Chapter 40: 38: Regrets
Kurozai threw Shiro onto ground and then
Kurozai lunged forward, its claws slashing through the air with brutal force. Shiro, anticipating the strike, used his Shunpo to vanish from the hollow's path in the blink of an eye. Kurozai's claws scraped the air, but Shiro had already reappeared several meters away.
Kurozai growled.
In the blink of an eye, Kurozai used Sonido to close the distance between them. Its massive arm lashed out, and Shiro was forced to raise his Asauchi in defense. The impact of the blow sent him skidding across the ground, his feet digging into the dirt as he barely kept his balance.
"Not bad," Shiro muttered, a grin spreading across his face as he adjusted his stance. "But I'm just getting started."
Shiro's Reiatsu flared around him, and the ground trembled as he unleashed his Reiatsu Strengthening technique. His power surged, enhancing his physical abilities and amplifying the energy that flowed through him. He formed a hand seal and instantly
cast Water Style: Water Prison Jutsu, trapping Kurozai in a large sphere of water. The hollow struggled, its powerful limbs thrashing against the water, but the sphere held strong.
Kurozai snarled, its black eyes gleaming with fury as it growled.
The hollow summoned its power and fired a Black Cero, shattering the water prison in an explosion of force. The resulting shockwave sent Shiro tumbling backward, but he quickly regained his footing.
"Impressive," Shiro muttered, wiping blood from his lip as he focused. "But it'll take more than that to defeat me."
Shiro then used Shadow Clone Jutsu, creating several clones of himself that surrounded Kurozai. The hollow's eyes darted to each clone, trying to figure out which one was the real Shiro.
The clones attacked simultaneously, each delivering swift strikes, but Kurozai's immense durability allowed it to shrug off most of the hits. With a roar, Kurozai used its Sonido once again to blast through the clones, reducing them to nothing more than mist.
Shiro's eyes narrowed as he prepared for his next move. He could feel the power surging within him—his Reiatsu was beginning to reach its peak. It was time for the final move.
---
Shiro gathered his energy and focused all his strength into his next attack. He pulled together his most destructive ability, Water Style: Water Shark Bullet, conjuring a massive, water-filled projectile that shot forward with blinding speed.
Kurozai roared and countered with another Black Cero, the two attacks colliding in a violent explosion. The force sent shockwaves throughout the area, creating craters in the ground and ripping apart nearby structures. The smoke cleared, and Shiro stood firm.
Shiro reached for his sword, but before he could even react, the hollow was upon him, its clawed hand swiping out with terrifying speed.
The next thing Shiro knew, he felt an agonizing pain as the hollow's clawed fingers sank deep into his stomach, tearing through his flesh. The blow was merciless, and blood began to pour from the wound as he gasped in pain.
Shiro tried to bring his sword up, but the hollow's sheer size and strength were overwhelming. Kurozai's grin widened, the grotesque mask shifting as it loomed over Shiro, its claws digging deeper into his body.
Kurozai growled, its voice like a mix of many voices, the collective souls within it screaming in unison.
Shiro's vision blurred the pain surged through his body, hollow's grip tightening.
With the last of his strength, he summoned Reiatsu to his palm. "Byakurai!"
A bolt of lightning erupted from his hand, striking Kurozai's mask. The hollow roared in pain, loosening its grip just enough for Shiro to drop to the ground. He collapsed, held his wound, but he wasn't safe yet.
Kurozai stepped forward, its fury evident in its every movement. Shiro struggled to stand, his legs barely supporting him. He gritted his teeth, ready to fight to his last breath.
The battle was far from over.
Just as Shiro thought that Kurozai is getting tired, Kurozai's body contorted and writhed, becoming an unnatural blur. Before Shiro could react, the hollow's monstrous form vanished from the prison in a flash, appearing behind him with a speed that was almost incomprehensible. With a sickening snap, a massive claw slammed into Shiro's back, the impact sending him crashing into the ground with a bone-jarring thud. He could feel the air knocked from his lungs as the earth cracked beneath him, his vision spinning.
Before he could recover, Kurozai was on him again. The hollow's claws, jagged and dripping with dark energy, wrapped around Shiro's throat, lifting him effortlessly off the ground. Shiro's legs dangled, his chest constricting as the creature's grip tightened. His vision blurred, his breath becoming shallow. He could feel his life slipping away, the crushing force cutting off his circulation.
His instincts screamed, but he was trapped. The pressure in his head, the lack of air, it was all too much. But he couldn't give up—not like this.
Kurozai's hollow mask twisted into a grotesque grin, and just as he was about to rip Shiro's head off, an unexpected blur of movement interrupted the moment.
Aizen appeared in a flash of shunpo, his sword flashing through the air, severing Kurozai's arm at the shoulder with ease. Kurozai recoiled, stunned and confused. Why had his creator betrayed him?
Before Kurozai could process this betrayal, Shiro, summoning all his strength, unleashed the power of his Asauchi, augmenting his reiatsu to a new level. With a surge of strength, he slashed through Kurozai's other arm, severing it from the creature's body.
The hollow let out a furious roar, but Shiro was already too close, too vulnerable. In a desperate attempt to survive, Kurozai used his sonido to vanish and reappear in an instant. With a sickening lunge, he sank his sharp teeth into Shiro's shoulder.
The pain was unbearable. Shiro screamed,
feeling the hollow's power begin to invade his body. The hollowfication process had begun.
---
The Hollowfication of Shiro
Kurozai's bite was not just physical—it was the beginning of something far darker. The hollow's venom seeped deep into Shiro's bloodstream, corrupting his very essence. As the hollow's energy mixed with Shiro's own latent Shinigami powers, a horrific transformation began to take place. His body convulsed, his senses warping as the hollow energy began to seep into his soul.
But Shiro did not know what was happening to him.
His Asauchi reacted instinctively, repelling the invasive force, but it wasn't enough. Kurozai had already planted the seed. His bite would leave a scar, a permanent mark that would continue to grow as Shiro fought against it.
As Kurozai stepped back, satisfied with the start of his work, he activated his Self-Destruct Mechanism. The hollow's hollow hole expanded, and a massive surge of energy began to build up inside him. With a bone-rattling explosion, Kurozai's body detonated, sending shockwaves through the area. The force was enough to severely wound even a captain-level Shinigami, but Shiro was too caught in the aftermath to truly understand the magnitude of what had just happened.
The explosion rocked the area, sending debris flying as Shiro was knocked to the ground, his senses spinning.
Shiro hit the ground
His breath was knocked from his lungs
His clothes were torn
His chest and arms were the hardest hit by the explosion, and the skin on them was almost burned
The wound in his abdomen from Kurozai was throbbing and it hurt
System's screen appeared in front of him and flashed red
Guest is in danger
Host's soul was infiltrated by hollow knows as Kurozai
System will seal Kurozai until Host is strong enough to control him
Warning!
System will update and won't work for 2 days
System will give you rewards for your completed quests right now
[Quests Completed]
Survive Against Kurozai
Reward: +6% Progress, Update of System
Get Madara Uchiha's Template progress to 20% in 2 months.
Reward: Unlock Past Life Memories
Progress: 19.31% + 6% = 25.31%
The screen continued.
---
You can access your past life memories whenever you click on the reward.
3 Tomoe Sharingan unlocked!
Host can now spin for two random A-rank and four B-rank Ninjutsu scrolls.
His body felt like it was on the brink of collapse, but the promise of new abilities and knowledge stirred something deep within him. The memories of his past life beckoned like a distant flame, and the temptation to unlock them burned in his chest.
But just as the thoughts began to coalesce, the screen flickered once more.
System is updating. (1%)
But then, just as his mind began to slip into unconsciousness, Aizen ran as fast as he could.
He reached Shiro's side, his knees buckling slightly as he knelt. Shiro's pale face was streaked with dirt and blood, his chest barely rising with shallow breaths. The boy's injuries were severe—deep lacerations and burns adorned his body like grotesque trophies of his struggle against the monster Aizen had unleashed.
Progress: 25.31%
Template: Madara Uchiha
[System Status]
Strength: 45
Endurance: 48
Speed: 46
Reiatsu Control: 47
Intelligence: 47
Battle Instinct: 48
[Abilities]
Sharingan (3nd Tomoe):
Enhanced tracking of fast movements, with greater accuracy.
Can cast basic genjutsu, manipulating the opponent's perception.
Can copy techniques such as Zanjutsu, Hakuda, and Kidō with near-perfect accuracy, adapting them for personal use.
Hollow Detection: Sense the presence of
Hollows.
[Techniques Unlocked]
Water Style: Water Prison Jutsu
Shunpo
Byakurai
Shō
Reiatsu Strengthening
Moeru Danmaku
Water Style: Water Shark Bullet
Kaidō
Shadow Clone Jutsu
Bakudō: Sai
Bakudō: Hainawa
[Asauchi Imprinting Progress]
Current Bond Level: 45%