No one knew Yamamoto's strength better than himself. Even if he lost his reason and lacked technical finesse, the power gained from Hollowfication filled that void.
Therefore, Naraku Sora, who fought him, was definitely the one who suffered the most in this Hollowfication experiment.
Not only did he have to withstand the high temperature of fifteen million degrees, but he also had to be careful not to attack vital areas like the head or soul.
So Yamamoto originally intended to praise his disciple well, but the first thing he saw when he opened his eyes was not that ugly face.
But rather, the iron fist of his rebellious disciple, full of "filial piety."
It was even mixed with leaping black and red arcs of lightning, distorting the nearby space.
Then, that burning fist instantly broke through the limits of space, setting off a resounding thunder.
In an instant, Yamamoto, who had completed his Hollowfication and should have become a true supreme powerhouse, was struck squarely in the face as if hit point-blank by a Kidō Cannon.
With just a single punch, blood spurted, his nose was knocked crooked, and his senses exploded in a dizzying array of pain, as if a spice shop had been smashed open in his face, spilling a chaotic mix of sensations all at once.
Yamamoto's head snapped back, his neck stretching as he was launched into the sky like a hammer, trailing a series of explosive white shockwaves.
He instantly streaked across the desert and crashed down like a meteorite.
*Boom—*
The silver sea churned, and sand waves covering dozens of kilometers shot into the sky. A mushroom cloud rose in Hueco Mundo, howling gales swept through, and terrifying shockwaves continuously expanded.
Aizen looked at that exaggerated scene with a stunned expression, unable to recover his senses for a long time.
After an unknown amount of time, he sighed deeply, and his gaze toward Naraku Sora carried a bit more pity.
'Rest assured, after you're gone, I will fulfill your unfinished legacy.'
Urahara Kisuke, on the other hand, revealed a genuine smile from the sidelines, the corners of his mouth almost reaching the back of his head. He wished he could immediately requisition a batch of Recording Insects from Las Noches.
To do a 360-degree, dead-angle-free video recording of what was about to happen next.
He took a deep breath, his face full of excitement, feeling a wonderful sense of vindication, as if his long wait had finally paid off.
As scientists, the two of them knew very well that Yamamoto had just defeated the "Hollow" in his inner world and successfully mastered Hollowfication.
But the remaining Espada were unaware.
They only saw their King's original sinister smile suddenly disappear, replaced by an expression of utter despair.
'Could it be that the King used too much force with that punch just now and accidentally killed his own teacher?'
Thinking of this, the Arrancars' expressions suddenly became serious.
If that were really the case, then things would be absolutely terrible.
Speaking of which, that old man was also the Head Captain of the Gotei 13 in the Soul Society.
'If he was really accidentally beaten to death by the King, would the King be expelled from the Soul Society?'
'If that happens, wouldn't he be able to stay in Hueco Mundo forever?'
At the thought of being able to fight Naraku Sora every day, Grimmjow's bloodstained face suddenly revealed a genuine smile.
However, in the next second, a towering pillar of fire suddenly rose from the crater where the mushroom cloud had exploded, shooting straight into the sky.
A burning figure walked out from the sweeping waves of dust, his entire body wreathed in visible killing intent.
Every step he took generated large patches of scorch marks.
The silver sand melted and solidified, forming glass-like objects.
Yamamoto's old face was bruised in a myriad of colors, looking like a spilled dye vat. He slowly opened his mouth, his voice not loud, but accurately reaching everyone's ears.
"I just said that I have completed my Hollowfication. Are you deaf, boy?"
Naraku Sora squeezed out a flattering smile, trying to awaken Yamamoto's affection for his disciple, but it didn't seem to have any effect.
"Ahem, Teacher, you know me."
"I'm weak, pitiful, and completely defenseless."
"Facing you in your Hollowfied state, Teacher, I had to go all out. Otherwise, I could have been killed at any moment."
"At such a critical juncture, even if I wanted to pull my punch, it would have been too late."
The old man took a deep breath, suppressing his rising blood pressure.
Putting himself in his shoes, if he were Naraku Sora, he definitely wouldn't have dared to hold back either. Otherwise, he really might have been killed.
In a Hollowfied state, there was absolutely no familial affection to speak of.
However, just as he was about to let his rebellious disciple off the hook, a figure suddenly appeared in front of him.
It was Urahara Kisuke.
Yamamoto raised an eyebrow. Just as he was about to ask a question, Urahara Kisuke activated his Bankai without a word.
A giant woman in a sleeveless kimono appeared behind him. Then, countless Reishi threads wove together, instantly constructing a "Picture of Naraku Striking His Master."
In the picture, Naraku Sora's mouth was split wide open in a brutal and sinister grin, looking exactly like a villain whose long-premeditated scheme had finally succeeded.
Seeing this scene, Naraku Sora's eyes instantly widened.
'You animal!'
'Urahara Kisuke, I despise you!!'
Looking at the two who had instantly turned on each other, Yamamoto suddenly fell silent.
'What do these two bastards take me for? A convenient tool to be used for their own selfish gains?'
'But it doesn't matter. I was just worrying about not having a suitable opponent to test my strength.'
'I'll just beat them both up all the same.'
With a backhanded slap, he directly shattered the portrait woven from Reishi threads, and then, without holding back, swatted Urahara Kisuke away.
Then, his cold, golden, slit-like pupils instantly locked onto Naraku Sora.
"Teacher, listen to my explanation! Don't fall for that scoundrel's scheme to sow discord!"
"I don't want to hear it."
A ferocious bone mask appeared out of thin air, covering Yamamoto's face. A tyrannical, scorching heat permeated from it, instantly sweeping across the devastated desert.
Feeling the oppressive presence that was significantly stronger than before, Naraku Sora subconsciously swallowed hard, suddenly realizing that they seemed to have created a monster in the truest sense of the word.
*Gulp.*
"Teacher, is there still a chance for reconciliation?"
"Boy, you must be joking, right?"
"I've bled for the Seireitei! I've risked my life for the Soul Society!"
"It's too late to say that now!"
Yamamoto's figure suddenly vanished, appearing right in front of Naraku Sora in the next second. He clenched his fist with a sinister grin, scorching heat wrapping around his arm.
Faced with the completely unreasonable Yamamoto, Naraku Sora had to pay the corresponding price for his momentary thrill.
Although he knew what was coming next would probably be miserable.
If he had to do it all over again, even if he were nailed in a coffin, he would use his rotting vocal cords to shout that he would do it a hundred times over.
Naraku Sora quickly adjusted his mindset. He clenched the five fingers of his right hand and leaned back in the opposite direction. His muscles bulged and knotted as he compressed his entire body's strength into the stance of a "Rhino Strike".
Instantly condensing it to the limit, he threw a full-powered punch forward.
"Single Bone!"
*Boom!*
Two apocalyptic shockwaves clashed fiercely. Space itself seemed to be torn apart at this moment, and violent air currents spread in all directions, practically leveling everything in sight.
Seeing their colliding fists locked in a stalemate, a flash of surprise crossed Yamamoto's eyes.
He could clearly feel his own immense strength in his Hollowfied state, but precisely because of this, the expected scene of his rebellious disciple's defeat did not occur.
On the contrary, the endless stream of power transmitting from the fist was astonishing.
'This bastard boy... not only is his technique becoming more proficient, but his raw power is also growing stronger.'
'Back when I first taught Naraku Sora, I had to use subtle control to prevent myself from slapping him to death.'
'But now, even after completing Hollowfication, I actually can't take him down immediately without using techniques like Black Flash.'
'Although I knew this boy's potential was limitless back when I fought Shutara Senjumaru over him...'
'...I never expected this day to come so quickly.'
'In that regard, I feel deeply gratified.'
'However, that is a separate matter entirely.'
'The beating he deserves won't be lessened by a single bit.'
In the next instant, the muscles in Yamamoto's arm suddenly expanded, veins bulging.
As his movements shifted, sounds akin to firecrackers popping rang out.
Then, ferocious arcs of intertwined black and red lightning suddenly began to crackle and spread outward from between his fingers, distorting space.
Naraku Sora's eyes instantly widened.
'Why has it come to this?! Why has it come to this?!'
'Hollowfication is already going too far, but why is he bringing out Black Flash too?!'
'Is this old geezer really not afraid of blowing his disciple to pieces with one punch, leaving a bald man to bury a black-haired man?!'
As if sensing Naraku Sora's offensive thoughts, the corners of Yamamoto's mouth curled into a sinister arc, and his fist, brimming with terrifying power, suddenly blasted forward.
*Crack!!*
In an instant, the fist wreathed in black and red lightning distorted the space it passed through, creating pitch-black fissures that revealed the profound depths behind them.
Naraku Sora gritted his teeth. Blazing Kidō Reiatsu erupted from his shoulder blades like rocket thrusters, providing an endless stream of power to his arms.
Thick black and red lightning erupted, connecting the night sky and the desert, sketching an apocalyptic scene.
His body, wrapped in thunder and crimson flames, was like a fully drawn bow. His spinal vertebrae let out dull pops as his warhammer-like fist blasted forward, trailing a light like the tail of a meteor.
A terrifying impact swept out in all directions.
Vast, ocean-like waves of sand shot into the sky, only to be instantly annihilated in the aftermath, forming a bizarre vacuum zone.
The exaggerated scene left the spectating Hollows dumbfounded, their faces full of shock.
Aizen also took this opportunity to record a great deal of precious data.
He was the only existence unaffected by this battle, even while standing in the epicenter of the impact.
Urahara Kisuke lay in the deep crater he had been smashed into, grinning as he looked in the direction of the master and disciple.
'Although I might get beaten half to death by Naraku Sora afterward...'
'...it's better to be beaten half to death than to let the only opportunity of a lifetime slip by right in front of me.'
'Being human means knowing how to make trade-offs.'
'Getting to see Naraku Sora mercilessly beaten by Yamamoto makes it worth the price of admission, even if I die!'
Yamamoto fought smoother and smoother. As he gradually familiarized himself with his Hollowfied power, the areas that had originally felt slightly awkward began to integrate seamlessly.
At the same time, his strikes became increasingly brutal.
Feeling the terrifying pressure that felt like the sky was collapsing, Naraku Sora's expression grew increasingly ferocious, and he immediately let out an indignant, furious roar:
"Yamamoto, I—"
Before he could finish his sentence, a fist wrapped in black and red lightning covered his entire field of vision.
In the next second, the world lost its color!