Chapter 37: Chapter 37: Hollowfication Experiments
Chapter 37: Hollowfication Experiments
Kaname Tosen stood silently, almost entirely blended into the dark night.
His eyes were half-closed, and his frame was gaunt; he looked less like the esteemed 5th Seat of the 9th Division and more like a ghost wandering the Soul Society.
After Kakyo was murdered by Tokinada Tsunayashiro, revenge became Kaname Tosen’s sole motivation for living.
"Yato-kun." The blind Seated Officer bowed slightly. Without much small talk, he turned and led the way.
One used a casual address, while the other employed honorifics.
The disparity in their status was immediately apparent.
This wasn’t merely the difference between a 3rd Seat and a 5th Seat; it was a clear indication that within Sosuke Aizen’s faction, Yato Uchiha held a higher position than Kaname Tosen!
Even with Tosen’s seniority, he couldn’t ignore Aizen’s blatant high regard and favoritism toward Yato.
Shrouded by the dense fog of the night, the two spent most of their time traveling, exchanging only a few brief words. Both were high-ranking Seated Officers with astonishing running speed and endurance, so they reached their destination swiftly.
"This is Tatsuhara, the 31st District of the North Rukongai." Relying on his perception of Spiritual Pressure, Kaname Tosen pointed into the distance.
"The experiment will be conducted in that ravine."
"Tsk, the 31st District has decent security. Won’t this be too conspicuous?"
"They aren’t local residents. Our subordinates specifically captured them from Kusajishi and transported them here under the cover of darkness."
Yato Uchiha nodded, asking no further questions.
Upon entering the ravine, they found roughly a dozen people tied up with their hands behind their backs in a hastily constructed shack. Black cloth was wrapped around their heads, blindfolding them and covering their ears.
Kaname Tosen dug into the ground somewhere within the shack and pulled out a silver case.
"Yato-kun."
"Thank you."
Yato Uchiha accepted the items Kaname Tosen handed him: an exquisitely crafted bone respirator mask and a pair of protective goggles.
Kaname Tosen also donned his protective gear before drawing a blade from the silver case.
Schwing!
The blade flashed, slicing a gash into one person’s skin.
Yato Uchiha watched clearly. The moment the wound appeared, the Reishi in the air shuddered violently, forcefully shoving their way into the person’s body in an erratic, chaotic manner.
It broke down in their blood, settled into their bones, merged with their internal organs, and finally resonated deep within their soul!
"Aaaaaaargh—!"
The victim began to roar in agony. A white, tar-like substance violently spewed from their eyes, mouth, nose, and ears, attempting to solidify and form a mask!
This was the Spiritual Pressure of a Hollow, the mask of a Hollow; he was on the verge of transforming from an ordinary soul into a Hollow!
However, right at the critical tipping point of the transformation, the fluctuating Spiritual Pressure suddenly flatlined.
Pop.
Like a balloon stretched past its limit, the person abruptly vanished, completely disintegrating into Reishi. Only a pile of empty clothes and socks remained where he once stood.
Yato’s Sharingan spun madly, elevating his dynamic vision to terrifying heights. He wrote rapidly, documenting every minute change.
"This person was a vagabond swordsman and bounty hunter from Kusajishi." Kaname Tosen rested the tip of his blade on the empty clothes.
"Class 20 Rei-i, with strong bones and muscles. After being expelled from the Shin’o Academy, he descended down a path of sin, entirely devoid of honor."
"Sounds like you’re trying to find an excuse for slaughter, Tosen."
"No, Yato-kun, I am merely reciting his life story. Furthermore..."
The blind 5th Seat’s tone was eerily calm, lacking the slightest fluctuation:
"Slaughter carried out in the name of a great cause is justice."
The Hollowfication experiments continued. Yato Uchiha simply sat down, entirely focused on his note-taking.
Documenting every detail of the Hollowfication process was the task Sosuke Aizen had assigned to Yato; the Sharingan was perfectly suited for this job.
The blade capable of forcing a soul to transition into a Hollow was also one of Aizen’s proudest creations.
It was said to be forged by compressing the souls of Soul Reapers and Hollows together, forcibly embedding the resulting crystal deep within an Asauchi. As long as the blade broke the skin and made contact with blood, it would forcibly trigger Hollowfication.
Relying on Kyoka Suigetsu, his heaven-defying intellect, and his overwhelming martial prowess, Sosuke Aizen had already established a massive underground organization. Yet, currently, only Yato Uchiha and Kaname Tosen possessed the clearance to access its core secrets.
Therefore, Yato was practically juggling multiple roles. He had to bury himself in the work of a 3rd Seat while simultaneously finding the time to complete Aizen’s assignments.
By the time the night was half over, Kaname Tosen had finished all the experiments. He used flames to burn the empty clothes and socks clean, leaving absolutely no trace behind.
The protective goggles, masks, the Hollowfication blade, and the experimental logs were all stored back in the silver case and buried underground. In a few hours, a dedicated team would come to retrieve them and transfer them to a secure location.
With tonight’s mission complete, Yato let out a yawn and said casually:
"Tosen, we’re heading back. Want to go together?"
"No, Yato-kun. There is a prison under the jurisdiction of the 9th Division nearby. The inmates have been restless the past two days, so I am going to check on them."
Yato Uchiha chuckled lightly.
This was the downside of being a double agent: you had to perform well in both of your jobs. You couldn’t manage it without some serious capability.
He bid farewell to Kaname Tosen and retraced his steps.
The fog was still dense. Akame maintained its Stage One Shikai, the three tomoe spinning steadily in Yato’s eyes.
Along the way, he encountered scattered 10th Division patrol members. However, due to the Sharingan’s Genjutsu, these people only saw rubble and weeds, entirely unable to pierce through Yato’s illusion to see his true form.
Finally, the boy arrived outside the Hakudomon, prepared to enter the Seireitei.
At that moment, a patrol squad happened to be walking right toward him. Led by a low-ranking Seated Officer with two unranked squad members flanking him, it was a standard three-man squad.
With his tomoe spinning, Yato strode right past them.
But abruptly, he stopped.
A soft sigh drifted out from the dense fog.
"Are you surprised? You clearly saw me, yet your comrades walked right past as if I wasn’t there."
Yato received no response.
"Drop the act."
A bloodthirsty glint surged in the depths of the boy’s eyes. This wasn’t the crimson of the Sharingan, but an icy, palpable killing intent!
"You controlled your facial expression perfectly, but your pupils have been constantly constricting. Even though it’s incredibly minute, with these eyes of mine, I can still see it."
The squad member on the left side of the three-man patrol squad trembled slightly. However, he didn’t turn his head, but continued to follow his Seated Officer, walking outward.
Because he knew that stopping meant exposing Yato Uchiha’s disguise. Facing a 3rd Seat renowned as a genius, the squad member knew their small squad was doomed.
"I apologize, but under these circumstances, I can’t exactly let you leave."
Yato’s voice continued to drift through the night, piercing the squad member’s ears.
"Is this the ability of your Zanpakuto?"
"Bending light, observing your surroundings through a different medium. Because of the heavy fog tonight, you’ve kept this ability active the entire time."
"It just so happens to perfectly counter my eyes."
"It seems we’re both quite unlucky."
Yato Uchiha gently stroked his Zanpakuto and slowly drew it. Akame let out a melodious hum, vibrating with excitement at the impending slaughter.
"3rd Seat of the 12th Division, Yato Uchiha." He settled into a flawless combat stance, his expression completely calm:
"State your name, squad member."
Outside the Seireitei, amidst the dense fog of the late night, under the astonished gazes of his comrades, the young squad member shouted his name at the top of his lungs.
"I am Kazunobu Sasaki! Squad Leader Yano, immediately blow the...!!!"
He spoke incredibly fast, his reaction time swift, desperately trying to get his comrade to fire off a signal flare before it was too late.
But no matter how fast his voice was, it could never outpace the blade of Akame.
"Just as I thought," Yato Uchiha’s tone was deeply solemn.
"Anyone with ’Ichi’ in their name is truly a formidable man."
The blade flashed; the killing intent was as swift and stunning as a startled swan.
Amidst a spray of blood, the battle ended in an instant.
The night remained as profound as ever.
☆☆☆
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