Somewhere in the Great Hollow Forest.
The goat and the monstrous fish guarded the periphery, while Ronan hid in a cave, observing the small, incomplete mask fragment he had obtained from Ulquiorra.
After watching for a long time, Ronan directly opened his mouth and swallowed it. After swallowing the mask, Ronan's spiritual pressure did not increase in the slightest. However, he felt as if something special had been added to his being.
"It really works!"
Ronan's face lit up with joy as he felt the changes around him.
The world of Hollows has a strict hierarchy. Those who can devour many Gillians to become Adjuchas are already as rare as phoenix feathers and qilin horns. As for the higher-level Hollow, Vasto Lord, they are even more incredibly scarce.
In the original work, there were only a few Vasto Lord that actually appeared, and many of them were even naturally born.
The only one confirmed to have slowly evolved into a Vasto Lord through his own efforts was Grimmjow after the Thousand-Year Blood War.
Even Nnoitra, who was so competitive and would stop at nothing to fight stronger opponents, remained an Adjuchas in the end, still unable to surpass Nel, who had been missing for many days and was out of practice.
Did Nnoitra not want to ascend to Vasto Lord? Obviously not; it was because he lacked the talent, or rather, the aptitude, to become a Vasto Lord.
Swallowing Ulquiorra's incomplete mask was precisely to increase his aptitude for becoming a Vasto Lord.
Ronan's action wasn't because he thought he couldn't become a Vasto Lord with his own aptitude, but after all, one more preparation meant one more chance of success.
"You shattered your mask to become an Arrancar, and I ate a mask to increase my aptitude. We both have bright futures!"
...
At the Training Grounds of the Spiritual Arts Academy.
At this time, a large crowd had gathered. These people were all sixth-term veteran students, meaning they were Shinigami cadets who had undergone six years of training at the Spiritual Arts Academy and were about to graduate, with the exception of Ito Makoto.
At this time, Matsumoto Rangiku and Hisagi Shuuhei were still in their fourth term, while Ito Makoto had already jumped to the sixth term. As long as he completed the graduation assessment with these sixth-term veterans, he could officially join the Gotei Thirteenth Division.
Everyone in the square was holding a pep rally. Three days later, this group of students would go to the Human World for the Soul Burial assessment.
At this point, nearly a year had passed since Ito Makoto joined the Spiritual Arts Academy.
It wasn't that Ito Makoto's aptitude required a year to graduate; rather, Shinigami cadets studying at the Spiritual Arts Academy, no matter how monstrous their aptitude, were required to stay for at least one year before being allowed to graduate.
The last person to graduate so quickly was Ichimaru Gin.
...
The next day, West District 1 of Rukongai, a certain hot pot restaurant.
Ito Makoto was fulfilling his previous promise by treating little Rangiku and little Hisagi to a meal.
Looking at the sukiyaki bubbling on the table, Ito Makoto's memories seemed to be pulled back to his previous life.
"Makoto-Nii is really cunning! He said he'd graduate with us, but he finished six years of courses in just one year, just like... Why do I only meet freaks? It's so frustrating!"
Matsumoto Rangiku, who was becoming more and more voluptuous, pouted and said angrily.
Hisagi, on the side, suddenly became silent and taciturn, seeming to be in a very bad mood recently.
He couldn't help but recall a major news item in the Soul Society recently.
'That is: Former Head of the Technological Development Bureau and Captain of the Twelfth Division, Kisuke Urahara, has defected from the Soul Society. Those who disappeared with him also include:
Former Captain of the Fifth Divsion, Hirako Shinji!
Former Captain of the Ninth Division, Kensei Muguruma!
Former Captain of the Third Division, Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi!
Former Captain of the Seventh Division, Aikawa Rōbu!
Former Vice-Captain of the Twelfth Division, Hiyori Sarugaki!
Former Vice-Captain of the Eighth Division, Kuna Mashiro!
Former Vice-Captain of the Ninth Division, Kuna Mashiro!
Former Vice-Head of Kido Corps, Hachigen Ushōda!
Former Head of Kido Corps, Tsukabishi Tessai!
And the current head of the Shihōin Clan and Captain of the Second Division, Yoruichi Shihōin!'
The sudden major incident was a huge earthquake for the entire Soul Society, as the mid-to-high level forces of the Gotei Thirteenth Division underwent a major reshuffle!
Of course, Ito Makoto, with his omniscient perspective, was well aware of the causes and consequences of this incident.
The root of all this was naturally Aizen's Hollowfication experiment!
Even Ito Makoto, as a transmigrator, had to admit that Aizen and his Kyōka Suigetsu were truly heaven-defying! A single illusion-type Zanpakuto actually played the entire Soul Society into his hands.
"Little Hisagi, don't be sad. I believe you will see Captain Kensei again someday!"
Ito Makoto offered words of comfort.
"Really, Makoto-Nii!"
Hisagi Shuuhei looked very dejected.
"Of course! In the meantime, you must train hard. You wouldn't want your idol to look down on you when you finally meet him again, would you?"
With that, Ito Makoto ruffled Hisagi Shuuhei's hair as a sign of encouragement.
"Mm, thank you, Makoto-Nii, I will definitely work twice as hard!"
After hearing Ito Makoto's motivational words, the little shota Hisagi Shuuhei was clearly full of drive. He immediately stopped being dejected, picked up his chopsticks, picked a hot piece of beef from the sukiyaki, blew on it briefly, and then ate it in big bites.
"Phew, so hot!"
"Hey, you little rascal, you're too cunning! I saw that piece of meat first!"
Just as Ito Makoto and the other two were eating sukiyaki and playfully bickering, Ito Makoto's expression suddenly changed. He then picked up a plate of persimmon cakes from the table and walked out of the restaurant.
"Little Rangiku said you like persimmon cakes the most. Care for one?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the young boy Ichimaru Gin, clad in a Captain's haori, appeared out of thin air.
"Oh dear, you always find me. Your spiritual awareness is truly terrifying!"
Ichimaru Gin still maintained his smiling, squinted-eyed expression, like a cunning fox.
Taking the persimmon cake from Ito Makoto's hand, Ichimaru Gin vanished in a flash of Shunpo.
"Hey, why did you take the plate? I have to pay for it!"
Ito Makoto called out helplessly to the already departed Ichimaru Gin.
However, in the very next moment, Ichimaru Gin reappeared before Ito Makoto, holding the empty plate, and handed it to him.
"How about coming in for a bite, Captain Ichimaru Gin? Aren't you going to see her?"
Ichimaru Gin did not reply, only paused for a moment, then left the hot pot restaurant with a Shunpo.
Subsequently, Ito Makoto heard a Kido transmission that only he could hear:
"No need. Thank you for the persimmon cakes. Oh, and be careful during the Soul Burial assessment!"
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