Chapter 10: Hogyoku, Level Up! Let Me See Your Limit
A Soul Reaper is a spiritual entity, invisible to mortals without spiritual power. To transfer into Ichigo Kurosaki's school, Rukia was currently wearing a "Gigai"—an artificial human body.
This Gigai was a product of Kisuke Urahara, and to protect Rukia while she lacked her Soul Reaper powers, this specific shell was a custom-tuned, reinforced version. Its performance was exceptional; she could outrun an Olympic sprinter, and a two-meter school wall was cleared with a casual leap.
After charging out of the school, Rukia sprinted through the streets of Karakura Town, drawing stares from the locals.
A cold, elegant beauty sprinting at top speed was one thing, but she began to perform massive jumps every few steps, bouncing along without stopping as if possessed by the soul of Super Mario.
Sensing the impending "social death" in the eyes of the bystanders, Rukia—who had been raised with the noble education of the Kuchiki clan—felt her face flush with shame. Yet no matter how she struggled, she could not escape the unseen manipulation. At that moment, the holy voice from beyond the heavens echoed in her ear:
"Basic movement tutorial complete. Get ready; next up are the advanced maneuvers..."
Hearing Mo Yu's voice, Rukia remembered the previous day. She shouted with a startled expression: "It's you?! What are you doing to me?"
Mo Yu didn't answer. Rukia found herself suddenly swerving into a narrow alley. The brick walls magnified in her vision as she neared them; she performed a light jump, her feet tapping rhythmically against the walls to ascend. She reached out, gripped an iron railing protruding from a building, twisted her waist, and swung forward, leaping through the air.
The city's architecture had become a jungle of steel, and Rukia had become Tarzan, traversing the concrete canopy with ease.
Sitting before his computer, Mo Yu—who was controlling Rukia's high-speed parkour—couldn't help but mutter a "Hell yeah." With the mobility of this Gigai, combined with the refined art style of the Bleach World Bubble and the responsive controls, it felt like playing a brand-new AAA action game. But Mo Yu wasn't a man who only cared about his own pleasure; he took a moment to explain to the frantic Rukia:
"Didn't you want Ichigo Kurosaki to become a Substitute Soul Reaper and protect Karakura Town in your place? Since he's busy lately, don't worry—the righteous me won't stand by. I'll take over the Substitute role until Ichigo finishes his work..."
Rukia wanted to tell Mo Yu that the job of a Substitute Soul Reaper wasn't something just anyone could do. She had given the job to Ichigo not just to protect the town, but to provide him with "insurance." If the crime of illegal power transfer was exposed, Ichigo would be much safer if he had a record of service.
But none of that mattered. Leaping from a rooftop, Rukia screamed: "If that's the case, then do it yourself! Why are you controlling me?!"
"Yesterday, not only did Ichigo awaken, but I also awakened a miraculous power. I can turn specific people into playable game characters. So, Rukia Unit-01, bet on our bonds and let's speedrun this game called Substitute Soul Reaper! Don't worry, I've done splits in the air on the Hyperion as a 'Captain,' traversed seven nations to collect waifus in a teapot as a 'Traveler,' and fought an endless 'Gacha Hell' Demon King in Heian-kyō as an 'Onmyoji.' My resume is long—trust me, I'm a total pro!"
Rukia didn't want any "damn bonds" with Mo Yu. Moreover, just listening to that resume, she didn't feel any professional aura at all. She was terrified because Mo Yu's control was so absolute that she couldn't find a single way to break free.
Mo Yu piloted Rukia Unit-01 at high speed, then focused his mind. A "Map" icon appeared in the bottom right corner. He pressed the M key, and a virtual map of Karakura Town popped up, dotted with flickering red markers. Every red dot was a Hollow discovered by the little angels the night before.
When Divine Authority was used for direct combat in the Bleach World Bubble, the effect was mediocre. However, when used for "System Creation," it possessed extraordinary efficacy.
As long as he wills it, it shall be, for reality must bow before His glory!
Once the map was created, a quest-tracking function followed. Rukia was startled as glowing markers appeared in her vision, forming arrows that pointed toward a specific direction. As she followed the arrows, she found her running speed increasing, subtly exceeding the intended power output of her Gigai.
Pedestrians along the way saw these floating glowing arrows and rubbed their eyes, doubting their sanity. In the distance, a Hollow hiding in an alley looked up and saw a giant glowing "Down" arrow pointing directly at its head. It scratched its head in confusion—but it didn't need to understand for long, because a bouncing figure was already closing in at superhuman speed!
Seeing the target, Mo Yu opened the "Inventory" interface. Rukia's belongings—her student ID, wallet, and so on—appeared inside. Mo Yu searched through and found an item, dragging it into the "Equipment" slot.
Rukia, while still sprinting, reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out a pair of gloves.
The gloves were red with a skull pattern on the back—a self-defense tool from Urahara. To enhance the "gaming" feel, Mo Yu wrote a quick tooltip description for the item. Rukia watched as text suddenly hovered over her hands:
[Item Name: Soul Reaper Gloves] [Item Grade: Rare Weapon] [Attack Power: 0-100 (TBD, will adjust later)] [Special Effects: 1. Grants temporary supernatural traits when equipped. 2. Can extract a soul from a body, achieving a 'Soul Burial' instant-kill effect.] [Item Description: Supernatural armaments created by Kisuke Urahara, the former Captain of the 12th Division. While not as strong as a Zanpakuto, the terror of this gear lies in allowing mortals to touch the power of the soul. If mass-produced, the world would change.]
Kisuke Urahara—nicknamed "Urahara-emon" or "Shopkeeper Batman" by some netizens—always had a plan and a gadget for every situation. If the plot needed it, he had it. (Aizen, who would later be sealed by a VIP-version custom device despite reaching a transcendental level, would have much to say about this).
Rukia's heart sank at the description. Already lacking trust in Urahara, she wondered if he was plotting some world-shaking conspiracy. But the thought didn't last, for the Hollow was now right in front of her.
"Movement tutorial finished. Now, commencing combat tutorial..."
Mo Yu grew serious. He maneuvered Rukia into a dash and tapped the Left Mouse Button.
On screen, Rukia rushed forward and delivered several rapid punches to the Hollow! The movements were slightly stiff, but fast and powerful.
Mo Yu clicked the button repeatedly, and Rukia began to "Ora-Ora" the monster. The Hollow was pummeled, but the damage was slight—more insulting than effective. The Hollow roared and swung a massive palm back. Rukia's pupils shrank; she instinctively wanted to dodge but found her body wouldn't move.
At the critical moment, Mo Yu tapped the Shift key, triggering a "Dodge Dash." Rukia watched in horror as her body bent backward violently—her spine literally creaking—then slid to the side, evading the strike by a hair's breadth. After the dodge, she immediately resumed her punching under Mo Yu's command.
But that wasn't enough to showcase a pro player's skill. Mo Yu clicked the Right Mouse Button. Rukia lunged forward with a powerful uppercut, slamming the Hollow's jaw and sending its head snapping back.
Shift to dodge, Left Click for light attack, Right Click for heavy attack. These basic action game mechanics were now fully implemented on Rukia's body, distilled from her martial arts and combat instincts by the Hogyoku. At first, it was clunky, but as Mo Yu clicked, the Hogyoku gained a deeper understanding of his intent.
Rukia's attacks became fluid. Light punches were swift and precise; heavy strikes emphasized explosive force. Combined with the dodge-dash, Rukia became a martial arts master. She moved like a butterfly and stung like a wasp. Most importantly, the Hogyoku designed her attack animations beautifully, making it a visual treat for Mo Yu.
However, the damage was still lacking. A Hollow is a creature that transcends mortal biology, and the attack power of the gloves wasn't quite enough. Rukia grew anxious: "If this is all you've got, you might as well let me go! At least I can cast some Kido!"
Mo Yu remained calm. The combat system wasn't finished yet.
In the modern gaming industry, years of experience have taught developers that light and heavy attacks aren't enough to keep a player engaged. No matter how flashy the animations, players get bored of just clicking.
Experience has shown that adding a "Charge Mode" (holding the button) provides much more depth and feedback. It makes the player feel like they are "performing a move" rather than just being a clicking machine.
"Three light punches, one heavy punch, and then a heavy charge... let's weave Rukia's first combat skill."
Mo Yu spoke his command directly to the Hogyoku, which instantly understood. Under Mo Yu's control, Rukia landed three quick punches followed by a heavy roundhouse kick to the Hollow's leg.
Normally, the kick wouldn't have done much, but this time, it sent the Hollow into a "Stagger" state.
Rukia's innate talent for physical combat was average, but it wasn't really "her" fighting—it was a phenomenon created by the Hogyoku warping reality to match God's will. The kick suddenly carried a bizarre, icy chill that froze the Hollow's body on contact.
As Mo Yu held down the left button to charge, Rukia's body sank into a low stance. Her hands rose from her waist and crossed above her head as Reishi light flickered between her palms.
When Mo Yu released the button, Rukia lunged. She moved like a ghostly serpent, swift and eerie. When she reached the Hollow, it was as if a giant python had unhinged its jaws to bite its prey. Her voice, usually cold and elegant, took on a trace of madness:
"Cry... scream... and then die!"
Countless afterimages of her attacks appeared—punches, palms, and clawing strikes. With cruel intent and frenzy, she performed a high-frequency multi-hit combo. Reishi light swirled with an icy chill, freezing the enemy's body further with every strike.
Rukia had lost her powers, but the Hogyoku didn't care. In the warped reality, Rukia had reclaimed her Soul Reaper strength.
[Hogyoku-Style Taijutsu - First Form: 'Hogyoku Ya Otome'] [Input: Light x3 → Heavy x1 → Heavy Charge] [Effect: After the ritual movements, the Hogyoku warps reality to execute a finisher. Deals ice damage and a Freeze status, followed by up to 36 hits. If the full combo lands, it triggers a final explosion dealing damage equal to the total combo damage + the Hogyoku's 'Reality Distortion' value.]
The text hovered briefly above Rukia's head. After thirty-six brutal strikes, Rukia—letting out a hysterical laugh—grabbed the Hollow's neck. The ice energy that had seeped in during the combo detonated from within, flash-freezing the monster into a block of ice.
Then, the ice coffin shattered, and the Hollow dissolved into Reishi fragments along with the flying frost.
Waking up from the Hogyoku's warped reality, Rukia looked at what she had done with a complex expression. Losing her powers had been like becoming paralyzed; she had felt a constant sense of weakness. But under Mo Yu's control, that power had returned in a bizarre way.
However, the cost arrived simultaneously. Rukia felt her soul grow weak, and the Gigai showed signs of strain from exceeding its limits.
Mo Yu looked at the top left of the screen. After using the "Finisher," Rukia's HP and MP bars were both half-empty. He shook his head.
Just one tutorial fight against a "trash" mob and Rukia Unit-01 was already half-broken. This performance was pathetic. In any other game, this card wouldn't even be good enough for "fodder" to level up other characters. If this were a gacha game, players would be rioting against the devs.
Despite his complaints, Mo Yu didn't give up on Rukia. She was the only pawn he could use for deep interference—the "Chosen One."
"I, Mo Yu, play games through pure skill. Hogyoku, let me see your limits. Come—Level up!"
At Mo Yu's command, the Hogyoku warped reality once more. A skill interface appeared in the bottom right. It was empty save for the "Ya Otome" skill. As Mo Yu's will pressed on, two more skills materialized from the void:
[Vitality LV0: Increases HP by 0] [Meditation LV0: Increases MP by 0]
End of Chapter
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