Looking at Aozaki Reiji, who made no secret of his true nature, Nimaiya Ōetsu couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion.
Although Aozaki Reiji was Yamamoto's disciple, he was so honest and unpretentious, completely unlike that Old Man.
He was much better than Yamamoto, who acted proper in front of others but was a scoundrel behind their backs.
Nimaiya Ōetsu still preferred genuine people like Aozaki Reiji.
He waved his hand, and the Zanpakuto sisters bowed in unison, then slowly retreated.
Looking at Aozaki Reiji, Nimaiya Ōetsu smiled and said, "Reiji-kun, come with me, we can start right away."
Hearing this, Aozaki Reiji was slightly startled, a look of surprise on his face.
He had originally been excited, thinking he could relax here for a while, but he didn't expect to start so soon.
"So fast?" Aozaki Reiji asked, puzzled.
Such an important technique as forging a Zanpakuto shouldn't be taught to him so casually, right?
Shouldn't he be made to stay in the Hōōden for a few more days to test his character or something?
However, Nimaiya Ōetsu seemed unusually excited, his eyes sparkling with anticipation.
He nodded without hesitation and replied, "Of course! I can't wait!"
With that, he led Aozaki Reiji, and the two walked onward, finally arriving at the edge of a cliff.
Below the cliff was a boundless sea.
Waves rolled, constantly crashing against the rocks on the shore.
By the cliff, a small wooden house sat isolated, as if cut off from the rest of the world.
Aozaki Reiji looked up, squinting at the sign on the house, which had three large characters carved into it—Hōōden.
He murmured, looking somewhat puzzled, "Hōōden?"
Nimaiya Ōetsu smiled and nodded, saying, "That's right, it's the Hōōden!"
He pointed to the small wooden house in front of them and explained, "The house you see before you is the real Hōōden!"
"And that beautiful building with many sweethearts just now was nothing more than a fake for entertainment."
Then, he pointed to the sea below the Hōōden and continued, "Below this Hōōden, at the bottom of the deep sea, is my sword armory, and this is also where I forge Zanpakuto."
Aozaki Reiji raised his eyebrows, a hint of surprise in his expression.
"All the Zanpakuto you've forged are under this small house? It's quite hidden."
Nimaiya Ōetsu nodded again, confirming, "That's right. If you want to see them, I don't mind giving you a tour."
However, he changed the subject, saying gravely, "But before entering here and officially beginning to learn sword forging, I think some basic things still need to be explained to you in detail."
"As a Shinigami, you've used a Zanpakuto, so do you know how asauchi came to be?"
Aozaki Reiji glanced at him, thought for a few seconds, and then gently shook his head.
"Simply put, they are aggregates of Souls, which, after being forged by me, condense into the form of a sword—that's an asauchi."
"So, even if I learn the technique of forging Zanpakuto, I can't create a Zanpakuto without Souls as material, right?" Aozaki Reiji interjected.
Nimaiya Ōetsu smiled and said, "Yes, but for you, you shouldn't have to worry about not having materials, that small problem."
"What does that mean?" Aozaki Reiji asked, his usual smile on his face, his expression unchanged, but his heart slightly chilled.
"That's not important, but speaking of which, your sword is very good, Reiji-kun." Nimaiya Ōetsu did not answer Aozaki Reiji's question; instead, he changed the subject and looked at the long sword at Aozaki Reiji's waist.
He grinned, revealing a somewhat strange smile.
"It really looks like a real Zanpakuto, but the craftsmanship is a bit rough."
"Hmm... sorry, I said something unimportant. Well then... come in with me."
"Forging swords is a tedious craft, so be prepared!"
With that, Nimaiya Ōetsu swayed his head, walking step by step as if keeping a strange rhythm, and entered the house on his own.
His figure gradually disappeared into the darkness, leaving Aozaki Reiji standing alone.
Hearing Nimaiya Ōetsu's words, Aozaki Reiji thought for a few seconds, then followed him inside.
The two quickly arrived underground, in a dark, cave-like room.
Dim Kido lamps lit up on the walls, emitting faint light, barely illuminating the surroundings.
Immediately after, from the depths of the darkness, white humanoid creatures with eyes as mouths emerged one by one.
These creatures stood silently, making no sound, yet giving off an invisible pressure.
"They are asauchi, Reiji-kun. Now, let's get down to business!" Nimaiya Ōetsu looked at the asauchi, a glint of excitement in his eyes.
...
One day later, Seireitei, Squad One Barracks.
"Should I say it's worthy of a thousand years of resentment?... It really is troublesome enough, those damn Quincy!" Yamamoto revealed a terrifying grimace, unashamedly showing his ferocious smile under the gaze of the Captains.
Before him, Rojuro Otoribashi, Captain of the First Division Special Forces, knelt on one knee.
As Captain of the Special Forces, his duty was to patrol and guard the noble territories.
By now, everything had become clear.
The noble disappearance incident, which had consumed countless days and nights of the First Division's tireless investigation, was actually the work of the Quincy.
This was personally confirmed by Rojuro Otoribashi.
Now that he thought about it, the Seireitei Underground Great Prison incident must have been their doing as well.
Yamamoto had not personally seen the Quincy hidden in the shadows.
But judging by the casualties of the Special Forces, the strength of those remnants was still not to be underestimated.
Nearly thirty members of the Special Forces were almost completely wiped out, with only Rojuro Otoribashi, a Captain-class strongman, escaping back.
Especially the "Shadow Domain," a power that manipulates shadow space, allowing them to move freely within the Seireitei, was indeed troublesome to deal with.
If it were a frontal battle, annihilating them would take at most one sword.
But the key was not being able to find them!
However, the Old Man would not give up easily.
Leaving aside the blood feud from a thousand years ago, daring to abduct and murder nobles right under the Gotei 13's nose was not only a heinous crime but also a provocation to the Gotei 13!
Yhwach... your remnants are truly as despicable as you!
Recalling that man full of malice towards the world, Yamamoto couldn't help but feel a surge of disgust in his heart.
He looked at Urahara Kisuke and asked gravely, "Captain Urahara, does the Shinigami Research and Development Institute have a solution for the Quincy's Shadow Domain?"
Urahara Kisuke frowned, pondered for a moment, then nodded: "If it's just a spiritual particle space, it shouldn't be difficult to break, it just requires time."
Yamamoto nodded slightly, a sharp glint in his eyes: "Good, in that case, from today onwards, the Shinigami Research and Development Institute will fully commit to breaking the Shadow Domain."
"And the other Squads must be fully prepared for battle, while also increasing vigilance and readiness."
A cold smile played on Yamamoto's lips.
His voice was low and powerful, as if carrying a chilling sense of oppression.
"Wandenreich? A group of rats hiding in the shadows of the Seireitei, afraid of the light, yet daring to call themselves an empire. It's utterly absurd!"
"This time, let you perish along with your emperor!" Yamamoto's words were filled with disdain and mockery.
His voice echoed in the air, sending a chill down one's spine.