The Origin of Zanpakuto

Early the next morning.

As Akira slowly opened his eyes, what appeared in them was yearning for life and peace... along with several strands of exhaustion from being pushed beyond his limits.

He truly... could not move anymore. His mind was completely done.

One night. Nine times.

Last night's Shinra Bansho had seemed completely unhinged. In a single night, she had turned Akira into jam nine times.

If things kept developing at this rate, Shinra Bansho might become some terrifying, pure little jam press.

Normally, because Akira needed to hide his strength, he could only use this method to accumulate combat experience, familiarize himself with Shinra Bansho's abilities, and slowly attempt to win Shinra Bansho over so she would submit, allowing him to further master his Zanpakuto's Bankai.

Even so, Akira understood that for most captain-class Shinigami, mastering a Zanpakuto's Bankai often required decades or even a hundred years, slowly bringing the Zanpakuto into complete submission.

Aside from a very small number of geniuses or cheat-level anomalies, under normal circumstances, very few Shinigami could master Bankai in an extremely short span of only a few years.

'But with Shinra Bansho's terrifying frequency and combat ability... is that really reasonable? And for now, I cannot see any possibility of forcing Shinra Bansho to submit through raw strength.'

A trace of doubt crossed Akira's mind. Shinra Bansho's mention of the "true power" also concerned him.

Those words made Akira feel as if he might have made some fundamental mistake in his understanding of Shinra Bansho.

Could he have misunderstood the meaning of the name Shinra Bansho?

Shinra Bansho. It could not secretly mean something ridiculous, could it?

"I hate people who leave half their meaning unsaid. They are just like novel authors who cut chapters at the worst possible place. They all deserve to be dragged out and buried in the ground..."

Akira could not help muttering. Then he slapped his Zanpakuto, Shinra Bansho, several times, as if venting all the helplessness and frustration of being crushed nine times in one night.

After that, Akira got up and moved his body a little, then opened the door and walked toward the place where he usually ate breakfast. Just as he turned a corner, he saw Retsu Unohana and Yoruichi Shihoin speaking about something in the distance. Shao Ling Fon was standing beside Yoruichi with her head lowered.

Although the atmosphere between Retsu Unohana and Yoruichi Shihoin looked quite harmonious and friendly, with both women smiling and occasional bright laughter drifting into Akira's ears...

Akira somehow felt that not approaching them right now would be a very wise choice.

Yoruichi Shihoin was not someone the current young Shao Ling could compare with.

'Stay away.'

Akira withdrew his head from around the corner and simply pressed himself against the wall without showing his face. Only after the sounds of their conversation had completely disappeared did he walk out as if nothing had happened.

Seeing Akira appear, Retsu Unohana seemed to have no intention of telling him what they had discussed. She only said, "You are awake? Then let us set out."

"Yes, Teacher."

Akira answered. Then he saw Retsu Unohana draw her Zanpakuto partway from its sheath. The blade immediately transformed into a massive green one-eyed manta ray floating in midair: Minazuki.

No release command. Direct Shikai release.

After being tormented nearly to death by that jam press Shinra Bansho last night, Akira could not help showing envy when he saw this. Only Shinigami who had mastered their Zanpakuto's Bankai could skip the release command and directly release Shikai.

'When the day comes that you submit completely, Shinra Bansho... you will know you were wrong.'

Akira said that silently, then followed Retsu Unohana onto Minazuki's back. At Unohana's command, Minazuki flew toward the Hakuto Gate on the western side of Seireitei.

Although captain-class Shinigami could enter and leave Seireitei freely without restriction, the entire Seireitei was covered by the protective barrier known as the Shakonmaku. Under normal circumstances, entry and exit could only happen through the four gates in the east, south, west, and north, with gatekeepers confirming and recording identities.

This was Akira's first time leaving Seireitei since joining the Gotei 13. Watching the entire passage process, he felt it was quite strict.

At the very least, it prevented Shinigami who possessed power from freely entering Rukongai and maliciously killing residents there without any fear of being discovered.

As they left Seireitei, great swaths of Rukongai appeared before Akira, who sat on Minazuki's back in midair.

Ruin, chaos, lifelessness.

The first few districts of Rukongai near Seireitei were still acceptable. But the farther they moved from Seireitei, the more unbearable the scene became, as if Rukongai and the Seireitei standing at Soul Society's center were not part of the same world at all.

Although Akira himself had come from Rukongai, looking down from above still left him shaken.

Just then, an exquisite lunch box was held out in front of him. Inside was a delicate-looking rice ball.

Retsu Unohana's gentle voice sounded beside Akira. "Akira, you have not eaten breakfast yet, have you? Eat something. Today may be busy."

"Thank you, Teacher."

Coming back to himself, Akira pressed down the strange feelings in his chest and quickly took the rice ball.

He had to admit that spending time with simple girls like Shao Ling and Risa Aoki felt quite relaxing, with no need to worry about schemes or calculations. But the meticulous care of a perfect, gentle mature woman like Retsu Unohana was also...

"So good."

Akira bit into the rice ball and praised it sincerely. Then he asked, "Teacher, what did Fifth Seat Aoki overlook yesterday that requires you to personally confirm it?"

Retsu Unohana sat elegantly in seiza on Minazuki's back and explained softly.

"Fifth Seat Aoki judged that the degree of soul loss among those residents was inconsistent, but there may be one common point hidden inside. The missing soul portions may all contain intense emotion. That would explain why those residents show such obvious emotional loss."

"Emotional... loss?" Akira asked.

Retsu Unohana turned her head to look at him and asked gently, "Akira, where do you think the power, thoughts, and personality of a Zanpakuto itself originate?"

Akira's eyes narrowed, and he answered, "The Shinigami... themselves."

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