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

Forty percent remain.

It took him a little over four minutes to coax and trick Anise away. During this time, Szayelaporro had fully adapted to the acceleration of Ryugetsu, and Mima, who could previously use Kido to occasionally deal damage, was no longer able to hit him directly.

The defeat is set.

Great. Playing a mafia boss in front of a cute girl would make one's conscience ache, but there's absolutely no such concern in front of Szayelaporro, this scum of Hueco Mundo.

So what are you waiting for?

As if finally overwhelmed by the fierce offensive, Mima gradually became powerless in the face of Szayelaporro's slashes, with wound after wound appearing on his body, and his spiritual pressure continuously declining... Everything was developing in a direction favorable to Szayelaporro.

After slashing open the Misty Vacuum Gate with a powerful strike, Szayelaporro raised the branches behind him, and dozens of Hollow Bullets rained down on the hateful Grim Reaper. The latter managed to release a few Binding Spells to defend himself, but ultimately could not withstand the attack. After blocking the first wave of Hollow Bullets, he was engulfed in the flames of the explosion.

A few seconds later, the smoke and dust dissipated.

Mima lay on the ground, his body charred black, his Zanpakuto broken, half of his left hand missing, and he was on the verge of death.

"Hmph, do you think I'd let you die so easily?"

Szayelaporro flew over and stabbed Mijin twice in the lock and the sleep. The latter screamed, first roaring in disbelief, then his eyes suddenly turned into extreme hatred.

"You actually..."

"Ha, as long as these two parts are destroyed, you Grim Reapers will no longer be able to use spiritual power, right? I know that much."

Seeing that victory was assured, Szayelaporro's tone returned to composure. He bent down, facing Mima's resentful face directly: "That's right, that's the expression—I love dissecting my subjects amidst their desperate screams. You should really be sad about your luck, because it's been a long time since Death has served as my subject on my testing table!"

Mima struggled to lift half of his Zanpakuto and swung it at Szayelaporro, but such a weak and slow attack probably couldn't even hit a toddler, let alone hurt a Vasto Lorde-class Hollow who was healing himself with super-fast regeneration.

The struggling attack missed its mark, and Liu Yue was kicked away. Immediately afterward, Szayelaporro stomped heavily on Mi Zhen's right arm, crushing the bone.

Hearing Mima's screams, Szayelaporro laughed even more excitedly.

"Don't waste your energy, my dear test subject. There are still many things waiting for you to experience!"

"You heretic!"

In short, Szayelaporro has probably taken the bait.

Having fallen into such a sorry state, he would certainly not let Mi Zhen die easily should he have the chance to take advantage of the situation.

Given this third-rate scientist's personality, once Mima loses the ability to resist, a full-scale anatomical study is definitely in order.

Scientific research requires a venue, and not just any venue.

Only in this way could he be voluntarily brought into Szayelaporro's headquarters.

His performance just now wasn't just acting; after all, while he was a clone, the pain was real—acting also requires resources.

Meanwhile, Mima, who had come to the mortal world with Anise, was directing the way while simultaneously preparing something big.

After the shackles and sleep are broken, the Grim Reaper becomes unable to use spiritual power.

However, through Ryugetsu's ability to split, Mima can use clones to replace the casting bar, and then directly send the finished Kido to the clone that needs it by transferring spiritual power.

What interesting things will happen when a Shinigami who has lost the ability to use spiritual power suddenly obtains a large amount of Kido ready to be unleashed?

This is interesting; Sáraporo will find out soon enough.

................................................

Let's summarize what we've learned today.

You've gained a companion who will be invaluable in the future battle against the Invisible Empire... You're saying someone you tricked and deceived doesn't count as a companion? No problem, the bond between companions needs to be nurtured, and choosing to force things into a fait accompli under time pressure is a helpless move.

Secondly, Mr. Szayelaporro is bringing a big treasure into his headquarters, and the bombing of our organization is a foregone conclusion—as everyone knows, a scientist's achievements are his life, and such a ruthless move will surely cause this villain considerable psychological trauma.

If you're so capable, come and kill me in Soul Society.jpg

The two plans I came up with on the spur of the moment actually succeeded. It's a huge win, I'm so excited!

Right now, Yama in Soul Society is lying dead waiting for the Fourth Division to treat him, Yama in the human world is eliminating the remaining traces of the Black Hole, and Yama in Hueco Mundo is being carried by Szayelaporro by the foot and flying. The pressure of multitasking has finally eased, and he can also take a break to check the rewards that just arrived in his account.

[Reward: A Beacon of the Soul has been sent. Please check your account.]

Upon seeing this powerful name, Mima from Soul Society shuddered and immediately opened the introduction page.

[Skill: Mind Beacon]

[A technological culmination from a world of supernatural abilities; the world transformation is complete, and it will be distributed in the form of demonic arts.]

[Release this skill on any intelligent being; there is a chance to enter their mental world (the lower the target's spiritual pressure level, the higher the success rate). Damage caused within their mental world will be reflected in reality on a one-to-one basis.]

Before long, he felt a surge of information swirling in his mind, which gradually transformed into a method of using the Ghost Path a few seconds later.

The release process is not complicated, but the consumption is unexpectedly high. I wonder how it performs in practice.

How about... we give it a try?

Chapter Thirteen: Liu Yue's Request

Does a lower spiritual pressure level mean a higher success rate...?

Szayelaporro can no longer be the test subject, since the clone he captured can no longer use any skills and can only be used as a one-time bomb.

There are no enemies nearby, and we can't use something that might be dangerous on our own soldiers...

Wait... intelligent life?

Mizhen pondered for a moment, then cast a wicked glance at Liuyue, who was placed to the side.

Zanpakuto... well, they can be considered intelligent life forms, right?

According to the skill description, this skill requires him to actively attack in order to deal damage.

The decision is yours!

Mi Zhen's eyes widened, and the boundary between her pupils and irises instantly dissolved, turning a deep icy blue.

Then, he felt dizzy and everything went black.

The perspective of Yama from Soul Society suddenly changed; in an instant, he seemed to have left the captain's rest room and arrived in a...

A modern person's room?

To the left of the entrance is a bookshelf, directly opposite is a bed, and to the left is a computer desk. The room is predominantly blue, and a cow cat with half an ear is lying on the floor.

"..."

After a few seconds of silence, Mima sighed deeply.

The inner world of a Zanpakuto... isn't it my own?

It's been such a long time...

This was his room in his previous life.

Twenty years later, this place still feels so familiar.

The keyboard clattered loudly, and the poorly tuned headphones let in the sound effects of a competitive game—someone was sitting at a computer desk playing the game he loved most in his past life.

Mima took two steps forward, and the cow cat named "One-Ear" saw him.

She lazily walked over, rubbed against his trouser leg twice, meowed twice, and then went back to sunbathing under the windowsill.

He turned his head and saw the guy sitting at the computer desk.

A young woman in her early twenties, wearing a white shirt and a pleated skirt, with black hair and eyes, a well-proportioned figure, and a face that is both familiar and unfamiliar.

If we go back in time to his past life, if he had sisters or was born as a woman, he would definitely look like this.

"Finally here?" The woman stared intently at the computer screen and greeted Mima calmly, "I've been waiting for you for a long time—well, to be specific, seventeen years, three months, and four days."

Those are such familiar numbers...

Seventeen years, three months, and four days ago, he entered the True Central Spiritual Arts Academy and received a basic training from his teacher.

“Yes, I’ve wanted to see you for a long time too.” Mi Zhen sighed, sat down on the bed, and looked at her profile as she said, “Liu Yue.”

To be honest, he's the type who rarely interacts with his Zanpakuto.

At the time, he thought communicating with his Zanpakuto was a rather strange thing to do. Even though he understood that there was a consciousness inside, after trying for a year without being able to speak to it, he began to treat the Zanpakuto as "a kind of power".

The reason he was able to quickly achieve Shikai was almost entirely thanks to the "Slashing Technique +1" bonus that frequently appeared in his daily tasks. Since acquiring Asauchi, he had only heard Ryugetsu's voice three times when gaining new abilities, and each time it was indistinct and unclear.

Since there's a system, it doesn't really matter whether we communicate or not.

Perhaps it was precisely because of this mindset that his sword Zen technique kept failing.

This is the first time I've seen it so directly in a visual form.

"Humph……"

As if thinking of something, Liu Yue pursed her lips and finally turned her head to meet Mi Zhen's gaze with a slightly indifferent look: "What brings you here? My... master."

"Please just call me by my name, please."

Honestly, being called "master" by your female counterpart is a really creepy thing—especially when the other person seems to be taking it very seriously.

Mima forcefully smoothed out the goosebumps that had sprung up on her arms and casually started a conversation: "Hmm...like how to do Bankai?"

"That's too early for you," Liu Yue sighed.

"Please do not underestimate my power; it is not something that can be easily unleashed."

"Yeah, I guess so."

Mima shrugged, not surprised at all—after all, even using his Shikai would quickly deplete his spiritual energy, and who knew if his Bankai would turn him into a dried-up corpse in one go? If the enemy didn't kill him, but his Zanpakuto did, that would be a laughing stock, the kind of corpse that would be dug up and whipped thousands of years after his death.

"Then let's talk about you."

As Mizhen spoke, she half-reclined on the bed, reminiscing about the familiar touch: "I've had you for seventeen years now. I've tried to communicate with you many times, but you never respond to me on your own initiative. Why is that?"

Liu Yue didn't answer, but instead steered the conversation in another direction: "Aren't there plenty of people who died without ever getting to say a word to their Zanpakuto?"

“But they can’t unleash their Zanpakuto; they’ve wielded Asauchi their whole lives.” Mima chuckled. “I… although I relied on external forces, you never resisted me, did you?”

“Of course, it’s because of loyalty,” Liu Yue replied matter-of-factly. “My purpose in being born is to serve you, so how could I refuse your request?”

"..."

Perhaps it's because this is a place deep within his heart, where some things seem to be understood without needing to be discussed.

Just looking at Liuyue, Mizhen's thoughts surfaced in her mind, and she saw those things from the past.

Zanpakuto are a very special kind of existence. They are formed from the asauchi swords forged by Oetsu Nimaiya, supplemented by a "part of the Shinigami's self." Therefore, they are born to be friends, comrades, lovers, and mentors to Shinigami...