Haruki still remembered the plot of one of the movie adaptations.
In it, Rukia adopted two children in the Rukongai, who later encountered a "Parasite Hollow." This Hollow parasitized the two children and eventually fused into Rukia's body.
When Rukia, the two children from the Soul Society, and the Parasite Hollow merged together, Dark Rukia was born.
This form, if the eyes were a bit more purple and darker, would look even more similar.
But...
The movie adaptation was likely just a parallel world. Just like how this world had no Sōjirō Kusaka, the two children Rukia adopted probably didn't exist here, let alone Dark Rukia.
But...
What exactly was happening to Rukia now?
"This look seems..."
Haruki hesitated for a moment before saying, "Pretty cool."
"After fusing with a Shinigami, the Hōgyoku, and White, such a transformation occurred. Don't you think... it's quite interesting?" Aizen said softly.
"It is quite interesting. To be honest, I think Rukia wielding a scythe like this truly embodies what a Shinigami should be."
Haruki joked lightly, then sat down in the chair in front of Aizen's desk. He asked again, "How did Rukia end up like this?"
"Well, that's something you'll have to find out for yourself."
Seeing Aizen's expression, Haruki knew he was fully aware but simply didn't want to share.
He then asked, "Does the Kuchiki family know about this?"
"No."
"What? How could they not know?"
"Even Kuchiki Rukia herself doesn't know about this."
Aizen spoke mysteriously. Realizing he wouldn't get any useful information from Aizen, Haruki pouted and prepared to leave.
However, before he left, Aizen suddenly asked, "Do you want to have the Hollows in Hueco Mundo undergo Arrancarization?"
"Since Arrancars already exist, why not expand their numbers?" Haruki replied. "Otherwise, dealing with ugly creatures all the time would depress me."
Generally, only Vasto Lorde-level Hollows possess human forms, but how many Vasto Lordes are there in Hueco Mundo?
Haruki had come to realize that the requirements for Hollows to develop spiritual abilities were much stricter than for Shinigami.
Typically, a Shinigami only needs to have spiritual power at the level of a high-ranking officer to develop a spiritual ability.
But in Hueco Mundo, even ordinary Adjuchas couldn't develop spiritual abilities!
If the two sides were equivalent, then theoretically, any Gillian in Hueco Mundo should have a spiritual ability, let alone an Adjuchas.
Therefore, Haruki speculated that the key to developing a spiritual ability wasn't just "spiritual power," but rather the "heart."
Compared to Hollows, Shinigami have more vivid and rich inner worlds, and powerful Shinigami often possess resilient hearts.
As for Hollows, they are like insects, crawling endlessly in the unending despair and malice.
Such creatures have no salvation, no heart, and thus no spiritual abilities.
Only when they become as powerful as a Vasto Lorde, gaining a human form and higher intelligence, and begin to reflect on the hearts they've lost, can they develop spiritual abilities.
Therefore, Haruki needed Aizen to expedite the Arrancarization of the Hollows in Hueco Mundo.
After becoming Arrancars, Hollows would gain even greater power and gradually escape their pitiful state.
Moreover, Arrancars were easier to get along with, although...
They were still far from being as approachable as Shinigami.
But they were much easier to deal with than before their transformation.
This way, Haruki could obtain more spiritual abilities.
Since he would be staying in Hueco Mundo for a long time, he naturally had to consider how to acquire spiritual abilities in the future.
Not only would the Hollows without spiritual abilities gain them after Arrancarization, but even those already powerful Hollows with spiritual abilities would become easier for Haruki to obtain after their transformation.
Aizen remained silent, so Haruki left.
After leaving Aizen, he decided to visit the 13th Division.
With such an interesting change happening to Kuchiki Rukia, how could he not go and see for himself?
If Rukia had truly gained a Dark Rukia form due to White, then...
Would her spiritual ability change as well?
If it were just a simple transformation, her spiritual ability might remain the same.
But if her personality changed as well, then it was hard to say.
If this Dark Rukia was indeed what he imagined, something interesting might happen.
So Haruki had to go and see Rukia.
The journey from the 5th Division to the 13th Division was quite long, but with his speed, he arrived quickly.
"Vice-Captain Haruki."
Many in the 13th Division recognized him, as he had occasionally visited since the White incident.
Of course, that was only part of the reason.
The other reason was that Haruki's novel, The Thousand-Year Blood War, had become a hit. He was now a famous novelist in the Seireitei, and many people he didn't even know were his fans. In this situation, gaining favor from others had become much easier for him.
Whether it was his status as a Vice-Captain or his fame as a bestselling author, Haruki could quickly win the favor of ordinary Shinigami.
"Is Captain Ukitake resting?"
He casually asked a Shinigami.
"Yes, Vice-Captain Haruki. Do you need to see Captain Ukitake for something?" the Shinigami asked respectfully.
"No, I'm here to see Rukia. Is Kuchiki here?"
Before the Shinigami could answer, Rukia's voice came from the side. She appeared to be in her normal state.
"Vice-Captain Haruki... What brings you here?"
"You came to see me earlier, so I thought I'd drop by since I had some free time. Is something the matter?"
"Yes... There are some things." Rukia said softly.
Noticing Rukia's hesitation, Haruki said, "How about this? It's almost lunchtime. Let me take you out for a meal, and we can talk while we eat."
"But... it's not time yet," Rukia replied, surprised.
"It's fine. Captain Ukitake won't mind, especially since I'm the one insisting. Don't worry," Haruki said nonchalantly.
The 13th Division's management wasn't particularly strict, as Captain Ukitake Jūshirō was a relatively lenient superior, at least when it came to his own subordinates.
Moreover, Haruki was quite familiar with Ukitake.
In other divisions, Haruki wouldn't have been so casual about taking someone out.
"Well... alright."
After a moment of hesitation, Rukia finally agreed to go with Haruki.
...
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