In a hidden cave, Ito simply dealt with his physical injuries with the help of Taoism.
"Hiss, so I'm this strong!"
Ito Makoto grinned as he tended to his wounds, a satisfied smile playing on his lips.
Through the battle between the clone and the original body, he had finally realized just how powerful the original body had become.
After a simple treatment, Makoto Ito's injuries had mostly recovered.
Then, he sat cross-legged and closed his eyes. He intended to use his spiritual pressure to sense the ghost aura in the Hollow World—the ghost aura belonging to the Shinigami.
His goal was clear: to locate the Void Circle Expeditionary Forces or, more specifically, someone within that force.
Whenever the Thirteen Court Guard Squads dispatched an expeditionary force into the Hollow World, they embedded a special Kido into each member. This technique allowed them to locate one another even if they got separated. Moreover, it provided a certain level of concealment, shielding their spiritual pressure from detection by the Hollows.
Because of this special Kido, Ren had never been able to pinpoint the exact location of the Void Circle Expeditionary Force.
However, Makoto Ito, though never marked by this Kido, was still a Shinigami. This meant he had a unique advantage in sensing the hidden expedition members, surpassing even his original body in this regard.
As Makoto Ito entered a state of perception, his spiritual pressure surged beyond the level he had displayed against Halibel. At that moment, he borrowed 50% of his original body's spiritual pressure—using it as a beacon to locate the expeditionary force.
For the next half-month, he continuously moved through the vast Hollow World, refining his search. The sheer scale of the realm meant that even with the power of his original body, he couldn't pinpoint their exact location immediately.
Through constant movement and refined perception, Makoto Ito gradually closed in on his target.
"Found them!"
Meanwhile, on a hill south of Las Noches, Halibel was locked in battle with Ren.
Under Ren's half-month-long training and guidance, Halibel's combat skills had improved significantly.
Previously, she would lose to Ren within five seconds. Now, she could hold her own for a full thirty seconds. If she were to face Makoto Ito—who borrowed only 30% of the original body's power—well, she still wouldn't win, she wouldn't lose as miserably either.
Bang!
A sharp crack rang out as Halibel was sent flying backward by Ren's thunder-infused whip.
She crashed into the rocky terrain, her form momentarily obscured by the dust and debris.
Ren swiftly appeared in front of her, extending a hand to help her up. His fingers brushed against the delicate mask covering half of her face.
Gazing at her proud figure and captivating presence, Ren couldn't suppress his excitement.
"It's time to put things into motion."
Although Ren was still an Adjuchas at this stage, his spiritual pressure and combat strength had long surpassed the level of a Vasto Lorde.
During his evolution from a Gillian to an Adjuchas, he had devoured at least a hundred other Adjuchas. Under normal circumstances, such an overwhelming consumption would have propelled him straight into the ranks of the Vasto Lorde.
However, there were likely fewer than ten true Vasto Lordes in the entire Hollow World. If Ren wished to evolve further, relying on devouring similar beings was no longer a viable option—he needed a new approach.
For now, the fastest way to gain more power was to undergo Arrancarization—the process of breaking his mask and assuming a humanoid form.
After all, breaking the mask first wouldn't hinder his later evolution into a Vasto Lorde.
Even in the original timeline, Grimmjow had broken his mask before reaching the Vasto Lorde stage.
However, another pressing reason urged Ren to shift his evolutionary path.
Aizen had already taken control of the Hogyoku. If Ren wanted a share in the unfolding events, he needed enough strength to claim his place.
And of course...
His decision had nothing to do with the fact that a Hollow's body was incapable of certain "interactions" with Halibel.
Absolutely nothing at all.
"Tia, I have some matters to attend to. During this time, try not to leave—especially avoid Las Noches."
Ren's voice was calm yet firm as he spoke to Halibel.
"Yes, Lord Ren!"
Halibel responded with deep respect, but her striking green eyes betrayed an unspoken longing. The past half-month spent together had clearly left its mark on her—prideful as she was, she had grown undeniably drawn to the man before her.
Somewhere in the Great Void Forest.
A group of Shinigami, clad in black shihakushō and wielding zanpakutō, was locked in battle against a swarm of Gillians.
The spiritual pressure radiating from these Shinigami was far from ordinary—the weakest among them possessed strength comparable to seated officers of the Gotei 13. And among them stood a man draped in a captain's white haori, his immense reiatsu unmistakably reaching the level of a true captain. With every slash of his blade, another Gillian fell.
Yet, something about him was odd. Unlike most captains, his haori bore no squad number on the back.
Just as the tide of battle seemed to be turning in their favor, the ground trembled.
Suddenly, six towering figures emerged from all directions—each one an Adjuchas-class Menos. Their bodies, elongated and monstrous, surged forward as they unleashed Ceros, crimson-black beams of destruction aimed directly at the Shinigami.
"It's an ambush!" an older Shinigami exclaimed in alarm.
The deadly Ceros hurtled toward the center of the battlefield, threatening to obliterate several of the Shinigami in an instant.
But before impact, the man in the haori casually flicked his zanpakutō forward.
In a blur, his blade transformed into dozens of diamond-shaped darts, each one glinting with deadly precision.
Shink!
Five of the six Adjuchas barely had time to react before the projectiles pierced through them, ending their lives in an instant.
The sixth, however, had already charged up its Cero behind the captain, preparing to fire.
Just as the black-and-red energy beam was about to strike—
"Sever—Thunderfire!"
A younger Shinigami with wild, unkempt hair stepped forward, his zanpakutō erupting into a brilliant white blade with a hooked tip, crackling with raw fire energy. With a swift swing, he cleaved through the incoming Cero, dispersing it into harmless embers.
In the same motion, he vanished with a Shunpo, reappearing behind the last Adjuchas. With his left hand, he drew a steel fork-like weapon from his waist and drove it straight into the creature's forehead.
Thud!
The Adjuchas collapsed lifelessly.
"That was Captain Masahiro Osaki's Flying Shards and the Embroiderer's Thunderfire! What an incredible combination!" one of the Shinigami exclaimed in admiration.
Masahiro Osaki turned toward the disheveled young man and nodded approvingly.
"Shun, nicely done. It's reassuring to have someone watching my back."
Shun scratched his head sheepishly and grinned.
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