Chapter 694 The War to Unify The Three Worlds

13 years later, June 17th.

On this day, both Hueco Mundo and the Soul Society received the same news from the Living World… a large number of Quincies had died mysteriously at the same time.

Ordinary Shinigami didn't feel particularly strongly about this.

The hatred between the surviving Quincies and the Seireitei could only be described as blood-deep.

With these people dead, it saved the Shinigami the trouble of worrying about Quincies stealing their kills during missions in the Living World.

Yamamoto stood on the balcony of the 1st Division, leaning on his cane, gazing at the seemingly peaceful sky above the Seireitei.

He had a vague feeling that something was wrong.

But for now, his focus was mainly on Hueco Mundo. The quietness of that man named Nishikawa Makoto made him even more uneasy.

He ultimately didn't intervene much in the matter of the Quincies in the Living World.

During this time, there was also a minor news event in the Seireitei.

After Isshin resigned from his position as captain of the 10th Division due to severe injuries, Toshiro, who had been the Third Seat, took over his position.

His promotion was so fast that even Gin and Byakuya had been slightly slower in their time.

Of course, there was another reason he could smoothly take this position.

His biggest competitor, 7th Division's Lieutenant, Kocho Kanae, had been taken during the Hueco Mundo expedition thirteen years ago and was still missing.

This incident caused quite a stir within the Gotei 13, and the Seireitei did indeed need to create a super-genius to divert public attention.

…

On the other side, in Hueco Mundo.

Upon learning of the mass deaths of Quincies, Makoto immediately summoned Masaki to the main hall of Las Noches.

Over a decade had passed. The Quincy girl in her high school uniform from back then was now a woman radiating the charm of a mature wife.

But when she heard Makoto's words, her still-clear eyes widened instantly.

"How could this be... then Ryuken, and Katagiri-san... are they okay?"

The 'Ryuken' she mentioned was the young master of the Ishida Family, Ishida Ryuken, where she had boarded in the Living World. 'Katagiri' was the maid who had always taken care of her, one of the few warm memories she had under that unfamiliar roof.

"Your ex-husband is fine. As for that maid... she's gone."

Makoto shrugged.

Masaki took a second to realize what 'ex-husband' meant.

Ryuken had indeed been her nominal fiancé, though that marriage arrangement was more about political alliance between Quincy Families.

Masaki irritably stomped on Makoto's instep with her heel.

Even though she had transformed from a beautiful high-school girl into a beautiful young wife, that girl-like liveliness in her personality remained.

Makoto smiled, then took out the Hogyoku from his pocket.

That eerie glowing orb lay quietly in his palm, the surging blue-black light within casting shifting shadows across his hand. "Now, I can give you new power."

As a pure-blooded Quincy, Masaki already possessed high combat talent.

Makoto had long wanted to give her this power-up. The only reason he had delayed until now was his caution regarding Yhwach's Auswählen.

In the original work, Masaki had died from it.

But now that Auswählen had been activated and all mixed-blood Quincies had been harvested by Yhwach, the fact that Masaki was still standing here meant she had survived this ordeal.

That meant he could now strengthen her without any hesitation.

Then, under the watchful eyes of the Vasto Lorde and the Kocho, Megumi, Darkness, and others who had taken up residence in Las Noches thirteen years ago,

The Reiatsu emitted by the Hogyoku in Makoto's hand condensed in mid-air, forming the silhouette of a roaring bull-head Hollow.

It was White!

Then, with a thunderous roar, White transformed into a stream of dark red light and surged into the center of Masaki's collarbone.

Masaki could clearly feel that power merging with her soul.

Her pupils contracted sharply, White's curved horns reflected in her eyes, her body trembling violently.

Seeing this, Makoto reached out and took her hand, steadying her tottering form slightly.

Megumi, watching, couldn't help but frown slightly. "Makoto, I heard Hollow power is poison to Quincies..."

Makoto's gaze remained fixed on Masaki as she fused. "Pure-blooded Quincies have stronger resistance to Hollow's toxicity. Besides, this isn't ordinary Hollowfication… White contains Soul King's fragments within it, which can act as a mediator between the two powers."

The moment he finished speaking, White's Reiatsu had completely merged with Masaki's soul.

A berserk energy exploded outward from her, the shockwave making everyone's robes flutter.

Under the stunned gazes of the onlookers, Masaki's head was covered by a complete bull skull mask. Her shoulder-length orange hair grew wildly, reaching her waist in an instant.

Her form was exactly that of her son, Ichigo's Hollow Form in the original work.

The only difference between mother and son was that Masaki's Hollow Form was more slender and petite, with clear feminine curves at the chest.

"This Reiatsu..."

Even Beam and Ulquiorra, who were used to Makoto's various outrageous moves, couldn't help but show wary expressions upon sensing the Reiatsu radiating from Masaki's Hollow Form.

Even Psykos furrowed her brow. "This is too much... this has already far exceeded the scope of Vasto Lorde. It may have reached a new level no Hollow has ever touched before."

"Roar—!!!"

Just like the rampaging Hollow Ichigo who had overwhelmed Ulquiorra's Segunda Etapa in the original, Masaki, experiencing Hollowfication for the first time, couldn't control this berserk, nearly-uncontrollable power.

She let out an earth-shattering roar. As she raised her hand, a pure white Zanpakuto coalesced in her palm.

It was basically a white version of Tensa Zangetsu.

Hollow Masaki swung her blade wildly, with no technique, just pure bestial power.

Boom—!!!

With a deafening crash, the research facility's ceiling was split open by a massive hole thousands of meters in diameter.

Many Hollows in the surrounding area were startled by the sudden explosion, poking their heads out from their dwellings and staring in shock toward the research institute.

Makoto and his group leaped out through the still-smoking hole in the ceiling, scattering across the tops of surrounding buildings.

They looked at Hollow Masaki, who had also jumped out of the hole and now stood beneath Hueco Mundo's eternal crescent moon, letting out low growls. Their expressions varied.

"Ara ara… it seems Masaki-san can't control this power at all."

Shinobu remarked from atop a nearby pillar, her tone carrying her characteristic playful mockery.

The moment she finished speaking, with Hollow Masaki's frenzied roar, a dark red Reiatsu began to condense wildly between her curved horns.

The Reiatsu spun rapidly between the horn tips, emitting a suffocating, scorching heat.

Clearly, she was about to fire a Cero!

Seeing this, Ulquiorra raised his hand without hesitation and unleashed a dark green Cero.

The two Ceros collided mid-air. After less than a second of stalemate, Ulquiorra's dark green Cero was completely overwhelmed.

The dark red beam easily pierced through Ulquiorra's Cero like tearing through thin paper, continuing on its original path.

Ulquiorra's perpetually expressionless face showed undisguised shock for the third time.

Fortunately, just as the dark red Cero was about to fall upon the group, an invisible telekinetic force surged from the side, enveloping the entire Cero and forcibly slowing its flight.

It was Psykos's telekinesis!

Then, Nel and Harribel, the two strongest female Vasto Lorde in Hueco Mundo, acted simultaneously.

A pink Cero and a pale gold Cero shot from two different directions, merging mid-air into a magnificent and deadly beam that collided head-on with the telekinetically slowed dark red Cero.

Three Vasto Lorde-level forces clashed violently in mid-air, unleashing a blinding light that illuminated half of Hueco Mundo.

The explosion's shockwave tore off the roofs of several nearby buildings, and even the distant Wall Sina showed fine cracks.

"Really absurd..."

Yoruichi stood atop a surviving tower, the slowly dissipating explosion reflected in her eyes.

Without using Resurrección, it had taken three Vasto Lorde working together to barely offset a single uncharged Cero from Masaki.

That alone spoke volumes.

Masaki's Hollow Form had completely surpassed Captain-level.

Having failed to hit her target, Hollow Masaki swung her white Tensa Zangetsu even more frantically, launching indiscriminate attacks in all directions.

Each swing carried sword energy powerful enough to split Las Noches's outer walls, forcing the surrounding Vasto Lorde to dodge repeatedly.

Makoto watched from the edge of the battlefield for a while, then kicked off the ground and shot forward like a cannonball.

He raised his hand. All-Killing Ash Bones shot from his palm, rapidly condensing into a pale bone blade in his hand.

The bone blade and the white Tensa Zangetsu clashed under the moonlight, sparks and violent shockwaves erupting at the point of impact.

The shockwave spread outward in a ring, forcing the many Vasto Lorde-level combatants present to step back.

After several exchanges, each collision of blades making the air scream in pain,

Makoto forced Hollow Masaki back with a slash and couldn't help but complain, "Looks like we can't deploy her into battle just yet."

Before he could finish, Hollow Masaki charged at him again with the white Tensa Zangetsu.

But this time, Makoto didn't counter with his bone blade. He raised his left hand and blocked the white Tensa Zangetsu's blade with the back of his hand.

The blade scraped against his hand, clashing violently against the dual defense of Hierro and Armament Haki, sending up a shower of sparks and screeching metal.

Hollow Masaki let out a short, muffled sound. Her eyes, half-covered by the bull skull mask, clearly showed a flash of surprise.

Then, taking advantage of her moment of shock, Makoto swung his blade backhandedly, precisely striking the base of one of her horns.

Crack—

With a crisp sound, half of the curved horn snapped off.

Hollow Masaki, like a punctured ball, let out a low cry of pain and collapsed to the ground.

No matter what, the Hollow Form was still dominated by Hollow power.

Once the mask was damaged, combat effectiveness dropped sharply.

Seeing Hollow Masaki finally calm down, the onlookers gathered around.

Makoto put away his bone blade and said with a hint of regret, "I was planning to attack the Soul Society today, but I guess we'll need a few more days."

His original plan had been to fuse White's power into Masaki after Yhwach activated Auswählen, then launch a full-scale assault on the Soul Society.

But seeing Masaki's current state, she needed more training before she could truly be deployed.

Shinobu covered her mouth with her sleeve and chuckled, "Saeko-nee and the others must be getting impatient."

Beside her, Kanae rolled her eyes, a rare hint of guilt appearing on her usually gentle face.

She couldn't even imagine what expression Saeko would have when she read her letter. When they finally reunited, her best friend definitely wouldn't let her and her sister off easy.

Darkness, however, seemed unusually excited, her hands clasped together over her chest, her breathing slightly quickened.

She was hoping Saeko might come up with some creative new ways to 'punish' them.

Preferably something involving whips and capsaicin.