A thousand miles away from Las Noches, in the heart of a barren desert—
"Hahaha…"
"So that's how it is! You actually became a Hollow while retaining your memories from when you were alive. I knew it—Shinigami and Hollows truly share the same origin! "
"After hearing what you said, and seeing Lilynette shatter her mask and become more and more like a Shinigami… I'm even more convinced."
Yūshirō Shihōin laughed as he spoke, eating hotpot casually while chatting with Szayelaporro and Lilynette.
"I see…"
"So Hollows and Shinigami really come from the same root. It makes sense—before we became either, we were all just ordinary souls. From that perspective, it's true. And the more Hollows evolve, the smaller they get, and the more they resemble their original human form… Which means the ultimate evolution of a Hollow might be… to become like a Shinigami, right? "
Szayelaporro spoke with uncertainty in his voice.
"That, I'm not too sure about. But speaking of which, you Vasto Lorde types still wear masks, don't you? Lilynette's an exception—aside from the Hollow hole on her neck, she looks almost completely Shinigami. That's rare, right? "
Yūshirō stroked his chin thoughtfully as he spoke.
"Indeed. Aside from Miss Lilynette, I've never seen a Hollow without a mask—especially among the Vasto Lorde."
Szayelaporro nodded slightly. He had never thought much about it before, but now that he considered it, both Lilynette's power and her terrifying spiritual pressure were on a level completely different from any other Vasto Lorde.
"Could this form, where the mask is broken, be called an Arrancar? "
Szayelaporro touched the mask fragment on his own face as he looked at Lilynette's beautiful, maskless face.
"Arrancar? I like that word! "
Yūshirō gave him a thumbs-up. That term fit perfectly with his own thoughts.
"Arrancar! Sounds good."
Lilynette nodded lightly as well. It suited her.
"So, Miss Lilynette, how exactly did you become an Arrancar? Please explain in detail—I'd like to use it as reference."
Szayelaporro leaned forward curiously. He wanted to know the secret behind her evolution.
"Oh, well… It's like this. I was always searching for friends, but whenever they saw me, they ran away terrified. So I thought maybe I looked too scary. And besides, that mask on my head was so annoying! My head felt so heavy. So… I just ripped it off! "
Lilynette tried her best to explain her reasoning step by step.
"You mean… you just took it off because it felt annoying?! "
"Isn't removing your mask supposed to kill you?! "
Szayelaporro felt his brain short-circuit. Was he the only one working so hard to evolve, while others just… winged it? And then they ended up surpassing him without even trying?! So what the hell was the point of all his years of effort?! Damn it!
"I'm not sure. Want me to help you take yours off and see what happens? "
"Honestly, your mask looks really ugly! Want me to fix that for you? "
Lilynette examined his mask for a moment and then offered with complete sincerity.
"No, thank you."
Szayelaporro shook his head firmly. He wasn't about to die young.
"If Hollows evolve by removing their masks… then could Shinigami evolve by putting one on? "
Just then, Yūshirō suddenly spoke, his tone filled with curiosity.
"Eh?"
"That's… actually possible. Too bad I've never tested it, so I can't be certain."
Szayelaporro froze for a moment, then nodded. What Yūshirō said made sense. Shinigami and Hollows were two divergent evolutionary paths. If Hollows advanced by shedding their masks, then maybe Shinigami could evolve by donning one.
"Hahaha… But I don't need to evolve. I'm already invincible. All I want now is to find a way to control this overwhelming spiritual pressure."
Yūshirō chuckled, waving it off. He had only spoken out of idle curiosity after hearing Szayelaporro talk about Hollow evolution. He didn't really want to become stronger. If he got any stronger without controlling his reiatsu, Soul Society truly wouldn't be able to contain him. And he had no intention of staying in Hueco Mundo forever—or reporting to Squad Zero.
"A way to control spiritual pressure? "
"In that case… I might be able to help."
Szayelaporro's eyes lit up instantly. This was his chance—a perfect opportunity to study Yūshirō!
"Really?"
Yūshirō asked in pleasant surprise.
"Of course. I'll just need Lord Yūshirō to cooperate with some tests… Oh, and if possible, I'd like to borrow a few strands of your hair." Szayelaporro nodded calmly, though his eyes burned with obsession. "And Lilynette, you want to control your spiritual pressure too, right? Perfect! I'll make a device for both of you to suppress your reiatsu."
"You're a good person! "
Lilynette said seriously, nodding at Szayelaporro.
"Hahaha… Not at all. It's my duty."
Szayelaporro smiled faintly, though his eyes gleamed dangerously beneath his mask.
His plan was simple: with the power of Yūshirō and Lilynette, he would become more perfect—more beautiful. Maybe he couldn't reach Yūshirō's level of ultimate life form… but at least he would evolve into an Arrancar like Lilynette and shed this disgusting mask.
"Excellent. If you can help me solve this reiatsu problem, I'll take you both to visit Soul Society."
"Let me tell you—Hueco Mundo's entertainment options are pathetic compared to Soul Society. Calling it a backwater would be an understatement. Here, life is nothing but killing and being killed. It's suffocating."
Yūshirō promised Lilynette and Szayelaporro with a casual smile. As for breaking the laws of Central 46 or the Gotei 13 by bringing Hollows into Soul Society? He didn't care. He wasn't a Shinigami anyway—why should he follow their rules?
Besides, if Squad Zero was willing to back him, no one else would dare say a word.