It seems...
Szayelaporro is in a critical phase.
Is he already on the path to becoming the so-called "perfect lifeform" he dreams of?
How impatient.
Haruki couldn't help but smile as he watched the laboratory door close again.
Szayelaporro's evolution was a good thing. After all, it's hard to befriend a Hollow, but it's much easier with an Arrancar.
Although raising Szayelaporro's favorability was bound to be extremely difficult, Haruki was determined to go all out for the sake of the "Perfect Lifeform" ability.
After leaving the laboratory, Haruki touched the vials in his pocket.
He had collected six vials of liquid and one vial containing tissue samples from Aaroniero.
One vial had been given to Szayelaporro, some would be handed over to Aizen, and the rest he planned to keep for himself.
Although his scientific research skills were still rudimentary, he had been consciously improving in this area.
To become a top-tier boss in the world of Bleach, one needed the ability to innovate and reform.
Aizen created the Hōgyoku, transforming Hollows into Arrancars and elevating Hueco Mundo to new heights.
Yhwach also granted the Quincy the Schrift and Vollständig abilities, and even developed the Medallion to steal Bankai.
Well, it might not have been Yhwach himself who did the research, but it was undoubtedly connected to him.
Science and technology are the primary productive forces!
Therefore, Haruki had been diligently studying scientific literature, striving to improve his foundational knowledge.
With Hitsugaya Tōshirō's "Prodigy" ability, he sometimes even used it to focus on "scientific research" instead of training!
Although his scientific skills weren't yet top-notch, Haruki was ready to give it a try.
He even planned to set up a laboratory in Las Noches and his safe house.
Returning from Szayelaporro's lab, Haruki saw Rukia sitting on his bed, reading a book.
"I forgot you wrote novels back in the Seireitei."
Rukia glanced at the contents of the book and said, "Are you planning to write novels in Hueco Mundo too?"
Haruki immediately recognized it as the Naruto-inspired story he had been telling Lilynette. He chuckled and said, "Hueco Mundo is just too boring. We need to bring some life to this dull world, don't you think?"
"So, what are you planning to do next?" Rukia asked again. "We still have two days left, right?"
Haruki had said he would return Rukia to the Gotei 13 in three days, and Dark Rukia was about to fall into a deep sleep.
So she was asking how Haruki planned to handle Rukia during the remaining two days.
"The three days were just a number I came up with on the spot. Let you and Renji get a good night's sleep. When the time comes, I'll send you back to the expedition team."
Haruki wasn't too concerned.
When he had taken Rukia away disguised as Yoruichi, the three-day timeframe had been arbitrary.
He hadn't known how long Dark Rukia could maintain her form. He had only vaguely thought that the spiritual pressure of the second-generation White could awaken Dark Rukia, but how long she could last after awakening...
That was hard to say.
Haruki had taken Rukia mainly to figure out what had happened to her and to invite her to join the new Espada he was forming.
Yes, Haruki planned to make Dark Rukia one of the Espada.
Szayelaporro would be the Cero Espada, Stark would remain the Primera Espada, and Baraggan would be the Segunda Espada. These three positions were fixed, but the ranking of the other Hollows would depend on Haruki's arrangements.
In the original story, Aizen was a perfectionist, insisting on assigning each Espada a unique cause of death as part of their ranking.
For example, Grimmjow and Luppi both had "Destruction" as their cause of death, so only one of them could be the Sexta Espada, while the other was excluded from the Espada entirely.
Harribel and Nelliel both had "Sacrifice" as their cause of death, so when Nelliel was the Tercera Espada, Harribel had no place.
But Haruki wouldn't do things that way. Moreover, a Hollow's cause of death wasn't limited to just one.
For example, Nnoitra had "Madness," "Despair," and likely "Ecstasy" as his causes of death.
Haruki had always suspected that a Hollow's cause of death was related to their evolution path after becoming a Vasto Lorde or Arrancar. It wasn't something that could be easily changed, but there was no need to be so rigid about it.
But...
What would Dark Rukia's cause of death be?
Well, he'd leave that for Aizen to figure out later.
About half an hour later, Rukia closed her eyes, and her body began to change.
Her white robe turned black, reverting to her Shinigami shihakushō. Her slightly grayish hair returned to its natural black, and her aura gradually shifted back to that of a Shinigami.
During the transformation, her breathing became erratic for a moment but steadied once the process was complete.
Haruki watched as Rukia fell into a deep sleep and cast "Byakurai" on her as well.
When the time came, he would simply return her to the expedition team.
After instructing Loly to take care of the two, he left the room.
He had sensed a familiar spiritual pressure.
As he stepped outside, he saw Stark.
Beside Stark was a large, antelope-like Hollow.
"Long time no see, Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck... or should I say, Miss Antelope?"
That's right, the one accompanying Stark was Nelliel!
She was surprised to see Haruki and exclaimed, "It's you? Why are you still in Hueco Mundo?"
"I told you we'd meet again," Haruki said with a smile. "And when we did, everything might be different."
"..." Nelliel frowned as she looked around. "What have you done to them?"
"Due to certain circumstances, my captain has become the King of Hueco Mundo," Haruki explained. "That's Captain Aizen, whom you've met before. He's very powerful."
"...He is indeed strong," Nelliel said after a moment of silence. "But you... you're not just aiming to rule Hueco Mundo, are you?"
"Smart." Haruki extended a hand and said, "Stay in Hueco Mundo and join us. If you follow us, you might see a world completely different from before."
"Hueco Mundo... will be completely transformed under our hands."
"..."
Nelliel looked at Haruki and then said slowly, "I don't have anywhere else to go, but whether I'll join you or not depends on what I see with my own eyes."