Chapter 366: Happy Life in the Soul King Palace
"Sparring?"
Hearing the monk's suggestion, Satoru showed a contemplative expression.
Seeing that he seemed tempted, the monk quickly added:
"This old man heard that you previously fought Yamamoto to a draw - that's an unimaginable feat!"
"Even I dare not claim victory without utilizing the power of Ichimonji."
"At your age, to have reached such a level—if you continue refining your skills, you might even join the Zero Division through combat prowess alone!"
"Ah, speaking of joining the Zero Division, your heavy Reishi purification technique already qualifies you for promotion. If not for..."
He suddenly paused mid-sentence, mouth slightly agape.
Ahem, anyway, Satoru, if you wish to advance further, this old man is always ready to accompany you!"
Hyōsube Ichibe'e patted his chest and grinned.
Hearing this, Satoru suddenly recalled something:
"Speaking of which, Kenpachi Kuruyashiki once received an invitation to join the Zero Division due to his immense combat strength, right?"
"When you said I could join the Zero Division only after further improvement, did you mean Kuruyashiki was stronger than me?"
The monk shook his head:
"Not at all. The circumstances were simply different."
"First, the Zero Division was severely understaffed at that time."
"Kirinji had just been promoted and hadn't fully adapted to the power of a Zero Division member."
"Shutara and Hikifune hadn't been promoted yet, leaving almost no usable personnel besides this old man and Ōetsu."
"Second, Kuruyashiki's abilities were exceptionally unique. Even I rarely encounter such a distinctive Zanpakutō. Keeping him in the Seireitei could have led to severe consequences."
"Thus, Kuruyashiki received a special invitation."
"Your current combat strength is certainly not inferior to his. The only reason you haven't received an invitation is due to certain special circumstances."
Satoru made a thoughtful sound.
The monk's words sparked a sudden doubt in him.
The Royal Special Forces should have existed since a million years ago.
An organization lasting this long must have had a similar structure even before being called the "Zero Division."
So, where did all the previous Zero Division members go?
Did they all die of old age?
After brief contemplation, Satoru decided to set the matter aside for now.
Such simple questions could be left to Sōsuke and Kisuke Urahara to ponder after returning to the Seireitei.
Crossing his arms, he looked at the large monk before him:
"Sparring sounds great."
"But before that, I need to warm up first."
"Warm up?"
The monk raised an eyebrow.
Satoru nodded:
"Before fighting you, I want to spar with the other Zero Division members first."
"After I defeat every single one of them, I'll come back for our ultimate battle!"
The monk grunted in response.
"That's acceptable."
"However, Satoru, you must be cautious."
"I know you've had a brief exchange with Kirinji and the others before, but that wasn't their full strength."
"In a real all-out battle, their capabilities might exceed your imagination."
He grinned, revealing an eerie smile.
Satoru snorted:
"No matter. The stronger, the better. I have no interest in fighting weaklings."
"When playing games, you must laugh while tackling hell mode."
Hearing "hell mode," the monk instinctively recalled a certain grotesque monster with a gorilla-like face and massive bull horns.
To be honest, he couldn't laugh about it.
The monk silently added another mark against the game designer in his mental ledger.
...
...
Upon hearing Satoru's request, the Zero Division members were initially surprised, then gradually sensed something amiss.
"Brat, if you want to challenge the monk, just do it. What's the idea of beating us up first?"
"Using us to test your blade?"
For a moment, the four shared a common hatred, their weapons' gleams dimming, the sounds of battle fading into the distance, as they all mustered their strength to take down Satoru.
Yet Satoru himself remained completely unaware of this.
Under the four's gazes that seemed ready to slice him apart at any moment, Satoru cheerfully returned to the Butoden, ate and drank his fill, and slept the entire day.
Early the next morning, everyone gathered at Omotesando.
Seeing Satoru preparing to fight, Kirinji Tenjirō was the first to lose patience and charged forward.
"Hey! Kid! Your first opponent... and your last, might as well be me!"
Looking at the man with the pompadour hairstyle before him, Satoru was slightly taken aback.
"Last one?"
"No need, no need... I'm just warming up. I won't beat you too badly."
"It's just a regular spar. I wouldn't scare them off from coming up."
"?"
A vein bulged on Kirinji Tenjirō's forehead.
Is that what I meant?
Blood pressure rising.
He took a deep breath and revealed a ferocious grin.
"Fine, kid, you've successfully pissed me off."
"I'm going to show you what true terror means!"
He swung his oar-like longsword:
"Amaterasu Issen! Tenpijirou!!"
Golden Pika?
Watching the longsword's blade begin to glow with a golden light following the release command, Satoru nodded slightly.
It did suit the name.
He also released Risō Jakumetsu and charged toward Kirinji Tenjirō.
Not far away, the other four members of the Zero Division sat on a high platform, watching the two fight.
"Though I'm loath to admit it, this kid is truly a bit terrifying."
Senjumaru Shutara propped her chin on a skeletal hand, her expression serious.
"That fellow Kirinji had his body enhanced by the Soul King's Power, and he's been breathing the high-purity Reishi air of the Soul King Palace for so many years. No matter how you look at it, his condition is far superior to young Mikami's."
"But... even so, young Mikami still has the firm upper hand."
"Over a hundred years ago, when I first met him, he was just a little Shinigami who had barely stepped into the captain-class. I never thought he'd grow to this extent in the blink of an eye."
"Of course. This is my master, after all," Kirio Hikifune said with a smug little laugh.
"He's just your master in cooking... Don't make it sound like he's your combat master. That's just scary," Shutara said, speechless.
While the others were focused on the state of the battlefield, Ōetsu was more interested in Satoru's Zanpakutō.
Despite having lived for so long, he had rarely seen a combination as peculiar as Satoru and Risō Jakumetsu.
The beautiful words Risō Jakumetsu had used to describe Satoru during their last meeting had left a deep impression on him.
Now, watching the two fight, he couldn't help but feel a little puzzled.
"Strange. Little Mikami is clearly skilled with a sword, and their coordination is quite good. Logically, they should be a great pair. How did their relationship get so bad?"
Hearing this, Kirio Hikifune's expression turned a bit strange.
As the last one among them to have come up, she knew the most about Satoru.
Nimaiya Ōetsu's question had hit the nail on the head.
She hoped he would be just as calm when he learned the truth.
Meanwhile, the battle on the field was growing more and more intense.
Back in the Seireitei, Kirinji Tenjirō already held the title of "Swift Thunder."
And Satoru, too, had put a great deal of effort into his speed.
The battle between them was like two torrents of lightning and fire, constantly disappearing, reappearing, and colliding, setting off one Reiatsu storm after another.
The Priest stroked the beard on his chin.
He wasn't sure if it was his imagination, but he felt that Satoru wasn't in a hurry to win. Instead, he seemed to want to see Kirinji Tenjirō pull out more moves.
Why was that?
Could it be that he wanted to use this method to figure out the full extent of what a body modified by the Soul King could do?
Hmm, that's a pretty good method.
The Priest nodded slightly in approval.
After the Shikai battle, Satoru and Kirinji Tenjirō tacitly released their Bankai at the same time.
Both of their Bankai were of the dazzling, golden-light variety, and the battlefield instantly became incredibly brilliant.
The fierce battle continued for an entire day, from morning until nightfall.
At first, Kirinji Tenjirō grew more and more excited as he fought, feeling the thrill of meeting a worthy opponent.
But gradually, even he, with his body modified by the Soul King, began to struggle.
Although his Reiatsu was immense and his body was powerful, that was only relative.
In a battle between equals, even the strongest stamina could be worn down by terrifying consumption.
Fortunately, just as he was about to give out, Satoru proactively called a halt to the fight.
"Hungry. Time to eat."
Satoru stated his reason for ending the battle in two words.
Although he felt a subtle sense of dissatisfaction, Kirinji Tenjirō also decisively agreed.
Was he kidding? He himself was about to collapse, yet this kid Satoru still looked like he had plenty of energy to spare. Only a ghost would want to continue this war of attrition with him.
As Satoru walked off the field, Kirio Hikifune ran over with a smile.
"Master, you were amazing!"
"Hmph, hmph, this is but a fraction of my immense power."
Satoru gave a proud smile, striking the pose of a grandmaster.
"Hey, hey, Kirio, whose side are you on? We're supposed to be a united front right now!"
Senjumaru Shutara ran over to stop a certain someone's defection.
Hearing this, Kirio Hikifune looked as if she had just remembered something.
"Oh, right. There was that whole setup."
"?" Senjumaru Shutara was confused.
Kirio Hikifune smiled and said:
"Master, how about you let me be next?"
"No problem for me."
Satoru nodded.
Right now, he didn't want to know who he was, nor did he want to know the content of his mission.
He only knew that he was going to go on a massive killing spree here in the Soul King Palace!
Back at the Gatonden, Satoru transformed into an eating machine, chowing down with gusto.
Kirinji Tenjirō sat across from him, matching his speed as they both scarfed down their food.
Although a winner wasn't decided on the battlefield, settling it with their appetites wasn't a bad idea either.
He was, after all, a man whose body had been modified by the Soul King's Power, a man who possessed an Ōken.
Could he possibly lose when it came to eating?
Satoru, witness what a true man's appetite looks like!
Kirinji Tenjirō's lips curled into a righteous smile.
Two hours later, his pupils trembled as he stared at the man before him, lost in thought.
The food Kirio Hikifune prepared contained a terrifying amount of Reiatsu.
An ordinary captain-class Shinigami would probably be stuffed after just one or two dishes.
Even a person with exceptional talent and immense Reiatsu would be at their absolute limit after a full table's worth.
As for someone like him, a powerhouse of the Zero Division who had been fighting all day and was famished, his appetite was naturally terrifying.
In two hours, he had eaten food equivalent to more than ten tables.
The horrifying amount of Reiatsu had long since filled his entire body, even overflowing from it.
The bloated feeling in his stomach meant he couldn't eat another bite.
And Satoru... this maniac was still going at it!
His speed hadn't even dropped in the slightest from when he started!
If he hadn't been watching the entire time, he would have suspected the kid was cheating.
As if sensing Kirinji Tenjirō's gaze, Satoru looked up.
"What's wrong, old man? Not enough to eat?"
"If it's not enough, you can ask Captain Hikifune to make some more."
"If she gets tired of cooking, I can do it."
"I'm about seventy percent full now, so I can probably take a break."
"???"
A muscle in Kirinji Tenjirō's eye twitched.
Seventy percent full?
Is this kid... a monster?
For a moment, he couldn't help but feel an indescribable sense of frustration, like he wanted to punch Komamura.
...
...
After the meal, Kirinji Tenjirō prepared to take Satoru back to rest.
But Satoru, sitting cross-legged, slapped the tatami mat beside him with a dissatisfied hand.
"What? Rest now? How can my great Soul Society have a lazy glutton like you?"
Kirinji Tenjirō froze.
At this hour, what else was there to do but rest?
After a brief moment of confusion, a look of realization dawned on his face.
I see, he wants to train?
For a moment, he was suddenly a little moved.
Damn it, no wonder this kid is already strong enough to rival me at such a young age. It turns out... he's such a diligent guy!
He took a deep breath, wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes, and prepared to volunteer to accompany Satoru in his training.
But then he saw Satoru turn his head to look at Hyōsube Ichibe'e.
"Hey, big Priest, you up for some of that?"
"Eh?"
The Priest paused for a moment.
Then, his eyes lit up, and a smile spread across his face.
"My, you should have said so sooner! I've been looking forward to this for a long time!"
A few minutes later, under Kirinji Tenjirō's expressionless gaze, his fellow Zero Division members and Satoru had gathered together, cheerfully picking up controllers.
"Gentlemen! I have come bearing the latest masterpiece from Yuu-tendo... This 'Yuu-rio Party' is a delicacy that must be savored when friends and family gather!"
"Tonight, allow me to teach you the meaning of true skill with an endless supply of coins!"
The Gatonden was instantly filled with a cheerful atmosphere.
Normally, as the aloof members of the Zero Division, they rarely gathered to play and have fun like this.
With Satoru's arrival, the entire atmosphere of the Soul King Palace had become different from usual...
...
...
The next day, at the Omotesandō.
Kirinji Tenjirō arrived early in the morning.
Yesterday, he had watched Satoru's fight from a first-person perspective, which wasn't comprehensive enough.
Today, he was going to study the kid's fighting style thoroughly, find his weaknesses, and exploit them firmly the next time they fought!
Before long, Senjumaru Shutara, Ōetsu, and the big Priest also arrived.
Looking at Satoru and Kirio Hikifune facing each other in the distance, everyone was in high spirits.
There was a banquet in the evening, and a game party.
Days filled with sparring and watching battles.
Such a life is truly wonderful.