Hollow?
I'm afraid not.
Compared to a Hollow, a fallen soul that still clings to the living world, this being before me is more akin to a negative energy aggregate existing entirely based on Chakra.
The moment Aizen saw it, he recognized the difference between it and a true human soul.
It's just, how could such a thing exist deep within a human soul?
Is this also a difference between the two worlds?
Aizen recalled various ancient texts he had read, finding that similar existences seemed to be quite numerous.
Moryo, Satori, Jashin... these all seem to be demons that exist based on Yin Release Chakra condensed from negative emotions.
At the same time, they are also a Bloodline Limit product of the Kurama Clan.
His thoughts delved deeper.
As is well known, every bloodline family forms a specific bloodline through the combination of specific Chakra.
The Nara and Akimichi clans, capable of using Shadow Secret Jutsu and Expansion Secret Jutsu, have directional differences from ordinary people in terms of brain and muscle cells.
And families with more powerful bloodlines, like the Uchiha and Hyuga, can even exhibit obvious mutations at the organ level.
However, after Aizen's preliminary examination, aside from the Kurama Clan having slightly higher innate Yin Release Chakra than ordinary people, they didn't seem to possess the significant abnormalities similar to these other clans.
At least, they shouldn't possess such a powerful bloodline ability as 'manipulating the five senses and turning illusion into reality'... which can even, to some extent, rival the Mangekyo Sharingan.
This, after all, is energy interfering with reality.
At the same time, deep within Kurama Yakumo's heart, such a distorted existence appeared.
Then, after repeated eliminations, the true answer was almost revealed.
"—A negative demon existing deep within an entire clan's soul, passed down through generations?"
"Such a thing actually exists."
Aizen watched its gradually distorting form, his lips unconsciously curving upwards slightly.
The more he dug into the truth of this world, the more new and different phenomena he could uncover.
"Interesting."
Aizen's words were not kept to himself, so much so that the 'Ido' in front of him heard them clearly.
This precise judgment caused its distorted facial expression to pause, as it stared blankly at the man before it.
And the man's gaze, like one appreciating an object, inexplicably stirred a strong sense of crisis within its heart.
It was just like a researcher looking at a lab mouse.
No emotion whatsoever.
Only absolute rationality.
How could this be?
Hundreds of years of human experience made 'Ido' subconsciously suppress this thought. Its mocking expression gradually subsided, turning into a calm devoid of any ripples, as if completely unshaken, it met the man's gaze again:
"Truly unexpected."
"In the hundreds of years since my descent, you are the first human to see my true form."
"This truly makes me more and more curious about your brain."
"But if that's the case, you should also understand, right?"
"The..."
At this point, its voice suddenly rose, sharp and piercing:
"Vast difference between me and you mortals at the fundamental level of the soul!"
No sooner had it spoken than the surrounding shadow swamp suddenly raged violently with its voice.
The tentacles, entirely composed of Yin Release Chakra, that had extended from the surface of the swamp gathered into a mass, overturning the entire inner space belonging to Kurama Yakumo.
The roaring howl was like a reverse wave sweeping the sky, and the violent tremors made both their figures seem to tremble in unison at this moment.
After the pitch-black space was torn apart, what was exposed was a hell of molten blood enveloped in endless scarlet and lava.
Even the pure white path Aizen had just walked was covered and swallowed by the surrounding negative Chakra.
Countless skeletons paved the ground beneath their feet, piled up into mountains.
At this moment, it became the very center of Kurama Yakumo's entire inner space.
Waves of Yin Release Chakra, unique to it, rose from the ground around it, forming an immense heavenly pillar nearly ten meters in diameter, piercing upwards through the sky.
Even the surrounding furnace purgatory could not stop it, and the mountain of corpses and sea of blood beneath its feet were all pulverized.
If it were an ordinary person, merely coming into contact with its surroundings would likely cause them to be crushed by the endless, heavy pressure accumulated over hundreds of years.
Yes.
This was its true reliance.
In terms of Chakra alone, or bloodline power alone, it might still have many shortcomings.
But now, their location was the center of Kurama Yakumo's soul.
Only the quality of the soul determines everything.
This was its greatest advantage.
—After hundreds of years of accumulation, an transcendence of mortals at the soul dimension level!
Thinking of this, Ido's smile once again turned from calm to sinister, as it looked at the man before it with cruel eyes, like one looking at food.
Just as the other party had judged.
Ever since the ancestors of the Kurama Clan brought it to this world through a Jashin summoning ritual, it had reincarnated through Chakra, clinging to the most outstanding descendants of the Kurama Clan generation after generation, absorbing their Chakra and negative emotions.
This was also one of the main forms of existence for these demons.
Through hundreds of years of accumulation across generations, the power it truly possessed was not merely the extent displayed by Kurama Yakumo, such as simply depriving some people of their five senses through paintings, or creating some illusions.
It could truly achieve the feat of interfering with reality through illusion, by crushing with soul power.
The so-called Bloodline Limit of the Kurama Clan was merely a slight derivative and remnant of its abilities.
Besides that.
Over these hundreds of years, countless Ninja came to examine the depths of the Kurama Clan descendants' hearts.
However, among them, only this man before it truly saw through its essence.
At this thought, Ido's resolve in its heart gradually solidified.
Since you've come, then be completely engulfed here.
"A... vast difference in souls?"
Before him, winds and lava churned, and the surrounding Yin Release Chakra gathered like a colossal tsunami, seemingly about to sweep him directly into a void made of countless blades, completely crushing him to dust.
However, Aizen's voice remained calm.
Amidst the roaring winds, his figure was like a small boat, his clothes fluttering in the surging waves.
He hadn't moved an inch.
"In a sense, that's also true."
Aizen raised his head, looking at the girl who had completely transformed into a demonic shape, a faint light glinting beneath his glasses.
At this moment, an inexplicable sense of crisis arose in Ido's heart.
But how could this be?
Whether in terms of total Chakra or Bloodline Limit, the opponent didn't seem outstanding.
Judging from the Kurama family's memories, this was merely a young man who had just been promoted to Jonin not long ago.
What was the source of this danger...?
"Let me teach you."
"The so-called 'pressure of the soul' is not something as disorganized as this."
Before Ido could continue to ponder, Aizen suddenly took a step forward.
"Clap."
Just one step.
The roaring winds around them suddenly ceased.
The space between Ido and Aizen seemed to abruptly manifest an invisible wall, completely isolating all the swirling, booming power.
Watching this scene, Ido's distorted, demonic face, its scarlet eyes bulged sharply in disbelief.
How could this be?!
How could a mere human, who had lived for only twenty-odd years, contend with it on a soul level?
No, that's not right.
This step must already be his full power.
Unfortunately, established reality is often difficult to sway by a creature's will.
After taking the first step, came the second, then the third... The distance between the two, which had been extended by the churning inner space, gradually shortened beneath Aizen's feet.
Each step he took was as if a heavy hammer struck deep within Ido's heart.
Under the man's utterly unremarkable strides, the illusory lava solidified into stone, the scarlet skeletons shattered into dust, and the roaring Yin Release winds ceased.
The entire inner space, accumulated by it over hundreds of years, was at this moment stripped of its control, like a shrinking cage, pressing back down upon it.
As the distance between them grew shorter, Ido's perception became clearer.
The terrifying pressure surrounding the man was like hundreds of times gravity bearing down, formless and shapeless, yet so heavy that it made one unable to even lift their head.
Twenty meters, ten meters, five meters... "Crack, crack, crack."
Fine bone-breaking sounds resonated from within Ido, seemingly out of nowhere.
Its flailing movements froze, its distorted and inflated body was gradually compressed, its entire form as if being kneaded and squeezed by a large hand, bending its waist little by little.
Ido's emotions also shifted from initial doubt and disbelief to an indelible, immense fear.
"Thud."
Its shattered knees hit the ground heavily, the immense pressure forcing its body down, compelling it to prostrate itself.
Three meters, two meters, one meter.
Until finally, those feet that had traversed the short distance appeared before its eyes.
At this moment, Ido's originally distorted and inflated form had been completely pulverized by the almost tangible pressure, with its explosive blood and gore staining the surroundings, a foul stench filling the air.
However, Ido no longer had the presence of mind to care about such things.
It lay prostrate, trembling, its forehead pressed to the ground. Its throat, tightly constricted, could not even emit a sound, and the emotions in its eyes were indescribable, no longer even capable of being summarized by words like despair or fear.
At this moment, its demonic instincts made it clearly feel.
The opponent only needed to apply a little more force to completely crush its body, but the opponent precisely controlled it to a certain degree.
Life and death were in his hands.
It could not imagine, no matter how hard it tried.
Why its hundreds of years of accumulation were still inferior to the mere soul essence of a human.
Aizen Sōsuke's smile remained gentle. He lowered his head, looking at the now inhuman demon before him, like a kind teacher patiently guiding:
"This is what Spiritual Pressure refers to."