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“You’re just as bad, aren’t you? You’re such a disobedient Zanpakuto. You could have just let me out.” Ryougi Ori said with a laugh, “We’re the same, aren’t we?”

"Tch... So, what about my physical body in reality right now?"

"Yeah, it's nothing."

"You're alright?" Ryougi Shiki paused for a moment: "I don't think that kind of injury can be dismissed with just 'I'm alright'."

"But you're really fine. Apart from a bit of blood loss, the rest of your injuries have been healed by the power of the Zanpakuto. If you don't believe me, just wake up and see for yourself!"

"Of course I know without you telling me—"

brush--

As she spoke, Ryougi Shiki opened her eyes and looked around in confusion: "This is... a prison cell?"

"Ah, a prison cell."

"Kazumi?"

"You're awake, Shiki." Ryougi Kazuya waved with a smile. His injuries had almost healed, thanks to Unohana Retsu's treatment.

"Ugh..." Ryougi Shiki felt a little dizzy the moment she sat up: "Ha... This time it's a prison cell."

“Yes, a week in jail, followed by a year of confinement in the Eleventh Division barracks,” Ryougi Kazuya said, counting on his fingers. “That’s your punishment.”

"What... that old man, why is he taking so long this time?"

"It's alright..." Ryougi Kazumi paused and said, "You've broken the team rules time and time again, and the Captain-Commander must be very angry... He even said that if there's a next time... things won't be like this then. Maybe you'll be locked up in an underground prison... like the Avici Hell, or you might be stripped of your spiritual power and exiled to the mortal world... or something like that."

"Is that so..." Ryougi Shiki was silent for a while, then turned her head to the side: "Then, what are you doing here?"

“It’s nothing… we’re just here.” Ryougi Kazuya said, sitting next to Ryougi Shiki. “There’s no reason.”

"Yeah..."

Chapter 1044 Recent Situation

[Ryougi Shiki, within two years of obtaining her Zanpakuto, achieved both Shikai and Bankai, demonstrating exceptional swordsmanship and immense potential.]

[Ryougi Kazuya's Zanpakuto's Shikai ability is preliminarily determined to be healing-type; its combat ability is unknown. Its spiritual pressure has reached captain-level; whether it possesses Bankai is unclear, but its potential is immense.]

Unohana Retsu submitted these two reports after the battle ended.

Although she won this battle.

However, Ryougi Shiki has narrowed the gap between the two of them several times during the battle.

Ryougi Shiki's sword was already able to touch her.

"If Ryougi and Miyabi hadn't come out back then..." Unohana Retsu pondered this matter, her mind constantly recalling Ryougi Shiki's sword from that time.

Through meditation, he once again constructed a Ryougi Shiki in his mind, and he fought against himself.

She had already understood the amplification effect of her Zanpakuto, Unohana Retsu; simply put, it meant the lower her health, the stronger she became.

Furthermore, once activated, it puts the user in a state of invincibility.

In Ryougi and Mi's view, this is similar to the Barbarian King's five-second true man.

"To live towards death... So that's how it is. What she hoped for from the beginning was not destruction, but only the surface... And that man, Ryougi and Miya... His Zanpakuto ability is indeed a perfect match for Ryougi Shiki."

Ryougi Shiki doesn't care how serious her injuries are during battle.

No matter what kind of injury it is, it can be healed instantly.

only...

She knew that both Ryougi Shiki and Ryougi Mi had the same problem.

The progress has been too rapid.

Neither of them had properly refined their Shikai before rashly using their Bankai. Judging from their spiritual pressure, it was clear that neither of them had reached their full potential in either Shikai or Bankai; they had simply learned how to use them.

We are still far from mastering it.

Not to mention using it freely.

Perhaps this is a common flaw among geniuses... She had made similar mistakes before, but now, Bankai is no longer necessary for her; Shikai is relatively more useful.

However, there was something she cared about even more than these things—

Those eyes, Ryougi Shiki's eyes...

That wasn't the power of a Shinigami, but death was reflected in those pupils. It was the power to see death reflected in her eyes and use it for her own purposes. It wasn't a Zanpakuto, but her own special ability.

Even Retsu Unohana felt, during the subsequent battle, that in those eyes... she was getting closer and closer to death, as if she didn't need to do anything, just being seen was equivalent to death.

Certainly...

Before long, those eyes will become the nemesis of death, no... not just death, but Hollows too...

She saw that possibility.

“Grim Reaper...that is indeed a very fitting title for your status...Ryougi Shiki.”

......

"That's terrifying..."

"Huh? Who are you talking about?" Hirako Shinji, who was drinking with Kyoraku Shunsui, glanced at him and said.

"Of course it's Captain Unohana, and Captain Ryougi of the Eleventh Division... You felt it, didn't you? The two bursts of spiritual pressure that erupted in Rukongai yesterday even alarmed Old Man Yama." Kyoraku Shunsui took a sip of sake. "Honestly, it was so good that I didn't use any tricks when I fought her, but instead suppressed my spiritual pressure and fought her honestly..."

"Ah...it's alright." Shinji Hirako looked in the direction of the Eleventh Division: "Indeed...it was an extremely powerful spiritual pressure, but neither side of the battle seems to be injured?" "Ah, I know that. It's the lieutenant of the Eleventh Division. His awakened Zanpakuto ability seems to be healing."

"Healing... Then, what about the other spiritual pressure?" Shinji Hirako asked. "You sensed it too, right? In yesterday's battle, there were four spiritual pressures in total. One was Captain Unohana, another was Captain Ryougi who fought her, and then there was Ryougi and Ya... and who was the person who fought him?"

"Who knows... Captain Unohana didn't say anything, and Old Man Yama didn't give any hints this time either..." Kyoraku Shunsui chuckled as he drank his sake. "It's just that this time we've learned... how powerful the veterans are, and how powerful the newcomers are... Someone like me, I'm afraid it won't be long before I fall behind the times and can't even be a captain anymore..."

"That's an exaggeration... By the way, Ukitake, how is your illness?" Hirako Shinji leaned back and looked at Ukitake Jushiro.

"I... ah, I'm almost better now, cough cough..." Before he could finish speaking, he coughed twice more, making Ukitake Jushiro feel a little embarrassed: "Haha... well... actually, it's still about the same as before."

"Yeah..."

"How is Aizen from your squad doing?" Jushiro Ukitake asked.

"Him? Ah... still the same as always. It's just unsettling that Captain Ryougi didn't kill him."

“That guy is, after all, the vice-captain… Captain Ryougi does know his limits.” Kyoraku Shunsui said, looking at his reflection in the sake glass in front of him, “But… there’s one thing that’s bothering me a lot.”

"Huh? What?"

"No, no, it's nothing, I guess I just drank too much, haha..." Kyoraku Shunsui chuckled as he stood up. "Well then, it's getting late, I'll head back now."

“Well then, I’ll go check out Lou Juro’s place.” Hirako Shinji stood up and said, “Is Ryougi’s next target? I’m a little curious… I wonder how he feels about that…”

"Haha, you must have been scared to death. To be honest, I was scared to death when they came looking for me. I really wanted to hide."

"Oh, by the way, I'm planning to go out of town soon," Hirako Shinji said. "Could you please tell the Captain-Commander for me?"

"Hmm? Go to the mortal world?"

"Ah, we've listened to enough music." Shinji Hirako patted his clothes and said, "I'm going to go to the mortal world and bring back some music! That jazz was amazing!"

“You should talk to Old Man Yama about this yourself.” Kyoraku Shunsui turned around and said with a smile, “Recently, the Soul Society has been relatively peaceful, so Old Man Yama might agree. Of course… more likely, he’ll just give you a scolding.”

"Well... please spare me~" Hirako Shinji turned around and said with a long face, "If I just sit here doing nothing, I'll get moldy."

Chapter 1045 Ryougi and Mi's Scheme

No call...

How long has it been, exactly...?

How long has it been since anyone called out to me?

Dead? No, if I were dead, I would disappear, but now... I am still here, still existing in this world.

"Is anyone there? Is anyone there?~~"

what?

Who?

"Looks like nobody's home... Well then, I'll be going now~"

"Who...you..."

"Oh, looks like there's someone here~" Accompanying the words was a man with neatly arranged long golden hair, wearing a captain's uniform.

He recognized this outfit—

The captain of the Gotei 13 is wearing this!

"Oh, hello." Hirako Shinji looked at the person in front of him and said, "How about you do me a favor?"

"What."

"How about helping me awaken a Zanpakuto? And then... I might even help your master break the seal~"

"!! Sealed!?" The man—whose Zanpakuto was Muramasa—stared wide-eyed. "You mean the Hibiki River has been sealed?"

"Huh? What, you didn't know? No wonder you've been here all this time... Ah, that's right, he's sealed away. Someone... told me..." Shinji Hirako turned his head away. "I can roughly imagine what you'll do after you get out, but... how about we make a deal? I know how to break Kuchiki Kyouga's seal. In return for telling you, do me a favor~"

"No need to say more."

With that, Muramasa extended his hand toward Hirako Shinji: "Even if you don't tell me, I'll know!"

"Then why don't you give it a try?"

Muramasa's pupils contracted: "Of course... we have to try!"

I can't tell... Has this person closed themselves off emotionally? No, that's not right, it's all reversed—a chaotic, inverted inner world... I can't read it!

"You think I wouldn't come here without any preparation? Of course not~" Hirako Shinji said as he walked towards Muramasa, "I can release you, and I can let you release the other Shinigami's Zanpakuto~ But there's one condition: the released Zanpakuto can only attack its master, not others~ At most, it can only defend itself, but it can't kill. How about it?"

"I have no reason to agree to your request. I can leave this place on my own if I want to—I just didn't know that Xianghe was sealed before."

“Don’t say that~” Hirako Shinji laughed: “Then, let me tell you something else. I know how to break Kuchiki Kyouga’s seal, and naturally I also know something else~ that is... how to kill him.”