"Wait!"
At first, Rukia felt completely powerless.
It was as if, after the Hōgyoku was removed, her very soul had been sealed, leaving her unable to move.
Just as Yoshio was about to leave, Rukia suddenly broke through the restraints with a surge of power, struggling to her feet and shouting:
"Captain Yoshio! What's going on? Is… that…"
Rukia's gaze darted between Yoshio and a familiar figure.
How could she not recognize her?
The clothes and demeanor were a little different, but the face—99% identical to her own. It was clearly herself, but not her.
She wasn't exactly the Dark Rukia she'd seen in her inner world—
In her inner world, her alternate self was all white, otherwise identical to her real self.
But this "Dark Rukia" wasn't completely white—her hair had turned gray, her violet eyes deepened, nearly black.
Her garment was white, rough, almost as if woven from scraps.
This must have been her appearance when she was possessed by the parasitic Hollow. But why was she manifesting now?
After that incident, after she met her in the void, Rukia hadn't felt her presence again.
"Thank you, Rukia."
Darkness swirled around Yoshio, but he answered calmly, "You've always been a remarkable vessel—whether for sealing away the Hōgyoku or the parasitic Hollow."
"Because the Parasite Hollow happened to possess you, the captains became aware of it. I had no choice but to act: weaken its power to the utmost, and hide it again within you."
"Your own strength allowed her to finally recover after many long years. But… you should thank me. Without my existence, and that of the Parasitic Hollow, you would never have become this strong."
"I…"
"Wait!"
Clutching her chest, Rukia gasped the word "I." At that moment, Yamamoto's voice rang out low and fierce, followed by a torrent of searing fire!
The flames roared, as if to ignite the heavens themselves. For a moment, the hiss of fire drowned out all other sounds in the world.
But as soon as the flames touched the black particles swirling around Yoshio and the others, they were blocked.
Boom!
The flames that should have incinerated everything were stopped cold by the black particles—unable to even shake them, let alone evaporate them.
"What is this…?"
Yamamoto frowned, and then Angra muttered, "What is this? It uses the principle of a Negación, but it's…different."
"As expected from the Hollow among Hollows," Aizen said. "That's a Negación—it can only be used by Rukia, because she's a Shinigami."
Of course, the "Rukia" he meant was Dark Rukia.
These black particles were the Negación, a technique only she could use.
Her true form as a Hollow was, in fact, a Shinigami—a bizarre paradox.
Just as Grimmjow's true form is a panther, Nnoitra's a mantis, Harribel's a shark… at certain stages, a Hollow's soul transforms into a special form, depending on their nature and level (Adjuchas, Gillian, even beyond).
Dark Rukia's true form was the most unique—born from Rukia herself, her current form was her "true" form. Meaning:
It might look like she's not wearing a Hollow mask—but actually, Rukia's own face is the mask!
A Hollow's mask is the symbol of their lost heart. For Dark Rukia, who possesses Rukia's heart as her own, Rukia's face is her mask.
Since Dark Rukia's true form is Shinigami Rukia, her Hollow powers are primarily "Shinigami" in nature.
Her scythe for harvesting souls resembles the mythic Grim Reaper, ever present at the side of the dead.
And as a "Shinigami," she naturally possesses the power to guide souls into the afterlife.
This is the power of the [Negación]—a technique only Rukia can use!
The Negación is a Hollow art for healing allies. When deployed, it creates two worlds, inside and outside—no one can break it.
Aizen could no longer use his usual abilities, since now he was up against Angra Mainyu himself.
Even without merging with the Hōgyoku and surpassing all Shinigamis, Aizen was always meticulous, calculating every move.
That's why Rukia was chosen as the user of the Negación.
Her Negación, in both mechanism and strength, far surpasses the usual ones. While Angra Mainyu's basic power eclipses all Hollows, Dark Rukia's current Negación is more than just a simple barrier—it's reinforced by her own spiritual attributes.
So, even for him, breaking it would take some time.
Of course, if Angra went all out, she could probably shatter this Negación too.
The truth is, the Negación coating is just a peculiar rule—it's not truly unbreakable.
Angra devoured the left hand of the Hollow King. If she unleashed that power, even if it didn't match a monk's, it would be more than enough to destroy the Negación.
Aizen, at the third stage of the Hōgyoku's transformation, used a spiritual barrier to shatter a black blade that symbolized space-time. However strong this Negación was, at best it was on par with that black blade—certainly no match for Angra's power.
After all, this story belongs to Yoshio as the protagonist. No way would he let a side character upstage him now.
Who likes to play it cool?
So, since Angra didn't act, the other Shinigamis realized they couldn't stop Yoshio and Aizen this time.
"By the way, don't get any ideas about attacking me," Dark Rukia said calmly. "When I was summoned, I was already in Hueco Mundo. This is just a projection of me, here to guide the dead."
She didn't even need to say it—Yamamoto hadn't attacked her from the start, already sensing she wasn't the real thing. Her spiritual pressure was there, but it was faint and indistinct.
Killing her was meaningless.
In other words…
They could no longer stop the traitors from escaping!
Everyone's hearts sank. This was a devastating blow to the Soul Society, Seireitei, and the Gotei 13!
The captains and lieutenants of the 3rd, 5th, 9th, and 10th Divisions—thirteen in total—now four captains, two lieutenants, and one third seat had defected.
Such a defeat was almost unheard of for the Gotei 13.
It was reminiscent of the Hollowfication incident, when several captains and lieutenants were lost.
In that moment, Ukitake cried out, "Yoshio! Aizen! Have you really fallen so far, chasing after power?!"
"…It's not really your place to say that, as one possessed," Yoshio replied with a faint smile.
As he finished speaking, he glanced unconsciously at Aizen.
He knew what was about to happen—a moment that would go down in memory.
Since he'd come to the world of BLEACH, there was no way he'd miss that iconic scene!
Sure enough, as Yoshio finished, black particles formed a pathway around Aizen, the world around them darkening as if it were night.
They rose slowly.
"You're too arrogant," Aizen said, standing in midair, his indifferent eyes sweeping the crowd.
"From the very beginning, there was no one standing in the sky."
"Not you, not me, not even the gods." Aizen slowly removed his glasses, his hair flowing back. At the same time, his spiritual pressure shattered his gentle, vain-glorious glasses to dust.
With that, the falsehoods of his past were swept away, and his words now rang with cold finality.
But soon, even this vacancy in the heavens—the empty throne—would end.
Looking down upon the Shinigamis, Aizen quietly declared,
"Next, I'll be the one to stand in the sky."
He didn't emphasize the words, speaking as if it was already a fact.
By now, they'd already ascended to the same level as Dark Rukia.
The next instant, Dark Rukia's body dissolved into shadows, merging all the black particles into a giant Garganta, and they all vanished together!
"Gone…"
Yamamoto's face was pale. Since the Hollowfication incident a century ago, Soul Society had never truly recovered.
Since the founding of the Gotei 13, there had never been so many setbacks in a single century. Could the fate of the Gotei have really declined so much in a thousand years?
"Commander-Captain…"
Ukitake, hearing the exchange with Yoshio and Aizen, felt a heavy weight on his chest and looked up at his mentor.
Yamamoto understood what he wanted to ask. Ukitake just wanted to know what would happen to Rukia and Ruka.
Rukia's Hollowfication was a fact, but now that the mastermind had appeared and removed the source—the parasitic Hollow—she could theoretically be released.
Moreover, with Central 46 dead, Yamamoto could make decisions until a new Central 46 was chosen.
Most importantly, right now…
They were desperately short of fighting power!
With four captains defected and the wild Espada of Hueco Mundo allied, Seireitei would be in grave danger!
In other words, Soul Society's fate hung by a thread!
They couldn't afford to lose any more of the Gotei 13's strength!
If they moved against Rukia, Ukitake and Angra would never give up. Besides, that Ryoka had grown explosively strong in a short time—he seemed to have captain-class power now.
They might need their help in the coming battles.
With that in mind, Yamamoto said in a low voice, "Since all this began because of the criminal Kamado Yoshio, and the parasitic Hollow is now gone, Kuchiki Rukia's life should be spared."
Hearing this, the captains breathed sighs of relief.
Ichigo, who had fallen to the ground, managed a relieved smile at those words.
Though badly injured, Unohana had already provided basic treatment to the wounded after arriving.
Watching events unfold, Angra turned to leave.
"Wait."
As Angra was about to go, Yamamoto called out.
"What is it?" Angra stopped. "Are you Shinigamis thinking of purifying me?"
"Shinigamis only purify Hollows who threaten the living world," Yamamoto said quietly. "I have a request."
"…Speak."
"Who created that space?" Yamamoto asked gravely.
"Surtr."
Surtr? Who was that?
Yamamoto had never seen Surtr. By the time he arrived, the otherworldly space was already formed.
"…A Quincy," Angra finally said. "The other force pursuing Rukia—the Quincy you failed to eliminate a thousand years ago."
"!"
Their conversation wasn't far from the captains, so everyone heard the word "Quincy."
Their eyes widened in shock. "Impossible! The Quincies are—"
"Of course, it's possible," Angra said gently. "They've always been with you, hidden in your shadow."
Then, opening a Garganta, Angra said, "Ichigo, things here are settled. Recover, then use Shinigami methods to return to the Human World. I'm going to Hueco Mundo to track Aizen's movements."
"Uh…"
Ichigo was a little surprised, then said, "So eager?"
Actually, he wanted to ask Angra about Urahara Kisuke.
Angra added, "Aizen's success wasn't just from obtaining the Hōgyoku. I'm going to Hueco Mundo to test a certain hypothesis."
With that, he stepped into the Garganta, his figure swallowed by darkness.
"…" Ichigo was left speechless.
"First, let's treat the wounded," Unohana Retsu said softly.
No matter how much damage Aizen and Yoshio had caused Soul Society, now that they were gone, the best thing was to focus on the present.
They couldn't just storm into Hueco Mundo now. That would be suicide without understanding the situation.
After Yoshio left, the power suppressing Rukia completely vanished. She walked toward Ichigo Kurosaki, Renji Abarai, and Byakuya Kuchiki.
All three were being treated by Unohana now. Seeing their condition, Rukia's heart ached.
These three meant so much to her.
Yoshio had betrayed her—and because of her, these three had suffered such injuries. How could her heart not ache?
"Rukia…"
At that moment, Byakuya called softly, "Come here."
Hearing her brother, Rukia rushed to his side. "Brother, how are you feeling?"
Byakuya had once tried to kill her, but Rukia still felt grateful. He'd adopted Rukia, giving her a home for the first time.
"There's something I need to tell you."
Byakuya was referring to Rukia's sister, Hisana.
Until now, Rukia had always thought Byakuya adopted her as his sister simply because she looked so much like Hisana.
But the truth was—she was actually Hisana's real sister!
The two of them had arrived in Soul Society as children. But Hisana, unable to raise Rukia in a rough district like Rukongai, had been forced to abandon her.
Even after Hisana's death, Byakuya continued searching for Rukia.
By marrying a commoner like Hisana, Byakuya had broken the rules of the nobility, so he swore at his parents' graves never to break the rules again.
Now, with Rukia before him, he was torn: which mattered more—Hisana's sister, or his vow at his parents' graves?
Until he met Ichigo Kurosaki, he hadn't realized his own rules were being broken by Ichigo's wild nature.
Learning all this, Rukia's once-tangled feelings were somewhat soothed.
She'd thought she'd break down upon learning Hisana was her sister, but to her surprise, she felt calm.
Until…
Byakuya spoke again.
"Before Hisana died, she told me something."
"What?" Rukia asked.
"She went back to the place where you were abandoned. She didn't find you… but she found something else."
Badly wounded, Byakuya pulled something from his robes. The moment Rukia saw it, her heart, which had just calmed, was thrown into chaos again—
No, it was more like a cataclysmic upheaval!
It was as if thunder exploded within her. Her pupils dilated, her breathing quickened.
"This…this is…!"
A necklace!
On instinct, Rukia reached for the necklace she wore at her chest.
She quickly took the necklace from Byakuya, then removed her own from around her neck and examined them side by side.
Identical.
Absolutely identical.
The only difference: the front of hers had a flame, the back a drop. The one Byakuya held had a drop on the front and a flower on the back!
How…how was this possible?
The necklace she had was given to her by Yoshio—after defeating the Parasitic Hollow, Yoshio had transformed Homura and Shizuku into this necklace to accompany her.
In hindsight, maybe this was all part of Yoshio's plan to nurture the Hollow within her using his own soul.
But…
How could this be explained now?
How had another of Yoshio's necklaces been at the place she was abandoned, long before she met him?!
"I… don't know if I should say this, but I've decided to tell you everything," Byakuya continued.
"Thank you, brother…"
Rukia spoke quietly.
Right now, she was utterly confused—she had no idea what was going on.
Her sister Hisana had abandoned her. Later, Hisana came searching, and at the place she'd left Rukia, she found a necklace identical to the one Yoshio had given Rukia.
What had happened back then?
Rukia stopped for a moment, then desperately tried to recall her past.
When consciousness returned, she was already in Rukongai. How could a tiny baby survive such a terrible place? No one knew.
Was it…
Had someone adopted her?
Had someone helped her?
It had been so long that her memories were just a blur, but a shadowy figure was growing clearer.
Who…who was it?
Her memories grew dim, but the figure became distinct.
Was it…Captain Yoshio?
But…
No, it couldn't be!
He was Yoshio's junior, and Yoshio wasn't that much older—almost the same age.
When she'd been abandoned, Captain Yoshio, even if he could move, was still just a child!
So…
What really happened back then?
"Rukia, come for treatment," Unohana said gently.
Her words broke Rukia's thoughts, and she hurriedly replied, "Ah—sorry! I'm coming."
Rukia backed up in a bit of a fluster.
So…
What really happened in the past?
Could it be…?
A thought, a possibility, a hope was born in Rukia's heart!
Could there be a hidden reason behind Yoshio's betrayal?!
That's how simps are. Even when betrayed, they look for excuses, for reasons—hoping the other person has some explanation, some secret story.
It's not fair to call someone with over 90% favorability for Yoshio just a simp, but for now, their mindset is exactly the same.
At least for now…
Rukia quietly prayed, hoping there was something more to Yoshio's story…
...
Yoshio activated [Past Reaper] once more, gazing at Hueco Mundo with a smile as he exited the room.
Maybe he'd been a bit too cruel? Was it really right to toy with a young girl's heart that way?
But…
Rukia really was the one most likely to undergo a second transformation of the soul.
Never mind. Best not to dwell on death for now.
He took a deep breath.
Compared to Soul Society, the air in Las Noches was definitely better.
After all… Hueco Mundo was rich in spirit particles. For spirits, aside from the ever-present decay, despair, and lurking dangers, it was actually more livable than Seireitei.
As the saying goes, the moon is always fullest in the middle of its arc—how true that is now.
Ever since the Hell of Solitude and the Divine Tree were transplanted to the moon, Hueco Mundo's moon had grown increasingly strange.
It now cast a cold, lonely light, sometimes turning an eerie red, as if determined to seduce souls into ruin.
Evil, desire, anger, sloth, arrogance…
All manner of dark elements spilled from the moonlight, making already-corrupted Hollows even more depraved.
What can you do? Compared to the sacred Tree of Life, the evil tree grows much faster!
Baelz was originally a tree of evil, only obtaining the Tree of Life after ascending to a transcendent existence.
Thus, the progress of the evil tree far outpaces that of the Tree of Life. With only one guardian protecting the Life Tree, while the evil tree's particles had already formed a cycle, about to begin a second.
Naturally, the tree of evil's influence was far stronger than that of the Tree of Life.
To those seeking rationality, these evil elements are disastrous. But for those who follow instinct, it's great news.
The more you fall, the stronger you become!
Will Hueco Mundo truly become a devil's paradise in the future?
Are you watching the sky?
At that moment, Starrk approached.
"That's right," Yoshio chuckled. "Even though Aizen set up a sun in Hueco Mundo, the red moon's light seems to overshadow even the sun."
"…" Starrk frowned. "I don't know what's going on, but I have a bad feeling."
"Don't overthink it. It's not the time." Yoshio glanced at Starrk, noticing his soul ability had finally changed.
Before, Starrk's soul ability was [Spirit Split]. Now, it was [Friendly Aura].
[Friendly Aura]: When someone is near you, their favorability toward you gradually increases.
Hey, this ability is too powerful, isn't it?
Yoshio narrowed his eyes. Was this a divine skill too?
Like Rukia's "star" or Masaki Kurosaki's "Sun," these abilities drew others' attention and increased favorability.
But—
Starrk's approach was far more direct!
Favorability increases just by being near him. Even if the rate isn't stated, a little over a hundred years is enough for a noticeable rise!
Aizen is exactly the type who needs a "friendly aura" to fall deeply into "friendship"!
Aizen's favorability was 53. Only seven more points needed to temporarily use "Apotheosis" once.
Given Aizen's personality, 53 was already high. Who knew how long it would take to push it to 60?
This Friendly Aura arrived at just the right moment!
But Starrk's favorability toward Yoshio still didn't reach 90.
Among Hollows, Starrk was already a loner. Few Hollows had even 60 favorability toward Yoshio. Starrk, being so solitary, had a favorability above 80.
But after 80, it never reached 90, stalling at 88.
That was already high—apart from Rukia, Renji Abarai, and Nezuko, the closest people to him, no one had reached 90.
But—
Fortunately, with 80 favorability, he could use Friendly Aura once, for three days.
If only he could raise Starrk's favorability to 90 in that time.
Thinking that, Yoshio activated the temporary ability [Friendly Aura].
Just seeing the radiance wasn't enough—he'd need other methods.
After some thought, Yoshio asked, "Are you really that worried about the changes in Hueco Mundo?"
"…" Starrk didn't answer, but his expression said it all.
He'd already come to regard the Espada as his companions—after all, they'd spent so much time together.
Not to mention, there were other Arrancar in Las Noches…
After a pause, Starrk simply said, "Barragan… something's wrong with him."
"…Sharp eyes," Yoshio smiled. "Of all the Espada, only you noticed."
"You knew?" Starrk asked, surprised.
Starrk had sensed something off about Barragan for years. His aura had grown more complex, less "arrogant."
He seemed busy with something.
"Let it be."
Yoshio said casually, "He thought he was acting carefully, but how could he hide from Aizen and me?"
"But we were interested to see how far he'd go, so we left him alone."
Yoshio shook his head. "Besides, his change may be very important. No one knows yet."
"Very important?" Starrk paused. "What do you mean?"
"Do you know about the Tree of Life?"
Yoshio suddenly asked.
"…Never heard of it."
"The changes in Hueco Mundo, the changes in the Three Realms…"
Yoshio said quietly, "It's all because of that."
…