Bleach: Watch Closely, This Is How You Use a Zanpakutō novel Chapter 197

Chapter 197 - 197: Good Idea

Soul Society – A Mysterious Underground Base in Seireitei

Countless surveillance screens were neatly arranged, forming a dense sea of glowing monitors.

Standing before them was a man clad in a white haori, his gaze fixed intently on the images before him.

"Aizen-sama, is this the so-called major breakthrough in your experiment?"

With a soft rustle, a man wearing a camellia armband quietly approached from behind. Despite addressing Aizen with honorifics, his tone lacked the slightest hint of respect.

However, the moment his eyes landed on the screen, his expression changed to one of shock. _{fr\eewebno vel .c(o)m}

Displayed on the monitor was a figure clad in black battle armor, wearing a horned mask, with long hair flowing wildly over its shoulders.

Its form was humanoid, yet a gaping hollow hole loomed in its chest, ominously filled with an unknown white mass.

"An artificial Menos... They actually pulled it off!"

The man with the armband muttered in disbelief.

Aizen, unfazed by his subordinate's astonishment, merely adjusted his glasses with a faint, enigmatic smile.

"To be honest, even I didn't expect Hollow White to be completed this quickly. Thanks to a certain someone's assistance, the experiment's progress has been greatly accelerated..."

As if recalling that person, his smile became more genuine, carrying a rare sense of amusement.

"It is a modified Hollow, created using a Shinigami's soul as a base. In my design, it possesses the ability to infect and transfer, inducing Hollowfication merely by inflicting damage."

"In terms of Reiatsu, it has indeed reached the level of a Vasto Lorde, but its actual combat capabilities remain untested."

Aizen's gaze flickered as he turned slightly.

"Kōga-kun, I wonder... would you be interested in helping me assess its strength?"

You want me to be your test subject?

Kōga Kuchiki scoffed, shaking his head in disdain.

"You expect me to waste my power on something like this? Sorry, but I'm not interested in playing around with a half-baked prototype."

"For someone like me—who has already mastered Bankai—this level of Reiatsu is no match for me. What if I accidentally destroy your precious experiment?"

He smirked, then casually shrugged.

"Why don't you find someone else? Tōsen should do. Isn't he at Lieutenant level now?"

"Tōsen's strength is still insufficient to handle a Vasto Lorde," Aizen replied flatly.

"For years, our Hollowfication experiments have been nearly paralyzed due to the Gotei 13's surveillance. But now, at this critical juncture, the research must continue."

Kōga Kuchiki spread his hands in mock apology.

"Yeah... still not interested. And I definitely don't need some half-finished Hollowfication either."

But then, as if struck by a thought, a slow grin crept onto his face.

"That said... I just might have a better idea."

...

"Reiatsu of this level... is that Masatsuki-sama? He seems even stronger than before!"

Cold sweat dripped from the foreheads of the Adjuchas-class Arrancars, their bodies trembling under the overwhelming pressure.

Inside the room...

Banshō, Senran, and their sisters gradually faded away, vanishing into thin air.

Masatsuki Aozaki remained motionless, lying flat on the bed, before slowly opening his eyes.

His Reiatsu had once again broken through—thanks to an unknown amount of intense "exercise" throughout the night.

"First-Class Spiritual Power!"

The corner of Masatsuki Aozaki's mouth lifted into a smirk, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

First-Class Spiritual Power—the pinnacle of Reiatsu.

It wasn't yet the absolute peak of a Shinigami, but it was the closest step to reaching it.

At this level, if he could continue pushing his Reiatsu further, the apex of the Shinigami realm would be within reach.

Masatsuki Aozaki had only been able to touch this threshold briefly when using Bankai.

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