"When I fused with my Zanpakutō as one, I realized something… I could freely use my own power. I was no longer bound by restraints."
Yamamoto could no longer remain seated. He rose abruptly to his feet. Especially when Tsunayoshi spoke those last four words—while staring directly at his Zanpakutō—Yamamoto found it impossible to stay calm.
"Sawada Tsunayoshi … what do you believe a Zanpakutō is to a Shinigami?"
The same question, asked by a different person, carried an entirely different meaning. In the Seireitei, only Yamamoto knew the truth:
Zanpakutō have a limit.
These thousand years had not been wasted for Yamamoto. He had once tried to carve out a new path for the Shinigami, but every attempt ended in failure. In the end, he had no choice but to take a step back—compressing the power within his body again and again until he finally created a new form of Bankai:
Zanka no Tachi.
Tsunayoshi knew exactly what Yamamoto wanted to ask. For Yamamoto, a Shinigami who had benefited from the Zanpakutō his entire life, the answer was something he could never say aloud.
After all, most Shinigami in the Seireitei derived the majority of their power from their Zanpakutō.
Yamamoto had already guessed the truth.
But he simply could not bring himself to speak it.
Tsunayoshi's smile faded. He raised a hand and pointed upward.
"A Zanpakutō is both a key… and a shackle."
"The shackle comes from above."
Yamamoto fell silent.
Because Tsunayoshi's words matched his own thoughts exactly.
The restraint imposed upon the Zanpakutō came from the Royal Palace—the Soul King Palace.
Shinigami in the Seireitei were allowed to grow stronger.
But they were never allowed to surpass the Shinigami of the Royal Guard.
Whether in the name of maintaining the balance of the worlds or protecting the Soul King, the Royal Palace had fundamentally imposed a restraint upon the Shinigami of the lower realm.
In truth, this restraint was almost nonexistent.
It was like the sky—everyone could see it, but no one could ever reach it.
For almost all Shinigami, even an entire lifetime would not bring them close to that threshold.
In a thousand years, only one person had ever touched it.
Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto.
And if someone did reach that threshold?
They would simply be recruited into Squad Zero—the Royal Guard.
Unfortunately, Yamamoto was a stubborn old man. He had sworn to devote his life to the Gotei 13 and had rejected Squad Zero's invitation.
But that didn't matter much.
There was only one Yamamoto.
For any other Shinigami to even realize this truth was practically impossible.
What if someone abandoned the path of the sword entirely?
As Tsunayoshi had said, the Zanpakutō was the best key to unlocking a Shinigami's potential. Abandoning it would require an enormous amount of effort—and even among those who used Zanpakutō, only Yamamoto had ever reached such heights.
Those who gave them up were even less of a threat.
Zanpakutō were a necessary instrument for maintaining the authority of the Soul King Palace.
They unlocked the potential of Shinigami below—strengthening them and expanding the number of loyal supporters of the Royal Palace.
Yet at the same time, they placed a ceiling upon that power, ensuring the Royal Palace's absolute supremacy.
Yamamoto's hand trembled slightly as he gripped Ryūjin Jakka.
There was a vast difference between suspecting the truth yourself and having someone tear it open in front of you.
After several deep breaths, Yamamoto finally spoke.
"Sawada Tsunayoshi … let us not speak further of the shackles of the Zanpakutō."
"I will incorporate your Key Theory into the Academy's teachings."
In Yamamoto's eyes, the Seireitei was already too weak. At best, there were only two people who could be considered top-tier combat power—himself and Tsunayoshi.
If this matter angered the Royal Palace, it would spell trouble for the Seireitei.
Sometimes, ignorance was a form of happiness.
Tsunayoshi rolled his eyes.
"Hey, old man Yamamoto. Do you really think only the two of us know?"
He counted on his fingers.
"The Shopkeeper, Mayuri Kurotsuchi, and Aizen… they've probably all guessed it to some extent."
Yamamoto frowned.
"Aizen, I understand… but what do Urahara Kisuke and Mayuri have to do with this?"
"They're researchers," Tsunayoshi replied. "They've modified their Zanpakutō more times than anyone can count."
"You think they were just tinkering for fun? They definitely noticed that something extra was mixed into Zanpakutō. They just haven't figured out how to break through it yet."
"As for Aizen… his goal is to transcend the limits of a Shinigami. Fusing with his Zanpakutō is a path he'll inevitably walk."
"I just got there a little earlier than him."
"So that's what you call Transcending Bankai(Beyond Bankai)… surpassing the limitations of the Zanpakutō," Yamamoto summarized.
"Exactly," Tsunayoshi nodded. "It allows the wielder's power to be expressed to the absolute maximum."
Yamamoto paced the room restlessly, glancing at Tsunayoshi from time to time. After a long struggle, he finally asked:
"Then you…?"
"Easy," Tsunayoshi said with a grin. "But I'll say this first—my method might not work for everyone."
"That is fine. Please teach me," Yamamoto said with a slight bow, adopting the posture of a student.
"Hmm… this still involves Aizen," Tsunayoshi said thoughtfully.
Yamamoto's face darkened.
How did this always end up involving Aizen?
"Aizen's research into surpassing Shinigami limits involves Hollowfication—the Hollowization of Shinigami and the Shinigamification of Hollows."
"By combining two opposing powers, he can break past existing limits."
"My Transcending Bankai works similarly."
"But I fused three powers instead—Shinigami, Hollow, and Fullbring."
"In truth, that just proves those powers were always the same thing: my own latent potential."
"When the three merged as one, I truly gained control over my power."
"I was lucky my Zanpakutō was fairly cooperative. With its help—and my growing mastery over my abilities—I managed to develop Transcending Bankai."
Yamamoto's eyes flickered.
"Hollow… power…"
He had always been strongly opposed to Hollow power appearing within Soul Society. His decision to allow Shinji and the other Visored to return had merely been a strategic move against the arrogant nobles.
But now, the path to Transcending Bankai required Hollow power.
Yamamoto had to weigh the choice:
Allow Hollow power into Soul Society…
Or allow the Royal Palace to continue restricting the Seireitei through Zanpakutō.
Which was truly better?
"Actually, there's no need to rush," Tsunayoshi added. "My Zanpakutō told me that Hollow power is indeed necessary—but only a tiny amount."
"I needed all three because I already possessed Hollow power."
Yamamoto's voice grew heavy.
"So… must I undergo a Hollowfication experiment?"
Tsunayoshi immediately complained.
"Who in their right mind would try Hollowfying you?!"
If Yamamoto Hollowfied and lost control, Soul Society itself might be destroyed before anyone could stop him.
"Is Hollow power truly unavoidable?" Yamamoto insisted.
"Old man, do you know how Asauchi are forged?" Tsunayoshi asked.
"All Asauchi in Soul Society originate from the Royal Palace. They are created by Ōetsu Nimaiya," Yamamoto replied.
"That's not the important part," Tsunayoshi said.
"The real question is: what are Zanpakutō made from?"
"They're forged from the souls of Hollows and Shinigami."
"There's a rule in Soul Society—Menos-class Hollows must be handled by the Royal Guard's special forces. Doesn't that seem strange?"
"Are you saying the captains of the Gotei 13 can't kill a Menos?"
"There's only one reason."
"Menos are used as materials to forge Zanpakutō."
"The 'two blades' in Nimaiya's name actually refer to the souls of Hollows and Shinigami."
"His forging method combines those two elements into a blade."
Yamamoto's expression changed drastically.
"How… do you know such a secret?"
If Tsunayoshi was correct, this would be a top secret of the Royal Palace, something even Yamamoto himself had never learned.
Tsunayoshi shrugged.
"A bit of guessing… and a bit of deduction."
"Helps when your Zanpakutō is willing to talk."
Yamamoto fell silent.
The explanation sounded absurd.
And yet… it felt disturbingly plausible.
"The process of transcending Bankai requires two conditions," Tsunayoshi continued.
"First: your Zanpakutō must completely acknowledge you—not submission, but absolute unity."
"Second: within your inner world during Jinzen, you must reforge the blade yourself using your Shinigami power."
"When you reforge yourself into a new Zanpakutō…"
"The key will naturally merge with you."
"That is Transcending Bankai."
"Reforging oneself… impossible," Yamamoto muttered.
"Not really," Tsunayoshi said casually.
"When I combined Shinigami and Hollow powers during my research, I stumbled upon the secret of the Sword God."
"The Fullbring part was just icing on the cake."
"I already told Urahara about this idea after completing my Transcending Bankai. He's even tried creating artificial Zanpakutō."
"But the results are only superficial. He probably lacks Nimaiya's dual-soul forging technique."
Yamamoto asked quietly:
"Then how did you accomplish this 'self-forging'?"
Tsunayoshi pointed at Ryūjin Jakka in Yamamoto's hand.
"Old man, you're overthinking it."
"Self-forging is just a metaphor for breaking through a realm."
"A tiny amount of Hollow power acts as a catalyst."
"And the blade?"
"Isn't it already in your hand?"
"In your inner world, the forging shapes the soul."
"The blade in your hand forms the shell."
"When the two become one…"
"Isn't that exactly what fusion with a Zanpakutō is?"
Yamamoto felt his blood surge with excitement.
To climb even higher after reaching the summit of power—what greater exhilaration could there be?
And if the soul of the Zanpakutō were replaced…
Would that not mean breaking free from the restraints of the Royal Palace?
But soon, Yamamoto lowered his head.
"It seems… I have no such opportunity."
He knew his own strength too well.
If he underwent Hollowfication and lost control, perhaps only Tsunayoshi could stop him.
But without a barrier to contain them, their battle would likely destroy Soul Society itself.
Compared to that risk, Yamamoto could only abandon the idea.
"Relax, old man," Tsunayoshi said.
"I told you already—you only need a tiny amount of Hollow power."
"Not nearly enough to trigger Hollowfication."
"Urahara already developed something like that long ago."
"A drug infused with a trace amount of Hollow power…"
"Shadow Invasion Pill."
Yamamoto slammed his cane against the floor.
Compared to Hollow power, he was more concerned about something else Tsunayoshi had mentioned earlier.
"I have wanted to ask this for some time."
"You mentioned something lurking within the shadows before."
"Does it relate to this medicine?"
"And what danger lies in the future?"
Tsunayoshi smacked his lips.
He had talked too much already.
Better to let someone else explain while he added commentary.
"Old man, call a Captains' Meeting."
"This concerns the Three Worlds."
"It's not something you and I can decide alone."
"The other captains are major combat forces too."
"They deserve to know the truth."
Yamamoto stared at him for a long moment. Considering Tsunayoshi's physical condition, he finally decided:
"We will hold it tomorrow."
"I will send someone to notify you."
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