7 CHAPTER 7: My Aspect of Death

A/N: Currently hovering between the rank 10 and 11. If maintain the top 10 until Sunday reset, I'll publish 3 bonus chapters.

***

[Loading 'Evolution Database' function.]

[Soul: The purest form of a being.

—Current path of evolution (Hollow): Hollows are souls who materialize their Inner Heart through the corruption of sins. They lose their minds to raw instincts and animalistic desires. They have existed since the primordial times.

Soul (Base form) -> Base Hollow (Materialization of Inner Heart and domination by raw instincts) (Achieved) -> Gillian (Fusion with Souls of similar affinity) (Achieved) -> Adjuchas (Formation of a new consciousness capable of dominating raw instincts) (Achieved) -> Vasto Lorde (Partial harmony of raw instincts with consciousness) (Achieved)

Potential Evolutions in this path: Arrancar (???) -> ??? (???)]

—Alternative path of soul evolution (Shinigami): Souls who manifest their Inner Heart by external means…

Soul (Base form) -> ??? (???) -> ??? (???) -> ??? (???)]

[Human: A soul residing in a vessel of Kishi to interact with the World of Living.

—Potential path of human evolution (Quincy): ??

Human (Base) (Achieved) -> Quincy (???) -> ???

—Alternate potential path of human evolution (Fullbringer): ??

*Evolution Database will be constantly updated with your knowledge.

The wealth of information overwhelmed Kazuya. As he sifted through the options, he noticed an asterisk at the end, accompanied by an explanation for the numerous question marks scattered throughout the list. It became clear that the status only reflected what he knew or remembered; any gaps in his knowledge or memory resulted in the mysterious question marks.

'When did I achieve Adjuchas-Class?'

The (Achieved) marks whispered the possibility that he began as a humble Hollow, with those memories vanishing like a mirage or being cast aside like broken toys when he transformed into a Vasto Lorde.

'They don't matter now.'

He narrowed his eyes at the tick mark available in front of every potential evolution path. He could regress to a previous evolution and even try out the Quincy path. It was a convoluted approach compared to his desired ability to switch races at will. Well, he wasn't going to complain about a power with plenty of potential down the line.

This also implied,

'I can become a Shinigami.'

His face beamed with excitement. Most of the Bleach story took place in the Soul Society, and most of the intriguing characters lived there. Compared to the intriguing events of the Soul Society, Hueco Mundo felt stupidly plain.

'I wanna meet Mama Unohana and Yoruichi, and Rukia!'

Pushing personal desires aside, he knew remaining a Vasto Lorde in Hueco Mundo would attract Aizen's predatory gaze. Rather than biding his time, he felt compelled to journey to the Soul Society, where he could enhance his strength by wielding a Zanpakutō.

He acted passively his whole life, letting others decide his fate. What did he receive in exchange? A life of mental anguish and a lead bullet through his head.

Now, he had knowledge of the future, the power to switch races, and a ridiculously useful System. He possessed all the necessary tools to become strong and live on his own terms. How pathetic would it be if he became a doll dancing on Aizen's palm?

"It won't happen."

Fury surged within him at the thought of being manipulated like a pawn. After all, he had no control over his previous life. No freedom to decide his future or even the freedom to leave home outside of curfew hours.

He despised such a life with passion.

His eyes behind the mask suddenly widened as an epiphany dawned on him.

He vied for control all his life. A rebel who always wished to resist his grandfather's control. That control slowly slipped away, and he had to live under oppression — that was his life's biggest regret.

[Aspect of Death realized.]

[Innate Ability: Aspect of Death 'Oppression' unlocked.]

Laughter erupted from him, as if insanity had taken hold of him. The cave reverberated with his maniacal cackles.

"Death by Oppression. Ah, this is perfect. I love it."

Apacci wondered if the brutal nature of Hueco Mundo had shattered his sanity in a day. "O-Oi, don't lose it. You can fight it. Push down your instincts!"

He turned to Apacci with a feral grin, his terrorizing aura emphasized by his menacingly glowing eyes. "What do you mean? I am a perfectly sane human being… Yes, I am."

Apacci couldn't help but miss his gentle, considerate voice.

'This rowdy Kazuya sucks.'

***

Kazuya didn't step outside the cave for the next several hours. He wasn't looking to achieve Hikkikomori status in Hueco Mundo. To truly grasp the concept of Arrancars, he had to get acquainted with the basics of being a Hollow.

He opted for 'closed door cultivation' to hone his Vasto Lorde strength and unlock the full potential of his new innate ability. The Evolution Database provided the basic knowledge, while his own mind filled the gaps.

Firstly, Hollows weren't the mindless soul-eaters the Soul Society portrayed them as. In fact, Bleach showed they were quite different. The more he learned, the more intriguing complexities arose, complicating his intended path.

Questions swirled in his mind: Why did a Hollow have a mask? Why did they consume others to fill the void in their souls? What was the nature of the void that expanded with their craving for souls? Why did most Hollows become more human-like after reaching the Adjuchas-Class?

And most importantly, what exactly was this Inner Heart that triggered the creation of a Hollow?

Most importantly, what exactly was the Inner Heart that triggered a Hollow's creation? He had numerous theories, but none could be confirmed. Eventually, he abandoned the pursuit of the Inner Heart's true purpose and shifted his focus to Hollow evolutions.

Every evolution after Gillian placed great emphasis on suppressing raw instincts. The raw instincts that turned them into hyenas for souls instead of flesh.

Each evolution beyond Gillian emphasized suppressing primal instincts, which had driven them to become ravenous soul-seekers. Arrancars, for the most part, resembled Shinigami.

He closed his eyes, his mind swirling with countless theories.

After several minutes of contemplation, he opened his eyes, now gleaming with newfound understanding. He felt like a hermit who had achieved enlightenment.

'I see. Menos don't eat others to become strong and evolve. The primary goal is strengthening their consciousness, which suppresses their raw instincts.'

Failure to do so would result in regression to Gillian-Class.

The theory made too much sense to be false or delusional.

'Then Arrancars...'

His lips curved into a smirk as he realized the true intent of tearing the mask for Arrancarization. Aizen was right about 'separating boundaries between a Hollow and Shinigami' to create an Arrancar. But there was more to the process; otherwise, there wouldn't be natural Arrancars like Ulquiorra Cifer and Coyote Starrk.

'Let's test my theory and my new ability.'

Turning to his drowsy companion, he patted her mask. "Come with me."

"Hmm… where are we going?"

"To cause some chaos, my little friend. Let us toy with the destiny of some hapless souls."

"..."

Apacci looked at him as if he had lost his mind. His first day in Hueco Mundo may have broken him.