The old woman's soul returned to her body. After a good night's sleep, she would be fine.
The old man looked at his wife lying on the bed, then turned to Muten Natsu. "Go on."
He had already seen Muten Natsu perform a soul burial on the slick-haired man before. There was no fear left in him now.
"Now?" Muten Natsu glanced at the old woman. "You still haven't finished saying what you wanted to say, have you?"
"How could I ever finish?" The old man chuckled softly. "There's no end to it. Being able to have one last argument with her… that's already enough for me."
"Then…" Muten Natsu drew his Zanpakutō. "Goodbye."
The pommel of the Zanpakutō gently touched the old man's forehead. A circular seal engraved with [Life and Death] emerged, blooming with a soft rainbow glow. A violet ring of light slowly enveloped his body.
"Hey, brat."
"Hm?"
"Don't keep everything bottled up inside," the old man said earnestly. "You've got to say it out loud."
Muten Natsu lowered his eyes slightly. "…Got it."
The instant the circular light faded, a black butterfly beat its wings and flew away, carrying with it the old man's final trace in the World of the Living.
Muten Natsu returned to his Gigai. His gaze lingered on Rukia Kuchiki for a brief moment.
"…Let's go home."
Rukia Kuchiki looked at him deeply, then turned her head aside. "Yeah. Home."
"Home we go~" Orihime Inoue wrapped her arms around both Rukia Kuchiki and Muten Natsu.
"What do you feel like eating today?"
"Not sure." Muten Natsu tilted his head. "Do you have something in mind?"
"I've got a super great idea!" Orihime Inoue's eyes sparkled. "Let's buy some green onions, cream, bananas, and yōkan."
"Yōkan?" Rukia Kuchiki's eyes lit up. "Is yōkan in the World of the Living the same as ours?"
"It's the same," Muten Natsu said, gesturing with his hands. "Long, rectangular, sweet…"
So what exactly was Orihime Inoue planning to make?
No matter how he tried, Muten Natsu couldn't imagine how those ingredients were supposed to go together.
...
What a nice day.
Muten Natsu yawned, resting his head on his arms as he slumped over his desk.
He rubbed his cheek against his forearm, shifting until he found the most comfortable position.
The darkness before his eyes gradually receded.
When he opened them, he found himself in a pure white space.
A translucent light screen floated before him, black text appearing across it:
[Welcome back]
[Muten Natsu]
Muten Natsu waved his hand, dismissing the screen. "What Zanpakutō techniques can I use right now?"
[Currently available Zanpakutō techniques: Insect Flash]
[Upon swinging the blade, released Reiatsu takes the form of worm-like bindings that restrain the enemy]
[Remaining uses: 1]
[No other slashing techniques available]
"Only one left? Has my Shikai still not recovered?"
For most Shinigami, the Zanpakutō is their primary weapon in battle. In its initial state, every Zanpakutō is the same, known as an [Asauchi].
Shinigami live and train alongside their Zanpakutō, gradually engraving the essence of their own soul into the blade through constant refinement.
Over time, the Zanpakutō changes, taking on a unique form.
It also gains a name.
In battle, a Shinigami can call out that name to release their blade, unleashing far greater power.
The first stage of that release is Shikai.
After Shikai, a Zanpakutō's form undergoes further transformation, allowing it to wield abilities that go beyond the limits of a simple blade.
Those abilities vary widely, but they are all closely tied to the Shinigami themselves.
[Currently unavailable]
[Given your current physical condition]
[Activating Shikai will further aggravate the wound on your chest]
Muten Natsu glanced down at his chest. "It feels a lot smaller than before."
And it was.
What had once been a palm-sized circular hole had now shrunk to about the size of a fist.
[Slaying Hollows to absorb Reishi can aid wound recovery]
[For faster recovery]
[You must hunt more Hollows to obtain Reishi rich in Reiryoku]
"I know," Muten Natsu said, recalling what had happened earlier. "Did those two Hollows leave behind anything useful?"
[The Shadow Hollow was devoured by the Strong Hollow]
[Unable to extract a Soul Essence]
[The Strong Hollow was reduced to base Reishi by the incineration of Hellfire]
[Currently usable residual Soul Armament: Shadow Blade Shield]
[Manifests from shadows to block attacks]
[Damage level: 1%]
A pale, kite-shaped skeletal shield rose into the air, slowly circling around Muten Natsu's body.
Muten Natsu let out a sigh. "I only used it once."
[Residual Soul Armaments forged from Soul Essence possess extremely low durability]
[To increase durability]
[Maintenance techniques from the Shihōin Clan, one of the Four Noble Families, are required]
"Nobles…" Muten Natsu shook his head. "Forget it. It's better not to get involved with them."
[Destroy the residual Soul Armament to create a Soul Essence Memory Core?]
"Let's keep using it for now. My strength hasn't recovered yet, so having an extra layer of protection isn't a bad thing."
[Your caution is pleasing]
[Applying this mindset during combat will be of great benefit to you]
"I'm careful in battle too, you know?"
[Erroneous self-perception detected]
[Psychological evaluation required?]
"No, thanks." Muten Natsu stretched his body lightly. "Create a Reishi-based simulacrum of a Strong Hollow. I want to see if I can win with ordinary combat."
[Based on your current combat capability]
[Estimated victory rate: 93%]
[Adjust simulacrum parameters?]
"Adjust it to a 2% win rate."
[Your caution remains unchanged]
[HP increased by 239%]
[Attack speed increased by 136%]
[Strength increased by 227%]
[Defense increased by 124%]
[Reiatsu increased by 343%]
[Technique increased by 234%]
[Add language module?]
"That won't be necessary." Muten Natsu had no interest in listening to a simulacrum ramble on.
[Use Kidō?]
"No."
[Use Zanpakutō techniques?]
"No."
[Use Armaments?]
"No."
[Select battle environment]
"Random."
[Random battle environment selected: Main Road before Senzaikyū]
The white space began to tremble.
Flat stone paving emerged beneath Muten Natsu's feet. A wide avenue stretched out before him, and on both sides, rows of tall towers with tiled roofs rose from the ground, like iron bars meant to imprison giants.
Ahead of the towers stood a massive archway. Through it, Muten Natsu could see complex structures built along the mountains in the distance.
At the very top stood a straight, towering structure, rising skyward like the Tower of Babel.
That was the Senzaikyū.
The place where Muten Natsu had once been imprisoned.
That the tallest structure in the Seireitei was a prison said more than enough on its own.
Muten Natsu shook his head, forcing those unpleasant memories aside. His hand settled on the hilt of his blade as his gaze locked onto the Strong Hollow simulacrum forming not far away.
His far-superior Zanjutsu had been honed in countless simulated battles just like this.
The instant the simulacrum finished forming, it launched an attack on Muten Natsu without hesitation.