Comprehensive Relief Station.
"Captain-level Zanpakuto are still missing, and there are no reports of battles between Captain-level Shinigami and their Zanpakuto. However, because Captain Ishikawa reported the method to restore Zanpakuto to normal immediately, almost all ordinary Squad Member's Zanpakuto have been restored under the Onmitsukidō's encirclement."
"There are also some Zanpakuto that accidentally died at the hands of others during the encirclement. Now Captain Kurotsuchi Mayuri is also studying methods to restore them."
In the conference room, Ukitake looked at the report in his hand and slowly stated.
Within the small conference room, almost all Captains were present. The only Captains not present were Kurotsuchi Mayuri, who was researching materialized Zanpakuto, and the missing Commander Yamamoto and Kuchiki Byakuya.
However, there were two more who were missing.
They were the Captain and Vice-Captain of the Eleventh Division, Zaraki and Kusajishi Yachiru. They did not disappear due to the Zanpakuto rebellion; instead, they left Seireitei on a mission before the rebellion and have not returned since... As for them, there's no need to worry at all.
Because whether the Zanpakuto rebelled or not, it would not have any impact on Zaraki's strength.
"Where's Ishikawa? I heard Captain Unohana say earlier that he had already been discharged from the hospital, didn't she?"
Ichigo, in the corner, asked with some confusion, "Why haven't I seen him?"
When he first arrived in Soul Society, he heard that Ishikawa had been severely wounded by Aizen while protecting Inoue, so he wanted to visit Ishikawa.
However, upon his initial arrival in Seireitei, his Zangetsu was used by Muramasa to turn against him. It was only with great difficulty that Zangetsu returned to normal. Afterwards, he joined the Onmitsukidō to encircle scattered Zanpakuto. By the time he had time to visit Ishikawa...
Ishikawa had already been discharged.
"As for Ishikawa-sama, he has already returned to Rukongai."
Kyōraku Shunsui said, his brows slightly furrowed: "The battle with Aizen left him severely wounded, and his Shinigami abilities completely vanished. Although it's not ideal to say this, even if he were to remain in Seireitei, he wouldn't be of much help and might even be affected. He's safer staying in Rukongai instead."
Upon hearing this, Ichigo's expression immediately became somewhat dim. He had already heard Captain Unohana mention this when he first arrived in Soul Society.
Slap
Yoruichi slapped Ichigo on the head: "Don't worry about him. Even if he's lost his Shinigami abilities, those Zanpakuto will absolutely not be able to harm him."
"Moreover..."
Yoruichi paused, then turned to look at Soi Fon.
"According to the Supervisory Team's report, after Ishikawa returned to Rukongai, the areas with higher numbers of residents once fell into great chaos, with casualties reaching tens of thousands."
"Hm?"
At these words, everyone present couldn't help but turn their gaze towards Soi Fon.
"According to the Supervisory Team's monitoring results..."
Soi Fon paused slightly here, because those from the Supervisory Team were actually like Ichigo, voluntarily monitoring Ishikawa out of concern for his safety. Usually, the Supervisory Team monitored people to investigate the Supervisor, but this time it was to protect the Supervisor...
Shaking her head slightly, Soi Fon continued: "The one who acted wasn't Ishikawa, but several of the most powerful leaders under Ishikawa. The cause of the incident was that the news of Ishikawa losing his Shinigami abilities somehow spread. Those villains under him secretly gathered, intending to rebel."
"But before the rebellion plan could be implemented, all the villains who intended to rebel were already spontaneously slaughtered by Ishikawa's subordinates."
"Tsk tsk, sometimes I really feel that Ishikawa-sama is quite terrifying." Kyōraku Shunsui shook his head upon hearing this.
Hitsugaya Tōshirō frowned: "Even so, it shouldn't have caused such massive casualties."
"It's better if we don't interfere with matters over there."
Kyōraku Shunsui shook his head: "Rukongai is now completely Ishikawa-sama's domain. I also have intelligence on his subordinates; among them are several individuals whose Spirit Core are comparable to Captain-level, and Vice-Captain-level are even more numerous than ours. Most importantly..."
"His influence spans the entire Rukongai, even among ordinary residents. It can be said that if Ishikawa-sama wanted to, he could even surround the entire Seireitei."
"If interfering in Rukongai's affairs were to displease him, at a time like this, we wouldn't be able to face both Ishikawa-sama and the rebellious Zanpakuto simultaneously."
As Kyōraku Shunsui spoke, his expression couldn't help but become somewhat strange.
Because normally, the Central 46 would absolutely not allow such a force to exist, but what was strange was...
Both Commander Yamamoto and the Central 46 adopted an attitude of turning a blind eye to Ishikawa's forces, as if they were not at all afraid that this force would threaten Seireitei.
If it were merely a large force, it would absolutely not be able to create the current situation.
Because Seireitei had launched encirclement campaigns against Rukongai more than once or twice. The senior veteran, Unohana, had once led a team in a bloody massacre in Rukongai, clearing out and subjugating countless strong individuals from Rukongai.
And before Captain Unohana, Commander Yamamoto also led the Gotei 13 to purge Rukongai.
There must be something he didn't know that made Commander Yamamoto and the Central 46 believe that Ishikawa would not lead this force to harm Seireitei.
"According to reports from the secret agent who has been staying outside the Everything Store in West 38th District, this incident was not led by Ishikawa, but rather a self-initiated purge by his subordinates."
The secret agent Soi Fon referred to was actually the Supervisory Team Squad Member who drank at the Sake Granny's stall across from the Everything Store every day. Due to his duties, he had never drunk inside the Everything Store's pub, though Ganju often brought a few subordinates to drink with him...
"And according to the report, most of these purged villains were individuals who intended to provoke conflict between Ishikawa and Seireitei, so Ishikawa also tacitly approved of this purge."
Soi Fon slowly stated, though she didn't deliberately favor Ishikawa, she also didn't make the usual judgment that Ishikawa might pose a threat to Seireitei.
If possible, she didn't want to force Ishikawa into opposition with Seireitei.
So, regarding Ishikawa, Soi Fon had one more thing she hadn't reported.
That was, not long after the purge, those villains under Ishikawa acted again, collecting all the bodies of the deceased.
Soi Fon didn't know the details of why Ishikawa would do this. Lady Yoruichi seemed to have obtained some clues from Shiba, but she didn't elaborate, only telling her that Ishikawa would not harm Seireitei.
However...
Soi Fon could vaguely guess some things.
The uses of dead bodies are only a few.
There was also someone in the Gotei 13 who was keen on collecting corpses, and that person was Kurotsuchi Mayuri. His purpose for collecting corpses was no secret in the eyes of the Onmitsukidō.
Conducting human experiments expressly forbidden by Seireitei!
Ishikawa's purpose should be the same.
If it were the old Ishikawa, he would have been thrown directly into the Maggot's Nest for conducting such experiments.
But like Kurotsuchi Mayuri, Ishikawa not only possessed formidable strength but also made great contributions to Soul Society. So, as long as the Central 46 didn't issue an investigation order, Soi Fon didn't want to delve into Ishikawa's purpose for collecting bodies.
Besides, those were originally unstable elements attempting to attack Seireitei, completely unrelated to Seireitei.
…
At the same time, West 38th District.
"Ishikawa-sama, I have preserved all the bodies according to the method you taught me, and Oyama has also brought people to capture the scattered survivors and put them together with the bodies in the tunnel Ganju dug in the backyard last time."
Himura finished speaking, then asked with some confusion, "Why did you keep them?"
"My loss of Shinigami abilities is not a deception; I truly have lost my Shinigami abilities."
At these words, everyone in the pub couldn't help but twitch their mouths.
Kinkaku and Ginkaku, sitting with Nishijin Ori in the center of the pub, even rolled their eyes.
At this moment, the two looked incredibly miserable. Kinokaku was much fatter than before, and Ginkaku also followed in Kinokaku's footsteps, becoming a big fat person…
Lost Shinigami powers?
What a joke.
Although the two of them couldn't defeat Nishijin Ori, their Reiatsu was not much weaker than that of the Captain-level Shinigami of the Gotei 13. Yet, the two of them were still utterly defenseless under Ishikawa, who 'claimed' to have lost his Shinigami powers, even more so than when they used to spar with Ishikawa.
If you say you've lost your Shinigami powers, who would believe it?
Himura also had a look of suspicion.
"I don't rely entirely on Reiatsu for combat. Although I can't use Reiatsu, my own strength is still very strong."
Ishikawa didn't hide anything from those present: "So, to regain my Reiatsu, I need a large number of spiritual bodies for research, to create a method that can heal the Spirit Core within my body."
Upon hearing this, everyone nodded in understanding.
"Then, why don't we go kill some more?"
"Yes."
"Oh, right, I remember many people were buried in the backyard, weren't they? Should we dig them up too?"
"…"
Ishikawa watched as everyone discussed how to find research materials for him, and a smile unconsciously appeared on his face, a smile even Ishikawa himself didn't notice.
"It's enough."
Interrupting their discussion, Ishikawa said, "There's no need to go to such trouble. The most urgent task now is to keep an eye on those rebellious Zanpakuto. I need them to help me find someone."
According to rough statistics, about fifteen thousand villains died this time. Fortunately, both Hueco Mundo and Soul Society are currently in their prime. Although the deaths of these villains might have some impact, it shouldn't be significant.
In fact, this might even be beneficial for the balance.
After all, when Ishikawa conducted experiments in Hueco Mundo, it had already caused the balance between Soul Society and Hueco Mundo to tilt slightly. Now, it's just a matter of making some corrections.
This can be seen from the fact that Mayuri hasn't contacted him.
If the impact were truly significant, that madman would have already personally rushed to the Everything Store.
"Someone's here."
Just then, Nishijin Ori, who had not participated in the conversation, suddenly spoke.
Ishikawa looked at him upon hearing this.
"Judging by the Reiatsu, it should be those rogue Zanpakuto you mentioned."
Rogue Zanpakuto?
Ishikawa frowned. What are they doing here?
Did they discover that he had sent people to monitor them?
Ishikawa pondered for a moment, then said, "You all stay in the tavern and don't move. I'll go out and see."
The tavern walls had Spell Inscription that eliminated aura and blocked detection. As long as everyone didn't go out, the incoming person wouldn't discover that so many people were hidden in the tavern.
Before he figured out the purpose of the Zanpakuto coming to find him, Ishikawa didn't want Muramasa to be wary of him.
Having made up his mind, Ishikawa walked directly out of the tavern.
Casually closing the door, Ishikawa lay directly on the lounge chair outside the tavern, looking as if he had come out to sunbathe.
Not long after he lay down, accompanied by a gentle breeze, a figure appeared on the street in front of the Everything Store.
This was a man with a terrifying face and extremely long fingernails, dressed in a white jumpsuit. His whole being exuded a strange sense of eeriness and gloom.
Muramasa?
Ishikawa slowly sat up from the lounge chair, meeting Muramasa's gaze, a smile appearing on his face: "Esteemed guest, do you have a request for my Everything Store?"
Muramasa didn't speak, but instead sized up Ishikawa.
After a while, he slowly opened his mouth and said, "Is it you?"
"Hmm?"
"The one who fought against a Shinigami named Aizen three days ago?"
Ishikawa didn't speak, but looked at Muramasa, his gaze filled with scrutiny.
From Muramasa's appearance, he probably didn't know that he had sent people to monitor them. So why did he come to find him?
"It seems that, as those Shinigami said, you have lost your Shinigami abilities."
Muramasa didn't wait for Ishikawa's answer. After carefully observing Ishikawa, he shook his head slightly: "Don't worry, I have no interest in killing a useless person. I'm only here to take something from you."
Take something?
A strange look flashed in Ishikawa's eyes; he vaguely guessed Muramasa's purpose for coming here.
Should he stop him?
Ishikawa hesitated for a moment and did not get up.
"A person who is no longer a Shinigami naturally has no right to continue possessing a Zanpakuto, and I can make your Zanpakuto unleash its true potential!"
As he spoke, Muramasa slowly walked towards Ishikawa.
Although he wasn't present at the battle between Ishikawa and Aizen three days ago, he felt the terrifying power of the two forces.
While he didn't know much about Ishikawa, he was not unfamiliar with Aizen.
Because it was Aizen who found him and provided him with countless Hollows as a source of power, allowing him to maintain his materialized form.
The Zanpakuto of someone who could contend with Aizen should also be extremely powerful.
Even if the master loses their Shinigami abilities, the Zanpakuto in their spiritual world will not disappear; it will merely fall into a deep slumber, just like himself.
Therefore, awakening it and bringing it under his command should be of some help to him.
Looking at Muramasa's outstretched hand, Ishikawa did not resist, but instead sat there like an ordinary person, allowing Muramasa to do as he pleased.
Hum~
A strange ripple emerged from Muramasa's palm, heading towards his spiritual world.
"Ying~"
Vaguely, a sharp shriek seemed to sound.
This made Ishikawa breathe a slight sigh of relief. He was really afraid that the dog in his spiritual world would suddenly 'woof woof' a few times. If that happened, he would truly be not far from social death.
And in a place Ishikawa couldn't see, within his spiritual world.
An anomaly was occurring. As Muramasa's strange ripple poured in, the gray trees and ground all gave off a gray gas, merging into the dog's body.
"Ying ying ying ying—"
The strange shriek grew louder and louder, accompanied by a sense of incompleteness. An incredibly massive creature, even twice as tall as the Everything Store, slowly appeared on the street.
"Ying—!"
As soon as this colossal creature appeared, it let out an unprecedentedly loud shriek.
Visible sound waves spread out, but they did not affect the surrounding buildings. Instead, the Reishi in the path of the sound waves were all stirred up.
The colossal creature's form was close to that of a beast, pure white all over. From close up, one could only see its abundant white fur, but if viewed from a distance, one would discover that the beast's appearance was that of a countless times enlarged…
Fox!
Ishikawa looked at the white fox howling at the sky on the street, and the corner of his mouth twitched slightly.
Although he had known for a long time that the materialized form of a Zanpakuto's true body would differ from the master's impression of it.
But…
A small creature that constantly circled him, barking like a simp, materialized into a giant fox. Isn't this contrast a bit too great?
Muramasa looked at the appearing Kokumei, and a strange look appeared in his eyes as well.
Because no matter what the Zanpakuto's original form was, most of them would tend towards a humanoid shape after materialization. However, this Zanpakuto's true body appeared in a completely beastly form.
And most importantly…
When he invaded Ishikawa's spiritual world, he didn't feel any dissatisfaction from the Zanpakuto towards its master. There was only fear, and a killing intent that should have disappeared.
Rather than saying he brought the Zanpakuto out of its master's world, it was more like that killing intent used his ability to urge the Zanpakuto's true body to materialize!
Thinking of this, Muramasa couldn't help but glance at Ishikawa.
This was the first time he had encountered a situation where a Zanpakuto only felt fear towards its master.
It wasn't unprecedented for a Zanpakuto to fear its master; the Captain of the Twelfth Division was an example. However, although his Zanpakuto was afraid, it still held dissatisfaction towards its master.
But Ishikawa's Zanpakuto, due to fear, didn't dare to show any dissatisfaction towards Ishikawa.
Yet, there was also a mysterious killing intent!
What did this guy…
…do to his Zanpakuto?