Chapter 99: Shimiya Takeru's True Goal
Rukongai, District 79, Yachiru.
Resources were scarce, but for ordinary souls who did not need to eat, that was not much of a problem. If anything, with half their survival worries gone, they could indulge in pleasure more freely.
Rando, the founder of the Bount, possessed a youthful beauty completely at odds with her true age.
She wore glasses and carried a rare scholarly air, so out of place among the locals that even a glance made it obvious.
That disconnect was not limited to her appearance.
It was in her lifestyle.
Unlike most souls, Rando, once a Shinigami, still had to gather food in the forest every day.
Fortunately, the lack of resources had not damaged the natural environment. There was more than enough to satisfy one person's needs.
She lived in seclusion year after year, day after day, yet she never went numb. A hidden belief remained lodged in her heart, sharp enough to keep her awake.
That was why, the moment she returned to her concealed residence and saw a stranger inside, she drew a weapon without hesitation.
"Is this… a gun?"
The stranger being aimed at, Shimiya Takeru, studied the musket in her hand. It looked very much like a shotgun.
"Souls who died within the last century can recognize this, but they can only give you inspiration, not materials," Takeru said. "To build a high powered lethal weapon under conditions like these, you clearly did not waste your knowledge. That reassures me."
"If that counts as praise, then I suppose I should thank you," Rando replied, lowering the muzzle. Her eyes lingered on his white captain's haori, and her voice sharpened with the sternness of a head teacher. "Especially since it is an evaluation from a captain of the Gotei 13."
"More importantly, I want to know something."
Her gaze did not soften.
"How did you find this place?"
"I posted a reward in the Rukongai black market," Takeru answered casually.
"…Just that?" Rando frowned.
"Yes. Just that," Takeru said. "And just that was enough."
"The more remote the district, the more scoundrels and villains gather. Yachiru is a perfect example. Ask around any casino, and you will find gamblers willing to run errands for a little money, just so they can lose it all again five minutes later."
"And if they can survive here, they have their own skills."
He paused, then continued calmly.
"But those skills only go so far. Relying on them alone would never be enough to find this cellar, buried deep in the forest and blended into the environment."
As he spoke, Takeru turned his head and examined the place.
The space was small, fitting the word cellar perfectly.
Firewood and earthenware pots were stacked in one corner. A hanging pot sat over the center. A simple bed was nearby.
Altogether, it looked like a forest ranger's outpost.
"I understand," Rando said at last. She bent to lift a wooden basket filled with ingredients, speaking as she resumed her work. "So what now? What business does a captain of the Gotei 13 have with an exiled criminal like me?"
"In a sense, an exiled criminal and the villains of Yachiru are a fitting match," Takeru said softly.
His gaze, almost tangible, swept over her clothing.
A haori, paired with a Shinigami uniform.
"…But even scoundrels have their uses," he continued. "Let alone you."
Rando froze. She turned her head, staring at him as if he had spoken a language she did not recognize.
"Are you thinking…"
"My name is Shimiya Takeru, Ninth Division Captain," Takeru said. His tone was unhurried. "Because I was appointed less than a month ago, I lack personnel, so I thought of you."
He paused, then added mildly.
"You probably will not believe that."
"Of course not," Rando snapped. "I have been banished for a thousand years. Even the Captain Commander might not remember someone as insignificant as me."
"You are too modest," Takeru replied. "Someone who can create an entire race, even unintentionally, cannot be called insignificant."
That acknowledgement did not lift her mood. If anything, her heart sank.
"…So it really is about the Bount," she said quietly. "They have appeared again, have they not? That is why you came."
"They did appear," Takeru confirmed. "And then, while plotting to attack Soul Society in the Human World, they were annihilated by the Quincy."
"What?"
Takeru spent the next few minutes explaining everything.
The more Rando heard, the quieter she became. Sorrow crept across her refined face, plain to see.
Takeru did not soften his approach. He questioned her as if he had not noticed her distress at all.
"In your opinion, are there any Bount survivors?"
The ordinary sounding question snapped her back to alertness.
"What do you mean?"
"I want to use your expertise to modify the Pure Realm Chapter and fully utilize its nearly endless energy to create new technological products," Takeru said. "I already received the Captain Commander's permission, but I still need to eliminate all potential risk."
Rando's expression tightened, a look that practically screamed, I will not help you harm them.
Takeru shifted topics immediately.
"Of course, even if any Bount still live, they are infinitely close to extinction. They pose no threat to my plans or to Seireitei. This is simply precaution."
"I want to use your knowledge to search worldwide for any suspected remnants."
"If we find them, I will allow you to protect them. If they are confirmed extinct, we drop the matter."
"You do not need to worry about me going back on my word. This is a minor side task. Treat it like a hobby."
His eyes sharpened.
"My real reason for finding you is my Spirit Time House."
Rando did not fully relax. "What is that?"
"A training space where the flow of time can be adjusted between inside and outside," Takeru said. "Since the Pure Realm Chapter will be used as the energy source, I thought of you, its developer."
He summed it up in a single line, but Rando's scientific instincts immediately caught the strategic value behind it. The scale was so vast it made calculation feel meaningless.
"…I see," she said slowly. "Compared to that, the survival of the Bount truly is a minor matter."
"There is no need to deceive me about it. If you offend me, I might accidentally repeat my mistake and blow the entire sky over Seireitei apart."
She expected that self mocking threat to make him wary.
Instead, he remained calm.
"You do not seem worried about me causing trouble," Rando said, eyes narrowing.
"Of course I am worried," Takeru replied. "But what I worry about more is the failure of my own concept."
His composure only made her more suspicious.
"Shimiya Takeru… Captain Shimiya," she said carefully. "You do not want me here just to contribute a little help to using the Pure Realm Chapter as an energy source. It cannot be that simple."
"You are right," Takeru said with a small nod. "Modifying the Pure Realm Chapter does not truly require you. At most, it adds a layer of safety and shortens the timeline."
"The Pure Realm Chapter was discovered and sealed not long ago, and the related intelligence has already been excavated. Besides the Bount, that includes the cause of the experiment."
He watched her closely.
"According to the report, you were researching eternal life. Is that correct?"
"Yes," Rando answered, hesitant but direct.
"Because using human souls violated the rules, we used our own souls to create artificial souls as experimental subjects."
"The massive explosion caused by the accident sent those artificial Shinigami souls into the cycle of reincarnation and turned them into Bount."
"At the same time, a large amount of mutated reishi seeped into the world's cycle. That transformed some humans in the World of the Living into Bount."
"And beyond that, some souls were even born as Bount."
"Because Shinigami souls were the initial experimental subjects, Bount created through those three methods all possess abilities similar to Shinigami, and they can summon Dolls to fight."
"And the nature of a Doll is similar to a Shinigami's Zanpakuto."
She continued, her voice steady, as if reciting a report she had repeated a thousand times in her mind.
"As for immortality gained by consuming the souls of the dead, affecting space by consuming the souls of the living, and even consuming reishi after entering Soul Society once the body converts to reishi, these are unique abilities of the Bount."
"Although they lacked proper means of self protection, those life sustaining methods proved our experiment had a high probability of success, if not for the accident."
Rando's eyes widened.
"Wait… are you thinking of restarting the experiment?!"
Takeru shook his head.
"Although the power of the Pure Realm Chapter is unimaginably vast, I do not believe that power alone can create eternal life."
He leaned forward slightly.
"I am more interested in the Bount's abilities."
"Whether they are artificial souls or not, their power is undeniably tied closely to Shinigami power."
"So if we use the Pure Realm Chapter to recreate that mutated reishi, then turn it into a vaccine, or something similar, and inject it into a Shinigami's body…"
His voice remained controlled, but the questions came like blades.
"Could it make a Shinigami stronger?"
"Or, to be more concrete, can a Shinigami's Zanpakuto be further strengthened because the Bount's Dolls and a Zanpakuto are similar in nature, once a Shinigami obtains Bount power?"
"Would it make learning Shikai easier?"
"Or even cause Bankai, the Zanpakuto's true form, to change, driving an evolution of Bankai itself?"
Rando went completely still.
Even with a thousand years behind her, she had never followed that line of thought.
But she could not deny it.
The hypothesis was possible.
Not just possible.
Highly probable.
As a race, the Bount were flawed, inferior to Shinigami in countless ways, and precisely because of that, a race born from Shinigami might strengthen Shinigami in return.
"So that is why you want the Pure Realm Chapter as an energy source," Rando said slowly, mind racing. "You intend to fill that training space with mutated reishi."
"These reishi will not turn Shinigami into Bount, but they can be absorbed like high grade nutrients, producing direct beneficial effects."
"For example, as you said, training for Zanpakuto release will become much easier."
"Or by simply ingesting that reishi, one could live without eating or drinking like a Bount, and injuries could heal quickly…"
She connected his earlier statements, the Bount's abilities, and the Spirit Time House into a single line.
Takeru's expression shifted. The corners of his mouth lifted into a bright, satisfied smile.
It was as if he were saying, yes, you are the one I needed.
That smile looked predatory enough to send cold down Rando's spine.
"Miss Rando," Takeru said, "please come back to Seireitei with me. Staying here would be a waste of your talent."
"…I was already exiled by Central 46," Rando replied.
Without embarrassment, she removed her clothing and turned her back toward him, revealing spiritual seals carved across her slender skin.
"See? My spiritual power has been sealed."
"To stop the Bount if they returned to Soul Society and gave them new hope, I made many modifications to my body."
"That is how I gained enough spiritual pressure to fight, and how I have lived this long with a youthful appearance."
"Even if I return with you, Central 46 will not pardon me. And my current physical condition does not support more complex research."
Footsteps.
Rando turned, and saw Takeru rising and walking toward her.
"Hm? What are you doing…"
Her breath caught.
Takeru extended a finger. The tip glowed with silver blue spiritual pressure, like the flame of a candle.
He gently tapped her back.
Rando's body trembled.
In an instant, the seals vanished.
The spiritual pressure locked away for a thousand years surged back.
"A Shinigami's vitality is directly proportional to spiritual pressure," Takeru said calmly. "Your spiritual pressure still cannot compare to mine, but living a few more centuries should not be a problem."
He withdrew his finger as she quietly began to straighten her clothing.
"And by the way, something you will definitely care about."
"All members of Central 46 were recently kidnapped to Hueco Mundo by two rogue captains. For now, the Gotei 13 is under the Captain Commander's control."
"He is the one who told me how to break the seal."
"That means your identity will not be an issue."
Takeru's tone stayed matter of fact.
"Since I have said this much, I will also reveal your assignment."
"The captains of each division have authority to appoint personnel from vice captain to Ninth Seat, and that authority surpasses Central 46."
"I have decided to appoint you as the Third Seat of the Ninth Division."
He turned as if the matter was settled.
"Any other questions? If not, we leave."
Rando stared at him, unsure what expression could possibly fit a young captain who made the impossible sound routine.
After a long silence, her eyes drifted to the unfinished ingredients. Then to her small home.
A relieved smile appeared.
"I have no questions," she said. "Just let me cook a meal to entertain you. We will leave after we eat."
"Then let me taste the culinary skill you honed across a thousand years of solitary living," Takeru said, accepting at once.
Rando did not disappoint.
She spared no expense, pulling out precious ingredients and spices she had saved for who knows how long. In a place like Yachiru, it was almost unreal.
And yet, she produced a hearty sukiyaki hotpot.
Ninth Division Captain's Office.
"So you not only had a feast at her place, you dragged her back to work for you, and now you are sitting here drinking tea like you own the world?"
Ichigo could not hold back once he heard Takeru casually bragging about recruiting a capable subordinate.
"Drinking tea?" Takeru gestured toward the thick pile of documents on the table. "Can you not see the reports waiting for my approval?"
Ichigo's face darkened when he saw the stack.
"That's it? I can finish more than that in an hour. Besides, this kind of paperwork is your specialty."
"That is thanks to the teachings of my teacher, the Dragon of Paperwork."
"I do not think so," Aizen said calmly. "Takeru has an unusual sensitivity to words. Even without my guidance, he would have mastered it quickly."
Ichigo was not the only visitor.
Aizen was here as well.
Master and two disciples gathered in the Ninth Division, and it was clearly not a coincidence.
Aizen's next words confirmed it.
"I read the report," he said, "and it truly opened my eyes."
"Seriously," Ichigo muttered, staring at Takeru as if he were looking at a monster. "When I first heard about it, I thought it was a joke."
"I did not expect you to be serious."
"I never thought that besides inventing strange techniques, you would create something even stranger."
Ever since the Captain Commander approved the use of the Pure Realm Chapter, the Spirit Time House began its preliminary preparations.
The Research and Development Institute and the Ninth Division joined forces, along with two of the Four Great Noble Houses.
And on top of that, Omaeda could not keep his mouth shut.
Rumors spread through the Gotei 13 almost overnight.
Seeing that, Takeru simply had Hisagi publish a paper in the Seireitei Bulletin. It laid out the principles of the Spirit Time House and the supporting arguments, forcing many to realize it was not fantasy. It was a creation about to be born.
"This was inspired by shonen manga from the Human World," Takeru said casually. "It is normal that a hot blooded youth like you does not understand."
"Who are you calling a youth who does not understand? And what do you mean by hot blooded? I am a boy!"
Ichigo protested immediately.
Takeru ignored him and turned solemnly to Aizen.
"I am sorry, Teacher. I did not inform you at the beginning of the plan, and now I am shamelessly asking you to come help."
"Rather than perfecting the plan with you from the start," Aizen said, "I am happier to see you succeed with your own strength."
"This is a great surprise to me, and to any teacher. It proves you can stand on your own."
He smiled warmly.
"I am truly gratified."
"Teacher… is your standard for standing on one's own not a little too high?" Ichigo's mouth twitched.
"No need to mind it," Aizen replied. "Everyone's standards differ."
He glanced at Ichigo, as if considering something.
"If it were you, Ichigo… let me think…"
Before Aizen could finish, Takeru cut in.
"When you sort out all the messy powers inside you, then you can be considered to be standing on your own."
"Do not make it sound like my insides are a junkyard where anything can be found!"
Ichigo snapped back, then looked between them.
"By the way, is there anything I can help with? I cannot take on the Kidō projects like Teacher, but there has to be something, right?"
"Do not be shy. Once it is built, I will be borrowing it without hesitation."
"You…" Takeru gave him a look that clearly said he had no shame at all.
Then he nodded.
"Fine. There is something I need you to do in the Human World."
At the words Human World, Ichigo's eyes lit up.
He could visit his sisters.
"Near Karakura Town," Takeru continued, "there is a mountain called Mount Taga. A very dangerous Shinigami is sealed at its summit."
"I want you to capture him alive and bring him back to Soul Society."
"You said… what?"
The sudden seriousness made Ichigo's expression change instantly.
Aizen's gaze shifted as well, thoughtful.
"Are you scared?" Takeru asked.
"That is not the point!" Ichigo shot back. "Why is there a dangerous guy on a mountain near Karakura Town? And why is he sealed instead of exterminated? That does not sound like Central 46."
"Who knows," Takeru said, not commenting further.
He continued, tone steady.
"That Shinigami is named Mebari. Over four hundred years ago, in pursuit of power, he fused with his Zanpakuto, lost control, went berserk, killed dozens of Shinigami, and fled to the Human World."
"The Gotei 13 at the time sent five captains to hunt him down."
"And then?" Ichigo asked, voice tight.
"He was not killed. He was sealed," Takeru said. "That alone tells you enough."
"To my knowledge, two captains died in battle."
"The remaining three used all their strength to seal him. After that, the Kidō Corps were repeatedly dispatched to reinforce the seal."
Takeru paused, meeting Ichigo's eyes directly.
"I do not consider that a long term solution."
"And his fusion with his Zanpakuto has research value to me. That is why I want him captured and brought back."
"That way, you help me, and you eliminate a major hidden danger for Karakura Town."
"Mebari… once he breaks free, he will definitely sense humans with high spiritual power immediately. If he is still out of control, then the first targets will undoubtedly be those very conspicuous, very annoying people he can sense the moment he emerges."
"Of course," Takeru added, "this is only my personal judgment. Whether it is truly the case is hard to say."
"All right!" Ichigo suddenly stood, eyes burning with resolve. "Shimiya, you do not need to say more. I trust your judgment!"
"I will head to the Human World right now and bring back that dangerous guy that five captains could not kill!"
"I will not give him any chance to harm Karakura Town, or attack those high spiritual power humans!"
"Then I will leave it to you, Brother Kurosaki," Takeru said.
"Leave it to me!"
Takeru watched Ichigo rush out, then turned back to Aizen.
"Teacher, do you know Mebari?"
"No," Aizen replied. "His existence is too ancient for me, but I have heard of the incident."
He shook his head slightly.
"Fusing with a Zanpakuto… how reckless."
Takeru raised a brow. "Teacher, do you disapprove of it?"
"Takeru," Aizen said calmly, "you can think of capturing him for research. That means you have already realized fusing with a Zanpakuto is not impossible."
"In fact, it can be a brilliant choice."
His tone was so natural it sounded like common sense.
"However, it is something only those who have reached the limit of Bankai, who have touched the limits of a Shinigami in some aspect, are qualified to attempt."
"Otherwise, one is only trapped inside, like a silkworm pupa. Unable to transform, unable to break free from the shell."
Takeru's eyes narrowed slightly. "Are you warning me not to try it recklessly?"
"How could I?" Aizen said, rising and walking toward the door. "Warnings and reminders are unnecessary."
"You are my proudest disciple. Naturally, you will not be like Mebari, staking everything out of desperation, chasing quick success because he saw no hope."
Aizen glanced back, his smile gentle and sure.
"Just as I trust your judgment regarding Ichigo, I also believe that even if you were ever trapped in a silkworm pupa by accident, you would still break out of your shell."
.....
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