Shinigami Hollowfication

Asano Kiyoshi's words were like deafening claps of thunder, striking fiercely against the eardrums of everyone present!

That's right! We're human too! We can think! We can cry! We can laugh! We can feel sorrow! We can feel pain!

We are not lambs waiting to be slaughtered! We are not ants that can be crushed to death at a whim!

We are people, just like you!

Watching the expressions on their faces gradually rise, watching their spirits steadily climb!

Asano Kiyoshi knew that he had planted a red seed in their hearts—a seed called equality, hope, and struggle!

One day, this seed would grow amid everyone's hopes into a towering tree!

This tree would need the blood, effort, sweat, and even lives of everyone to nourish it. But Asano Kiyoshi believed that awakened hearts would not be drowned by such despair and hardship!

Seeing that the atmosphere was about right, Asano Kiyoshi said to them:

"Leave this man to you. Spare his life or kill him—it's up to you."

Afterward, Asano Kiyoshi gave the old man's wounds one final treatment, then carried the bundle covered in severed heads and headed deeper into the 79th District.

The moment they saw the direction Asano Kiyoshi was leaving in, everyone understood.

They looked in the direction Asano Kiyoshi had gone, then at Musashi Kasa, who lay on the ground and was still being chopped at by the girl. Then, a grim-looking man said:

"We can wait first and decide after we see what happens over there. Otherwise, if he gets killed, all of us will die! In fact, I'd say the odds of him being killed are pretty high. Why don't we save Musashi Kasa first, tie up that girl, and maybe use that to bargain for some benefits later? Then, depending on—"

But before he could finish, a rusty woodcutting axe had already buried itself in his neck. The axe was old, however, and only cut halfway through. The man instinctively turned his head, his eyes filled with shock and resentment.

An old man stood there gripping the axe, his face twisted with hatred as he shouted:

"It's beasts like you that turned this place into hell! You're just like that beast lying on the ground! You all deserve to die!"

With that, the old man pulled out the axe and hacked down again!

The others seemed to have been provoked by the sight as well. They charged toward the man and Musashi Kasa, weapons in hand, venting the rage and pain in their hearts.

In the end, they hung the two unrecognizable corpses from a tree, marking the first roar from the most murky and darkest place in the Soul Society!

Asano Kiyoshi seemed to sense it and turned back for a glance. When he saw the two corpses, he let out a soft breath, a faintly satisfied smile on his face.

Then, he coldly said to Yamano Mirō, who was still inside the bundle:

"At the next place, don't even think about lying. I told you, as long as you don't deceive me, I'll let you go."

Hearing this, Yamano Mirō endured the pain and said with a smile:

"Sir, I recommend taking the small path on the right. It's usually used as an entertainment area for insiders, so generally no one guards it."

Asano Kiyoshi nodded at Yamano Mirō's words, then said:

"I believe you, because you're a smart man!"

Though Yamano Mirō wore a smile, he was cursing inwardly: Of course you should believe me! You've already hacked me into this state! And I've sold out so much information. Even if the boss kills you later, he'll definitely kill me too—and torture me to death in the most painful way possible! From the moment you captured me, I lost any right to keep living in the boss's eyes!

Seeing Yamano Mirō's expression, Asano Kiyoshi smiled faintly. He knew that Yamano Mirō understood what he meant. Yamano Mirō was a smart man, not a fool.

So, Asano Kiyoshi chose to follow Yamano Mirō's advice. He decisively turned right and headed down the narrow path.

The path was very narrow, and for some reason, there were far more plants around it than elsewhere. The ground was muddy as well. Even with Asano Kiyoshi's control over Reishi, his use of Shunpo was affected here.

The moment he entered the path, Asano Kiyoshi discovered that the concentration of Reishi in the surroundings was far higher than in other areas. Moreover, it felt extremely cold and violent—not like Shinigami... but more like a Hollow!

Sensing that unusual spiritual pressure, Asano Kiyoshi immediately questioned Yamano Mirō:

"What is going on?! Why is there Hollow spiritual pressure here?! You... lied to me?!"

As he spoke, Asano Kiyoshi's Zanpakuto was already at Yamano Mirō's neck. A dark-red streak of blood had even appeared along its edge.

When he saw that Asano Kiyoshi truly intended to kill him, Yamano Mirō's entire body trembled like a sieve. Nearly crying, he shouted at Asano Kiyoshi:

"S-Sir, it's not what you think! I swear! Although there is Hollow spiritual pressure here, no Hollows have ever appeared! I was curious about it once and investigated the area, but aside from the Squad Leader who was 'entertaining himself' nearby, I didn't see a single suspicious person or any trace of a Hollow!"

Afraid that Asano Kiyoshi would not believe him, Yamano Mirō pleaded tearfully:

"Sir, from the moment I fell into your hands, our Squad Leader could never allow me to live again. Whether I gave you the correct information or not, his naturally suspicious nature would make him suspect me. It's like testing how much pressure a cup can withstand—the moment the test begins, that cup is bound to shatter!"

"So from the very beginning, I never intended to deceive you. I have no reason to deceive you. Even if you cannot defeat our Squad Leader later, I believe that with your strength, you would definitely be able to kill me before you are defeated! So I could never deceive you!"

After saying all that, Yamano Mirō began to grow groggy from excessive blood loss and emotional agitation. He looked as though he was about to pass out.

Asano Kiyoshi frowned at the sight. If Yamano Mirō was still pretending in this state, then his willpower was absurdly strong. Besides, according to the information on the "watch," Yingkou Hui truly was a suspicious and cruel man...

Taking everything into account, Yamano Mirō most likely had not deceived him. Then there was only one thing that could mix Hollow spiritual pressure into a Shinigami's spiritual pressure...

Aizen—the Shinigami Hollowfication Project!