Chapter 165: Satoru, In Peril
Under Aizen's watchful gaze, Satoru drew his Zanpakutō and stabbed it through the Tenshintai.
If given the choice between achieving Bankai through self-training or using the Tenshintai, most Shinigami with the means would choose the former.
After all, developing Bankai on one's own was the most orthodox method and felt more reassuring.
But Satoru would choose the Tenshintai without hesitation.
Ever since his student days, he had diligently practiced sword meditation, attempting to communicate with his Zanpakutō and learn its Shikai.
Yet, even now, he had never once entered the inner world of his Zanpakutō.
Although he had mastered Shikai, it was an unreliable one at that.
Whose Zanpakutō would grant the power of Shikai but withhold its name?
Because of this, he had long given up on learning Bankai through communication.
Now, with Kisuke and Aizen developing the Soul Transformation Body ahead of schedule, it felt like a timely rain after a long drought or a pillow delivered just as drowsiness set in.
Could he, already overwhelmingly powerful, possibly lose to a mere broken sword?
Satoru was brimming with confidence.
Pierced by Satoru's blade, the Soul Transformation Body fell silent for two seconds.
Then, suddenly melting like a candle, it dissolved into a black liquid, spreading and collapsing into a puddle.
In the blink of an eye, the human-shaped board vanished, replaced by a shadow that rapidly expanded in all directions, covering a vast area of the ground.
Watching the encroaching shadow, Aizen flashed into the air.
He had no intention of being caught in the crossfire.
"Oh..."
Unlike Aizen, Satoru didn't immediately leap to evade.
Instead, he lifted a foot and stepped on the shadow on the ground.
Just as he was about to comment, the shadow—now spread over a hundred meters—suddenly surged upward like a trapping net, closing in to envelop him!
"Trying to wrap me up like dumpling filling?"
Satoru tilted his head.
At the moment the shadow was about to seal shut, he flashed to its edge, his blade slicing through with a cold gleam.
A silent gap tore open in the shadow cage, and Satoru stepped out effortlessly.
Then, with practiced ease, he swung his sword upward, gazing at the empty space before him.
Clang!!
Though there was nothing there, the sound of clashing metal rang out.
Satoru grinned. "How many times have I used the power of Limbo? Using this move against me is pointless."
As he spoke, he kicked out, sending the invisible swordsman flying.
He then raised his Zanpakutō high and swung it down forcefully.
A long blade of Reiatsu shot toward the shadow cage—
Rip!!
The massive shadow cage was torn apart by the blade pressure.
Seeing this, Satoru shook his head.
"Too slow. If I were controlling it, I could easily dodge such a telegraphed strike."
The severed shadow writhed on the spot for a moment.
Then, it slowly coalesced into a humanoid swordsman.
Its build, height, even the outline of its hair and clothes, were nearly identical to Satoru's.
Seeing the shadow before him, Satoru's eyes lit up.
Was this the classic trope from hot-blooded comics—battling oneself?
For most manga protagonists, this was a difficult and dreaded trial.
But Satoru was thrilled.
He had long wanted to experience what it felt like to fight himself!
"Come on!"
Satoru beckoned to his shadow.
The shadow dashed toward him, feet moving swiftly.
Noticing the shadow still held a sword, a flicker of disdain crossed Satoru's eyes.
Nevertheless, he politely gripped his own blade and met the charge.
The two figures clashed, exchanging dozens of blows in an instant.
Aizen raised an arm to shield his face.
The battle between Satoru and his shadow stirred up a storm of Reiatsu, with sharp blades of pressure occasionally flying past him.
If he wasn't careful, he could easily be caught in the crossfire.
Watching Satoru fight his shadow, he felt puzzled.
It was too effortless.
Based on his and Kisuke's experience, the Zanpakutō manifested through the Soul Transformation Body possessed strength never inferior to its master.
Moreover, the Zanpakutō knew all its own abilities completely, sometimes executing them more effectively than its wielder. During initial encounters, its power could even surpass that of a Shinigami.
Yet here was Satoru, practically hanging his Zanpakutō out to dry.
As he pondered this, Satoru had already regained control. Gripping his sword with both hands, he delivered a downward slash that sent the shadow crashing to the ground.
Watching the shadow slowly repair the massive gash he'd carved into it, Satoru shook his head in disappointment.
"What's this? You're not even as powerful as when I wield you myself."
While speaking, he casually tossed the sword aside.
Shink!
The Zanpakutō embedded itself into the nearby earth.
Discarding the blade, Satoru grabbed the collar of his Shinigami Uniform and ripped it open, stripping off the upper garment. He stretched his chest muscles twice before grinning at the shadow before him.
"The warm-up's over. Now it's time to end this fight."
High above, Aizen frowned slightly. Just as Satoru discarded his sword, he'd glimpsed something within the humanoid shadow struggling to break free.
With a fierce shout, Satoru charged forward, fists clenched, and initiated the "Ikotsu" technique.
BOOM!!!
His fist struck the shadow, sending rippling waves radiating outward. The previously solid shadow grew noticeably fainter. When it swung the sword at Satoru's shoulder, he raised his other hand and caught the blade bare-handed.
The sharp blade felt like a wooden stick in his hands.
With a forceful tug, he yanked the shadow off balance, sending it stumbling to the side.
Then, he swung his leg to the left and kicked the attacking Rinbo away once more.
This kick also utilized "Ikotsu."
His socks and straw sandals were instantly shredded by the Reiatsu, exposing his bare feet.
Feeling the feedback from the kick, Satoru estimated that Rinbo wouldn't be able to move for a few minutes.
Watching the shadow rise again, he curled his lip.
"What's wrong, buddy? Why are you fighting so poorly?"
"I thought you might have some hidden tricks, but you're really disappointing me."
As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly raised an eyebrow.
Maybe it was an illusion, but after being mocked, something seemed to writhe inside the shadow, struggling to break free.
...It must have been a trick of the eyes. Shadows naturally twist and contort anyway.
This isn't some Lovecraftian world—there's no way it could have something hidden inside.
Although he was somewhat disappointed in his Zanpakutō's power, it was still his own blade, so Satoru decided to give it a dignified end.
Facing the shadow, he took a deep breath.
Then, he raised his arms, adopting an offensive stance.
As he moved, a terrifying Reiatsu suddenly erupted.
Blue flames roared to life around his body.
In an instant, his arms, shoulders, and back were engulfed in blue fire.
Satoru's face, illuminated by the blue flames, flickered between light and shadow, resembling a Rākṣasa!
From within the flames, Satoru spoke:
"Shunkō · Hell Chariot!"
Sensing the vibrant, active Reiatsu emanating from Satoru, Aizen watched with curiosity.
No doubt, this was the secret family technique Satoru had been learning from the Shihōin clan recently.
It seemed to involve materializing Reiatsu attributes.
No... it was even more advanced than that.
The materialized Reiatsu was closely linked to his body, mutually reinforcing each other.
Was this a complete fusion of materialized Reiatsu with the physical form?
Could such a thing really be achieved?
Aizen stroked his chin.
Among Zanjutsu, Hakuda, Kidō, and movement, he excelled most at Kidō, followed by Zanjutsu.
In comparison, he rarely studied Hakuda.
Most of the time, his research into Hakuda was to assist Satoru.
However, seeing this ability that combined Kidō and Hakuda, he felt a rare spark of interest.
Satoru raised his hand, examining the blue flames wreathing his fist.
Compared to Yoruichi, he had one major advantage in learning Shunkō.
When using Shunkō, Reiatsu would shatter the clothing on his arms and back.
So, Yoruichi had to wear specially made outfits that exposed the areas where Reiatsu would emerge.
Satoru had no such worries.
When he fought, he went completely shirtless!
Activating Shunkō, Satoru moved in an instant, appearing before the shadow.
His fist, wreathed in blue flames, shot forward with explosive force—
BOOM!!!!!
A terrifying wave of blue fire surged into the sky, instantly igniting a vast expanse of the heavens.
The entire mountaintop was swallowed by blue flames!
As the heat washed over, the shadow slowly became visible.
Its body was covered in flickering blue flames.
The entire "being" looked on the verge of collapse.
Mid-air, Aizen was somewhat astonished.
Hovering in the sky, he gauged the power behind Satoru's punch.
In terms of pure fist strength, it was inferior to Ikotsu.
However, the flames attached to it inflicted elemental damage.
If facing an enemy with high defense, like Yasushi Takada, the "Kotsu" series would undoubtedly be more suitable.
But against an enemy with high special defense, like the shadow before him, Shunkō was unquestionably the better choice.
Most importantly, these two techniques didn't seem mutually exclusive...
Imagining that scene sent a chill down Aizen's spine.
After throwing a punch, Satoru didn't give the shadow any chance to recover.
Unlike Sōkotsu, which harmed the enemy at great cost to oneself, Shunkō placed almost no burden on him—it just consumed Reiatsu rapidly.
Therefore, he unleashed a torrential onslaught on the shadow without any restraint.
Soon, the shadow completely lost its ability to resist.
With Satoru's final punch, it twisted and vanished into the air.
Satoru: "?"
As the shadow disappeared, he could feel that his Zanpakutō, which he had set aside, was once again filled with something.
The problem was, he didn't feel like he had learned Bankai.
Seeing Aizen approach with a Flash Step, he explained the situation.
Hearing this, Aizen also showed a puzzled expression.
According to the design and testing he and Kisuke had conducted, the effects of the Tenshintai were supposed to be reliable.
As long as one defeated the materialized Zanpakutō from the Tenshintai, they should be able to learn Bankai.
How could it have no effect?
After thinking for a few seconds, he spoke:
"It might be a quality control issue... Let's try another one."
"After all, with your strength, defeating your Zanpakutō shouldn't be a problem."
Satoru nodded.
He thought the same.
And so, he quickly summoned the shadow again.
This time, the shadow appeared even more faint than before.
The moment it appeared, it began to twist.
Satoru paid no mind and charged forward, throwing punches.
If his Zanpakutō refused to teach him Bankai, he would just keep beating it until it agreed!
Amidst dazzling blue flames, Satoru once again defeated his Zanpakutō.
Then came the third time, and the fourth.
For some reason, Satoru grew more spirited with each fight.
It wasn't due to any sadistic tendencies, but he gradually felt as though something inside the shadow was cooperating with him.
Working from the inside and outside, they were perfectly in sync.
Every time he struck, a force from within the shadow also struck outward.
Could it be that he was about to awaken some new special ability?
Satoru felt quite expectant.
And so, in the blink of an eye, he summoned his Zanpakutō for the seventh time.
This time, the shadow he summoned was so faint it was on the verge of dissipating.
Seeing the pitiful state of the shadow, Satoru shook his head.
"You look pretty miserable."
"Fine, if I still can't learn Bankai after beating you this time, I'll give up for now."
"Abusing my Zanpakutō isn't right anyway."
"At worst, I'll just accept that I only know Shikai."
"Don't be too upset. Even if your abilities are pretty ordinary, it's not a big deal. You can support me in the future, and I'll carry you."
Hearing Satoru's words, the shadow twisted violently.
Satoru thought his Zanpakutō was expressing resentment.
He was about to offer more comfort.
But then, suddenly, he saw a blade wreathed in blue flames pierce out from within the shadow!
Satoru: "?"
His eyes widened, and he wore an expression as if he'd seen a ghost.
The next second, the blade blazing with blue flames suddenly slashed upward, as if splitting the shadow from within, cleaving it in two!
Under Satoru's astonished gaze, the shadow, as if having fulfilled some purpose, abruptly soared into the air in its bisected form.
Mid-air, the shadow fragmented into countless black specks of light, scattering in all directions like raindrops.
Each "raindrop" transformed into a blade condensed from shadow, embedding itself into the ground with a series of sharp whooshes.
In an instant, the surrounding ground was densely studded with these shadow-forged blades.
And where it had stood just moments before, a figure now stood quietly.
A girl.
She had fiery red hair and wore a long crimson dress.
Her entire body was enveloped in blue flames, similar to Satoru's.
Coiled around her arms were layers of chains.
At the ends of the chains were two menacingly designed short swords, gripped firmly in her hands.
Gazing at the utterly bewildered Satoru, frozen in place, the girl slowly curled her lips into a ferocious grin, as if suppressed for an immeasurably long time.
"Satoru..."
"Thank you for finally breaking the shackles of the 'Kagekitae-no-Kokuen (Shadow Forged)'."
"I'm just an ordinary Zanpakutō, my apologies."
"Come, let me show you what an ordinary Zanpakutō is capable of!"
The moment her words fell, she swung her arm.
A short sword, trailing a long chain, instantly shot toward Satoru's face!