"Who revived? Can you just say the name instead of being so cryptic?"
Fūjin Taichi had already vaguely guessed that Urahara was referring to Yhwach, but he pretended not to know and asked anyway.
"… "
Kisuke Urahara did not answer. He simply walked back into the Urahara Shop. After a short while, he returned and handed Taichi a tube of purple reagent.
"The greatest regret of my life was creating the Hōgyoku. If possible… I hope that one day in the future, you will destroy it."
"Heh…"
Taichi accepted the vial, then remembered the other purpose of his visit.
"Shopkeeper Urahara, I have another question."
"What is it?"
"If a Shinigami was stabbed through the heart and died, but later—through some miraculous power—her heartbeat and breathing were restored… yet she remains completely unconscious, why would that be?"
"Hm…"
Urahara stroked the stubble on his chin and thought for a moment.
"Perhaps… her soul was damaged?"
"Her soul? What do you mean?" Taichi asked in confusion. "A Shinigami is already a spiritual being—how can her soul be damaged?"
"No. By 'soul,' I mean the state within the inner blade meditation space—something profoundly mysterious. Even I can't fully explain it.
"But if her heartbeat and breathing have returned, yet her consciousness alone has not… then I suspect the problem lies within her inner blade world."
"The inner blade world… you mean her Zanpakutō?"
At that moment, Taichi suddenly recalled that when he discovered Kasumiōji Hoko's body, her Zanpakutō had not been at the scene.
"I only said 'perhaps,' Mr. Fūjin."
Urahara tilted his head toward the drifting white clouds.
"After all… a Zanpakutō is merely a tool that allows a Shinigami to better utilize their own power."
"Exactly!"
Taichi nodded in agreement.
"It's like the wand in the hands of Harry Potter—just a tool that lets a Shinigami channel their spiritual power more efficiently and effectively."
Of course, according to Bleach's lore, all Asauchi in Soul Society were forged by Ōetsu Nimaiya of the Royal Guard, and only later refined into individual Zanpakutō by their wielders.
But Soul Society's history stretched back at least ten thousand years. Before Nimaiya forged the Asauchi, the Shinigami could not possibly have fought Hollows barehanded.
Likewise, before Senjumaru Shutara of the Royal Guard invented the Shihakushō, Shinigami certainly weren't running around in loincloths.
So Taichi firmly believed that the true measure of a Shinigami's strength lay in the quality of their own soul—the Zanpakutō merely helped them make better use of that power.
After all, even the terms "Zanpakutō," "Shikai," and "Bankai" were said to have been coined by Ichibē Hyōsube.
That meant that before the Royal Guard existed, Shinigami had already been learning through trial and error how to fight with spiritual power—they just hadn't formalized concepts like Zanjutsu, Hakuda, Hohō, and Kidō yet.
"My, my, what a fascinating idea, Mr. Fūjin!"
Urahara snapped open his folding fan and waved it lightly before his lips.
"If you had appeared a hundred years earlier… the Royal Guard might have recruited you already. But I have a question—who is Harry Potter? And what is a wand?"
"Oh, nothing. Just characters and stories I made up."
Taichi tucked the reagent into his robes, turned, and sliced open a cross-shaped dimensional portal.
Before stepping through, he left Urahara with one final remark:
"Oh, Shopkeeper Urahara. I suggest you start researching techniques for manipulating reishi from within the shadows and constructing reishi spaces. You might… find an unexpected surprise."
"… "
Urahara did not respond. He understood perfectly that Taichi was hinting at the hiding place of the one who had revived.
But Soul Society was already in turmoil. It could not withstand even the slightest disturbance. Until he was absolutely certain, he could only observe that person from the shadows.
Pop.
As the cross-shaped void sealed shut, Urahara let out a quiet sigh and sat back down on the veranda, staring silently at the sky.
"Shopkeeper,"
Tessai Tsukabishi stepped out from inside the shop and stood behind him, his expression grave.
"Is it truly safe for that item to be in Lord Fūjin's hands? I can't shake the feeling that he may be even more terrifying than Aizen… After all, he's a cold-blooded man capable of abandoning even his own family."
"It will be fine."
Urahara gently waved his folding fan.
"Something like the Hōgyoku… perhaps only those with the blood of the Soul King flowing through them—the descendants of the Royal Clan—can truly wield it.
"Even if one day Mr. Fūjin becomes a second Aizen… the Royal Guard, as the Royal Clan's special task force, will surely intervene.
"After all—"
Beneath the shadow of his hat brim, his eyes glimmered faint green as he said, word by word:
"Compared to Mr. Fūjin… those old men are far more cold and ruthless."
"I see…"
Tessai sat cross-legged behind him, adjusting his reflective glasses.
"Then… let us wait and see."
…
"Forget that fear—look ahead.
Move forward. Never stop."
"Retreat only brings weakness;
Cowardice only invites death;
Call out—my name is:
'Zangetsu'!!!"
"Old Man Zangetsu, don't leave me!"
Ichigo Kurosaki jolted awake from his faint, sitting upright so abruptly that the sudden movement pulled at his bruised muscles. He grimaced and hissed in pain.
"Idiot!"
Yoruichi Shihōin, now back in her human form, sat before him with her arms folded and scolded lightly,
"At a time like this, you're still having indecent little dreams?"
"Huh? No, no—I was just—wait? Where is this? Why does it look like Mr. Urahara's underground training ground?" Ichigo scratched his head in confusion.
"Hmph. Instead of worrying about something that trivial, you'd better think about how to get stronger, Ichigo!"
Yoruichi rubbed her forehead with a sigh.
"Because… Tsukuyomi's execution has been moved up. It's now three days from now!!"
"What?!"
Ichigo leapt to his feet.
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go rescue Tsukuyomi right now!!"
"You complete idiot!!"
Yoruichi jumped up and smashed her fist down on his head.
"With your current condition and strength, you'd just be throwing your life away!!"
"Ah… you're right."
Ichigo recalled his battle with Kenpachi Zaraki before he lost consciousness.
So that's the power of a captain-level Shinigami… Way tougher to deal with than someone like Fūjin Taichi!
But even if there were twelve more like that, I'd defeat them all and save Tsukuyomi—
Clenching his fists, Ichigo suddenly realized something. He looked up at Yoruichi.
"Wait… who are you exactly??"
"Ichigo, that's Mr. Yoruichi!"
Orihime Inoue chimed in cheerfully.
"The black cat you used to see? That was Mr. Yoruichi transformed!"
"What?!"
Ichigo nearly jumped out of his skin, pointing at Yoruichi.
"S-she's Mr. Yoruichi?! Mr. Yoruichi is a woman?! …Wait—my wounds are completely healed?!"
"Hmph, don't make such a fuss. That's thanks to Orihime's Shun Shun Rikka ability."
Yoruichi clicked her tongue, then dragged over a strange humanoid figure about a meter tall.
It had twisted limbs, a triangular head, and several silver-white markings etched across its surface. It was the Tenshintai—an invention of Kisuke Urahara, created to assist in Bankai training.
"Wh-what is that now?!" Ichigo exclaimed again.
"This is called the 'Tenshintai,' a device that helps a Shinigami train for Bankai. It was stolen years ago… but somehow found its way back into the Urahara Shop warehouse not long after."
Yoruichi briefly explained the Tenshintai's purpose and origin, then proceeded to teach Ichigo about Shikai, Bankai, and the essentials of Bankai training.
"I understand! Then, Mr. Yoruichi, let's start Bankai training right now!!" Ichigo urged impatiently.
"Hmph… as you wish."
Yoruichi signaled Uryū Ishida and Orihime to move farther away, then planted the Tenshintai firmly into the ground and said solemnly:
"Ichigo! Before you begin Bankai training, let me give you one last warning—
You must fight your Zanpakutō spirit with the resolve to die. If you don't… not even Orihime will be able to save you."
"Got it!"
...
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