Chapter 150: Taking Stock
BANG!!!
At the sound of a distant impact, Matsushita Yusuke was crouched on the grass outside the Research and Development Department.
He watched Urahara Kisuke pile out with everything he could carry, Yoruichi Shihoin alongside him, Tessai and the whole group of Hollowfication victims in tow, running hard and disappearing into the distance. The expression on his face was one of quiet contemplation.
So that's how it went.
"No wonder Hirako and the others managed to get out of Soul Society in one piece even after losing the ability to fight back... Urahara and Yoruichi really did come through for them."
That said.
The Shihoin clan had more depth than most gave them credit for. Even after Yoruichi's exile, they hadn't collapsed. No long decline, no falling apart at the seams.
A different story from the Shiba family, in that regard.
Matsushita Yusuke watched the last of them disappear, let out a short breath, and stood.
A question that had been circling quietly in the back of his mind was now answered.
Worth making the trip out to the Research and Development Department specifically for this. Nothing like watching history happen live.
Under Kyoka Suigetsu's influence, Aizen had used the Central 46's name to pull off a string of moves that left the Gotei 13 completely outmaneuvered. That was, in its way, one of the roots of the whole problem.
The nobility. Weak and all pretense. Old man Yamamoto at least extended them some basic courtesy. But put Aizen at the top and he'd show them what a real power move looked like in no time. All their noise wouldn't save a single one of them.
Which brought things to the present.
The star-crossed pair heading for the living world, and the Visored group along with them: that was now as settled as it was ever going to be.
As long as those historical events all still played out, Matsushita Yusuke could position himself to collect rewards at each turn.
The thought alone was exciting.
At the same time, another stage of his objectives had just resolved.
[Witness the Fall of the Nobility]
[Synopsis: Under a carefully calculated scheme, no one walks away from a storm like this unscathed... many have paid a considerable price, and this, too, is a necessary step on the road ahead... make the most of the time that follows, because this will be one of the few stretches where you can develop in peace.]
[Quest complete... rewards obtained.]
[Reiatsu Level +5, Rule-type Zanpakuto +3]
A modest payout. Better than nothing, but only just.
The main earnings had already cleared on the other side. This was a snack on top of the meal.
Well then. While Aizen was still maintaining his disguise, while Kyoka Suigetsu was still running, now was as good a time as any to sit down and actually go through the panel in detail.
Matsushita Yusuke opened it up.
[Reiatsu Level: 59] (Current cap: 65)
[Zanjutsu: 69] [Hakuda: 54] [Hoho: 57] [Kido: 76] (Composite: 100)
[Overall Assessment: Mid-Rank Captain]
Kido, as his strongest and most versatile specialty, had been stacked past 75. No breakthrough had happened yet, but Matsushita Yusuke had a persistent feeling that hitting 80 was going to produce something interesting. No concrete basis for that. Just a feeling, the kind of anticipation that didn't need a reason.
"Overall Assessment still hasn't changed?"
The gap between mid-rank and upper-rank was apparently meaningful.
The Thousand-Year Blood War arc had touched on similar distinctions. Things like whether or not you'd been to the Royal Realm, whether or not you'd spent time in those restorative baths.
Abarai Renji went through the full Royal Guard treatment and his progression shot up like a rocket.
That other guy who got beaten within an inch of his life, took the plunge in the Royal Realm, and came out completely transformed.
Back to the matter at hand.
Stat panel covered. Next: the Zanpakuto side.
[Zanpakuto Ability Panel]
[Physical: 73]
[Elemental: 51]
[Kido: 71]
[Biological: 51]
[Rule: 42]
The two entries that had pushed past 70 were his current trump cards. Fortunately, neither of those releases had anything to do with general cleanup. Given the right conditions, both of them were the type that turned into hard counters. Looking ahead at the opponents he'd likely be facing, Matsushita Yusuke was reasonably confident that continuing to develop these two would keep him in fighting shape.
And the remaining three were no less worth looking forward to.
"They're all in Shikai already. But Bankai is still a long road from here."
He sat with that thought for a moment, then reached over and gave the side of his hip a light pat, a wry smile crossing his face.
One step at a time.
But before that, there was one more panel to review.
[Hollow Power Level: 26]
[Sonido: 15] [Cero: 21] [Hierro: 17]
The Hollow side had always been the weak link, and the impression hadn't changed. But that assumption was about to stop mattering.
Based on his observations over this stretch of time, Matsushita Yusuke had more or less confirmed the safety of a few specific locations. With the Hollow alt's panel now developed to a reasonable level, he figured it was time to start the passive farming plan.
Park it in some remote corner, forget about it, and wait. The efficiency wasn't going to be great in theory, and he genuinely wasn't sure what happened if the alt got wiped. So conservative was the right approach.
Like those grinders who set up in the starting zone and don't come out until they're maxed out. Hit level cap first, then show up for endgame.
Whatever the case, the next time he checked the Hollow panel, the numbers should have moved significantly.
With that phase of the review wrapped up, Matsushita Yusuke exhaled and felt reasonably satisfied with what he was looking at.
This whole Hollowfication incident had been a solid run. He'd pleased the boss and picked up extras on the side at the same time.
All in all, a good haul.
As for what came next. With Aizen using the Central 46 to officially close the book on the incident, and Yoruichi taking everyone directly out of Soul Society, this chapter was more or less done.
Which left one question.
How was he supposed to position himself in all of this?
Matsushita Yusuke thought it over for a moment, then quietly sighed and drew the blade at his hip.
He looked at it for a while. Then he turned the edge toward himself and made a few deliberate practice passes.
"Damn."
This was going to hurt.
Matsushita Yusuke gave himself several solid cuts.
Fought desperately against the Hollowfied captains. Ultimately lost. Came to well after the fact, made his way back to the Gotei 13, missed the rendezvous completely...
That had a certain ring to it.
"I'll need to look a bit more beaten up than this, won't I? Alright. Let's add a little more."
Everyone had their own role to play, and Matsushita Yusuke, in the course of this conflict, had found the "position" that was uniquely his.
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