"There are guards—so the Soul Society really does care about the security of the True Spirit Arts Academy, huh?"
After leaving Ichimaru Gin's vicinity, Daniel Davis immediately headed for the True Spirit Arts Academy. Proposed by the current Captain Commander, this academy has, for a thousand years, produced countless powerful Shinigami to uphold the order of Seireitei. Naturally, such an important establishment must be well defended during this invasion by the Traveler.
Of course, since the Traveler's strength remains unknown, the Shinigami assigned to guard the academy aren't of captain or lieutenant captain rank—they're mainly officers accompanied by regular Shinigami. These lower-ranked guardians couldn't possibly stop Daniel Davis.
Inside the academy, even though the Traveler is on the loose, classes continue as usual. Many of the students are extremely curious about the Traveler; if no Shinigami were posted outside, some would surely risk venturing out to take a look. Daniel Davis now understood that one reason the Shinigami were stationed here was precisely to prevent overly curious students from running off into danger.
"By infusing a zanpakutō with the power of the soul and nurturing it slowly, it develops just as I predicted."
Using his black cloak—an item that conceals spiritual pressure—Daniel Davis moved freely through the academy. It wasn't long before he familiarized himself with zanpakutō training methods and even acquired several Shikai-level swords below number 50, as well as techniques for Hakuda and binding spells, and a method for reverting them.
In the world of Shinigami, success is determined almost entirely by innate talent. In short, if your spiritual pressure doesn't reach a certain threshold during the entrance exam, there's no way you can transform a standard-issued sword into your own zanpakutō.
Thus, by about a year into training, a student's innate talent becomes evident. Those who manage to evolve their issued sword into a true zanpakutō within a year are considered promising; such individuals are likely to become at least officers in the future.
And those who graduate in a year? They're even more extraordinary. To date, every student who managed a one-year graduation has gone on to become a captain—names like Tōshirō Hitsugaya and even Ichimaru Gin come to mind.
Of course, not every six-year student lacks talent; some take longer to unlock their true potential. After all, talent is one thing, but being able to develop it is another.
And if you have help from the 0th Division, that's an entirely different matter. For some members of the 0th Division, whose upper limit of soul potential is very low, it can indeed be improved. Look at Renji or Rukia—after a visit to the 0th Division, they both attained powers on par with a Super Captain.
Yes, this "captain-level" strength is measured against the Soul Society standard—such as the benchmark set by Captain Yamamoto's techniques.
"Yet they still haven't come in. What on earth are they doing?"
Daniel Davis lay in a corner of the academy's supply warehouse, poring over a book on Kidō training. He was curious why Ichigo and the others hadn't yet infiltrated Seireitei.
He had been at the academy for two days now, not for additional training—he'd already acquired the Kidō manuals and multiple issued swords. The academy's storeroom holds a surprisingly large cache of issued swords, and no one would think to check them.
Issued swords might be critical to certain residents of Rukongai, but in Seireitei they're hardly noteworthy. Anyone qualified to be a Shinigami practically owns one by default. If you can't become a Shinigami, your issued sword is simply reclaimed.
As for Kidō, Daniel Davis planned to continue training with it later. For now, he waited for Ichigo—intending to use the chaos his arrival would cause as cover for his own operations. Just like Aizen or Kisuke Urahara, there's no denying that Ichigo truly is a tool.
Based on his calculations, given Ichigo's personality, he should have entered by now. Daniel Davis was beginning to feel disappointed.
"Ah—ah—ah."
While Daniel Davis wondered why Ichigo still hadn't breached Seireitei, in another part of the academy, Ichigo was locked in battle with a core of a spirit orb. With the entire perimeter of Seireitei shielded by a Soul-Sealing Barrier, any attempt at forced entry requires the use of Shiba's magnificent Flowering Cannon—a weapon that utilizes a spirit orb core and must be continuously maintained.
Ichigo's control over spiritual power is notoriously erratic—comparable to Naruto's early struggles with chakra control. Mastering the control of spiritual energy isn't as simple as shouting a few words; it demands rigorous training. It's not that Ichigo lacks the ability to control it, but his overwhelming spiritual pressure sometimes causes him to channel too much at once.
"Urahara—if you knew that guy had ulterior motives, why'd you let him enter the Soul Society?"
While Ichigo was laboriously training and struggling with his control, Yoruichi—the black cat—had silently infiltrated the Soul Society to meet with Kisuke Urahara.
"I only wanted to find out what he was planning. It's better to have him in the open than lurking in the shadows."
That was Urahara's own experience. In his younger days, Kisuke Urahara was nothing short of a prodigy in the Soul Society—he became the captain of the 12th Division at a young age and later founded the Technical Development Bureau. Indeed, the current Technical Development Bureau is his creation.
Had things continued as before, there was no doubt that Urahara might someday ascend to the 0th Division. But what Urahara never expected was that all of this would be completely upended in a single day—by none other than that unassuming Fifth Division lieutenant captain, Aizen, who would soon be reduced to a fugitive in the Soul Society.
This turn of events had an enormous impact on Urahara; his subsequent modus operandi became one of lurking behind the scenes. Whether dealing with Aizen, Youhabakh, or Tsunayashiro Tokinada, Urahara has always operated covertly—only stepping into the light at the most critical moment to turn the tide.
In the warehouse of the True Spirit Arts Academy, Daniel Davis was startled to see Ichimaru Gin appear.
"Weren't you confined? Coming here to see me—aren't you afraid Aizen will find out?"
Inside the warehouse, Daniel Davis studied Ichimaru Gin's unexpected presence. It wasn't that he was surprised to find Gin—Gin's resourcefulness, combined with the questions Daniel had previously asked and the usual calm of Seireitei, meant he'd already suspected Gin was hiding here.
"Your information is remarkably current. But Aizen-sama doesn't have time for me right now."
"Don't mistake this for your own informational prowess—the academy is buzzing with gossip about you being confined. Many are quite delighted; it seems your reputation in Seireitei isn't that stellar."
Daniel Davis hadn't actively inquired about Gin's situation—it was the students' chatter that informed him. The captains of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads are frequent topics among the students, with Aizen and Ichimaru Gin drawing the most commentary—and the opinions on them couldn't be more different.
"Looks like you want to become a Shinigami."
Daniel Davis remarked. Ichimaru Gin didn't react in the slightest; for him, unless it concerned Rangiku Matsumoto, he couldn't be bothered with mere student gossip. Noticing that Daniel Davis kept holding an issued sword in his left hand, Gin curiously asked,
"Is this just an experiment? Are you trying to see if a human body can nurture an issued sword into a zanpakutō?"
Since an issued sword is nourished by the power of the soul, one might wonder: if a human body were to channel that same power, could it similarly evolve a zanpakutō? No one in the Soul Society had considered that possibility—yet Daniel Davis was different.
"I'm not entirely sure. Is your objective also related to the Collapse Jewel?"
Regarding the possibility of humans manifesting a zanpakutō, Ichimaru Gin had done no research and cared little about it. Today, his only aim was to confirm Daniel Davis's intentions.
"If it's possible, I'd, of course, like to obtain the Collapse Jewel as well."
At that, Daniel Davis noted the fox-like smile fade from Ichimaru Gin's face, replaced by a faint murderous aura that suddenly filled the warehouse. Hastily, he added, "No need to get so tense—if I do obtain the Collapse Jewel, I can lend it to you so you can restore Rangiku Matsumoto's soul. With her soul restored, not only would she survive despite the loss, she'd even be promoted to lieutenant captain. If her soul were completely intact, she'd probably have already achieved Bankai and become a captain by now."
One couldn't help but feel that poor Rangiku Matsumoto was truly pitiful. At the time, Aizen was in the process of manufacturing the Collapse Jewel, and there was simply no room for mercy. This wasn't like casually stabbing a young maid's issued sword—under these circumstances, the fact that Rangiku managed to survive was nothing short of miraculous.
Not to mention, rising to the rank of lieutenant captain under such conditions is extraordinary. With her innate talent intact, there's every possibility she could grow into a Super Captain.
"Speaking of which, your zanpakutō abilities seem somewhat akin to Byakuya's. If it were Bankai, perhaps they'd be comparable. Huh."
At that moment, Daniel Davis couldn't help but unconsciously let out a soft "huh" as he pondered.
"Orihime's ability is a complete rejection of all phenomena. Could that possibly be used to restore the damage to Matsumoto's soul? It might be feasible…"
"What's the matter?"
The mere mention of Matsumoto's condition sent a chill through the warehouse. However, seeing the change in Daniel Davis's expression, Ichimaru Gin asked curiously.
"Nothing—just a sudden thought."
Unwilling to reveal his uncertainty, Daniel Davis quickly shifted the subject.
"By the way, Captain Ichimaru, you've been with Aizen for so long—do you know what his Bankai is?"
Although there were various rumors about Aizen's Bankai, Ichimaru Gin's expression turned grim. Having spent so much time by Aizen's side, he hadn't discovered it. As for the Bankai Aizen publicly displays, it's merely an illusion induced by his Mirror Flower, Water Moon technique.
"I'm sorry, I don't know."
At the mention of Aizen's Bankai, Ichimaru Gin's tone grew solemn. Despite being around Aizen for years, he had yet to uncover its true nature. The version of Bankai Aizen presents to the public is merely a facade—an illusion created through Mirror Flower, Water Moon to hypnotize others.
Aizen's publicly declared zanpakutō is of the water element, capable of generating a water curtain that produces mirage-like illusions on the sea. His Bankai follows the same pattern.
"If even you don't know, then it's likely that Aizen has indeed absorbed his Bankai's power."
"Absorbed it?"
"Don't you think there's something odd about the way Shinigami train their zanpakutō, especially Bankai? It's clearly supposed to be an expression of one's own power. Why would you need to 'release' it at all? And why pin Bankai solely on the zanpakutō—if you lose your weapon, your power would drop drastically. Is that really a true measure of your own strength?"
"Of course, that's just my speculation. After all, the methods of Shinigami training have been passed down for so many years. If there were a problem, someone should have noticed by now. Unless, of course, some individuals are doing it intentionally."
At this point, Daniel Davis glanced up at the warehouse's ceiling as if peering through it toward the skies above Seireitei. If someone were intentionally tampering with things, only one person would be the prime suspect—that is, the monk. By the same logic, the one responsible for crafting the issued swords might also be involved.
A zanpakutō can be sealed by a monk as long as it bears a name. But if it's powered by its owner's own spiritual pressure, then the monk is rendered helpless. For Daniel Davis, that was a good thing. Even against Captain Yamamoto, with the spatial exchange ability of his Surgery Fruit and a surprise attack, there was a chance he could seize his zanpakutō.
"Absorbing the power of Bankai… Aizen-sama has indeed never used his Bankai in battle. It's entirely possible he's done just that."
Just then, Ichimaru Gin's voice cut through the quiet warehouse: "Captain Ichimaru, if you'd come in, please hand over the Rokujō Hikari-Locked Prison and the Blank Void technique."
At the True Spirit Arts Academy, the Kidō taught there were only low-level spells; higher-level Kidō could only be learned by members of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads—only officers or those in the Kidō Corps could study them.
Speaking of the Kidō Corps, one couldn't help but note that they've had extremely bad luck lately. Once a force that could rival any division, everything changed when, on the same day, the Grand Kidō Master and his deputy betrayed the Soul Society. Since then, the Kidō Corps has plummeted in status, reduced to a subordinate group.
"Finally, they're here."
A massive surge of spiritual pressure erupted above Seireitei, and the alarm bells in Seireitei rang out immediately. Captain Gengmu Jianba of the Eleventh Division and Captain Suìfēng of the Second Division from the Thirteen Court Guard Squads promptly moved toward the dazzling orb of light overhead.
Unlike Gengmu Jianba, who only brought along a lieutenant captain, Suìfēng led a large contingent of disciplinary troops, determined to wipe out the invading Traveler's forces in one fell swoop.
Upon noticing Gengmu Jianba and Suìfēng mobilizing, the other captains immediately slowed their pace—some even halted entirely, gathering on rooftops to watch the spectacle.
But regardless of who the invaders were, the mere fact that these two captains were in motion was enough.
"They've scattered…"
Just as Gengmu Jianba and Suìfēng neared the base of the orb, the orb suddenly burst apart. Four beams of light shot off in different directions, each toward a different corner of Seireitei.
This unexpected development caused both Gengmu Jianba and Suìfēng to halt immediately. Gengmu Jianba eyed the four beams, pondering which enemy was the strongest. Unable to decide, he charged toward the closest beam.
Suìfēng, on the other hand, sprinted toward another beam. Soon, the other divisions began moving as well. Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya of the Tenth Division chose one direction and dashed off.
"Rukia!"
Upon witnessing the scattering beams in the sky, Renji did not pursue them; instead, he headed straight for the Penitence Palace—after all, if the mission was to rescue Rukia, that place was indispensable.
"This chaos… It seems it's been ages since we've faced an enemy invasion of this magnitude. From now on, the responsibility here falls to you."
During the ensuing chaos caused by Ichigo and the others' incursion into Seireitei, the Thirteen Court Guard Squads were thrown into disarray. Daniel Davis clapped his hands together and summoned a wood-release shadow clone to rendezvous with Ichigo's group. His own body, cloaked in a pressure-hiding black garment, headed toward the Noble District.
"Truly, the Tsunayashiro family—the self-proclaimed first family of the Soul Society—are even more extravagant than the Kuchiki. Their opulence is on another level."
Seireitei, as a whole, can be divided into three parts. First is the Noble District, home to hundreds of noble families of the Soul Society, covering the largest area. Second is the territory of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, which occupies the central part. Lastly, there's the area where the families of the Shinigami reside—the smallest yet most bustling section, with numerous shops. After all, even Shinigami need to eat, drink, and shop.
(End of Chapter)
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