Aozaki Masatsuki, who stirred up chaos and abandoned it halfway, was subjected to a terrible and unspeakable punishment the moment she returned to the Soul Society—courtesy of Senjumaru Shutara and her righteously furious best friends.
Masatsuki had invited them over with a specific purpose in mind: the Captain-Commander uniform. Once Senjumaru took on the task, she lost track of time, and Kirio Hikifune ended up becoming the head chef in the Aozaki household.
Naturally, Masatsuki also spent years learning the arts of weaving and cooking from the two of them, and life couldn't have been better.
A few years—long or short depending on how you look at it—were enough for the girls to develop the power to mass-produce Hōgyoku.
...
Aozaki family dojo.
Aozaki Masatsuki sat off to the side, arms crossed, watching the scene before her with a serious expression.
At the center of the dojo stood Hisana Aozaki and Rukia Aozaki, facing each other.
Their gazes locked, tension thick in the air.
Rukia's eyes suddenly sharpened with determination. Without the slightest hesitation, she drew Sode no Shirayuki from her waist and slashed straight toward Hisana.
At the exact moment she struck, Hisana's body sank, vanishing from her original spot.
Then, wielding a katana nearly identical to Sode no Shirayuki, Hisana darted in from a short distance away like a phantom.
She slashed down diagonally with fierce momentum, aiming straight for Rukia!
"Clang!!!"
A sharp metallic clash rang out. Rukia raised Sode no Shirayuki, blocking Hisana's blade firmly.
Feeling the cold air rushing toward her, she couldn't help glancing at the weapon.
Though it looked remarkably similar to Sode no Shirayuki, a closer inspection revealed the truth—
It wasn't Sode no Shirayuki. In fact, it wasn't even a Zanpakutō.
It was the latest creation of the Kasumiōji Clan—a blade that converts the user's Reiatsu into Kidō-based attacks. However, it lacked the ability to undergo sword release.
Like Ise Nanao, Hisana belonged to the rare type of Shinigami who did not possess a Zanpakutō.
At the request of the family head, Rurichiyo Kasumiōji, the Kasumiōji Clan had gone to great lengths to develop this specific weapon.
But because the blade couldn't achieve a release state, it was fundamentally incapable of enhancing combat power.
Its Reiatsu efficiency also fell short compared to an actual Zanpakutō.
As a result, the target market for this kind of weapon was extremely limited, making it nearly impossible to recover development costs through external sales.
Most Shinigami with spiritual aptitude naturally had their own Zanpakutō.
If not, they usually focused heavily on Kidō.
This sword was specifically designed for those rare individuals who possessed powerful Reiatsu but lacked both a Zanpakutō and any Kidō talent.
But people like that were even rarer than prodigies!
...
Boom!!!
Reiatsu surged violently, blowing their black cloaks wildly.
The two figures broke the sound barrier in an instant, appearing in the open courtyard outside.
Rukia's expression turned cold as she released Sode no Shirayuki and brought it down in a powerful slash.
Hisana met it head-on with her own blade.
The massive shockwave from their clashing Reiatsu rippled outward!
The girls watching nearby turned their attention to the fight, eyes full of curiosity.
Just then, a sudden gust swept across the sky. The onlookers raised their hands to shield themselves, though their robes still fluttered madly in the wind.
Meanwhile, on the training ground, Hisana's arms blurred into afterimages as she swung her katana, weaving a dense web of attacks that rained down on Rukia from every direction!
Yet despite the ferocity of the onslaught, Rukia remained calm and collected.
She deftly maneuvered her Zanpakutō, parrying every blow with ease—and even had time to counterattack.
After all, Rukia had mastered Bankai seven years ago. Coupled with her perfect fusion with the Hōgyoku, her strength was beyond question.
Even when facing Yamamoto—revered as the strongest Shinigami in a thousand years—she might not win, but she had full confidence in her ability to fight him.
Still, against Hisana, Rukia dared not let her guard down.
She knew her sister lacked natural talent in combat.
Although Hisana had now fused with the Hōgyoku and her Reiatsu had soared to astonishing heights, combat prowess wasn't something that could be raised by sheer spiritual pressure alone.
To Rukia, Hisana's attacks—though fierce enough to overwhelm most captains—were riddled with flaws from the perspective of someone even stronger.
This wasn't just sparring—it was practically a one-sided lesson.
More precisely, it felt like Rukia, in the role of a teacher, was testing her student's strength.
Her Zanjutsu fundamentals were solid.
Rukia allowed a faint smile to curl her lips, offering genuine praise in her heart.
As Hisana swung her blade, Rukia moved in turn, Sode no Shirayuki gliding lightly across the ground.
A chilling mist spread silently, snaking toward Hisana like a serpent.
After a round of probing exchanges, Rukia had a good sense of her sister's capabilities.
Now, all she had to do was freeze her in place—and today's training would be over.
Thinking about it, Rukia couldn't help but wonder to herself:
"I wonder what kind of reward Nii-san will give me today? Yesterday he let me use Bankai... could it be that today he'll ask me to summon Sode no Shirayuki?"
Just imagining herself nestled in her "Nii-sama's" warm embrace nearly made her laugh out loud.
But the very next moment—
To her surprise, Hisana suddenly swept her long sword through the air.
A burst of roaring flames ignited with a deafening boom, clashing head-on with the freezing cold surging toward the ground.
"?"
Staring at the snow and ice on the ground held back by the heat, Rukia fell into thought.
Of course, she had held back with that last attack.
She was up against her sister, after all—she had no intention of hurting her, only restricting her movements.
She hadn't expected Hisana to block the attack in time. That had never happened before.
Her sister might lack natural combat talent, but after all these years of training, she had grown strong enough to go toe-to-toe with her.
Rukia couldn't help but feel a little proud.
"Looks like this won't end anytime soon."
...
Off to the side, Masatsuki Aozaki watched as the two clashed again, calmly stroking his little cat.
The kitten stretched lazily, about to speak—but stopped when it noticed its master's brow furrow.
Yoruichi Shihōin looked up at Masatsuki Aozaki with a puzzled expression, sensing something was wrong.
Just then, Bambietta's voice echoed in Masatsuki's ear.
"Master, can you come to the World of the Living? We're in trouble."
Masatsuki blinked.
Trouble?
They had already fused with the Hōgyoku. Their power should have increased tremendously—what could possibly trouble them now?
He didn't know exactly what had happened, but judging from the urgency in Bambietta's voice, it was clearly something serious.
Without another thought, Masatsuki decided to head to the World of the Living right away to see for himself.
After giving a reassuring glance to Yoruichi Shihōin and Retsu Unohana, Masatsuki vanished in a flash of light.
...
Rukia and the others stood frozen in place, confusion etched across their faces.
What just happened?
Why did Masatsuki Aozaki leave so suddenly?
With countless questions swirling in their minds, they decided to stop the sparring and hurried over to the others.