Starting with Roca's ability, Soul-Snatching Web, Kōe began to explore the true nature of Kidō.
In truth, abilities capable of attacking on a cognitive level were not entirely nonexistent. In Soul Society, the Zanpakutō Sakanade wielded by Squad 5 Captain Hirako Shinji, as well as Kyōka Suigetsu, the Zanpakutō belonging to the current Squad 5 Lieutenant Aizen Sōsuke, both possessed the power to influence an enemy's consciousness.
However, a method like Roca's—using her ability as a medium to directly inject her own consciousness into the opponent's mind—had never been seen in Soul Society before.
Exactly what kind of process Soul-Snatching Web entailed, and how it transmitted consciousness through threads woven from Reiryoku, were mysteries Kōe was deeply curious about. These were things he couldn't simply rely on Roca's verbal descriptions to understand; he needed to see it with his own eyes, or even experience it firsthand.
Therefore, once Roca's body had recovered, Kōe began his research into her ability.
Initially, he limited the tests to ordinary Hollows and mindless Gillians. On the surface, Roca's ability worked exactly as she had described: paralyzing the enemy while invading them through her threads.
Based on the Kidō he had preemptively implanted into the test subjects' bodies, from the beginning of the invasion to its end, neither the subjects' physical body parts nor their Reiatsu exhibited any sudden changes. Without a sound, the target simply transformed into something else entirely.
Once the weaving was complete, the woven target's Reiatsu signature remained unchanged. This explained why, if Roca's main body were to die, the woven victims would revert to their original states. Soul-Snatching Web merely bound the opponent's consciousness with a net; it did not launch a direct attack against it.
*Exactly what kind of experience is it to have one's consciousness invaded and altered?*
This was what Kōe most urgently needed to know. Yet, as it stood, relying solely on endless experiments with other Hollows made it exceedingly difficult to grasp the underlying principles. This kind of cognitive-level ability didn't seem to bring about any physical changes to the body.
Kōe understood that if he wanted a clearer understanding of an ability, aside from being the ability's user himself, nothing was more direct and effective than experiencing it firsthand.
It was just like how Yoruichi had endured repeated physical damage to experience the differences in Reiatsu between various Kidō, allowing her to combine Hakuda and Kidō as perfectly as possible to develop the technique known as Shunkō.
For an ability that affected the cognitive level, the primary subject of observation needed to be the consciousness being acted upon, not the physical body. Of course, there were currently no means to observe consciousness—unless he himself became the subject of observation.
By turning himself into the experimental subject, he would simultaneously place himself in the optimal position for observation. Kōe believed that with his innately powerful soul, coupled with his acute perception of Reiryoku and Kidō execution, it was highly possible to pull it off.
Especially without a trustworthy person nearby to assist, this was tantamount to handing over his own life. Even madmen like Kurotsuchi Mayuri and Szayelaporro wouldn't easily take such a step.
*Was Kōe a madman?*
Obviously, he was not. In fact, he was far more cautious than anyone else, caring deeply about whether he had a way out.
Relying on the ability of Kōki's Bankai, Static Recording, Kōe could maximize his own safety even when he was completely alone.
But this didn't mean he could recklessly court death. After all, Kōe had never tested whether the power of Static Recording could negate Sakanade or Kyōka Suigetsu. Progress had to be made one careful step at a time; he couldn't just rush blindly into danger.
Therefore, at the very beginning, Kōe maintained his Bankai while having Roca use her web-weaving ability to invade his consciousness directly without using the soul-snatching aspect. This was to see exactly what a relatively direct cognitive attack felt like.
However, the result was a failure. Roca's consciousness simply could not invade Kōe's body.
The reason for this remained unknown, even to Roca herself. A century ago, she hadn't had the chance against Kuruyashiki Kenpachi, but now, even with Kōe giving her the opportunity, she still couldn't invade.
Left with no other choice, Kōe had Roca use her complete ability while he gradually 'weakened' himself. After a period of continuous adjustments, he was now in a nearly defenseless state.
"Roca, are you actually using your ability properly?"
Kōe felt the faint traces of fatigue feeding back from his body—this was the maximum effect Roca's soul-snatching toxin could have on him. Yet, Seth had already eaten five Gillians, and Kōe was still in this state.
"It will be done in just a moment, Lord Ao."
Roca's cheerful voice rang out from behind him. Kōe's mouth twitched slightly. The moment he turned his head, Roca's massive face was practically pressed against him. If it weren't for the crystal-clear garment she was holding in her hands, Kōe probably would have punched her right then and there.
"Does this outfit look good, Lord Ao?" Roca held the garment up against Kōe's body as if asking for praise. Her clear, maiden-like voice was completely at odds with her massive, spider-like body. "It seems a bit too wide. I will alter it a little more."
"..."
Kōe was momentarily at a loss for words. The scolding he had prepared completely died in his throat.
From the time he rescued Roca to nursing her until she could move freely and assist with his experiments, Roca had behaved just like an innocent, naive little girl. And in her eyes, he seemed to be something of a father figure—or so he assumed.
Initially, Kōe had harbored severe reservations, but as they interacted more, his guard gradually lowered. It seemed he truly had gained a loyal follower, albeit one who occasionally did things that left him speechless.
"It... it is not bad. It looks quite nice." Kōe held his breath for a long time before finally squeezing out a word of encouragement. He couldn't help it; he was exactly the kind of person who was susceptible to a soft approach but resistant to a hard one. "However, my orders to you were not to weave clothes, Roca."
"Oh, right! I am so sorry, Lord Ao!" Roca said, sticking her tongue out playfully. Her voice was indescribably adorable.
Seeing this scene, Kōe silently turned his head away. The dissonance between her voice and her appearance was simply too vast—so vast that even his heart felt like it was taking critical hits over and over again. "No matter. For the next experiment, you must commit yourself entirely. The invasion level can be set at thirty-five percent. Do you remember?"
"Mhm!" Roca nodded. "I remember, Lord Ao!"
Hearing this, Kōe slowly closed his eyes. *Out of sight, out of mind. The ancients truly did not deceive me.*
The experiment restarted—no, the experiment finally began. Roca looked at Kōe's back as he faced away from her. No matter how long she looked at it, that silhouette was always so captivating.
Roca's personality was indeed much like a little girl's, but she had endured the most despairing of experiences. Therefore, she actually understood that Kōe did not view her as an equal. And rightfully so—one was a Shinigami, and the other was a Hollow. How could they ever be equal?
But unlike Szayelaporro, Kōe needed her ability yet did not *only* see her ability. Teaching her Kidō and using himself as an experimental subject just to help her evolve into a Vasto Lorde—Kōe's actions allowed Roca to rediscover the feeling of being respected as a living being.
'Even if it is just as a subordinate, being able to follow behind him forever is enough.'
In a tree hollow in the Forest of Menos, roughly a hundred kilometers away from Kōe, a blurry scroll floated in midair. The figures of Kōe, Roca, and even Ashido were all visible upon it.
"What an ugly expression. Have you lost even the most baseline sense of beauty after leaving me, Roca?"
A long, sharp fingernail traced over Roca's image on the scroll, moving toward Kōe in the foreground. "Release the fifth batch of starved hounds!"
"Yes! Lord Szayelaporro!"
Hearing the response, Szayelaporro didn't even turn his head. His elongated fingernail had, at some point, pierced deeply into Kōe's body on the scroll.
"Greedy one, the day of our meeting is fast approaching."
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