On the other side.

Meira pushed aside the corpse pinning her down and slowly rose from the ground, her pristine white Quincy uniform stained crimson with blood.

Her gaze drifted toward the distant source of ceaselessly spreading Reiatsu fluctuations, her expression tinged with unease.

Far off, the "Dream Death" world, formed by the Oharai Gougi, loomed like a scarlet hemispherical dome, enveloping a vast stretch of ground and obscuring the events within from outsiders' view.

Anyone who dared intrude would likely be ensnared within the "Dream Death" world.

This was something her master had warned her about beforehand.

But that wasn't her mission.

With that thought, Meira turned swiftly and strode toward the central battlefield at the gates of the First Division barracks.

Saito's mutilated body lay flat on the cracked, web-like ground, her delicate face drained of color, though her breathing remained steady.

She looked as if she were merely asleep.

Meira didn't act rashly. Instead, she stood by, waiting.

On the surface of Saito's "sacrificed" limbs, faint threads of Reishi particles shimmered, steadily gathering from afar and coalescing to reform her arms and legs.

Saito's Bankai, Shukyakukyōgi Ketsurasai, was a Zanpakuto capable of sacrificing parts of her body for power, while also allowing her to reclaim those sacrifices by slaying her enemies.

Now, her targeted foe, Yhwach, was trapped in a state of "death" due to the Dream Death world.

It had to be said, Makoto's "Dream Death" and Saito's "sacrifice" had ruthlessly exploited a loophole in the rules.

However.

Meira's gaze shifted toward the direction of their battle, a flicker of worry in her eyes.

Yhwach's "death" wasn't solely to her master's advantage.

"Before you die, those eyes will be sealed forever."

As one of the witnesses to Yhwach's first meeting with Ichibe Hyosube, Meira vividly recalled the monk's words.

If Yhwach was in a state of death…

Meira shook her head forcefully, dismissing the thought.

Once Saito's body began to fully regenerate, Meira let out a sigh of relief. Hoisting the petite girl, smaller even than herself, over her shoulder, she leapt onto the roof beams of the First Division barracks.

Meira glanced at the unconscious Saito, then down at her own obscured toes, muttering with a hint of jealousy, "She's just a skinny little girl. The master actually likes this type? He really has no taste."

Looking at the blonde girl's expression, tinged with envy and dissatisfaction, it was hard to imagine the resolute determination she and Makoto had shown not long ago, risking everything in a life-or-death gamble.

The former Sternritter M, Metalica, had become, in every sense, "Meira", a being wholly devoted to Makoto.

The rules of the Oharai Gougi were absolute.

In a way, this was part of the "world invasion."

But as Meira mumbled to herself, she suddenly sensed something. Her head snapped up, brows slightly raised, as she peered toward the Seireitei's Hakuto Gate.

"Hm?"

"The bait outside… has it already been devoured?"

"That was fast."

Muttering only a few words, Meira stepped into Hirenkyaku, swiftly carrying Saito away from the scene.

---

Darkness. Silence. Endless.

Sealed within the cocoon, Yhwach felt as though she had returned to the terrifying, helpless moment of her birth.

The only difference was the overwhelming, suffocating sensation coursing through her body.

Her mouth, ears, eyes, nose, every opening felt clogged with boundless, viscous shadows, stretching time to an excruciating crawl. A single second felt like an entire year.

At first, the pain from her wounds was a tearing agony.

But as time dragged on infinitely, that pain became a constant, morphing into something else, sensations that even Yhwach, the progenitor of the Quincy, had never experienced.

Sensation.

More agonizing still, the longer time stretched, the more these unfamiliar sensations flooded her mind and soul, drowning her like a tidal wave.

Saliva, mucus, tears.

Unknown liquids poured from her mouth and nose, yet the utter blackness of her vision left touch as her only vivid sense.

Yhwach could clearly feel her abdomen swelling, her body weakening, her once-rational mind unraveling under the relentless sensory assault.

In the end, even pain seemed to blend into sensation.

This was the abyss's specialty, capable of driving any magical girl to "hell transformation."

Five thousand times amplified sensory secretions!

The only thing anchoring her last shred of sanity was a trivial detail she had initially dismissed.

[Melee Magical Girl Constitution (Passive)]

[Skill Description: You possess a healthy body and resilient will that cannot be broken!]

After an unknowable stretch of time, the shadows began to dissipate.

A frail, slender girl stood unsteadily, her vacant eyes staring ahead. Her cat ears drooped atop her raven hair, her deathly pale face streaked with chaotic marks, glistening saliva dripping unconsciously from her lips.

Her abdomen bulged grotesquely.

Her long cat tail hung limply on the ground.

Her once-elegant dress was torn to shreds.

Barefoot, she stumbled forward, her steps faltering, as if all human rationality had been stripped away. Her swollen abdomen made each step laborious.

"Give… give me…"

"More… give me more…"

Her voice came in fragmented, delirious bursts.

Makoto watched silently.

This was the effect of the "hell transformation."

A weak mind would be reduced to idiocy under the endless sensory onslaught.

A strong mind, in the same conditions, would become a slave to the abyss's archduke, utterly submissive.

The sensory assault on body and soul would fundamentally reshape a person's entire worldview.

And Makoto would gain another slave, like Meira, completely obedient to him.

But…

As he watched the cat-eared girl lurching toward him, her watermelon-like belly protruding, something felt off.

What am I missing?

The thought gnawed at him.

"Stop."

Makoto's voice was cold as he addressed the cat-eared girl.

Yhwach's steps halted instinctively.

Makoto exhaled inwardly, relieved.

But before his guard could fully drop, the girl, still burdened by her swollen belly, abruptly took another step forward.

Hirenkyaku!

Makoto's pupils constricted.

Zzt,

The blade of a Quincy cross knife grazed his neck, sparks flying at the hair's-breadth distance.

Hierro!

Makoto instinctively swung his Oharai Gougi.

Yet Yhwach stood unmoving, casually raising a hand without dodging.

Pfft!

The blade bit seven-tenths into her flesh, nearly severing her slender, pale arm.

Makoto stared, stunned, and instinctively retreated several steps to distance himself from this increasingly abnormal figure.

"Heh… hehehe…"

Her low, muffled laughter echoed as she flicked her wounded arm, muttering in a crazed whisper, "Is that all?"

"It doesn't even hurt."

As she spoke, Yhwach grabbed at her well-defined chest. "Besides, once you get used to it… this body actually feels pretty good."

"No."

"Or rather…"

"Is this the body I've always wanted?"

"…?!"

Makoto's sense of danger surged as he watched Yhwach's self-absorbed muttering.

The "hell transformation" had pushed her down an extreme, unforeseen path.

This wasn't good.

As he thought this, he reached out behind him, summoning the abyssal shadows from below to envelop Yhwach.

Simultaneously, his mind connected to the shadows coiled in her abdomen, attempting to make them burst forth, one of his hidden trump cards in the "hell transformation."

But before he could act, Yhwach suddenly grabbed her cat tail.

Pop.

She tore it off, discarding the tail adorned with candied beads.

Her swollen abdomen gradually flattened.

In its place, seven or eight thicker, sturdier fox-like tails of shadow emerged, swaying silently behind her.

In that instant, Makoto realized with shock that he had lost control over those shadows.

What is this…?!

"Don't look so surprised, Makoto."

Yhwach's head tilted slightly, her voice soft but carrying the calm confidence of the strong. "I should thank you, really."

"You made the arrogant me learn… how to harness the deepest powers of my own body."

"As expected."

Makoto's body tensed.

He knew things were going wrong.

Yhwach's head snapped up, her gaze locking onto him, her grin stretching ear to ear in wild abandon. "To defeat a freak like you, I just have to become an even bigger freak!"

"Makoto Fujimiya!!!"

"I'm not afraid of anything anymore."

Makoto's eyes widened.

What the hell did you go through in that transformation?!

But as their gazes met, he saw it clearly.

In her left eye, two pupils spun and intertwined, like stars embedded within.

Paired with her manic smile, it was utterly eerie.

Double pupils?!

The moment he realized this, Yhwach's form vanished from his sight.

Boom!

When she reappeared, her bare, snow-white foot had already smashed into his abdomen like a battering ram.

A colossal force erupted, sending Makoto flying like a home-run baseball, his body skidding across the ground, carving a long trench as he tumbled and crashed.

That speed?!

Blood spurted from Makoto's mouth, but his mind remained clear. His fingers flicked upward.

Countless shadows, already spreading beneath the ground, surged in precise formation, piercing toward Yhwach like black spears, aiming to pin her down.

But, was it his imagination?

In her double-pupiled eye, he caught a glint of disdain.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Yhwach stood her ground. The black fox tails extending from her skirt swept downward like scythes, clashing with the shadows in a burst of metallic ringing.

She effortlessly severed the countless shadows rising from below.

Though both were abyssal shadows, hers seemed qualitatively superior.

"Too naive, Makoto."

"You think your little tricks can fool my eyes?"

Yhwach's voice was light, but her grin grew wilder.

In that moment, she seemed determined to reclaim every ounce of humiliation she'd suffered at this freak's hands.

"You should know…"

"Once I accept who I am now…"

"I am invincible!"

Her words grew louder, culminating in a thunderous roar.

Makoto crouched, blood still at the corner of his mouth. "You've just become a bigger freak, that's all."

Yhwach's manic laughter froze. Her double pupils glared at him, and she roared, "Whose fault do you think this is?!"

Before her words could settle, Makoto thrust out his hand, clenching the air behind him.

Dozens of black obelisk towers, forming a massive circle around them, suddenly converged on Yhwach from all directions.

A deafening explosion rang out.

Boom!

The shadows collided, unleashing waves of Reiatsu that enveloped her completely.

But before Makoto could feel relief at his caution,

Crack!

A faint shattering sound came from the shadows' depths.

A pale hand tore through the darkness, revealing a faintly spinning black double pupil.

Yhwach's voice returned to its initial indifference.

"You, and this world…"

"I really do hate them both."

In the instant her words fell, a blinding blade of light pierced the deepest shadows, illuminating the entire scarlet Dream Death world.

Invisibly, it cleaved a profound rift through the world itself.

***

Hi guys, I hope you're all doing well! I want to share that I'm currently working on a new project related to Lord of Mysteries.

If you're interested, feel free to visit my profile and start reading. Below is a brief summary:

[Lord of Mysteries: Incarnation of Chaos]

Have you ever wondered what would happen if someone from a Lovecraftian world got isekai'd into another world built on Lovecraftian themes? Well, it's absolute chaos.

Meet Alaric, a human(questionably) survivor of the madness and chaos caused by a certain crawling chaos, who, thanks to the kindness of a certain bubble daddy, got isekai'd into the "fake it till you make it" world.

What will he do in this strange new world? Climb the ladder of power to become that impossible god unless you're just a pawn of a certain russian priest or a certain goth mommy?

Or become a cheshire cat, leaping onto the 4D chessboard to disrupt the schemes and mind games of these bizarre folks?

For Alaric, it's not a tough choice. But before he picks either path, he must, of course, uphold the time-honored tradition of isekai'd victims(questionably) that forms the foundation of this world.

What's that tradition?

Keeping a diary.

---

[Alaric's Transmigration Diary]

[Day 1: I encountered Amon. Used a special technique to summon a projection of the Ancient Sun God, who personally delivered a heavy slap to Amon. Hope Amon appreciates this weighty paternal affection.]

[Day 2: I received an invitation from the Aurora Order. Told them I want it all... looks, brains, and combat prowess... and invited them to join my newly founded Joker Club.]

[Day 3: I met Leonard and acknowledged Gramps Pallez. Declined Leonard's enthusiastic suggestion for the old man to move in with me, as I'd rather not have a old man critiquing my every move, even in private moments.]

[Day 4: I told Klein I plan to pray to a deity named The Fool. Watched his eyes widen in shock and kindly offered him some eye drops.]

[Day 5: I listened to Medici perform a two-hour comedy routine. Suggested he go professional and invited him to share a meal.]

.

.

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[Day 666: I fully absorbed a certain crawling chaos fragment within me. From now on, I am the Fifth Pillar.]