Kurotsuchi Mayuri's eyes gleamed with a twisted excitement, his entire demeanor radiating unrestrained curiosity.
"I had never fully understood how the power of Hollows could awaken such strange abilities in humans."
His voice was tinged with scientific obsession, his mind already dissecting the possibilities before him. Then, without hesitation, he asked the question that mattered most to him:
"Now that we have a case study, where are the corpses?"
Kyōraku Shunsui sighed, shaking his head slightly as he answered,
"They've been detained by the Tsunayashiro family."
His tone was filled with dissatisfaction.
The way the Tsunayashiro family had handled things left a bitter taste in his mouth. They had moved too quickly, taking control of the situation before anyone else had time to react.
Had they hesitated even a little, Kyōraku would have made sure those bodies ended up in Kurotsuchi Mayuri's hands instead—if for no other reason than to prevent the Tsunayashiro from hoarding them.
Even with a mask covering his face, Mayuri's displeasure was evident. His posture stiffened as he spat out in frustration,
"What a waste! How utterly stupid!"
His voice dripped with disdain, his hands twitching slightly at the thought of precious research materials being squandered.
"Such valuable biological samples should be handled by professionals—not by a bunch of clumsy amateurs who will only ruin them!"
Uehara Shiroha nearly chuckled at the irony.
"It's hard to say who's really the 'professional' here," he mused silently.
After all, Tsunayashiro Tokikawa had direct access to the fragments of the Soul King. He had even experimented on the Soul King himself. Compared to that, could Mayuri really claim to be more 'qualified'?
At that moment, Aizen's soft voice cut through the room, carrying a tone of false righteousness.
"Captain Kurotsuchi, desecrating another's corpse is an act of profound disrespect. This is not the kind of power we should be seeking."
He spoke gently, his voice carrying the weight of an honorable leader.
"As the balancers of the Three Realms, our greatest power is not found in forbidden research, but in our calm minds and tolerant hearts."
Uehara Shiroha almost burst out laughing.
"Aizen, do you not feel even a little embarrassed saying that?!"
The man who manipulated, betrayed, and murdered countless souls—the same Aizen Sōsuke who sought to usurp the Spirit King's throne—was now preaching about morality and balance?
It was almost too much to handle.
Kurotsuchi Mayuri, however, had no patience for such nonsense. His disgust was evident as he shot Aizen a sharp glare and snapped,
"Captain Aizen, spare me the childish idealism. Your words might work on naïve recruits, but do not waste them on me."
Ichimaru Gin chuckled, his fox-like grin widening as he added,
"Still the same as ever, Captain Aizen. Always so...naïve."
There was a mocking edge to his words, one that suggested he knew exactly what Aizen was playing at.
To others, Gin's casual arrogance made it seem as though he had forgotten Aizen's favor in recommending him for captaincy.
But Aizen, ever the perfect actor, didn't even flinch at Gin's sarcasm.
Instead, he maintained his gentle smile, reinforcing the image of a calm, rational leader.
Kyōraku Shunsui let out a deep sigh, taking a long sip of sake before speaking.
"Captain Aizen is really... kindhearted, isn't he?"
Though his words sounded admiring, his gaze was filled with deep suspicion—as if he were searching for cracks in Aizen's carefully constructed persona.
Watching this, Uehara Shiroha smirked inwardly.
He completely understood why Kyōraku was hesitating.
Even though he had already reached an agreement with Aizen, the man's flawless performance was still unsettling. No matter the situation, Aizen always remained poised, always exuding an air of righteousness.
This level of acting was borderline terrifying.
In truth, the only reason Hirako Shinji ever suspected Aizen in the first place was because of a unique detail—the reaction of his Zanpakutō, Sakanade.
As an illusion-type Zanpakutō, Sakanade would behave oddly whenever it encountered Kyōka Suigetsu.
That was the only reason Shinji even questioned Aizen's facade.
Without that, he would have fooled them all.
For now, though, Uehara Shiroha was content to simply watch the show unfold.
Most of the thirteen captains sitting before him were wearing "masks" of their own, and that was just as amusing to him as anything else.
Still, Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni had no patience for drawn-out discussions.
With a sharp thud, he struck his cane against the ground, bringing the meeting back to order.
"Enough."
His deep, commanding voice filled the room, carrying the weight of an absolute decision.
"As Captain-Commander, I issue the following order:
"From this day forward, the human known as Ginjo Kūgo shall be stripped of his status as a Substitute Shinigami."
"Furthermore, an official wanted order shall be issued for his immediate capture."
"This meeting is dismissed."
With that, the matter was sealed.
And yet...
No captains were assigned to hunt Ginjo Kūgo down.
Everyone could see through the old man's intentions—despite his harsh words, Yamamoto had no desire to spill unnecessary blood.
Uehara Shiroha narrowed his eyes slightly as he glanced in Aizen's direction.
Aizen's gaze was thoughtful, calculating.
"So, even now, he's already considering his future plans against the old man, huh?"
Uehara wasn't surprised.
Aizen was a man of ambition, after all.
And seeing Aizen move forward with his "business," Uehara Shiroha figured he shouldn't fall behind, either.
He already had a clear course of action in mind.
A Few Days Later...
Uehara Shiroha turned his attention toward the Human World.
He had no interest in Ginjo Kūgo or the Soul King fragments—not for the time being.
But he did have an interest in someone else.
A specific individual...
The owner of the Saketsu [Soul king Binding Chain]
For days, he monitored the events unfolding in the World of the Living.
And then, finally...
On a dark, quiet night, under the sparse glow of streetlights, a blue-haired girl stumbled out of a room, her delicate figure draped in shadows.
As she stepped into the dimly lit streets, a tall man wearing glasses appeared before her. His expression was gentle.
Then, a voice rang out behind her.
"Follow me."
She turned around sharply.
There stood Uehara Shiroha, his presence calm yet absolute.
The girl hesitated for a moment before obediently following him outside.
Her voice was soft—confused and uncertain.
"My name is Michibane... Aura Michibane."
She looked up at him, her blue eyes clouded with hesitation.
"Do you...know my father?"
Her words lingered in the air, a question that carried both innocence and deep-rooted loneliness.
Uehara Shiroha met the girl's gaze, his expression unreadable.
"My name is Uehara Shiroha."
Then, in a tone as casual as discussing the weather, he added,
"Unfortunately, your father is dead."
The words were delivered with calm detachment, but Aura Michibane did not flinch.
Perhaps she did not truly comprehend the weight of those words.
Instead, she looked around, her blue eyes wide with childlike confusion, as she softly murmured,
"Do you like the world you see?"
The question seemed alien to her.
At this moment, Aura Michibane was not yet the powerful figure she would one day become—not yet the leader of 700,000 devoted followers.
Right now, she was just a girl—a fragile existence who knew nothing of the world beyond the walls she had lived in.
"What does 'like' mean?" she asked hesitantly.
Her voice carried no curiosity—only emptiness.
Uehara Shiroha observed her carefully.
As a Fullbringer, one's special ability was deeply linked to their favorite object—a manifestation of their spiritual essence.
But Michibane had no such object.
Her mother had died giving birth to her, attacked by a Hollow in her final moments.
Fearing that she, too, would be hunted, her father had locked her away in a basement, shielding her from the outside world.
Her life had consisted of nothing but isolation and training.
She had never formed attachments.
Never held something precious.
Never developed a reason to exist.
Her world was a blank slate—and so was her soul.
Uehara Shiroha smiled slightly, his tone both reassuring and absolute.
"It doesn't matter."
His voice was calm, unwavering—as if stating an undeniable truth.
"Even if you don't have something you like yet, as long as you keep moving forward, you'll eventually find something. Just like how I found you at this very moment."
He extended his hand slightly, as if offering her something invisible yet vital.
"That is the meaning of life."
"So just follow me. As long as you do, you'll never be lost."
Michibane stared at him.
Unlike the obvious naïveté in the eyes of Rukia or Hinamori Momo, this girl's gaze was different.
Her eyes were not innocent—they were empty.
Blank.
Like a sheet of pure white paper, untouched by the world.
A perfect canvas, ready to be painted with whatever colors he chose.
Honestly, even a rookie manipulator could take advantage of someone like her.
And Uehara Shiroha was far from a rookie.
Michibane lowered her gaze for a moment before nodding.
"I just… don't want you to suddenly disappear."
Her voice was soft, almost pleading.
"Not like my mother. Not like my father."
She didn't fully understand death, but she understood loss.
Her father's words had drilled fear into her soul—the fear of emptiness, of being abandoned.
"You don't have to worry about that." Uehara Shiroha's gaze softened slightly.
Then, with complete confidence, he stated,
"I won't die."
Aura Michibane blinked.
There was no arrogance or hesitation in his words.
He had said it as if it were a fact written into the laws of the universe.
Watching the girl carefully, Uehara Shiroha nodded to himself.
Right now, she may have seemed like a mere child, but he knew her future potential.
Decades from now, she would stand at the pinnacle of power.
With her mastery of Fullbring, she would become an equal to Aizen and Unohana in Bankai form—a formidable force capable of standing against the greatest of Soul Society's elites.
It was, of course, due to her exceptional talent.
But her true advantage lay in the Saketsu.
This unique existence was closely tied to the very essence of spiritual power.
Her ability to manipulate Reiatsu surpassed even the most advanced Soul Reapers.
She could dissolve into mist, evading nearly all physical attacks—a technique that allowed her to counter even Kyōka Suigetsu's illusions in the future.
And now?
This beautiful, powerful, and fiercely loyal girl belonged to him.
Not Tsunayashiro Tokinada.
Not any other schemer in Soul Society.
Him.
At that moment, a familiar system notification echoed in his mind.
A new mission had been triggered.
[Mission Alert]
[Special Mission (13) - Obtain the Enrakyōten]
🔹 Divine weapons should belong to the virtuous.
🔹 The Tsunayashiro family is unworthy of possessing an artifact as sacred as the Enrakyōten.
🔹 Host, for the sake of justice, claim the Tsunayashiro heirloom Zanpakuto.
Reward: Random ability or item.
Uehara Shiroha raised an eyebrow, pleased.
"Perfect timing."
The Enrakyōten was no ordinary Zanpakutō.
Like the Hakkyōken [Divine Sword, Eight-Mirror Sword] of the Ise family and Ichibē Hyōsube, it was an ancient artifact that existed long before Zanpakutō were ever created.
the Enrakyōten ability?
The power to copy and simultaneously wield all Zanpakuti power it had witnessed.
If the wielder had seen Kyōka Suigetsu, they could use it.
If they had seen Senbonzakura, they could unleash it.
Even multiple Shikai could be activated at once.
Its power and versatility were second to none.
But it came at a price.
Like all Shinken held by the Four Noble Houses of Soul Society, Enrakyōten is also a cursed sword which indiscriminately drains away the Reiatsu from its wielder at a steady pace until the owner either relinquishes the sword or they die.
Therefore, it can only be wielded by an individual with a strong enough reiatsu that can stave off the curse long enough to make effective use of the blade.
Not an issue for someone with enough trump cards.
But the Tsunayashiro family having this weapon?
Unacceptable.
This divine weapon would not belong to them.
It would belong to him.
With the mission perfectly aligning with his plans, Uehara Shiroha's mood improved.
Glancing at Aura Michibane, he spoke with a casual grin,
"You must be hungry, right?"
The girl blinked, hesitating before nodding slightly.
"Then let's go." Uehara Shiroha turned toward the city lights.
"It's time for a feast."
As the two of them stepped away, the ghost barrier surrounding the area slowly dissipated.
At the same time, Seireitei's surveillance equipment flickered back to life.
The Video Hall's monitoring systems resumed normal function.
Tsunayashiro Tokinada's Rage
"Where is that girl?"
Tsunayashiro Tokinada's voice was sharp and seething with rage as he stared at the now-empty screen before him. His expression twisted into something almost inhuman, his teeth grinding audibly.
His perfect tool, his flawless pawn, was gone.
He had been watching Aura Michibane for a long time, waiting for the moment when she would break down, when her despair would leave her with no choice but to submit.
The moment she stepped outside, he had planned to ensnare her completely.
And yet—
"She disappeared."
Moments ago, she had been fast asleep in her room—under constant surveillance.
But now?
Vanished.
One of the technicians, his voice trembling, hesitantly reported,
"Forgive me, Master Tokinada… It seems there was a malfunction with our equipment. We are currently unable to track her location."
The room fell deathly silent.
Then—
"Hahahaha!"
Tsunayashiro Tokinada threw his head back in laughter, his tone both shallow and deranged.
"Is that so? Is that how it is?!"
His shoulders shook as he continued laughing, but his eyes—his crazed, murderous eyes—told a different story.
"This world just keeps getting crazier and uglier, doesn't it?"
The technicians in the room bowed their heads low, their bodies trembling.
None of them dared to speak.
None of them dared to breathe too loudly.
Tsunayashiro Tokinada was a noble, a man of unquestionable authority and power.
To offend him meant only one thing—death.
Meanwhile, in the palace of Las Noches, three figures sat together once more—Aizen Sōsuke, Tōsen Kaname, and Ichimaru Gin.
Ichimaru Gin, ever the mischievous fox, tilted his head slightly, his usual sly grin in place.
"Captain Aizen, the power of the present is also quite impressive."
His tone was casual, but there was an edge of curiosity in his voice.
"Aren't you even the slightest bit interested? Doesn't it seem like a waste for such power to be left in the hands of the Tsunayashiro family?"
At the mention of the Tsunayashiro family, Tōsen Kaname's frown deepened.
His disgust was palpable.
Aizen, however, merely smiled, exuding his usual aura of calm superiority.
"The so-called Fullbringers are nothing more than humans infused with fragments of the Soul King."
His voice was smooth and unbothered, as if discussing insignificant trivia.
"Long ago, the ancestors of the five great noble families were the ones who attacked the Soul King, binding him in chains and sealing him into a wedge that maintains the world's balance."
His gaze flickered slightly, as if recalling ancient records he had studied in the Great Spirit Book Corridor.
"They possessed transcendent power, enough to restructure the realms themselves. And yet, despite their overwhelming might, even they chose not to keep the Soul King's organs for study."
He paused, letting his words settle before adding,
"Instead, they crushed them and scattered the fragments across the Three Realms."
Gin narrowed his eyes, his grin widening slightly.
"Oh? Now that's interesting."
Aizen chuckled, shaking his head slightly.
"If the original Tsunayashiro ancestor, with all his power, could not comprehend the secrets of the Soul King, then it is even more impossible for the corrupt fools of today's Tsunayashiro family to succeed."
The ancestor of the Tsunayashiro family had been the most radical among the noble houses.
Despite possessing immense strength, he had been paranoid and consumed by fear.
Especially toward the Soul King's power of annihilation.
So he had ensured that the Soul King's fragments were scattered, never to be controlled by one individual.
It was then that Aizen had come to a realization.
"The path of the Soul King… is a dead end."
If the Soul King's power could be so easily tamed, then he wouldn't be the Soul King.
And if even the ancestors of Tsunayashiro—those closest to the Soul King's power—had abandoned the idea of wielding it, then there was no value in chasing after it now.
And so, Aizen had no interest in Fullbringers.
Tōsen Kaname's lips pressed into a tight line, his voice heavy with disgust.
"This is an unquestionable act of evil."
If he had sight, his eyes would have burned with fury.
The Tsunayashiro family and their history of sins—this was the true rot within Soul Society.
Ichimaru Gin, ever the instigator, hummed in amusement.
"Ahh, I see. So the Five Great Nobles are the original villains here? No wonder my old classmate has such a grudge against them."
Then, with a smirk, he added,
"Are we really just going to watch?"
Aizen cast Gin a knowing look, his expression unreadable.
"Gin, behind the Five Great Nobles stands the Zero Division. Now is not the time to make our move against them."
His voice lowered slightly, a subtle hint of intrigue creeping into his words.
"However… among the nobles, there may still be individuals worth studying."
"Perhaps, in their blood, there lingers some… unique power."
But even as he spoke, he already had his doubts.
The Five Noble Families were weakening.
No true prodigies had emerged from them in years.
Take the Shihōin family, for example—if they still had a captain-level powerhouse, would they have allowed Suì-Fēng to take command of the Second Division?
No.
Their spiritual bloodlines were thinning.
Their glory days were behind them.
At that moment, Tōsen stepped forward, his voice turning serious.
"Our laboratory has been analyzing the residual spiritual pressure left behind by Uehara Shiroha, but we've encountered a discrepancy—there's a 3.9-point anomaly in the data that doesn't match any known patterns at all," the researcher reported, his voice carrying a hint of unease.
"Furthermore, his freezing ability remains completely untraceable, even with our most advanced instruments designed for monitoring spiritual energy fluctuations."
Aizen's expression, usually calm and unreadable, shifted slightly for the first time. He mulled over the report in silence before finally speaking, his voice smooth yet laced with intrigue.
"So, his abilities exist beyond our understanding... Not a Quincy, not a Fullbringer, not a Hollow, and not a Shinigami." He allowed a small, almost imperceptible smile to form at the corner of his lips. "Don't you find that fascinating?"
To Aizen, the so-called five noble families were nothing more than decrepit, rotting wood—vestiges of a decayed system long past its prime. Their power was illusory, their influence stagnant. Yet, the emergence of Uehara Shiroha stirred something within him, a rare flicker of genuine excitement. It had been far too long since he had encountered an unknown variable, something that defied expectations.
The mere existence of Uehara Shiroha reignited in Aizen a long-dormant sense of anticipation, a thrill he had not felt in years.
Meanwhile, in a hidden base concealed within the human world, Uehara Shiroha was focused on training Michibane.
Despite her youthful appearance, Michibane's grasp of the fundamental abilities of a Fullbringer was nothing short of extraordinary. Her level of control over Reiatsu exceeded that of many seasoned fighters, a testament to her innate talent.
However, her most formidable skill—the ability to transform her body into Reiatsu at will—was what set her apart. It was a technique reminiscent of Zaraki Futsumi's Bankai, a power that granted an almost elemental state.
In many ways, it was similar to the Logia-type abilities found among the so-called "devil fruit" users, allowing her to become intangible, greatly enhancing her mobility while rendering her immune to most physical attacks. Such an ability was an advanced application of a Fullbringer's core techniques, a level that many Fullbringers could never reach even after years of training.
But, of course, every ability had its counter.
This transformation could be completely negated by spiritual energy absorption techniques. A sufficiently skilled opponent—one who could manipulate or drain Reiatsu—would be able to neutralize her greatest advantage, forcing her into direct combat.
And then there was Uehara Shiroha's own power—his Stand, White Album.
Against an ability like Michibane's, White Album was a natural counter. It could restrain her movements, preventing her from phasing through attacks, effectively rendering her evasive tactics useless.
However, at this stage, he had no need to rely on such overwhelming force. There was no reason to unleash his Stand against Michibane, not when she had yet to reach her full potential.
This wasn't to suggest that Michibane was weak—far from it. In fact, most ordinary captains in Soul Society would struggle to find a method to deal with her effectively.
Yet, it was undeniable that the so-called " the Soul King's Saketsu" was an absurdly overpowered ability.
Reflecting on it, Uehara Shiroha began to understand why someone as contemptible as Tsunayashiro Tokinada had managed to stir up so much chaos. The truth was simple—it had nothing to do with Tokinada's own strength or intelligence.
It was all because of Michibane.
Without her, Tsunayashiro Tokinada was nothing more than a pathetic man-child—an overgrown buffoon who lacked the power, skill, or intelligence to truly change anything on his own. He was a hollow shell, an empty vessel propped up by borrowed strength, a clown dancing on a stage far too grand for him.
And yet, thanks to Michibane, he had been able to carve his name into history.
A truly ironic twist of fate.
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