Akira experienced pure bliss as he alternated between the two hot springs, his injuries healing at an incredible rate.
The White Bone Hell squeezed out injuries and filtered away blood and Reiatsu, while the Blood Pond Hell replenished both, bringing the body to peak condition.
After just two hours of soaking, his Reiatsu had increased noticeably — from Level 70 to Level 75 — elevating him to Rank 6 in the Spirit Class.
This achievement barely qualified him for the upper ranks of the Gotei 13.
In terms of actual combat ability, Akira estimated he now matched an 8th or 9th Seat officer.
Besides his inability to release his Zanpakutō, he had nearly reached the level of a standard Shinigami Captain.
Unfortunately, both the replica and original Hell Hot Springs could only boost Reiatsu once. To gain more power through soaking, he would need to find the original springs.
The healing effects, however, remained potent no matter how many times one bathed.
Following a thorough examination, Unohana confirmed his arm had healed completely and cleared him for discharge.
To evaluate his recovery, the three of them headed straight to the training grounds upon returning to the 4th Division.
There, Yoruichi gained a renewed appreciation for Unohana's ruthlessness.
⤫⤬⤫⤬⤫⤬⤫⤬⤫⤬
In the training grounds.
A heavy, viscous killing intent swept forward as black energy swirled through the space, transforming the training ground into what seemed like a battlefield strewn with corpses and blood.
In that moment of empty mind, pure instinct took over. As bamboo swords clashed, razor-sharp techniques met with devastating force, tearing through the air with groans of strain.
The murderous intensity matched the lingering heat from their hot spring soak.
Even the air currents seemed alive, flowing around the two intersecting figures in the training grounds.
From Yoruichi's perspective, their deadly exchanges appeared genuinely lethal — if not for their bamboo swords, she would have thought this was truly a fight to the death.
Though Akira's Zanjutsu had surpassed 99% of the Shinigami in Soul Society, he remained completely outmatched against Unohana, his former teacher.
His pride from defeating Ansai Tsunayashiro evaporated. Against a true master, an insurmountable gulf remained.
As the sword rhythm reached its peak, their earlier grace transformed into bone-chilling killing intent.
⤫ Shi no Ken-ryū: Kumo Wakatsu ⥤ Death Sword Style: Cloud Parting ⤬
Death approached!
⤫ Jigoku Kumo Wakatsu ⥤ Hellish Cloud Parting! ⤬
Like a crescent moon suspended in the heavens, watching silently over the earth, the cold aura spread until it engulfed everything in sight.
Their bamboo swords met with thunderous crashes, like shattered musical notes echoing across the training grounds.
⤫ Shi no Ken-ryū: Gyaku Nami ⥤ Death Sword Style: Reverse Wave ⤬
⤫ Jigoku Gyaku Nami ⥤ Hellish Reverse Wave ⤬
The two figures crossed paths, their swordsmanship radiant as ocean tides, transformed into pure, passionate emotion. Under the pouring moonlight, fierce grins spread across their faces!
The sword training continued all night.
Yoruichi watched from the sidelines throughout. When it ended, Unohana departed for her duties wearing a satisfied, gentle smile.
As for Akira, his legs trembled as Yoruichi supported him back to the cave, where she efficiently stripped him naked, kicked him in, and once again submerged him in the hot spring.
Among the splashing water, his wet head emerged, sighing with lingering fear as he let the hot spring work its healing effects.
"Too scary..." In the burning warmth, Akira shuddered.
Yoruichi crouched by the shore, propping her cheek with her right hand, thoughtfully watching the figure in the misty vapor, her mind in turmoil.
Just like a ball of yarn that had been played with by a cat.
She had known Akira was talented from their first meeting.
Being able to learn the Shihōin clan's secret Hakuda techniques during battle transcended mere talent — he was simply a monster.
Since then, she had considered recruiting him into the family through marriage.
The idea was sound, but execution proved difficult — whenever this topic came up, he would brush it off with "we'll talk about it later."
It was hard to imagine what was going on in that guy's head.
{T/N: Don't try… I advise you… seriously!}
Now, his rate of progress could only be described as extraordinary and unprecedented.
Fresh from graduating the Shin'ō Academy, he had killed Ansai Tsunayashiro in direct combat and displayed astounding achievement in Zanjutsu.
He seemed like an all-around genius.
Thinking of this, her gaze grew complex.
Though with Akira's help she had gained the family Zanpakutō's acceptance, become head of the family, and risen to Captain of the 2nd Division, the gap in strength between herself and Unohana remained devastatingly vast.
Watching last night's sword training, she had tried to imagine herself in his position but realized with despair that she wouldn't last more than a few moves before being cut into pieces by that woman.
The difference was too great.
At this rate, she would soon be left far behind by Akira — his very shadow would fade from view.
Should she give up?
When this thought crossed her mind, Yoruichi shook her head vigorously.
Impossible, absolutely impossible!
The progress of her conquest was already at 99%, just one final step away — how could she possibly give up now?
If she couldn't match him now, she would put in ten times, a hundred times more effort until she closed that gap and surpassed him!
Training starts now!
After soaking in the hot spring, Akira had recovered from his exhaustion and sprung back to life. Full of confidence, he declared he could still fight Unohana for three hundred more rounds.
Just then, Yoruichi's voice came from the shore, "Akira, do you have time tonight?"
Akira: "?"
⤫⤬⤫⤬⤫⤬⤫⤬⤫⤬
A new round of Captain Meetings was being held at night since the nobles' conflicts had finally concluded.
As with the previous meeting, the gravity of recent events required both Captains and Vice-Captains to attend, though with fewer participants overall.
Jūshirō Ukitake was absent due to his usual illness, with Sentarō Kotsubaki taking his place.
The 7th Division Captain, Okama Shinji, was also missing. His failed investments had led to his imprisonment in the Repentance Palace, where he was completely abandoned — the Tsunayashiro clan, barely able to protect themselves, could no longer shield him.
Following the Central 46's ruling, Okama was stripped of his Captain status, had his Reiryoku sealed, and was sentenced to 3,000 years in the Shugō Hell, the 3rd Level of the Central Great Underground Prison.
The news cast a melancholic shadow over many Captains.
Shunsui Kyōraku took it hardest, lamenting the loss of his drinking benefactor.
While his friend Jūshirō Ukitake was wealthy enough, his fragile health meant that a few bottles of sake could land him in emergency care.
Though Genryūsai's reaction remained uncertain, Captain Unohana Retsu — being the attending physician who despised patients ignoring medical advice — would surely show neither of them mercy.
Taking Okama's place at the meeting was a burly, eye-patched middle-aged man. His loose Shinigami uniform barely contained his robust physique, and with his hair tied in a small ponytail, his commanding presence somehow exceeded that of the former Captain Okama Shinji.
This was Jin'emon Kotsubaki, the 7th Division Vice-Captain, who bore a resemblance to Sentarō Kotsubaki, Ukitake's stand-in.
Though Kidō wasn't his strong suit, Jin'emon had earned his reputation as one of Soul Society's master swordsmen.
Akira recognized him from Unohana's mention during their sword training sessions, where she had praised his Zanjutsu skills.
Such recognition from the first Kenpachi spoke volumes about Jin'emon's swordsmanship.
When Jin'emon sensed Akira's gaze, he turned, his fierce presence immediately zeroing in on his observer. Yet upon recognizing Akira, he quietly withdrew his intimidating aura.
Akira scratched his head, puzzled by this reaction, but soon gave up trying to understand it and returned to observing the others.
At the previous Captain's Meeting, he'd been too preoccupied with exchanging glances with Yoruichi to notice the other Captains.
Now Yoruichi sat with her head down and eyes closed, deep in thought.
Without her to exchange glances with, he surveyed the crowd instead.
The 3rd Division Captain left little impression — average build, ordinary looks, the type who'd blend into any crowd. Clearly not someone who'd last more than two episodes.
Chishi Takeda.
It had taken multiple reminders from Gosuke for Akira to remember that name.
While the 9th and 10th Division Captains were equally forgettable, their Vice-Captain stood out.
With his silver short hair and impressive muscular build, he commanded attention. His handsome features suggested he'd be the protagonist in any other story.
But this was the world of Shinigami, and he was Kensei Muguruma — destined to leave an indelible mark on Soul Society's history.
When Kensei noticed Akira's gaze, he met it directly, his presence even more commanding than Jin'emon's had been.
He looked much younger than Akira remembered from the anime.
He grinned — youth was excellent! Such spirit perfectly embodied what a Gotei 13 Shinigami should be.
Recalling Kensei's reputation for Hakuda expertise, Akira thought they could train together sometime. As the old man always said, one must draw from various sources in training.
Satisfied with this idea, Akira mentally added Kensei to his "People I Would Beat to Death for Training" list.
Good brother — he'd seek him out the next time Old Man Yama gave him a beating.
When everyone had assembled, Genryūsai's light cough filled the meeting room with his dignified presence, immediately silencing all conversation.
All eyes turned to the head seat.
Genryūsai looked around at everyone and spoke calmly.
"You all should understand what has transpired these past few days. Now, let's have the person involved share the specific details."
Hearing this, Akira rubbed his hands together eagerly — finally, it was his time to shine.
Seeing this, Genryūsai felt a sense of foreboding.
But before he could intervene, the enthusiastic youth had already launched into his account.
In his telling, Ansai Tsunayashiro was portrayed as the ultimate villain, while he emerged as justice incarnate, saving Soul Society from disaster. At the climactic moment, he had turned the tide and vanquished the Demon King with one charged punch!
The story flowed naturally, each event connecting seamlessly to the next. Though his narration was somewhat dramatic, it didn't skimp on crucial details and procedures.
When he described how her Artificial Soul technology had been utilized, 12th Division Captain Kirio Hikifune's expression grew intrigued.
She never would have imagined that this seemingly simple young man could insert a backdoor into such sophisticated technology and use it as the key to victory.
Indeed, appearances could be deceiving — it was quite a shame they hadn't recruited him to the 12th Division.
{T/N: And the inocent Aizen goes to the trash. Thank you very much, MC!}
While Hikifune focused on the technical aspects, the other Captains were more concerned with Akira's combat prowess.
He had dominated the battlefield at the Shihōin estate, then immediately taken control of the fight at the 1st Division barracks.
Setting aside his extraordinary stamina, the mere fact that he could directly challenge Ansai Tsunayashiro was remarkable. The Reiatsu he had released that day at the 1st Division rivaled that of other Captains.
Could this mean that this young man, still enthusiastically recounting his tale, was already on par with Captain-level fighters?
This thought left everyone with mixed feelings.
After Akira concluded his story, Genryūsai tapped his staff, the sound jolting everyone back to attention.
"The Tsunayashiro's crime of rebellion has been established. By joint ruling of the Central 46, all participants are stripped of their noble status and will be confined to the 2nd Level of the Central Great Underground Prison, Kokujō Hell, for 10,000 years. The position of 7th Division Captain is vacant and will temporarily be filled by Vice-Captain Jin'emon Kotsubaki."
Given Jin'emon's considerable seniority and proven strength, the Captain qualification test was deemed unnecessary.
The Central 46 showed little concern over this appointment. As long as their own positions remained secure, the identity of the new Captain mattered little to them.
After concluding the details of the Captain handover, Genryūsai's expression hardened, his deep voice resonating through the spacious meeting room.
"The soul disappearance incidents in the Rukongai have resumed, and the situation has grown more severe. Multiple Shinigami have vanished during their investigations."
He cast a meaningful glance at Akira.
Earlier, he had assigned this same mission to the young man, who had destroyed one rebel base but produced no further results. Genryūsai had assumed the matter resolved.
Yet while the Seireitei grappled with the Tsunayashiro incident, the disappearances had resumed, openly challenging the Gotei 13's authority.
Genryūsai's patience had run out.
"Captain Takeda, this matter falls to you. Find the culprit — and do it quickly!"
⤫⤬⤫
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