Thirteenth Division.
As Yoriichi Tsugikuni slowly finished explaining what had happened to Matsumoto Rangiku.
Across from him, Jūshirō Ukitake couldn't help but look serious.
He gazed at the two Zanpakuto that had appeared after Matsumoto Rangiku's Shikai, a thoughtful expression in his eyes:
"So that's it. The reason you came to me is because a third pair of twin Zanpakuto has appeared in Soul Society, is that right?"
"That's certainly worth noting. Now that you mention it, I recall something."
"Rangiku should also have something related to the Soul King within her."
Jūshirō Ukitake slowly raised his eyes, looking at Matsumoto Rangiku with a somewhat complex expression.
After all, if there were no surprises,
one of these two swords must have been formed from a fragment of the Soul King.
This is a manifestation of a foreign object existing within the soul.
Yoriichi Tsugikuni nodded slightly:
"Yes, that's why I thought of coming to find you, Senior Brother. I believe you should know some things related to twin swords."
Jūshirō Ukitake didn't ask why Yoriichi hadn't gone to Kyōraku.
He simply lowered his head slightly, falling into a moment of contemplation, seemingly quickly sorting through the fragmented information he knew in his mind.
A moment later, he slowly raised his head:
"I see..."
"Regarding the questions you've raised, I do know some things, but not everything."
"Because my own understanding of the Soul King is also incomplete."
"In my opinion, there are roughly only two reasons why Rangiku cannot get a response from the other Zanpakuto."
"Firstly, that sword hasn't acknowledged her, because twin swords mean twin sword spirits, with two consciousnesses."
"Just like my Sogyo no Kotowari, they look like identical twins, but occasionally they also throw tantrums."
"Secondly, it's because Rangiku's spiritual pressure is insufficient."
"Yoriichi, you must have heard of Half-Shikai, right?"
What is known as Half-Shikai is a special state that arises when the relationship between a Shinigami and their Zanpakuto is not fully established.
It's like the Zanpakuto hasn't told the Shinigami its full name, but in some sense, it has acknowledged him.
Therefore, if a Shinigami in this stage performs Shikai, he will only be able to unleash a portion of the Zanpakuto's power.
Only when the Shinigami uses this partial power to gain the Zanpakuto's complete acknowledgment can he perform a Full-Shikai.
And it's worth mentioning that,
besides the Zanpakuto being able to withhold its full name from the Shinigami, the Shinigami can also intentionally not utter the Zanpakuto's full name, thereby actively entering this state.
Yumichika Ayasegawa is a very typical example.
He changed Ruri'iro Kujaku to Fuji Kujaku... Remembering Yumichika Ayasegawa, Yoriichi Tsugikuni understood:
"I know a little. So, Senior Brother, you think this sword hasn't acknowledged Rangiku yet?"
"Perhaps so."
Jūshirō Ukitake slowly extended a hand, gently lifted the blade of the Zanpakuto in front of him, carefully examining it, and slightly furrowed his brow:
"But there's another possibility..."
"Yoriichi, you must have seen my Sogyo no Kotowari, right? Actually, my Sogyo no Kotowari, in a sense, is not a twin sword."
Jūshirō Ukitake raised his eyes, choosing his words carefully, and explained to Yoriichi Tsugikuni:
"No, actually, it's not just my Sogyo no Kotowari; Kyōraku's Zanpakuto isn't a twin sword either."
"From the very beginning, there were no twin Zanpakuto in Soul Society."
"How so?" Jūshirō Ukitake's words sparked a hint of interest in Yoriichi. This was a statement he had never heard before.
"Senior Brother, aren't your swords two swords?"
"They are indeed two swords, but their hilts are connected."
Jūshirō Ukitake sighed softly. He pondered for a long time before coming up with a more vivid analogy,
"It's like nunchaku. They look like two sticks, but in reality, it's one stick. My Sogyo no Kotowari is the same."
"As for Kyōraku's Katen Kyōkotsu..."
Speaking of Katen Kyōkotsu, Jūshirō Ukitake fell into a brief recollection. After a short moment, he raised his head and continued,
"To be honest, when I first met him, he only had Katen, one sword. Kyōkotsu appeared later."
"According to him, Kyōkotsu is Katen's child..."
"I don't know why such a peculiar relationship as 'children' would exist between Zanpakuto,
but in my opinion, it's probably something like gestation."
"Like a division of power..."
"Rangiku's sword, in my opinion, is quite similar to this situation."
"Because the hilts of these two swords are not connected."
Because they weren't connected, Jūshirō Ukitake came up with this guess...
This behavior seemed hasty, but in reality, it held a certain degree of credibility.
After all, the form of a Zanpakuto is, to some extent, linked to the form of the soul.
The reason Sogyo no Kotowari are connected is probably due to the Soul King's power residing within Jūshirō Ukitake's body.
Indivisible, life-bound.
Yoriichi pondered briefly and generally understood these circumstances.
He turned around, looked at Rangiku, and summarized:
"That's roughly the situation."
"The other sword not responding to you is very likely because your power has been divided, causing you to be unable to hear the voice of this sword."
"Kenpachi once self-sealed himself, which prevented his Zanpakuto from being released."
"Do you know the name of this sword?"
"I do." Rangiku nodded obediently. She had heard every word of their conversation.
She was somewhat surprised that there were so many intricacies between Zanpakuto.
Phew...
Collecting her thoughts, Matsumoto Rangiku exhaled, and with a serious expression, added:
"Hinagiku told me that sword is called Kuro Neko. Is it because my power is insufficient that I can't use its strength?"
"Even if I use Senkaizui, I can't see it... What's the reason for that?"
"That's normal. Senkaizui is for asauchi."
Yoriichi explained, "And your Zanpakuto only becomes two swords in its Shikai state, so naturally, you can't use it."
"The matter has been clarified. Let's go back."
"Work hard to increase your spiritual pressure, and in all likelihood, you'll be able to unleash the true power of these two swords in the future."
"Kuro Neko... It looks very aggressive."
Some Zanpakuto, just by their names, hint at their abilities, like Ryujin Jakka and Hyōrinmaru.
Hinagiku and Kuro Neko are certainly not among them.
But using animal names, while giving them a wild aura, also conveys a strong sense of aggression.
Matsumoto Rangiku also thought of this point, and thus couldn't help but be full of anticipation for Kuro Neko's abilities.
Hinagiku's abilities were already extremely destructive, so what would Kuro Neko's be like?
Furthermore, since they are two swords after division, can they be combined into one?
This was precisely the question Matsumoto Rangiku was pondering.
Moreover, there was one more thing that greatly concerned her.
She had now reached the level of Seventh-Class Spiritual Power, only a step away from Sixth-Class Spiritual Power.
Such a level of spiritual pressure was comparable even to those high-ranking Seat Officers.
Yet, even so, it still couldn't allow her Zanpakuto to achieve Full-Shikai.
Then, how much spiritual pressure would Bankai require?
As Matsumoto Rangiku thought about it, she couldn't help but feel a little weary, then silently exhaled.
However, looking at it from another perspective, this might also subtly reveal just how immense the potential contained within her sword is.
Keep working hard. Having a goal is always much better than doing nothing.
Hopefully...
Sixth-Class Spiritual Power will allow Full-Shikai, and there are still two months until the holiday...
It should be enough time.
Carrying this beautiful anticipation, Matsumoto Rangiku left the Thirteenth Division with Yoriichi Tsugikuni.
In the days that followed, she never once interrupted her communication with Kuro Neko.
Until one morning, as she groggily broke through to Sixth-Class Spiritual Power, she seemed to hear a voice in her sleep.
The voice seemed to come from a distant place, yet also seemed to be right by her ear, desperately calling someone's name.
Matsumoto Rangiku couldn't hear it clearly.
But even so, Matsumoto Rangiku, by virtue of an instinctive reaction deep within her to this voice, still woke up at the first moment.
Her hair was messy, and her eyes held a hint of confusion. The sky outside was still very dark.
Her gaze subconsciously fell upon the Zanpakuto placed beside her, with which she communicated day and night.
She saw that one sword had, at some point, turned into two.
Hinagiku was motionless, while Kuro Neko trembled slightly, tapping the floor with a "pat, pat" sound.
With just one glance, Matsumoto Rangiku was overjoyed.
She immediately grasped Kuro Neko,
and the dual fatigue of mind and body seemed to vanish without a trace before this sudden change, even her sleepiness completely gone.
Subsequently, within her spiritual world, Matsumoto Rangiku learned everything about Kuro Neko.
"..."
After a long while, Matsumoto Rangiku slowly opened her eyes.
She exhaled a turbid breath, the excitement in her eyes slowly fading with the passage of time.
She had to admit, compared to Hinagiku, she preferred Kuro Neko.
Because Kuro Neko's sword spirit was also female, though quite petite.
Her black beast ears added a quiet and reserved demeanor to her, making people feel a sense of pity and affection upon seeing her.
This demeanor was completely opposite to Hinagiku's.
If Hinagiku was a mature older sister next door...
Then Kuro Neko was like a young, black-haired, straight-haired girl, not yet grown, with a hint of youthful innocence.
She exuded an aura that made one want to protect her.
If Matsumoto Rangiku hadn't been young herself, upon seeing Kuro Neko for the first time, her maternal love would have simply overflowed...
The sky was not yet bright, but Matsumoto Rangiku was already unable to sleep.
She quietly held Kuro Neko like this, appreciating the sunrise from under her covers while communicating with Kuro Neko.
Then, when Yoriichi Tsugikuni woke up, Matsumoto Rangiku shared this good news with him.
Yoriichi wasn't too surprised, as he had already speculated about it.
But, Kuro Neko's ability...
"Is it a further division on the basis of cutting to achieve a complete annihilation effect?"
"Hinagiku attacks the surface body, Kuro Neko attacks the inner cells?"
"Micron-level damage?"
"Very good."
If cells are destroyed, then Kaido would be difficult to be effective, as healing requires the participation of cells to work.
Rather than saying this is physical damage to cells, it's more like a kind of poisoning effect, and one without an antidote.
Hearing Yoriichi Tsugikuni's words of praise, Matsumoto Rangiku's lips curled up slightly, filled with joy.
This was undoubtedly a huge affirmation for her, and it showed that her previous efforts had not been in vain.
At the same time, Hinagiku's ability did not disappoint her.
Because a Zanpakuto of the same type simply couldn't achieve such precise cutting, cell-level damage…
What kind of concept was that?
If she could break through an opponent's defense, she could instantly make the opponent completely lose their combat ability.
And not just cut off their muscles, allowing the opponent to still fight for three days and three nights.
One must know that even with severed muscles, some Shinigami, gritting their teeth and relying on strong willpower, could still continue to fight.
However, pulverizing cells and destroying their nerves was different.
The body's functions rely on nerves for regulation.
No matter how strong a person's willpower, it's absolutely impossible to ignore the huge impact on the body after nerves are severed.
Even someone as strong as Kenpachi could be paralyzed by Mayuri Kurotsuchi's blade in the Thousand-Year Blood War arc.
Let alone anyone else…
Matsumoto Rangiku's mood was a little agitated, surging like a rising tide, and she seemed to see a future where she defeated Ichimaru Gin.
After taking a deep breath and barely suppressing the restlessness in her heart, she asked Yoriichi Tsugikuni:
"Does this mean that once I reach Fifth-Grade Spiritual Power, I can defeat Gin?"
"Is Gin Fourth-Grade now?"
"Fourth-Grade?"
Actually, not yet…
Although Ichimaru Gin's talent was outstanding, he had not yet reached the point of being considered a prodigy.
It had been less than five years since he graduated.
According to the plot, it wasn't until a hundred years later that he possessed strength close to that of a veteran Captain.
At that time, his spiritual power would probably be at a level between Third-Grade and Second-Grade.
Yoriichi Tsugikuni recalled Ichimaru Gin's recent performance while responding:
"Soon, the further you go with spiritual pressure, the harder it is to improve. While you are progressing, he is also progressing."
"I personally will not favor any of you, but, Rangiku, you still need to continue to work hard."
"Any Zanpakuto, no matter how powerful its ability, is based on spiritual pressure."
"Yes, I understand, thank you for the reminder, Brother."
Matsumoto Rangiku lowered her head slightly, a rare instance where she humbly listened to the words.
If her Zanpakuto were to become a useless existence due to her own negligence, she probably wouldn't forgive herself.
After Rangiku turned and left, Yoriichi Tsugikuni donned his Captain's haori.
He gazed at the open space outside the house, listening to the faint, occasional low shouts, and couldn't help but sigh softly.
These were Rukia's and Hisana's voices…
Uta leaned over at this moment, her gaze falling outside as well, and she asked softly:
"Yoriichi, when do you plan to send them to school?"
"It's not good for things to continue like this, is it? You're raising them as daughters, and now…"
"I know." Yoriichi Tsugikuni gently interrupted her, his gaze falling warmly on Uta's small belly as he pondered,
"In a while, they are still too young."
"The average enrollment age at the Spiritual Arts Academy is seventy, so enrolling now would be a disadvantage and also very prone to danger."
"I will instruct them well, to let them relax more in their daily studies and life, and not put too much pressure on themselves."
"That's good."
Hearing this answer, Uta seemed to have a huge weight lifted from her heart, clearly letting out a sigh of relief.
Then she remembered something and added:
"Oh, by the way, Yoriichi, is the Fourth Division okay? I haven't reported there these past few days, and I don't know about Captain Retsu Unohana…"
"It's fine, I've already spoken to her about this."
Roughly two months ago, after the Aizen incident, Retsu Unohana and Kenpachi had a battle.
In this battle, Retsu Unohana lost to Kenpachi.
Logically, battles between Kenpachi have always been win or die.
However, due to various reasons, Kenpachi spared Retsu Unohana's life.
Kenpachi's reason was: death is not the end of a person's life; losing faith is.
It's unknown where he learned this phrase, most likely from Komamura Sajin.
Therefore, Retsu Unohana owed Kenpachi a favor, one that would be difficult to repay for a lifetime.
And Kenpachi didn't need this at all, so Retsu Unohana transferred this favor to the Ninth Division.
It was just a matter of taking a leave.
Everyone has their necessities, let alone a major event like giving birth.
Uta nodded gently, her understanding of the situation and Yoriichi's gentle tone made her mood relax a little as well.
A faint smile gradually appeared on her face.
After Yoriichi left home for work, Uta picked up her Zanpakuto, placed it on her lap, and then sat cross-legged quietly.
She meditated while communicating with her Zanpakuto, attempting to awaken Bankai.
She knew the probability was minuscule, but she had to try; she couldn't just do nothing when even Hisana and Rukia were working hard…
…
Ninth Division.
"Captain, this is the report of criminal incidents that have occurred throughout the Soul Society in the past two months."
"I have carefully organized it; please review and stamp it."
Ichimaru Gin held a thick stack of documents and reported earnestly to Yoriichi Tsugikuni.
Yoriichi reached out and gently took the documents, his gaze involuntarily drifting towards the window on the right.
Outside the window, some children and adults were vigorously training in the open space.
Yoriichi's eyes showed a hint of relief, and he asked casually:
"Gin, what do you think of that child Toushiro?"
Ichimaru Gin's gaze followed.
He frowned slightly, fell into a brief thought, and then gave a definite answer:
"Very strong, Captain. Are you planning to recruit him into the Ninth Division?"
"Isn't he too young this year?"
"He's even younger than your sister, isn't he?"
"Yes, so I plan to have them enroll together and become Shinigami together…"
Bang.
Yoriichi Tsugikuni retracted his gaze, stamping diligently with lowered brows, and spoke unhurriedly:
"They are roughly the same age. Although Toushiro is not good with words, Hinamori Momo is different."
"It's better for three people to grow up together than to be alone."
Ichimaru Gin nodded thoughtfully.
Soon after, he realized his behavior might be overstepping, so he quickly lowered his head and respectfully said:
"Captain, you can make your own decisions. I am just an ordinary squad member."
"You are not ordinary at all."
Yoriichi looked up, his gaze gently falling on Ichimaru Gin, a faint smile playing on his lips,
"Are you interested in having a sparring match with him? A swordsmanship one, so he can see his own shortcomings."
"This…" Ichimaru Gin hesitated.
He understood Yoriichi's meaning, which was simply that he was worried Toushiro might become complacent from defeating too many opponents.
One must know that his opponents were all auditing students, and Hinamori Momo was no exception.
Without having fought against a true Shinigami, one would never know the true gap between them and a Shinigami.
After one defeat, there was a high probability that he would strive to catch up, which would be more beneficial than harmful…
But.
Why choose himself?
Ichimaru Gin actually wanted to refuse, because he felt it would bring him a lot of trouble.
Additionally, his personal style of doing things was actually very low-key.
But then he thought about his age…
He understood. A Shinigami younger than himself, while able to defeat Toushiro, couldn't let him intuitively feel the gap between them.
A Shinigami older than himself… if an adult sparred with a child, even if they won, Toushiro wouldn't be convinced.
Only he, a Shinigami whose appearance was still in the youthful stage, was the most suitable.
Understanding this, Ichimaru Gin responded helplessly:
"Alright, but, Captain, let me state beforehand, I won't go easy on him just because he's a child."
"Of course, I won't seriously injure him. The goal is to let him discover his shortcomings, right?"
"Just like how you often spar with me?"
"Exactly."
To be precise, that was the purpose.
Toushiro's spiritual pressure was even stronger than Ichimaru Gin's back then.
Based on this spiritual pressure, what he needed to improve were only combat methods like swordsmanship and Hakuda.
But one must eat bite by bite and walk step by step. When his understanding of swordsmanship was not yet up to standard, having him spar with himself would only have a counterproductive effect.
It's like a calculus teacher teaching elementary school math; it's far less effective than a middle school student teaching an elementary school student.
After stamping the documents, Ichimaru Gin turned and left the office.
He pondered how to spar in a way that would both enlighten Toushiro and not make him lose confidence.
He also wondered how Rangiku was doing.
If it were her doing this…
Ichimaru Gin couldn't help but think of Matsumoto Rangiku and sighed softly.
He heard that Rangiku had already awakened Shikai, and it wouldn't be long before she could defeat him, right…
After being defeated, what attitude should he take towards her? He only hoped that they could return to their past state…
…
Soon after, Toushiro, as Yoriichi Tsugikuni expected, naturally lost to Ichimaru Gin.
Facing this opponent, who was similar in age but could cleanly and completely overpower him, Toushiro's eyes flashed with surprise and unwillingness.
But more than that, it was a sudden awakening.
He finally realized how naive his past thoughts had been.
Winning by one move against Hinamori Momo was merely a starting point; the road ahead was still long, and he absolutely could not remain complacent.
Just as he was about to ask Ichimaru Gin for guidance, or seek advice from Yoriichi Tsugikuni, who was observing nearby.
A masked member of the Royal Guard suddenly appeared before Yoriichi Tsugikuni and said in a low voice:
"Captain Tsugikuni, Captain-Commander has an urgent matter to discuss. Please proceed to the Gotei 13 immediately."