The Supreme Soul, Starting with Death

What's going on?! Me standing with Erlang counts as a "group"?

Somewhat surprised, Gu Shi and Erlang exchanged a glance, and the two of them turned and sprinted at the same time. Their massive 30-meter-tall bodies were not slow, and they approached the Killian almost instantly.

Jiro opened his mouth wide and bit down hard on Killian's mouth. Killian, who was like a walking corpse, realized that he was being attacked and instinctively tried to open his mouth to fire a Cero in retaliation, but Jiro's big mouth was locked in his mouth. Not to mention firing a Cero, he couldn't even let out a howl.

At the same time, Gu Shi used his two claws to control Killian's claws and bit down hard on what should have been the neck from behind. After tearing off large chunks of flesh and bone, he didn't have time to swallow them, so he spat them out to the side and bit down again.

After a few bites, the newborn Killian's head finally came off his neck. Jiro then let go, grabbed Killian's long, pointed nose and waved it around a few times, seemingly considering the possibility of using the big head as a hammer, before finally tossing it aside with disgust.

It's too light; hitting an enemy with it would probably be worse than it biting them.

After a moment's thought, Gu Shi stretched out his claws and began to try to peel off Killian's "clothes," wanting to tear off the black robe from the corpse.

Gu Shi originally thought that this "black robe" should be the skin of the Kilian, only that it had grown into the shape of a black robe. When he was pulling it, he was just thinking of trying it out for the time being. But when he actually got his hands on it, he found that the black robe was easily pulled off with just a light tug.

...It actually works?

Gu Shi shook the black robe in his hand, wondering what was going on, when he noticed that the black robe was rapidly turning into spiritual particles and dissipating.

[It only lasts while it's worn, and disappears once it's removed... This feeling... it's kind of like Ichigo Kurosaki's Shinigami uniform?]

The Shinigami uniform is the work attire of a Shinigami. Its basic appearance consists of a pure black kimono top and wide-legged pants. To the Shinigami of Soul Society, the Shinigami uniform is really just a piece of clothing with a certain degree of defensive capability.

However, the protagonist Ichigo Kurosaki's Shinigami Suit is different. It is an outfit that automatically changes from the spiritual power in his body after he completes his Shinigami transformation. According to his own statement when he was fighting Hueco Mundo, the Shinigami Suit can reflect his spiritual power reserves in real time. Once his spiritual power is greatly depleted, the Shinigami Suit will become tattered and have various holes. As his spiritual power recovers, it will be restored to its original state.

As the protagonist whose birth was arranged by someone else, Ichigo Kurosaki is a super hybrid, possessing the powers of a Shinigami, a Hollow, and a Quincy simultaneously. Could his "Shinigami Armor" be...?

Is that the Great Void Outer Robe?

Well, that's probably unlikely. If a Shinigami were equipped with Hollow spiritual power, the other Shinigami would have noticed it long ago. So how could there be such a similarity?

P.S.: Speaking of which, Shutara Senjumaru from the Zero Division is said to be the creator of the Shinigami Armor. Because of this achievement, he received an invitation from the Zero Division and became the youngest member of the Zero Division.

However, Senjumaru was once a member of the Technology Development Bureau, which was established more than a hundred years ago. In other words, the Shinha Sho has only been invented for more than a hundred years.

But weren't the Grim Reapers before this also wearing Shinigami uniforms? Even the first generation of captains, like the old man from the mountain a thousand years ago, wore Shinigami uniforms.

Is this a setting conflict or a retcon? Can someone who knows please explain?

Finally, please vote and add to your favorites.

Chapter Forty-Nine: Treasure? Cub?

After tossing aside the black robe, which had mostly dissipated, Gu Shi examined the headless corpse that had been stripped naked and found that there was really nothing special about Killian's body.

Overall, it's just a giant humanoid figure with a thin body, long arms and legs, and no unique organs to distinguish its gender. It looks like a crude doll that was just sculpted at random.

Gu Shi was observing when Erlang grinned and came closer.

"Gu Shi, aren't you going to eat? I'm so hungry."

Before Erlang spoke, Gu Shi was too happy to realize that he was actually very hungry.

[That's true. When an ordinary soul first becomes ethereal, it needs a large amount of spiritual energy to stabilize its state. It should be the same when it evolves into a Great Hollow; it must replenish its spiritual energy.]

Putting aside the idea of ​​continuing to observe, Gu Shi nodded heavily and used his sharp claws as a cleaver to cleave the Killian corpse in two from the waist down.

"Eat half each, quickly."

As he spoke, Gu Shi grabbed a half and began to gnaw on it forcefully. At the same time, he secretly rejoiced that Killian's body was simple. If this humanoid corpse had any unusual structures in its crotch or chest, eating it would have been too much of a test of his willpower.

[Ha, finally found a place where eating vomit is better than eating people, at least I don't have to eat other men's genitals and internal fluids.]

Gu Shi secretly made a slightly cheesy joke in his mind. He quickly finished the 15-meter-long piece of meat in his hand. His intense hunger was slightly relieved, but he still didn't feel full. He couldn't help but look at the Kylian group not far away.

At first glance, Gu Shi was startled. The Hollows, numbering at least three hundred, had all turned their heads to look in their direction.

Being stared at by three hundred Hollows that were no weaker than himself, Gu Shi's heart jumped into his throat.

[What's going on? Are they trying to avenge their kin? Are you kidding me? Killian birds don't even have basic self-awareness, how could they possibly understand the concepts of kinship and revenge!?]

[Could there be an Adjuchas (intermediate Hollow) nearby who can control the Gillian group? Did it discover that Jiro and I retained our self-awareness, and is trying to kill us beforehand to prevent us from evolving further and threatening it?]

No, that's not right! Adjuchas have a fear of regression. If they don't consume other Adjuchas within a certain time limit, they will regress to Kyrians and will absolutely lose their self-awareness.

[If I were Adjuchas and discovered a Gillian with evolutionary potential, I would definitely nurture it secretly, and then devour it the moment it evolved into an Adjuchas and was still weak, to alleviate my own degeneration pressure. How could I possibly kill such a precious resource prematurely?]

[If it's not revenge, and it's not Adjuchas, then what is it?]

For a moment, Gu Shi was racking his brains trying to figure out what was wrong when he saw the three hundred-plus Kylians start to move. They were still walking in a swaying, idiotic way, but they were definitely moving in this direction.

Jiro also sensed the danger, baring his sharp fangs and letting out a threatening growl from his throat.

"Gu Shi, what do we do? Fight or run?"

Fight? How can you fight two against three hundred?

Shaking his head, Gu Shi turned and rushed towards the virtual mountain where the bat was hidden. Although he didn't know what the problem was, there was no time for the bat to continue evolving. He had to escape with him as soon as possible.

In a few steps, Gu Shi rushed to the edge of the mountain and shouted, "Bat, quickly give me your location, I'll come out to get you!" He raised his claws, ready to tear down the mountain and dig out the bats hiding inside.

However, just as Gu Shi raised his claws, he heard Erlang shout "Danger!" and at the same time, dozens of terrifying, blood-red beams of light shot straight toward him.

False flash!

His pupils contracted instantly, and Gu Shi fell to the ground at top speed. Fortunately, due to Killian's height, the Cero attacks mostly hit him at a height of twenty or thirty meters above the ground. After Gu Shi lay down, the Cero whistled past his head, and none of them hit his body.

Once the terrifying red light faded, Gu Shi quickly got up, his heart heavy. The barrage of Cero flashes had likely destroyed the virtual mountain where the bat had been. If the bat had been at the bottom of the virtual mountain, it might have survived; but if it had been in the upper part, it was probably…

With his eyes fixed on the approaching Kylian group, not daring to relax for a moment, Gu Shi held onto a sliver of hope and glanced at Xu Shan behind him out of the corner of his eye.

……Um?

Intact?

So many Cero attacks, yet not a single one hit it?

So lucky?

With a few guesses flashing through his mind, Gu Shi kept a close eye on the actions of the Kylian group, pulled Erlang who rushed to his side, and quickly moved away from the Void Mountain where the bats were, taking a few steps to the left.

With his height of thirty meters, Gu Shi only took a few steps and successfully created a considerable distance between himself and Xu Shan. Looking at the Kylian group again, their direction of movement remained unchanged, their empty eyes still staring ahead, without even glancing at Gu Shi and Erlang.

[Their target wasn't me and Erlang, but that imaginary mountain of bats? Was their attack just now also to stop me from destroying the imaginary mountain?]

[That mad Grim Reaper said back then that bats were special, and now it seems he really was. Not only do they evolve into Killian slower than others, but they even attract swarms of Killian creatures that lack self-awareness.]

I just don't know what these Killian creatures are planning to do to the bats.

Under normal circumstances, if one side targets the other, it would definitely intend to devour the other. However, the current situation is clearly not normal, and Gu Shi is somewhat undecided.

[How about we go catch a Kyrian and give it a try...]

As Gu Shi was thinking, another surge of spiritual pressure rose up beside him. Two of the four Void Mountains had been reduced to ashes by the previous Cero attack. Apart from the Void Mountain where the bat was located, the other surviving Void Mountain, at this critical moment, perhaps sensing the danger, also completed its evolution and became a new Kyrian.

However, this newborn Killian seemed to be underdeveloped or "premature," much shorter than a normal Killian, standing only a little over 20 meters tall, less than 25 meters, a real dwarf.

Gu Shi's eyes lit up. While remaining wary of the Killian swarm, he moved quickly, grabbed the newborn Killian by the neck, and dragged it to the side of the virtual mountain where the bats were, carefully observing its reaction.

If it intends to devour Xushan, Gu Shi should kill it immediately and then find a way to retrieve the bat and escape. If it merely protects Xushan as a treasure, then the danger will naturally be eliminated.

Killian, who was captured by Gu Shi, struggled fiercely at first. If Jiro hadn't covered its mouth, it probably would have spat out a Cero. But after getting close to the Void Mountain where the bats were, it suddenly calmed down as if it had sensed something.

After Gu Shi let go, it didn't even glance at Gu Shi. With the signature silly gait of a Killian, it swayed left and right as it walked to the side of Xu Shan and stood there quietly without making any further moves.

……

They actually treat bats like treasures and protect them?

[Wait, it might not be a treasure. Maybe it's mistaking a bat for a baby. Besides, does the concept of reproduction even exist?]

P.S.: Thank you all for answering my question yesterday. Due to some strange reasons, my author account is currently unable to be linked to a reader account, so I cannot post comments or reply to your comments in the comments. I can only thank you all here.

If you have any questions you'd like me to answer, please post them in the comments section. I can reply to comments through the author's backend.

That's all. Please continue to vote and add to your favorites!

Chapter 50 Shota

"Big brother, Yusuke-nii-san, wait for me!"

The skinny boy, as thin as a bundle of firewood, chased after him with all his might. His eyes and expression were filled with fervent worship. Even though the man in front of him showed no intention of stopping to wait for him, his enthusiasm did not diminish in the slightest.

On the dirty and chaotic street, some people carrying wooden sticks and machetes, who were originally staring at the boy who looked like he could be broken with one blow, quickly withdrew their malicious gazes and quietly retreated into the even dirtier and darker alley when they heard him call out the name "Yusuke".

The man named Yusuke had only been in the East 61st District of Rukongai for five or six days; he was still a complete newbie.

Logically speaking, these fresh-faced newcomers should be at the very bottom of the exploitation hierarchy in neighborhoods numbered fifty and above, being arbitrarily humiliated, beaten, and exploited by members of established organizations.

If you're lucky enough to survive for a while and manage to join an organization, or if a group of newcomers band together for mutual support and form a new clique, you'll have a chance to escape the fate of being at the bottom and start exploiting the next batch of newcomers.

But Yusuke is different, completely different. On his very first day here, he easily defeated all the members of "Wolf Fang" who tried to capture him to do hard labor. A total of thirty-seven strong men, eleven knives, and more than twenty sticks, yet they couldn't even hurt him in the slightest.

From that moment on, people knew that there was another person in District 61 who they couldn't afford to offend. Small and medium-sized organizations were filled with apprehension, fearing that Youzhu would come knocking on their door. Large organizations that had been rooted here for many years and had extensive experience took the initiative to send people to befriend Youzhu.

Anyone who's been in Rukongai long enough knows that those ridiculously powerful guys undoubtedly possess immense spiritual power, and it won't be long before they head to the Shinigami Academy, where they'll undergo training and become high-ranking Shinigami.

These kinds of people won't stay in Rukongai for long, so there's no need to worry about them taking your territory. Instead of being cautious and on guard, it's better to make friends with them early on and build up some goodwill. Even if that goodwill is insignificant, it's still a connection with the Grim Reaper, giving you more support in the future.

This gaunt boy was a member sent by "Yobushi," a long-established force in the East Alley. He was lucky, as he and Yusuke were both complete newcomers. At the time, "Wolf Fang" was planning to capture him and use him as a commodity when Yusuke, who was somehow summoned by some death god, appeared next to the boy.

The unlucky "Wolf Fang" gang, seeing Yusuke appear, planned to capture him as well. As expected, Yusuke easily defeated them all, stole their best knife, and also saved the dry-wood boy. Before leaving, he comforted the boy and gave him a knife for self-defense.

Later, because he had some connection with Yusuke, and was a newcomer with no outstanding qualities, he was exceptionally recruited by the veteran organization "Nobushi". The only task the boss gave him was to become friends with Yusuke.

The boy already idolized his older brother Yusuke, who had saved him, and now that he had the opportunity to use public funds to pursue his idol, he was more than willing to do so, displaying tremendous enthusiasm.

"Brother Yusuke, would you like some konpeito? Oh, and I also have a piece of yokan here. They're all delicious, so please try some."

He quickly caught up with Yusuke, took out a small cloth bag from his pocket, carefully opened it, revealing a pitiful two or three candies and a piece of yokan (sweet bean jelly) that looked like it had been sitting out for several days. As he spoke, he unconsciously swallowed.

Hearing the boy swallow, Yusuke finally stopped, a slightly comforting smile on his face. He looked the boy up and down and asked with a smile.

"Do you want something to eat?"

In Rukongai, especially in the later numbered blocks, "eating" is a very dangerous act.

Ordinary souls without spiritual power can survive simply by drinking water. Only souls with spiritual power and the potential to become death gods will feel hungry and need to eat.

However, without systematic learning and training, even if a soul possesses spiritual power, it cannot mobilize it, let alone use it for combat. In this situation, spiritual power not only fails to bring convenience to life, but also requires frequent searches for food that is extremely rare in Rukongai, further increasing the pressure to survive.

Most importantly, those wandering spirits who once oppressed them will inevitably feel fear once they discover that these spirits can eat and may become Grim Reapers, fearing that they will return to take revenge on them after becoming Grim Reapers.

Ultimately, to avoid retaliation, the thugs who were merely bullying them and stealing their water will often choose to kill them outright, eliminating any possibility of them returning to seek revenge.