Anyway, now that Dohko has come out of seclusion and is taking the lead in dealing with Saga, I just need to take it easy on my end.
"I'm not worried," Yomi shook her head gently, her gaze still carrying a trace of lingering regret as it fell on the empty wall, as if she were looking through it at the powerful enemy she hadn't been able to fight.
"I just think it's a bit of a pity..." Her voice was calm, but the slight downturn of her lips and the flash of fighting spirit in her eyes betrayed her intense desire for battle.
"..." Hiroki looked at her exquisite profile, which was practically screaming "I really want to fight," and his mind was flooded with bullet comments: No, why the face full of regret??? Are you some kind of battle maniac??? Is there something wrong with the anime I watched???
I remember it being a pretty tragic and heavy story; what's with that look of joy at finding a worthy opponent? Could it be... the sesshōseki has a hidden trait that influences personality?
However, Hiroki's gaze quickly fell upon the eye-catching "Second Class Spiritual Pressure" on the system panel.
'Second Class Spiritual Pressure!' Hiroki confirmed this amazing foundation in his heart once more. 'The foundation is truly excellent... with such a high starting point, if I can push it up a bit further...'
His train of thought instantly became clear—this was simply a perfect candidate tailored for his hard-won but almost neglected Hollowfication Technique! A high basic aptitude meant strong endurance and great potential, so the upper limit after modification would naturally be higher.
"A pity... there's no Hōgyoku to serve as the core drive source."
Hiroki subconsciously frowned.
Itachi and the others were working hard in Hueco Mundo catching Menos Grande to use as "batteries," but that was only a secondary option.
If only there were a Hōgyoku...'System!' The thought flashed like lightning. Hiroki concentrated and asked that cold and tricky existence in his mind: "How many points for a one-time use of the Hōgyoku? Like... a rental! A short-term usage right!"
In his consciousness, the first response was a brief silence.
'...'
The silence seemed to come with its own emoji pack; the system seemed to be choked up by this bizarre logic of "renting the Hōgyoku," and for once, it hesitated.
A moment later, that familiar, emotionless electronic voice spoke again, carrying a hint of imperceptible exasperation at the host's wild imagination: "...Temporary permit for one-time use of the Hōgyoku. Rent: 1,000,000 points."
"NICE! One million! Acceptable!" A sharp light burst from Hiroki's eyes. Though it hurt his wallet, the thought of the top-tier Hollowfication modification for Yomi using the Hōgyoku, combined with her Second Class Spiritual Pressure foundation, meant the resulting potential would be unimaginable! This money was worth it! Almost without hesitation, Hiroki issued the command in his mind: "Rent it!"
"Ding! Deduction successful. 1,000,000 points have been deducted." As the cold prompt sounded, Hiroki felt his seven-figure balance shrink significantly. It hurt so much he twitched, but for Yomi, he paid up!
The next second, Hiroki reined in all the exaggerated expressions on his face, leaving only a focus woven of excitement and solemnity. He suddenly turned to Yomi, who was standing nearby, his voice carrying a sense of excitement: "Yomi, let me help you... strengthen yourself a bit!"
"Huh?" Yomi, who had been immersed in the regret of not being able to challenge a strong opponent, was taken aback by Hiroki's sudden proposal and blinked in confusion.
"Strengthen?"
She instinctively tightened her grip on shishiō 'Ranguren'.
"That's right, strengthen!"
Hiroki spoke decisively, a mysterious smile even appearing on his face as he looked her straight in the eye.
"This is a unique black technology from our Soul Reaper World! As for the effect..." He deliberately drew out his words, like a salesman pitching a heavyweight product, "It's immediate, directly hitting the ceiling level!"
"How do we strengthen?" The doubt in Yomi's heart was replaced by a spark of curiosity, and her sharp gaze refocused on Hiroki.
Hiroki grinned like a cat that had just stolen some fish, and the words he spoke were simple, crude, and full of pragmatic "philosophy":
"Of course, it's—Pay-to-win!" He patted his chest, which was still aching from the loss of one million points, his expression a mix of financial pain and the arrogance of a nouveau riche.
"A core drive source acquired at a great cost, it'd be a waste not to use it! I guarantee you'll experience an unprecedented... power!"
"..."
Yomi looked at Hiroki's dramatic, meme-like face and his answer that clearly carried a high "price tag," and for a moment, she was speechless.
Although she didn't quite understand the specific meaning of "Pay-to-win" in this context, the look of both heartache and anticipation in his eyes made her clearly realize that this strengthening would probably cost quite a lot.
Just as their conversation ended, at Hiroki's command, two key items appeared out of thin air!
First was that silver square box shining with a cold metallic luster—the Hollowfication device meticulously prepared by Aizen. It floated up automatically, and the complex energy circuits on its surface lit up with a ghostly blue light as if waking up, emitting a faint and rapid buzzing sound, seemingly ready for action.
Immediately following, a ripple of a completely different yet strangely resonant vibration wavered in the void. A deep blue sphere of light, like a miniature black hole, suddenly emerged and hovered next to the silver box—it was the rented Hōgyoku fragment!
It emitted an extremely deep, eerie light, and at its core, it seemed as if stars and galaxies were rotating and collapsing, full of an unspeakable divine aura where creation and destruction coexisted. As soon as this energy core from a higher dimension appeared, the surrounding space produced subtle ripples.
"Begin connection!" Hiroki barked, his face solemn.
A slight mechanical clicking sound came from inside the silver box. A thick cable made of pure energy instantly shot out from the core of the silver box, accurately piercing into the interior of the deep blue light sphere like a spiritual snake! Hum!
Dazzling light erupted instantly! The deep blue Hōgyoku energy surged into the silver box along the cable! The brightness of the energy circuits on the silver box's surface skyrocketed, turning from ghostly blue to a blinding incandescent white in an instant, as if it had become a small sun. The temperature in the entire room seemed to rise by several degrees! The sound of the device's operation changed from a buzz to a low roar!
"Lock on target!" Hiroki pointed at Isayama Yomi, who stood still with a solemn expression.
Swish! Several energy-towing beams emitting incandescent light shot out from the silver box, instantly binding Yomi's limbs and torso! The force was gentle yet irresistible.
"Inject!"
Vroom, vroom, vroom—! A terrifying flow of energy was precisely directed towards Yomi by the silver box! The pure and powerful strength of the Hōgyoku, mixed with the unique induced reishi of the Hollowfication device, crashed into her body like a river bursting its banks!
"Ugh...!"
Yomi's body jerked violently! Her amber eyes instantly widened! The intense impact didn't come from physical pain, but from the soul level! It was as if endless information, energy, and primal Hollow desires were colliding, merging, and reshaping with her own power (including that sesshōseki fragment) at an unprecedented speed!
High-concentration spiritual pressure turbulence that distorted light began to dissipate around her body! Under the catalysis of the Hōgyoku energy, her powerful Second Class Spiritual Pressure began to boil and swell violently, like ore thrown into a furnace!
A more chaotic and wild power, originating from the depths of biological instinct, was being guided and stimulated!
Next, at the edges of Yomi's exquisite, fair face, strands of pale, viscous matter like living things seeped out, gathered, and condensed! They rapidly spread and merged above her nose and mouth. Against the backdrop of the blinding white light and the deep blue Hōgyoku energy, a cold, smooth mask with a pale metallic texture, revealing only two cold beast-like eyes—a Hollow Mask symbolizing a Hollowfication expert—was completely forming on her face at a visible speed!
Almost the instant the mask formed—BOOM!!! A terrifying spiritual pressure, far exceeding the previous Second Class and mixing wild Hollow beastliness with Hōgyoku's divine energy, based on Isayama Yomi's own killing intent and swordsmanship will, erupted from her body like a volcano that had been dormant for ten thousand years being suddenly ignited!
A violent shockwave exploded in a spherical shape! All the furniture and decorations in the room, and even the tough special building materials, were crushed and blown away like fragile paper models before this suddenly erupting, majestic power! The walls groaned under the unbearable burden!
The entire Hilltop Manor seemed to experience a sudden miniature earthquake at this moment!
Amidst the spreading dust, only the figure remained, wearing a pale mask and wrapped in terrifying energy, standing proudly like a humanoid beast!
BOOM!!!
Like a thunderclap on level ground, a dull yet penetrating roar exploded from deep within the Hilltop Manor! Accompanying this roar was a sudden burst of majestic energy that swept through like an invisible tsunami!
The entire manor felt as if it had been violently shaken by an invisible giant hand! The magnificent chandeliers swung wildly, and crystal ornaments fell to the floor with a clatter, shattering into pieces. Expensive murals slid crookedly from the walls, while the window glass buzzed and vibrated, letting out a groan as it strained under the pressure, fine cracks instantly spider-webbing across the panes.
Thud!
On several nearby load-bearing walls, web-like indentations and cracks abruptly appeared, and the rustling fall of dust instantly made the air stifling.
The deathly silence was shattered in an instant, and chaos followed immediately!
"What happened?! Is it an enemy attack?!" Uchiha Fugaku's low growl was exceptionally clear amidst the chaos. He sprang from his chair, his Three-Tomoe Sharingan spinning to their limit as they tracked the source of the energy eruption. His Spiritual Pressure was released instantly, forming a shield to deflect the falling debris.
Several Three-Tomoe Uchiha elites guarding nearby corners also reacted as if facing a great enemy. The sound of blades being drawn rang out continuously, and their figures turned into streaks of black lightning, instinctively rushing toward the source of the shockwave!
"It's Lord Hiroki's room!!" Uchiha Shisui's Shunpo was so fast it left only afterimages, his voice carrying a hint of surprise and intense alertness. He had been meditating on the other side of the manor to recover from the backlash of his previous injuries, but he was now completely jolted by this massive disturbance.
"Hurry!" Fugaku barked. He and Itachi, being the first to react, did not hesitate for a second.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Three massive Susanoo of different colors, burning with surging Spiritual Pressure, rose abruptly behind Fugaku, Shisui, and Itachi! The deep black, emerald green, and crimson energy giants broke through the constraints of the roof as rubble and tiles rained down! Their massive bodies brought a terrifying sense of pressure. With each step covering over ten meters, they moved like three mobile mountains, striding with crushing force toward the West Wing of the manor where Hiroki's bedroom was located!
Almost at the same time, the Sanctuary warriors guarding the main hall, closest to Kido Saori, also entered a state of maximum alert!
"Protect Lady Athena!" leo Aiolia, like a bristling bird of prey, was the first to flash in front of Saori. His Cosmo, burning with the Gold Soul, rose fiercely, his gaze as sharp as a falcon's as he scanned the source of the chaos.
Shiryu's Dragon Shield was already raised before him, Hyoga's Cygnus freezing air swirled around his body, and Shun's Nebula Chain rattled, coiling above his head like a venomous snake on guard. Even the Five Weaklings suppressed their fear and huddled in the corner, forming a temporary defensive formation.
As expected of the 'cockroaches' with Athena's buff; after such a major battle, not a single one of them had died.
As for Seiya, he had been beaten the most severely and was still recovering. Meanwhile, Ikki was, as per usual, listed as a missing person.
Kido Saori herself remained seated calmly on the sofa.
Those deep violet eyes merely spared a faint glance toward the West Wing. The grand, protective Cosmo that had unconsciously rippled out when the chaos first began was now exceptionally calm, as if the impact that had been enough to collapse parts of the building was nothing more than a ripple in a teacup to her.
Inside Hiroki's bedroom.
The violent tide of energy gradually subsided, leaving behind a scene of utter devastation: furniture was overturned, the exquisite wallpaper had been torn into long gashes by the energy flow, and fragments of crystal cups and twisted metal components were scattered across the floor.
The air was thick with dust, a faint smell of smoke, and a strange, cold, and wild residual energy aura.
"Cough, cough, cough..." Hiroki propped himself up against the only surviving half of a nightstand with one hand, while the other waved in front of his face to drive away the dust, coughing violently. "Why such a huge commotion?"
Covered in dust, he looked up at the "culprit" standing in the center of the room who had caused all this—Isayama Yomi.
At this moment, Yomi's form had changed significantly.
A pale 'mask' covered in eerie bone-like patterns, resembling the finest and coldest porcelain, clung tightly to the lower half of her face, leaving only those violet eyes—now colder and sharper than sword blades—exposed. At the edges of the mask, some tiny, not-yet-fully-receded white viscous substances could be seen wriggling.
Her ink-black long hair moved without any wind. The Spiritual Pressure radiating from her carried a primitive, predatory wildness and ferocity, yet it did not lose the cold will of a Kendo Grandmaster.
Hearing Hiroki's complaint, Yomi's muffled voice, carrying a strong metallic resonance (a special vocal quality in the Hollowfication State), came from beneath the mask:
"Yeah. I didn't expect... this newly born 'power' to be so difficult to control. It's the first time... I indeed failed to handle the scale properly." Her voice was calm, but if one listened closely, a trace of almost imperceptible... novelty? Or even excitement? could be caught within that peculiar resonance.
In the brief moment of this dialogue, three immense shadows, accompanied by heavy footsteps and the sound of rolling rubble, instantly filled the huge doorframe and the holes in the walls that had been forcibly smashed open by the Susanoo!
The heads of the deep black, emerald green, and crimson Susanoo giants appeared at the openings. Fugaku, Shisui, and Itachi each stood within the crystal of their Susanoo's forehead. Their three pairs of Mangekyo Sharingan erupted with astonishing ocular power, all locking onto the source of the terrifying aura in the room—Yomi, who was wearing the pale mask!
That wild Spiritual Pressure, mixed with the demonic power of the sesshōseki and the will of a Hollow, caused the Spiritual Pressure within their own bodies to instinctively boil.
Hmm? Have their Susanoo evolved to the 4th stage?
Hiroki felt a small sense of surprise.
Immediately after, the hurried footsteps in the doorway and corridor instantly filled the space blocked by the Susanoo. Over a dozen elite Uchiha Ninja, holding weapons and radiating killing intent, surged in. Their Sharingan were all activated, firmly locking onto Yomi, even ignoring the dust-covered Hiroki beside her.
The atmosphere was instantly tense, and a battle was on the verge of breaking out!
Hiroki suddenly straightened up, one hand on his hip and the other waving forcefully. With a voice that carried a mix of helplessness and faint pride, he said, "Stop! Stop! Everyone stop! Deactivate the Susanoo! Put down your swords! Don't worry! It's not an enemy attack! The reinforcements I summoned have arrived!"
He explained quickly, fearing that if he were a second late, this group of loyal but extremely high-strung subordinates would surround and attack Yomi as a new enemy.
Everyone's gaze instantly shifted from Yomi to Hiroki's face. The hostility in their Sharingan slowly faded, replaced by astonishment and confusion.
Hiroki cleared his throat, pointed to Yomi—who stood in the center of the room, her posture still upright and her gaze calmly scanning the crowd despite the eerie mask—and announced loudly:
"Everyone, allow me to solemnly introduce her! This is Isayama Yomi!" He paused deliberately, letting Yomi's oppressive figure and unique Hollowfication State sink deeper into everyone's eyes. "From now on, she is a new member of our team!"
The room fell into a dead silence.
All the Uchiha Ninja focused their gazes on Isayama Yomi.
The aura that had just erupted—which, though now deliberately restrained, still lingered with its mixture of powerful Spiritual Pressure and the wild power of a Hollow—was enough for them to instantly understand the weight of the woman before them.
After a brief pause.
"Yes!" A unified response shook the air. "Lady Isayama!"
Their voices were filled with the instinctive awe for the strong. The Uchiha were a clan that worshipped power. Seeing Yomi's powerful Spiritual Pressure, the title of "Lady" came out without the slightest hesitation—the addition of such power to their ranks as a colleague was more than enough!
Looking at the respectful Uchiha elites before him, Hiroki's heart stirred, and he quickly called out to the system in his mind:
"System, what is Isayama Yomi's current status and Spiritual Pressure level?"
A second later, a transparent panel floated beside him:
[Name: Isayama Yomi]
Status: Stable Spiritual Pressure Fusion (Hollowfication State)
Spiritual Pressure Level Measurement: First Rank (Hollowfication State)
"Hiss... Hahaha!" Hiroki tried his best to suppress his inner ecstasy, but the corners of his mouth simply wouldn't stay down.
"First Rank! This investment... was absolutely worth it!" Looking at this new companion wearing a Hollow Mask and surrounded by the Uchiha's awe, Hiroki felt as if he were seeing an incredibly reliable trump card for his future battles.
Yomi stood amidst the wreckage, facing the Uchiha elite Ninjas. Her expression under the pale mask was hard to discern. Only her violet eyes above the mask calmly met the gazes of everyone present.
From beneath the mask, an extremely light and shallow response with a strange metallic vibrato sounded: "...Mm."