Yuuki trained his soul relentlessly for what felt like an unknown eternity. Time no longer held meaning inside his inner world—there was no sun, no stars, no dawn or dusk. Only effort. Only growth. Only the two Zangetsus pushing him to the edge and beyond. Under their harsh instruction, he forged his spirit to its limit, mastering techniques he'd once only seen as animation frames on a screen.
By the time he finally paused, breath steady, soul shimmering with power, he had reached Soul Level 50. He had mastered everything the two Zangetsus could teach him at this stage. His intelligence, combat experience, and the Instant Mastery skill allowed him to absorb their techniques at terrifying speed.
He exhaled deeply. "System… initiate stats bar."
A familiar panel unfolded before him.
=======================
[Yukihira Yuuki]
Age: 17
Soul Bloodline: Shinigami, Quincy, Hollow
Soul Level: 50
Soul Combat Prowess: High Spiritual Power State
Soul Body Prowess: None
Reiatsu: 50,000 / 50,000
Body Bloodline: None
Acquired Zanpakutō: Zangetsu
System Points (SP): 500,000
=======================
[Acquired Skills]
Zanpakutō: Zangetsu
Shikai: Zangetsu
1) Zangetsu – False Shikai Mode
• First Stage: 100% Mastered
• Second Stage: 0% (Requires purchase of Fullbring Mode and fusion)
2) Zangetsu – Dual Shikai Mode
• Mastery: 0% (Requires 100% mastery of Shinigami–Hollow–Quincy Fusion Mode)
=======================
[Bankai: Tensa Zangetsu]
1) Tensa Zangetsu – First & Second Stage
• First Stage: Mastered
• Second Stage: 0% (Requires Fullbring Mode)
2) Merged Bankai: Tensa Zangetsu
• Status: 0% (Requires Shinigami–Hollow–Quincy Fusion Mastery 100%)
3) Ultimate Bankai – Final Getsuga Tenshō Form
• Status: 0%
• This form functions with a severe cooldown penalty. Once used, the host's Shinigami mode enters a sealed state for one year.
=======================
[Hollow Mode Status]
1) Hollow Mask – Eye-Covered Mode: 0%
2) Hollow Mask – Half-Covered Mode: 0%
3) Visored Full Mask Mode: 0%
4) Tailed Vasto Lorde Mode: 0%
5) Full Resurrection Mode: 0%
6) Shinigami–Hollow–Quincy Fusion Mode: 0%
=======================
A warning flashed beneath the list:
Until Hollow Mode is fully controlled and mastered, the host risks falling under Zangetsu's hollow instincts. Should the System detect full possession for longer than the warning threshold, the System will initiate force shutdown to protect the host.
=======================
[Kido Arts]
Binding Kido: #61, #63 — Mastered
Destruction Kido: #4, #33 — Mastered
His initial System Points had been low, so he had purchased only a few Kido spells—practical ones useful for combat. Thanks to Instant Mastery, he learned them instantly and flawlessly.
=======================
[Techniques]
Getsuga Tenshou: Mastered
Hollowfied Getsuga Tenshou: 0%
Quincy Mode – Spirit Weapon: Kojaku (Lone Sparrow)
Shunpo: Mastered
Sonído: Not mastered (requires Hollow Mode)
Cero: Not mastered (requires Hollow Mode)
Absolute Suppression: Level 70 — Can suppress anyone below this threshold
=======================
Yuuki took a slow breath as he reviewed everything on his status panel. He had come far—farther than any ordinary soul ever could. Yet even with all this progress, he knew this was only the beginning. Bankai evolution, Hollow mastery, Quincy fusion… the true heights of power were still waiting ahead of him.
Seeing his stats laid out clearly, he decided to leave them as they were for now. "Well, that's basically everything I have," he muttered. He had also integrated several combat techniques from his original world—real, tactical fighting skills from a lifetime of war. Fused with HoYuu's chaotic Hollow instincts and Old Man Zangetsu's refined Quincy techniques, his growth potential was limitless.
He had already decided on how he would refer to them. Instead of calling his Hollowed Zanpakutō "Zangetsu," he shortened it to HoYuu, Hollow Yuuki—his wild, instinct-driven counterpart. Meanwhile, Quincy Zangetsu had simply become the old man, a calm, seasoned guide. Though he resembled Yhwach, he was no longer tied to that lineage. In this world, he had willingly accepted Yuuki as his master, guiding him through Quincy arts without suppressing anything. With the System's help, both spirits could now harmonize together without conflict, allowing their powers to grow freely and independently.
Yuuki stepped into the manifested landscape of his inner world. His appearance reflected the strength he had cultivated—clad in a black shihakushō with a crimson strap crossing from shoulder to waist, long black hair trailing behind him in a regal sweep. On his back, the unmistakable shape of Zangetsu's first-stage blade rested, completing the image. He looked less like a warrior and more like a god walking among men.
"Well… technically, I am a Shinigami now," he murmured with a thoughtful tone. Rebirth into another world meant he would be massively overpowered upon arrival. Still, the Shinigami mode was too strong to flaunt carelessly. "I'll only use it when I need to show off… or when blending my human and Shinigami selves actually becomes necessary."
A small, confident smirk tugged at his lips as he thought about his still-unmastered Hollow mode. He had already struck a deal with HoYuu: the Hollow was only allowed to take over when Yuuki consciously permitted it during quests. Additionally, HoYuu could temporarily assume control if Yuuki lost consciousness—a last-ditch protection measure, a living failsafe.
HoYuu had eventually acknowledged Yuuki as his king—though not out of loyalty, but out of defeat. Yuuki had beaten him several times during their intense sparring sessions. Each fight forced Yuuki to evolve, adapt, and refine his style. HoYuu was unpredictable, fluid, and vicious, so Yuuki learned to be just as unorthodox. He blended his newly sharpened instincts with Quincy techniques, allowing him to switch seamlessly between close combat and long-range engagements. Even with those victories under his belt, Yuuki never forgot one thing: if HoYuu ever unleashed Full Resurrection Mode—the same monstrous form Hollow Ichigo once used—Yuuki wouldn't stand a chance yet.
What made it worse was that Yuuki didn't possess any body-cultivation technique at all. So whenever Old Man Zangetsu or HoYuu smacked him around—and HoYuu loved beating the living hell out of him—it hurt like absolute hell. But pain was training, and training was growth.
Through these battles, Yuuki discovered something remarkable: his combat and physical capability scales could leap far above his actual soul level. At Combat Level 10, he could fight an opponent at Level 30. At Combat Level 50, he could easily go toe-to-toe with someone at Level 70. It meant that within that range, his "Absolute Suppression" skill worked flawlessly.
Absolute Suppression was a System-granted skill that channeled his reiatsu to pin enemies down—crushing them with overwhelming spiritual pressure until they couldn't even stand. It was perfect for stunning, intimidating, or outright immobilizing anyone below his threshold.
But then came the question: How the hell did he reach Level 50 so quickly?
Inside his inner world, Old Man Zangetsu had the ability to conjure clones of himself at different levels, each representing a specific challenge. Yuuki had fought and defeated dozens—hundreds—of these clones. Each victory skyrocketed his combat and body levels. Every time he leveled up, the System rewarded him with 10,000 SP, which accumulated into a massive pool over time.
Despite the abundance of SP, Yuuki never splurged recklessly. He preferred to master his abilities one at a time, developing unique fighting combinations and patterns before purchasing anything new. He valued skill integration over raw numbers.
Standing in the vast, empty void, Yuuki looked around thoughtfully. This place was still blank—still a formless realm. It wasn't his true inner world yet. He intended to change that. He planned to rebuild and shape it into something worthy of being the foundation of his soul.
But right now…
"Yo, King. Maybe it's time we pick a world to wreak havoc in," HoYuu said, appearing at his side with a wide, toothy grin.
Old Man Zangetsu nodded with calm expectancy. "It has been a while since I set foot in the world of the living."
Yuuki nodded with growing enthusiasm. The time had come. Athena was waiting for him somewhere out there—and he intended to find her.
"I'm working on it," he said. "System… I am ready. Initiate host fusion to the human world."
A sequence of notifications appeared in front of him:
=======================
[Searching suitable host…]
[Suitable host acquired.]
[Initiating fusion in…]
[3]
[2]
[1]
========================
Before he could take another breath, a bright light engulfed him, pulling him out of the void entirely.
He was gone.
Off to a new life.