Chapter 325: Settling Everything Together
Hearing Satoru's words, Yamamoto was momentarily stunned.
Then, as if suddenly realizing something, he looked in surprise at the sword in Satoru's hand.
"You've learned 'that'?"
"Exactly! With my extraordinary wisdom, I've already mastered it!"
Yamamoto frowned slightly: "Is it safe? That's power from beyond this world after all. What if there's rejection..."
"Still worrying about that now?"
Satoru grinned widely.
From his body, strands of Reiatsu began to drift out, rising and boiling.
In an instant, it had reached explosive levels!
"Bankai."
"Rakuten Mikami Yuuen!!"
A massive sea of shadows expanded from beneath Satoru's feet.
In just a moment, it covered half the sky of Seireitei.
The sky that had been illuminated by the Gates of Hell and Yamamoto's flames instantly turned completely dark.
On the ground, a gigantic abyssal mouth slowly closed, as if wanting to devour the world.
In the sky, endless shadows gradually gathered to form another mouth.
The gray-brown giant mouth and the black giant mouth slowly pressed against each other.
Watching this scene from above, Yamamoto felt somewhat speechless.
What's going on? Are they... kissing now?
Crackle!!
Just as he was feeling awkward, he suddenly saw Satoru beside him erupt with sprays of blood.
"Boy!"
Yamamoto rushed to Satoru's side, using Kaidō to treat him.
But as soon as he began treatment, Yamamoto noticed something wrong.
The Reiatsu within Satoru's body was plummeting dramatically.
Earlier, to help Katori Batsu'unsai and the others sever their chains, his Reiatsu had already dropped significantly.
Now, to destroy the Hungry Paradise Corridor, his power was draining away like floodgates opening!
In just these few seconds, under Yamamoto's watch, Satoru's Reiatsu was nearing complete depletion.
Once a Shinigami's Reiatsu completely disappears, it's equivalent to death.
Realizing this, Yamamoto became extremely anxious.
But just as he didn't know what to do, Satoru's Reiatsu suddenly began to surge violently, explosively!
In Satoru's ears, a familiar system notification sounded—
[Detected bound target "Sōsuke Aizen"'s power increase, automatically synchronizing cultivation progress... Synchronization complete!]
Satoru's Reiatsu skyrocketed at an unbelievable rate, recovering to peak condition within seconds, even stronger than before!
Yamamoto stared wide-eyed as his disciple's Reiatsu went from nearly vanishing to suddenly returning to full Reiatsu at first-class Reiō level.
What's happening?
Am I under an illusion?
Before he could figure out what was happening, Satoru's Reiatsu began to plummet once again.
In the Mikami Technical Bureau laboratory, Aizen sat cross-legged on the floor, his brow furrowed tightly.
Sensing Satoru's abnormal condition, he didn't hesitate to frantically absorb Reishi from the air, sharpening his skills at the last moment to enhance his power.
Sure enough, as he broke through a minor bottleneck, Satoru's Reiatsu surged back accordingly.
Though he didn't understand how this was possible, it was currently the only method to help that guy.
Feeling Satoru's Reiatsu stabilize, Aizen breathed a sigh of relief and prepared to stand up.
Just then, to his Komamura-like discovery, Satoru's Reiatsu began plummeting sharply again.
What's wrong with this guy?!
Aizen was furious, wanting to teach this fool a harsh lesson.
But there was simply no time for that now.
After fiercely recording an entry in Satoru's exclusive grudge notebook, he sat cross-legged again, racing against time to enhance his power.
In Seireitei, countless Shinigami stared in astonishment at the scene before them.
Just seconds ago, the slowly closing giant maw had nearly swallowed them all.
Every Shinigami was desperately running, trying to escape the maw's devouring range.
The bone-chilling cold and terror would undoubtedly become their most unforgettable memory.
But just when escape seemed hopeless, the shadow sea descending from the sky forcibly propped open the giant maw, halting its devouring process.
Standing above the phantom giant maw, the Shinigami collectively looked up at the sky.
On the pitch-black sea of shadows, Satoru stood calmly.
Black shadows continuously spread from his body, surging into the abyssal maw.
"Captain Mikami!"
"It's Captain Mikami!!"
"Captain Mikami is suppressing that giant maw!"
"As expected of Captain Mikami!!"
In the Eleventh Division's defensive zone, Kenpachi Zaraki swung his sword dozens of times at the ground, only managing to tear up the surface without harming the phantom-state giant maw.
"Vice-Captain! The boss has stopped this thing... Now's your chance to quickly escape the devouring range!"
Several squad members rushed over, shouting urgently.
"Tch."
Kenpachi showed a displeased expression.
This was his first time encountering an opponent that couldn't be harmed by slashing.
Extremely annoying.
He looked up at the figure standing in the sky.
If anyone could be invincible now, it would undoubtedly be the boss.
However, someday he would surpass the boss and make him taste his fists!
Imagining that day, Kenpachi grinned with an infant-like smile.
Then he suddenly made a surprised sound.
The boss's Reiatsu... feels somewhat off.
Across the entire battlefield, people everywhere were looking up at the sky.
Satoru's rollercoaster-like Reiatsu fluctuations made everyone feel like they were dreaming.
Even those engaged in fierce battles with the sinners, covered in wounds with no time for treatment, couldn't help diverting some attention to Satoru in the sky.
Yamamoto stood beside Satoru, expressionless, feeling a Komamura-like frustration.
What's going on with this damn disciple?
His Reiatsu keeps plummeting and surging... What Shinigami could possibly do such a thing?
He swung Ryūjin Jakka, releasing waves of fire walls and fire dragons that incinerated most sinners emerging from hell mid-air.
In the laboratory building, Aizen raised his hand to massage his temples.
No good. Even a peerless genius like himself couldn't achieve another breakthrough in such a short time.
To help Satoru, he broke through three minor bottlenecks in less than five minutes.
Could anyone else do that?!
But even with his frantic output, giving Satoru three consecutive boosts, that guy's Reiatsu was still plummeting wildly.
Aizen was both furious and amused.
Did this fool plan to die here without him around?
...
...
"Kid, how are you holding up?!"
Yamamoto unleashed a massive wave of flames, directly blocking the Gates of Hell's entrance to prevent its insane troop spawning.
He looked toward Satoru.
What he saw was his foolish disciple completely drenched in blood.
Against the Devouring Corridor's consumption, counterattacks were meaningless.
The only way to stop it from devouring Seireitei was to use Shadow Strike's Bankai to create a "world" for the Devouring Corridor to swallow.
In other words, every single moment, Satoru was using his own Reiatsu to create new Zanpakutō, then transforming them into shadow realms to feed into the Devouring Corridor's mouth.
The sheer consumption and operational complexity had reached levels unimaginable to ordinary people.
Though his Reiatsu was repeatedly pulled back from the brink by the system synchronizing with Aizen's Reiatsu, the torment of this constant depletion and replenishment didn't lessen in the slightest.
It was like a person who eats and excretes normally twice daily.
Suddenly, they're forced to have a tube inserted into their mouth for continuous feeding while sitting on a bucket for continuous excretion, with neither process allowed to stop.
They probably wouldn't last five minutes before collapsing over the bucket.
Right now, Satoru was in exactly that state—stuffed beyond capacity above and drained beyond limits below.
Hearing Yamamoto's question, he shook his head and replied in a weak voice:
"I'm managing, but someone else is about to break."
"?"
Yamamoto showed a puzzled expression.
Satoru took a deep breath.
He was already approaching his limit.
But for him, approaching his limits was no big deal.
Practicing punches until his knuckles shattered, straining with shadows, sparring with Yamamoto, being burned by Ryūjin Jakka... which of these didn't push him to the edge of his limits?
He had long grown accustomed to limits.
The current problem was that his Reiatsu was truly insufficient.
No matter how much he squeezed from his cells or absorbed from the air, his Reiatsu couldn't keep up.
Fortunately, Aizen was performing exceptionally well, breaking through three times in such a short period, helping him stabilize for five minutes.
But... as expected, Aizen had also reached his limit.
What should he do next?
Satoru gritted his teeth.
Reiatsu wasn't like a Genki Dama; he couldn't borrow it from others.
Besides Aizen, no one could recharge him.
If it really came to it, he did have one last resort idea.
Since Risō Jakumetsu could cut through the chains of Hell, if he died here and had Yamamoto send him to Hell as quickly as possible to resurrect, then after reviving he could cut the chains—wouldn't that allow him to revive at full health and restart his Bankai?
Such a brilliant strategy—who else but himself, with his astonishing wisdom, could have thought of it?
Satoru believed that as long as he was fast enough, he could complete his great escape plan before Hell could steal his will!
Thinking this, he looked at Yamamoto.
"Teacher, if I die later, you must seize the moment and send me to Hell."
"?"
Hearing this absurd statement, Yamamoto couldn't help but widen his eyes.
He sensed Satoru's current condition and found that something was indeed wrong.
Satoru's Reiatsu was on the verge of depletion.
The Reiatsu that had repeatedly refilled before was no longer saving him this time.
Yamamoto felt a bit panicked, his heart skipping a beat.
"There's no time to explain, but in short, I'm going to drain my Reiatsu completely, leading to exhaustion and death."
"When that happens, you must use the fastest speed to send my Reishi to Hell!"
"Only then can we... holy shit?!"
Satoru was still instructing Yamamoto when he suddenly felt his Reiatsu surging wildly again!
Feeling the explosive rise in Reiatsu, Satoru couldn't help but laugh joyfully.
Sōsuke! You're absolutely incredible!
Just for today, I, Satoru Mikami, am willing to concede the title of genius to you!
Amid his happy smile, a system notification sounded in his ear:
[Detected bound target "Sōsuke Aizen" has increased in strength, automatically synchronizing cultivation progress... Synchronization complete!]
[Current Reiryoku level: Peak of Level 1, has reached Shinigami limit!]
[Note: This state is a temporary enhancement achieved through external items. When bound target "Sōsuke Aizen" loses this state, your Reiatsu will automatically decrease to the highest level of his normal state.]
Hearing the last line, Satoru's smile vanished.
Ninth Potion.
That guy Aizen, unable to improve through cultivation again in such a short time, had forcibly enhanced his strength using the Ninth Potion.
Satoru took a deep breath.
After this incident was over, he would have to properly apologize to Sōsuke.
Finally, with the fourth infusion, Satoru felt that the Hungry Pleasure Corridor was nearly saturated.
Next, it was time to drive this guy back!
He looked at Yamamoto.
"Teacher, help me."
"How?"
Yamamoto asked directly without any hesitation.
"Create a wall of fire to block the view from below. Don't let them see my face, and don't let them sense my Reiatsu."
Though unsure what his foolish disciple intended to do, Yamamoto immediately sprang into action.
He raised Ryūjin Jakka and stirred the air with it.
As he moved, blazing white flames twisted and churned like an unfurled scroll, slowly spreading around him and Satoru.
Blocking vision was simple, but isolating Reiatsu was far more challenging.
Yamamoto opted for a simpler approach.
"HYAAAH!!"
The old man roared, unleashing his own Reiatsu in a violent burst.
Instantly, scorching spiritual pressure swept across the area.
For a moment, every Shinigami's ability to sense Reiatsu was overwhelmed and numbed by his power, becoming dull.
Witnessing Yamamoto's method, Satoru didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
He took a deep breath.
A red glow flashed across his face.
A white Hollow mask covered half his features.
Beneath the mask, his pupils shifted to a dark gold.
The distinctive, restless Reiatsu of a Hollow erupted from his body!
"?!"
Yamamoto's eyes widened, his entire being thrown into disarray.
What was happening...
How did his foolish disciple possess Hollow power?
He opened his mouth to demand an explanation.
But seeing Satoru's movements, he forcibly swallowed his questions.
Under Yamamoto's gaze, Satoru raised his hand.
The entire Shadow Empire danced to his command.
Night spread like water, like sheer gauze, expanding outward.
It coalesced into towering, smooth walls and sharp spires.
Four massive walls enclosed half of Seireitei.
Then, they began converging toward the center.
Watching the enormous walls crushing toward them, Shinigami fled in terror.
But the walls advanced too swiftly—they'd only taken a few steps before being overrun by the shadows.
"GYAAAH!!!"
A young Shinigami threw his arms over his face, screaming, braced for a crushing death.
Yet the anticipated pain never came.
He opened his eyes in bewilderment.
He saw the black shadows pass unimpeded through his body, continuing to crush toward the battlefield's heart.
Looking closer, he noticed surrounding buildings, plants, and small animals remained unaffected too.
The only thing being crushed by the shadow city was the enormous maw summoned by Kenpachi Kuruyashiki.
The gigantic walls mercilessly compressed the great mouth, twisting it into bizarre shapes, stacking it upon itself, its space for existence shrinking rapidly.
The distorted maw tried to bite the walls, but having been already filled by Satoru's Shadow Kingdom, it lacked the capacity to devour further.
Finally, under the collective gaze of all the squad members, the maw was compressed smaller and smaller by the black walls. As the walls shrank to a confined space, the maw inside shattered into fragments and vanished completely.
The entire battlefield fell into a brief silence.
The next second, thunderous cheers erupted throughout Seireitei!!
"W-we're alive!! AAAAAH!!"
"We won! We won!!"
Some older Shinigami who had lived through Kuruyashiki's era excitedly explained to others how terrifying the previous Bankai had been.
Hearing about the abilities of the Hungry Pleasure Corridor, everyone felt a lingering fear.
As one of the strongest Shinigami in Soul Society's history, every time Kenpachi Kuruyashiki used this Bankai, his Zanpakutō would be sealed for a full six months.
For half a year, he couldn't even use Shikai, let alone Bankai.
Such an enormous cost naturally brings unparalleled destructive power.
Captain Mikami... actually managed to completely neutralize such a terrifying Bankai all by himself!
For a moment, everyone looked up at the sky.
Since Satoru had already dispelled his Hollowfication, Yamamoto withdrew his wall of flames.
Gazing at Satoru standing in the sky, the Shinigami erupted in cheers once more.
The shouts gradually synchronized into a unified chant—
"Mikami! Mikami! Mikami!!"
Listening to the chants from below, Yamamoto snorted.
He turned his gaze to Satoru.
"Boy, what exactly was that just now?"
Satoru hesitated for a moment.
"Teacher, have you heard of Arrancar?"
"Arrancar?"
Yamamoto frowned.
"I've heard the legend—some Hollows, upon reaching their power limit, shatter their masks to acquire appearances similar to Shinigami while breaking through their power ceilings to reach new heights."
"That's exactly it!"
Satoru grinned widely: "My situation is similar to the Arrancar... because my power had reached the Shinigami limit, I accidentally obtained a Hollow mask, broke through the limit, and entered a new stage!"
"?"
Yamamoto narrowed his eyes.
He suspected Satoru was talking nonsense, but he had no proof.
Looking down at the Shinigami and sinners still engaged in fierce combat below, Yamamoto gave him a warning glare:
"Go deal with the situation below first. After this matter is settled, I'll interrogate you thoroughly."
"Sure, sure."
Satoru, his face covered in blood, showed an innocent smile.
Yamamoto guarded the Gates of Hell, unleashing raging flames to cut off reinforcements from Hell.
On the ground, under the leadership of super captains like Satoru and Shunsui Kyōraku, the enemies were swiftly cleared.
The first-generation captains had all ended their own lives using various methods before Satoru could help them sever their chains.
This disgusting manipulation deepened Satoru's loathing for hell even further.
The battle raged from dusk till night, and from night till dawn.
It wasn't until the afternoon of the next day that the Gotei 13 finally emerged victorious.
Amidst the cheers of the squad members, Satoru left the battlefield and prepared to head to the Technical Bureau.
He was deeply worried, uncertain about Aizen's condition.
The No. 9 Elixir was remarkably effective—after consuming it, one's Reiatsu level would instantly surge by a minor realm.
However, the cost was equally severe.
After the effects of the No. 9 Elixir wore off, the user's physical condition would sharply decline, and their Reiatsu would drop by an entire major realm.
While the realm could gradually be restored over time, the body's ability to absorb Reiatsu would be permanently reduced.
Even though Aizen was a peerless genius, whose cultivation speed far, far, far surpassed that of ordinary people, there were still limits.
If he carelessly squandered his potential, he might one day lose this innate talent.
The thought of Aizen making such a great sacrifice to clean up his mess made Satoru feel even worse than if his own strength had diminished.
But before he could set off, a figure appeared beside him in a Flash Step.
"Sōsuke?"
Seeing Aizen, Satoru was startled.
"Are you alright? Why did you come here?"
Aizen didn't answer, merely looked at him.
"On my way here, I roughly grasped the situation."
"Truly impressive, Satoru... To face Kenpachi Kuruyashiki's Bankai alone—if they don't award you a title like 'Hero of Seireitei,' it would be unjust."
Satoru chuckled awkwardly. "You're flattering me."
"Am I praising you?"
"Uh, aren't you?"
"..."
Aizen took a deep breath, trying to calm his rapidly rising blood pressure.
Satoru quickly added, "Don't be angry, don't be angry. The credit belongs to both of us—half to me, half to you. I'll go talk to the old man later and tell him how much we owe to your help this time. Without you, it would've been a disaster!"
Hearing this, Aizen crossed his arms, his gaze icy.
"First, if you say something like that to Captain-Commander Yamamoto, he'll only find it baffling."
"No sane person would believe that Reiatsu can synchronize unconditionally and automatically."
"Second, such trivial discussions of merits and rewards mean nothing to me. I've never cared for these honors."
"There's only one thing I want to say."
"Next time, before you engage in any foolish behavior that could cost you your life, come to me first and ask what should be done!"
Without waiting for Satoru to respond, he turned and walked toward Yamamoto's direction.
Satoru scratched his head and followed.
The aftereffects of the No. 9 Elixir couldn't possibly be this mild. Sōsuke must have pushed himself to come here.
Even though he came just to scold him, Satoru, unlike him, was a kind-hearted person and wouldn't hold it against him.
Finding Yamamoto Shigekuni, Aizen got straight to the point and produced a document.
"Captain-Commander, this is a spatial isolation ritual I've devised based on the data from Rennosuke Kamikawa."
"If all members of the Kidō Corps gather to perform this ritual in the Soul Society, within three days, we can sever the fine spatial conduits connecting hell and the Soul Society."
Yamamoto showed a look of surprise.
He never expected that in just a few days, this young man named Aizen could complete such an immense project.
Taking the document, Yamamoto skimmed through it briefly.
Based on his experience, the general direction was correct.
The details might still need verification by the Kidō Corps, but it's already astonishing enough.
"Sōsuke Aizen, with your strength and talent, why have you been content to serve as a vice-captain for so many years without ever revealing your true capabilities?"
Yamamoto couldn't help but ask.
Hearing this, Aizen looked at him.
"Captain-Commander, may I ask, as a Shinigami, what is the purpose of revealing one's abilities?"
Yamamoto thought for a moment before replying, "There are many reasons."
"Displaying one's power can earn recognition from others and fulfill one's self-worth."
"At the same time, it can elevate one's status, grant privileges, preferential treatment, and many other conveniences."
"Hmm... Additionally, it increases opportunities to interact with those of similar strength, reducing the monotony brought by a long lifespan."
After listening to Yamamoto's analysis, Aizen nodded.
Then, he curled his lips into a smile:
"Is that so? Then it seems I truly have no need to reveal myself."
"Because I already possess all of these."
"In terms of intellect, the only one qualified to recognize me is Kisuke Urahara."
"In terms of conviction, the only one qualified to recognize me is Satoru."
"Since these two already acknowledge me, I require no further validation."
"Status, privileges, preferential treatment, conveniences... I've already obtained all of these from Satoru. I need nothing from the Seireitei."
"As for social interaction... Hah."
Aizen slightly raised his head, revealing a mocking smile.
Who among the people of the Seireitei is even qualified to interact with him?
Nothing but a laughingstock.
Watching Aizen's arrogant smile, Yamamoto frowned.
This man carried a dangerous aura.
Such twisted beliefs, such arrogant perceptions—if left unchecked, he would likely become another great threat to the Soul Society.
But then, as if struck by a sudden thought, he turned to look at Satoru.
Seeing the guy grinning cheekily and watching the scene unfold from the sidelines, Yamamoto fell into deep thought.
After a moment of consideration, he spoke:
"Brat, earlier in the sky, you told me you intended to exhaust your Reiatsu and die, so I should send you to hell as quickly as possible. What did you mean by that?"
"!!"
"?"
Satoru was startled.
Aizen frowned and looked over.
Just as he was about to explain, Yamamoto continued:
"If I'm not mistaken... you were planning to deliberately seek death, fall into hell, sever your own Chain of Fate to regain freedom, and use this method to restart your Bankai?"
"???"
Aizen's gaze toward Satoru took on a terrifying intensity.
Satoru widened his eyes: "Sensei, how can you falsely accuse me like this? What I meant was..."
Before he could finish, under his "I'm screwed" stare at Komamura, Aizen had already drawn his sword.
"Apologies, Captain-Commander, let's discuss the barrier matter later. There's something I need to take care of first."
"Granted."
"Granted? No! Not granted!"
Under Yamamoto's watchful eyes, Satoru turned and fled.
Aizen, gripping his sword, chased after him like a vengeful spirit.
Attempting to utilize the power of hell without theoretical verification?
Forget whether falling into hell after death would transform him into something else—just in terms of speed, could this fool guarantee he could sever his Chain of Fate before being completely corrupted by hell?
While pursuing Satoru, Aizen mentally flipped through several "Satoru-specific grudge notebooks" in his mind.
Old and new grievances would be settled today!
...
...
Fourth Division, Critical Care Ward.
Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi, Love Aikawa, Kensei Muguruma, Shiba Shōta, Jūshirō Ukitake.
Five captains of the Gotei 13 were lying here.
Aside from them, there were also some vice-captains.
Such as Lisa Yadōmaru, Sōjun Kuchiki, and so on.
By the way, Seinosuke Yamada was also severely injured and should have been lying here by all reasoning.
But he insisted that as a medical staff member, he had to continue working even if injured.
Unohana personally provided him with emergency treatment and, after confirming he wouldn't die, let him have his way.
Because too many captains were injured, having them all lie in the First Division for a meeting would be too aesthetically jarring, so this captains' meeting was directly held in the Fourth Division.
Besides the current captains, there were also some specially invited attendees.
One of the greatest contributors to this incident, Sōsuke Aizen.
Three of the original captains.
Katori Batsu'unsai, Shihōin Chika, Saitō Furōfushi.
Like several severely injured captains, Saitō Furōfushi was also lying on a hospital bed.
Seeing Satoru, she grinned:
"Eleventh Division Captain's Haori... Hmph, so you're Satoru?"
"I owe this arm to your... care."
She shook her arm; though the wound torn open by Satoru had been treated and bandaged, the gruesome condition inside was still visible.
Satoru nodded:
"What? Want to thank me for rescuing you? No need to be so polite. Once you're healed, you can come give me a back walk."
"Ha..."
Saitō Furōfushi showed a ferocious smile.
"Brat, you've got some nerve joking with me."
A blood-red killing intent, almost tangible, rose behind her.
Satoru maintained his smile, completely unfazed.
Mere killing intent—he encountered it countless times daily from various people around him like Aizen, Yamamoto, Suì-Fēng, Unohana, Zaraki...
Faced with the pink-haired twin-tailed girl's killing intent, he even felt like saying, "Is that all?"
Seeing Satoru's attitude, the pink-haired girl snorted and withdrew her killing intent.
"Not bad at all. Truly worthy of the man who could tear off one of my hands in such a situation."
"My name is Saitō, Saitō Furōfushi. Remember it well."
Satoru grunted in acknowledgment:
"Pleased to meet you. I'm Xiehe Infertility."
"?"
Amid Saitō's furious struggling, Katori Batsu'unsai's exasperated attempts to intervene, and Shihōin Chika's roaring laughter, Satoru made his way to the current captains.
Jūshirō Ukitake laboriously propped himself up.
"Satoru, thank you."
After being revived by the Fourth Division, Shunsui Kyōraku had informed him of what transpired earlier.
Ukitake felt deeply moved.
Had it not been for his junior brother, he likely wouldn't have survived this ordeal.
Reflecting on all these years, as his senior brother, he hadn't been able to offer much help, instead constantly receiving care from his junior.
He felt genuinely ashamed.
Unlike Ukitake, Kyōraku bore no such psychological burdens.
Grinning at Satoru, he said:
"Satoru, that battle of yours the other day really opened my eyes."
"I always thought Old Man Yama was invincible, never imagined there'd be someone as formidable as him."
"Keep it up! I look forward to the day you overthrow Old Man Yama and teach him a proper lesson!"
"If you need some assistance, your senior brother can lend a hand!"
Satoru nodded: "Good, I've recorded everything you just said. I'll play it for our teacher later so we can all have a good laugh."
"Eh?"
Kyōraku's face paled, his chest hair trembling.
Retsu Unohana gazed at Satoru with a gentle, yearning smile.
Noticing Satoru's glance, she lowered her head in a humble gesture.
Shinji Hirako stood in the corner, hands tucked in sleeves, watching Satoru with complex emotions.
That night, had Satoru not stepped forward, using that massive shadow city to suppress the abyssal maw, likely more than half of the ordinary Shinigami in Seireitei would have perished there.
He still remembered Satoru, covered in blood, charging everywhere to purge the Hell sinners.
Regardless of whether Satoru acted for Seireitei, purely for Yamamoto, or for someone else, in that moment, Hirako couldn't help but admire Satoru's courage and determination.
Could such a person truly be evil?
Hirako fell deep into thought.
Shiba Shota lay in bed, giving Satoru a thumbs-up.
He now viewed Satoru with nothing but favor.
Back then, he'd been truly wise and perceptive, stubbornly pushing Shiba Isshin into Satoru's care.
Had he not done so, how could Isshin have achieved such formidable strength at such a young age?
Without studying under Satoru, would that kid have become captain of the Sixth Division?
After this injury, he certainly couldn't continue as captain anymore.
He still had a few years left to live—continuing would likely lead to an early heroic demise.
The Shiba Clan already had Isshin, and might have Kaien in the future. What more did he have to worry about?
Better to retire early and enjoy life!
Mayuri Kurotsuchi bared his teeth at Aizen.
During the Hell invasion, he hadn't gone to the battlefield, remaining in his laboratory instead.
The reason was simple: he wanted to compete with Aizen to see who could devise a solution to suppress Hell first.
Needless to say, he lost.
What was more infuriating was hearing from Satoru that while conducting research, Aizen had continuously provided backup support.
Kurotsuchi felt like he'd been screwed by Komamura.
Unacceptable, utterly unacceptable!
That bastard, actually multitasking and surpassing me!
Why was Aizen born when Mayuri exists!
Aizen quite enjoyed Mayuri Kurotsuchi's jealousy, but on the surface, he maintained an indifferent demeanor to keep up his imposing image.
Just then, Yamamoto walked in step by step.
At the sight of Yamamoto, both the current captains and the few original captains fell silent.
Under everyone's gaze, Yamamoto made his way to the head of the room and sat on an empty hospital bed.
With both hands resting on his cane, his eyes swept over the crowd.
"Everyone, you've worked hard."
"After a bloody battle in this war against Hell, we have finally achieved victory!"
"Once the Kidō Corps completes the barrier, we can permanently end Hell's covetous gaze upon our Soul Society!"
Hearing this, everyone's lips curled into smiles.
After summarizing the various losses incurred during the war, Yamamoto turned his gaze to Aizen.
"Sōsuke Aizen."
"Yes."
Aizen lowered his head.
"Are you willing to accept the position of captain of the Tenth Division?"
Upon hearing this, many people glanced toward Shiba Shota lying on the hospital bed.
Seeing his miserable state, they all nodded inwardly.
Indeed, it's time to replace him quickly. It would be too tragic if he died on duty.
However, faced with Yamamoto's offer, Aizen shook his head.
"My apologies, Captain-Commander. My current abilities are limited, and I am not qualified for a captain's position."
"Moreover, I have deep feelings for the Fifth Division and wish to continue assisting Captain Hirako."
"I sincerely apologize."
Hearing this, Yamamoto nodded and didn't bring up the matter again.
Shinji Hirako's eye twitched violently.
Deep feelings? Wanting to continue assisting him?
This bastard must have noticed something and wants to keep a close watch on him!
If Aizen discovered anything, it wouldn't be impossible for him to directly eliminate him.
Remembering how Aizen had suppressed Kensei Muguruma with just his Reiatsu during the captain's meeting, Shinji Hirako felt a chill run down his spine.
Over the next few days, thanks to the relentless efforts of the Kidō Corps, the unobstructed paths between Hell and the Soul Society were sealed one by one.
From then on, if Hell wanted to do anything to the Soul Society, it would have to open the Gates of Hell.
The scale and preparation time required would give the Soul Society ample opportunity to respond.
As for the most dangerous Zanpakutō wielder in Hell, Kenpachi Kuruyashiki, he would be unable to release his Zanpakutō for at least half a year.
Satoru had completely recovered his usual lively vigor.
Every day, he led the Eleventh Division, teased Soi Fon, and sparred with Yamamoto—life couldn't be more enjoyable.
Under Yamamoto's arrangements, the three original captains were also assigned their own duties.
Shihōin Chika led the Punishment Force squads every day, scouring the Soul Society for any Hell sinners who might have slipped in during the chaos.
Saitō Furōfushi initially wanted to return to the Sixth Division and serve as a mere combatant.
However, after a few days, she declared that the atmosphere in the Sixth Division wasn't the same as in the old days and that she couldn't stay.
After looking around, she, an original noble captain, surprisingly chose to join the Eleventh Division.
Satoru found this quite amusing.
"Saitō, are you really a noble?"
"Huh? What, don't believe me?"
The pink-haired girl grinned at him. "Want to fight and test whether I'm the real deal?"
Satoru responded with a dry laugh.
If being good at fighting made someone a noble, then Aizen would be the first to become a high noble.
After joining the Eleventh Division, Saitō Furōfushi sparred with the seated officers every day.
After interacting with all the seated officers, she couldn't help but look at Satoru with a strange expression.
This guy... were all the seated officers under his command at this level?
Was there something wrong with the Eleventh Division?
Katori Batsu'unsai hadn't joined the Eleventh Division, but instead joined the Fourth Division.
Staying close to Unohana, her former comrade, gave her a greater sense of security.
At least she wouldn't feel like someone from another era.
On the other hand, following Yachiru Unohana... well, now called Retsu Unohana.
Learning Kaidō under Retsu Unohana's guidance brought rare peace to her soul that had wandered through hell in confusion for a thousand years.
During her free time, she often prepared food that Satoru liked and brought it to the Eleventh Division for him.
Regarding this, Satoru happily declared that this was his girlfriend taking care of him.
Though Katori Batsu'unsai found this term somewhat strange, she had to admit that for a girl who had spent her entire life in bloody battles and never experienced such things before, this tingling, ambiguous feeling was quite exciting.
One day, Katori Batsu'unsai came to the Eleventh Division again, carrying a basket.
After expressing his thanks, Satoru opened the basket.
Inside were some exquisitely prepared foods, clearly made with great care.
However, a few of his usual favorites were missing.
Satoru didn't particularly mind this.
He could effortlessly devour most foods in the Soul Society.
Back at Shin'ō Academy, he had used this talent to obtain countless snacks from Sōjun Kuchiki.
Taking out the food from the basket, Satoru happily ate while studying the homework Aizen had assigned him.
Just then, Katori Batsu'unsai spoke up in a cheerful voice:
"Mr. Mikami, do you have any particular foods you like? I'd like to try making them~"
Hearing this, Satoru stopped his chopsticks and looked up.
Seeing that Katori Batsu'unsai didn't seem to be joking, he felt his heart rapidly sinking.
He smiled and mentioned a few of his favorite dishes.
After Katori Batsu'unsai left, he closed his book, used Flash Step to leave the Eleventh Division, and hurried toward the Technical Bureau.