I'm really not the number one slacker in Soul Society.

You made dirty jokes at me, didn't you? Well, now someone's coming to teach you a lesson.

Nizuki Shigure gently stroked Ryugetsu's head a few times, then stopped smiling, turned around and walked to Mima's side, pointing to the door: "Would it be convenient for us to go for a walk? It won't take up too much of your time."

There was no reason to refuse, since time flowed very slowly in the mental space, and even if he stayed inside for several hours, he could catch up with what was happening in the Seireitei.

So Mima nodded and followed Shigure out.

After crossing the familiar corridor, Mi-jin and her arrived at the elevator.

The two quickly left the 30-story apartment building, strolled through the garden, and walked onto the main street that Mizhen used to walk every day.

Every shop and every plant is exactly as I remember.

Looking further into the distance, every corner of the city is reproduced.

Is it really that vast?

But... there wasn't a single person there.

It's not the real world after all...

After a moment of distraction, Mima shook his head with a wry smile and said to Shigure beside him, "Speak, what is it?"

"Two things."

Shigure shrugged and cut straight to the point without any pleasantries, “First of all, you can’t use Bankai yet.”

"Why?" Mima asked. "My total spiritual pressure has already reached the second level of spiritual power, which should have exceeded the standard for using Bankai long ago."

"Because that's dangerous."

Shigure Uchizuki calmly said, "I can tell you directly that my power is 'more direct control over time,' which is stronger than most Zanpakuto, but also more dangerous. If you don't have a proper understanding of the concept of 'time,' I might just take your life."

“…Alright.” Mima sighed. “You definitely know the situation better than I do. Since you’ve decided it’s not going to work, I’ll put aside the idea of ​​using Bankai for now.”

“The second thing,” Nizuki Shigure continued, “is to treat Ryugetsu well.”

"Ok?"

This was a topic that Mima hadn't expected. He asked, puzzled, "You should be the one who can be with her anytime, so why are you asking me for help?"

"These are some historical issues."

At this point, Nizuki Shigure lowered his head somewhat sadly: "Your soul state is rather special. The two consciousnesses are mixed together, and for a long time, you can't distinguish between the primary and secondary ones—how should I put it, that has aftereffects."

This topic immediately gave Mima a long-lost headache.

Although he has now resolved the problem of the confusion between his soul and memories—and has accepted the name Watanabe Yama—his consciousness is still primarily that of a transmigrator.

However, at the beginning of his transmigration, the problem of confused memories persisted for a period of time, almost driving him to the brink of schizophrenia.

The problem, which was thought to be completely resolved, was brought up again, so Mi Zhen raised an eyebrow and asked, "What's going on?"

“Simply put, I inherited some of that chaos. In the early days of my birth, I didn’t even understand what I was,” said Shigure Gyou. “As a Zanpakuto, this should be an instinct as natural as breathing, but it took me several years to figure it out.”

"I can totally empathize with that."

“In essence, Bankai is the core of Zanpakuto, while Shikai is just a ‘degraded part’ that splits off. Therefore, Bankai was actually born earlier than Shikai, and Ryugetsu and I are no exception. To put it more bluntly, she split off from me. In human terms, she should be considered my daughter or sister.”

"The ecosystem of Zanpakuto is truly peculiar..."

Nizuki Shigure sighed deeply: "But the problem is that her power is far weaker than mine, and she is more deeply affected by that chaos. This directly caused the difference in our development. It's not an insult or anything, but her mental age is objectively lower than mine."

"I can tell." Thinking about how that guy behaved exactly like a female college student, Mi Zhen's lips twitched a few times. "I thought it was just his personality, but the truth is..."

"And so, after I got out of the chaos, she was still stuck in it... I don't really want to recall that time. Let me put it this way, our relationship wasn't like that of mother and daughter or sisters, but rather that of a beast tamer and a wild beast." Nizuki Shigure became agitated. "It's not that I wanted to do that, it's just that during that time she was no different from a real wild beast. Reasoning with her was just wishful thinking; only fists could solve the problem."

Chapter 128: A Strange Substitute Player Appears!

Mima gasped: "So... the so-called 'whip' and 'flagpole' refer to..."

With a somber expression, Nizuki Shigure replied, "The 'teaching aids' from that period."

"..."

"Looking back now, I realize I was indeed impatient during that time." She leaned against a telephone pole and pursed her lips. "As a result, after she regained her senses, she was terrified of me and refused to come out of her room to see me for several years. Even if I tried to force my way in, it would only make her more afraid."

Mima briefly considered the possibilities.

If you've ever been whipped repeatedly with a large whip and were unable to fight back or escape, it's perfectly normal to be traumatized.

“In that case, you should be gentler with her,” Mima said, puzzled. “What you did just now… will only make her more afraid of you.”

“I’ve tried, but it didn’t work,” Nizuki Shigure sighed. “Gentleness only makes her think I have some kind of conspiracy, which will provoke even stronger resistance. Only by continuing to maintain this indifferent attitude… how should I put it, will she get used to it.”

This is more than just a matter of psychological trauma...

“Because I’m in a higher position here than her, she can’t read my thoughts directly, which makes her increasingly uneasy,” said Nizuki Shigure. “You’re the only one in the whole world who can help me, please.”

"I'll try my best..." Mi Zhen chuckled dryly twice. "Speaking of which, was that 'more delicate method' you mentioned just what it meant literally?"

“Of course.” Nizuki Shigure sighed. “I really want to improve my relationship with her.”

Mizhen recalled the first few years after she traveled through time.

Although he is a transmigrator with a system, and generally follows the path of a powerful protagonist, as the saying goes, every family has its own troubles, and powerful protagonists naturally have their own worries.

Aside from the problem of confused memories, the conflict of values ​​is actually more serious—after all, he grew up in the 21st century, how could he seamlessly accept the ancient feudal society of Rukongai, which lacks water and electricity?

The manga's perspective mainly focuses on the Shinigami of Seireitei, and it uses a humorous approach to describe the lower world, such as Rukongai. However, it was only after actually being there that Yama experienced that primal, untamed feeling.

The social structure of Rukongai is similar to that of Japan around the 18th century. The living standards of the people fluctuate around the subsistence level, bandits roam freely, and natural disasters (Hollows or troublesome Shinigami) occur frequently. Although the Shiba family has been struggling to maintain order, they are on the verge of extinction and can't do much. They are powerless to help the lower-class souls who are suffering from famine and death.

As a result, the people who truly govern the lower levels of Rukongai are some souls with a little spiritual talent, but who are not good enough to be Shinigami. In this social context, it is impossible to expect them to have high moral standards. They are only able to avoid being exploited and oppressed by the Shiba family.

Therefore, it was impossible for Mima to live comfortably in such an environment.

Furthermore, the real Watanabe Yasuma was an absolute loner. He died of famine in the human world and had no relatives or friends after arriving in Soul Society. He could only wander the streets and alleys to survive, suffering from hunger and illness for many years. No one showed him any care or love, and the only emotions he experienced in his life were sadness and despair.

These were the very reasons behind Yama's early memory confusion, which profoundly influenced his personality and deepened his aversion to the distorted system of Soul Society.

As a modern person, Mi Zhen really doesn't know how to get along with these "primitive people" who have a nearly two-century gap in their thinking.

He can face the shadows of Soul Society, but no one in the vast Three Realms can truly understand him.

Even Chunshui and Lisa are the same.

They did have a very good relationship with Mima, even one where they could entrust their lives to each other, but the difference in their ideologies still existed, which meant that they could not truly understand Mima.

At least not now.

So when Mima saw her own mental world, she was actually very happy.

And Liu Yue did not disappoint him.

Although that guy is a shut-in and full of dirty jokes, as the saying goes, a sword follows its master. The fact that Ryugetsu behaved that way only shows that Mima himself also has that kind of personality.

So... although she doesn't show it directly, Mima is quite concerned about Ryugetsu's affairs.

Hey, wait...

Speaking of swords following their masters... Could it be that he harbors similar tendencies to Shigure Nyatsuki?

Don't do this kind of thing!

“I understand.” Mi Zhen nodded with his arms crossed. “But if you want to improve the relationship, it’s not enough for me to do it alone. You have to find a way to clear up the misunderstanding yourself.”

"No, you can definitely do it all by yourself."

Mima raised an eyebrow: "Huh?"

"You should have already noticed, right? We can see what you see."

Nizuki Shigure snapped her fingers, and a huge light screen appeared in mid-air, reflecting... Ryuzuki sitting at the computer desk!

Upon closer inspection, the computer screen was playing something that looked like surveillance footage, and the subjects of the surveillance... were none other than Mima and Shigure!

The two images then overlapped and became like nesting dolls.

"That's it."

Nizuki Shigure pointed to the light screen in mid-air: "Because you are standing here, she can hear our conversation."

Mima paused for a few seconds, then sighed, "You guys have such fancy ways of playing..."

"I do not deny that."

Nizuki Shigure shrugged. "After getting out of her chaotic state, she just kept herself locked in that room like this. I tried many methods, both gentle and forceful, but she would only scream and shout in fear, thinking that I was plotting something again. But now that you're here, even if she understands that I won't lie to you, this is the best bridge for communication."

"I see."

Mima finally understood what Shigure was thinking, so he nodded, looked at the light screen in mid-air with a subtle smile, and said, "Did you hear that? Here's the situation."

But Liu Yue just sat motionless in front of the computer desk like a statue.

Mima chuckled twice and continued, "Playing dumb won't work, you must have heard me, right?"

After a long while, Liu Yue's fingers finally twitched, and then she shook her head frantically like a rattle drum.

"Don't believe rumors, and don't spread rumors!"

She shouted, then turned to the surveillance camera and said, "That old hag is definitely up to something again! I'd never believe it!"

But anyone could hear that her voice was trembling.

"Um... wipe your face." Mima's lips twitched a few times, then she pointed to the corner of her eye and said, "You've been exposed!"

"There's sand in here!" Liu Yue quickly wiped away the few tears streaming down her face, her eyes red with rage. "I was here first! You believe everything she says?"

As I said before, anyone can see that she's just being stubborn.

"We have to respect the facts, right?" Mi Zhen sighed and chuckled, "It's okay to lie to your brothers, but don't lie to yourself too!"

Liu Yue was taken aback, and then became even angrier!

"You should just stay with this old hag! Anyway, she's more powerful than me!"

With a single slap, she shattered the poor mouse into pieces, then threw a punch into the air—the large screen floating beside Mizhen instantly disintegrated, and nothing could be seen anymore.

"Oh, not bad."

Seeing this sudden change of heart, Shigure Nyatsuki laughed instead: "She wouldn't normally do something like this."

"Was this... a blunder?"

"No, it's just as expected." Nizuki Shigure smiled and spread her hands. "She and I have maintained this relationship for a long time. Even with you acting as a go-between, things can't just become harmonious overnight—it still needs time."