"Our kind?"
Nelliel murmured, her large, curious eyes fixed on Naraku Sora as he underwent his metamorphosis, her eyelashes fluttering slightly.
Reiatsu, scalding like magma, surged through his veins. Amidst the eerie sound of writhing flesh and blood, the hidden injuries left over from his clash with the multiple Baraggans continuously healed.
Beneath his skin, muscle fibers intertwined and tangled like living creatures, undergoing a profound transformation.
Blood, fascia, muscle tissue, bones, internal organs, and even his very shell. Every single part was undergoing a brutal yet precise calibration and restructuring, filling Naraku Sora's body with a vitality etched with tyranny.
The bone mask on his face changed shape. Sharp, curved horns grew from both sides, exuding a chilling gleam that struck fear into the heart, like blades capable of severing all things.
When his Hollow power broke through the sixty percent mark, his already mutated form became even more hideous and fierce, so intimidating that one couldn't bear to look directly at him.
The scorching, burning wind persisted for a while before finally settling down. Reiatsu lingered around him as if it possessed a consciousness of its own, occasionally lashing out at the ground and leaving deep fissures in its wake.
Naraku Sora raised a slender finger and tapped lightly in the air. Countless Reishi gathered, and Bakudō #39, Enkōsen, formed in response, hovering above the ground like a mirror and reflecting his entire figure.
His Hollow mask remained ferocious and violent, perhaps even more so than before, with pitch-black lines scattered across it. His originally short black hair had grown wildly until it draped over his shoulders. Even his height had increased significantly.
Below his neck, lean muscles knotted together with smooth, proportionate lines. They looked like the tempered grain of a blade forged by a master craftsman, showcasing a powerful sense of strength without appearing overly bulky.
Even his spine had undergone a terrifying change. Multiple vertebrae undulated beneath his flesh, as if living creatures were lying dormant within. When his muscles tensed and his power surged, his spine coiled tight like a bowstring, emitting a sound that made one's scalp tingle.
Although his Reiatsu hadn't increased much, the enhancement to his spiritual body was far more than just a little. The physical strength of a Soul Reaper and a Menos Grande were simply not on the same level to begin with.
Normally, when Soul Reapers fought, they would compress high-density spiritual power onto the surface of their bodies to form a solid defense. Menos Grande, on the other hand, injected the hardness of their Reiatsu directly into their epidermis. Both defensive methods had their pros and cons.
Naraku Sora, however, had perfectly fused the two, elevating his defense to an outrageous degree. If he added the defensive bonus of his Lightning Release Chakra Mode, he might even be able to tank a few strikes from Ryūjin Jakka head-on.
Feeling the mighty power surging within his body, Naraku Sora's confidence swelled immensely. For a moment, he even had the illusion that Yamamoto was nothing special. Once he returned, he would definitely settle all his old scores!
Looking at the completely mutated figure, Szayelaporro, who had been somewhat disgruntled about being forcibly shoved into a prison cell, instantly tossed his previous displeasure to the back of his mind. His eyes shone brightly as he stared at the figure before him, his face full of fanaticism.
An existence extremely similar to an Arrancar Menos Grande, perfectly breaking the soul boundary between Soul Reaper and Hollow. He had thought himself a pioneer on this path, but he never expected someone else to have walked faster and further than him.
Whether it was his posture or the form of his power, it was absolutely perfect; there were almost no flaws to be found. Recalling Naraku Sora's previous strike that annihilated the black tide, the fanaticism on Szayelaporro's face became even more pronounced, making him look as though he were turning into a zealot.
This was the perfect organism he had always dreamed of!
"Lord Naraku, Lord Naraku!"
Naraku Sora turned his head, only to see Szayelaporro pressing his face against the prison bars, looking just like that classic scene from *The Shining*.
"Your existence is simply a miracle! You have perfectly shattered the soul boundary between Hollows and Soul Reapers, becoming a higher-dimensional organism in a sense."
"I am willing to give everything, be it my life or my loyalty, but before that—please, you must join my research team!"
Naraku Sora: "?"
*Join your research team and become a test subject? I've seen that exact look on people's faces countless times in the Soul Society. Do you really think you can fool me with a completely untrustworthy pledge of loyalty? You're underestimating me way too much.*
Seeing that Naraku Sora remained unmoved, Szayelaporro hastily stated his own value.
"The Arrancar technology I've developed still has too many flaws and errors. If Lord Naraku joins me, we can definitely perfect the process and increase the strength of Las Noches by several times over. I believe His Majesty Naraku surely wishes to see the grand spectacle of a unified Hueco Mundo."
"Arrancar?"
Naraku Sora caught the keyword. His gaze wandered back and forth between Szayelaporro and Nelliel before he finally extended his right hand toward the man in the cell, grinning broadly.
"Pleasure doing business with you."
Having dealt with Szayelaporro, Naraku Sora left the Las Noches prison and headed straight for the damaged tower. Although he didn't understand much about the professional knowledge required for experimental research, he had experts by his side. He could just leave the finer details to Aizen. As the newly appointed King of Hueco Mundo, Naraku Sora only needed to sit back and control the overall direction of the big picture.
Before long, he arrived in front of a palace.
"Senior Baraggan, are you in there?" Naraku Sora stood at the entrance, knocked on the door, and asked politely.
One must give old timers the respect they deserve. Yamamoto had taught him this, and he always kept it in mind.
The palace was dead silent; not even the sound of breathing could be heard. After a moment of silence, as if sensing something, an exasperated and furious voice came from the other side of the door.
"No!"
Naraku Sora's mouth curled into a grin. "Great, then I'm coming in."
With those words, he gave a gentle push forward.
*Crack!*
Watching the thick wooden latch splinter upon impact, Baraggan's eye twitched. *Just who is the Menos Grande here? And does this brat not understand plain words? Didn't I just say I wasn't here?!*
"Hmph, has the Soul Reaper come to humiliate his defeated opponent again?" Baraggan clearly had zero affection for Naraku Sora, who had beaten him to a pulp.
"I wouldn't call it humiliation," Naraku Sora said with a smile. "I just need you to come with me for a bit."
Hearing this, countless images of prisoner abuse instantly flashed through Baraggan's mind, and a trace of fear that even he found hard to detect began to grow in his heart. After a brief moment of thought, he decisively refused.
"I'm not going!"
Seeing this, Naraku Sora's expression changed, and his smile vanished. "That is not up to you."
Baraggan rose up in resistance, attempting to overthrow the cruel tyranny of the King of Hueco Mundo. The black tide of death, symbolizing senescence, surged forward. Although it wasn't as massive as before, its quality remained exactly the same.
The next second, Baraggan's pupils shrank sharply. He watched as the surging black tide crashed against Naraku Sora's body, failing to leave even the slightest mark. Instead, a scalp-numbing creaking sound echoed out.
It sounded just like grinding steel.
The Reiatsu barrier shattered, and the remaining black tide landed on his indestructible Hierro. Before it could even take effect, Naraku Sora snuffed it out with his bare hands.
Baraggan's face was filled with disbelief. Before he could even react, a powerful arm was already resting on his shoulder.
"Come with me!"
An irresistible, terrifying force acted upon his body. Naraku Sora hauled Baraggan up from his throne, turned around, and headed straight toward the prison.
Arriving at the cell block once again, Szayelaporro was nowhere to be seen, but the naturally airheaded Nelliel was still inside waiting for Naraku Sora. He casually opened the door to one of the cells and shoved Baraggan inside without a word.
Every time his Hollow power grew, it felt like a metamorphosis from the inside out. This time was no exception. The exceptionally massive commotion forced Baraggan to swallow the angry words that had reached the tip of his tongue.
He looked at the figure in the corridor with a face full of shock and confusion, once again pondering the identity the man had claimed earlier. If he had harbored any doubts before, they were completely dispelled the moment Baraggan saw the proliferating bone mass on that slender body.
That's right, this guy was absolutely one of his kind. The new King of Hueco Mundo wasn't a Soul Reaper, but a genuine Menos Grande!
Naraku Sora felt the beating of his heart. It was as if heavenly thunder had descended into his chest, echoing and pulsating as if it wanted to tear his ribcage apart, turning his blood into molten lava. It flowed with a feverish intensity.
His instantly contracting muscles expanded explosively, bringing indescribable strength and speed. As he clenched his five fingers together, the air currents were instantly crushed before they could escape. A deafening sonic boom echoed throughout the prison.
Under Baraggan's complicated gaze, Naraku Sora grinned, revealing a set of gleaming white teeth.
"I lack nothing now!"
Yamamoto was extremely angry. He had finally cultivated Black Flash to a new stage and had originally wanted to show off to his rebellious disciple. However, Tenteikūra couldn't capture his Reiatsu at all.
Considering that it might have been shielded by some unknown technology, he sent someone to Shino Prison to pass on a message, but there was no response whatsoever. So, he sent people to a few places the brat frequently visited, such as Squad 2, Squad 4, and Squad 5. They even searched the newly built Gokurakuya in the Rukongai.
He was nowhere to be found.
Just as Yamamoto thought the guy had carelessly gotten himself killed in some obscure corner, that familiar Reiatsu suddenly appeared near the Squad 1 Barracks. Immediately after, a burst of maniacal laughter echoed throughout the barracks.
"Teacher, my cultivation is complete! I have already reached the realm of invincibility! There is nothing in this world that can stop me now!"
Yamamoto stood under the eaves, staring at the figure in the courtyard with a displeased expression. He had found the person, but it looked like he had gone completely insane.
He was a lost cause.
The old man shook his head, directly taking off his Captain's haori and tying his Shishakushō around his waist, revealing a strong upper body covered in scars. A fierce, scorching aura rushed forth.
Today, he would let this bastard know that there is always someone stronger, and always a higher mountain to climb!
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