Bleach: The Path to Transcendence

In the dim and deep underground council hall, Shunsui Kyōraku stood still, holding the letter of appointment as Captain-Commander in his hand, lost in thought.

After a long while, he slowly raised his head, first glancing at Shigekuni Yamamoto Genryūsai, who was sitting calmly to the side, and then raising his hand to survey the sages on the stage.

"Asking me to take the position of Captain-Commander isn't impossible, but I have one condition: Nanao Ise must continue to serve as my lieutenant."

As soon as he finished speaking, Shunsui Kyōraku casually took off the straw hat he had been wearing and scratched his head listlessly.

"Granted!"

After a few moments, a dignified voice came faintly from behind the screen with the number "Four" written on it.

Just as Shunsui Kyōraku received the answer he wanted and turned to leave, the dignified voice echoed again in the somewhat oppressive underground council hall:

"The position of captain of the Eighth Division that you originally held will be taken over by Shūsuke Amagai, who has returned from Hueco Mundo. Captain Amagai, come in!"

"Bang!"

With a loud noise, the heavy door was slowly pushed open, breaking the brief silence in the hall.

A tall figure, covered in dust, stepped in from outside the door.

This person's hair was scattered messily across his forehead, his chin was covered in stubble, and his shihakushō was already frayed, giving him an unkempt appearance.

He strode to the center of the council hall, bowed slightly to the sages on the stage, and said in a clear voice:

"Greetings, esteemed sages!"

After the greeting, he quickly turned his head, his eyes falling on Shunsui Kyōraku behind him, a hint of respect appearing on his face, and said loudly:

"Greetings, Captain-Commander Kyōraku!"

Finally, he slowly walked to Shigekuni Yamamoto Genryūsai, and at the moment of eye contact with Yamamoto, a complex look flashed in his eyes, containing respect and unspeakable complex emotions. He respectfully said:

"Greetings, Captain-Commander Yamamoto!"

Shigekuni Yamamoto Genryūsai also squinted at Shūsuke Amagai, who looked like a beggar, and found that the young man in front of him always gave him a sense of familiarity, but he couldn't remember where he had seen him.

......

Three days later.

In the western outskirts of Rukongai, everything was quiet, with only the rustling of the wind blowing through the grass and trees.

Makoto Itō leaned lazily against a leafy tree, holding a Seireitei communication report in his hand, his eyes scanning the dense text, occasionally making a clicking sound with his tongue.

The newspaper clearly stated: 'Former Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13, Shigekuni Yamamoto Genryūsai, has voluntarily resigned from the position of Captain-Commander due to his advanced age.'

'The position of Captain-Commander will be taken over by Shunsui Kyōraku, the former captain of the Eighth Division. Along with Yamamoto Genryūsai, Chōjirō Sasakibe, the former lieutenant of the First Division, and Genshirō Kotetsu, the former third seat of the First Division, will also step down.'

'The position of captain of the Eighth Division will be taken over by Shūsuke Amagai, a former member of the Hueco Mundo expeditionary force.'

"Tsk, tsk, I didn't expect my battle with Yamamoto to prompt him to resign early. But you've made a big profit this time, Shūsuke!"

Makoto Itō put down the newspaper in his hand, turned his head to look at Shūsuke Amagai beside him, the corner of his mouth slightly raised, with a bit of teasing smile.

"Spare me, Ye... Lord Itō!"

Faced with Makoto Itō's teasing, Shūsuke Amagai could only smile wryly and shake his head.

He had returned to Soul Society under Yekawa's arrangement several years ago, but he never expected that he would become the captain of the Eighth Division under various coincidences. It was really an unexpected blessing.

Suddenly, Makoto Itō put away his playful expression and said seriously:

"Now that you know the truth, do you still want to seek revenge on Yamamoto Genryūsai?"

Before Yekawa arranged for him to return to Soul Society, he had already told him the truth about his father, Qin Yue Ruyue's death, and the cause and effect of the Bakuyōtō incident, without reservation.

Faced with Makoto Itō's question, Shūsuke Amagai remained silent for a long time.

"Forget it, do as you please, just don't kill yourself!"

Makoto Itō glanced at Shūsuke Amagai, this taciturn gourd, and shook his head helplessly.

Then he threw a beautiful blood-colored crystal the size of an infant's fist to Shūsuke Amagai.

"This is the source of all chaos... the Spirit King's blood crystal?"

Shūsuke Amagai said with a slightly shocked expression.

"Squeak!"

Suddenly, the Bakuyōtō, disguised as a steel fork, made a strange sound from Shūsuke Amagai's waist.

"Beast, what are you anxious about?"

Shūsuke Amagai unhurriedly pressed the Spirit King's blood crystal, obtained from the body of the Bakuyō worm, onto the steel fork.

"Whoosh!"

The handle of the steel fork, as if it had life, wriggled strangely, quickly extending a mass of wet, sticky, scarlet flesh.

This mass of flesh surged and twisted, its shape constantly changing, and in the blink of an eye, it condensed into a huge mouth full of fangs.

The mouth suddenly opened wide and swallowed the Spirit King's blood crystal in one gulp.

"Burp~"

Then this scarlet mouth actually hiccuped very humanly.

"Squeak!"

A terrifying spiritual pressure reaching the level of a Second Seat erupted from the blade.

At the moment when this tyrannical spiritual pressure was about to leak out.

Makoto Itō opened the Four Boundary Barrier in time to prevent the leakage of aura.

Looking again at the Bakuyōtō, which had originally been in the shape of a steel fork, it had now undergone a great change in form, transforming into a miniature black dragon, wrapped around Shūsuke Amagai's left arm.

A blood-red blade of spiritual pressure condensed from its dragon mouth, and wisps of sharp aura emanated from the blade.

The pitch-black, vine-like substance was slowly climbing up and eroding Shūsuke Amagai's arm at a speed visible to the naked eye.

"Hmph! Your main body, the Bakuyō worm, died in my hands, and a mere remnant dares to be presumptuous!"

Seeing this situation, Makoto Itō did not hesitate to use spiritual pressure sharing.

Borrowing 30% of the spiritual pressure from the main body, Makoto Itō's spiritual pressure instantly surpassed the peak level of the Third Seat, surpassing the Second Seat in an instant, reaching the level of the First Seat!

That's right, as the main body Yekawa completed its ultimate evolution and its strength skyrocketed, the spiritual pressure that could be borrowed through spiritual pressure sharing also increased.

The Shinigami clone only borrowed 30% of the spiritual pressure from the main body, which was enough for it to enter the realm of the First Seat.

In an instant, a heavenly spiritual pressure erupted, crushing towards the Bakuyōtō that was trying to devour Shūsuke Amagai.

"Squeak!"

In the next instant, the Bakuyōtō very obediently returned to its original steel fork appearance, lying obediently in Shūsuke Amagai's palm.

Makoto Itō grabbed it, blue light flashing on his palm, and a powerful Kidō power erupted in his palm, constantly washing towards the steel fork.

"Squeak!"

The steel fork let out a shrill and sharp cry, as if struggling and begging for mercy in pain.

"Swallow, don't you like to swallow spiritual pressure? Why don't you swallow now!"

Makoto Itō's eyes flashed fiercely, and he angrily roared at this last Bakuyōtō in the world that could seal Zanpakuto abilities.

He only valued the special ability of this sword, thinking of improving it, and it might be of great use in the future.

That's why he temporarily decided to feed it the Spirit King's blood crystal that had already been contaminated by the Bakuyō worm.

In the original work, Shūsuke Amagai fed it the cores of the remaining Bakuyōtō, and it possessed the ability to temporarily seal Ryūjin Jakka.

And Makoto Itō fed it the entire Spirit King's blood crystal.

The Bakuyōtō that swallowed the blood crystal was indeed more tyrannical than in the original plot. This sword could explode with a spiritual pressure of the Second Seat level by itself, but it also became more manic.

But Makoto Itō would not indulge the bad habits of a broken sword!