Days passed in a blur.
As Morpheus enjoyed a rare moment of peace, one of his followers came calling.
It was none other than the Goddess of Wisdom of yokai, known for her sharp tongue.
Kotoko Iwanaga.
She found Morpheus at school, where he was dining with Ritsu Tainaka and Mio Akiyama.
The meal, by the way, was prepared by Emiya.
Using special gourmet ingredients.
Ritsu and Mio ate with gusto, their mouths glistening with oil as they raved about the food.
But then Kotoko stormed in, ignoring the curious stares, grabbed Morpheus, and dragged him to the school's rooftop.
Once there, she locked the door and added a sealing spell.
No one could interrupt their private conversation.
Morpheus was taken aback.
"What's going on?"
Kotoko said, "I've found the one who ate you, my lord. But unfortunately, you were mistaken. It wasn't a yokai."
Her words hit like a bombshell, leaving Morpheus stunned.
The one who ate his predecessor wasn't a yokai? It seemed his predecessor's lingering memories weren't reliable.
"Then what was it?" Morpheus asked.
Kotoko explained, "These past days, I scoured all of Tokyo, questioning countless yokai. Finally, one told me that on the day you were eaten, someone did enter your house."
"But it wasn't a yokai—it was a Hollow."
"A Hollow?"
Morpheus frowned, instinctively wondering if she meant that kind of Hollow.
Kotoko continued, "When some people die, their souls become so empty they don't go to Hell. Instead, they degenerate into creatures called Hollows."
"Normal people can't see them, but there's no doubt they exist."
"Hollows are a type of evil spirit, but they're even stranger."
"My lord, it's very likely you were eaten by a Hollow."
Morpheus paused, considering her words. They made sense.
His predecessor was an ordinary person. Mistaking a Hollow for a yokai wasn't unthinkable.
In Japan, the line between yokai and evil spirits was blurry.
Take Kubinashi, for example.
In some cultures, it'd be a classic evil spirit.
But in Japan, it was part of the Nura Clan and considered a yokai by many.
There were plenty of similar cases.
So, his predecessor's confusion was entirely plausible.
Morpheus asked, "You're well-informed. Tell me, besides Hollows, is there a place called the Soul Society in this world?"
Kotoko nodded. "Indeed, the Soul Society exists. It's a subordinate organization under Yama, specifically tasked with dealing with Hollows."
Perfect. Bleach had been woven into this world too. How intriguing.
Morpheus pressed, "You said I was eaten by a Hollow before I awakened. Have you found it?"
Kotoko replied, "I have. I've tracked its location. Would you like to come with me to confront it, my lord?"
"Go? Why wouldn't I?"
If this Hollow was truly the culprit behind his predecessor's fate, Morpheus would destroy it without hesitation.
And he'd ensure it didn't die too easily.
They left the school immediately.
Led by Kotoko, Morpheus arrived at a dilapidated building.
The entrance bore three large words: Inukami Group.
Wait, what? The Inukami Group?
The name sounded familiar, like something he'd heard before.
Morpheus racked his brain and finally recalled—it was from that absurd anime, Back Street Girls.
The Inukami Group's boss was infamous for a iconic moment.
Then he sent three underlings who'd failed a job to a Southeast Asian country for gender reassignment surgery, turning three burly men into dainty girls.
They became the Back Street Girls and debuted as idols.
What kind of human does that?
Morpheus had been baffled but thoroughly shocked when he saw it.
That wasn't just impressive—it was next-level.
Most people couldn't pull off something so outrageous, but the Inukami Group's boss did, leaving everyone stunned.
The guy wasn't a devil, but he was more devilish than one.
That aside, why had Kotoko brought him here? Was the Hollow hiding in this place?
Morpheus cast a clairvoyance spell, scanning the building. He quickly discovered a basement.
Inside were not only a Hollow but several humans.
The Inukami Group's boss had locked humans and a Hollow together.
But since ordinary people couldn't see Hollows, the captives weren't overly terrified. They were more anxious and confused, unsure why the Inukami Group had imprisoned them.
Was it for extortion?
They were oblivious to the Hollow standing behind them, eyeing them with greed and amusement.
This wasn't an ordinary Hollow.
Normal Hollows acted on instinct, lacking such intelligence.
Morpheus could tell this one possessed human-like cunning, marking it as a high-level Hollow.
But he couldn't discern its exact rank.
To him, even the strongest Hollow was trash.
The Hollow didn't devour the humans immediately. Instead, it circled them, its movements producing faint footsteps in the basement.
This spooked the captives.
They looked around frantically, seeing nothing.
Yet the footsteps continued, growing clearer.
Their faces paled.
"Ghost… a ghost!" one unfortunate soul screamed, unable to suppress his terror. He bolted for the basement door, pounding on it desperately.
"Let me out! Let me out!"
***
Bonus Chapter:
100 Power Stones = 1 BC
300 Power Stones = 2 BC
500 Power Stones = 3 BC
700 Power Stones = 4 BC
1000 Power Stones = 5 BC
***
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