Chapter 164: Aizen-doraemon Takes Out the Tenshintai
After hearing Kirio's description, the answer instantly came to Satoru's mind.
Quincy!
In the world of Shinigami, there's a fundamental cycle governing the three worlds.
The total number of souls in Soul Society and Hueco Mundo must maintain balance. If one side suddenly decreases, the larger side will press forward.
While the human world doesn't have as many souls as these two realms, it still needs to maintain a certain quantity.
If too many disappear, the human world's existence will lose support, allowing Soul Society and Hueco Mundo to invade and cause collapse.
This is because all three worlds were created by the Soul King.
Unlike the universe Satoru came from—with its big bang, planetary formation, and species evolution—this world already had humans and Hollows during its primordial chaos.
The Soul King intervened, dividing the three worlds and establishing the foundation of Reishi and physical matter as the building blocks of reality.
This simple yet brutal system effectively maintained the stable operation of the three worlds.
But precisely because of its simplicity, this system is vulnerable to external interference.
The Quincy are effective disruptors of this system.
When a Shinigami kills a Hollow, they also purify it, turning it back into an ordinary soul and sending it to the Soul Society.
Quincies, however, are different. The Hollows they kill completely vanish, breaking free from the cycle of the three realms.
Satoru wasn't entirely sure if Yamamoto would immediately think of the Quincies.
To ensure Yamamoto wouldn't overlook this possibility, he spoke up to remind him.
"Teacher, could it be the Quincies?"
Hearing this, Yamamoto glanced at him in surprise.
"You actually know about the Quincies?"
Satoru snorted proudly. "I read the Spring and Autumn Annals."
Kirio was also taken aback.
There are very few records about the Quincies in the Soul Society.
Only Shinigami who enjoy studying history or have inherited family knowledge would think of them right away.
She had always assumed her master wasn't the type to enjoy studying, so she was surprised he knew such obscure information.
Truly worthy of her all-around talented master!
Yamamoto said slowly, "It's almost certain that this is the work of the Quincies."
"Although the Quincies in the living world have always been monitored by the Soul Society to prevent them from harboring improper ambitions… the Soul Society has never imposed any real restrictions on their development."
"It's been nearly eight hundred years. The Quincy have continued to multiply and thrive, their numbers growing ever larger."
"Those who possess power will inevitably seek to use it, especially when that power continues to strengthen."
"This cannot go on any longer..."
At this point, Yamamoto closed his eyes as if wanting to sigh, but ultimately did nothing.
A few seconds later, he opened his eyes and thumped his cane on the ground.
"Attendant."
A figure instantly appeared in the room, kneeling on one knee.
"Summon Seventh Division Captain Love Aikawa and Ninth Division Captain Kensei Muguruma."
The messenger lowered his head and vanished with a Flash Step.
Before long, the two arrived.
Being rarely summoned by the Captain-Commander, both were somewhat tense.
Noticing Satoru's presence, they relaxed slightly.
"Seventh Division Captain Love Aikawa, Ninth Division Captain Kensei Muguruma."
"You are hereby ordered to proceed to the living world as representatives of the Seireitei and issue a warning to the Quincy."
"Effective immediately, they are strictly forbidden from exterminating Hollows without authorization, except in cases of emergency self-defense."
"Any Hollow activity must be reported to the stationed Shinigami in the area."
"The number of newborn Quincy shall not exceed the number of deaths among the existing population."
"The Soul Society will dispatch specialized personnel to oversee compliance with these demands."
After saying this, he fell silent for a few seconds.
Then, as if resolving himself, he slightly opened his eyes and looked at the two.
"If you encounter resistance, do not hesitate—crush it with overwhelming force!"
Hearing this, both captains were momentarily stunned.
Exchanging a glance, they nodded firmly. "Understood!"
...
...
Satoru left together with Kirio.
Once outside the First Division headquarters, Kirio stretched lazily.
"Ah, the First Division is such a pressure-filled place."
"Even after serving under Lord Genryūsai for so many years, I still feel a bit intimidated every time I see him."
"Old men are experts at putting on stern faces."
Satoru shrugged.
Hearing this, Kirio couldn't help but laugh.
After a moment of laughter, she asked curiously, "Master, I heard you've established a research department in the Second Division?"
Satoru nodded and briefly explained the situation regarding the Technical Department.
Learning that he had recruited Mayuri Kurotsuchi, Kirio expressed surprise.
"That child Kurotsuchi is indeed skilled at research."
"However, he's overly fixated on creating life. Master, you should be careful not to teach him all the artificial soul techniques at once. I'm afraid he might do something bizarre..."
Thinking about the various insane experiments Mayuri might conduct, Kirio broke out in a cold sweat.
"Originally, I planned to establish a similar organization in the Twelfth Division before leaving the Soul Society."
"But since you've already started, let's just develop it in the Second Division!"
"I'll return later and compile a list to transfer the specialized research personnel to the Second Division to join the Satoru Technical Department!"
Hearing this, Satoru looked at her with some surprise.
Even if Kirio no longer intended to establish a technical department, keeping some researchers by her side would always be beneficial.
Was she really transferring them all to him? Did she not plan to continue delving deeper into artificial souls?
After a moment of astonishment, he suddenly understood.
Looking at Kirio's smiling face, he sighed with emotion. "Captain Hikifune, are you leaving?"
"Mm." Kirio nodded. "If nothing unexpected happens, it should be within the next few years."
Satoru nodded in response.
Although he didn't know what the treatment in the Zero Division was like, judging from Senjumaru Shutara's previous behavior, it should be quite good.
At least they still had the mind to send down a piece of clothing for fun.
Ah... speaking of clothing, didn't that person promise to send me a piece of clothing? It's been so long, why hasn't it arrived yet?
Satoru's favorability toward the Zero Division decreased by 1.
...
...
Unconsciously, the first snow began to fall.
Standing under the corridor of the Fifth Division, Satoru looked up at the sky.
"Time flies so fast. In the blink of an eye, it's been almost a year since we became Shinigami."
Aizen took a sip of tea from his cup.
The steam fogged up his glasses, blurring the world into pure white.
He exhaled a warm breath and said calmly, "Considering the lifespan of a Shinigami, a mere year isn't really something worth sighing over."
Satoru thought for a moment. "Then let me rephrase it!"
"In the blink of an eye, we've already become first-year students and have been Shinigami for almost a year."
"Doesn't that make it sound like a long time now?"
Aizen: "..."
While he was speechless, a voice sounded from behind.
"Hey, hey, Satoru, why are you hanging around our Fifth Division again?"
"I'm warning you, you can come to visit, but when it's mealtime, you have to scram!"
Satoru turned around and saw someone wearing a white haori with waist-length golden hair.
Looking at Shinji Hirako, Satoru showed a regretful expression.
Shinji was displeased. "Kid, what's with that look?"
Satoru sighed. "Such beautiful hair, why does it have to be on a man... If this were on a beautiful girl, paired with this hairstyle, it would be absolutely stunning."
A vein popped on Shinji's forehead.
Just as he was about to say something, Satoru continued, "Being a man is one thing, if you were good-looking it would be fine, at least pleasant to look at. But such beautiful hair paired with Captain Hirako's sleazy face creates quite a sense of dissonance."
"???"
Shinji was so angry he laughed.
Forgetting his captain's dignity, he rolled up his sleeves and began chasing after Satoru.
Aizen held his tea, watching the two running around him, and slowly took a sip.
Another peaceful day.
At first, Shinji's chase after Satoru had a somewhat joking nature.
But as he chased, he was surprised to discover how damn fast this brat was!
Satoru's Flash Step seemed to incorporate some special technique.
Every time he used Flash Step, the surrounding space would slightly distort, making him faster.
Moreover, because of this spatial distortion, his Reiatsu perception used to track Satoru's position was also interfered with, making precise positioning impossible.
After being shaken off several times, Hirako became more interested.
He began using Flash Step at full speed.
Then he discovered that even at his maximum speed, he still couldn't catch up to Satoru!
This guy... has he been a Shinigami for less than a year?
During the last captain promotion exam, he hadn't displayed this kind of footwork.
What kind of improvement speed is this?
For a moment, he even felt the urge to spar with this kid to see what level he's reached now.
Unfortunately, before he could act on it, his vice-captain came running over, saying there was official business to handle and he needed to return immediately.
Hearing there was work to do, Shinji could only reluctantly abandon his plan.
Before leaving, he looked at Satoru:
"Kid, remember, you're not allowed to stay for dinner!"
Then, he turned his gaze to Aizen.
At first, he thought Aizen was unreliable, exuding a well-disguised dangerous aura from head to toe.
But as time passed, he gradually felt that Aizen might not be as intimidating as he initially thought.
Even now, Aizen still maintained a deeply reserved demeanor, rarely revealing his true self.
However... whenever Satoru visited, he could sense that Aizen would temporarily drop his facade and interact with him in a very ordinary manner.
This discovery brought him a small sense of relief.
Someone who had genuine friends and was willing to interact with them authentically was far less dangerous than those who perpetually hid behind masks.
Because of this, his attitude toward Aizen gradually shifted.
While it didn't transform from dislike to fondness overnight, at least it wasn't as hostile as before.
"Sōsuke, make sure to send your friend off later. We can't let him eat at our Fifth Division cafeteria again."
"Understood, Captain. Please rest assured."
Aizen nodded, offering Shinji a reassuring smile.
Seeing this, Shinji felt somewhat relieved and turned to leave.
After Shinji departed, Aizen looked at Satoru.
"Let's go to the cafeteria. There are a few new dishes today—you should try them."
"Awesome!"
...
...
Fifth Division cafeteria.
Many of the dining members couldn't help but occasionally glance toward Aizen's table.
That Third Seat from the Second Division is here mooching food again...
Watching Satoru, with a towering stack of plates and bowls in front of him, casually continue to eat and drink heartily, they couldn't help but swallow hard.
Seeing others enjoy their food can boost one's appetite.
But witnessing someone eat like this only leaves them in awe and admiration.
In the world of Shinigami, eating a lot is not a negative trait.
How much one can eat reflects a Shinigami's capabilities.
Ordinary souls can feel full just by drinking water.
Only those with talent for cultivation need to eat.
As for someone who eats as much as Satoru, one dared not imagine what his future upper limit might be.
The only one who felt like crying was the accountant of the Fifth Division.
If Satoru kept eating like this, the food expenses for this month would exceed the budget again...
Before Shinji could rush over, Satoru quickly finished the food in front of him.
Full and satisfied, he was just about to make his escape when Aizen also stood up.
"Don't go back to the Second Division today. Come with me."
"Okay."
Satoru nodded without asking where they were going and directly followed him.
Leading Satoru, Aizen headed all the way towards Rukongai.
He stopped in a mountain not far from his laboratory.
Under Satoru's gaze, he reached out and tore away a Kidō disguise, revealing a cave entrance.
A large human-shaped board was placed inside the cave.
He took out the large board, stood it up, and placed it to the side.
Looking at the human-shaped board Aizen had brought out, Satoru seemed to recall something, showing a thoughtful expression.
Before he could remember, Aizen explained:
"This is an invention Kisuke and I have been collaborating on recently."
"Since he contributed more to the effort, the naming rights went to him."
"This thing is called the Tenshintai. It can forcibly awaken the power of a Zanpakutō, allowing its owner to battle their Zanpakutō spirit."
"As long as you defeat the Tenshintai, you can learn Bankai."
"I think, for you right now, this must be the most useful thing."
"While the Soul Society is still in a peaceful period, learn Bankai!"
In fact, before Kisuke sought his cooperation, he had already mostly sorted out the theoretical knowledge for this thing.
Aizen's own contribution mainly involved providing data from Muramasa's awakening of sword spirits and supplying some souls for experimentation.
Hearing this, Satoru showed a look of realization.
No wonder the board looked so familiar.
Wasn't this the prop Ichigo Kurosaki used when learning Bankai?
He looked at Aizen: "Earlier, you said the project you were tinkering with... ahem, researching and developing with Shinji was this?"
Aizen narrowed his eyes: "'Just this'? Do you not understand this thing's value and the difficulty of its development?"
Satoru chuckled.
He went up to the Tenshintai and curiously poked it.
Aizen reminded him: "If you choose this method to learn Bankai, you must be mentally prepared."
"Forcibly awakening the Zanpakutō, while bypassing the step of exploring one's inner self, also greatly increases the power of the Zanpakutō spirit."
"Once you choose this path, the method of obtaining Bankai through inner exploration becomes unusable."
Satoru snorted dismissively.
"A mere Zanpakutō spirit, how could it possibly defeat the great Satoru?"
"I choose this method!"