Unlike Myōki, who could display everything clearly, Heaven's Will would only spit out one character at a time.
Communicating with it was unbelievably difficult.
"Let me demonstrate." Rukia Kuchiki recalled what she had felt earlier and reached toward Muten Natsu. A wisp of mist immediately curled around her wrist.
As if by mutual understanding, the two poured their Reiatsu into the mist. The previously faint white mist instantly thickened, enveloping them both before disappearing completely, as though it had never existed.
Even so, both Rukia Kuchiki and Muten Natsu could clearly sense the connection between them.
No matter the direction, all they had to do was reach out to turn the invisible connection into something tangible, like a rope.
Muten Natsu closed his hand around empty air. White mist reappeared in his palm, contracting and solidifying.
With a firm tug, he pulled Rukia Kuchiki straight into his arms.
Then hugged her.
Small and soft.
Muten Natsu lowered his head and took a sniff.
Mm. She smelled nice too.
"You...!" Rukia Kuchiki smacked Muten Natsu. "The Captain is still here!"
Ever since she had come clean about her feelings, Muten Natsu seemed to be getting more and more shameless.
Retsu Unohana chuckled. "That certainly seems like a convenient ability."
"N-No, that's not all!" Rukia Kuchiki hurriedly struggled free of Muten Natsu's embrace. "It can do other things too."
Rukia Kuchiki poured more Reiatsu into the connection, and ice gradually began forming over Muten Natsu's body.
When Muten Natsu sent his own Reiatsu into the mist, Rukia Kuchiki's Reiatsu began rising at an astonishing rate.
"Hmm?" Retsu Unohana finally noticed the unusual part. "It doesn't merely transfer Reiatsu. It can transfer the nature of that Reiatsu as well?"
Muten Natsu nodded. "That seems to be the case."
"Hmm..." Retsu Unohana fell into thought, then reached toward Muten Natsu and grasped at the air.
Wisps of ethereal mist drifted toward Retsu Unohana and wrapped around her wrist.
Retsu Unohana turned her wrist, noticing that although the mist looked as though a single breath could scatter it, the connection remained intact.
It was almost as if the mist existed in another world, responding only to the movements of those connected through it.
With a vague theory forming in her mind, Retsu Unohana poured her own Reiatsu into the mist.
In an instant, both Muten Natsu and Rukia Kuchiki felt a chill run through them.
The pure white mist turned a horrifying crimson almost immediately, carrying a bone-chilling killing intent as it surged into Muten Natsu's body.
This cold was different from both the chill of the Hell Flames and the freezing cold of Rukia Kuchiki's Sode no Shirayuki. It was not something felt by the body, but a cold that came from the very depths of the soul.
Blood vessels immediately stood out in Muten Natsu's eyes, and his breathing grew noticeably heavier.
The glow of Kaidō lit up in Retsu Unohana's palm. Muten Natsu's tense body instantly relaxed, the sensation as soothing as a warm spring breeze.
Retsu Unohana moved her fingers slightly. As her Reiatsu rapidly shifted, Muten Natsu vaguely felt himself gaining finer control over his own power. He gradually began to realize just how crude his previous handling of that power had been.
"Rukia." Noticing the subtle change in Muten Natsu's expression, Retsu Unohana turned toward Rukia Kuchiki. "Did you feel anything?"
"Hmm..." Rukia Kuchiki hesitated before answering truthfully. "At first, I felt a little cold. After that, I didn't really feel anything."
After learning about Retsu Unohana's past, Rukia Kuchiki had already formed some guesses about the nature of her power.
But only when she experienced it firsthand did she realize how inadequate her imagination had been.
That spine-chilling killing intent...
"I think I understand the general principle now." Retsu Unohana nodded. "Muten, what I'm about to tell you is only what I've observed through these experiments. It doesn't necessarily mean your power truly works this way. Do you understand?"
"Mm." Muten Natsu nodded firmly. "What you're describing is only what can currently be observed on the surface. It doesn't represent the true essence of Heaven's Will. To understand its actual nature, I need to keep communicating with Heaven's Will, experience it for myself, and explore it carefully."
"My, how clever..." Retsu Unohana's gaze softened, and her voice became increasingly gentle. Then, remembering that Rukia Kuchiki was still there, her tone gradually returned to normal. "As long as you understand."
Muten Natsu's expression turned slightly awkward.
During her earlier lessons, Retsu Unohana had often praised him that way.
Retsu Unohana brought her legs together. Beneath the concealment of her loose Shihakushō, the movement was barely noticeable. "For now, it appears that one of Heaven's Will's abilities is establishing connections. It acts as a bond between those who are linked together. At its core, that bond is formed through the blending and combination of spiritual energy."
Spiritual bodies were composed of Reishi. Just as human skin constantly shed dead cells through metabolism, spiritual bodies also released Reishi.
Those Reishi particles flowed through the air, forming spiritual energy.
Once Reishi left a spiritual body, it gradually lost the Reiatsu it originally carried and became part of the atmospheric Reishi.
The stronger the spiritual body, the more Reishi it released and the more spiritual energy it produced. Its Reiatsu also lingered for longer, making the resulting spiritual energy more distinct.
Rukia Kuchiki immediately understood what Retsu Unohana meant. "Spirit Ribbons? No... is it closer to Raku Zetsu?"
Spirit Ribbons were formed by compressing and visualizing the spiritual energy in the atmosphere. They could be used for reconnaissance and tracking, but there was no tangible interaction of force involved.
Raku Zetsu, on the other hand, intertwined one's own spiritual energy with an opponent's, then used the spiritual energy in the atmosphere to bind them, restraining the enemy.
It was a Kidō technique Retsu Unohana had originally developed to save Muten Natsu, using the power leaking from Muten Natsu himself to suppress the power running rampant inside his body.
However, the technique was far too advanced. Muten Natsu had worked at it for a long time without managing to master it.
Later, Ise Nanao helped modify the technique, finally allowing Muten Natsu to master it. The revised version used only his own spiritual energy to restrain his own power.
"Spirit Ribbons can only be used for sensing, while Raku Zetsu can only be used for restraint. Heaven's Will, however, can transmit power." Retsu Unohana gave Rukia Kuchiki an approving look. "Compared with Spirit Ribbons, this mist is indeed much closer to Raku Zetsu."
A thought stirred in Retsu Unohana's mind.
A Zanpakutō was a mirror of a Shinigami's Soul.
Muten Natsu's Bokukō was remarkably similar to her Minazuki, and now the newly awakened ability of Heaven's Will was fundamentally similar to Raku Zetsu, the Kidō she had developed herself.
Just how much did this child depend on her...?
Retsu Unohana shook her head lightly and gathered her thoughts. "And it goes beyond simply transmitting force. Heaven's Will can transfer power regardless of the nature of the Reiatsu involved. That is its most remarkable aspect."
Rukia Kuchiki stared at Muten Natsu in disbelief. "Regardless of the nature of the Reiatsu?!"
"Is that really so surprising?" Muten Natsu looked confused. "It just ignores the nature of Reiatsu... What exactly is the nature of Reiatsu?"
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