Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, a full year had passed.
"Kōga, I have now taught you everything I can, the heights you reach in the future will depend entirely on your own effort."
Kazuma gazed at Kōga, his heart filled with a genuine sense of pride.
After a year of rigorous instruction, Kōga's strength had skyrocketed.
With his mastery of Flash Blink, Blut, and a completely reforged foundation in Zanjutsu, his combat prowess had comfortably stabilized at the elite captain level.
He was a true powerhouse!
What was even more commendable was that Kōga's mindset had undergone a dramatic shift, the arrogant, impulsive noble was gone.
At this moment, he had become a disciplined, undisputed powerhouse of the Soul Society.
"Master, thank you for your dedicated guidance. Without your instruction, I fear I would never have reached this level." Kōga knelt on the training grounds, bowing deeply in utmost respect.
Swallowing his pride and accepting this unorthodox master had been the greatest decision of his life.
Kazuma smiled warmly, waving a hand to signal the young man to rise.
"Although you are incredibly strong now, you still need to forge your own path to reach the absolute pinnacle."
Kōga nodded solemnly, his eyes shining with a determined light, engraving every one of Kazuma's words into his heart.
He knew these were precious insights, crucial for his future survival.
"As for tempering your spirit, I can't give you a magical shortcut. You can only rely on yourself for that," Kazuma said with a helpless shrug.
He knew well that conquering one's inner demons was a long and arduous process that Kōga had to experience and comprehend on his own.
"What you have taught me is more than enough, Master. I will forge the rest of the path myself," Kōga said gratefully.
"Kōga, do you want me to undo the seal on your Zanpakutō now?" Kazuma suddenly asked, wanting to gauge if his disciple was finally ready to face Muramasa's psychic power.
Kōga hesitated, seriously pondering the question.
After a moment, he spoke slowly, "Master, I still don't feel I can completely suppress Muramasa's psychic influence on my own. Let's leave the primary seal intact until my will is absolute."
He was well aware of Muramasa's dangerous, bewitching power.
If he wasn't perfectly confident, unsealing it rashly could lead to disaster.
"But it's not a viable long-term solution for a Shinigami to be entirely unable to use their Zanpakutō," Kazuma frowned.
After a moment of thought, he held out his hand.
"Give me your blade."
Without hesitation, Kōga unclipped Muramasa and handed it over.
Kazuma took it, sitting cross-legged on the dirt and placing the sword horizontally across his lap.
He closed his eyes, projecting his consciousness directly into Muramasa's inner world.
Time ticked by as Kōga stood quietly to the side, waiting with bated breath.
After several long minutes, Kazuma opened his eyes, letting out a breath as he handed the sword back.
"It's done. You can use it safely now."
Kōga took the blade, looking at Kazuma in confusion. "Master, what did you just do? Why can I suddenly use it?"
He channeled his Reiatsu into the blade and found that the Shikai released smoothly.
Although the raw output felt somewhat weaker than before, he could wield it normally. Curious, Kōga materialized Muramasa's physical spirit.
To his shock, the manifested spirit stood before him with vacant eyes and a completely dazed expression.
"I used my Domain to temporarily seal Muramasa's core consciousness," Kazuma explained. "This way, you can easily maintain control of the Zanpakutō's physical abilities. However, because its sentient will is suppressed, the sword's overall power will be somewhat diminished. Be mindful of that in combat."
Kazuma stood up and patted Kōga's shoulder earnestly.
"Starting tomorrow, you don't need to report to the Seventh Division for training. Take some time to settle yourself, you'll be transferring to the First Division very soon."
A look of pure surprise washed over Kōga's face. "The First Division? Master, do you have inside information? What position could I possibly hold there? Vice-Captain Chōjirō has no plans for promotion, so am I just going to be the 3rd Seat again?"
Kazuma shook his head, a proud smile on his face.
"Not quite. Yamamoto has been planning to establish a Special Forces unit under the direct command of the First Division, and you are going to be transferred there to serve as its Captain. This is a vital position that will require your absolute best! Work hard, Kōga, i look forward to the day you officially stand beside us as a Captain of the Gotei 13."
Hearing this, Kōga's eyes sparkled with raw excitement.
He knew this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, though he also felt the immense weight of the pressure.
Clenching his fists, he said firmly, "Don't worry, Master! I will give it my all and make you proud."
Kazuma nodded, full of confidence in the young man.
He knew Kōga possessed extraordinary potential, and with the right guidance, he would surely become a legendary Captain!
....
In the days that followed, Kōga began preparing for his monumental transfer to the First Division.
With his disciple gone, Kazuma immediately reverted to his previous lazy demeanor, idling his days away doing absolutely nothing of productive value.
Since Jin'emon was more than capable of handling the Seventh Division's administrative duties, Kazuma and Batsu'unsai spent most of their time over at the Fourth Division.
They would often lounge by the private lake Unohana had granted them, fishing, drinking sake, and enjoying their peaceful retirement.
As for Saitō, utterly fed up with being subjected to the couple's constant public displays of affection, she had packed her bags and requested a long-term station in the World of the Living, claiming she wanted to "experience a new way of life."
Sitting by the water, Batsu'unsai watched the tip of her fishing rod suddenly violently tremble.
Kazuma, however, was completely lost in thought, staring blankly at the water.
Batsu'unsai quickly yanked her rod back, pulling a struggling fish ashore. "We've got a bite! What are you spacing out for? It almost got away. What are we supposed to eat for dinner if you don't pay attention?"
Hearing her voice, Kazuma snapped back to reality.
Seeing the fish flopping on the grass, he rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.
"Sorry, my mind was wandering."
Batsu'unsai shot him a curious look. "What were you so deeply lost in thought about?"
Kazuma hesitated for a moment, weighing his words before deciding to be honest. "I was just thinking about a certain... problem."
"What kind of problem? Tell me," she urged gently.
Kazuma took a deep breath, his eyes slowly trailing over Batsu'unsai's figure with a look of intense internal conflict and worry.
"I was just thinking..."
His intense, lingering stare made Batsu'unsai's face flush completely red.
She gave his shoulder a flustered push.
"Why are you looking at me like that? Just say what's on your mind!"
Kazuma remained silent, his gaze still fixed on her as he tried to figure out how to phrase his dangerous idea.
Batsu'unsai froze, her blush deepening all the way to her ears.
She lowered her head, her voice dropping to a shy whisper. "Are you... wondering if it's time we finally had a baby?"
Kazuma choked on air, instantly realizing how badly she had misread his expression.
He waved his hands frantically.
"Ah?! No, no, that's not what I was thinking about at all!"
The realization dawned on Batsu'unsai, and her embarrassment immediately morphed into fiery indignation.
"So you were just teasing me?! We'll see how I deal with you!" She reached out, pinched the soft flesh of Kazuma's waist, and twisted it a brutal 180 degrees.
"Ow, ow, ow! My dear wife, please spare me! I was wrong!" Kazuma grimaced, begging for mercy.
Only then did Batsu'unsai let go, humming triumphantly. "That'll teach you to make a fool out of me."
Kazuma rubbed his bruised side, shaking his head with a helpless smile before wrapping his arm around her waist.
"Actually, I was thinking about the unique power currently residing inside my body."
Batsu'unsai looked up, puzzled. "Is there something wrong with it?"
"No, but I was wondering if I could transfer a seed of my stellar Reishi into your body," Kazuma explained seriously.
"After all these years, I've only managed to convert a small portion of my own spiritual power into this higher-dimensional energy. Its quality is overwhelmingly dense, and I don't know if injecting it into your soul would cause a catastrophic rejection."
Batsu'unsai's brow furrowed in thought. "Then let's try it. How will we know if it works if we don't take the risk?"
Kazuma sighed heavily. "We can't be careless with something like this. But... if it succeeds, it would trigger a massive qualitative evolution in your combat strength."
"Then we have to try."
"The risk is just too great," Kazuma argued, his grip on her tightening. "I refuse to gamble with your safety."
Batsu'unsai reached up, cupping his cheek gently.
"It's fine, Kazuma. We are in an era of peace right now, and with a monstrous expert like you watching over me, what is there to be afraid of? I trust you. Let's do it."