Chapter 33: The Shinigami Hollowification Incident |
Captain Rojuro Otoribashi of the Third Division, Captain Shinji Hirako of the Fifth Division, Captain Love Aikawa of the Seventh Division, Lieutenant Lisa Yadomaru of the Eighth Division, and Hachigen Ushoda, the Vice-Chief of the Kido Corps, dashed through the streets of Rukongai.
After a short while, the five Shinigami slowed down in unison and turned their heads toward the Crimson Plateau located on the outskirts of Rukongai.
'I can no longer sense Lieutenant Hatake's spiritual pressure.'
'It seems... the Panther Clan is finished.'
Love Aikawa, who continued to run forward, whispered thoughtfully while looking toward the Crimson Plateau.
Today, two high-profile events had occurred in the Soul Society one after another. The first was the sudden disappearance of a Gotei 13 captain's spiritual pressure.
The unforeseen circumstances leading to the sudden disappearance of a captain's presence undoubtedly deserved close attention. Consequently, the Captain-Commander had convened an emergency meeting of the captains and dispatched a massive force to the scene.
Later, some time after their departure, an immense spiritual pressure of the Greater Captain-class had suddenly erupted. Judging by the approximate location and the nature of the outburst, they were certain it was Lieutenant Hatake's Bankai!
Unforeseen circumstances must have arisen during the annihilation of the Panther Clan; otherwise, Lieutenant Hatake wouldn't have needed to release his Bankai.
The most shocking thing wasn't the release of the Bankai itself, but the flash of spiritual pressure that accompanied it, which they felt clearly even from such a great distance.
The power of this reiatsu clearly exceeded the standards of the Captain-class!
"It shouldn't be difficult for Lieutenant Hatake to handle any unforeseen circumstances. After all, even the vast majority of captains... do not possess such powerful spiritual pressure," Shinji Hirako remarked calmly.
The captain of the Fifth Division was loath to admit it, but Lieutenant Hatake had indeed surpassed him in terms of spiritual pressure. Currently, among the many Shinigami of the Gotei 13, only Retsu Unohana and Genryusai Yamamoto possessed such formidable reiatsu.
The current Lieutenant Hatake stood on the same level as those old monsters, completely surpassing the other captains, at least if one judged solely by the level of spiritual pressure.
In all of the Soul Society, few could withstand spiritual pressure of such magnitude. Thus, the Panther Clan would find it extremely difficult to oppose Lieutenant Hatake, regardless of what trump cards they had hidden away.
Strictly speaking.
The combined strength of Lieutenant Hatake and Captain Yoruichi should be no less than the total power of their own temporary task force.
"Right," Lisa Yadomaru said with a hint of concern. "We should focus on our own mission."
Lieutenant Hatake's spiritual pressure could have vanished for only two reasons—either he had been defeated, or he had handled the situation. Everyone present clearly leaned toward the second option.
"You're right." Love Aikawa nodded. "But I'm once again amazed by Lieutenant Hatake's talent... It's simply incredible. His spiritual pressure reached such a level in just a few months. At this rate, perhaps... in the future, Lieutenant Hatake will manage to reach the level of the Captain-Commander!"
"It's hard to say." Shinji Hirako shook his head as he continued to run through the streets of Rukongai. "You all understand perfectly well that every soul has a growth limit that cannot be broken. Reaching this limit has no clear connection to the growth rate of a Shinigami, so there's a possibility that Lieutenant Hatake is already close to or has even reached his peak. Don't forget that the old man has been the strongest Shinigami for the last thousand years."
Rojuro Otoribashi nodded and opened his mouth to reply, but suddenly his eyes narrowed as he exclaimed, "This spiritual pressure... it's Hiyori Sarugaki!"
Whoosh!!!
Shinji Hirako accelerated sharply, his expression becoming deathly serious and focused.
Love Aikawa and the others looked at each other briefly before also accelerating, following Hirako toward the source of Hiyori's spiritual pressure.
A short while later.
Clang!!!
Hirako lunged toward Hiyori and swung his Zanpakuto violently, blocking a massive figure that was about to attack her.
"Hirako!" the terrified Hiyori cried out in shock.
Hiyori was severely exhausted and bleeding, but that didn't stop her from sensing Hirako's approaching reiatsu.
"Are you looking for a death wish?! Why didn't you use your Zanpakuto..." Hirako, standing in front of Hiyori, turned his head and demanded.
Hiyori lowered her gaze and said helplessly, "How can I use my Zanpakuto against him..."
As Hirako was stunned by Hiyori's words, he discovered with surprise and horror that the opponent was dressed in a white captain's haori, and a '69' tattoo was visible on his bare chest!
The figure's face was hidden behind a white Hollow mask, but that didn't stop Hirako from recognizing the captain of the Ninth Division!
"Kensei?!" Hirako's eyes narrowed as he exclaimed in disbelief.
Just then, Rojuro Otoribashi, Love Aikawa, and the others who had been following Hirako arrived on the scene.
"Hirako! It looks like Hiyori is okay..." Love Aikawa only asked about Hiyori's condition subconsciously; all his attention was focused on the massive figure Hirako was currently holding back. "...Kensei?! How could this happen?"
Beads of cold sweat broke out on Rojuro Otoribashi's forehead. "...Is that really Kensei?! But that mask and reiatsu... he's definitely a Hollow!"
"I don't understand it either." Hirako's voice was very heavy, his face grim. "I only know that we'll die if we don't use our Zanpakuto!"
Although Kensei's current spiritual pressure was drastically different from his usual presence, it was no weaker than that of a Gotei 13 captain after releasing their Bankai.
Even considering that their ranks included three captains and a Kidō master, they still wouldn't be able to withstand a captain who had released their Bankai without using their own Zanpakuto.
"Aaaaaaaah!!!"
Just as Hirako and the others were trying to figure out the best way to handle the situation, the hollowified Kensei Muguruma let out a terrifying roar and erupted with an even more powerful burst of spiritual pressure.
Whoosh!!!
Kensei's figure suddenly vanished and reappeared directly behind Love Aikawa.
"What?!" Love Aikawa's eyes narrowed as he cried out in shock, but it was already too late to dodge.
The captain of the Seventh Division only managed to turn his body and hastily block the unexpected strike from the hollowified Kensei, but the impact sent him flying back like a cannonball, while half of his captain's haori was shredded to pieces.
Love Aikawa, clearly having sustained a fairly serious injury, took a heavy breath and smirked. "That hurt, you know..."
Schwing! Schwing! Schwing!!!
Following Aikawa's words, Rojuro Otoribashi and the others drew their Zanpakuto, staring intently at the hollowified Kensei.
"No! Can't you see it's our Kensei?!" The wounded Hiyori gritted her teeth and cried out in concern, but Hirako cut her off sharply. "That's exactly why we must be the ones to stop him!"
"There's no need to worry so much; there are plenty of ways to stop Kensei while keeping him alive." Lisa Yadomaru, holding her Zanpakuto in her right hand, said coolly. "Let's try cutting the tendons in his limbs. You take the right side."
"Fine." Rojuro Otoribashi nodded seriously.
But just as they drew their Zanpakuto and were about to get to work, a small figure suddenly appeared behind Rojuro Otoribashi and delivered a swift, powerful kick.
Lisa Yadomaru's eyes narrowed, and she opened her mouth to warn Rojuro, but it was already too late.
Boom!
The captain of the Third Division, caught off guard by the figure's sudden appearance, was struck by the powerful kick and crashed into the ground with a thud.
The attacker was Mashiro Kuna, the lieutenant of the Ninth Division. Under normal circumstances, an ordinary lieutenant wouldn't be able to cause any significant damage to a captain, even if he stood perfectly still. However, after undergoing hollowification, Mashiro's spiritual pressure had increased to such an extent that she could now inflict substantial harm even on a captain!
Mashiro's sudden appearance made the situation even more chaotic.
Hirako and the others possessed an overwhelming advantage in combat power, even after Mashiro arrived, but it was unacceptable for them to use Bankai against their own comrades. Meanwhile, the hollowified Kensei's spiritual pressure had reached the level of a captain after Bankai, and the hollowified Mashiro was at the level of a captain in a normal state.
Consequently, the situation on the battlefield inevitably became extremely chaotic and tense. In this difficult and uncertain environment, the actions of Hachigen Ushoda, the Vice-Chief of the Kido Corps, played a decisive role.
"Bakudo 75, Gochu Tekkan!"
"Bakudo 63, Sajo Sabaku!"
Two high-level Bakudo performed by one of the best Kidō masters in all of the Seireitei were sufficient to temporarily restrain Mashiro Kuna and Kensei Muguruma.
The Kido Corps is an independent organization, on par with the Onmitsukido, and its Chief, Tessai Tsukabishi, and Vice-Chief, Hachigen Ushoda, possess strength roughly at the captain level!
The 75th Bakudo was enough to restrain Mashiro Kuna for a long time, but Kensei Muguruma managed to break free from the 63rd Bakudo quite quickly, thanks to his immense raw strength and the powerful impulse of his Hollow spiritual pressure!
Once again free, the hollowified Kensei Muguruma first sent Lisa Yadomaru flying with a ghastly roar and then lunged at the already wounded Rojuro Otoribashi.
Hachigen Ushoda, shocked by the rapid destruction of Bakudo 63, immediately clasped his hands together and said resolutely, "Bakudo 99, Kin!"
Whoosh!
Following the words of the Kido Corps Vice-Chief, long strips of black cloth rushed toward the hollowified Kensei Muguruma from different directions, firmly binding him and pinning him to the ground.
The 99th Bakudo is much more powerful than the 63rd, so it was more than enough to bind the hollowified Kensei, even though the spell consists of several stages and Hachigen Ushoda had bypassed the incantation.
"To use such high-level Kidō even without an incantation... as expected of the Vice-Chief of the Kido Corps." Shinji Hirako first let out a sigh of relief and calmed down a bit, then praised Hachigen for his timely use of such a powerful Kidō.
"It seems I overdid it a little..." Hachigen Ushoda sighed heavily as beads of cold sweat rolled down his face.
Applying the 99th Bakudo was a very difficult task even for a Kidō master like him.
Shinji Hirako looked at the hollowified Kensei Muguruma and Mashiro Kuna, who were now completely restricted by the Bakudo. "Well, what do we do now?"
"Sigh." Hachigen Ushoda exhaled helplessly. "I can't do anything about this without knowing the exact cause..."
Love Aikawa walked over to the bound Kensei and leaned over, beginning to carefully study his condition, while Lisa Yadomaru approached Mashiro.
But.
Just as everyone present let out a sigh of relief and lowered their guard, a completely unexpected change occurred!
The wounded Hiyori Sarugaki, who was being carried by Shinji Hirako at that moment, spat out a mouthful of white liquid and emitted a chaotic burst of spiritual pressure.
Whoosh!!!
Shinji Hirako, caught off guard by Hiyori's sudden hollowification, fell to the ground accompanied by a spray of blood that scattered in all directions.
Then, darkness enveloped the surrounding area, stripping everyone present of their sight, smell, and hearing.
Love Aikawa, Rojuro Otoribashi, and the other Shinigami fell to the ground one after another, faced with the unpredictable attack of an invisible opponent!
A short while later, when the impenetrable darkness dissipated, three unharmed figures appeared before the defeated Shinji Hirako and the others—Sosuke Aizen, Gin Ichimaru, and Kaname Tosen.
"Ai...zen..." the wounded Shinji Hirako gritted his teeth, glaring at the figure that had appeared.
Aizen first slowly scanned Shinji Hirako and the other Shinigami of the rescue squad lying on the ground before him, and then said calmly, "As expected, the hollowification process for a Shinigami is different."
...
A few days later.
Yoruichi Shihoin appeared at the entrance to the Seireitei, accompanied by several hundred Shinigami from the Second Division and the Onmitsukido.
To the left and right, slightly behind their captain, walked Yeruashi and Soi Fon, while Lilith walked slightly behind Yeruashi to the right.
They soon arrived at the Second Division's headquarters.
During the walk through the Seireitei, the captain of the Second Division had developed a very ominous and unsettling feeling, which only intensified upon returning to their base.
Entering the compound, she frowned and addressed the squad of Shinigami on duty at the entrance. "What happened while we were away?"
The leader of the duty Shinigami stepped forward and spoke hesitantly as his subordinates exchanged worried glances. "Reporting to the Captain... Captain Kisuke Urahara of the Twelfth Division conducted an outrageous forbidden experiment. As a result, the Captain of the Third Division, the Captain of the Fifth Division, the Captain of the Seventh Division, the Lieutenant of the Eighth Division, the Captain and Lieutenant of the Ninth Division, the Lieutenant of the Twelfth Division, and the Vice-Chief of the Kido Corps—a total of eight Shinigami—were turned... into Hollows."
"Subsequently, Kisuke Urahara and Tessai Tsukabishi fled to the World of the Living along with the eight Hollows, refusing to accept the sentence passed upon them by Central 46."
"Afterward, the Gotei 13 was unable to find any trace of their spiritual pressure in the World of the Living."
After the report was finished, absolute silence fell over the entrance to the Second Division headquarters.
Soon, Yoruichi opened her mouth slightly and asked in a trembling voice, looking at the reporting Shinigami, "What... what did you just say?"