A few days later, Mirai stepped into the Second Division barracks' "research lab" once again.
He had barely pushed the door open, before he could even see what new junk had been added to the room, when a figure lunged at him with startling speed.
"Mirai!"
Kisuke Urahara grabbed Mirai's arms with such force that the latter stumbled.
Underneath Urahara's messy hair, his eyes were visibly bloodshot.
"You're safe! That's wonderful!" Urahara's voice trembled significantly.
"I heard from the returning soldiers that a Menos Grande appeared in the World of the Living! A monster like that... I was worried sick! I haven't been able to eat or sleep for days, just fearing that..."
Mirai was momentarily stunned by this sudden outburst of "deep affection."
...Wait.
Something was wrong.
Since when had Kisuke Urahara become so "sentimental"?
Shouldn't he be crouching in a pile of spare parts, not even looking up as he asked "Did you bring the money?" or "When is the next investment coming?"
Mirai regained his composure instantly. His cold face didn't change as he spoke flatly:
"You're just afraid that if I die, no one will keep funding your inventions, aren't you?"
"Eh?!" The "worry" on Urahara's face froze instantly. His eyes reflexively flickered toward the scattered blueprints nearby, and the grip on Mirai's arms loosened.
"How could you say such a thing, Mirai? How could research funds ever be compared to your safety! You're being too formal! Haha..."
He gave a dry laugh, pointedly avoiding Mirai's eyes.
Mirai didn't bother exposing the performance's obvious holes. He pulled a flat wooden cash box from his robes and shoved it into Urahara's hands.
"Fine. This month's royalty settlement is in. I'm giving you forty percent as agreed."
He paused and added, "I'll make up the rest next month. I'm rushing a new draft, so next month's income should be higher."
"One hundred and twenty thousand!" Urahara's eyes lit up instantly.
He snatched the box away, hugging it tightly to his chest as a brilliant smile bloomed on his face.
"Mirai is a real man! A man of his word! So reliable!"
His eyes began to dart around busily as he muttered under his breath:
"The latest model Spirit Particle analyzer, that portable Senkaimon stabilizer from the Twelfth Division, or maybe I should hoard some high-purity Sekki-seki powder..." He was clearly already drafting a shopping list.
Mirai waited for him to calm down slightly before asking in a low voice:
"My investment hasn't faltered. What about your end? How is the place I asked for coming along?"
At the mention of business, Urahara's greedy expression softened, replaced by a confident smile.
"The framework is essentially built. I've finished debugging the core 'Spiritual Pressure Masking' function.
"If you need an absolutely quiet writing environment that won't leak a single ripple of Spiritual Pressure, it's ready for immediate use."
"Then let's go," Mirai said concisely, turning to head out. "I need an undisturbed place to finish the initial draft of my new book."
"Right away! This way, please!" Urahara happily tucked the cash box into his robes and hurried ahead to lead the way.
The two left the Second Division barracks and navigated the complex alleys of the Seireitei, gradually moving away from the main building clusters.
Urahara was intimately familiar with the route. He specifically chose secluded paths, twisting and turning to avoid several Gotei 13 patrol squads on fixed routes.
Eventually, they arrived beneath Sōkyoku Hill.
Urahara stopped in front of an unremarkable rock face covered in vines and moss.
"We're here." He brushed aside the heavy vines, revealing a narrow, natural fissure in the rock.
From the outside, it looked like a perfectly ordinary mountain crack that wouldn't draw a second glance.
"Follow me. Watch your step." Urahara was the first to slip inside, with Mirai following close behind.
The interior of the fissure was dark at first, with only a faint glimmer of light filtering through the entrance.
The passage curved downward for about a hundred meters. Then, a steady and soft white light began to appear ahead. The air turned dry and crisp, carrying the distinct chill of stone.
Following Urahara around the final bend, the view suddenly opened up.
A massive natural cavern revealed itself.
The ceiling was high, filled with strange stalactite-like structures. The entire upper rock wall seemed to have been transformed into a translucent, glowing body, emitting a light as bright as midday sun. Every corner of the cave was visible.
The space was incredibly vast, large enough to hold thousands of people without feeling crowded. The floor was level, clearly having been smoothed over.
"How is it?" Urahara spread his arms, introducing the place with pride.
"Once the sealing mechanism at the entrance is activated, this place is completely isolated from the outside world.
"I've coated the walls with a specially treated 'Modified Sekki-seki' layer. Its isolation effect on spiritual power is top-tier."
He pointed to the glowing dome. "Directly above us is the base of Sōkyoku Hill. The Spiritual Pressure field there naturally suppresses and masks everything below. Double insurance!
"Even if you experiment... er, perform some 'loud' spiritual power activities in here, you won't have to worry about external detection!"
He leaned closer to Mirai and lowered his voice: "Mirai, this investment is worth every penny! Safe, private, and perfectly matched to your needs!"
Mirai didn't respond immediately.
He began to pace through the cave, his gaze sweeping over the surroundings.
The rock walls were dark grey and felt ice-cold and hard. He could indeed feel the faint obstruction to spirit particle flow, similar to the "Sekki-seki" used in the Seireitei's perimeter walls.
Looking up at the glowing dome, he could sense a massive, heavy Spiritual Pressure hanging overhead. That was the natural masking field provided by Sōkyoku Hill.
He was satisfied. This was even better than he had anticipated.
With this place, he no longer had to suppress himself constantly. He could test and train his abilities with much more freedom.
He turned to look at Urahara:
"Sekki-seki is a strictly controlled strategic resource, especially the high-purity stuff that can completely block spiritual power. Where did you get it? And you 'modified' it?"
Urahara scratched his messy hair and gave a cheeky grin:
"Well... our Second Division Lieutenant is the head of the Ōmaeda family.
"By having Captain Yoruichi coordinate and applying for a small amount of 'experimental grade' material in the name of 'Second Division special equipment research,' it was doable.
"Of course, the 'modification' and specific application were my work."
Mirai nodded, pressing no further.
He believed Urahara had the connections and capability. The combined influence of Yoruichi Shihōin and the Ōmaeda family was substantial when it came to nobility and supply channels.
The reason Mirai had invested so heavily in Urahara, aside from valuing his future potential to rival Aizen in strategic depth, was because the recent events in the Seireitei had given him a growing sense of unease.
After Aizen graduated into the Fifth Division, anomalies and Menos Grandes appeared in the World of the Living. Now, the internal nobility was rife with undercurrents and public conflicts.
The relative peace of the last few decades was being rapidly shattered. A suffocating tension, like the calm before a storm, loomed over the Seireitei.
He had to seize the time to grow stronger, faster.
This underground space was a crucial part of his plan.
Mirai walked to the center of the cave and stopped. With his back to Urahara, his voice rang out calmly:
"I'm going to start writing. Leave this place to me for now."
"Ah, understood!" Urahara caught the hint instantly. Without any hesitation, he turned toward the entrance.
"The switch is on the inner wall of the entrance. I've already set it up so you can control it from the inside. Please, 'create' to your heart's content! I won't disturb you!"
With that, his figure vanished into the passage they came through.
A few seconds later, there was a faint mechanical click, followed by the dull sound of shifting rock.
The entrance was completely sealed, temporarily cutting off all contact with the outside world.
Mirai was left alone in the cavern under the eternally bright "sky."
He didn't act immediately.
He scanned the entire cave once more with precision, looking for any obvious surveillance devices or lingering spirit particle traces.
Of course, that didn't mean Urahara hadn't left a backup plan.
Knowing that man's caution, he might have hidden something in an inconspicuous rock crevice.
But at this moment, there was no point in obsessing over it. Choosing to proceed here meant accepting a certain degree of risk. Trust was always relative.
He took a deep breath. The dry, cool air of the cavern filled his lungs.
Then, from his robes, he took out his manuscripts and several blank sheets of paper.
He spread the manuscript out and sat cross-legged, his gaze landing on the blank paper as he fell into deep thought.
The story he was about to write was of vital importance.
It wasn't just about the success of the new book, it was about whether he could use this opportunity to push his spiritual power and his understanding of "Raijin Seisho" to a critical new level.
----------------
My Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/LIZBETH1242