Chapter 24

That is Hollow, a Vasto Lorde-class Arrancar!

Make no mistake, this is not some small-fry Hollow.

Shiba was completely stunned.

He had already paid the price for underestimating his opponent.

The crushing defeat he suffered at the hands of "White Hollow" left him unable to recover, both physically and mentally.

And now, even Cero, something his strongest Getsuga Tenshō couldn't break, was effortlessly Stopped by Shinji's hand?

Did he just snuff it out like a cigarette?

The sight left Shiba speechless.

By the time he came back to his senses, "White" was completely at Shinji's mercy, knocked around like a ball in mid-air.

"Shinji... is so strong," Kurosaki Masaki murmured in shock.

"This kid is a total monster," Shiba Isshin said bitterly.

He had assumed Shinji's strength was around his own level, perhaps even weaker, considering that Shinji had only been a Shinigami for a few years.

Shiba had already planned that if Shinji was willing to team up with him, he would take the lead while Shinji provided support.

That way, he could at least show some seniority and "take care" of Shinji.

But reality was cruel...

Shinji's Reiatsu seemed even stronger than his?!

"Roar!"

The continuous heavy blows drove "White" into a rage. His blood-red eyes locked onto Shinji as he fired Cero after Cero.

In response, Shinji swung his Zanpakutō.

A wave of blue-purple Reiatsu slashed through the air.

The starry sky seemed to dim in an instant.

The heavens split, and the earth trembled.[TN: LOL ]

A deafening series of explosions rang out as Shinji's sword pressure clashed against Cero.

Rumble!

At the heart of the collision, the black and red Cero was being torn apart by the slash, ultimately turning into an unstoppable force that overwhelmed "White."

"Roar!"

"White" swung his white bone sword in defense.

But Shinji's attack was not something that could be blocked so easily.

Crack!

The bone sword shattered instantly.

The slash continued forward, consuming "White" within it.

"White" let out a pained roar, veins bulging in his arm as he raised it to resist the incoming pressure.

Splat!

The same steel-like skin and bones that had withstood Getsuga Tenshō's slashes couldn't even hold for a second—his arm was severed instantly.

Boom!

The sword pressure then struck "White's" bull-head mask. In the ensuing shockwave, he was sent flying.

But the destruction didn't stop there.

The shockwave tore through the sky, cracked the earth, and spread destruction in every direction.

Seeing this, Shinji narrowed his eyes.

One by one, transparent barriers formed, blocking the residual energy of his attack until everything finally settled.

"This... this is Shinji's slash?"

Shiba couldn't process what he had just seen.

If that slash had hit him, wouldn't he have been instantly defeated?

"Is it over?"

Kurosaki Masaki asked blankly, looking adorable in her daze.

"Don't let your guard down," Shinji suddenly appeared beside them, shaking his head. "That was a Vasto Lorde-class Arrancar. One slash won't be enough to kill him."

Shiba Isshin: "..."

So... two slashes would do it?

Sure enough.

Within seconds, "White" roared once again.

But this time, his voice carried anger, malice… and weakness.

Yes, weakness!

Shiba could clearly sense it.

Shinji's slash had seriously injured "White" and significantly weakened his Reiatsu.

Boom!

A sonic boom echoed as "White," now covered in blood, charged at Shinji in a frenzy.

But at that moment...

The bull-head mask on "White's" face shattered completely, revealing a human face.

"That's... Tanaka?!"

Shiba's eyes widened in shock.

There was no mistake.

That was the face of a Shinigami from the Gotei 13!

Hollow, a Vasto Lorde-class Arrancar... was actually a Shinigami?!

Why?

Shiba's mind was in turmoil.

"One-Sword Style: Thunder Burial."

As "White" lunged, Shinji calmly placed five fingers on his Zanpakutō, assuming a drawing stance.

The next second.

Shinji disappeared.

He reappeared behind "White" as streaks of lightning rained down from the sky.

"Do you hear it? Reki's whispers?"

Zanpakutō returned to its sheath.

Blood pooled.

"White" collapsed.

The once-violent Reiatsu fluctuations gradually faded into nothingness.

For a Shinigami, Hollow, Quincy, or any living being, the disappearance of Reiatsu meant only one thing, death.

"He actually... actually killed a king-class Vasto Lorde Arrancar?"

"Kuchiki Shinji… what are you?"

Shiba's eyes darted between Shinji and "White's" corpse in disbelief.

Especially after realizing that Shinji wasn't even injured, his shock only deepened.

Was Kuchiki Shinji really this absurdly strong?

"I just got lucky," Shinji said nonchalantly, sheathing his Zanpakutō. "You guys already wore him down, and that Quincy over there landed a hit earlier. By the time I fought him, he was already weakened."

Shinji deliberately downplayed his role.

There was no way he'd take full credit, he didn't want them pushing him into a captain's seat.

And what was Shinji's dream?

To slack off!

If he became a captain, how could he possibly take it easy?

That would go against everything he believed in!

"Is that so...?"

Shiba still had doubts, but Shinji's explanation sounded reasonable.

After all, this was a king-class Vasto Lorde Arrancar.

Even as a captain-level Shinigami, he had been completely overpowered and nearly lost all hope.

If Shinji had truly defeated him with overwhelming force, wouldn't that mean Shinji's Reiatsu surpassed the captain level?

That was impossible.

It didn't make sense.

Just as Shiba was about to process everything.

Kurosaki Masaki let out a sudden cry of alarm.

From the darkness.

A cold light flashed.

It was fleeting, but deadly.

And it was aimed directly at Shinji's chest...

The icy light of the sword flickered and pierced fiercely toward Shinji's chest.

It was as if the blade had been accelerated dozens of times, moving from one point to another in an instant!

Everyone could only watch helplessly as the blade disappeared into the air after piercing through Shinji's chest.

"Shinji!!!"

Kurosaki Masaki screamed, her eyes reddened, but then suddenly froze.

Because, in her vision, Shinji's body gradually faded, distorted, and finally disappeared completely.

Then, light footsteps echoed behind her.

Kuchiki Shinji stood beside Kurosaki Masaki, his expression calm as he watched the figure that had been stabbed gradually fade away.

That was merely an afterimage left behind by his Shunpo!

"Ahh, what a terrifying kid. Was that an afterimage left by Shunpo? It seems you've truly inherited the essence of Byakuya Kuchiki, the captain of the Sixth Division."

A strange, mocking voice echoed in the air.

However, no matter how hard Shiba Isshin and Kurosaki Masaki looked, they couldn't find where the enemy was.

It was as if the enemy was completely transparent, undetectable by any means.

Shinji narrowed his eyes and vanished from his spot with Shunpo.

Boom!

A blue-purple slash cleaved a tall building tens of meters away, instantly cutting it in half.

Clap. Clap. Two soft sounds echoed as someone landed on the ground.

This time, Kurosaki Masaki and Shiba Isshin narrowed their eyes. They still couldn't see the enemy, but they had locked onto their position based on the sound of their landing.

Aizen and… Ichimaru Gin?

Shinji squinted, instantly identifying the two.

This complete invisibility technique, it was clearly a black cloak!

This item, invented by Urahara Kisuke, could completely conceal a user's Reiatsu while worn, making them undetectable by other Shinigami.

So, they came to the Human World personally… Was it to retrieve experimental data from "Hollow"? Or to probe my strength?

"Who are you?"

"That attack just now… Was that a Zanpakutō?"

Shiba Isshin stood beside Shinji, gripping Engetsu tightly as he warily observed the air in front of him.

A complete invisibility ability?

Or some strange technology?

"Ah? Guess what?"

The mocking voice responded sarcastically once again.

The voice was synthetic, making it impossible to discern their identity.

"You bastard..."

Shiba Isshin's face darkened, but he resisted the urge to attack.

The enemy's identity was still unknown, and their attack just now had been unbelievably fast, even he hadn't been able to react in time.

Even if it was a sneak attack, it was enough to demonstrate their strength.

Even if they weren't as powerful as a Captain, they were likely close.

These were definitely two dangerous individuals.

"Kuchiki Shinji, you continue to impress me."

"From three years ago to now, you always manage to surprise me."

Another voice spoke, distinct from the first, it was calm, gentle, and carried the tone of an old acquaintance.

"Three years ago, Kuchiki Shinji was ambushed by Menos Grande… That was you guys!"

Shiba Isshin's pupils contracted, catching the hidden meaning in those words.

"Who the hell are you two?! Why would you do something like that?!"

"Why?"

The gentle voice sounded amused.

"Shiba Isshin, that's a very strange question. Why, you ask? Simply to see something different, of course."

But before he could Talk, the gentle voice interrupted him again.

"And that, Shiba Isshin, is why you can't see the broader sky. Kuchiki Shinji, however… he's different from you."

"I look forward to our next meeting, Kuchiki Shinji."

The voice gradually faded, as if it had never existed.

"Trying to run?"

Shiba Isshin gritted his teeth, activating Shikai, raising Engetsu, and preparing to unleash a Getsuga Tenshō to stop them.

But before he could, the sarcastic voice sounded again.

"Shiba Isshin, Captain of the 10th Division, before wasting your time trying to stop us, why not check on the Quincy who just helped you?"

"Ahh, it looks like she's not doing too well."

"Hollowfication… It's not something that can be solved so easily."

The mocking words faded, their tone laced with amusement.

Shiba Isshin's expression shifted instantly.

He turned around to look at Shiraki Yuki, and his pupils contracted violently.

In his vision, the Quincy girl who had saved him was suddenly covered in a layer of white mucus oozing from her body—like molten bone, continuously writhing and expanding.

It was trying to completely cover her.

"That's… Hollowfication?!"

Shiba Isshin's face darkened.

"How…?!"

Kurosaki Masaki's voice was filled with concern as she clenched her fists.

"She was probably infected by Hollow energy."

Shinji's gaze flickered slightly.

It seems that this Quincy girl, Shiraki Yuki, had taken Kurosaki Masaki's place in history, saving Shiba Isshin instead.

"Damn it… If it wasn't for me…"

Hearing Shinji's words, Shiba Isshin clenched his fist and slammed it into the ground.

Boom!

The impact shattered the area beneath him, creating a deep crater several meters wide.

Shiba Isshin took a deep breath, his face filled with regret.

If she hadn't saved me…

If she hadn't recklessly approached 'Hollow'…

If she hadn't struck a fatal blow to 'Hollow' using some unknown Quincy ability…

Then she wouldn't have been infected by 'Hollow's' power!

What do I do?

What the hell do I do now?!

"What exactly… is Hollowfication?"

Kurosaki Masaki asked, her voice filled with confusion.

"Hollowfication…"

Shiba Isshin's expression turned grim.

"It's an absolute taboo."

His voice was low, filled with dread.

As a Captain-level Shinigami, how could he not know about Hollowfication?

In Soul Society…

Hollowfication is an absolute sin, one that must never be touched.

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[TN: Guys This Week only One Chapter because I'm Sick as Hell]