In the secret laboratory at Mount Ibushi in Ryukongai.
Gazing at Arturo Plateado, who was submerged in an unidentified liquid, Naraku Sora looked ready to jump out of his skin. "Sosuke, how do you plan to process this guy?"
Aizen Sosuke remained focused on Arturo, occasionally tapping on his equipment and injecting various reagents into the container.
"First, I'll analyze the nature of his spirit particles. Then, I will conduct a detailed dissection of the spiritual body's flesh and bone structure. Beyond that, there is research to be done on the soul level."
"Why do you ask?"
Arturo was, after all, a Vasto Lorde who had achieved natural Arrancarization. He certainly deserved a high level of attention. In addition to necessary anesthetics, he required specific spirit particle suppression drugs and corresponding Bakudo seals.
Aside from Arturo, this trip to Hueco Mundo had also yielded a Gillian on the verge of evolution and a hyena-shaped Adjuchas. Although they were both corpses, their research value remained immense.
Seeing the massive entities floating in the liquid, Aizen couldn't help but let a small smile tug at the corner of his mouth. With these materials, his research progress would enter a phase of rapid development, and many problems that were usually difficult to solve would be easily addressed.
What he lacked most right now was data support.
While he had enough Hollows for the moment, he was still somewhat lacking on the Soul Reaper side. Due to the presence of a certain person—or rather, under that person's influence—it was somewhat inconvenient for him to strike at his own colleagues. Moreover, with the steady progress of his previous plans, the sacrifice of others wasn't strictly necessary for now.
'I'll set aside the Soul Reaper research for a while. I can revisit it later when an opportunity arises.'
Naraku Sora put on a serious face. "Sosuke, I want to borrow him for half a day."
"Please, you have to say yes. I'm willing to trade one of Old Man Yama's arms for it."
Aizen: "?"
He turned his head and stared at Naraku Sora for several seconds, wondering if the guy had taken a hit to the head during the fight with Arturo, causing his brains to turn into mush.
'You're a man of action who can't even identify half of this equipment. What use do you have for a Great Hollow?'
As for the second half of the sentence, he treated it as pure nonsense. Even if Head Captain Yamamoto was strong, what use did Aizen have for the man's arm? He had no grievance with the old man.
However, considering Naraku Sora had put in a great deal of effort during the excursion to Hueco Mundo—and that without him, it would have been difficult to resolve the Arturo situation so cleanly—Aizen thought for a few seconds before nodding.
"Very well," he said deeply.
That night, the moonlight was as clear as water.
A shifty figure appeared near the barracks of Shino Prison. After a brief observation, he followed a hidden path leading underground.
The way was entirely clear.
Before returning, Naraku Sora had calculated and scouted the area; this was the time when Shino Prison's guards were at their most lax. While his stealth skills were only average, avoiding a few ordinary squad members who weren't even seated officers was simple enough.
Coupled with the Bakudo #26: Kyokko that Aizen had specially prepared for him, returning to Shino Prison was as easy as going home.
Furthermore, during the day, Naraku Sora had specifically drawn a vial of blood for Shutara Senjumaru to study. Given his understanding of that "bad woman," she was bound to be focused on her research in the lab right now, with no time to monitor the underground prison.
Everything was in place.
The Hell of Reviving.
The Adjuchas that had previously been "reformed" by Naraku Sora's hope therapy looked on in shock as the youth snuck in, carrying an unidentified creature on his shoulder. The creature was covered in Kido incantations and looked extremely dangerous.
Noticing its gaze, Naraku Sora shot it a look, his expression turning threatening.
The Adjuchas immediately understood and closed its eyes, signaling that it hadn't seen a thing.
The public figurehead of Shino Prison was that dangerous woman who had nearly crushed it with a single palm, but the actual person in charge was this youth who had "reformed" it multiple times.
Honestly, after staying here for so long, it wasn't so bad. Since it had submitted, the food hadn't been poor; occasionally, it even got to devour a couple of Hollows that had no sense of self-preservation. Truth be told, this was much better than that desolate wasteland of Hueco Mundo.
The real boss of Shino Prison currently looked like he was up to no good, but even if the Adjuchas saw it, it would pretend not to. This was one of the survival rules it had learned during its stay: Never cross Naraku Sora.
Being spotted by the Adjuchas was unavoidable; the cells had Bakudo detection, and entering while covered by Kyokko would trigger an alarm.
He opened the cell door and tossed the unconscious Arturo inside.
[SUCCESSFULLY SUBDUED CRIMINAL HOLLOW ARTURO PLATEADO, SIN VALUE 114514, PARTICIPATION 67%!]
[YOUR SPIRITUAL PRESSURE HAS INCREASED, CURRENT GRADE: THIRD CLASS!]
[YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF KIDO HAS IMPROVED, PERFECTLY MASTERED LIGHTNING STYLE MODE!]
[YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF BAKUDO HAS IMPROVED, SUCCESSFULLY LEARNED BAKUDO #81: DANKU!]
[YOUR INSIGHT INTO HOLLOW POWER HAS IMPROVED, SUCCESSFULLY LEARNED SONIDO!]
[YOUR HOLLOW POWER HAS INCREASED, CURRENTLY AT 40%!]
It felt as though a barrier on his soul had been shattered. Naraku Sora faintly heard the sound of breaking. His skin turned slightly red as scorching blood flowed through his veins, surging violently and injecting endless power into his body.
His Hierro became harder, his neural perception sharper, and even his muscle fibers gained more resilience. With his heart pounding frantically, Sora felt the illusion that his entire being was expanding.
To prevent the commotion from becoming too large, he released a portion of his spiritual pressure in advance to form a protective barrier, preventing his aura from leaking out. But even so, a scorching wind rose in the area centered around him.
The Adjuchas closest to him stared in terror. Even from just a trace of that violent scent, it smelled the breath of death. That absolute suppression of rank felt as if it were etched into the depths of its soul.
It had no idea what was happening to Naraku Sora; it only knew one thing: the boss of Shino Prison, who could already toy with it easily, was now even stronger than when he had first entered.
And it was an absurd level of strength!
After a long while, the startling unrest finally subsided. Naraku Sora casually condensed a Bakudo #39: Engetsusan. On the clear, circular shield, he saw the reflection of a partial mask.
There were no complex designs—just a few simple, pitch-black lines—but they depicted the face of a savage, cruel demon. Even a direct gaze was enough to send a chill down one's spine.
Naraku Sora was quite satisfied. At least his style points hadn't dropped; this was much better than Ushoda Hachigen from the Visored. At this rate, it wouldn't be long before the entire mask was completed.
Unlike the Visored who were forced into Hollowification, Naraku Sora's active Hollowification had no negative effects. If he had to name one, it was that he might become a bit more battle-hungry in that state.
'But can that even be called a side effect?'
'I've already Hollowified. If I'm not a bit more battle-hungry, I'll probably get beaten to death by my enemies.'
As for the duration, it depended entirely on Naraku Sora's spiritual pressure intensity. Based on his previous Fourth Class spiritual power, he could sustain several hours of high-intensity combat without an issue. Now that he had broken through to Third Class, he would likely last even longer.
Beyond the mask, even his physique had undergone subtle changes. His muscles were now tightly knotted. As he lightly stretched his arms, the movement of his bones and tendons produced a sound like a bowstring being tightened. Just standing there gave off a heavy sense of pressure.
It seemed that the increase in growth potential was the most crucial reward. it allowed the rewards he obtained to manifest perfectly within himself, whether it was spiritual pressure or Hollow power.
Aside from the critical base stats, the other abilities were also ridiculous—such as Sonido, exclusive to Great Hollows. A massive amount of information regarding Sonido flooded his mind. In an instant of realization, Naraku Sora absorbed the divine inspiration.
His understanding of Sonido was rising at an incredible speed. Within a mere heartbeat, he had achieved a preliminary mastery of it. Like Shunpo, Sonido required a great deal of time to practice; even Hollows themselves couldn't bypass that fact.
To Sora's surprise, however, once he grasped the basic principles, he discovered that Sonido and Shunpo were fundamentally different. The former was a short-distance spatial displacement, while the latter relied on the instantaneous speed of a physical burst.
Shunpo training mainly relied on physical exercise. One improved their speed through constant practice of the three stages: the stance, the step, and the dash. In contrast, Sonido required no physical training or control of spirit particles. At the moment of activation, the spirit particles in the body were converted into another substance, allowing the user to bypass the detection nerves of other Great Hollows while achieving the effect of spatial movement.
All in all, it was much more complex than Shunpo.
As for Bakudo #81: Danku, there wasn't much to say. It had extremely high defensive power, capable of blocking the impact of Hado below number 89. But looking at the enemies Sora had encountered lately, any one of them could easily deal excessive damage.
The final reward was another heavy hitter.
Naraku Sora stared at the text on the panel and slowly felt a question mark forming.
What did it mean by "Lightning Style Mode"?
He was an outstanding graduate of the Spiritual Arts Academy; while he might not know every sequenced Kido by heart, he certainly hadn't missed any. Yet, even after searching his memory, he couldn't find a single Kido related to "Lightning Style."
The same went for non-sequenced Kido.
A legacy completely at odds with the Kido knowledge of the Soul Society brewed in his mind, and strange inspirations continued to emerge. It included the movement paths of spiritual energy, the adjustment of spiritual pressure distribution, and the intense tempering of the physical body.
When Sora finally understood this Kido, his expression became a bit strange.
To put it simply, it involved wrapping lightning around the physical body to increase its hardness and speed, forming a suit of armor that activated the body's cells.
'Isn't this just the Lightning Style Chakra Mode from that neighboring village?'
If it weren't for the fact that making too much noise was inappropriate right now, Sora might have tried it immediately. He was very curious to see what level his strength would reach if he active-Hollowified while in Lightning Style Mode. How many strikes from Teacher Yamamoto could he take?
With a restless heart, he finished organizing his gains and turned his gaze back to Arturo in the cell. There was a bit more warmth in his eyes now.
Due to the drugs, the other party was still in a coma.
'What a wonderful Hollow!'
'He provides experimental materials for Aizen and rewards for me.'
Feeling a sense of gratitude, Sora slung Arturo over his shoulder, reapplied Bakudo #26: Kyokko, and left Shino Prison.
Watching his receding back, the Adjuchas in the cell wore an expression of deep emotion on its hideous face. That Soul Reaper, who once had to struggle just to stand under its spiritual pressure, had become a powerful existence that it had to look up to in the blink of an eye.
'Life really is unpredictable...'
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