In the world where black and white merged into a single mass, the blue lights that Arima Shinya saw were the manifestation of the unique power emanating from his Zanpakutō.
He saw four versions of himself.
As if he were once again facing that crossroads that had prevented him from advancing…
Arima Shinya began his journey toward the unknown.
The first of his reflections advanced straight ahead, gripping the sword with both hands — attempting to break through the attack head-on.
But it was split in half, along with the blade, by Kiganjo Kenpachi.
The second chose a flanking route, but before it could counterattack, its head was grabbed and smashed against the ground.
The third…
The fourth…
All attempts at a frontal assault ended in failure. Arima Shinya watched the bluish silhouettes gradually fade until they disappeared completely.
And then, he reached a conclusion.
If direct confrontation is impossible — the only option is to adjust the strategy.
Pa.
As if snapping his fingers in his mind, the familiar crossroads appeared before him once again.
Simulation.
This was the true ability of his Zanpakutō.
Gather information about himself and the enemy, record it as data, inject that spiritual energy into the blade — and let it interpret, analyze, and reconstruct everything in detail.
Thus, the labyrinth called "Kiganjo" was fully reconstructed, projected within Arima Shinya's mind.
The crossroads represented four different directions.
By consciously controlling them, Arima Shinya could "foresee" with clarity the outcomes that would arise from each of his actions.
Be decapitated. Have the skull crushed. The body split. Eyes gouged…
Fates as varied as they were fatal.
And for that reason, he needed to restart the process, time and again.
If there is no path forward, there remains the detour, the escape, or the defense.
It seems complicated — but in truth, it is simple to understand.
It was, in essence, a deadly game.
At each crossroads, he sought a route for survival.
And if all failed, as now — Arima Shinya could abandon that round and restart, adjusting his reasoning and attempting another approach.
In the last two times he had escaped, it had been thanks to this very technique — a tenuous thread of luck.
That Kiganjo felt irritated was perfectly natural.
After all, statistically, this was a one-in-a-thousand… no, one-in-tens-of-thousands chance.
Taking number four as the basis, Arima Shinya had already simulated countless times within his mind.
It didn't matter if the movements seemed awkward, or if the methods were crude — as long as there was a possibility of survival, he would not hesitate to follow it.
Like a rat lost in a maze.
Like someone walking along a Möbius strip with no end.
"Clad by the bow — such is the nature of the serpent."
Yes.
A serpent devouring its own tail — an ouroboros.
This was the essence of Arima Shinya, the materialization of his talent — to transform the four fundamental techniques into his very soul.
To convert the impossible into chaos.
And, through his strength, dissect the chaos…
To find the thin line where the impossible becomes possible.
In theory, his ability should always find a chance of victory.
After all, probability is never absolute — it is made of chaos and uncertainty, and therefore, infinite possibilities.
Like placing a computer in front of a monkey: after countless attempts, perhaps it might end up writing Hamlet.
But reality was not so simple.
For Arima Shinya's spiritual energy was limited.
And, in the process of activating the Zanpakutō, all that energy concentrated in his brain.
Like an overloaded computer, the flow was so intense that even his consciousness began to blur.
He had tried too many times.
With four directions as the base, he had already repeated hundreds of simulations in just a few seconds.
Counterattack, defend, dodge, even beg for mercy…
No matter how varied the methods, the possible responses remained few.
The pressure imposed by Kiganjo was overwhelming — the labyrinth shaped from his presence was suffocating.
And Arima Shinya, having barely taken two steps inside it, already felt an immeasurable weight.
Perhaps, when he became stronger, Yumii's ability would also evolve — allowing him to foresee futures with greater accuracy.
But for now, this was the limit.
— How much further must I advance to see the end…?
— How many more times must I fight to find the way out…?
— There is no time to think about that.
For he saw — the blue lights expanding from his body began to shatter, like glass breaking, disappearing.
Countless futures being denied.
And, at the same time, the glow that filled his vision began to return to normal.
Not good… When the vision fully returns, time will resume its flow.
Before that…
Before Kiganjo attacked again, he needed to find the path to survive.
The next crossroads. The next bifurcation. Where would it be?!
With his body exhausted and the enemy's offensive increasingly fierce, Arima Shinya's situation deteriorated rapidly.
But it was still not time to give up.
He gritted his teeth, tensing every muscle — veins bulging in his temples.
Pff…
A slight snap echoed in his mind, reverberating amid the chaos.
What was that…?
Before he could think, he felt a warm moisture trickle down his nose.
He lowered his gaze — blood.
Slowly dripping from his nostrils, grotesque and thick.
Cerebral overheating — a physiological reaction to extreme exertion.
A warning.
The silent scream of a body on the verge of collapse.
Even so, Arima Shinya could not stop.
It was win or die.
And all that remained was to give absolutely everything.
Taking a deep breath, he gripped the Zanpakutō tightly in his hands.
And released, without reserve, all of his spiritual pressure.
Chains of bluish energy — countless, indistinct — began to swirl and collide like a storm.
Come.
Would he be the first to be crushed, his body trapped in the coils of the serpent — or the first to find the gap, the exit from this endless cycle?
After the chaos… clarity will come.
—
Author's note:
The power of this blade was created to connect with the Bankai that will appear later, which is why there are so many limitations.
(After all, it's just the Shikai, isn't it?)
(End of chapter)
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