(T/N: Sorry Everyone!! I needed to rest for a bit!! I will be releasing 6 Chapters today, and another 6 tomorrow!!)
Somewhere in Hell—
Black droplets hung thick in the air like condensed mist.
At the densest point of this floating darkness was a mass of flesh vaguely shaped like a human.
These floating black droplets were Hell Reishi.
And that pulsing mound of flesh was a person reborn in Hell after their fall.
Whenever a new sinner—or someone of captain-level strength or higher—fell into Hell, a massive amount of Hell Reishi would gather to reconstruct their spirit body.
And whenever that happened, it would draw a swarm of Hell creatures to the scene.
To them, Hell Reishi was a miracle medicine—able to restore the body, the soul.
But even in Hell, finding a dense concentration of Hell Reishi was rare.
The rebirth of a spirit in Hell, however, caused such a convergence—making it a golden opportunity for the creatures of Hell to feed.
As expected, swarms of Hell creatures were already closing in, drawn like moths to a flame.
Meanwhile, the mass of flesh in the air was rapidly regenerating.
The Reishi clinging to the form sizzled audibly, as though acid were being poured on it.
Moments later, the mass reshaped itself into the form of Miyamoto Tetsuya.
He had been reborn in Hell.
But this new Miyamoto looked slightly different from the one Nanatsuki had encountered in the World of the Living.
A massive bone ring had formed behind him, and chains formed tattoo-like patterns crawling over his skin.
"So this is Hell, huh?" Miyamoto rolled his neck with a calm expression.
"Even my Zanpakutō's been restored… Well, I suppose that makes sense—it's a part of my soul, after all. It fell here with me."
He drew the blade from his hip.
Miyamoto wasn't entirely unfamiliar with Hell. He raised his hand, and the surrounding Hell Reishi surged toward him.
He wasn't about to waste such potent energy.
But that action incited the other Hell creatures nearby, who roared and charged at him in an attempt to steal the gathered Reishi.
"Perfect. Let's see if my strength has changed."
His Zanpakutō vanished.
In its place, branches sprouted from his hand.
But instead of leaves, each branch bore bulbous clusters of spore sacs, each the size of a fingertip.
"Become nourishment for the Akuryū!" Miyamoto shouted.
The spores detached, bursting into a cloud that spread quickly.
Hell creatures that charged in were instantly enveloped.
And then came the transformation—
Their bodies began to split open with countless lesions.
From each wound, meaty tumors rapidly grew—ballooning to the size of basketballs.
Splurt! Splurt!
Each massive tumor ruptured.
From within spilled an explosion of spores—like dandelion seeds scattering in the wind.
With so many Hell creatures as hosts, the spore cloud expanded at an alarming rate.
Some of the more intelligent beasts realized something was wrong, but it was too late. They were engulfed in the spore storm and vanished without a trace.
In minutes, the area fell into complete silence.
Only the surging sea of spores remained.
'Damn that shadow space… If not for that, I could've used the lab's Reishi shells to nourish my Akuryū,' Miyamoto fumed internally.
Nanatsuki's Shadow Space had completely countered him.
If Miyamoto's power had been allowed to spread, all the spirit shells cultivated in the lab would have become fuel for the Akuryū.
And the outcome of their battle might've been entirely different.
'Too bad… That experiment body will definitely be found now. I won't be able to observe it any further.'
He had spent an immense amount of resources creating that half-human, half-Hollow specimen.
Now that the Shinigami had taken it, there was no way he could continue his research.
And here in Hell, it was even more impossible to replicate the experiment.
'Still… maybe Hell Reishi itself is worth researching,' Miyamoto muttered with a smirk.
He recalled how he had nurtured the half-human, half-Hollow hybrid.
And thought—
If he could create a half-human, half-Hollow… then what about a soul infused with Hell power?
If it worked, that soul could endlessly regenerate as long as its consciousness survived, thanks to the healing properties of Hell Reishi.
And if it retained human characteristics, maybe it could travel freely between the World of the Living, the Soul Society, and Hueco Mundo.
Half a year later—
At the Shin'o Spiritual Arts Academy office—
"You're applying for early graduation?" Nanatsuki glanced at the application form Kakyō handed him. "You know that the earlier you apply, the harder the test will be, right?"
According to academy policy, the sooner one applied for early graduation, the harder the trial would be.
Ever since word got out that early graduates received preferential treatment in the Gotei 13, many students had been eager to apply—resulting in significantly harder evaluations.
Back when students like Azashiro Kana applied, the exams were far easier.
If not for unforeseen circumstances, and the presence of high-level Shinigami like Saitō Akane and Nanatsuki leading the mission, things might have been much worse.
Still, even then, there was no guarantee of absolute safety.
"Yes. I plan to specialize in Kidō, but the academy no longer has anything new to teach me. My Zanjutsu, Hakuda, and Shunpo are already at the level of a Gotei squad member. Staying here would just be wasting time," Kakyō explained. "So I'd like your permission to graduate early, Sensei."
"Joining the Kidō Corps early would give you exposure to a wider range of Kidō. It'll definitely help your growth," Nanatsuki nodded.
Kakyō had hit a bottleneck.
She had already mastered the academy's foundational Kidō.
She had nearly finished learning the mid-level Kidō Nanatsuki could teach.
But she wasn't ready for the high-level techniques he personally wielded.
The best way for her to progress was to join the Kidō Corps and explore new techniques firsthand.
"I'll forward your application to Headmistress Kotetsu and see if she can arrange a suitable evaluation mission," Nanatsuki said, accepting the form.
Such missions required coordination with the Gotei 13, and could only proceed once a matching assignment was found.
A few days later—
Just as Nanatsuki was about to rest, his Denreishinki buzzed with an urgent call.
At his level, sleep was unnecessary as long as his spiritual body remained intact. But habit kept him attached to nighttime rest.
He picked up the Denreishinki.
A frantic voice rang out:
"Nanatsuki-kun! My sister's condition suddenly worsened! Please come check on her!"
It was Saitō Akane. Nanatsuki furrowed his brow.
Saitō Rei's condition was the same as Katori Batsu'unsai's—damage to the Spiritual Pressure Core.
Standard Kaidō couldn't heal it, which was why she had agreed to undergo Nanatsuki's experimental treatment: growing a spirit shell to transplant a new core.
But it had only been a little over half a year.
Even with Reishi growth accelerants, the shell's core wouldn't be ready to bear Rei's spiritual pressure.
'If they try to use it now, it could collapse entirely.'
"Don't panic, Miss Akane. I'm on my way," Nanatsuki replied before immediately setting off for Seireitei.
Though Rei's condition had stabilized before, a mission mishap likely caused her current relapse.
Nanatsuki moved swiftly, arriving at Squad Three's barracks.
The division was in chaos tonight, with Shinigami crowding the halls.
He even spotted his student, Azashiro Kana, in the crowd.
"Sensei!" Kana rushed over. "What are you doing here?"
"Saitō Rei is my patient. Her sister called me, said her condition relapsed," Nanatsuki said, scanning the crowd. "Do you know what happened?"
"She was on assignment in the World of the Living. Got ambushed in the Dangai by a Hollow!" Kana explained.
"A Hollow… in the Dangai?" Nanatsuki frowned. That was extremely rare.
The Dangai was the passage between the World of the Living and Soul Society.
Hollows typically traveled via Garganta, not through the Dangai.
The Dangai was heavily warded by Shinigami. For a Hollow to appear there meant something was wrong.
"Yeah, she said that when she came back. She's in the infirmary now," Kana said. "We're getting ready to investigate the Dangai."
Nanatsuki trusted Kana's abilities but still reminded her, "If a Hollow breached the barrier, it's no ordinary one. Be careful."
"Got it, Sensei!" Kana waved and led the investigation team out.
Nanatsuki walked down the corridor to the Squad Three infirmary.
Inside, he found Vice-Captain Iba Chitetsu and the Saitō sisters.
Rei was unconscious. Iba was applying Kaidō.
"Vice-Captain Iba, Miss Akane," Nanatsuki said gently.
"Nanatsuki-kun! Sorry to disturb you so late, but please save her!" Akane pleaded, eyes red with worry.
"You're here… Her condition's really bad. I wanted to send her to Squad Four, but Miss Akane insisted on calling you," Iba said helplessly.
Because spirit shell cultivation was forbidden by Central 46, Nanatsuki's treatment of Rei remained a secret.
Iba didn't know the details, but he respected Nanatsuki's Kaidō abilities and didn't object.
"Let me take a look."
Rei's condition was dire.
The fact that she'd lasted until she returned was a miracle—but now, her Spiritual Pressure Core was even more damaged.
Her situation was critical.
Luckily, Nanatsuki had spent over a decade with Batsu'unsai and frequently acquired medicine from Unohana to suppress core damage. He had ample experience.
"Her core damage has worsened. We need to act fast." Nanatsuki quickly wrote a prescription. "Take this to Captain Unohana. Only she has the right medicine."
Akane ran out with the note.
Iba had finished cleaning Rei's wounds. Nanatsuki began treatment with Kaidō.
If left untreated, her core could collapse entirely.
Nanatsuki's Kaidō was far superior to Iba's. The deep gash across Rei's abdomen began closing rapidly.
Iba was awestruck. "Your healing is incredible, Nanatsuki-kun. I never imagined wounds this bad could heal so quickly!"
Only someone skilled in Kaidō could appreciate the technique. Iba's own healing skills rivaled academy instructors, and he had personally treated Rei's wounds.
He knew how serious they were.
For him, all he could've done was delay her death.
But Nanatsuki… was reversing it.
Ten minutes later, Rei's wounds were fully closed.
Akane returned with the medicine.
"Her spirit body's heavily depleted. She'll need serious rest," Nanatsuki instructed. "These should be brewed and given to her regularly."
"I'll prepare the decoction right away," Iba said, taking the herbs and leaving.
"Thank you so much!" Akane bowed deeply.
"I gave my word I'd treat her. I won't go back on that," Nanatsuki said. After a pause, he added, "Miss Akane, I hope you're ready."
Akane froze. A chill ran through her heart.
"Please, go on…" she said hesitantly.
"Her core damage is far worse now. Even with Captain Unohana's medicine, we can't suppress it much longer," Nanatsuki said grimly.
"How long… does she have?"
Nanatsuki exhaled slowly.
"Less than a month."