These two soul abilities are interesting: upon activation you transform into a demon. But… he hadn't cared much before because Tokinada could never reach 80+ favorability with him—no clone of his would, either.
He didn't plan to grind Tokinada's favor anyway—No matter how strong the soul ability, the person's a deranged freak; better not.
Only now that Bambi has fused with another evil node and her soul ability changed does Baelz take note. He isn't that interested, though.
One, he'd need to raise Bambi's favorability to 90 to have a chance of obtaining it; two, Lilith doesn't sound like a good"demon. But the next node should be usable. The next is the Defrauder, which should also contain a demon, and it's almost purified.
He checked on Tokinada and discovered he was also in the World of the Living, though not in Karakura, nor even in Tokyo. This is also why he's wary of Yhwach—the principle is similar to how he's watching Tokinada and Bambi now. They had evil nodes implanted, and the evil nodes are essentially Baelz's power, so no matter where they are, he can see their actions. If Bambi does anything lewd out of a bad mood in the future, it'll be a live broadcast in Baelz's eyes.
Yhwach may not see as clearly as Baelz, but he has left seeds of power in many Quincies, especially Ichigo, who even has Zangetsu.
Even if Zangetsu isn't strictly the current Yhwach, via Zangetsu Yhwach can absolutely observe Ichigo and those around him.
…
When Yoshio returned to his room, Masaki had already made up her mind. For her, it's just another twenty years of hiding or less. If she can be transformed into a Shinigami, then in a spirit-life's lifespan, twenty years is nothing. Twenty years—she can wait!
Yoshio was right: if Yhwach isn't dealt with, the present peace is just a castle in the air.
"It's best that you think so," Yoshio said. "Next, I'll transform you into a Shinigami. During this period, I'll put you into a state without self-awareness. As for how long the transformation will take, I don't know." He added gravely, "I must warn you: the Quincy–Shinigami conversion experiment can fail—especially since you've undergone Auswählen and your soul is on the verge of collapse. If transforming into a Shinigami can't halt Auswählen's influence, I'll have to turn you into a Hollow."
"I'm prepared," Masaki said seriously. "Thank you, Mr. Kamado."
"Then… let's begin."
Yoshio opened the road to the Hell Solitude and led Masaki inside. He'd already sent Nezuko home, so it was just the two of them. The Hell Solitude had grown larger; by continually fusing outside Garganta spaces, it now covered an area about the size of Karakura Town. Inside were piled countless Seeds of Light, gathered together and emitting a holy aura. Bathed in this sacred light, one feels a sincere elevation from heart to body.
Masaki thought she'd arrived in heaven. Eyes wide, her sunny nature resurfacing, she asked curiously, "What is this place? I've never heard Isshin say the Soul Society has such peaceful, gentle air!"
"So this isn't the Soul Society," Yoshio said calmly. "This is my world."
"Your world?"
"Yes. But until you're free of Auswählen's influence, don't think about that."
Yoshio noticed Masaki's soul growing weaker. Uryū's mother, Kanae Katagiri, survived three months after Auswählen before dying.
Masaki is stronger than her, but she was attacked by a Hollow. Everything about Hollows is toxic to Quincies, so she could only last less time than Kanae.
Besides, Yoshio couldn't let Masaki's soul weaken further; if it did, it might not withstand the subsequent experiment.
Yoshio raised his hand—next came a forbidden Kidō.
Time stop!
This isn't the stylized ZA WARUDO that freezes the world for five seconds, but a spell to still the reiryoku in a specific individual.
The Great Kidō Chief had used a time stop on the Visored before; now he used it on Masaki—simply halting the passage of time in her body.
After he stilled Masaki's time, Yoshio placed her into apparatus, then took out the Hōgyoku. He had reclaimed his lesser Hōgyoku from Aizen and channeled its power into Masaki. His Hōgyoku mainly lets Shinigami or Hollows become Quincies, but Aizen had recently made it more complete. A power with duality—if it can push A to B, it can also push B to A. Likely Aizen is using something like this to let his Quincy collaborators achieve Shinigami apotheosis or Hollowfication?
Now he would transform Masaki's soul into a Shinigami—not the previous kind of breaking the boundary, but a true conversion! If he tried to break the boundary, Masaki's fragile soul might self-destruct and vanish soon after.
Conversion requires less technical difficulty, as it avoids taboo species-limit breakthroughs. Aizen once transformed a Shinigami's soul into a Hollow—thus White. Yoshio had long designed a feasible plan, but Masaki was the first subject.
Of course, before doing so, he needed to systematically analyze Masaki's post-Auswählen soul.
…
Meanwhile…
Back home, Nezuko couldn't sleep. Wearing pajamas, she got up, turned on the light, and went to the window. In the deep night the rain was heavier, pouring as if the gods were weeping. Through the pane and the running water, in her mind the light of Auswählen flickered again—after the light, Ichigo's mother lay in a pool of blood. She wondered how that kid was doing now.
Nezuko didn't sleep all night.
In the morning, the sun was bright, as though last night's downpour and gloom were cleansed by holy radiance. After washing up she went downstairs. The wet traces everywhere confirmed what had happened. Mist swirled in the streets; sunlight through the haze made the green trees and flowers look especially vibrant.
Entering the school building and her classroom, windows open to fresh air, everything felt wonderful—until she glanced at Ichigo's empty seat and dazed out.
The next moment she suddenly pressed her hands to her face—because she felt a surge of impulse from within. As if someone roared in her ear—noisy voices, strange melodies, obscure notes weaving a single sentence: "Eat Ichigo Kurosaki!"
Eat Ichigo?
Why would I think that? I'm not a cannibal.
Why would I want to eat a person?
Nezuko smacked her head hard to chase out the strange thought. She actually felt sorry for Ichigo. Just last night, his mother died; he probably doesn't yet know that he himself caused Masaki's death, right?
Looks like he won't be at school today.
In fact, she was right. Not only that day—Ichigo didn't come to school for a week. When he finally returned in the second week, Nezuko noticed he seemed like a different person—the goofy grin he often wore was gone.
Seeing him, the impulse inside Nezuko grew stronger. That day, Ichigo seemed changed—and so was she, spaced out all day.
That night after school, back home and sleepless, Nezuko simply headed to the Hell Solitude. Those recognized by Yoshio could access it; the company badge was the key. Usually they also delivered purified Seeds of Light there. Though Nezuko seldom went, she had the clearance.
Upon entering, she saw Yoshio analyzing data. He sensed her arrival, set down his research, and said, "Nezuko, why are you here?" She hesitated, but explained her recent thoughts. Yoshio frowned.
Want to eat Ichigo?
That's not right. He didn't add any cannibal genes.
"Wait, I'll run some tests." Yoshio led her to another lab and into a machine. Reading the instrument data, he immediately understood.
Nezuko's Hollow power… seemed to have awakened early?
Theoretically, Ichigo's and Nezuko's Hollow and Shinigami powers are about the same thing, but activating the Hollow nature isn't easy. Yoshio immediately thought of Auswählen. Yhwach's Auswählen had stimulated Nezuko's Quincy factors, causing her Quincy power to prematurely awaken the Hollow power. It's somewhat like in Thousand-Year Blood War when Ichigo entered a Hollow mode by letting Yhwach attack him.
But even if the Hollow power awakened, why the urge to eat Ichigo?
Could it be that two beings of identical essence but opposite nature triggered a primal impulse in the Hollows within them?
In fact, Nezuko's four-soul-attribute composition should be like this: outwardly a Hollow, with a human inside transformed from Quincy, plus a portion of Shinigami and Quincy bloodlines.
Then again, it's not fundamentally different. All four soul attributes—rearranged into an opposite—are still the same four; which shows on the surface is irrelevant. Even if configured that way, Yoshio could adjust the soul order to make her the current Nezuko.
After all, when the split happened, Ichigo was just a one-day-old infant.
So Yoshio thought the problem wasn't the Hollow.
Compared to Hollows, he felt the Quincy factor was more suspect. After being cut out by the Mind-Rending Blade, Yoshio had already verified during the soul composition adjustments that the Hollows within the two had nothing to do with each other.
It was the Quincy instead… All Quincies carry a piece of Yhwach, but compared to Ichigo, who inherited Masaki's pure blood, Nezuko isn't pure blood.
Nezuko's Quincy portion was reversed from Isshin Kurosaki's Shinigami portion—so, theoretically unrelated to Yhwach.
Thus Yoshio didn't sense Yhwach's power in her.
However, perhaps because of the Auswählen stimulus—or some other reason—Yhwach still discovered Nezuko. He tends to believe that the calling Nezuko feels is her Quincy power's instinct, driving her to devour the pure blood within Ichigo, devour Zangetsu, allowing Yhwach's authority to seep into her.
With that, Yoshio's thoughts became clearer. Yhwach is also somewhat compulsive—he dislikes seeing things beyond his control. Yet he has near-blind arrogance, believing all Quincies will heed him, or at least be of use. That's why he kept Ishida Uryū by his side despite Uryū bearing something beyond him. But exactly because of this controlling arrogance, he lost the Almighty to Uryū's Silver arrow, and was then cut down by Ichigo. His arrogance and pride—his greatest cause of defeat.
"All Quincies are affected by Yhwach. Even a mixed-of-mixed Quincy like Nezuko, theoretically unrelated to him, isn't exempt. This must be his trait as the 'son of the Soul King,' right?"
It's wrong to say all Quincies are Yhwach's children, but it's fine to say all Quincies are descendants of the Soul King—and Yhwach, as the son of the Soul King, occupies this relationship web.
"Don't panic. Once I've researched how to evade Auswählen and the Almighty, then we'll consider making your pure blood or not."
Yoshio released her and explained, "This isn't a perverse thought—it's your body's instinct. Don't panic—just mobilize your Shinigami or Hollow powers to suppress the Quincy factor."
Ichigo's internal Zangetsu (Quincy) suppresses his Shinigami and Hollow; Nezuko will have Shinigami and Hollow suppress her Quincy.
"Hollow?" Nezuko asked, puzzled. "But how can I awaken Hollow power?"
"After school, come here. I'll teach you."
"Yay!" she cheered.
"Can I come every day?"
"Of course." He was already studying Masaki's soul and would be there every night anyway.
Yoshio added, "To use Hollow power, the best method is external stimulus. Your Hollow power awakened under the stimulus of Auswählen; in Hueco Mundo, the Hollow power will also become more active. I permit you to go to Hueco Mundo—consider it your trial. If you encounter danger, don't force it—return to me immediately."
Nezuko was even more excited. "Oh yeah—I want to go to Hueco Mundo now!"
That place is best—she can fight to her heart's content; she couldn't wait to vent her destructive urge. Yoshio nodded and sent her to Hueco Mundo, monitoring her from here, and choosing a spot far from Las Noches to avoid incidents.
…
Busy until midnight, Yoshio would pick her up and send her home to sleep, then continue research until morning. Returning from the Hell Solitude to his home, after a sleepless night, he was drained. He went to the 10th Division, planning a nap, when Rangiku came over, unusually serious.
"What's wrong?"
Seeing her expression, Yoshio perked up.
"Look at this report," Rangiku said, placing a file before him. Yoshio read it, his face growing grave. The report said that in Karakura Town since last year up to now, seventeen Shinigami had been slain by Hollows. It also noted that in recent years the number of Menos in Karakura had risen; last year alone, 67 Menos appeared. Karakura was already a priority-monitor area—it's a heavy spirit zone,"
and Urahara Kisuke might still be there—so anomalies aren't surprising. But the strange thing is this phenomenon is spreading. Not only Karakura—neighboring Naruki City, Kagamino City, most of Tokyo, and even the west of the island nation have begun seeing large-scale Menos incursions!