Time slipped by—twenty years in the world of Shinigami passed in the blink of an eye.
Seireitei remained as it always had been, and the 2nd Division remained unchanged.
Within the Gotei 13, however, several captains had fallen during missions of every kind. But to Yūshirō, such things were meaningless. He simply didn't care.
What did trouble him, though, was one matter.
"Little Bee, you should already be capable of Bankai, shouldn't you?"
Yūshirō crossed his arms as he spoke to Hōshō Aya, who was drenched in sweat after a fierce spar with Kūkaku Kenpachi.
"Eh?"
"Yūshirō, why would you ask me that?"
Aya froze at his words. Her eyes avoided his, as if she were hiding something.
"Oh? Don't tell me… you've already achieved Bankai?"
The corner of Yūshirō's lips curved as he pressed further.
"N-no, I haven't…"
Aya was too honest to lie well. Her flushed cheeks and restless posture betrayed her denial.
"I see. Well, if you don't have it yet, then make sure you work hard."
Patting her sweat-drenched head, Yūshirō smiled knowingly.
"Y-yes! I'll work hard!"
Relieved that she seemed to have kept her secret, Aya quickly composed herself.
"Go wash up and change. We'll head back after."
"Mm, I'll be quick. Wait for me, Yūshirō!"
Her bare feet left damp marks on the floor as she dashed toward the women's bath.
Leaning against the doorway, Yūshirō silently watched her vanish.
"Master Yūshirō," said Kaname Tōsen, mop in hand, approaching quietly. "I've seen Lady Aya slipping off to visit Lady Yoruichi alone. Perhaps if you asked her directly, you might get answers."
"You talk too much."
Yūshirō jabbed Tōsen's forehead with two fingers.
"Ah—ouch!" A red welt immediately appeared.
"Clean this mess. I'm going to see my sister. And remind Lilynette not to sleep in the dojo—her room is for sleeping."
"Yes, leave it to me, Master Yūshirō." Tōsen waved lightly as Yūshirō departed.
At the 2nd Division's captain's quarters, Yoruichi, Yūshirō's elder sister, lounged with a magazine in one hand and a fork in the other, nibbling on freshly sliced watermelon.
"Hey, sis. I need to ask you something."
"Mm? You came alone?"
"Of course."
Without hesitation, Yūshirō plopped down, snatched her bowl of watermelon, and began eating.
"Leave some for me, you brat!" Yoruichi bared her teeth like an angry cat.
"Then tell me—did Aya achieve Bankai?" Yūshirō asked, his mouth full.
Yoruichi's brow furrowed. She hesitated.
"Watermelon's almost gone," Yūshirō reminded her.
"Ask Kisuke! He knows everything!" she blurted, sweat forming on her brow as she betrayed her most trusted ally.
"Knew it."
"As punishment for keeping it from me…"
Yūshirō stuffed the last of the watermelon into his mouth, cheeks puffed like a hamster, and set the empty bowl back down.
"Total brat!!"
Tears welled in Yoruichi's eyes. Those were expensive noble-exclusive melons!
Ignoring her cries, Yūshirō spat watermelon seeds into a vase outside before striding off.
"Time to pay Kisuke a visit."
He arrived at Urahara Kisuke's lab, where subordinates bowed in respect as he passed.
Knock, knock, knock.
The door creaked open to reveal Kisuke—dark circles under his eyes, hair disheveled, looking utterly worn out.
"Ah, Yūshirō… this looks bad. I should run."
Before Kisuke could Shunpo away, a pale hand clamped firmly around his throat.
"Where do you think you're going, Kisuke?"
Just then, Szayelaporro appeared, welding mask pushed up, tools in hand. "Oh my, Lord Yūshirō! What are you and Kisuke playing at?"
"Say, Szayel… have you seen a small, soft-spoken girl around here?" Yūshirō traced Aya's likeness in the air with reiryoku.
"Oh, her. She borrowed the Tenshintai last month," Szayel replied.
"Kisuke, how long were you planning on hiding this?" Yūshirō's voice dropped to a chilling whisper against Kisuke's ear.
Sweat poured down Kisuke's face. "I'll talk! Just let me go."
"That's better." Yūshirō released him.
Kisuke grimaced. That title—Soul Society's greatest genius—sounded like mockery in Yūshirō's mouth. Sometimes, in the face of overwhelming power, genius meant nothing.
"It's true. Miss Aya borrowed the Tenshintai. I thought you had sent her, so I didn't question it. Four days later she returned it, asking me to hide the fact she had achieved Bankai. By then it was too late. Yūshirō, you have to understand, I was tricked too!" Kisuke pleaded.
"Don't lie. With her expressions written all over her face, there's no way you didn't know."
Kisuke coughed awkwardly, then quickly shifted the subject. "But! I discovered something shocking—Aya's Bankai… it's unlike anything I've ever seen. Brutal. Overwhelming."
"Not weak?" Yūshirō asked, frowning.
"Far from weak. It's terrifyingly powerful. But it doesn't match her image—that's why she rejects it."
Yūshirō nodded slowly. "So the problem is acceptance…"
Kisuke agreed reluctantly. "Yes. She needs to accept her Bankai for what it is."
"What's it like?"
"…Huge. Wild. Uncontrollable."
Yūshirō narrowed his eyes. "Then we make her face it. We give her an opponent she can't defeat without Bankai."
Kisuke swallowed hard, instinctively addressing him with reverence. "Yes… Lord Yūshirō."
Szayel produced a tablet, showing data. "We've prepared a suitable target: a composite Hollow, the Yamata-no-Orochi. Each of its eight heads revives unless destroyed simultaneously. Miss Aya's Shikai can't handle it. Only her Bankai can."
Yūshirō's gaze sharpened. "And tell me… why do you have research tailored to Aya?"
Szayel looked at Kisuke. Kisuke looked away.
"Kisuke…" Yūshirō's smile turned cold, his presence oppressive as a Vasto Lorde's.
"All for science! For science!" Kisuke stammered, wiping cold sweat from his brow.