Good news:
The increase in his Hollow power made his stats even more outrageous. It was no exaggeration to say that Naraku Sora would even dare to face a furious Head Captain Yamamoto head-on.
Bad news:
Under active Hollowfication, he barely looked human anymore.
Ulquiorra tilted his head, looking strangely at the figure in front of him.
Liquid-like white bone erupted from the pitch-black Reiatsu, instantly weaving into a demon mask with bent, sharp horns that covered his face.
Reiatsu as scorching as magma surged through his body. Beneath his skin, muscle fibers writhed like living creatures, undergoing a metamorphosis.
The pure scent of a Hollow.
Ulquiorra's nose twitched as he reached this conclusion.
Naraku Sora looked at his reflection in the circular gate fan. Aside from a similar physique, his original appearance was almost unrecognizable; even his skin was covered in a layer of bone.
It seemed the only thing separating him from a true Hollow was a Hollow hole.
*If this trend continues, and my Hollow power reaches one hundred percent, won't I turn into a pure Menos Grande?*
Naraku Sora pondered for a few seconds but couldn't come up with any answers.
But if he had to choose between appearance and power, he would absolutely choose the latter without hesitation.
While good looks were a lifelong asset, his Hollowfied form wasn't exactly ugly.
In this world, as long as his style points didn't drop, it wasn't a big deal.
Most importantly, if he let a little risk stop him, who would carry the banner of the Soul Society in the future? Who would deal with Ichibē Hyōsube's schemes?
And the Wandenreich hidden deep within the shadows.
As well as Yamamoto's greatest enemy, Yhwach.
*I just wonder if Old Man Yama will choose to execute me in the name of justice when he sees me like this?*
Naraku Sora stroked his cold, bony chin, lost in thought.
Unable to find an answer, he decided to use this problem to test Aizen's wisdom.
*Let's see if his IQ has dropped recently from being too engrossed in his experiments.*
"..."
Inside the laboratory, looking at Naraku Sora who had completely lost all human resemblance, Aizen couldn't help but fall silent.
The situation was even more exaggerated than described.
Compared to Baraggan and the others, the guy in front of him obviously looked more like a Hollow.
Both his aura and Reiatsu appeared extremely tyrannical.
If it weren't for his eyes remaining as clear as ever, Aizen would have suspected that Naraku Sora had been swapped with someone else.
"It is indeed a problem."
"Furthermore, the Zero Division knows about your Hollowfication. Although they don't care about it, it's hard to guarantee that Head Captain Yamamoto won't find out."
Aizen frowned deeply.
"Once he discovers your secret through other channels or by some chance, an irreparable rift will form between you two as master and disciple."
"It's not even impossible that you might end up crossing swords."
"In my eyes, as the one maintaining that foolish noble system, Head Captain Yamamoto is undoubtedly the most stubborn person. He clearly possesses the power to change everything, yet he refuses to make the effort."
"He is simply unreasonable."
Even while solving a problem, he didn't forget to casually diss Yamamoto. It could only be said that Aizen's disgust for the Soul Society's current system had reached its peak.
Naraku Sora scratched his head.
"Do you think it's possible that maintaining the status quo is already the result of Old Man Yama doing his absolute best?"
"After all, not everyone possesses world-shaking wisdom like you and me."
Aizen remained speechless. "..."
It seemed that in his Hollowfied state, a certain someone's skin had grown even thicker.
However, it was best not to let Head Captain Yamamoto hear those words; otherwise, splashing blood all over someone else wouldn't be a good look.
After a few seconds of silence, Aizen spoke calmly.
"My suggestion is to pretend to be casual in your daily life and training, and test Head Captain Yamamoto's attitude towards this matter."
"Continuously increase his level of tolerance."
"That way, even if you are exposed one day, he will at most slash you a few times with Ryūjin Jakka, which should be enough for him to vent his anger."
Hearing this, Naraku Sora's eyes lit up.
"Brilliant!"
Having resolved the Las Noches crisis and leaving the remaining mess for Aizen to handle, Naraku Sora immediately returned to the Soul Society.
He didn't have a sharp tool like Kyōka Suigetsu. As the Prison Warden, disappearing for a long time would trigger some unnecessary and terrifying turmoil.
For example, a riot from Ryūjin Jakka.
Stepping out of the Garganta, he observed his surroundings. After confirming there were no idle bystanders, Naraku Sora hurried toward the Seireitei.
Because Mount Koifushi was too close to the Seireitei, frequently opening Garganta passages would be detected by the tech nerds of Squad 12.
Just in case, under Naraku Sora's suggestion, Aizen had opened several new laboratories in the outer districts of the Rukongai.
These were also usually used as coordinates for returning from Hueco Mundo.
It was worth mentioning that when his Hollow power reached eighty percent, although the system didn't prompt him, he had naturally mastered a special ability without a teacher.
That was the Garganta.
Based on his understanding of Sonído, he converted the Reiatsu in his body into another substance, and then used this substance to tear open space, opening a passage to the Dangai.
An insignificant little trick.
At most, it just made traveling to and from Hueco Mundo a bit more convenient.
Just as Naraku Sora was pondering how to slowly boil Yamamoto like a frog, he suddenly stopped and turned his head to look westward.
Several tyrannical but weak Reiatsu signatures were constantly moving, seemingly chasing after something.
Having grown accustomed to seeing Adjuchas and Vasto Lorde in Hueco Mundo, suddenly sensing Reiatsu of this level actually made him feel a bit nostalgic.
Speaking of which, not only in the World of the Living, but Hollows or Menos Grande would also randomly spawn in the Rukongai.
The duty of some patrolling Soul Reapers was to discover and report them, waiting for Soul Reapers from other squads to come and exterminate them.
Compared to those rogue Soul Reapers, the residents of the Rukongai were actually more afraid of the completely unpredictable Hollows.
Naraku Sora pivoted with a Flash Step, rushing toward the direction the Reiatsu was coming from.
It was one thing if he hadn't encountered it, but to ignore it after running into it—wouldn't that be a disservice to his title as a champion of justice?
As the distance closed, a sharp scream rang in his ears.
"Waaaaah—!"
Naraku Sora looked toward the sound. In the woods, a crying, frail figure was running desperately.
Behind her were several giant Hollows that looked similar to aliens.
Each was about three meters tall with varying skin colors, ugly masks embedded on their heads, and scarlet eyes filled with greed.
The bizarre thing was that the frail figure looked no different from an ordinary Rukongai resident, yet she ran incredibly fast. For a moment, the group of Hollows actually couldn't catch up.
He didn't know if she was squeezing out her potential or if she was inherently special.
Naraku Sora shook his head. He didn't choose to stand idly by. Just as the Hollows were about to catch up to her, he appeared in the center of the woods with a Flash Step.
He extended his right hand and raised his index finger.
"Hadō 4・Byakurai."
The moment his voice fell, a brilliant arc of electricity shot out from his fingertip. A sound like tearing silk echoed in the air as it effortlessly pierced through the head of the leading alien-like Hollow.
The white lightning's residual power remained undiminished as it shot straight forward.
After piercing through the several Hollows behind it in succession, it finally landed on a rock wall, instantly crushing the towering boulder into countless specks of dust.
The young girl stared blankly at the exaggerated scene, then raised her head to curiously look at the person who had saved her.
He had a tall and straight posture, black hair, and looked very young, seemingly like someone who had just debuted to gain experience, but his eyes looked quite sharp.
He was undoubtedly much stronger than those ronin samurai who relied on their physical strength to act tyrannically in the Rukongai.
After dealing with the Hollows, Naraku Sora turned his head to look at the frail figure who had subconsciously hidden behind him.
She wasn't very old, a young girl of about twelve or thirteen. Her short orange hair gave her a somewhat capable and experienced vibe.
*She looks a bit familiar.*
"By the way, how did you end up being targeted by these things?"
Naraku Sora reached out, rested his hand on that fluffy short orange hair, and rubbed it vigorously.
*Top-tier texture.*
Feeling the warmth coming from the top of her head, the young girl narrowed her eyes and subconsciously replied.
"I-I don't know."
"I just came out to look for food, and when I passed by a certain valley, those big guys started chasing after me."
"But, I'm already used to it."
"In the Rukongai, I encounter similar monsters every few days, but a situation like today's is a first."
Hearing this, Naraku Sora raised his eyebrows, a trace of curiosity flashing in his eyes.
"That's not right. Even in the furthest District 80, you shouldn't be running into Hollows this frequently."
The young girl wiped the remaining tear stains from her face. Although she was used to such days of running for her life, every time she encountered them, she still felt the terror of her life hanging by a thread.
"I don't know either. Anyway, my days have been like this ever since I came to the Rukongai."
"No one is willing to travel with me, so I can only be all alone."
As she spoke, the young girl began to sob softly.
If he hadn't seen her occasionally stealing glances at him from the corner of her eye, Naraku Sora would have almost spoken up to comfort her.
To be able to survive being chased by Hollows multiple times, she clearly wasn't an ordinary character either.
As for why she was being chased by Hollows, he couldn't figure it out for the moment.
"By the way, what's your name?"
Hearing his voice, the young girl's crying abruptly stopped. She raised her head, her tear-glistening eyes looking extremely pitiful.
"Rangiku. Matsumoto Rangiku."
Naraku Sora fell silent. "..."
*Case closed.*
*No wonder she's being chased and bitten at by Hollows.*
If he remembered correctly, the young girl in front of him would grow up to become a pillar of the Women's Soul Reaper Association in the future, making an indelible contribution to raising their 'average elevation.'
And the reason she had fallen into such a state was probably because her soul contained a fragment of the Spirit King.
Speaking of which, the founders of the Five Great Noble Families really did cut him up meticulously; they practically chopped the Spirit King into mincemeat.
He could just go out for a casual stroll and pick up a young girl possessing a fragment of the Spirit King.
But truth be told, if it were any other Soul Reaper, saving Rangiku would probably be the end of the story.
The young girl would return to her miserable life until she met a black-hearted fellow who would mercilessly take something from her and then ruthlessly abandon her.
Fortunately, she had met him.
Naraku Sora rubbed her orange hair a bit harder, revealing what he thought was a kind smile.
"My name is Naraku Sora. I'm a Soul Reaper..."