Rukongai, a remote village.
By the time Hasumi Ren arrived with his team, the members of the Tenth Division were already securing the scene, their expressions grave.
"Fourth Seat Hasumi," a Tenth Division member greeted him, stepping forward. "The injured are inside. Please, follow me."
"Their condition is very strange. It looks like they've been infected by Hollow poison, but it's not quite the same..."
Ren nodded and followed him into a dilapidated house.
Inside, four people lay on the ground.
Their skin had taken on an unnatural, ashen-white hue. They curled up in agony, groaning as their bodies twitched slightly.
Ren's gaze swept over them, his pupils shrinking slightly. It was indeed the manifestation of Hollow poison infection.
He stepped forward, crouched down, and placed his hand on one of their foreheads.
The pale green spiritual pressure of Kaido seeped into the person's body.
A moment later, Ren withdrew his hand.
His face remained expressionless, but waves of shock rippled through his mind.
These patients were bizarre.
This wasn't ordinary Hollow poison. Instead, it looked more like... the failed products of some Hollowfication experiment.
*'Could this be Aizen's doing?'*
*'But why were these test subjects dumped here, requiring the Fourth Division to treat them?'*
Ren's heart sank.
He knew this likely wasn't a coincidence, but rather a part of Aizen's schemes.
*'Could this plan be related to me?'*
*'Is my deployment here today also a part of Aizen's design...'*
Ren took a deep breath and stood up.
"Their injuries are highly unusual. We can only provide preliminary treatment for now," he said to the squad members beside him. "The conditions here are too limited for a detailed analysis. We'll have to bring them back to the Fourth Division barracks for a thorough examination later."
"Yes, sir!"
Upon receiving Ren's orders, the Fourth Division members immediately got to work.
As Ren continued checking the patients, his gaze swept across the surroundings.
Suddenly, numerous tiny motes of light appeared in his field of vision.
They were fragments indicated by the system.
Ren's movements paused for a fraction of a second.
*'Hollowfication fragments.'*
*'To think I can absorb Hollowfication fragments from these victims.'*
This meant that the power of Hollowfication was indeed present within their bodies.
It also meant his guess was correct.
This was undeniably a Hollowfication experiment.
Ren maintained his composure, continuing to direct his team's efforts without showing any outward reaction.
But his mind was already racing.
*'If this is Aizen testing the waters, what is his goal?'*
*'And where is Aizen right now?'*
*'Is he... nearby?'*
Inside another ruined house not far away.
Aizen Sosuke stood with his hands behind his back, his body enveloped in a faint Kido barrier.
The barrier distorted the light, allowing his figure to blend seamlessly into the surrounding shadows.
His gaze pierced through the dilapidated wooden window, landing precisely on Ren.
The young man was crouching beside the victims, earnestly examining their injuries.
His movements were practiced, his expression focused—indistinguishable from any other experienced medical officer.
The corners of Aizen's mouth curled up slightly.
*'Excellent.'*
*'Everything is proceeding according to plan.'*
He retrieved the Hogyoku from his robes.
The small crystal emitted a faint, eerie blue glow in his palm, with countless tiny specks of light faintly visible swirling within it.
Ever since absorbing that fingertip of the Soul King, the Hogyoku's level of activity had noticeably increased.
Aizen's gaze fell upon the Hogyoku, a flash of satisfaction crossing his eyes.
He then withdrew his gaze as the power of Kyoka Suigetsu gradually activated.
An Adjuchas-class Menos Grande appeared before him.
Its eyes gleamed with a crimson light, radiating a suffocating, oppressive aura.
But it was not real.
It was merely an illusion created by Kyoka Suigetsu.
Aizen controlled the Hollow, making it slowly approach the village.
*'The show is about to begin.'*
Back in the village, the first to notice the anomaly were the Tenth Division members.
"What is that?!" a squad member pointed into the distance, his voice laced with terror.
Everyone looked in the direction he was pointing, only to see a massive black silhouette stepping out from behind a building.
Its pace was slow, but with every step it took, the ground trembled slightly.
*'An Adjuchas.'*
Ren's pupils contracted slightly.
*'Why would an Adjuchas-class Hollow appear here?'*
But in the next moment, the image before his eyes tore slightly.
It was the trace of Kyoka Suigetsu.
Ren's heart sank heavily.
*'An illusion.'*
*'This Hollow was created by Aizen using Kyoka Suigetsu.'*
*'What exactly is that man trying to do?'*
"Everyone, on high alert!" a Tenth Division member shouted sharply. "Protect the injured and prepare for battle!"
The squad members immediately sprang into action, though fear was etched onto every face.
Against an Adjuchas-class Hollow, their numbers meant absolutely nothing.
The Adjuchas slowly came to a halt.
Its gaze swept over the crowd, finally landing on the Hollowfied victims.
"Soul Reapers..." Its voice was hoarse and low, dripping with thick malice. "Who gave you permission to interfere with my experiment?"
Experiment?
The squad members exchanged bewildered glances, completely lost.
In the next instant, the Hollow's figure materialized right in front of several victims.
The intense spiritual pressure radiating from its body erupted instantly, sweeping toward the victims with a malicious intent.
The Hollowfied victims suddenly began to thrash violently.
"No, don't..."
"Save me..."
They let out agonizing wails as their bodies began to twist and deform.
The previously faint traces of Hollowfication now spread rapidly.
Bone fragments jutted out from their mouths, covering their faces.
Then, one victim's body exploded, turning into countless black Reishi particles that dissipated into the air.
Followed closely by the second, and then the third.
The surrounding squad members let out terrified screams, their eyes wide with disbelief.
Ren stood frozen in place, staring blankly as the scene unfolded.
In his field of vision, countless tiny motes of light drifted out from the dissipating remains and surged toward him.
System prompts flashed by, and Ren's Hollowfication experience increased slightly.
But Ren had no time to care about that.
His entire focus was locked onto the Hollow's illusion.
Ren knew that Aizen was absolutely nearby.
*'But what on earth is he trying to do?'*
At that moment, the Adjuchas slowly turned its head.
Its gaze landed squarely on Ren.
An eerie glint flashed through those crimson eyes.
Then, it moved.
Its massive body charged at Ren with unbelievable speed, a giant claw raised high, carrying the momentum to tear through anything in its path.
"Fourth Seat Hasumi!" the squad members behind him cried out in alarm.
Ren's pupils shrank. He activated Shunpo, his figure instantly dodging to the side.
The giant claw slammed down, narrowly missing him and smashing a deep fissure into the ground.
Rubble flew in all directions as a cloud of dust filled the air.
"Interesting," it chuckled hoarsely. "How convenient. I'll just use you as my next test subject."
Ren steadied his footing and tightly gripped the Zanpakuto at his waist.
But he knew this was merely an illusion.
The real threat was absolutely not what stood before him.
"Hurry and call for backup!" Ren shouted sternly. "Go find Captain Unohana!"
The squad members behind him snapped out of their daze. Someone immediately turned to run, but then hesitated for a moment.
"Eh, Captain Unohana? Shouldn't we get the Eleventh Division or the Fifth Division..."
"Never mind that, just go!"
"R-Right!"
The Fourth Division members ran off into the distance, but the Hollow made no move to pursue them.
It only stared at Ren.
Ren stared back vigilantly, his footsteps shifting slowly.
He knew he had to put on an act.
To play the part of an ordinary Soul Reaper who, despite being targeted by an Adjuchas, still managed to keep his cool.
To play the part of a medical officer desperately stalling for time while waiting for rescue.
Because Aizen was nearby, watching.
The Hollow lunged at him again.
Ren pushed his Shunpo to the limit, his figure darting through the ruins, narrowly evading the lethal strikes each time.
Just then, a bizarre spiritual power suddenly surged from all directions, beginning to invade his body.
Ren's heart tightened. Just as he thought this was another one of Aizen's tricks...
He saw the system prompt appear once again.
Seeing this, Ren was momentarily stunned.