"You have a way to contact the other members of the expeditionary force, don't you?"
"Summon them all here, and I will grant you new power that transcends the limits of a Shinigami, how about that?"
Yekawa looked at Tsubaki Izusuke with a half-smile. He knew that the expeditionary force Squad Members must have a special way of contacting each other. As long as he used Tsubaki Izusuke, he could gather them all and wipe them out in one fell swoop.
After devouring Captain-Level Soul Reaper Osaki Masahiro, Yekawa had truly acquired a taste for it. Although the remaining dozen or so Squad Members were not as powerful as Osaki Masahiro, each of them had the strength of a front-row officer.
To Yekawa, they were all rare supplements. While they might not help Yekawa successfully become an Arrancar, they could at least significantly advance his Arrancar transformation process.
"What, even now you're unwilling to betray your teammates?"
Yekawa sneered, looking at the indecisive Tsubaki Izusuke.
Outwardly, Yekawa's expression showed no ripple, but if Tsubaki Izusuke dared to say even half a word of 'no,' Yekawa would likely devour him first.
At worst, he could then let his clone slowly sense them, eventually finding the eleven hidden Squad Members; it would just waste a little more time.
"Yes, Lord Yekawa!"
Fortunately, Tsubaki Izusuke did not make a choice that would disappoint Yekawa.
First, he extended his right hand, then brought his left index and middle fingers together, pointing at the eleven flickering light spots, and continuously spoke:
"Captain Osaki has fallen in battle, and the mysterious Menos Grande has also departed. All remaining Squad Members, quickly converge on my location!"
Before long, the eleven light spots in Tsubaki Izusuke's right palm were converging towards the same point at an extremely fast pace.
After about several hours, a figure clad in a soul reaper uniform rapidly approached Tsubaki Izusuke.
"Tsubaki Izusuke, how are you? Are you hurt?"
The newcomer was a middle-aged man. As soon as he arrived, he asked Tsubaki Izusuke with concern, clearly indicating a deep relationship between the two.
"I'm fine, Senior Higashino…"
Tsubaki Izusuke replied distractedly.
"I can't believe that such a powerful Captain Osaki actually died in battle. Such a terrifying Menos Grande is truly unprecedented in my life!"
"Damn it, once I master Bankai, I will definitely come back to avenge the Captain!"
The middle-aged Shinigami, whom Tsubaki Izusuke called Senior Higashino, said with resolute eyes.
After a few more hours, the eleven expeditionary force Squad Members arrived one after another.
Each of them had learned of their Captain's death through the special Kido they carried, and while a hint of sadness appeared on their faces, there was not a trace of fear.
Because every Shinigami who joined the expeditionary force had already disregarded life and death before stepping into Hueco Mundo!
"The Captain is gone. Among us, Tsubaki Izusuke, your strength is the greatest, and your mind is the most agile. From now on, you will be in command!"
Higashino looked at Tsubaki Izusuke and slowly spoke.
"I agree!"
"I agree!"
...
Then, a chorus of agreement resonated through the field, clearly indicating that everyone had no objection to Tsubaki Izusuke leading the team from now on.
"Since everyone trusts me so much, I won't decline…"
Hearing this, Tsubaki Izusuke drew his Zanpakuto from his waist and raised it high above his head, responding to the Gotei 13.
However, in the next instant, a scene that utterly astonished the Shinigami unfolded.
Tsubaki Izusuke, with a backhand, actually plunged his Zanpakuto into Higashino's chest, who was closest to him!
"Why…?"
Higashino looked at Tsubaki Izusuke with an expression of disbelief.
"Don't blame me, I have to get revenge…"
"Only this way can I get revenge!"
Just as the remaining ten expeditionary force Squad Members were about to gang up on Tsubaki Izusuke, a dark shadow moved through the field.
"Splat!"
After one breath, all twelve Shinigami in the field, except for Tsubaki Izusuke, had fallen to the ground, unmoving.
"Well done, Tsubaki Izusuke!"
Yekawa was very satisfied with Tsubaki Izusuke's performance.
"Hahahaha, they're all dead, you're all dead!"
Looking at his dead Shinigami comrades scattered on the ground, Tsubaki Izusuke showed no sadness, but instead let out a bout of maniacal laughter.
Ignoring Tsubaki Izusuke's sudden madness, Yekawa immediately activated Soul Eater again.
A dark golden vortex rose behind him, turning all the Shinigami corpses on the ground into reishi and devouring them completely.
"Yes, this is the feeling…"
Yekawa felt that wonderful sensation again by devouring the Shinigami's spiritual pressure once more.
"My mask seems to have loosened a bit more…"
Before long, Yekawa had completely devoured these eleven Shinigami Squad Members. At this moment, he clearly perceived that he had taken a significant step forward in his Arrancar transformation process.
Feeling the astonishing changes within his body, Yekawa's mood immediately brightened, and he looked at Tsubaki Izusuke beside him.
"Tsubaki Izusuke, the new power I promised you earlier, I will grant it to you now!"
Suddenly, a tiny, blue-glowing crystal appeared in Yekawa's palm!
This item was naturally obtained by the clone upon its first arrival in Soul Society, from within that strange Giant Hollow, suspected to be a fragment of the Hōgyoku!
The clone had immediately thrown this hot potato to the main body upon meeting it.
This was a good opportunity to verify if it was indeed a fragment of the Hōgyoku.
Thus, under Tsubaki Izusuke's shocked gaze, Yekawa directly used his hand as a blade, piercing his chest and leaving that tiny crystal inside Tsubaki Izusuke's body.
"Ah!"
"Ah!"
"Ah!"
After Yekawa left that tiny crystal, suspected to be a Hōgyoku fragment, inside Tsubaki Izusuke's body.
He immediately let out painful roars, and a thin stream of white, gelatinous substance oozed from the wound on his chest.
It surged towards his face, instantly covering half of it.
"Lord Yekawa…"
Tsubaki Izusuke, who had fallen to his knees and was trembling all over from the pain, spoke with difficulty.
"Do not resist, embrace this power that transcends the limits of a Shinigami!"
Before long, Tsubaki Izusuke's entire body was completely enveloped by this white, bone-like layer, forming an oval sphere.
It resembled a giant egg.
"Crack."
As a crack suddenly appeared on the eggshell-like bone layer, the crack then began to widen, quickly spreading throughout the entire bone layer, and then shattered with a crash.
A figure holding a Zanpakuto slowly emerged from the bone layer. As soon as he came out, he charged towards Yekawa.
The figure's face was covered by a stark white, jagged mask, his limbs were covered in fiery red spikes, and a Hollow hole had formed on his chest. From his physique, one could still barely make out Tsubaki Izusuke's appearance.
"Roar!"
With a roar, the figure charged at Yekawa with his sword.
Yekawa's eyes lit up as he murmured to himself:
"It actually succeeded!"
-------------------------------
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