On his first morning in the new house, Kensei Kenzuru opened his eyes, the lingering sensations from last night's hot spring escapade still faintly present.
Staring at the ceiling, images from the previous night flashed through his mind.
"Hehehe, my second brother is peerless under heaven!"
Kensei let out a few triumphant chuckles, then remembered the headache-inducing issue.
"If Old Man Yama finds out..."
Kensei sucked in a breath, already able to imagine the old man's mustache bristling with rage, shouting "cleanse the ranks!" while drawing Ryūjin Jakka.
The thought made Kensei shiver, feeling a chill at the back of his neck. He felt he had to do something so the old man wouldn't have the heart to strike him down even if he knew.
Right, I still have a Zanpakutō!
Kensei sat up, grabbing the Zanpakutō placed by his bedside. Recently, Kūkon had been resting, and with Kensei busy, he hadn't properly communicated with his Zanpakutō for a long time.
Good thing only Muramasa has the ability to manifest Zanpakutō spirits. Otherwise, Kūkon would probably be arguing with Aizen every day.
Kensei sat cross-legged, placing the Zanpakutō horizontally on his knees, closing his eyes and focusing his mind entirely on the blade.
When he opened his eyes again, the surroundings had changed.
Kensei felt as if he'd fallen into an abstract painting. Various cubes materialized and vanished at random, and faint golden hourglasses loomed in the distance. He stood on a constantly shifting transparent grid, his perception of space feeling somewhat blurred.
Shaking his slightly dizzy head, Kensei muttered, "Didn't think Kū's taste had such a 'math major prodigy' style."
"You have a problem with that?"
A cool female voice came from behind.
Kensei turned to see Kūkon stepping out from a spatial rift. Her silver-white high ponytail swayed gently, her eyes coldly fixed on him, clearly spelling out her immense displeasure.
"No problem." Kensei quickly shook his head. "They say the Zanpakutō reflects its master. This just proves I'm full of wisdom too."
Kūkon ignored Kensei's self-praise, eyeing him up and down, her gaze flashing with disdain and a sense of frustration.
"Finally crawled out of your gentle female haven and remembered you have a sword?"
Kūkon spoke, each word dripping with venom.
Kensei gave a dry laugh. "Kū, it all just happened naturally."
"So, I had to perceive all that... nauseating spiritual pressure entanglement?"
Kensei looked at her oddly. "How can you even sense that? Are you a proper Zanpakutō?"
"Are you a proper Shinigami?"
Kūkon's retort left Kensei speechless. By any measure, he couldn't be considered a proper Shinigami, so his Zanpakutō having some special functions was normal.
Kūkon took a step forward, fury roiling in her eyes. "And that Sōsuke Aizen! I've long said I wanted to tear her to pieces. Now I have even more reason."
"Kū, calm down, calm down." Kensei hurriedly soothed her. "And why are you only targeting Sōsuke? What about Yoruichi?"
Kūkon looked at Kensei, her eyes holding a stifled frustration he couldn't decipher.
"That despicable scoundrel," Kūkon's voice was icy cold, each word seeming forced through clenched teeth, "Using drugs to render you unconscious before acting is one thing..."
She paused, taking a few deep breaths to suppress her anger. She raised a hand and lightly drew a line in the air before her.
Space parted like a curtain, revealing a somewhat blurry but recognizable scene—the inside of the Rukongai laboratory, showing what happened after Kensei fell asleep.
Though the perspective was strange, like from a camera mounted on the headboard.
"And then she found me an inconvenience, used a Bakudō to bind me and fix me to the side."
Kensei stared, unable to believe his eyes.
"That beast in human clothing!" Kūkon's voice trembled slightly, the surrounding space shaking violently. "Made me watch a live broadcast the entire night."
Kensei's brain crashed. It took a few seconds to reboot.
No wonder Kūkon targets Sōsuke. There's such a hidden history.
"I... you..." Kensei opened his mouth, finding anything he said would sound wrong. He could only manage, "You... had it rough..."
Kūkon glared fiercely at Kensei.
"Forget it. Let's talk about something else for now." She snorted, her expression turning more serious. "Although that Aizen character lucked into completing Hollowfication, you cannot do the same. You are different from other Shinigami."
"But isn't that hindering my path to becoming stronger?"
"Right now, you don't need it, and you must not deliberately pursue Hollowfication." Kūkon stared into Kensei's eyes. "Just like me. The right time will come naturally."
"So, Yoruichi and Aizen were worrying for nothing?"
Kensei's expression was odd, wondering how they'd react upon learning this.
"Exactly. How could they possibly understand you as I do?" Kūkon lifted her chin. "What you should focus on now is delving deeper into your Zanpakutō's abilities."
"Can you handle Yhwach?"
Kensei asked sincerely. If she could handle Yhwach, then Hollowfication truly wouldn't matter—it'd just be an extra form.
"Yhwach? A desiccated corpse in a tomb, nothing more." Kūkon turned, hands behind her back, radiating intense confidence that felt oddly familiar to Kensei. "Of course, you must not neglect your own training. No matter how strong I am, I ultimately still require spiritual pressure to support me."
Kensei nodded. That made sense. In Shinigami battles (except against Quincy), everything relied on spiritual pressure.
"So, what should I do specifically?"
A slightly calculating curve touched Kūkon's lips, quickly suppressed.
"From today onward, practice Zanzen for at least one hour daily. Communicate with me, gain a deeper understanding of spatial manipulation."
Kensei somewhat suspected Kūkon was seizing the chance to monopolize his private time, but he had no proof.
"Would you rather waste time on others than spend more time communicating with your own Zanpakutō?"
Kūkon leaned closer, dangerous glints flashing in her eyes.
"Deal."
Kensei thought about it. He had treated Kūkon poorly before, and she'd suffered quite a bit. Spending more time with her was only right.
"Good." Kūkon turned, her figure beginning to fade. "That's all for today. Remember, one hour daily."
She waved a hand. Kensei felt enveloped by a gentle force, then pushed away.
Kensei's consciousness returned to his body. He looked down at the Zanpakutō on his knees.
He'd learned a lot from Kū today. Various kinds of things...
Patting his stomach, Kensei decided to head to the kitchen first and make something to eat. A full stomach was needed for energy to do other things.
***
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