Behind its pale mask, the crimson eyes of the Bull-Ogre Hollow rolled violently, staring fixedly at Suō Tsukasa with boundless agony and brutality.
A profound, heavy resentment nearly materialized, seeming as if it might erupt from its eyes to slay the Shinigami before it. The muscles in its neck bulged, yet it could only sway futilely; under the effect of the Bakudō, its remaining torso could not move an inch.
Suō Tsukasa stood a mere few feet away, yet it was a distance the creature would never be able to cross.
"Damn... damn... Shinigami!"
A hoarse roar squeezed out of its throat.
Tsukasa paid no mind to its hatred. Such a gaze was something he had long since grown accustomed to in the struggle between Shinigami and Hollows.
"Do you know Metastacia?"
Then, the sound of his questioning drilled directly into the Bull-Ogre Hollow's ears. His expression was calm, without the slightest ripple, as if he were merely confirming an inconsequential triviality.
Of course, he was not without preparations.
Suō Tsukasa was always careful. Before approaching the Hollow, he had specifically used a minor Kidō trick to confine the surrounding sound solely between himself and the creature. Coupled with the ability of Hikari, no one could discern what was said by reading his lips.
"Meta... what... stacia?"
The Bull-Ogre Hollow repeated the name with difficulty and bewilderment. The name Tsukasa mentioned was quite a tongue-twister; with its somewhat regressed intelligence and linguistic ability, it could not immediately memorize or clearly pronounce the unfamiliar name.
"Ah, it seems you don't know either."
Suō Tsukasa watched it silently.
In the eyes of the masked Hollow, there was no sharp contraction—the kind of reaction Tsukasa had expected upon touching a deep-seated inner fear or hatred. There was only the consistent resentment and a sliver of confusion regarding the inexplicable question.
"Then, goodbye."
There was no pity, no regret—only a calm like an ancient, undisturbed well. This result was within his expectations.
Puchi.
He thrust his Zanpakutō forward steadily. The tip of the blade pierced through the mask, precisely stabbing into the core of the Bull-Ogre Hollow. All the intense emotions in the Hollow's eyes froze in an instant.
Death arrived swiftly and thoroughly, instantly submerging the creature's consciousness. It died peacefully, carrying its confusion over Tsukasa's question.
"It wasn't a modified Hollow either."
Suō Tsukasa silently watched the Hollow vanish before him. He sheathed his blade and reached a conclusion.
He had quietly ruled out another possibility that required vigilance; the spiritual foundation of this Bull-Ogre Hollow was normal, and its core fluctuations were no different from the many Hollows he had probed before. There were no traces of technical modification or optimization; clearly, it was not an experimental subject created by Aizen.
Tsukasa turned away, his gaze no longer falling on the empty ground where the Hollow had finally dissipated.
Metastacia.
An experimental subject created by Aizen, a large Hollow with the ability to fuse. Ordinary Hollows accumulated power slowly by devouring and digesting their own kind—a process that was inefficient and wasteful. Metastacia was entirely different; its special ability allowed it to directly merge with other Hollows, absorbing and transforming their power and traits almost perfectly, causing its evolution efficiency to grow exponentially.
In the original timeline, it was this creature that devoured and killed the Shiba couple.
If one were to ask who in the Gotei 13 was the most sensitive and cautious regarding anomalies, it would undoubtedly be Suō Tsukasa. He never viewed any coincidence as accidental, especially concerning the movements of Hollows.
Therefore, ever since he detected subtle deviations in the behavioral patterns of Hollow groups through clerical statistics, he had been busy. Holding meetings, issuing warnings, distributing medicine, and changing the execution model of Hollow extermination missions.
It was precisely because his words carried weight and his actions were effective that he gained the trust and support of Shiba Miyako and Ukitake Jūshirō. This led the recent response strategy to shift from the old subjugation squad model to his current, more efficient solo rescue model.
Furthermore, after taking control of the battle situation, Tsukasa had intentionally left the strongest Large Hollow alive for a brief and secretive interrogation. It wasn't that Tsukasa didn't want to ask more questions, but a Hollow's heart was filled with negative emotions. Usually, only the first question would catch them off guard enough to yield a relatively truthful response.
Tsukasa had no intention of using torture. Not only would such actions look extremely abnormal in the eyes of others, but a Hollow's pain tolerance and regenerative abilities were exceptionally high—it would be a complete waste of time.
And today, it was another negative answer.
Tsukasa sheathed his blade and turned toward the assembled squad. He felt little disappointment, only deeper contemplation. Perhaps Metastacia was currently an opponent that had not yet been born or taken shape.
As for whether it might have a different name, that was outside Suō Tsukasa's considerations. Aizen, the great literary stylist of the Soul Society, had his own naming conventions and whims for his experimental subjects; the core of "White" was pure black, yet it was named White. The name Metastacia also carried connotations of transcendence and remolding.
"Third Seat Suō, we have all finished our rest."
"Shall we set out for the return journey?"
a squad leader walked forward quickly and requested instructions. Tsukasa's gaze swept across the group as he announced:
"From this moment, we will travel at a forced march back to the Seireitei along the route. I will personally take up the rear for the entire journey to maintain alert."
"Upon return, the wounded are to be sent to the General Relief Station for subsequent recovery. All other members who participated in this mission are to take a half-month rest period."
"Participation in similar missions is prohibited within the next half-month."
"Yes, sir!"
The next day.
The office of the Thirteenth Division was bright and warm as usual. The atmosphere hadn't changed much despite the recent alerts.
Suō Tsukasa sat at his desk, focused intently on the mission reports regarding the recent Hollow threats spread out before him. Shiba Miyako approached with a cup of freshly brewed tea, placing it gently by his hand with a tender, concerned look.
"Tsukasa, you worked hard last night. I heard from the squad that after you arranged for the wounded, you didn't return to the barracks until the middle of the night."
"Why didn't you rest a bit longer? We are here."
"Sister Miyako, it's fine. I'm not tired."
"Although the number of casualties has decreased significantly due to the tactical adjustments and the medicine, the overall number of Hollows in the mission reports shows no sign of decreasing. We cannot let our guard down yet."
Tsukasa looked up from the reports and took the teacup. Shiba Miyako followed his gaze to the report, her brow furrowing slightly as she suggested:
"How about I take over the next few rescues? It would be good for you to rest for a while."
"You were busy at the Fourth Division for two days recently; you must be exhausted."
"Yeah, that's right!"
"Tsukasa, don't always carry the burden by yourself. Kiyane and I can step up for the division too. Just take a break once in a while!"
Kotsubaki Sentarō leaned over, his large hand habitually clapping Tsukasa's shoulder as he spoke bluntly.
"Exactly! There haven't been any issues in the World of the Living lately, so I'm free too!"
Kotetsu Kiyane's face was full of enthusiasm as she raised her hand.
"Thank you, everyone, but the current situation is a bit special."
"I have been the one in charge of the Hollow threat missions. By handling the front-line situations personally, it's easier to spot any unusual anomalies at the first possible moment."
"Besides, it's not like I haven't been resting. Although the frequency of my sorties has increased lately, the time spent away has actually shortened quite a bit."
Tsukasa reached out, adding in a steady tone. He wasn't trying to be a hero; by cutting out the time spent leading a large expedition, he had more than enough time for several naps.
Seeing his persistent expression, Shiba Miyako spoke warmly:
"I believe you know what you're doing. However, if you ever feel tired, you must not force yourself. You can hand things over to us anytime."
"That's right! We're on standby at any moment!" Sentarō pounded his chest forcefully and gave a thumbs-up.
"Me too!" Kiyane added with a vigorous nod.
"Alright, definitely!" Tsukasa agreed with a smile.
After the brief interlude, the office returned to its usual tranquility.