"Hey, Urahara!" Kōe saw Urahara waiting for him as soon as he stepped out. Compared to their last meeting, his face was covered in stubble, making him look much scruffier. But thinking back, when was their last meeting? Kōe wasn't entirely sure. Maybe half a year ago?
"You're actually the first one here this time!"
"Sorry, it's just me this time," Urahara replied sheepishly, shrugging his shoulders.
"So she's the truly heartless one, huh?" Kōe patted Urahara's shoulder, ruthlessly roasting the absent Yoruichi. Even Urahara had the decency to come and congratulate him on a day like this, yet the one who always claimed to be the most enthusiastic was nowhere to be seen. It was obvious Yoruichi hadn't spared a single thought for him lately.
*His place in her heart... sigh, it wasn't even worth mentioning! He was probably just a tool to her.*
Just as Kōe was silently giving Urahara a thumbs-up in his heart, the man's next words instantly sent him crashing to rock bottom. "Squad 1 is really lively today, though. Do you know what happened?"
"Uh..." Kōe scratched his head, speaking awkwardly. "Probably because today is my inauguration ceremony as Lieutenant? Did you not know?"
"Oh, no wonder! Congratulations, Kōe!"
"Heh, thanks, thanks," Kōe replied with a dry laugh. *Sure enough, he never cared about me either!*
*Wait, if Urahara didn't know today was the day I became Lieutenant, then what did he come looking for me for?* Kōe finally realized that things were not so simple.
As if seeing right through Kōe's thoughts, Urahara pulled out something wrapped in white cloth from behind his back. It looked like a large board. He smiled and said, "There's something I need your help with. Shall we talk about it in detail once we get to the secret base?"
Although phrased as a question, Urahara didn't wait for Kōe's answer. He simply started walking with the item he brought, acting as if he wasn't worried in the slightest that Kōe might refuse.
*This is what happens when you spoil people! Do I absolutely have to agree? No! Today, I'm going to say NO! Urahara, you wait right there, I need to have a serious talk with you about this!*
...
"Let me introduce this thing to you first..."
"Hold on, stop right there!"
As soon as they arrived at the underground training grounds beneath Sōkyoku Hill, Urahara enthusiastically began introducing his new invention. However, Kōe showed little interest and even interrupted him, leaving Urahara somewhat puzzled.
"Didn't I say you needed to ask for my permission first?"
"Did you? Well, I suppose you did," Urahara said after a moment of thought. "But does it matter? You're already here, aren't you?"
"That may be true, but..."
"Then that settles it. Or did you not accept my invitation?"
"Ahem! It's not that..."
"Exactly. You showing up means you've already agreed, right?"
"..."
Kōe clutched his chest, feeling as though he had just been stabbed. *He makes so much sense. I really am a glutton for punishment!*
"Any other questions?"
"Please, continue!"
Urahara shook his head and untied the white cloth covering the item in his hands. The board-like object finally revealed its true form: a flat, white, human-shaped wooden cutout.
"I call it the Tenshintai, a tool capable of forcibly copying and materializing the true form of a Zanpakutō!" Urahara patted the Tenshintai in his hands and smiled. "I'm sure you understand what this means."
Kōe nodded. A Shinigami communicated with their Zanpakutō to learn its name, thereby achieving the first stage of release—this was Shikai.
After achieving Shikai, through continuous training and communication, one could materialize their Zanpakutō spirit and force it into submission. This second stage of release was known as Bankai. The Shinigami capable of reaching this step could be counted on one hand, and all of them ultimately became Captains of the Gotei 13.
The Tenshintai could forcibly materialize the Zanpakutō spirit, solving one of the major hurdles of achieving Bankai. From there, as long as one could force it to submit, they could truly master Bankai.
"I thought you had no interest in Bankai. So you've been working on this thing all this time. Why didn't you just work harder when you were at the Soul King Palace?"
"Actually, I don't have much interest in Bankai, and that remains true even now." Urahara rubbed the stubble on his chin with his index finger. "It's just that to achieve my goals, this is a hurdle I can't bypass. And then there's the authority—becoming a Captain would be beneficial to my research."
"Judging by your words, you're planning something big."
Urahara simply smiled in response to Kōe's teasing. Dragging the Tenshintai over to Kōe, he spoke with absolute seriousness, "No matter how big the plan is, I need your assistance first. What comes next is crucial, so listen carefully."
"First, while I am using the Tenshintai, you must ensure my safety at all times..."
Urahara hadn't used the Tenshintai yet, but as its creator, he deduced that the process of using it was essentially a wrestling match between the Shinigami and their Zanpakutō. Who would gain the upper hand and who would ultimately submit was entirely unknown.
Because of this, using the Tenshintai was dangerous. It required someone who had already achieved Bankai to keep a constant watch to prevent any accidents.
Furthermore, after using the Tenshintai, because the Shinigami would be locked in a struggle with their Zanpakutō, they would fall into the predicament of being unable to use Shikai until they completely conquered their Zanpakutō and mastered Bankai.
Ultimately, it was a gamble. Win, and one's strength would instantly multiply dozens of times over. Lose, and a Shinigami—whose very foundation was their Zanpakutō—would become nothing more than a cripple.
Therefore, the requirements for this gamble were extremely high. To guarantee safety, the user needed someone they completely trusted to assist them.
To use Bankai to counter Bankai, Urahara looked around and realized that only Kōe and Yoruichi met the criteria.
"Then why didn't you call Yoruichi over too?" Kōe voiced his doubts. For something like this, a double insurance policy was definitely safer than a single one. Was there ever such a thing as having too many tools at your disposal?
"Besides, with her temper, if she finds out you bypassed her, she'll definitely beat you half to death."
"I didn't bypass her. She put a lot of effort into making this thing!"
The principles behind the Tenshintai were both complex and simple. The most crucial aspect—forcibly materializing the Zanpakutō spirit—actually relied on a material called Spirit Summoning Wood, which was what the entire Tenshintai was made of.
This type of wood was exclusively possessed by the Shihōin Clan, known as the Tenshiheisōban. Its primary function was to act as a bridge, allowing a Shinigami to communicate with their Zanpakutō.
Urahara had first asked Yoruichi for this wood, then spent over half a year enhancing its properties, which eventually led to the creation of the Tenshintai. Therefore, Yoruichi was actually the biggest contributor.
"Plus, she's very busy right now and doesn't have much time to mess around with me," Urahara added another reason. But to Kōe, those words sounded incredibly grating. *So I really am just the tool, and no one else is fit for the job?*
"Do I look like I have a lot of free time?"
"Do you look like you're busy?" Urahara retorted, then continued, "For the foreseeable future, I'm placing my life in your hands, Kōe!"
*This damn friendship! I really hate how much I enjoy being used as a tool!*
*But this feeling of being trusted... it's actually not too bad?*
Kōe reached out and slapped Urahara heavily on the shoulder, grinning. "Leave it to me. You can rest completely easy!"
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