"What? Rukia was eaten by a Hollow?"
Inside the Seireitei, within the Thirteen Court Guard Squads.
Ukitake was stunned when he heard his subordinate's report.
By now, they had captured all the demonized Shinigami.
Although those Shinigami were powerful after demonization, no matter how strong they became, it was still difficult for them to contend against Captain-level Shinigami.
So once they took action, those demons were quickly cleared out.
However, after everything was cleaned up and Ukitake returned to the squad, he discovered that Rukia had actually been eaten by that Dragon-shaped Hollow.
This is terrible—
Rukia is Kuchiki Byakuya's sister and someone Shiba Kaien had high hopes for. If they found out that Rukia was devoured by a Hollow while under his watch—
—
Even if they didn't say anything, Ukitake wouldn't be able to live with himself; after all, Rukia was an important subordinate of his.
Even if she had turned into a demon, there would still be room for salvation, but people are saying she was eaten by a Hollow, then—
What else can be done?
If he had chosen to pursue that Dragon-shaped Hollow at that time, would he have been able to save Rukia?
But at that moment, the Azure Dragon Menos Grande had already swallowed Rukia into its mouth.
So—
In fact, whether he pursued it or not, Rukia was already beyond saving.
How was he supposed to explain this to Kuchiki Byakuya?
When dealing with those five monsters earlier, Kuchiki Byakuya didn't get involved because something had just happened over in Rukongai recently. Since it involved many noble properties, he had taken the Sixth Division to investigate.
When he returns and finds out his sister was devoured by a Hollow—
"Sigh—"
Ukitake sighed, feeling he had let Byakuya down, and also let Kaien down.
Meanwhile, Beltz was already on his way to the Sabaody Archipelago with Rukia.
About two hours later, the hypnotized Rukia gradually woke up.
As soon as she regained consciousness, Rukia's body tensed up because the last image before she lost consciousness was of herself being swallowed by the Dragon-shaped Hollow.
Wait, hadn't she been eaten?
How was she still conscious?
And—
After coming to her senses, she discovered she was soaring through the sky, and beneath her was actually a green behemoth!
This guy—
Isn't this the Menos Grande that swallowed her earlier?
She immediately reached for her sword, only to find that the Zanpakuto at her waist was gone.
Beltz naturally wouldn't let Rukia stay with her sword.
Although Rukia's strength posed no threat to him, it was better to avoid unnecessary trouble.
Leaving the sword with Rukia would always be a nuisance.
He was currently rushing to the Sabaody Archipelago at full speed and had no time to waste on Rukia's resistance.
Without her sword, Rukia was momentarily flustered, but fortunately, she finally decided to use Kido.
However, just as she was about to chant, Beltz's voice entered her mind.
"Save your energy."
Beltz said, "I actually have no ill will toward you. Capturing you this time is only because of the Hōgyoku inside your body."
"?"
Rukia was somewhat surprised to hear Beltz's voice.
Had her waking up already been noticed?
She had been a Shinigami for so long, but she had actually never encountered a Menos Grande before.
And in the textbooks of the Spiritual Arts Academy, Menos Grande are extremely dangerous existences!
Once a Menos Grande appears, it requires the Royal Special Task Force to handle it.
This Menos Grande before her was the first she had ever seen. Thinking back to the scene where it swallowed her in one bite, Rukia knew she was no match for it.
""
Thinking of this, Rukia realized Beltz had just mentioned the Hōgyoku?
What did that mean?
He came to capture her for the Hōgyoku inside her body?
But what is the Hōgyoku?
When did she ever have this thing called the Hōgyoku in her body?
"I don't understand what you're talking about, but I won't compromise with a Hollow. If you want to kill me, just do it!"
"Hollow? Heh, do you think I am a Hollow?"
Rukia was startled by his words. When Beltz first charged over, she had indeed felt a Hollow's Reiatsu.
But sensing it again now, the aura on Beltz was extremely strange, with no scent related to a Hollow at all!
"You're not a Hollow? Who are you?" Rukia was stunned. She had actually heard that spirits and monsters existed in the Three Worlds, and some souls that fell into the Animal Path might turn into terrifying monsters, like werewolves.
But she had never seen one with her own eyes!
Even when she was struggling to survive in Rukongai, she had never seen such a massive Azure Dragon!
"Since I'm not a Hollow, that's enough, isn't it?"
Beltz didn't reveal his identity, only saying, "We have no reason to be enemies."
"—What is this Hōgyoku you mentioned?" Rukia asked. "A miraculous item that can extract the desires of a person's heart and manifest them," Beltz didn't hide it. As the saying goes, sincerity is most touching.
When the enemy lets down some of their guard, one can speak from the heart. Actually, if Beltz wanted to, he could use The Subconscious's ability to directly hypnotize Rukia. He had always said PePe's ability was suitable for an adult world, but isn't his ability as The Subconscious the same?
However, Rukia was, after all, an anime character he had loved in his past life and wasn't some evil villain, so Beltz wouldn't impose forced control on her. But using The Subconscious's ability appropriately to guide her was no problem.
Through mutual contact, Rukia would more easily believe Beltz's words and more easily develop a favorable impression of him.
Actually, if Beltz wanted to, he could use The Subconscious's ability to directly hypnotize Rukia.
He had always said PePe's ability was suitable for an adult world, but isn't his ability as The Subconscious the same?
However, Rukia was, after all, an anime character he had loved in his past life and wasn't some evil villain, so Beltz wouldn't impose forced control on her.
But using The Subconscious's ability appropriately to guide her was no problem.
Through mutual contact, Rukia would more easily believe Beltz's words and more easily develop a favorable impression of him.
"Manifesting... desires?"
Rukia was somewhat surprised. "How is that possible?"
She didn't know Beltz's abilities, but she knew how abnormal it was to manifest desires.
Beltz then said something that made Rukia's pupils dilate: "Why do you think Shiba Kaien died?"
"?!" Rukia exclaimed, "What did you say?"
"Why is it related to Lord Kaien?"
"After becoming an adopted child of the Kuchiki family, you lost contact with your past friends. After that, Shiba Kaien was the only one who entered the depths of your heart."
Beltz said indifferently, "In that process, did you develop an admiration for him?"
"..." Rukia was silent for a moment before saying, "Of course I did."
"Then, when you learned Shiba Kaien already had a wife, did you, perhaps even for a split second—"
"Shut up!" Rukia's expression was furious, and she shouted in shame, "What are you saying?!"
A terrifying thought suddenly arose in her mind. If that was really the case—
Then wouldn't that mean Lord Kaien's death was not only caused by her own hands, but even guided by her own hands?!
"I am indeed speaking of something that will cause you pain."
Beltz could feel the pain in Rukia's heart.
Actually, what he was about to say was that when Rukia felt admiration for Shiba Kaien, the Hōgyoku read her wish.
And then, Shiba Miyako was killed.
Rukia naturally couldn't accept this.
Although this was also Beltz's speculation, he believed it was indeed very likely.
Aizen once said to Ichigo, 'Do you really think I couldn't determine the Hōgyoku's location during the hundred years it took to complete?'
He knew long ago that the Hōgyoku was in Rukia's body, and he deliberately sent Rukia to the Human World to contact Ichigo.
So when did he find out?
That's right, it was that time with Shiba Kaien!
The reason Shiba Kaien died that time was because of the modified Hollow Metastacia created by Aizen.
Beltz speculated that Aizen might not have originally intended for Metastacia to kill Shiba Miyako, but because the Hōgyoku's influence changed Metastacia's trajectory of action, it allowed Aizen to confirm the Hōgyoku's ability and location.
"Shut up! Shut up! Don't say any more!"
Rukia painfully swung her fists against Beltz's back, but her strength wasn't even comparable to a massage; Beltz felt almost nothing.
In this single instant, he had almost destroyed Rukia's worldview.
And then, in another instant, he reshaped her worldview.
"But naturally, it also possesses the ability to resurrect others."
!!
Rukia's pupils dilated again; in this short time, she had been shocked too many times.
"Resurrection?! H-how is that possible?"
Rukia shook her head again.
Although she was called a Shinigami, she had only heard that after people in the Human World died, they could be resurrected to a certain extent.
But if a Shinigami died, there had truly never been an instance of resurrection.
"Is it the Hōgyoku?"
She suddenly thought of the Hōgyoku inside her body. According to Beltz, the Hōgyoku could read the desires of her heart, so as long as she wished for Lord Kaien to be resurrected, could it be—
"Don't even think about it."
Beltz said indifferently, "Although the Hōgyoku can manifest desires, it can only achieve things that you yourself could do under extreme circumstances. So the Hōgyoku's so-called wishes are actually just extracting the potential within your heart."
"If it's something you yourself cannot do, then the Hōgyoku cannot manifest it either."
"There are many ways to resurrect the dead. As long as you can help me, I can help you resurrect Shiba Kaien and Shiba Miyako."
Beltz said softly, "Not some so-called desecration of the dead, but true resurrection."
He knew that people in Japanese manga have a very strange feeling toward the dead, thinking that pulling the dead back to the world of the living is a desecration of the deceased.
So he specifically mentioned it was a true resurrection.
☰