"Y–You're going to turn her into a Hollow? Are you serious?"
Jasmine's voice trembled with disbelief. She knew enough about Hollows to understand the risk—when a human fully transforms, they lose their humanity and rampage until nothing remains. The idea of Retsu undergoing that process…
"We could lose her," Jasmine whispered, horrified.
Yun Che didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he contacted the system and confirmed the purchase. A moment later, a notification chimed, and 50,000 System Points vanished from his balance. He reached into his inventory and pulled out a small glass vial filled with a dense, milky-white liquid that seemed to pulse faintly.
He held a virus in his hand.
A virus capable of infecting the soul itself.
"This," he said, lifting the vial, "is a Hollowfication serum."
Jasmine and Retsu both stared at it.
Yun Che continued, voice steady and grave.
"The serum contains a Hollow's soul. Once injected, the Hollow will merge with the host's soul and begin forming a physical, spiritual identity inside the host. The host must fight it. Overcome it. Subdue it. Only then will the Hollow submit and give its power."
He tightened his grip on the vial.
"But if the host fails… the Hollow takes over. Mind, body, soul. The person dies—and what remains is a full Hollow that will roam the real world."
The atmosphere turned heavy.
This was the exact method Aizen used to force Hollowfication on Shinji, Rose, Hiyori, Love, the others. Dangerous. Violent. Unforgiving.
Jasmine gently took the vial from him, examining the swirling substance.
"So this is what fuses a Hollow soul with a Shinigami…" she murmured. "A path to power that comes with losing everything."
"It's exactly like my Hollow Mask," Yun Che answered. "Except this is far, far more dangerous. The Hollow inside the host feeds on killing instinct and bloodlust. The stronger the violence inside… the stronger the Hollow becomes."
He looked at Retsu, worry crossing his face.
"And given Retsu's past… her Hollow form will probably be stronger than mine."
Jasmine inhaled sharply.
"Then can she really handle it? Her training isn't complete. She's strong, but not on the level you were when you fought Hōyuu. One mistake and—"
"I'm not going to force her," Yun Che cut in. His voice softened. "I can find another way. Another method. Another path to unlock her Bankai—"
"I'll do it."
Her small, firm voice silenced them.
Yun Che and Jasmine both turned, shocked.
Retsu sat still, hands folded over her chest, but her eyes were unwavering—clear, resolute, glowing with quiet determination.
"Retsu, this is suicide," Jasmine said immediately, stepping closer. "Hollowfication isn't training. It's torment. It's death. You could lose yourself entirely."
Retsu shook her head gently.
"No. I want to do this."
Her calmness sent a chill down both their spines.
"I want to discover my true self," she continued softly. "Not the demon I once was… and not the innocent girl I am now. I want to reclaim the woman I was meant to be."
She placed her hand over her heart.
"I want to become the strongest Shinigami again—not because of that cursed Kenpachi title, but because I want to stand beside Yuuki-san. To protect him. To protect Jasmine-san. To protect the spirits. You are all my family now."
Emotion trembled in her voice.
"The young master accepted me for who I was. For what I was. He never pushed me away… never feared my past… never once treated me as a monster. Instead, he guided me. He gave me warmth. He gave me purpose."
She stared at Yun Che with soft, determined eyes.
"So I must become stronger. Strong enough to protect the family that accepted me."
She reached for his hand.
"Young master… Yuuki-san… please allow me to take this path."
Her words struck Yun Che like a blade—cutting not in pain, but in raw emotion.
She wasn't doing this for power.
She wasn't doing this for glory.
She wasn't doing this out of arrogance.
She was doing it for him.
For Jasmine.
For their little inner-world family.
And Yun Che suddenly realized—
This wasn't Yachiru Unohana speaking.
This wasn't the Kenpachi.
This wasn't the monster of Soul Society.
This was Retsu.
His Retsu.
A gentle girl with the resolve of steel…
prepared to face her inner demon to protect the man she loved.
Retsu looked up at him, her eyes soft yet burning with fierce resolve.
"Please, young master… allow me to do it."
Her voice trembled—not with fear, but with determination.
She wasn't just doing this to unlock power.
She wasn't doing this to chase her old title.
She wasn't seeking the thrill of bloodshed or the intoxicating rush of battle.
She wanted to discover the person she truly was.
Not the butcher of Soul Society.
Not the first Kenpachi.
Not the demon who painted entire districts red.
She wanted to choose who she became.
A woman who would protect, not slaughter.
A woman who would save, not destroy.
A woman whose hands existed not only to cut—but to heal, shield, defend.
No more Kenpachi.
She wanted to become just Retsu.
Unohana Retsu.
Seeing the conviction in her eyes made Yun Che's stomach tighten.
He didn't want her to walk into something this dangerous.
"This method is a one-way ticket, Retsu," he said quietly. "I'm not forcing you. If you aren't ready, we can—"
But his words stopped when her warm hand grabbed his.
She gently guided his palm to her chest, placing it over her heart.
"Then promise me something," she said, voice shaking with emotion. "If I fail… you must personally end my life."
Yun Che's eyes widened.
"I want to die at the hands of the one I love."
Silence slammed into the cave like a tidal wave.
The confession escaped her lips naturally, unaware of the weight it carried until it was said aloud. Her eyes shimmered as she looked at him—soft, vulnerable, full of a love she could no longer hide.
"I am deeply in love with you, Yuuki-san," she whispered. "And I want to treasure you as the man I love."
Yun Che felt his breath lock in his throat.
Unohana Retsu—
the woman who, in her original life, saw love as nothing but a weakness…
a burden…
a chain…
Now confessed to him openly.
Honestly.
Whole-heartedly.
The clean slate the system gave her had allowed her to bloom into someone she never had the chance to be before.
He swallowed hard.
"Retsu…"
He meant to gather courage—to confess to her on his own time, his own terms.
But now… she had beaten him to it.
"You are the reason behind my resolve," she continued, tears welling. "I want to become the woman who can stand proudly by your side. If I fail… then please—end my life."
Her voice cracked.
She truly would rather die by his hand than exist as a monster without him.
But Yun Che tightened his grip on her hand, pulling her closer.
"No," he said, firm and unwavering. "You won't fail. Even if you do, I'll bring you back. No matter what happens, I will bring you back."
Her eyes trembled.
He continued, voice deeper, gentler.
"Subdue that Hollow and come back to me. And if you return—if you fight your way back—I promise we will stay together."
"R-Really?" she whispered. "Even if I become a vile demon… you'll stay by my side?"
He smiled softly.
"Of course. You're my Retsu. And Jasmine's friend. If you fail, she'll kill me anyway."
Without hesitation, Jasmine shoved him aside and crouched beside Retsu.
"That's right," she grumbled. "His life is as good as gone if you fail. So if you really love him… come back alive."
It was meant to be teasing.
But her voice shook.
Because deep down, she cared too.
Yun Che smiled. Jasmine might have acted annoyed… but he knew what she was doing.
"Hai," Retsu breathed. "I promise."
Yun Che handed her the serum.
Retsu knelt on the ground, placed Minazuki gently before her, and glanced at Yun Che and Jasmine one last time. Their eyes met hers.
Both gave a firm, reassuring nod.
She nodded back, lifted the serum to her lips…
…and drank it in a single swallow.
Instantly, her reiatsu exploded outward, violently shaking the air.
White, viscous substances spewed from her mouth—a living infection—climbing rapidly across her skin and crawling up her face like a plague. Her body convulsed as the Hollow soul fused with her own.
Yun Che's expression hardened.
He raised his hand and cast a barrier around her, sealing her inside.
Hollowfication could not be interrupted.
If it was… she would die instantly.
Jasmine stepped back beside him, eyes filled with unease.
"So… what do we do now?" she asked quietly.
Yun Che didn't take his eyes off Retsu.
"We wait," he said, voice steady but heavy.
The white mask-creep thickened over Retsu's face—twitching, growing, solidifying—
As Yun Che and Jasmine sat down in front of her.
And waited for whatever would emerge.