"Captain Hirako, you're doing great!"
Standing to the side, Naraku Sora, who never minded a spectacle getting out of hand, began fanning the flames.
"That's exactly how it should be."
"Beat the crap out of these remnants of the old era! Show them the power of our new generation."
Hirako Shinji immediately glared at him.
If this bastard hadn't screwed him over, how would things have ever escalated to this point?
If it weren't for the fact that he couldn't beat him, his blade would have already landed on Naraku Sora's head.
The other spectators also wore expressions of anticipation.
They were incredibly curious to see just how far Hirako Shinji could go now that he had mastered Hollowfication.
Taking on three opponents at once?
Kensei Muguruma had a fiery temper and was the least tolerant of such provocations.
He immediately used Flash Step, charging into the center of the dojo. With a sharp *shing*, he drew his Zanpakutō, his fighting spirit soaring.
Aikawa Love felt a bit conflicted.
Ganging up on a colleague wasn't really his style.
Even though he knew Kensei Muguruma most likely wouldn't be a match for the current Hirako Shinji.
However, an inadvertent glance upward caught Yamamoto's gaze.
The meaning was clear: go all out without hesitation.
Aikawa Love hesitated for a few seconds, adjusted the Zanpakutō at his waist, and stepped forward.
Joined by the somewhat battered Ōtoribashi Rōjūrō, the two sides stood in a standoff.
Naraku Sora watched the scene unfold with great interest.
On one side were three Soul Reaper Captains at the height of their momentum; on the other was the Hollowfied Shinji, wearing a ferocious mask and exuding a cruel aura.
It felt very much like a party teaming up to fight a raid boss.
He just wondered if Hirako Shinji could live up to his high expectations, take down all three in one fell swoop, and demonstrate the true potential of Hollowfication to the Captains of the Gotei 13.
Getting this bunch of stubborn old fogeys to willingly accept something new was next to impossible.
"Since you're so eager, let's test it out."
Kensei Muguruma rested one hand on his hilt and the other on his scabbard, assuming a drawing stance.
Aikawa Love took a deep breath. As a member of the opposition, he felt it was necessary to make Hirako Shinji clearly realize one thing—
This so-called Hollowfication was merely an external power.
If a true Soul Reaper wanted to become stronger, they could only rely on diligent training.
Ōtoribashi Rōjūrō twitched his mouth and warned,
"Do not underestimate him. Shinji's physical strength is terrifyingly high right now."
"Play, Kinshara!"
"Crush him, Tengumaru!"
"Blow it away, Tachikaze!"
The moment their words fell, powerful Reiatsu surged and erupted. Dazzling light bloomed across the arena, instantly whipping up a violent gale.
Kensei Muguruma was the most aggressive. The instant he completed his Shikai, he vanished from his spot.
He lunged straight at Hirako Shinji like a fired arrow.
His eyes were resolute, determined to make this guy pay for his arrogant words earlier.
The relatively short combat knife of Tachikaze tore through the air, thrusting viciously toward Hirako Shinji's chest.
*Clang!*
Amidst the high-pitched screech of colliding metal, the whistling longsword clashed against the combat knife, sending dazzling sparks flying.
By tacit agreement, neither of them used their more lethal techniques.
Instead, they attempted to overpower each other using fundamental Zanjutsu, their own Reiatsu, and raw physical strength.
Kensei Muguruma's close-quarters combat skills might not be invincible, but they were undeniably formidable.
During their past spars, Hirako Shinji would never engage in multiple rapid-fire clashes with him in such a short timeframe.
The attack styles they excelled at were completely different.
Today, however, was an exception.
In just a few breaths of combat, their Zanpakutō had already clashed numerous times.
With every strike, a force like a roaring tsunami crashed over Kensei, suffocating him under its weight.
He had initially thought Rōjūrō was defeated in a single blow because Hirako Shinji had the advantage of striking first.
Now, it was clear that this guy was genuinely, overwhelmingly strong.
Even without using his Shikai, Kensei was still no match for him.
A shrill sound suddenly erupted. As Sakanade's blade slashed down, not only did Shinji's Reiatsu skyrocket, but the physical force he unleashed multiplied several times over.
A sonic boom shattered the air.
*Crash!*
Kensei swung Tachikaze upward to parry the longsword head-on, instantly feeling a violent numbness shoot up his arm.
Before he could change his stance, Hirako Shinji had already closed the distance.
Then, with a simple, unadorned front kick, he struck Kensei squarely in the abdomen.
Highly concentrated Reiatsu exploded. Kensei was sent flying backward at a speed the naked eye could barely track, slamming solidly into the Kidō barrier and leaving a human-shaped indentation.
An absolute crushing defeat!
Although he was utterly defeated in mere seconds, Kensei had created a perfect opening for the other two.
As Rōjūrō's Reiatsu erupted, a golden whip spread out like rippling waves.
Magical, colorful clouds bloomed in the sky, relentlessly bombarding Hirako Shinji's Reiatsu shield.
The sound of shattering echoed layer by layer as the shockwaves scattered.
Turbulent Reiatsu surged from the golden whip, forming a fleeting yet ferocious assault.
Facing this large-scale saturation attack, Hirako Shinji merely raised his right hand. Spreading his five fingers, countless Reishi gathered frantically.
A brilliant crimson light bloomed in his palm.
"Cero!"
The blinding, blood-red light condensed thickly into a massive sphere before detonating with a roar, transforming into a searing beam that violently tore through the air ahead.
The magical clouds dancing in the sky instantly collapsed, scattering countless golden fragments across the ground.
Hirako Shinji looked up with a hint of exasperation. He reached up and tapped the mask on his face, producing a dull *thud-thud* sound.
"I told you, this is Hollowfication."
"Using techniques meant for Soul Reapers against me is useless."
Right at that moment, Aikawa Love finished gathering his strength.
He leaped into the air, gripping a massive, seven-to-eight-meter-long spiked club with both hands, and brought it crashing down toward Hirako Shinji like a falling mountain.
"Fire-Breathing Little Mallet!"
The instant it struck the ground, a violent pillar of fire shot into the sky, recklessly battering the outer Kidō barrier. Dense, crisscrossing cracks appeared, making it look as though the barrier could completely shatter at any moment.
Terrifying heat raged wildly, warping the air inside the dojo.
When the flames dissipated, a somewhat disheveled figure emerged from the smoke.
Having taken Aikawa Love's full-power strike head-on, Hirako Shinji was covered in scorch marks. Ash clung to his Shihakushō, and he no longer looked as menacing as before.
Love thought their coordinated assault had finally gained the upper hand, but a second later, his expression drastically changed.
He watched as Hirako Shinji's exposed, charred skin began to heal at a speed visible to the naked eye.
In just a few breaths, it had completely returned to normal.
He clearly hadn't used Kaidō, nor did he possess any special healing abilities, yet he had managed to recover so rapidly.
It was simply inconceivable.
Was this also the power of Hollowfication?
Aikawa Love had to admit that, at this moment, he was genuinely tempted.
If the others weren't in a rush, could he be the first to undergo the Hollowfication experiment?
"Do you want to continue?"
Hirako Shinji flipped his wrist. Sakanade silently completed its Shikai, the hilt transforming into a large ring.
Catching the strange fragrance in his nose, Aikawa Love's expression tightened, and he shook his head without a second thought.
You've got to be kidding me!
Others might not know the ability of Sakanade's Shikai, but there was no way he didn't.
The moment you smelled that fragrance, your vision was already compromised.
As long as Hirako Shinji willed it, the very next second, he would be seeing a completely inverted world.
He couldn't even beat him under normal circumstances, let alone while suffering from such a severe debuff.
Seeing Aikawa Love concede, the spectating Captains were momentarily stunned.
Then, they suddenly realized that this wasn't a life-or-death struggle; it was merely a test of Hollowfication's capabilities.
Kensei Muguruma and Ōtoribashi Rōjūrō both felt rather conflicted at this moment.
Three of them had fought one guy and still gotten counter-killed. This went far beyond a simple lack of skill.
The strength of the two sides was on completely different levels.
Furthermore, judging by Hirako Shinji's relaxed and casual expression, there was a high probability that he hadn't even used his full strength.
Setting everything else aside, they had no idea how to deal with his Shikai's ability to invert an enemy's vision.
If this were a spar in the past, they might have been able to adapt while fighting.
But the current Hirako Shinji wouldn't give them that chance at all.
The slightest misstep would result in total defeat.
"Did you all see that?"
Naraku Sora spread his hands and smiled smugly.
"This is the power of Hollowfication."
"Even Captain Hirako, who usually looks like he's chronically fatigued, was able to fight three people at once and win with ease."
"So, what are you all waiting for?"
Veins bulged on Hirako Shinji's smooth forehead. Blazing anger burned away his rationality. He immediately reached for his sword, ready to completely blow up at Naraku Sora.
"Do you want to test if my Hollowfication is strong?!"
Naraku Sora paused, then found it amusing. Just as he was about to say something, a flash crossed his vision, and the ferocious bone-armored mask appeared right in front of him.
Gripping his sword with both hands, Hirako Shinji delivered a heavy, two-handed overhead slash straight toward a certain someone's head.
However, Naraku Sora didn't even make a move to draw his sword. He merely raised his hand, spread his fingers, and clenched them.
He grabbed the whistling blade barehanded.
Between his fingers, the gleaming Sakanade trembled and hummed, its sharp edge a mere hair's breadth away from Naraku Sora's pupil.
Hirako Shinji's eyes widened, his face beneath the mask filled with astonishment.
He knew Naraku Sora was strong, but he hadn't expected him to be *this* strong.
With such power, he probably wasn't any weaker than Aizen, who had immobilized him with Reiatsu alone.
No wonder those two hung out together; they were both the exact same kind of monster!
Seeing this, the expressions of the others became incredibly complex.
Everyone had just witnessed Hirako Shinji's strength with their own eyes.
He had fought three opponents at once and achieved a near-flawless victory.
Yet, someone that dominant didn't even have the qualifications to make Naraku Sora draw his sword.
One could only imagine just how terrifyingly strong he was.
Moreover, the sheer speed of Naraku Sora's rise to power was likely unprecedented in the million-year history of the Soul Society.
Even Head Captain Yamamoto fell far short in that regard.
"Captain Hirako, you still need more practice."
"Is Hollowfication really such an inconvenient thing?"
After performing a barehanded blade catch, Naraku Sora casually slapped Hirako Shinji down, suppressing him.
Then, he turned around and cupped his fists toward the other Captains.
"Everyone, that's the gist of it."
"If you have any need for Hollowfication, you can contact me, or you can head to the Shino Prison in person to consult on the details."
"The Naraku Research Group guarantees fair trade for all!"
Watching his foolish disciple describe a paradigm shift capable of causing massive upheaval in the Soul Society as if it were a run-of-the-mill business transaction...
And inadvertently reducing everyone else's fear of the unknown in the process...
A hint of surprise appeared on Yamamoto's face. After pondering for a few seconds, a flash of gratification crossed his eyes.
*'Perhaps, this kid really did have the talent to serve as Head Captain...'*