After the meeting, Hikifune Kirio pulled Nanatsuki aside to prepare some restorative medicine for his spiritual body.
Today, her lab was noticeably crowded.
The Onmitsukidō had brought back a large number of Reishi Shells from the World of the Living.
Urahara Kisuke and other lab assistants were busy fiddling with instruments.
There were simply too many shells, and they needed a lot of life-support tanks.
Unfortunately, all the intact tanks had been taken by Nanatsuki, so the Onmitsukidō only returned with damaged ones.
Still, repairing was faster than manufacturing, so they were attempting to fix them.
"Captain, the Onmitsukidō brought back 526 Reishi Shells. 368 were corpses. Most died due to broken tanks," Urahara reported. He immediately noticed Nanatsuki's injured hand and blinked in surprise. "You're hurt?"
Nanatsuki's strength was captain-tier, and he was skilled in Kaido. This level of injury was highly unusual.
"Miyamoto Tetsuya modified his Zanpakutō. He was tough to deal with—his regenerative ability was incredible," Nanatsuki said.
"He could modify a Zanpakutō...?" Urahara stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Not easy. The fact you defeated him is impressive."
Miyamoto had worked in Squad Twelve before Urahara joined, so the two had never met.
"You're that strong already, and you're still hanging around the Academy instead of leading a squad?" Urahara hinted.
Nanatsuki had been visiting Squad Twelve frequently lately. Urahara suspected he was eyeing Hikifune's position.
The lab members already knew Hikifune would soon be promoted to the Royal Guard. Urahara had also been training hard to meet captain standards.
"I plan to succeed Miss Kirio," Nanatsuki said with a smile. "Once she joins the Royal Guard and my students graduate, I can take over."
Nanatsuki already had considerable renown and a close relationship with Hikifune. He didn't need to hide his ambition.
"That's perfect. I'll leave the lab to you then," Hikifune laughed.
She had been planning to build a tech team within Squad Twelve. With her promotion, Nanatsuki was the best successor.
Urahara's expression fell. "Then I'm out of luck!"
"Oh? You wanted the captaincy too?" Nanatsuki feigned surprise. "Sorry about that. I really do like this squad. The people here are fun."
"Well, I appreciate the praise... but it looks like I'll have to give up," Urahara sighed.
He knew he still had some growing to do. Beating Nanatsuki to the captain seat was unrealistic.
"Don't be discouraged. You're a valuable asset to Squad Twelve," Nanatsuki patted his shoulder. "Actually, this crisis has solidified an idea I've had."
"What kind of idea?"
Both Hikifune and Urahara looked intrigued.
"Miyamoto may be dead, but I suspect he'll revive in Hell. He might return one day," Nanatsuki said.
"Technological development is something Soul Society must prioritize. If neglected, the consequences could be catastrophic."
"If I take over Miss Kirio's position, I plan to expand the lab and dive deep into R&D."
"Before I leave the Academy, I also want to establish a special class focused on tech skills—to train research talent."
Currently, most Squad Twelve members were average Shinigami, not technical experts.
Technological talent was rare, and the Academy had no dedicated track for it.
So Nanatsuki intended to start a specialty class before leaving the Academy—a foundation for Squad Twelve's transformation.
"That's wonderful. I wanted to do the same, but I ran out of time. You can expand this lab once it's yours," Hikifune smiled.
Urahara was surprised. That had been his exact plan too!
Nanatsuki had arrived at the same idea!
Urahara had hoped to push Squad Twelve toward R&D after becoming captain. But now, he shelved that thought.
He wanted to stay and see how far Nanatsuki would go.
"Sounds exciting," Urahara scratched his cheek.
"The restoration medicine is ready. Raise your hand," Hikifune gestured.
While they chatted, she had finished preparing the treatment.
Drawing pale-blue liquid into a syringe, she injected it into the back of Nanatsuki's hand.
The effects were immediate. A tingling spread across his palm, and thin layers of flesh began growing over his exposed finger bones.
Then she applied a thick coat of nutrient fluid and wrapped his hand and arm in specialized bandages.
"These will slowly release nutrient-rich Reishi. Change them once a day. Your hand should recover within a week," Hikifune said, handing him a roll.
"Thank you, Miss Kirio," Nanatsuki accepted them.
The growth agent he had taken from Miyamoto could have healed him instantly, but it carried trace Hollow Reishi, which could lead to mutations.
Hikifune's medicine was slower, but safe.
Now that Miyamoto was gone, Soul Society was relatively secure. Nanatsuki wasn't in a rush and preferred a side-effect-free recovery.