"Is it too late to resign now?"
Staring at the humanoid device in his hands, Urahara Kisuke felt like crying but had no tears.
Before coming here, he thought that given Naraku Sora's personality, he would just charge in headfirst.
Who knew that when it came time for the test, Mr. Aizen—who had always been gentle, modest, and well-measured—would suddenly say something like that.
And looking at that guy's expression, he had absolutely no intention of refuting it.
*'Could it be that these two colluded in advance, intentionally trying to set me up?'*
"Resign? At a time like this?"
Naraku Sora grinned. "Kisuke, you must be joking."
Seeing someone's face starting to darken, Urahara Kisuke bared his teeth and stopped trying to repeatedly dance on the edge of death.
After staring at the Tenshintai and observing it for a few seconds, he reached back and drew his Zanpakutō.
Actually, even if Aizen hadn't said anything, he most likely would have taken the initiative to conduct the first test.
Since it involved potential parameter changes and the possible appearance of side effects, it was best for him—the lead researcher—to carry it out.
Under the watchful eyes of the other three, Urahara Kisuke pierced the Tenshintai with a single thrust of his blade.
Surging Reiatsu rushed entirely into it along the blade. Countless cracks appeared, and a faint trace of red light bloomed from within the blade.
In the blink of an eye, the red light grew blindingly bright.
"Tch, to think he was still holding back."
Kurotsuchi Mayuri snorted disdainfully, realizing that Urahara Kisuke's Reiatsu was even higher than what he usually displayed.
Soon, a slender figure stepped out from the red light.
Wearing a red sleeveless kimono, she had delicate features and a beautiful face. Her hair was styled in an ancient topknot, and her graceful curves were faintly visible.
Her slender arms hung by her sides, and traces of stitching could vaguely be seen at her joints.
She looked just like a puppet.
There were some slight differences compared to the forced materialization of Zanpakutō spirits when Muramasa's ability was activated back then, but according to Urahara Kisuke's experience, this was all completely normal.
A Soul Reaper's Bankai was not fixed; it could be improved through continuous training.
Whether one could master greater power depended entirely on the Soul Reaper's own efforts.
"Kisuke, are you trying to take a shortcut again?"
Benihime raised her fair hand. Her slender fingers gently stroked the air as if plucking the strings of a harp. Faintly visible threads appeared before her, distorting the air.
"Well now, don't be so heartless, my dear Miss Benihime."
A helpless look appeared on Urahara Kisuke's face as he scratched his head.
"Scientific research is also a part of one's abilities. I merely shortened the materialization process just a little bit."
Benihime nodded slightly, the corners of her mouth curling up.
"Then are you aware of a certain fact?"
Urahara Kisuke revealed a puzzled expression.
"Forcibly materializing a Zanpakutō into the real world to conduct subjugation training carries a very high risk factor."
"Because, in your inner world, you can resurrect and start over. But in the real world, once you die, you truly lose everything."
As soon as her voice fell, countless threads floated around Urahara Kisuke. The Reishi in the atmosphere rapidly gathered, forming countless tiny dark red spheres.
Urahara Kisuke's pupils shrank sharply.
The next second.
*Boom! Boom! Boom!*
Deafening explosions echoed through the dojo. The ground let out an overwhelmed groan, fracturing into countless fissures as endless flames engulfed his figure.
The spectating crowd was somewhat surprised. They hadn't expected Benihime to unleash an earth-shattering, lethal killer move the moment she struck.
She didn't treat Urahara Kisuke as the master of her Zanpakutō at all; it was more like she was facing a bitter blood enemy.
A disheveled figure dashed out from the sky full of flames. Urahara Kisuke erupted with Reiatsu just in time, forcibly constructing a defense to barely withstand the wave of impact.
His expression was grave and solemn as he stared intently at the slender figure in the distance.
Judging from her performance just now, the explosions Benihime unleashed were undoubtedly one of her Shikai abilities, [Playing with Fire].
But during their conversation just now, he had only seen threads woven from spiritual power surging around them. He hadn't noticed any signs of Shikai at all.
Those unheralded Reishi bombs seemed to have appeared out of thin air.
Urahara Kisuke narrowed his eyes, seemingly guessing a certain possibility, and tightened his grip on the bent hilt of his blade.
He stepped forward and slashed.
An identical Zanpakutō materialized out of thin air, held horizontally in front of her. The two blades clashed violently, sparking countless brilliant sparks.
The sound of clashing metal reverberated endlessly, and the Reiatsu of the man and the blade covered the entire dojo.
"Hadō #31・Shakkahō!"
As the red and black figures fought in close quarters, their blades pressed together and their Reiatsu clashed. A scorching fireball suddenly exploded, its impact spreading wildly.
As the researcher who understood the Tenshintai best, Urahara Kisuke was very clear on its specific usage.
If he didn't defeat the materialized Benihime right now, not only would the Tenshintai be wasted, but his own mind would also suffer a considerably strong shock.
He wouldn't be able to use it again for a very long time.
There was only one chance; he had to seize it properly.
Without any hesitation, the moment the Shakkahō took effect, Urahara Kisuke raised his Zanpakutō backhand and extended his left hand straight forward, crackling golden arcs of lightning constantly dancing across it.
"Hadō #63・Raikōhō."
Scorching golden lightning burst from his palm, instantly sweeping across the ground and leaving deep scorch marks on the devastated floor. It perfectly struck Benihime, who had yet to regain her footing.
In an instant, dust billowed up, rushing straight toward the ceiling.
No one understood a Zanpakutō better than the Zanpakutō itself. Taking this into consideration, Urahara Kisuke didn't use Benihime's Shikai abilities to fight back.
Instead, he opted for his equally masterful Kidō.
When the rolling smoke cleared, a damaged Benihime appeared before everyone's eyes.
Half of her forearm had been blown to pieces because she used it to block the Raikōhō, directly reducing her combat power by a large margin.
"It seems Mr. Urahara is going to master Bankai first."
Aizen wore a calm expression, stating an established fact.
"Sōsuke, you've misjudged this time," Naraku Sora chuckled. "Kisuke's ordeal has only just begun."
As his voice fell, a hint of surprise appeared on Aizen's face.
Invisible Reishi threads formed, weaving back and forth over Benihime's damaged forearm. In the blink of an eye, it was restored to perfect condition.
Only a few more stitch marks had appeared on it.
"What a dangerous ability."
Urahara Kisuke took a deep breath, his eyes locked onto Benihime in the distance, and said seriously:
"It's not restoration, nor is it some kind of healing ability."
"It's modifying whatever she touches, from living organisms to inorganic matter, and even the air itself."
"The explosion just now was her modifying the externalized Reiatsu to create the Reishi bombs of [Playing with Fire], thereby triggering a violent impact."
Hearing this, Benihime revealed a dangerous smile, and her gentle voice followed:
"You've finally realized it."
"In that case, my hints for you end here. Kisuke, you absolutely must survive the upcoming battle..."
As soon as she finished speaking, Urahara Kisuke's pupils shrank sharply.
The red figure in the distance suddenly shattered, like a bubble under the sun, without any warning.
The next second, her beautiful face was right in front of him. Countless threads wove together, forming a net-like Reiatsu that perfectly sealed off all possible angles of evasion.
One of her Shikai abilities, Binding.
Reishi bombs grew rapidly on the nodes of the net-like Reiatsu, like grapes injected with growth hormones, quickly covering the surface.
"No one understands you better than I do."
A hint of pride entered Benihime's voice. "When I learned you were researching the Tenshintai, I devised this set of tactics specifically tailored against you."
"This is the end, Kisuke."
Urahara Kisuke grinned:
"Then have you ever considered that everything about a Zanpakutō actually comes from the Soul Reaper themselves, reflecting their image just like a mirror?"
"Any problem you can think of, I can naturally think of as well."
Benihime's expression froze. She frowned, then relaxed again:
"So what if you thought of it?"
"Now that you are surrounded by [Binding], and the vicinity is covered in Reishi bombs, there is absolutely no way for you to escape. In this battle between man and blade, I am the ultimate victor!"
As soon as her voice fell, Aizen's gaze faltered. He saw Urahara Kisuke's face reveal a ferocious smile that bore some resemblance to a certain someone.
"Who said I was going to escape?"
"Bakudō #81・Dankū!"
An indestructible transparent barrier descended from the sky, standing before him like a city wall.
Immediately after, Urahara Kisuke held his sword hilt in a reverse grip with his left hand and pointed it forward.
"Blood Mist Shield!"
The end of the hilt bloomed with red light, transforming into a sturdy Reiatsu shield.
A dual-cast creation formed a perfect defense.
Then, under Benihime's astonished gaze, Urahara Kisuke charged right at her, braving the countless Reishi bombs.
*Boom! Boom! Boom!*
Brilliant flames engulfed the entire battlefield. The frantic impact shattered the ground, erupting in all directions.
In the split second before the dual defense was about to shatter, Urahara Kisuke had already rushed in front of Benihime. Under everyone's perplexing gazes—
He raised his right hand, the only part perfectly protected, and clenched his five fingers together. Gathering all his strength into his arm, he used his shoulder as an axis, converted all the power, and fiercely punched forward—
"Ikkotsu."
*Boom!*
Amidst the violent tremors and impact, a brilliant light of Reiatsu shot into the sky. Boiling, intense light permeated the air, rising together with the dust, before finally turning into aftershocks that scattered across the walls and the ground.
Silence descended once more.
When the dust settled, a charred figure slowly emerged. Urahara Kisuke, who had been bombarded by countless Reishi bombs, flashed a tragic smile at the crowd.
At the same time, Benihime fell to the ground, completely losing her combat capability.
On the verge of fading, she ignored Urahara Kisuke, who had defeated her, and instead stiffly turned her head, casting her gaze toward a certain someone watching the show in the distance.
She gritted her teeth in pure hatred.
The next second, her slender body shattered, turning into motes of light that merged back into the Zanpakutō.
Naraku Sora: "..."
*'Damn it, what did any of this have to do with me?!'*
*'That Ikkotsu was clearly something Urahara Kisuke secretly learned while I was teaching Kuchiki Kōga!'*
Aizen and Kurotsuchi Mayuri both fell into silence, then quietly distanced themselves from a certain someone.
"He has indeed mastered Bankai, but it will still take a very long time for him to become fully proficient."
"Moreover, the new Tenshintai needs to be adjusted; some parameters have to be changed."
Urahara Kisuke chugged a small red potion. It was a spiritual power recovery potion jointly developed by him and Kurotsuchi Mayuri, capable of squeezing out one's potential to achieve rapid recovery.
The side effects were very strong, making it unsuitable for mass production.
"However, Lord Naraku, I need to remind you of one thing."
Naraku froze for a moment. "What is it?"
Urahara Kisuke put away the smile on his face and said with a serious expression:
"The Tenshintai might not necessarily work on you."
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