Chapter 297
2-in-1 chapter:
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After indulging in so sweet potatoes roasted over Ryūjin Jakka, Kaelith left the First Division and headed toward the Fifth. Ever since the “Bald Incident,” Shinji Hirako had quieted down sowhat.
He’d wanted to report what happened to Yamamoto, but there was no evidence. Shinji’s face had been altered through a disguise technique, and thus the whole fiasco was categorized as an unfortunate misunderstanding.
In truth, he started to suspect that Aizen might have intentionally orchestrated him finding that disguise thod in the first place, but the idea seed so far-fetched that he convinced himself it was nothing.
Aizen was just a “kid” who graduated less than a century ago; how could anyone be that cunning?
The Fifth Division mbers greeted Kaelith with friendly waves, used to his visits. A female officer even offered to lead him to Aizen’s room. Inside, Aizen was scribbling intently, barely looking up as Kaelith walked in.
“Welco. Grab a seat anywhere. I just need to finish this.”
After a few seconds, he raised his head toward Kaelith, who sat quietly, hands folded, eyes unusually still. Aizen set his pen aside.
“All right. What’s wrong?”
Kaelith tilted his head. “Huh? What makes you think sothing’s wrong?”
“Normally, if you saw these research drafts on my desk, you’d sneak a peek or flip through them out of curiosity. Today, you’re acting uncharacteristically well-behaved. You’re obviously wrestling with sothing.
Out with it.”
Kaelith blinked. So this is what it’s like to be Dr. Watson. The unstoppable logic. In any case, he shrugged and pointed at his own face.
“Aizen, I want to learn Hollowfication.”
“…What?”
Aizen’s brow furrowed. “Why bring that up out of nowhere?”
Kaelith explained, “We’ve done loads of successful Arrancar experints, perford dozens—no, hundreds—of transformations. We have enough data. The Shinigami Hollowfication experints have been fewer, but there have been a few successes.
I figure it’s safe to try on .”
Aizen shook his head. “Safe is a stretch. Yes, we’ve seen successful outcos, but they all required special conditions. We still don’t know how the subject reacts long-term or whether any side effects might appear. No records exist detailing a complete picture of Shinigami Hollowfication. It demands caution—”
Kaelith cut him off. “Aizen, I don’t know why, but I’m sure I need this power. I have to do this.”
He’d decided. If beating Yhwach required soone like Kurosaki Ichigo, then Kaelith would be that person himself. Relying on the “real story’s hero” was a risk he refused to take.
Besides, in the original tiline, Ichigo still failed to save Yamamoto from being killed. Why leave that hope in soone else’s hands?
He was the protagonist now. If Ichigo could use Bankai, so would he. If Ichigo could Hollowfy, he’d do that too. Then Fullbring? Sure, he’d tackle that as well. Layer on top of layers of power, increasing them exponentially.
Whatever it took to ensure no one in this world—neither Yhwach nor anyone else—could take him or does he cared about down.
He was still lost in that fervor when Aizen pressed a hand to his shoulder. Kaelith looked up at him.
“Sorry, Kaelith. I’ve been so absorbed in research that I neglected your ntal state. Did your trip to the Royal Palace put that much pressure on you?” He waved off any protest from Kaelith.
“No need to explain. Whatever spooked you, whatever future threat you foresee…tell . I’ll find a way.
Anything standing in our path, you and I together—we can sweep it aside.”
Kaelith blinked, then grinned. “You’re right. Thanks, Aizen.”
Aizen scoffed quietly. “Don’t ntion it.”
Kaelith sat back down, explaining what he suspected about Yhwach. Aizen mulled over it for a few minutes, then spoke:
“In terms of raw strength, I wouldn’t say I’ve uncovered every limit of Shinigami power, but I doubt I’m far off. And at that level, simple direct power struggles matter less and less. I view Yamamoto’s might as the Shinigami benchmark. So if this Yhwach person really killed him in the future you suspect, it implies a kind of rules-based ability, not just brute force.
“Yamamoto’s defeats nearly always stem from having his power countered rather than being overpowered. Which ans Yhwach likely used an unknown ‘rule’ or intangible factor to beat him, not raw strength.
So you don’t need to overestimate him on that front.”
Kaelith recalled how Yamamoto’s fights in the ani and manga often hinged on his vulnerabilities or “blind spots.” That didn’t necessarily an the enemy was stronger overall, just that the Captain-Commander was undone by a peculiar technique.
Kaelith’s eyes lit up. “That makes sense…”
With Kaelith regaining his usual cheer, Aizen allowed a small smile, then continued, “Of course, wanting to grow stronger isn’t wrong. If you’re aiming to uncover Yhwach’s abilities before he catches us off-guard, then pushing the limits is logical.
Still, Hollowfication is a big risk. We should at least test on a few more subjects first—say, Shinji Hirako. I can sow a bit of chaos in Rukongai, draw the Gotei 13’s attention, get Yamamoto to send Shinji and maybe so other Captains to investigate, then we ambush—”
Kaelith shook his head. “No, Aizen. Seireitei needs every warrior, even ones as useless and foul as that old scoundrel Shinji.
You have faith in , right? Then I do too. I’ll be fine. If I can’t handle even this, how could we hope to reshape the world?”
Staring into Kaelith’s unwavering gaze, Aizen let out a defeated sigh. “You really are impossible.”
…
They gathered at Hueco Mundo’s central do in Las Noches—an unusual spot for such a procedure, yet it was bustling today. Under the eerie pale moonlight, Kaelith stretched his limbs, performing warm-ups. Aizen stood by a large apparatus, punching in calculations. Nearby, several individuals hovered protectively:
“Lieutenant Aizen, I refuse to let you perform this procedure on Kaelith-sama!” Tōsen Kana said in a low voice. “If you must do a Hollowfication test, do it on first. Ensure it’s safe before you risk his life!”
Gin Ichimaru, though silent, wore the sa resolute glint in his eyes. If Aizen was tricking Kaelith into being so twisted experint, Gin would not hesitate to skewer him right here.
Aizen glanced at them, mouth curving into a wry grin. “Those who ‘do not think’ often seek out soone or sothing to fill in for their deficiencies, calling that dependence ‘honor.’ But if they cling to it as the foundation of all action, they’ll never et a good end.”
Before the others could react, Aizen lifted a small case from the machine and walked to Kaelith, dropping his flippant deanor. He wore a grave expression.
“Ready, Kaelith?”
“Of course!” Kaelith answered, flashing a thumbs-up.
Aizen nodded, withdrawing a brilliant jewel from the case. It shimred, almost enticing anyone who looked at it to pour their entire soul into its depths.
Not far away, Kisuke Urahara observed, scribbling notes on a clipboard.
Aizen murmured instructions to Kaelith:
“Once Hollowfication begins, your consciousness will enter an inner realm. You’ll confront a Hollow ford by the Hōgyoku—one spawned from your negative emotions and darker mories. The deeper your negativity, the stronger this Hollow. I doubt yours will be all that powerful, but rember: no matter what it says or does, stand firm in your beliefs.
Rember why you’re doing this. Defeat it, and you’ll master your Hollow powers.
Lose, and I’m sure you know the outco.”
Kaelith nodded. “Yep. The outco is that you lose your lifelong friend and, in despair, will have to kill him yourself—”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Aizen said coolly. “I’d just dismber your corpse for research.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Kaelith laughed, infuriating Aizen.
“Let’s get started,” Aizen said, pressing the Hōgyoku to Kaelith’s forehead. At once, Kaelith’s body went slack and he sank into a seated position. Gin, Tōsen, and the others tried to intervene, but Starrk, Harribel, and Ulquiorra blocked them.
There was no turning back now.
Aizen leapt away in a flash, shouting, “Prepare to fight! While Kaelith battles for control on the inside, his body out here will run wild under Hollowification—he’ll indiscriminately attack everything nearby. Until he wrests control of his powers, we must take turns wearing him down to keep him from going berserk!”
Everyone tensed. Even those who disliked the plan recognized Kaelith’s safety depended on their next moves.
Kaelith sat motionless, head bowed, as if asleep. Ten-odd seconds passed—long enough to stir nerves. Komamura glanced uneasily at Aizen.
Then Kaelith’s head snapped up, like a puppet pulled by invisible strings. A ghastly white mask had sohow ford over his face, covering every feature. Black eyes with golden, catlike pupils darted madly behind the mask, and the mouth—two rows of jagged, bone-white teeth—split into a manic grin.
“Shh—”
“Heeheeheehee!!”
In a blur of force that seed to tear space, Kaelith appeared before Komamura. A Hollow-white arm ended in razor-sharp claws that slamd downward. The monuntal impact coursed through Komamura’s entire body. Before he could even cry out, he flew backward in a shockwave of white energy, vanishing beyond the do’s horizon.
“What the…?!” Shiba Isshin’s eyes bulged. Sure, he knew Kaelith was strong, but that strong? Komamura, who possessed Bankai-level prowess, had been blasted away with a single hit.
“Isshin!” Tōsen roared. Snapping out of his daze, Isshin realized Kaelith was now barreling toward him.
“Burn, En—!”
Too slow. Kaelith was already upon him, that monstrous speed defying belief. Isshin’s expression contorted as Kaelith’s claws raked down—
Boom!
At the last possible mont, Starrk and Ulquiorra appeared on either side, crossing a spirit lance and blade in front of Isshin to intercept Kaelith’s strike.
Even so, both felt the staggering force behind it.
No good. "We can’t hold him like this!"
“Retreat!” Starrk snarled. Isshin instantly dodged sideways, raising his Zanpakutō overhead.
“Burn—Engetsu!”
His sword flared to life in a column of flas. Starrk and Ulquiorra let go of their weapons, shifting to offense. Three formidable attacks converged on Kaelith. The Hollowified Captain rely laughed manically, not even bothering to dodge. Two more arms sprouted from his shoulders with an audible pop.
All four fists launched at once, each punching attacking with the force of a Sōkotsu.
Sōkotsu x 4!
BOOM!!
A roaring explosion lit up the do, echoing across the vast emptiness of Hueco Mundo.
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