"You think I'm like you?" Haruki retorted without hesitation. "You just dump your work on the captain and run off every day. I, oher hand, am very responsible. I've been sed with work tely."

  "!" Rangiku's eyes widened, as if she had never seen someone so shameless.

  "How you even say that about me?!" Rangiku excimed in disbelief. "I heard from Hitsugaya that you even assign tasks to Hinamori, who just joihe team!"

  "Wait, wait!" Haruki was momentarily stunned. "Fet how Hitsugaya knows about this, why are you even listening to Hitsugaya?"

  "Of course, it's because I haven't given up on my pn to lure Hitsugaya to the 10th Division~" Rangiku chuckled mischievously.

  "Hitsugaya," Kyōraku Shunsui interjected at this point. "Ah, that prodigy kid. Are you all close with him?"

  "Of course we are, Captain Kyōraku. Didn't you know? Hitsugaya was brought into the Soul Society by Haruki."

  "Is that so? I really didn't know that," Kyōraku said, sounding genuinely surprised.

  Hitsugaya Tōshirō, the most famous child prodigy retly, was someone many divisions were hoping to recruit iure.

  But now, it seemed they didn't o fight over him. He was definitely going to end up ih Division.

  "Actually, I'm not saying he has to e to the 5th Division," Haruki sighed. "To be ho, with Hitsugaya's talent, he's destio bee a captain someday."

  "That means he'll iably leave the 5th Division. Who knows, he might even bee your superior ih Divisiiku."

  "Ugh!" Rangiku spat, looking indignant. "Who wants to be that kid's subordinate? Besides, my captain just took offiot long ago. He's far from retiring."

  "If anyone's retiring, it should be me," Kyōraku said with a hint of mencholy. "I'm probably one of the oldest captains iei 13."

  "Not at all," Haruki smiled. "Captain Kyōraku, you're Yamamoto-ander's prized disciple. If Yamamoto ever retires, you'll be the Captain-ander."

  "Spare me," Kyōraku chuckled wryly.

  He had no desire to bee the Captain-ander.

  And besides...

  "Old man Yamamoto is far from retiring."

  Despite his aged appearance, Yamamoto wouldn't ge much even a thousand years from now.

  A thousand years from now, who knows what the Soul Society will look like?

  Haruki and the others didn't dwell oopiy longer. After all, they had e here to drink and have a good time. Talking about retirement was a bit too gloomy.

  When you're drinking, you chat about happy things, brag a little, and have fun. There's up topics that sound dreary.

  By around 9 p.m., the three of them were ready to leave, havien and drunk their fill.

  The bill aid by Kyōraku, as he was the senior among them. When there's an adult present, it's only natural for them to hahe bill, not the "kids."

  As they stepped out of Daruma-ya, they noticed a group of people walking by.

  Haruki was momentarily stunned because the person leading the group was wearing an obviously expensive kimono and had a "Kenseikan" hairpin, something only high-ranking nobles could wear. bined with his soul ability, "The Noble's Self-Cultivation," Haruki immediately reized him.

  Captain of the 6th Division, Kuchiki Byakuya.

  'Elegance of Battle: When used in bat, allows the user to fight with grad elegance.'

  Hah, the description was that short.

  It souterly useless, and in practice, it probably was just as useless?

  But ohing Haruki was sure of.

  This ability would definitely make him look cool when using it.

  And then he remembered something.

  What exactly was "elegant bat"?

  Would getting injured in battle affee's elegance?

  If so, then using this ability would mean he wouldn't get hurt?

  Would gettien up in a fight affee's elegance?

  If so, then using this ability would mean he wouldn't get beaten up?

  Although it seemed like the ability didn't have much practical use, Haruki could see some potential in it.

  Well, fet it. He'd have to test it out properly ter. For all he knew, it might just give him a bit of noble fir and nothing else.

  "No wonder we ran into Captain Kuchiki. This area is he Kuchiki family's shrine," Kyōraku mused, rubbing his . "Is today the Kuchiki family's day of worship?"

  "So impressive," Rangiku said, watg Byakuya's anding presence as he walked by. "That's what you'd expect from a great noble."

  "Yeah, totally different from us oners. So much grandeur," Haruki added.

  "Now, now, that's a bit much," Kyōraku chuckled. "Haruki, you're not a oner anymore. If you're a ohen who in the Soul Society isn't?"

  "Haha..."

  Haruki didn't respond. In the eyes of those with power and influence, he was still just a oner.

  "Let's call it a night," Haruki said. "We've got work tomorrow."

  The three of them parted ways, and after returning home, Haruki's slightly drunken eyes quickly regaiheir crity.

  He was eager to start training with his newfound Hollow powers.

  Well, it wasly training. The "Hollowfication" ability he had acquired was more about breaking the boundaries of his soul and accepting Hollow powers to achieve Hollowfication.

  It wasn't like the systematic training of a Quincy.

  After acquiring the Quincy lineage, Haruki had genuinely gaihe Quincy's training system. He not only obtaihe ability to form a spirit bow but also acquired some of the Quincy's knowledge.

  It was foreseeable that he could eventually master the Quincy's power system, including teiques like Heilig Pfeil, Ransōtengai, shadow powers, blood powers, and even the Quincy's final form.

  Hollowfication, oher hand, was different.

  The Quincy lineage provided him with a plete system, and he had to slowly cultivate his power.

  Hollowfication, however, directly granted him Hollow powers, but how he mastered them to him.

  Still, sihis was a soul ability, Hollowfication wouldn't cause him to lose trol like the Visored.

  The greatest advantage of Hollowfication was that once he used it, the boundary between his Shinigami and Hollow souls would be permaly broken.

  Although he couldn't freely transform into a Hollow without permaly acquiring the soul ability, as he gradually mastered this power, he would eventually be able to achieve Hollowfication indepely.

  With this in mind, he entered his safe room.

  After adjusting the room's appearao simute him returning home, washing up, and going to bed, he stood in the ter of the room and pced a hand on his face.

  "Hollowfication..."

  Haruki whispered softly.