Several months later, at the Sarcophagus Stone laboratory.
Katori Sora and Sōsuke Aizen stood before a wall covered in reishi screens.
Sora now had two laboratories. After becoming captain of the 12th Division, he got a new lab in the Technology Development Bureau.
However, his original lab built inside the Sarcophagus Stone mine was not abandoned.
Research that was not convenient to show to the outside world was still being conducted here.
"Professor, after several years of cultivation, the 'Surveillance Bacteria' can now cover more than half of the Seireitei. In a little while longer, it will cover the entire thing," Aizen remarked. "With this, nothing that happens in the Seireitei will be hidden from us!"
Sora had obtained the 'Surveillance Bacteria' a long time ago.
They acted like cameras and were difficult for others to detect.
But the quantity he had obtained was very small and couldn't be used over a large area.
However, 'Surveillance Bacteria' were still bacteria and could be cultivated to increase their numbers!
After several years, the bacteria had multiplied continuously and were now ready for use.
The images seen by the bacteria were transmitted to the reishi screens on the wall.
"We won't be staring at this all the time, so we might miss some important information. We need to find a way to store the bacteria's memories. Sōsuke, I'm giving you the task of developing a medium that can store these memories," Sora said after a moment of thought.
What was projected onto the screens was not an image, but the bacteria's current memory.
But the bacteria couldn't store much memory; it would quickly be overwritten by the next moment's memory. A separate storage medium was needed to preserve it.
"That won't be difficult. It should be done within a month," Aizen nodded slightly. "By the way, there have been some new discoveries regarding the Soul King fragment. Please follow me, Professor."
Aizen led Sora onto an elevator and down to the lowest level of the lab.
The number of projects in this lab was increasing, and space was becoming an issue, so they had expanded downwards.
The lab now had four levels.
The top level was for rest and training.
The second level housed the Reigai and the half-human, half-Hollow beings brought back from Tetsuya Miyamoto's lab.
The third level was for researching Hollows. Some Hollow Reigai, specimens, and test subjects were here.
The fourth level held the lab's most valuable item—the Soul King fragment.
The two arrived at the fourth-level laboratory.
Sora saw a spiritual life form lying in a culture tank, its body covered with a white shell.
"Is this a Hollowfied Shinigami Reigai?" Through his spiritual sense, Sora detected that this being possessed the powers of both a Shinigami and a Hollow.
"Yes. You must have sensed it, Professor. This is a Hollowfied Shinigami Reigai," Aizen said.
"This Reigai is here... did you use the Soul King fragment to Hollowfy it?" Sora quickly understood Aizen's discovery.
"I extracted a certain special power from within the Soul King fragment, which I believe can be called 'Soul King's Power'. I injected the extracted 'Soul King's Power' into the Shinigami Reigai, and it quickly underwent an astonishing change," Aizen said gravely. "This discovery was very surprising. The Soul King's power actually possesses the characteristics of Hollow power!"
Aizen couldn't help but wonder—what exactly was the Soul King?
In his understanding, Hollows were the enemies of Shinigami and the Soul King, yet the power within the Soul King's body possessed Hollow characteristics.
"You successfully extracted the 'Soul King's Power'?" Sora was pleasantly surprised. "This is truly good news."
Under his influence, Aizen had come into contact with the Soul King fragment much earlier.
Perhaps the Hōgyoku would also appear much sooner.
"The current extraction efficiency is very low. However, just a tiny amount of 'Soul King's Power' can have such an amazing effect. I had to use a large amount of powerful inhibitors to stop this Hollowfied Reigai's transformation. I have now removed the 'Soul King's Power' from its body; otherwise, it could not maintain this form," Aizen explained.
After blowing up dozens of Shinigami Reigai, Aizen had finally mastered the method of retrieving the 'Soul King's Power'.
Fortunately, they had confiscated a large number of Reigai from Tetsuya Miyamoto; otherwise, cultivating so many would have required a massive amount of resources.
"So, is there anything special about this Hollowfied Shinigami Reigai?" Sora felt that Aizen was showing him this for a specific reason.
"The Professor's eyes are sharp," Aizen chuckled lightly. "Do you remember the 'Shinigami Reishi Vaccine' you gave me a few years ago?"
Sora quickly recalled the 'Shinigami Reishi Vaccine'.
It was a reward from the system, a vaccine that allowed a Hollow to withstand a Shinigami's reishi and undergo Shinigamification.
Sora had given this vaccine to Nelliel, allowing her to obtain a Shinigamified form.
After it was used, there was still a tiny amount of liquid left in the syringe, which Sora had given to Aizen to study.
"Are you saying the 'Shinigami Reishi Vaccine' is related to the Soul King's power?" Sora asked.
"Perhaps the test subject from which you obtained it, Professor, also had a Soul King fragment inside it, giving this vaccine some of the characteristics of the Soul King's power," Aizen pointed to the spiritual body in the tank. "I extracted a substance similar to the 'Shinigami Reishi Vaccine' from within this Hollowfied Reigai."
"Oh? Doesn't that mean we can mass-produce the 'Shinigami Reishi Vaccine'?" Sora stroked his chin.
At the time, he had casually made an excuse, saying the vaccine was an accidental byproduct extracted from a Hollowfied test subject and couldn't be reproduced.
Aizen hadn't suspected anything then, but had instead followed that line of thought and found some clues.
If the vaccine could be mass-produced, then they would have the ability to create Visoreds in batches!
"Unfortunately, the extracted substance is unstable. I have already tested it. If used directly, this substance has no effect and still cannot allow a Hollow to complete Shinigamification. It might have too many impurities. Perhaps a neutralizing agent needs to be developed to be used with it," Aizen shook his head.
"The progress is already very good," Sora chuckled. "Perhaps it won't be long before we uncover the secrets of the Soul King's power, Sōsuke."
"I also have a feeling that the secret is close at hand. But for the Soul King's power to have Hollow characteristics is truly perplexing..." Aizen frowned slightly.
"It's not that strange. The Soul King is the ruler of the three realms, and both Hollows and Shinigami are part of the three realms," Sora hinted. "Perhaps, the Soul King's power also has the characteristics of a Quincy."
"Quincy are also a part of the three realms..." Aizen looked thoughtful.
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