How many times has it been?
Looking at the silent forest in front of him, Ishikawa subconsciously began to search.
Since the last time he entered this space, almost every few days, he would come here again after losing consciousness.
However, he would be expelled shortly after.
But it wasn't the dog that expelled him, but this space itself.
As for the dog, every time he came here, it would actively run to Ishikawa. When it saw Ishikawa, it never resisted or tried to escape. Instead, it gave off a feeling of suppressing fear, wanting to pluck up the courage to come to Ishikawa's feet.
However, this spiritual world, like an overprotective mother, would expel Ishikawa from his own spiritual space every time it saw the trembling the dog…
In some ways, this was the only legacy left by the former Zanpakuto.
From his experience of entering here several times, that… The dog, no bigger than his foot, should be his new Zanpakuto.
Although the Zanpakuto that housed the spirit had not fully recovered, the spirit had completely been born.
And the legacy left by the former Zanpakuto had been protecting that the dog, preventing Ishikawa from interacting with it, making him unable to 'converse' and 'synchronize' with the Freshman Zanpakuto.
But…
Although that the dog was extremely afraid of him and would tremble when it saw him, every time Ishikawa came here, that the dog would suppress its fear of him and come to his side, giving Ishikawa a feeling that it longed for him to caress it.
Speaking of which.
Ishikawa's gaze was a bit strange. How do you converse with a dog?
Should he discuss this with Renji?
If he remembered correctly, his Zanpakuto's materialized form combined the animal forms of a 'gorilla' and a 'snake'.
The crazy woman waiting for him to wake up outside was also within the scope of consideration.
But asking Unohana for guidance? Forget about it.
He must have been crazy to happily go and learn Zanjutsu from Unohana back then.
Ishikawa had completely lost track of how many days this guidance had lasted.
After all, every time he woke up from a coma, that disgusting curved blade would strike immediately. Ishikawa had no idea how long he had been in a coma, nor how long he had been slashed by Unohana…
Only by coming here did Ishikawa have time to catch his breath.
So Ishikawa was not in a hurry to 'converse' and 'synchronize' with his Zanpakuto. Anyway, before the Zanpakuto had fully recovered, let alone Shikai, he didn't even have a usable Asauchi. He could only constantly meet Unohana Retsu's attacks with his Kido Blade!
And most importantly…
No subjugation needed!
A Zanpakuto's Shikai requires 'conversation' and 'synchronization' with the Zanpakuto; while Bankai requires the Zanpakuto to materialize and then be subjugated.
But from his observations during this period, that the dog did not need to be subjugated.
Moreover…
Ishikawa always felt that his Freshman Zanpakuto was so fragile that he could step on it and kill it!
Whoosh~
Just then, a rustling sound came from the bushes.
This let Ishikawa know that the dog was coming to see him again.
Sure enough, shortly after, the dog tumbled out from Ishikawa's left side, as if it had run too fast, tripped, and rolled a few times.
The dog got up from the ground, looked at Ishikawa, its purple eyes appearing a bit watery. Its ears and tail, which had perked up in joy, immediately drooped down upon seeing Ishikawa.
"Woof—"
With a soft yelp, the dog stood trembling in place, still not daring to approach Ishikawa, just like the previous times, but also unwilling to leave.
Speaking of which…
Ishikawa's eye twitched. How was he supposed to converse with this thing?
Am I supposed to 'woof' at it?
After hesitating for a moment, Ishikawa squatted down and reached out his hand towards the dog.
"Whimper—"
Seeing Ishikawa's outstretched hand, the dog whimpered in fright, its trembling body retreating half a step.
This scene made Ishikawa frown slightly.
As a result, as soon as he frowned, the dog's head immediately drooped in fright, constantly shrinking back.
Buzz—
That inexplicable pulling sensation came again, as if to pull him away from the dog.
Ishikawa felt the pressure around him, clicked his tongue, and prepared to withdraw his hand, focusing all his attention on facing the attack that would come upon waking.
"Woof woof!"
But just as Ishikawa was about to withdraw his hand, the dog, which had remained still in the previous times, suddenly leaped forward, landing below Ishikawa's outstretched palm.
Then, it plucked up its courage and looked up at Ishikawa.
Hmm?
Meeting the dog's gaze, Ishikawa's lips curved slightly, and his outstretched palm shot out like lightning, grabbing the dog by the scruff of its neck and pulling it up to his face.
Almost the moment Ishikawa lifted the dog, that inexplicable pulling sensation vanished abruptly, and the surrounding gray trees began to sway at that instant, stirring up a breeze.
This breeze, as if conscious, supported the little dog held by Ishikawa.
The dog, held in Ishikawa's hand, showed no anger, only trembling, its small head almost shrinking into its chest.
"Hmm…"
Holding the dog in his hand, Ishikawa couldn't help but feel a bit speechless.
Is this thing really my Zanpakuto?
Why does it feel even less reliable than that annoying brat from before?
That brat, though disobedient, was at least humanoid and could speak some human words.
But this thing in front of him…
"Come on, say something human for me to hear."
"Whimper whimper~"
It couldn't even speak human words.
Ishikawa's eye twitched, and he shook the dog by the scruff of its neck: "Then you at least have to tell me your name, right?"
"Woof woof woof—"
This time, the dog's answer was very quick, and it barked a few times proudly.
"…" Ishikawa.
Woof woof woof?
Only a ghost could understand that.
A scene immediately flashed through Ishikawa's mind: he was in battle with an enemy, then suddenly raised his Zanpakuto, Reiatsu surged around him, his face cold, and then…
"Woof woof woof, woof woof woof woof!"
Hiss~
Ishikawa quickly shook his head, dispelling the image that had appeared in his mind.
After a moment of thought, Ishikawa sat down on the ground, then placed the dog in front of him.
After landing, the dog also sat down on the ground, tilting its head to look at Ishikawa.
One person and one dog looked at each other, neither speaking.
Mainly because…
Ishikawa truly didn't know what to do next.
A new Zanpakuto had indeed been born, and it seemed to be very close to him, with no rejection whatsoever.
But what to do next, Ishikawa was completely clueless.
Because he had never communicated with a Zanpakuto before, and other people's Zanpakuto would guide their masters to gradually master themselves, but this thing in front of him… let alone guiding, just communicating with this puppy was a huge problem!
"What abilities do you have?"
"Woof woof~"
"Can you write?"
"Woof woof~"
"…"
Ishikawa asked the puppy several questions in various ways.
But the answers he received, he simply couldn't understand.
By the end, Ishikawa suddenly had an urge to 'just strangle it and get a new blade'.
The dog's body, which had just calmed down from trembling, began to tremble wildly again.
This scene made Ishikawa even more certain that the dog could sense his thoughts.
"Don't worry, I was just thinking about it."
He wasn't deceiving the dog; after all, this was his own Zanpakuto, born after so many twists and turns.
Looking at the silly the dog in front of him, Ishikawa couldn't help but sigh: "A Zanpakuto that's too smart isn't good, but one that's too silly is indeed not good either. It wasn't this difficult when I first learned the name 'Kokumei'."
No, rather than saying it wasn't difficult, it was more like that annoying brat actively told Ishikawa his name, in order for Ishikawa to use him.
"Woof woof woof woof—"
Almost at the same time Ishikawa's words fell, the dog suddenly barked wildly and ran around in front of Ishikawa.
Hmm?
Ishikawa was startled, then seemed to think of something and tentatively said: "Kokumei?"
The dog's running speed slowed down a bit, and it barked two more 'woof woof' sounds.
"Kokumei?"
The moment the four words were spoken, the dog's purple eyes suddenly burst forth with a purple glow.
At the same time.
The gray trees, the gray grass, the gray soil…
At this instant, all were covered in a layer of purple mist.
In the azure sky, the stars shone brightly, and the sun and moon erupted in dazzling white light.
The white light and purple mist intertwined, filling the entire world with an incredibly dreamy color.
"This name…"
Ishikawa didn't pay attention to the changes around him, but instead looked at the dog in front of him with a wary expression.
Because this name instinctively made him feel a bit uneasy.
After all, the original Kokumei could be extended to mean dissent and rebellion, and this little dog in front of him had inherited that annoying brat's name.
Ishikawa highly suspected…
Would this puppy suddenly pounce and bite him?
"Woof woof~"
The dog looked at Ishikawa with its purple glowing eyes, and at that instant, Ishikawa's mind seemed to suddenly gain something.
"The distinctions of things, the passing of life and death?"
Muttering the words aloud, Ishikawa frowned slightly, faintly understanding why the dog's name was still Kokumei.
Kokumei is divided into two types: minor Kokumei and major Kokumei.
People's understanding of different things can be consistent or inconsistent; this consistency or difference in understanding is minor Kokumei. And all things have a completely identical side, that is, they are all subject to existence and change, and also have a completely different side, that is, their respective changes are not the same; this is major Kokumei.
The distinctions of things, seeing similarities and differences, is what is called minor Kokumei.
The passing of life and death, the alternation of hot and cold, is what is called major Kokumei.
Before Ishikawa could ponder further, the surrounding scenery rapidly became illusory, and his vision turned pitch black.
Already familiar with this feeling, Ishikawa opened his eyes without hesitation, and what greeted him was the training ground beneath Sōkyoku Hill.
Clang—!
With a soft clang, the Kido Blade of Zangerin instantly condensed. This had almost become instinct.
Because Unohana would not give him much preparation time; the moment she sensed he was awake, she would launch an attack on him.
However…
As Ishikawa stood up, holding his Kido Blade, the anticipated attack did not come.
How could that be?
Ishikawa, covered in various sword marks and with torn clothes, stood in place for a long time before remembering to check for Unohana's whereabouts.
He found that Unohana was currently standing in the center of the training ground, looking towards the outside of the cave entrance.
This scene made a strange look flash in Ishikawa's eyes.
Did something happen outside?
Thinking of this, Ishikawa immediately spread out his sensory nerves, and everything he perceived made his face sink.
Because…
He actually felt countless Reiatsu conflicts within Seireitei.
It wasn't Hollow Reiatsu, but Shinigami Reiatsu conflicting with each other, and many of the auras were almost completely identical.
Did Aizen attack Soul Society during his training?
Impossible!
Although the Reiatsu conflicts within Seireitei were intense, they were only numerous, and the individual pressures were extremely weak.
What exactly happened?
What he had detected did not resolve Ishikawa's confusion; instead, it made his heart even more bewildered.
Boom—
Just then, a loud bang came from the cave entrance leading to the training ground.
A figure fell from the air, covered in a layer of ice crystals, emitting waves of coldness in all directions.
That was…
Rukia?
When he saw the figure falling from the air, Ishikawa's expression sank, and he immediately turned his head to look up at the sky.
He saw a pure white figure slowly descending from the passage.
This was a young woman wearing a long white furisode kimono, with light purple long hair and ice-blue eyes. A part of her hair was tied into a long bun behind her head, falling over her shoulders. And the most bizarre thing was… in her hand, she actually held a Zanpakuto identical to Kuchiki Rukia's.
Who was she?
A flash of realization crossed Ishikawa's eyes, and he immediately understood why there were suddenly so many conflicts outside, and why most of the individuals were relatively weak.
"Ishikawa, be careful, she…"
Rukia, who had fallen to the ground, endured the pain and looked up, about to speak a warning.
But the scene that met her eyes made her swallow the words she was about to say.
Because…
Splatter~
Amidst the sound of blood splattering, looking in that direction, he saw the light purple-haired girl, her pupils slightly constricted, her eyes filled with disbelief.
And beside her…
A curved blade had cut horizontally across her waist.
Thud thud~
Two consecutive thuds sounded, as her upper and lower body simultaneously hit the ground.
Beside the bisected corpse, Unohana's gaze was incredibly grim, giving off a feeling as if she had been disturbed in her enjoyment, making one feel a chill spreading straight up their spine.
"Gulp~"
Kuchiki Rukia swallowed. Who was that person?
Because Unohana was facing away from her, her long black hair cascaded like a waterfall, blocking her view, so Rukia did not see Unohana's face.
Snap~
Just then, a crisp sound came from Kuchiki Rukia's hand.
"Oh no!"
Kuchiki Rukia's face changed as if she had remembered something, and she quickly looked at the Zanpakuto in her hand.
She saw that…
Her Shikai, Sode no Shirayuki, had broken into two pieces, just like the mysterious girl.
And the bisected mysterious girl had turned into ice dust, completely merging into the broken Sode no Shirayuki in Kuchiki Rukia's hand.
Seeing this, Ishikawa frowned slightly.
It just had to happen at this moment…
Hmm?
This moment?
Ishikawa's expression changed drastically, and he quickly looked at Rukia:
"Where is Orihime?"