Shinigami: Medicine Can't Save The Soul Reaper Society

After all, even though Tier Harribel was now a Vasto Lorde-class Hollow, possessing a humanoid form, it was inevitable that portions of her body were still covered by bone-like armor.

A true human-like appearance—one with over ninety percent resemblance to a human—was something only achievable after a Hollow successfully became an Arrancar.

After answering, Harribel seemed to recall something and turned to ask Makoto.

"Asura Gensei, does this mean you have already completed your transformation into an Arrancar?"

Makoto did not answer directly. Instead, he used a more familiar and intimate way of addressing her.

"Tier, do you want to become an Arrancar? To possess a fuller range of emotions, to grow stronger without the need to devour others, and to no longer suffer from the weakness that comes from prolonged periods without consuming Hollows?"

A ripple of emotion flashed through Harribel's emerald eyes as she asked, "Is that possible?"

"If I weren't confident, I wouldn't have brought it up," Makoto replied with a smile.

Seemingly trusting him, Harribel did not probe further about his level of certainty. Instead, she asked with a hint of hope in her voice.

"Does becoming an Arrancar mean that the Hollow hole—the emptiness in my heart—can be filled?"

"That..."

Makoto was clearly unsure of the answer. As his gaze settled on Harribel, he suddenly realized something he had overlooked and asked,

"Tier, where is your Hollow hole?"

Given how little clothing Harribel wore, Makoto's eyes had already wandered over her figure several times without finding any sign of her Hollow hole.

Upon hearing his question, Harribel instinctively misunderstood it as him being able to fill her Hollow hole.

Without hesitation, she stood up and, right in front of Makoto, lifted one of the few remaining pieces of fabric covering her body…

In an instant, even someone as composed and well-traveled as Makoto felt his face flush. His eyes lingered for a brief moment before his head quickly turned to the side.

W-Wait… Her Hollow hole is located at… her lower abdomen?! Near the uterus?!

"Asura Gensei, can you really fill my Hollow hole?"

Hearing Harribel's calm question, Makoto knew this was nothing more than a straightforward conversation. Yet, his thoughts had already veered off into dangerous territory at full speed.

"N-No, I can't… I can't…"

For once, a rare trace of embarrassment crept into Makoto's voice as he hurriedly explained, "I… I lack the ability. That's… not something I can do."

At his response, Harribel's emerald eyes flickered with a hint of disappointment.

For most Vasto Lorde-class Hollows, they had already become aware of the void within themselves. Instinctively, they sought to fill that emptiness, to find their true selves.

To them, "filling the Hollow hole" was a figurative expression—a representation of mending what was missing in their hearts.

Suddenly, Harribel noticed the unusual flush on Makoto's face. She instinctively leaned in closer to examine him, her gaze curious.

"Asura Gensei, why is your face like this?"

Makoto coughed lightly and awkwardly replied, "It's nothing… Just… From now on, you shouldn't casually show your Hollow hole to others."

"Don't worry. Other than myself, you are the only Hollow who knows where it is."

After a brief pause, a hint of envy entered Harribel's otherwise calm voice.

"So this is what it means to be an Arrancar? Asura Gensei, I can sense rich emotions from you. This change in your face… is it what they call 'embarrassment'?"

As she spoke, her gaze reflected a sense of yearning. Unconsciously, she leaned in even closer, as if trying to further observe the subtle shifts in Makoto's expression.

For Makoto, this was nothing short of a torment!

It wasn't just that Harribel was now within arm's reach. At this distance, he could see every tiny change in her exquisite, enigmatic face—the delicate tremble of her golden lashes, the shifting gleam in her emerald eyes, the faint warmth of her breath...

More importantly, the way she was leaning in emphasized something undeniably distracting.

For the pure-hearted and well-mannered Shinigami, Senju Makoto, having a Vasto Lorde-class Hollow press in on him like this caused his mind to go blank. His lower body tensed up completely, while his upper body instinctively leaned backward to put some distance between them.

Yet, Harribel kept leaning in further…

In the next instant, she lost her balance. Already tilting too far forward, she stumbled directly into Makoto's arms.

On reflex, she reached out to steady herself—only to grab hold of something firm beneath his cloak.

It felt cylindrical. Sturdy.

And, most notably, very hard.

Harribel lifted her head, locking eyes with the dazed Makoto. With her usual calm but now tinged with curiosity, she asked,

"What is this? Is this something that appears after one becomes an Arrancar?"

A flicker of panic flashed in Makoto's eyes as his mind raced.

'Damn, she noticed!'

'Is she about to find out that I'm not actually a Hollow?!'

'Wait—Hollows aren't even supposed to have something like this! But—hold on…'

In an instant, his gaze steadied. He nodded and replied.

"Ah, yes, exactly! This is something that manifests after an Arrancar transformation…"

As he spoke, he reached under his cloak and withdrew his Zanpakutō from where Harribel had grabbed it, explaining,

"After becoming an Arrancar, a Hollow's power is condensed and sealed into a core, taking the form of a Zanpakutō. This allows an Arrancar to develop and grow stronger through training rather than by consuming others."

Pausing for a moment, he continued,

"You've probably seen this before on Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck, haven't you, Tier?"

"I have…"

Harribel nodded slightly. Yet, just as Makoto relaxed, she suddenly reached past the opening of his cloak, pressing her palm briefly against his skin.

Then, she quickly withdrew her hand, bringing it close to her nose, as if analyzing something.

Her voice remained as calm as ever as she stated,

"Asura Gensei, when you lifted your cloak just now, I caught the scent of something different from Hollows."

There was a brief pause before she continued,

"That was… the scent of a Shinigami, wasn't it?"

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