surprise.

"Strange, why are there Hollows in Hueco Mundo without masks?"

Gin asked curiously, looking at Aizen, thinking that Starrk might be one of Aizen's experiments.

Aizen's lips curled into a smile. "Is it searching for something 'opposite' to itself? To think there's a Menos capable of 'self-Arrancarization.' Interesting. Is there a way… for us to go take a look?"

Haruki understood what Aizen meant.

White was originally a Shinigami's soul, but Aizen had used technology to transform it into a Hollow.

Starrk, on the other hand, was originally a Hollow's soul but had undergone Arrancarization due to certain reasons.

Hollows have Hollow holes, which represent the incomplete soul, or the so-called "heart."

So where did the missing part of the soul, the missing heart, go?

It turned into the mask on the Hollow's face!

Arrancarization involves breaking the mask on the face, transforming that part of the soul into one's own Zanpakutō.

Before Starrk, there had never been a Hollow in Hueco Mundo capable of breaking its mask. No wonder Aizen was so interested in Starrk.

What Aizen wanted to create was the "Shinigamization of Hollows." This experiment had been going on for a long time, but to Aizen, those were all failures, not worthy of being called a "new species."

But Starrk seemed to be close to Aizen's ideal of what an Arrancar, this new species, should be.

Perhaps White had sensed the existence of something opposite to itself, or something similar, which was why it had gone to Hueco Mundo and confronted Starrk.

However, judging by the liquid on their bodies, it seemed like the two had just completed their separation.

But regardless of what Haruki thought, they were about to head to Hueco Mundo.

This was also a good opportunity to see Starrk and Lilinette's soul abilities.

As Aizen opened a Garganta using some method, the three of them entered Hueco Mundo.

They were still wearing the specially designed black cloaks, which not only concealed their forms but also masked their spiritual pressure.

Haruki witnessed Starrk and Lilinette's soul abilities firsthand.

Starrk's soul ability was "Soul Division," while Lilinette's was "Soul Fusion."

'Soul Division: Split off a part of the soul to form a clone. The clone's appearance, spiritual pressure, and even soul essence are different from the original.'

'Soul Fusion: Reabsorb the divided soul and inherit all abilities the clone gained during the separation.'

These two abilities…

Wow, I want them too!

Haruki was envious. He also knew that befriending Starrk wouldn't be too difficult. For someone as lonely as Starrk, even if the one offering friendship was a Shinigami, he probably wouldn't refuse.

Of course, the prerequisite was that you had to be strong.

If you weren't strong enough, you wouldn't even be able to survive near Starrk.

Haruki felt that he should be fine now. After all, he was a vice-captain. If he were to be crushed by a Hollow's spiritual pressure, wouldn't that be a disgrace to the title of vice-captain?

At this moment, Starrk also noticed the arrival of White.

Looking at White, Starrk felt a sense of strangeness.

He noticed that this Hollow seemed different from the ones he usually encountered.

"You are…"

"Roar!"

White responded with a roar. Even without a mouth, it could still produce sound.

White instantly lunged forward, charging straight at Starrk!

Starrk narrowed his eyes and, in an instant, appeared behind White.

"I don't want to fight."

White immediately turned around, its arm sharp as a blade slashing toward Starrk.

But Starrk's figure disappeared once again, this time reappearing next to Lilinette.

After two consecutive attacks failed to hit Starrk, White seemed to grow angry. Its horns began to gather intense light, forming a Cero.

Seeing that White was even using a Cero, Starrk finally showed a hint of seriousness. He raised his hand, seemingly preparing to use a Cero as well.

"Let's stop this, Captain Aizen. There's no need for these two to keep fighting."

At this moment, Haruki spoke softly. In the next instant, he appeared directly between the two.

Boom!

White and Starrk's Ceros finished charging at the same time, both firing toward each other. Haruki, who had suddenly appeared in the middle, naturally became the target.

However, Haruki simply extended a finger. In the next moment, a transparent, smooth, and seemingly fragile mirror-like surface appeared in front of his finger.

Boom!

The two Ceros collided on the mirror surface, impacting Haruki. But at this moment, Haruki had already activated Momo's "Strongest Defense" and Nanao's "Mirror Reflection."

Boom!

The colliding Ceros were reflected by Haruki's "Mirror Reflection," shooting off at a 90-degree angle from the point of collision—directly in front of Haruki!

With a deafening explosion, a massive blast erupted in the distance, engulfing and burning the white sands of Hueco Mundo.

Both White and Starrk were shocked. Neither had expected Haruki to suddenly appear in the middle, let alone block and reflect their Ceros!

"Alright…"

Haruki stood in the air, looking at White, who was hovering higher up, and Starrk, who stood on the spiritual sands. He lightly clapped his hands and said, "I don't think there's any need for you two to fight."

"How about… sitting down and having a proper chat?"

After saying this, Haruki looked up and added, "What do you think, Captain Aizen?"

"…You're too impatient, Murakami." Aizen also stepped forward, his eyes glinting with an unknown light as he looked at Haruki.

"Aren't you curious, Captain Aizen? Both 'White' and the 'Arrancar' are rare. I don't want either of them to be damaged."

Haruki had indeed acted impulsively, but he had no choice.

If the fight continued, the current White would definitely lose to Starrk!

And Aizen would never save his own experiment!

If White were killed by Starrk, Aizen would simply consider his creation imperfect.

But Haruki couldn't afford to think that way—he hadn't obtained the "Cocoon Transformation" ability yet!

Aizen didn't care about White's survival. If it died, he could always create another one.

But Haruki couldn't afford that. Until he obtained the "Cocoon Transformation" ability, White absolutely could not die!

So, after saying a word to Aizen, Haruki intervened.

For this, he used "Mirror Reflection."

He hadn't yet permanently obtained the "Mirror Reflection" ability, meaning he could only use it once at the moment. But in this situation, he decided to use it.

Mainly, he was worried that the "Strongest Defense" ability might not be enough to withstand the combined Ceros of both White and Starrk. If it were just one Cero, he wouldn't have been concerned, but with both attacking simultaneously, it was better to be cautious.

When Haruki suddenly appeared, both White above and Starrk below were surprised.

Haruki sighed and said, "Alright, White, stop messing around. Today's field trip is over."

White let out a roar, seemingly dissatisfied.

Haruki shrugged. "Don't be difficult. You're no match for him."

Haruki had spent a lot of time with White, so even though White couldn't speak, Haruki could still understand its intentions.

"You're… a Shinigami?"

On the other side, Starrk frowned. He stepped in front of Lilinette, as if shielding her.

Hollows, of course, were wary of Shinigami.

Even though Starrk was strong, the sudden turn of events had put him on guard.

"Yes, but I mean you no harm."

Haruki said, "White is… kind of my friend. I'm not sure why it suddenly came looking for you."

Haruki deliberately used the word "friend" because he knew that Starrk longed for companionship.

Sure enough, Starrk was taken aback.

"A Shinigami… friends with a Hollow?"

This…

No matter how you looked at it, it was strange, right?

While Shinigami weren't as irreconcilably hostile to Hollows as Quincies were, the two were still natural enemies on opposing sides.

He had never heard of a Hollow and a Shinigami being friends.

"I'm not like other Shinigami." Haruki didn't elaborate further, simply saying, "White was a bit rude earlier. I apologize on its behalf."

"…" Starrk remained silent for a moment, then turned to leave with Lilinette, saying, "Do as you please. But as a Shinigami, you shouldn't linger in Hueco Mundo. If you run into other Hollows, you might not survive."

"…Well, actually, every Hollow I've met has said something like that." Haruki was momentarily stunned.

That sounded familiar.

When he had met Nelliel, she had said something similar.

What a coincidence.

There were only a few "normal" Hollows in Hueco Mundo—Nelliel and Starrk—and he had run into both of them.

"…Is that so? Then you're quite lucky."

Starrk didn't look back and was about to leave, but Aizen suddenly stepped forward.

"Shinigami…!"

Starrk's eyes widened as he looked at Aizen, then muttered, "As expected, Shinigami can't be trusted."

He thought Haruki had been stalling for time, waiting for backup to kill him, a Vasto Lorde.

"Four… no, five enemies?"

Starrk said softly, "This is a bit troublesome…"

"You seem to have misunderstood something." Aizen walked over, also examining Starrk.

Although Lilinette was also an Arrancar, she clearly wasn't the focus of Aizen's attention.

"I'm not here to kill you. I just want to ask you something."

Aizen looked at Starrk and said slowly, "Would you be interested in coming with us?"

Behind him stood Gin Ichimaru and Tōsen Kaname, flanking Aizen on either side. Further back was a crescent moon.

Under the scarce moonlight, Aizen extended his hand, as if inviting Starrk.

Starrk frowned and glanced back at Haruki and White.

"Is that your companion too?"

He was referring to White.

"White is my creation. It sought you out because it likely sensed something opposite to itself," Aizen explained truthfully.

"I see." Starrk said softly, "In that case, you must have quite a few powerful beings around you, right?"

"Not to mention… you all seem quite strong yourselves."

"So even if I join you, you won't die easily."

"Welcome, Arrancar." Aizen looked past Starrk, then past Haruki, his gaze level as he said, "Your name…"

"Coyote Starrk."

Starrk placed a hand on Lilinette's head and added, "This is Lilinette Gingerbuck."

"Then let's head to a certain place along the way."

Aizen glanced at Haruki, who shrugged.

He already knew where Aizen was planning to go.

Aizen's original plan was to establish a base in Hueco Mundo to facilitate future Arrancarization experiments.

Since they were already in Hueco Mundo, had revealed themselves, and had recruited Starrk, they might as well take over Las Noches in one go.

"Where are we going?"

Starrk, unaware of these plans, still followed Haruki and the others.

This was because Starrk had complete confidence in his own strength. He believed that even if these people had some scheme, he could escape any trap unscathed.

At the same time, it was also a deep-seated desire of his.

Perhaps…

these people really could stay by his side without dying!

Starrk had been searching for such companions, even if they weren't Hollows…

It didn't matter.

"To find a place to live. We can't just wander around Hueco Mundo forever, right?" Haruki said with a smile.

Before long, they arrived at the outskirts of Las Noches.

"The King of Hueco Mundo…"

Haruki said, "How interesting. There's actually a king who rules over all Hollows in Hueco Mundo."

"The King of Hueco Mundo…" Starrk seemed to have never heard of such a thing. Then again, he had no other Hollows around him, so he couldn't exchange information with anyone.

He had been aimlessly wandering Hueco Mundo, like a lone boat on the ocean, pushed by waves and wind, drifting without knowing its destination or when it would stop.

The group of seven walked toward Las Noches.

White didn't seem interested in the other Hollows, simply staying close to Haruki and occasionally locking its aura onto Starrk.

Starrk, of course, sensed White's presence but showed no emotion.

"There are… many strong beings here."

Only when…

they entered Las Noches did Starrk finally speak softly.

"At least three Vasto Lordes," Haruki replied quietly.

From what Haruki knew, there were currently three Vasto Lorde-level Menos in Las Noches.

The first was naturally Baraggan Louisenbairn, the King of Hueco Mundo. As the future Segunda Espada, his strength was undeniable.

The second was the scientist of Las Noches, Szayelaporro Granz, the future Octava Espada.

Szayelaporro had once been a powerful Vasto Lorde, even stronger than Baraggan. However, his ambition wasn't combat but the pursuit of the perfect life.

Thus, he served as a scientist in Las Noches.

After Aizen formed the Espada, Szayelaporro was initially the Cero Espada.

However, Szayelaporro didn't care about combat power. In fact, he even despised the combat instincts within him.

As a result, he split off his brother, Ilforte Granz, who had been a battle maniac.

Because he had split off a part of his soul, both entities' power levels dropped significantly. Szayelaporro went from being the strongest Cero Espada to a level where he didn't even qualify for the Espada.

Later, Szayelaporro managed to rejoin the Espada and rose to the eighth position, while Ilforte remained as one of Grimmjow's Fracción until his death.

At this point in time, Szayelaporro hadn't yet split himself, meaning he still possessed the terrifying combat power of a Vasto Lorde.

The third Vasto Lorde was Pikaro, the "102" among the Tres Bestias. They were a group of children merged into one entity. Aizen deemed them unsuitable for the Espada and kicked them out, relegating them to the Tres Bestias.

However, no matter how unruly they were, they were still high-level Menos.

So…

How should I put it? In the original story, Aizen actually had many cards up his sleeve, but he chose not to use them.

The Espada were indeed the ten strongest Arrancar under Aizen, but that didn't mean there weren't others who could rival them.

For example…

Luppi, who temporarily replaced Grimmjow.

And besides Luppi, Pikaro was clearly another. As a Vasto Lorde-level Menos, even if they were relegated to the Tres Bestias, they could easily qualify as an Espada.

If Aizen had made better use of the Tres Bestias, they could have significantly alleviated the pressure on the Espada during both the Karakura Town battle and the Las Noches battle.

However, Aizen probably didn't care much about the Espada in the first place. What he cared about most was his own evolution.

If his subordinates had wiped out the Soul Society, how would he have pushed himself to his limits through combat and made the Hōgyoku submit to him?

Starrk followed behind Haruki, accompanying the Shinigami to the Hollows' kingdom and helping them seize the throne from the King of Hueco Mundo. It all seemed a bit strange.

But Starrk felt a glimmer of hope.

There were many powerful spiritual pressures here. Perhaps…

he wouldn't be alone anymore.

"Who goes there?"

Suddenly, a massive figure appeared before them, roaring.

"I am Kakameer, servant of the King of Hueco Mundo—"

Splat

Before he could finish, Tōsen had already sliced him in half with a single strike. The giant Menos was cleaved into two.

In the next moment, the group used Shunpo to enter the palace.

Inside the palace were over a dozen Hollows, seemingly in the middle of a meeting. At the head sat a skeletal Hollow wearing a crown, seated on the throne of Hueco Mundo. Above him hung the dim, crescent moon.

Haruki looked over and saw that Baraggan's soul ability was "Aging."

'Aging: Releases a deathly aura that causes rapid aging.'

Isn't this just Baraggan's ability?

Baraggan's own ability, his soul ability?

How lazy…

This was the first time Haruki had encountered such a soul ability.

Soul abilities were related to the individual's own powers but also incorporated their traits, past, present, and future experiences, and even higher-dimensional impressions and perceptions of them. All these elements combined to form the "soul ability" that Haruki could obtain.

But upon reflection, Baraggan's defining traits were essentially these two.

One was being the King of Hueco Mundo, and the other was his Resurrección, Arrogante.

Sigh, as the Segunda Espada, he barely had any personal storyline.

Haruki inwardly grumbled, though he thought this was fine. After all, the "Aging" ability itself was incredibly powerful.

In any world, abilities related to time were never weak, especially direct offensive ones like this.

If he could obtain this ability, it wouldn't be a bad deal.

However…

Haruki felt that trying to raise Baraggan's favorability to 80 would be harder than trying to raise Yhwach's favorability.

Forget it. Let's not force it. If I can get it, great. If not, no big deal.

Haruki was quite open-minded, and he wasn't completely without options.

Sometimes, due to conflicting stances, it was impossible to raise certain people's favorability.

But if he befriended Starrk, things would be different.

He could use Starrk's "Soul Division" ability to create clones, then use those clones to raise others' favorability.

His own identity was already set, but the clones were different. They could approach people from entirely different perspectives and stances.

For example, with Baraggan, he could create a clone to assist him and gain his favorability…

Hmm, that still seems too difficult.

With someone like Baraggan, you couldn't expect him to have favorability toward anyone.

But this could work with the Quincies!

Once he permanently obtained the Quincy lineage from Sōken Ishida, he could create a Quincy clone to infiltrate the Wandenreich and use it to raise the Quincies' favorability.

This was precisely why he had to appear before Starrk. If he missed this opportunity, he didn't know when he'd get another chance to obtain the "Soul Division" ability.

Lost in thought, Haruki zoned out for a moment. When he snapped back to reality, Aizen had already dealt with Baraggan.

That was fast…

Looking at the disgruntled Baraggan, Haruki almost wanted to laugh.

"Well then…"

Aizen glanced at Haruki, seemingly sensing his mood, and said, "Murakami, you'll stay in Las Noches."

"?"

Haruki was stunned. "What do you mean?"

Aizen smiled. "We still need to return to the Soul Society. Naturally, Las Noches will be under your care."

???

Are you kidding me?

You're leaving me alone in Las Noches?

You just beat up Baraggan. Are you sure he won't turn around and bite me once you're gone?!

Open app

RoseWhisky

Chapter 64: Suppressing Baraggan

New

February 3

Haruki felt a bit nervous, but not entirely. In fact, he was almost amused.

"Alright… then I'll leave The Thousand-Year Blood War to you, Captain Aizen."

Haruki shrugged.

He roughly understood what Aizen was thinking.

Earlier, Haruki had interrupted the fight between White and Starrk, and Aizen was now giving him a bit of punishment.

Haruki wanted to stay in the Soul Society for "observation" and didn't want to come to Hueco Mundo, so Aizen had assigned him to Las Noches.

What Aizen didn't know, however, was that after seeing Starrk, Haruki had already switched sides to the Hueco Mundo faction.

The Shinigami of the Soul Society? Not really his people. Hueco Mundo was where it was at.

"You've already switched to a monthly release schedule, so take your time to conceptualize in Las Noches."

Aizen smiled. "I'm looking forward to your masterpiece."

"Especially some of the settings in The Thousand-Year Blood War. I'm quite interested."

Last year, Haruki had changed the release schedule from weekly to monthly, with a three-updates-one-break pattern, and even took breaks during holidays.

There was no helping it. Haruki needed time to figure out how to integrate the later plot into the Bleach worldview.

And…

he was also just plain lazy.

"Captain Aizen, you're not talking about 'Pluton,' are you?" Haruki said. "That's something I made up. There's no hidden meaning."

He had currently updated to the "Desert Kingdom" arc, where the ancient weapon Pluton was mentioned. But he hadn't tied it into the Bleach world at all.

He had no idea what Aizen was imagining.

Aizen didn't say anything more, simply opening a Garganta and leaving Las Noches.

Suddenly, Haruki was the only Shinigami left in Las Noches.

Left alone so abruptly, Haruki shrugged and smiled. "Well, even though I came with them, don't blame me for what they did to you. If you want revenge, go after the guy with glasses."

"Shinigami…!" Baraggan seemed to finally react. He was both furious and anxious. Having ruled Hueco Mundo for tens of thousands of years, he had now been humiliated by Shinigami.

They had killed his subordinates right in front of him and forced him to acknowledge a Shinigami as his king. This was an immense disgrace.

Although the bespectacled Shinigami had left, he had left behind a companion.

Baraggan looked at Haruki, his hollow eye sockets flickering with an inexplicable light.

"Need help?"

Starrk glanced at Haruki and asked indifferently.

He had sensed an unfathomable power from Aizen, which was why he had agreed to join them.

As for Haruki Murakami, although he had blocked the attacks from Starrk and White earlier, Starrk hadn't felt an overwhelmingly powerful spiritual pressure from him.

Moreover, Starrk hadn't been using his full strength at the time.

Facing the King of Hueco Mundo now, Haruki might not be able to handle it.

"While I'd like to say I need help, if I did, Captain Aizen would be disappointed in me. After all, he left me here to keep this guy in line."

Haruki drew his Zanpakutō.

Baraggan roared angrily, "You lowly Shinigami, how dare you—"

"Enough, 'King of Hueco Mundo.'"

Haruki said coldly. In the next instant, his body underwent a transformation.

From his original appearance, he turned into Aizen!

"?!"

The sudden change shocked everyone who saw it. It was as if, in an instant, Aizen had replaced Haruki.

Even White emitted an uneasy aura, seemingly confused about Haruki's whereabouts.

At this moment, Haruki activated "Resemblance," an ability similar to the Sternritter "Y."

Not only could he transform into the appearance of another, but he could also mimic their spiritual pressure and abilities.

Of course, he couldn't directly gain Aizen's power, but at this moment, Haruki only needed Kyōka Suigetsu.

Since Aizen had already hypnotized Baraggan earlier, Haruki could now directly apply the hypnosis Aizen had set up.

So, when Baraggan angrily launched an attack at him, Haruki twisted his sense of direction, causing his death aura to spread to Haruki's left.

"Destruction Beam."

Haruki pointed a finger, and in the next moment, a black beam half the thickness of an arm shot out from his fingertip.

In an instant, it pierced a hole through Baraggan's body!

"What?!"

Baraggan couldn't believe it. He clutched his chest, staring intently at "Haruki."

"How is this possible? My power is absolute. No attack can withstand my aging!"

He roared, "What did you do?!"

"I pointed at your chest, and your supposedly invincible death aura was pierced. That's all."

Haruki deactivated Kyōka Suigetsu. Only then did Baraggan realize Haruki's true position. By now, Haruki had returned to his original form, his tone almost pitying.

The "Destruction Beam" had a unique trait: it could penetrate any defense. This ability was incredibly powerful, which was why Haruki had worked so hard to raise Tanimoto's favorability and make it his second permanently obtained ability.

"Alright, there's no need for us to keep fighting."

Haruki sighed helplessly. "Don't spread your hatred for Captain Aizen to all Shinigami. As the King of Hueco Mundo, you should at least have some dignity."

Although he made it look easy, using "Resemblance" was actually quite taxing.

Mainly because Aizen's spiritual pressure was too strong, while Haruki's was too weak. Mimicking Aizen's power was a huge burden for him.

So, if he could avoid fighting Baraggan, he would. Why should two wage slaves fight each other? If Baraggan wanted to fight the boss, let him. Haruki was just a small employee. No need to drag himself into the fire.

"Let it go."

Starrk spoke up at this point. "It's already pathetic enough to vent your anger on a subordinate because you can't defeat the leader."

"As the 'King of Hueco Mundo,' at least show some dignity in front of Shinigami."

"And who are you?" Baraggan said coldly.

"Coyote Starrk," Starrk replied indifferently.

"A Hollow who serves as a dog to Shinigami?"

"Say what you want." Starrk glanced around. "Is there a place to rest? Arrange a room for me."

"Count me in too."

Haruki raised his hand. "I have no interest in the title of 'King of Hueco Mundo.' You can fight Captain Aizen for it. Just arrange a room for me and White, preferably next to Starrk's."

In the following days, Haruki stayed in Las Noches.

Regardless of what Baraggan thought internally, he didn't cause any trouble for Haruki.

In fact, he barely interacted with Haruki at all.

The power of the "Destruction Beam" was indeed formidable, capable of penetrating any defense.

However, this ability had a downside.

Because the attack was too sharp, it didn't cause additional damage beyond the point of penetration.

This was somewhat similar to Lille Barro's "The X-Axis." Although his attacks could penetrate anything, if they didn't hit a vital area, the damage wasn't particularly severe.

The attack was so sharp that it left the surrounding tissue completely unharmed.

For Hollows, especially current Hollows, this wasn't a serious injury.

Because Hollows possessed the ability of "High-Speed Regeneration."

After becoming an Arrancar, Hollows gained even greater power but would lose their High-Speed Regeneration ability. Only a very few Hollows could retain this ability.

But at this point, aside from Starrk, no Hollows had become Arrancars yet, including Baraggan. So, the injury from the "Destruction Beam" had long since healed.

He avoided Haruki simply because he didn't want to face a Shinigami, especially since the Shinigami had stripped him of his title and power as the King of Hueco Mundo.

Haruki was fine with this. He had no interest in clashing with Baraggan. He'd rather spend his time raising Starrk's favorability.

Starrk and Lilinette's favorability were surprisingly easy to raise. Haruki simply lived next to them for a while, and their favorability increased significantly.

During this time, Haruki also familiarized himself with the layout of Las Noches.

Although he rarely made appearances, the Hollows of Las Noches knew that the master of Las Noches had changed.

Even though the new master wasn't currently present, he had left behind his envoy.

Thus, after living in Las Noches for about a month, the other Vasto Lorde finally came to meet this envoy.

"Nice to meet you, Shinigami from the Soul Society."

Standing before him was a pink-haired Menos. His back had tentacle-like appendages, and since he had a humanoid form, it meant he had reached the level of a high-tier Menos—a Vasto Lorde!

Haruki sat at a table, sipping a cup of black tea.

After spending time with Aizen, he found that he had developed a taste for black tea. Occasionally, he even found drinking tea more enjoyable than drinking alcohol.

While drinking tea, he felt as if he had become more refined.

Facing this Vasto Lorde now, he felt a certain air of authority.

"You've finally come to see me."

Haruki spoke in a tone that suggested he had been waiting. "I thought you'd come even later."

Szayelaporro smiled and glanced around. "Where's that strange Menos you're always with? Is he not here?"

"You mean White? He's out hunting." Haruki said indifferently. "I'm not sure if he's in Hueco Mundo or the human world. Either way, he's not interested in ordinary Hollows."

"I see. It's a shame I didn't get to meet him." Szayelaporro then added, "And what about your captain? I heard from Baraggan that he promised to grant us a higher state of being and new powers."

"Well…" Haruki pondered for a moment. "He can indeed do that, but it depends on when he remembers you."

"Oh?" Szayelaporro's gaze turned cold. "If he doesn't care about us, why did he come here?"

"No, no, you've got it wrong." Haruki said softly. "Captain Aizen doesn't not care about you. It's just that…"

"He doesn't care about anyone."

"Helping you reach a higher state of being is no different to him than deciding what tea to drink tomorrow."

"However, there's one quality of Captain Aizen's that I admire: he keeps his promises. So, he will definitely help you achieve 'Arrancarization.'"

"Like Starrk?" Szayelaporro said. "How fascinating. Hollows breaking their masks and gaining Zanpakutō… isn't that just like Shinigami?"

Szayelaporro had met Starrk. After all, both were Hollows, and Hollows shared some common ground.

"So, if you want to suppress your beast-like instincts and achieve the 'Perfect Life' you seek, you can do so through Arrancarization."

Haruki's lips curled into a slight smile. "How about it? I can help you."

He looked at Szayelaporro's soul ability, "Perfect Life."

'Perfect Life: Grants the ability to resurrect after death. Upon resurrection, gain resistance to the ability that killed you.'

This ability…

He wanted it so badly!

Therefore, Haruki absolutely couldn't let Szayelaporro follow the same path as in the original story!

If Szayelaporro went down that path, he would split like Starrk, and his soul ability would change!

He could split, but only after Haruki had permanently obtained the "Perfect Life" ability!

No matter the cost, Haruki had to get Szayelaporro's soul ability!

He had to raise Szayelaporro's favorability!

Resurrection after death—who wouldn't want such an ability?!

Szayelaporro was stunned. He couldn't believe that Haruki knew his secret!

His desire to achieve the Perfect Life…

How did Haruki know?!

This shouldn't be possible!

He had never told anyone!

Szayelaporro narrowed his eyes, looking at Haruki. Suddenly, he felt that this person might be more than just the envoy of the mysterious Aizen.

He said softly, "Help me? How can you help me?"

"I have my ways." Haruki said slowly. "But… I also need you to do me a favor."

"What favor?"

"Among your subordinates, there's someone named Loly, right? Hand her over to me, and I'll grant you a higher state of being."

Haruki slowly stood up. Although his spiritual pressure was far inferior to Szayelaporro's on the surface, for some reason, Szayelaporro felt an inexplicable pressure emanating from him?!

"Loly? Just her?" Szayelaporro asked.

Loly was indeed one of his subordinates, a Hollow he had spent nearly two hundred years modifying.

While she still had some use, compared to achieving the Perfect Life, what was one Loly worth?

In truth, Haruki didn't need anything from Szayelaporro—he just needed his favorability.

However, he had to ask for something.

This was to put Szayelaporro at ease.

People like Szayelaporro didn't believe in gifts. They only believed in give-and-take, in transactions.

Dealing with these heartless Hollows was exhausting. Their thought processes were completely different from those of Shinigami or humans. They were extremely obsessive and extreme creatures.

Haruki had initially thought it would be easy to raise Starrk's favorability above 80, given how desperately Starrk wanted friends.

But after actually spending time with him, Haruki realized that while the favorability did increase relatively quickly, it was far slower than he had imagined.

Moreover, like with Kyōraku Shunsui, the higher the favorability, the slower it became to raise it further.

Haruki guessed that this might be because Starrk had lost many "companions" in the past. Those friends had all perished due to his overwhelming spiritual pressure.

So, while he desperately longed for friends, he also feared the loss of the next one.

This contradictory mindset was actually considered good among Hollows.

According to Aizen's later classification of the Espada based on "forms of death," Starrk's form of death was loneliness.

And Starrk was already striving to combat loneliness. Perhaps it was this very effort that made him the most unique Hollow—a self-made Arrancar.

The other Espada perfectly embodied their respective forms of death.

Baraggan was obsessed with aging, Harribel revered sacrifice, Nnoitra reveled in despair, Grimmjow was fixated on destruction…

Thus, it was Starrk, who sought friendship rather than embracing loneliness, who could achieve self-Arrancarization. Similarly, Ulquiorra, who sought meaning beyond emptiness, could achieve Segunda Etapa.

If even Starrk was this complicated, the other Hollows were even more so.

Raising the favorability of Hollows was a long and arduous journey.

If it weren't for the fact that Szayelaporro and Starrk's soul abilities were so enticing, Haruki wouldn't bother playing these games with Hollows.

"Well? Have you made up your mind?"

Haruki looked at Szayelaporro.

"…" Szayelaporro gave an exaggerated smile. "You're quite an interesting person."

"Loly is still somewhat useful to me, but compared to the Perfect Life, she's nothing."

"I'm just curious, how did you know about me? Did you investigate me beforehand?"

"I've always thought of myself as the type who avoids the spotlight. Even normally, I stay in Baraggan's shadow, quietly conducting my research."

Szayelaporro's strength was definitely not inferior to Baraggan's—in fact, he was stronger. Yet, he willingly served under Baraggan as a scientist, which was quite unusual for a Hollow.

Hollows adhered to the law of the jungle, where the strong preyed on the weak. For two powerful beings to coexist without conflict was rare, let alone for one to serve under the other.

This was why Szayelaporro was curious. How had Haruki discovered him?

Even during occasional attacks on the Soul Society, Szayelaporro always sent his experimental subjects or subordinates. His true form had never been discovered.

"Well…"

Haruki paused, then placed a finger to his lips and whispered, "It's a secret."

"You little brat." Szayelaporro's body radiated a killing intent, but it quickly dissipated.

"Never mind. I wasn't that interested in the first place."

He turned around and said, "You want Loly, right? Then follow me."

"It's not that I want Loly. It's that you want the Perfect Life, so you need to give up Loly. Don't get the order wrong." Haruki followed Szayelaporro.

He knew that Szayelaporro had a pathological obsession with the concept of the Perfect Life.

And since Szayelaporro said Loly was still useful, it meant he hadn't yet completed "Gabriel." That made things simpler.

Loly was one of Szayelaporro's experimental subjects. Originally an Adjuchas-class Menos, Szayelaporro became interested in her after witnessing the battle between the 7th Kenpachi, Kuruyashiki, and the 8th Kenpachi, Azashiro Kenpachi. He began modifying Loly to replicate Azashiro's abilities.

Loly's ability was called "Negación Threads." This ability allowed her to release invisible "threads" that could infiltrate an object, analyze its composition and information, and then retract the data back into her body.

By analyzing objects in this way, she could use the Negación Threads to recreate and replicate them.

Szayelaporro's initial idea was to have Loly create a backup of himself. If Szayelaporro died, Loly could recreate him.

However, this recreation wasn't true resurrection. What she created was merely another entity with his memories.

Thus, Szayelaporro deemed it imperfect. Once he completed "Gabriel," Loly would naturally become useless.

However, sometimes the byproducts that scientists overlook turn out to be the most valuable.

Loly's ability was incredibly powerful. Extracting information from objects and replicating them—this ability was practically divine.

Haruki couldn't say he was completely indifferent to this ability. By taking this opportunity to exchange for Loly, he could not only reassure Szayelaporro but also gain a powerful subordinate.

So, he followed Szayelaporro to his laboratory in Las Noches.

Haruki was quite confident. He had many trump cards. Even if Szayelaporro tried to harm him, he was confident he could escape.

Thus, he boldly entered to take a look.

"You should feel honored." Szayelaporro said proudly. "Even Baraggan isn't allowed into my laboratory without permission."

Clearly, Szayelaporro had no respect for Baraggan, the former King of Hueco Mundo—especially since Baraggan was no longer the king.

"From what I can see…"

Haruki glanced around the laboratory and offered a brief assessment.

"It's quite crude."

"What did you say?" Szayelaporro was annoyed. He could accept being called weak, but he couldn't tolerate anyone criticizing histechnical skills.

"Want me to help you renovate it?" Haruki said slowly. "And by the way, fix your deeply ingrained flawed thinking caused by the corrupting factors of being a Hollow."

"You brat!" Szayelaporro instantly turned around, his eyes filled with a hint of madness as he glared at Haruki.

"Don't think that just because you're Aizen's envoy, you can spout nonsense at me!"

"Are you just spouting nonsense?"

Facing Szayelaporro's questioning, Haruki remained unfazed. He walked over to an instrument, touched it with his hand, and then sat on it.

"If I were you, I would never speak to someone who could help you become a perfect being in such a manner."

Haruki believed that Szayelaporro's obsession with becoming a perfect being was terrifying.

In order to achieve perfection, Szayelaporro was even willing to abandon his Vasto Lorde-level power in a place as desolate as Hueco Mundo.

It's important to understand that once a Hollow degenerates, it might never evolve again.

For example, if an Adjuchas degenerates into a Gillian, it can never return to being an Adjuchas, and its intelligence will be completely eroded, leading to eternal degradation.

Before Szayelaporro, there had never been a case of a Vasto Lorde degenerating into an Adjuchas-level Menos. Even he himself couldn't be sure if he could return to being a Vasto Lorde after degrading to an Adjuchas.

Moreover, in a place like Hueco Mundo, voluntarily giving up power is an incredibly foolish act, something a Hollow like him should understand better than anyone.

Yet, he still did it, which proves that his obsession with becoming a perfect being has reached a terrifying level.

Therefore, as long as Haruki dangles this goal in front of Szayelaporro, no matter how outrageous his demands, Szayelaporro would accept them.

"Sir, you wouldn't want to fail in becoming a perfect being, would you?"

As expected, Szayelaporro didn't react violently. He merely sneered, "As if you could actually do it? Do you even know what a perfect being is?"

"Well, of course, it's 'immortality,'" Haruki replied. Seeing the mockery on Szayelaporro's face, he added, "But this immortality isn't about an undying body. It's about 'rebirth after death.'"

"It's not about transcending death but integrating death into the cycle of life. That is what you call perfection."

Sure enough, after hearing this, Szayelaporro's expression changed. His eyes revealed an intense desire, and he stared at Haruki as if he wanted to devour him.

What Szayelaporro truly sought was indeed 'rebirth after death.' That was his vision of a perfect being. Who was this guy? How did he know what Szayelaporro was thinking?

Could this be his ability?

For a moment, Szayelaporro was filled with doubt and suspicion. Could this man really help him achieve perfection?

His heart began to burn with anticipation. If Haruki could help him, then not just one Loly, but even a hundred Lolys, he would give them all!

"Loly," Szayelaporro called out.

In the next moment, a white spider emerged from the depths of the laboratory.

"Lord Szayelaporro, are you calling for me?"

From her tone, it was clear that this Menos had very little emotion. It was no surprise, as she was merely an experimental creation of Szayelaporro.

She wasn't a humanoid Menos, which indicated that she was only an Adjuchas.

"From now on, you belong to him," Szayelaporro said without a hint of reluctance.

"Is... is that so?" Loly seemed slightly surprised, but she obediently followed her master's command. She turned to Haruki and bowed.

"You are my new master now."

For someone with almost no sense of self, changing masters was no big deal.

"Alright," Szayelaporro turned back to Haruki. "Now, tell me how to become a perfect being."

"Well," Haruki activated his 'Soul Fragment' ability, splitting off a piece of his soul, which formed into a glowing mass.

"You can try this," he said softly.

"Hmm?" Szayelaporro took the Soul Fragment with some skepticism, but as he examined it, it began to emit a strange light.

"What... what is this?" Szayelaporro asked in astonishment.

He had never felt such a peculiar power before.

In his past life, Szayelaporro had been an alchemist, and in alchemy, there existed a substance known as the Philosopher's Stone.

Alchemists believed the Philosopher's Stone to be eternal light, a panacea that could cure all diseases, a phoenix that brought the glory of heaven, the most precious treasure among all wealth, and a vital asset of nature itself.

It was said that the Philosopher's Stone could complete any experiment and achieve anything an alchemist desired.

And now, Szayelaporro felt as though he was standing before the Philosopher's Stone, the ultimate creation of alchemy.

Although he had never seen or used it before, at this moment, he was certain of it.

Szayelaporro stared at the fragment, his entire body trembling with excitement.

"It's perfect..."

He couldn't help but laugh. "With this, I can become a perfect being!"

"Perfect?" Haruki, hearing his words, reminded him, "Actually, perfection doesn't exist in this world. Even gods are only nearly omniscient and omnipotent."

"Especially for scientists, the concept of perfection should not be spoken of lightly."

"What is perfection? Perfection means there's no room for 'progress,' that the wisdom and talent of a scientist can no longer be utilized. For a scientist..."

Haruki pointed to the left side of his head, looking at Szayelaporro seriously. "So-called perfection is 'despair.'"

"If you were perfect, your form would become stagnant, never able to progress. To me, true perfect beings don't exist in this world. There are only beings that infinitely approach perfection."

"No matter how well you do, there's always room for improvement. So, you must fill those gaps to continuously approach perfection."

"Do you understand now?"

"..."

Szayelaporro still held the glowing Soul Fragment in his hand. After hearing Haruki's words, he seemed to fall into deep thought.

After a long while, he finally let out a cold snort.

"Don't think you can lecture me, you foolish Shinigami."

With that, he turned away.

"Hurry up and leave. I can't wait to begin the next experiment."

Watching his retreating figure, Haruki smiled.

He turned to the white spider beside him and said, "Alright, Loly, let's go. It seems he still needs some time to figure things out."

"Or perhaps, after he evolves, he'll have a completely different perspective."

In order to gain Szayelaporro's favor, he had sacrificed a piece of his soul, but it was worth it.

Losing one Soul Fragment would only affect him for a year.

He...

Could afford it.

Soul Fragment: Your soul will become a special tonic that can promote the evolution of an item, a person's goals, or even their soul itself when a piece is split off.'

The ability of the Soul Fragment can help a person achieve their goals and evolve their soul.

It is precisely because of this ability that Haruki is confident in helping Szayelaporro achieve his so-called 'perfect being.'

Otherwise, simply explaining the characteristics of the ability 'Gabriel's Announcement' to Szayelaporro would be meaningless. Did Szayelaporro not already have expectations for this ability?

Of course he did. In fact, he had already made progress in this direction.

When it comes to scientific knowledge, even though Haruki has been catching up in this area, he still can't compare to the top scientists of this world.

Even if Szayelaporro is slightly inferior to Aizen, Urahara, and Mayuri, he is still an outstanding scientist.

Discussing scientific creation with him would be pointless.

Therefore, to help him achieve his perfect being, Haruki had to use a more metaphysical approach.

This is where the Soul Fragment comes into play.

His Soul Fragment isn't just about giving someone a simple boost in spiritual power. As the description says, it can help a person succeed in their endeavors.

For example, if Szayelaporro wants to become a perfect being, the Soul Fragment will assist him in this goal.

Although using the Soul Fragment once causes Haruki to lose a part of his soul for a year, affecting his training during that time, Haruki believes that the cost is worth it in exchange for gaining Loly and Szayelaporro's attention and goodwill.

For Haruki, every time he uses the Soul Fragment, it's because he believes he can gain significant benefits.

The difference is that there's only medium wins, big wins, and huge wins. Small wins don't exist.

Small wins don't count as wins.

Therefore, when he walked out of Szayelaporro's laboratory, he was in a fairly good mood.

However, as soon as he stepped out, he saw Starrk and Lilynette.

"What are you doing here?"

Haruki asked curiously, "Are you here to see Szayelaporro?"

"…"

"Starrk came to check on you," Lilynette said while Starrk remained silent. "He thought you might have been killed by Szayelaporro."

"Hah, am I that weak?"

Haruki couldn't help but laugh and said, "This is Loly, a subordinate I borrowed from Szayelaporro. She'll be staying with me from now on."

Starrk then looked at Loly. Although she seemed unremarkable, Starrk wasn't the type to judge people based on strength.

He nodded.

Meanwhile, Lilynette completely ignored Loly and said to Haruki, "Alright, Haruki, I'm tired of the last story. I want a new one!"

"I just happened to come up with a new story."

Haruki smiled and said, "A long, long time ago, there was a Vasto Lorde named 'Nine-Tails' who attacked the Soul Society. At that time, the Soul Society was divided into five factions, and the Nine-Tails targeted the strongest one, Konoha."

He began walking with Lilynette as he continued the story:

"Konoha was supported by one of the Soul Society's five great noble families, the Kuchiki Clan. Its leader at the time was Namikaze Minato, whose Zanpakutō ability was 'Flying Thunder God.' Faced with the Nine-Tails' attack, he sacrificed his life to activate a forbidden technique, ultimately sealing the Nine-Tails inside a Zanpakutō."

"That's the beginning of the story…"

Haruki believed that compared to the melancholic Starrk, Lilynette's favor was much easier to earn.

So he decided to focus on Lilynette first. Once her favor was high enough, it would naturally influence Starrk's favor as well.

This was the so-called "first brush drives the second brush, leading to mutual friendliness."

Therefore, he often told Lilynette stories. Having been in Hueco Mundo for so long and having only recently split from Starrk, Lilynette had never heard so many stories before. She quickly offered her favor.

Unfortunately, her soul ability wasn't the one Haruki wanted most.

Only after obtaining Starrk's 'Soul Division' could Lilynette's 'Soul Fusion' truly be useful.

"…"

Watching Lilynette, who was following Haruki and listening intently to his story, Starrk's eyes showed a hint of relief before he followed them.

As for Loly, she had no sense of self to begin with. Since Szayelaporro had transferred her to Haruki, Haruki was now her master.

She only needed to follow him.

At this moment, Haruki continued telling the story of the "Konoha Shinigami" while thinking about the impact of his recent actions.

The biggest impact was, of course, on Szayelaporro.

This time, Haruki didn't let him split into two or weaken himself, which meant he would still possess the immense power of a Vasto Lorde.

With this power, combined with his intelligence and the Soul Fragment Haruki gave him to become a perfect being, how strong would Szayelaporro become?

This time, he would undoubtedly be the rightful Cero Espada.

Aside from Szayelaporro, Starrk had also undergone some changes.

Originally, Starrk had even considered weakening himself to gain friends.

But what is the Hōgyoku's ability?

The Hōgyoku's ability is to extract the desires of those around it and fulfill them.

So, did Starrk really use the Hōgyoku to become stronger?

Starrk's Arrancar transformation was self-induced and unrelated to Aizen's Hōgyoku.

In fact, Haruki even suspected that Starrk not only didn't use the Hōgyoku to become stronger but might have even used it to weaken himself!

But this time, Haruki had become Starrk's friend and could even encourage others to befriend him.

So…

When Aizen brings the Hōgyoku in the future, would Starrk still want to weaken himself?

Especially since Haruki had brought him a powerful ally in Szayelaporro. This time, Starrk might even use the Hōgyoku to become stronger.

It's easy to imagine that if Aizen were to form the Espada again, the Espada's lineup would be terrifyingly strong.

When Haruki first learned about these events in his past life, he wondered: if Aizen had fully utilized the forces of Hueco Mundo and launched another battle in Karakura Town, would the Espada still have lost?

This time, perhaps Haruki could fulfill that fantasy.

Of course, it's not just the Hollows who are changing. The Shinigami side is also undergoing transformations.

The most notable examples are Rukia and Renji. Rukia had the original Hollow White implanted in her, while Renji entered Hueco Mundo. How would their fates unfold?

"And then?!"

Lilynette's voice interrupted Haruki's thoughts.

"Naruto stole the 'Scroll of Seals.' Will the Captain-Commander of Konoha kill him next?"

How could that be…"

Haruki gently ruffled Lilynette's hair and said softly, "He's the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki. How could he just be killed like that?"

Lilynette broke free from Haruki's hand and then asked a question:

"Can… Hollows really be turned into Zanpakutō?"

"Well…"

Haruki fell silent for a moment, then thought of the ancient Hollows who had once attacked the Soul Society but were sealed by the Monk and Ōetsu. He couldn't help but say, "It should be possible. After all, once a Hollow becomes an Arrancar, they naturally possess a Zanpakutō."

"Speaking of which…"

At this point, he paused again and then said, "It's about time to start the Arrancarization experiments."

"Arrancarization experiments?" Lilynette said in surprise. "Is Haruki going to turn other Hollows into beings like us?"

Actually, they didn't know what they were at first. All other Hollows had masks, but only she and Starrk had their masks broken.

Although a small part of the mask remained, other Hollows had their entire faces covered by masks.

It was only after Haruki kept mentioning the term "Arrancar" that this phenomenon was defined.

"Alright then…"

Haruki thought for a moment and then said, "You and Starrk go back first. I have something to take care of in the Soul Society. When I return, you'll have more companions."

"You're going back to the Soul Society?" Starrk, who had been listening from behind, spoke up. "I thought Shinigami couldn't travel between Hueco Mundo and the Soul Society. Do you need help?"

Haruki couldn't help but smile at this. "What you're talking about applies to ordinary Shinigami. Don't forget, Captain Aizen can travel between Hueco Mundo and the Soul Society. As his lieutenant, how could I be the same as ordinary Shinigami?"

After saying this, the aura around Haruki suddenly changed.

A spiritual pressure completely different from that of a Shinigami emanated from him.

Haruki placed his hand on his face and then drew a line from the upper left to the lower right. As his hand moved, a Hollow's mask appeared.

"!"

This sudden transformation shocked both Starrk and Lilynette.

"Alright, take care of Loly for me. I won't be gone for long."

With those final words, Haruki opened a Garganta.

Normally, Shinigami who undergo Hollowfication cannot use Garganta.

For example, the Visored and even Ichigo Kurosaki cannot use Garganta, but Haruki's Hollowfication is different.

Haruki's Hollowfication is true Hollowfication. After transforming into a Hollow, he can gain almost all the abilities of a Hollow—not just Cero, High-Speed Regeneration, and Sonído, but even abilities like Pesquisa and Garganta.

This is the nobility of soul abilities. Do you have such Hollowfication?

After saying this, Haruki opened the Garganta and disappeared into the darkness.

"…Haruki… is actually a Hollow."

Lilynette widened her eyes in surprise.

Even Starrk was somewhat shocked, but he quickly thought of himself.

"…It's probably not that simple."

If they, as Hollows, could break their masks, then it didn't seem too far-fetched for a Shinigami to gain a Hollow's mask.

However, he had never heard of such a thing in the past.

Haruki Murakami…

Aizen Sōsuke…

Just who were they?

Even after spending a month with Haruki, Starrk still didn't fully understand his origins or goals.

But…

It didn't really matter.

Whatever their goals were, what did it have to do with him?

"Let's go. By the time Haruki returns, Hueco Mundo might be completely different."

...

Haruki returned to the Soul Society through the Garganta.

However, he had one problem: the Seireitei was covered by the Sekkiseki Wall.

This meant he could only use the Garganta to arrive in the Rukongai of the Soul Society. He couldn't directly enter the Seireitei because it was protected by a massive Sekkiseki Wall, making it difficult to force his way in.

Unless… he had Aizen's technology.

With Aizen's technology, it would be possible to open a Garganta directly inside the Seireitei.

Otherwise, Hollows would be too overpowered. They could open a Garganta, wreak havoc in the Seireitei, and then escape through another Garganta when reinforcements arrived. A few rounds of this, and the Seireitei would be ruined.

You attack them, but they vanish into thin air; they attack you, and it's like divine retribution—how could you possibly fight that?!

Therefore, Garganta cannot be used to enter the Seireitei.

Ordinary methods of travel cannot bypass the Sekkiseki Wall, which is why the Shinigami captains were so shocked when the Quincy later came and went from the Seireitei with ease.

The Quincy were indeed clever. They simply hid inside the Seireitei. The Sekkiseki Wall could only defend against external threats, not internal ones.

However, Haruki wasn't truly a Hollow. As long as he dispelled his Hollowfication, he was the dignified lieutenant of the Gotei 13. He could simply stroll back into the Seireitei from the Rukongai.

"Hey, long time no see, Jidanbō."

Haruki walked up to the White Path Gate and greeted the gatekeeper, Jidanbō.

"Lieutenant Haruki?"

Jidanbō looked at Haruki in surprise. "When did you go out? I didn't notice!"

"You were spacing out when I left, so I didn't say anything."

Haruki waved his hand. "Alright, I have some business to take care of at the squad, so I'll catch you later."

However, he didn't return to his squad. Instead, he went to Aizen's secret laboratory first.

Aizen wasn't in the lab, but Tōsen Kaname was there.

This secret lab usually had one of their four-man group present. Previously, Haruki had spent most of his time there, but now that he was at Las Noches, someone else had to take over.

"Why are you back?"

Tōsen coldly glared at Haruki. In front of him was the surveillance feed from Las Noches.

Through the surveillance, he naturally knew that Haruki had returned.

Tōsen's attitude toward Haruki had never been good. He disliked Haruki's carefree, seemingly indifferent demeanor, and the fact that Aizen had an almost boundless indulgence toward this attitude.

It was an insult to his ideals.

Even Gin Ichimaru had at least betrayed the Gotei 13 alongside them. Haruki had done almost nothing.

However, since Haruki didn't care about Tōsen's soul abilities, he wasn't particularly interested in Tōsen's attitude either.

"When did you install surveillance? That was quick."

So Haruki didn't answer his question and instead asked curiously.

He didn't answer Tōsen's question, and Tōsen didn't answer his either.

He simply continued, "Captain Aizen tasked you with overseeing Las Noches, but in this past month, you've done almost nothing, haven't you?"

"Well… it's not too bad." Haruki shrugged. "There's really not much to do. They haven't rebelled, and Captain Aizen hasn't given any orders. What could I do?"

As he spoke, he glanced at the surveillance feed on the screen and asked, "Where's White?"

Tōsen frowned. "Isn't he under your supervision?"

"He's always out hunting. I can't possibly follow him around for that."

Haruki walked over to the machine, tapped a few keys on the keyboard, and the screen switched to show Hollow White.

"This guy…"

Haruki frowned. Hollow White wasn't in the human world but in Hueco Mundo.

In Hueco Mundo, aside from the Hueco Mundo Expeditionary Force, there were no other Shinigami.

Yes, the second-generation Hollow White had also encountered Shiba Kaien.

It was too much of a coincidence, as if fate had decreed that Shiba Kaien must die, so he kept encountering danger over and over again.

The second-generation Hollow White was created by Aizen with more advanced technology, but the creation process was still too short. Although his combat power was impressive, he wasn't able to gain the upper hand against the Hueco Mundo Expeditionary Force.

Shiba Kaien seemed to have grown stronger after years of training in Hueco Mundo. Coupled with the Shinigami from the 11th Division, Hollow White could only fight them to a stalemate for the time being.

"Oh?"

Tōsen also noticed the scene on the screen and couldn't help but say coldly, "Those people are your friends, aren't they? Aren't you going to help?"

Hearing the sarcasm in his tone, Haruki shrugged.

"I've told you before, these people are just subjects of my observation. I've already observed their behavior, which means they're no longer useful to me."

He didn't actually believe Hollow White could kill these people. Although they were deep in enemy territory, they had the ability to return to the Soul Society at any time.

The gate created by Mayuri Kurotsuchi wasn't permanent, but it allowed them to enter and exit once.

If they were in real danger, they could just retreat to the Soul Society.

If they chose to die rather than retreat, there was nothing Haruki could do.

You can't save someone who's determined to die.

Haruki switched the surveillance feed back to Las Noches and then said, "Although these Shinigami aren't a big deal, Hollow White's actions will definitely reach the Soul Society, and that will provoke a stronger backlash."

In the eyes of the Soul Society, they didn't know that the first-generation Hollow White had entered Rukia's body. They would only think that the second-generation Hollow White had evolved from the first.

The first-generation Hollow White was already strange enough, and now the second-generation Hollow White was even more bizarre. Even if they didn't think it was the same individual, they might consider it a special group.

If it was a group, the Soul Society might pay even more attention.

In any case, Hollow White, who had gone completely unnoticed in the original manga, would definitely be discovered by more and more people this time.

"So what?" Tōsen said in a tone that was quite disdainful of the Soul Society. "Even if they can discover Hollow White, they'll never catch him."

Haruki nodded in agreement.

Although Hollow White was a Hollow, he wasn't like the straightforward Menos. After every battle with Shinigami, he underwent some kind of change that made him stronger and more intelligent.

It wouldn't be easy for the Soul Society to capture him.

Since Aizen wasn't here, there was no point in staying, so Haruki prepared to leave.

After returning to the 5th Division, Haruki found Momo waiting outside his office.

"Senior Haruki, were you out just now?"

"Yeah, I took a walk in the Rukongai," Haruki said casually.

He knew that during his absence from the Seireitei, Aizen had used Kyōka Suigetsu to have someone impersonate him.

And now that he had returned, even though Aizen wasn't in the lab, he must have known, so he naturally canceled the Kyōka Suigetsu.

"You're here. Is there something you need to report?" Haruki asked curiously.

"Oh, Miss Kuchiki said she wanted to see you, Senior Haruki."

"Kuchiki? You mean Rukia?" Haruki was surprised.

After Rukia fell into a coma, she had been keeping a low profile. For the first few months, she didn't leave the Kuchiki household at all. Even after returning to the 13th Division, she rarely went out.

Haruki thought it was likely that Hollow White had caused some kind of influence within Rukia, but it wasn't significant enough for the Kuchiki family to determine the exact nature of the changes.

If Kuchiki Rukia had truly undergone Hollowfication, the Kuchiki family would definitely not keep her.

Byakuya Kuchiki hadn't yet been awakened by Ichigo Kurosaki. He had sworn at his parents' graves that he would never break the rules again.

So if Rukia had undergone Hollowfication, even with his love for Hisana, Byakuya would most likely not hide the changes in Rukia.

Now, Rukia had come to see him?

This was the first time since that battle. Had the anomalies in Rukia disappeared?

With a hint of curiosity, Haruki asked, "Hmm… where is she now?"

"She left when she saw you weren't here and said she'd visit again next time."

"I see," Haruki said. "In that case, there's no need to wait. I'll go to the 13th Division to see her later."

For now, he needed to meet with Aizen.

After saying goodbye to Momo, Haruki entered the captain's office and saw Aizen handling official duties.

It had to be said that as a captain, Aizen was indeed diligent. The efficiency of the 5th Division's paperwork was the highest among all thirteen divisions.

By the way, Aizen also had a nickname: "The Dragon of Paperwork."

"You're back?"

Although it was phrased as a question, it sounded more like a statement. Haruki nodded and said, "Yes, it was too boring in Hueco Mundo. I had to come back and take a look."

"Here's the draft I wrote in Hueco Mundo. Do you want to take a look first?"

Haruki took out a stack of documents from his pocket and placed them on Aizen's desk.

This was the update he had written in Hueco Mundo, enough to cover the next issue of the "Seireitei Communication."

Then he asked, "What happened to Rukia?"

He knew Aizen must have been keeping an eye on Rukia, as Hollow White's transfer to her body had been an unexpected event.

Even if she had stayed in the Kuchiki household, Haruki believed Aizen must have found a way to observe her.

"Take a look at this."

Aizen, with great interest, placed a photo in front of Haruki.

Haruki picked up the photo and his pupils dilated.

The person in the photo was indeed Rukia, but this Rukia was somewhat different.

Her hair was no longer black but a grayish-white, even leaning toward a dark purple. Her clothes were no longer the black shihakushō but a white robe.

Although her appearance was the same as Rukia's, her skin was paler, and her pupils had turned red, giving her an evil yet mysterious and unknown aura.

Especially… her Zanpakutō had also changed, turning into a massive purple-black scythe.

This…

Why did it look like the Dark Rukia from the movie?