NOVEL NEXT Chapter 184: The Embers
The man Isane was healing began coughing violently. He vomited a gooey white liquid that eerily drifted to cover his face, taking the form of a Hollow-like mask. A deep, guttural roar, more akin to a beast than a man, escaped his throat.
Isane stepped back in horror, unable to comprehend the horrifying transformation. She had never seen or heard about the concept of ‘Hollowification’.
The Shinigami, now almost resembling a Hollow, lunged at her with a feral aggression. Abandoning his sword, he clawed at her like a wild animal. Reacting on pure instinct, Isane raised her Zanpakutō to defend herself, her mind racing to make sense of the chaos.
“Captain Shiba-san!” Isane yelled, her gaze darting across the battlefield, only to be met with similar scenes of horror. Shinigami after Shinigami underwent the same grotesque transformation, turning into creatures they were trained to fight.
Amidst the turmoil, Kazuya appeared beside her and sent the Hollow-Shinigami hybrid flying with a powerful kick. Grasping Isane’s hand, he flashstepped to the relative safety of a distant tower.
“This is madness,” he whispered, surveying the chaotic battlefield of Shinigami and Shinigami-turned-Hollows.
The only way to stabilize the Shinigami’ soul undergoing Hollowification was through Hōgyoku. And the owner of Hōgyoku lived in the same town.
Aizen’s goal became extremely clear in his mind. Almost everything that happened before the Captains arrived was a sideshow: Ulquiorra was stalling him to allow the other Espada to rampage and force the Gotei 13 into sending large reinforcements.
Aizen’s main goal was to let the Espada infect as many Shinigami as possible and guilt-trip Kisuke into revealing the Hōgyoku. Despite being a calculating individual, Kisuke was one with a kind heart. There was simply no timeline in which Kisuke would let almost fifty Shinigami die when saving them was as simple as waving his hand.
The moment Kisuke revealed the Hōgyoku would be the moment Aizen took initiative.
{Cunning bastard. Has he really found a way to take care of Yamamoto?}
Kazuya thought back to all the changes from the canon timeline. The first and most important change was Muramasa’s early awakening, who could steal even Yamamoto’s Zanpakutō Spirit.
‘Aizen could’ve gained his cooperation?’
{Oh shit.}
‘We can’t let him take both Hōgyokus.’
Isane tugged at his sleeve, tears glistening in her eyes, clearly overwhelmed by the Hollowification. “K-Kazuya, why have the Shinigami... turned into Hollows?”
He shook his head. “I don’t know. All I can say is that using Kaido won’t help them.”
His Resurrección could solve their problem, but he would never sacrifice his identity for a bunch of no namers. He’d gladly take the risk to save Isane or Rangiku.
Isshin appeared above him, his expression genuinely chilling. “They are no longer our comrades in arms.” He clenched his fists tightly. “Kazuya, Kotetsu, I have a request. Help me immobilize them.”
“Alright.” Kazuya placed a hand on Isane’s shoulder. “Let us handle it. I can’t afford to risk your life.”
She shook her head. “I can help.”
The Vice-Captain of 4th Squad acted stubborn, despite knowing her limitations. Her unarmed fighting was simply not on the same level as other Vice-Captains. She still wanted to help.
“Just don’t get hit by their attacks.”
“I’ll try!”
Kazuya deactivated his Shikai and sprang into action, followed by Isshin and Isane. It was an effortless task for him. The number continued to grow as the infected Shinigami attacked the non-infected and Hollowified them, but their combined effort stopped the Hollowfied Shinigamis’ assault.
They quickly immobilized and bound the infected Shinigami.
…
Isane’s gaze trembled as she spotted the uniforms of fallen Shinigami the ground, symbols of those who couldn’t survive the infection and succumbed to Soul Suicide. The loss on their side was staggering — twenty transformed into Hollows, five lost to Soul Suicide.
Isshin walked up to her. “Vice-Captain Kotetsu, I sent a transmission to the Soul Society. They’ll soon dispatch personnel to collect these Hollowfied Shinigami.”
“I see. What about Rangiku and Nanao? Kazuya, did you see… them?”
Kazuya, who was gazing into the distance, turned his attention to their conversation. His eyes softened at her expectations. “They both are alive as far as I know. I’ll bring them back.”
Isane’s posture slumped as if a massive weight was lifted off of her shoulders. “What a relief…”
Isshin couldn’t help but chuckle. Despite taking care of Arrancars, Kazuya didn’t look exhausted and volunteered to take another task. He had chosen the right candidate to succeed him. “What about the students?”
“I have no idea, but they should be safe.”
“Okay. Want me to come along?”
“Nope.”
Isshin shrugged and left to watch over the Hollowfied Shinigami. He had unhesitatingly entrusted Kazuya with the life of almost forty people.
Isane, however, didn’t seem convinced as she stepped in to block his path. “Kazuya, take me with you. I can heal—”
He gently held her shoulders. “Isane, tend to the injured here. I’ll take care of the rest with my Shikai. You saw its healing power yourself.”
Persuaded by his soothing voice, she unconsciously nodded her head. “Please find them. I’m begging you…”
“I will.”
He planted a kiss on her forehead before flying out to follow Yoruichi’s trails. As he glided over the devastated landscape of the power plant, his attention was drawn to a faint, unique Reiatsu — a blend of both Shinigami and Hollow energies. He had caught its traces earlier but the chaotic Reiatsu of Hollowfied Shinigami ran interferences in his senses.
“There it is… oh shit.”
Amidst the debris of a ruined building, he found a sight that made him shiver. An Arrancar lay collapsed, her body gruesomely damaged, having lost her entire left side to the searing poison of a certain centipede-like Arrancar. The scene was more haunting than the surreal sight of a headless Arrancar returning to life.
{She didn’t even spare her duo. What a toxic bitch.}
‘Menoly. Wasn’t she like this when Grimmjow killed her?’
{Yup. You can outrun death but you can’t outrun your fate! The canon will catch up to you sooner or later.}
He shook his head and landed before her. As if registering his presence, she feebly turned her blank gaze to him and reached out with a shaky hand — her only hand. “You… kill me…”
{Where have I heard those words before…? Ah, our resident goth madame uttered the same words.}
‘Another girl for El Inverso.’
He bent down and grasped her hand. “Do you want to die as an Espada or do you want to live as yourself?”
“Live…” She spoke without hesitation. “Help me… live… Please.”
“Got you.”