Hollow power—Yuko had briefly possessed it a hundred years ago, when Shinji Hirako and the others fell for Aizen's scheme. To find a solution, she had voluntarily come into contact with their blood.
There was no denying that Hollow power could greatly enhance a Soul Reaper.
But the Hollow that had harmed Shinji Hirako and the others was far weaker than the one that later injured Masaki. The increase in power had been quite limited for Yuko, so she eventually removed it from her body.
If this was what Ichibe Hyosube meant, then he was simply wasting his breath. Or perhaps the strength of the power itself was not the key—the key was whether one possessed power at all.
Just like when she had absorbed the Netherworld Seal and deduced that her Demon constitution could help her break through the limits of a Soul Reaper.
Strictly speaking, the Demon constitution was not particularly powerful here. To Yuko now, it was little more than icing on the cake.
Granted, a Demon's immortality was far stronger than that of a Hollow or anything similar, but that was also built upon the power Yuko possessed now.
The power of a Demon alone probably could not even surpass a seated officer or Vice-Captain.
No matter what, though, the monk had left Yuko with a terrible impression. Put simply, she considered him a smiling tiger.
That was hardly a good thing, and Yuko naturally had no interest in his empty words.
Still... she could not simply ignore it.
The air seemed to still retain the oppressive presence Ichibe Hyosube had left behind when footsteps sounded from the stairwell again.
"Yuko?"
Yoshino came down from the stairwell and walked to the bar. After glancing at the empty hall and the street outside, she softly asked, "That