Death: This Death is a bit unorthodox.

"Afraid of death?" Aozaki Mayuki thought.

He was stunned. It was hard to imagine that the queen, who was willing to sacrifice herself for her comrades and hold off the Hueco Mundo forces alone, would be afraid of death.

Even her opponents acknowledged her spirit of sacrifice!

“I don’t like the feeling of life fading away,” Heribel said softly. “But when I was still Adjuchas, there were times when I couldn’t suppress my animalistic instincts and killed my own kind for power.”

"It was only after becoming a Vastod that I was freed from this animalistic nature and no longer needed to eat my own kind."

"That was to gain the power to protect their companions; they had no other choice."

Aozaki Mayuki shook her head.

“I know you, Halibel. To be honest, Hollows are more extreme and purer than Shinigami. You are not someone who would kill for power.”

"It's not like that now, and it certainly wasn't like that before either."

"This is also a sacrifice. To suffer in order to protect your comrades is undoubtedly your sacrifice."

"You don't need to blame yourself or feel embarrassed. It's not a shameful thing."

Halibel stared blankly at the man before her, who was even more excited than she was, and couldn't help but laugh.

"Master Zhenzuki!"

"what?"

"Please... please live on."

"Of course, I value my life very much now!"

"I don't want to see my comrades' lives disappear before my eyes again."

"I won't let you see that happen," Aozaki Mayuki said softly.

“I will hold onto everything firmly. I’m a greedy man, and I will never allow anything that belongs to me to be taken away.” He looked at Harribel.

Harribel also looked at Aozaki Mayuki, something flashing in her emerald green eyes—was it a sense of shared understanding or some kind of admiration? Aozaki Mayuki couldn't quite put her finger on it.

"..."

After half an hour,

"Little Wu, are you free right now?" Aozaki Mayuki said, taking a book off the shelf and flipping through it casually.

At that very moment, his other companion, Ulquiorra, was in the makeshift archive room, intently perusing the mountain of documents.

The extremely simple cave was dark, as if shrouded in a layer of gray. The newly arranged books were covered with a thin layer of dust after only three days.

Ulquiorlo stretched out his arm, reached for and took down a thick notebook.

"Searching for information in the dead of night? You're really eager to learn!" Aozaki Mayuki's voice came from behind him.

Ulquiorra turned his head and was met with a face that made him look pale in comparison.

"Lord Shingetsu, shouldn't you be resting in your room at this time?"

Ulquiorra was somewhat surprised by the appearance of Aozaki Mayuki.

Aozaki Mayuki subconsciously scratched her long, jet-black hair, a slight smile playing on her lips:

"I get bored staying in my room all the time, so I came out for a walk."

"Could it be... that you are once again exploring the meaning of the 'heart'?" Aozaki Mayuki sighed helplessly.

Ulquiorra remained silent for a long while, then finally obediently turned around and said sincerely:

"You're absolutely right, but I still can't find that so-called answer."

Aozaki Mayuki smiled slightly, seemingly having anticipated his reaction, and replied softly:

"The truth is actually quite simple: the concept of 'heart' doesn't appear in books. Perhaps you should try to connect more with beings who possess a heart, such as your friends or other people in the world..."

"Companion?" Upon hearing this word, Ulquiorra suddenly froze, a hint of confusion in his eyes.

Aozaki Mayuki nodded and continued to explain:

"That's right, it's companions. Only when you communicate and connect with others can the 'heart' truly fulfill its meaning. And you already have a heart, you just haven't realized it yet."

Ulquiorra frowned deeply, his face full of doubt as he asked:

"Someone as ethereal as me... could I possibly have a heart?"

Faced with his questioning, Aozaki Mayuki shook his head, then spread his hands, indicating that he was powerless to help.

"Regarding this question, I'm afraid you'll have to explore and understand it yourself. Others can only offer some suggestions or references at most; whether you can find the answer in the end depends on yourself."

Ulquiorra definitely meant it; otherwise, why would he show concern for himself and his companions?

However, these behaviors were all unintentional, and Ulquiorra himself was unaware of them.

When he comprehends the meaning of nothingness and the mind, that will be the time to learn the second stage of returning to the starting position.

Although this kid is a Vastod, his strength is ultimately lacking. Since he has chosen to follow me, it would be best if he could become stronger.

Chapter 201 Could it be that they're afraid?

Seireitei, the barracks of the First Division.

Aozaki Mayuki sat in her seat with a distressed expression, hissing occasionally, her hands pressed tightly against her chest, as if trying to relieve the pain.

He said apologetically to the bald old man in front of him:

"I'm sorry, teacher. I was wrong. I shouldn't have been so proud of myself."

The old man Yamamoto nodded slightly, expressing his satisfaction with his young apprentice's performance.

He was shirtless, with bloodstains still on his face, but his expression was unusually joyful.

He casually picked up the teacup on the table, tilted his head back and drank it all in one gulp, then slowly said:

"You've broken through to the first level of spiritual power at such a young age. Although I've said it many times, I still have to praise your talent."

Yamamoto turned his gaze to Aozaki Mayuki's strong physique, his eyes flashing with undisguised admiration.

"Especially his physique, which is very good, showing that he has never slacked off in his daily training in white-hat fighting."

Upon hearing the teacher's praise, Aozaki Mayuki quickly stood up and replied respectfully:

"This is all thanks to the teacher's excellent instruction. However, this is not my true level. If the teacher would allow me to unleash my Zanpakuto, then my spiritual pressure..."

Before he could finish speaking, Yamamoto interrupted him sharply: "Shut up!"

Yamamoto's face darkened, and his expression became extremely serious. He solemnly warned:

"Do not overestimate your own abilities, nor underestimate the strength of your enemy. Remember that there are always people more capable than you."

"Although Zanpakuto is the most important partner of a Shinigami, there are times when it is powerless, and one should not use this as an excuse to neglect one's training."

"Although today's battle ended in your defeat, it may well be a valuable lesson for you."

"Remember not to be arrogant or complacent, and always remain vigilant."

"Furthermore, do you even know what a first-class spiritual power means?"

"That is an extremely powerful force; its mere pressure is enough to easily suppress ordinary team members and even weaker vice-captains!"

Yamamoto's voice was low and serious, as if emphasizing the seriousness of the matter.

"If Bankai is used now, I'm afraid even Shinigami below the captain level will not be able to escape!" Yamamoto continued, his tone tinged with worry.

Upon hearing this, Aozaki Mayuki's face showed a look of suspicion:

"If that's the case, then all I need to do is hide my spiritual pressure so they don't notice it, right?"

He scratched his head, seemingly confident in the method.

"Are you saying all this because you're afraid?"

"Cough cough..."

Just as Yamamoto was about to take a sip of tea, he heard this and coughed twice before clearing his throat and saying:

"How utterly disrespectful! As the strongest Grim Reaper in a thousand years, how could I possibly be afraid of a mere brat like you?"

"I'm just worried that since you've only recently broken through to the first level of spiritual power, you might not be able to control your spiritual pressure when using Bankai, which could affect others."

"Every member of the Gotei 13 is indispensable in maintaining order in the Seireitei!"

Although he said that, deep down Yamamoto was still somewhat worried.

He truly had no idea how his little apprentice's body had developed; his physical abilities were simply astonishing.

He was hit by his own "bone strike" but only suffered minor internal injuries and coughed up blood.

If it were Kyoraku Shunsui instead, he wouldn't dare to take a punch head-on from me without using his Zanpakuto. He would be severely injured, if not crippled!

Needless to say, you can hold a soul burial ceremony for Jushiro Ukitake right after you defeat him, and if you're lucky, you can even save money on a meal.

If this kid were to use his Bankai and raise his spiritual pressure to the same level as mine, even if I released my Zanpakuto, I still wouldn't be able to raise my spiritual pressure. In a direct confrontation, I might not be able to win.

Fortunately, as the teacher, he held the power of the conversation and with a few words, he prevented his junior disciple from using his Zanpakuto.

Is this what power tastes like? It really is sweet!

"By the way, don't run around these next few days." Yamamoto said with a mysterious look. "Someone wants to see you, and they should be looking for you at the Eleventh Division or the Noble District in the next couple of days."

“That person is of noble status, and his family’s responsibilities involve the survival of the three realms. Show him some respect.”

"A person of noble status? Existing in the Three Realms? Someone from the Spirit King Palace has arrived?"

“No.” Yamamoto shook his head. “It’s one of the five great noble families, the Yomi family.”

"Never heard of it." Aozaki Mayuki pursed her lips.

"They never participate in Seireitei affairs, and I don't know exactly what they do, except that it's related to Hell."

Yamamoto said irritably, clearly aware that this underling didn't care for nobles.

“Hell…” Aozaki Mayuki murmured thoughtfully.

For the Three Realms, Hell is also a huge threat.

Over millions of years, countless powerful souls from the Three Realms have entered Hell, and those souls are immortal and indestructible once they enter Hell.

If one day the spiritual pressure of the Three Realms fails to suppress the Gates of Hell, then chaos will inevitably ensue in the Three Realms.