Under the cover of night, Kaelith Yurei scaled the walls of the academy and made his way to the Shihōin estate.
Seeing Kaelith show up unannounced, the servants were visibly startled.
After exchanging puzzled glances, one servant quickly went inside to inform Yoruichi.
A short while later, the servant returned, gesturing for Kaelith to follow.
He was led to Yoruichi's study, where she greeted him in a casual kimono-style yukata, her short purple hair slightly damp.
Seeing him enter, she raised her hand with a smile.
"What brings you here at this hour?"
"Come, sit over here… Haruna! Bring two cups of tea!"
Following her invitation, Kaelith took a seat across from her.
Moments later, a servant arrived with tea and snacks, setting them down before leaving.
Once the servant was gone, Kaelith raised his hand and snapped his fingers.
A Kidō barrier unfolded, sealing the room completely and isolating their conversation from the outside.
"Yoruichi, do you know if there are any techniques in the Seireitei similar to the Cat Form technique, where you have to adjust your reishi composition to learn them?"
As soon as the barrier was fully formed, Kaelith wasted no time asking his question.
Yoruichi blinked in surprise.
Techniques requiring reishi manipulation were exceedingly rare in the Seireitei.
After all, there were only a handful of individuals in the entire Soul Society capable of such precise control.
After thinking for a moment, she shook her head. "Nothing comes to mind immediately."
Kaelith didn't seem too surprised by her response and pressed on.
"Then, do you know how to fuse your Spirit Pressure with other materials?"
Yoruichi's eyes widened.
What kind of question was that?
While everything in the Soul Society was indeed composed of reishi, the microstructures varied significantly.
If it were about fusing Spirit Pressure with a specific material, it might be achievable through research or by consulting historical records.
But the idea of fusing Spirit Pressure with all kinds of materials… that was pure nonsense.
Annoyed, she replied, "What kind of absurd ability is that? Not even I, Captain Hikifune, or the Head Captain could do something like that!"
"What's gotten into you today? Why are you suddenly asking such bizarre questions?"
Under Yoruichi's curious gaze, Kaelith recounted his discovery from the previous day.
He trusted Yoruichi's character—after all, this was someone who had willingly given up her status as a noble head for the sake of her friends.
If it were him, he wouldn't have let go of such wealth and prestige so easily.
As the head of the Shihōin family, even if Yoruichi didn't have the answers now, she'd undoubtedly find them if she chose to look.
It was better to explain things clearly than to keep secrets.
Yoruichi listened quietly as Kaelith spoke, her expression gradually growing more serious.
When he explained his theory that his Spirit Pressure could gain control over objects once fused with them, Yoruichi suddenly stood up, striding over to him in alarm.
She clamped a hand over his mouth.
Even though the soundproof barrier was active, she couldn't help but release her sensing Spirit Pressure to confirm no one else was nearby.
Under Kaelith's surprised gaze, she leaned in close and whispered urgently:
"Kaelith, listen to me. From now on, you must never tell anyone about this ability!"
"Do you understand? Absolutely no one!"
Kaelith removed her hand from his mouth.
"I know this ability is strong. That's why I set up the soundproof barrier first."
Yoruichi shook her head. "No, it's not about strength or weakness."
Her expression was unusually grave. "The problem is, Kaelith, your ability resembles that of a certain person."
"Who?" Kaelith asked, puzzled.
Lowering her voice, Yoruichi said, "The former Captain of the Eleventh Division—Kenpachi Azashiro."
Kaelith furrowed his brows, searching his memory for the name.
In all his recollections of the Bleach series, he didn't recall ever hearing of this person.
Before he could ask, Yoruichi explained:
"Azashiro Kenpachi had an ability that allowed him to fuse his Spirit Pressure into various objects, giving him complete control over them."
"At his peak, he had the entire Seireitei under his control. Within its boundaries, he was virtually invincible."
"But it wasn't long before a project he spearheaded angered the Central 46. As a result, he was stripped of his Captaincy and imprisoned in the Muken."
"Do you understand now, Kaelith? If the Central 46 learns that you have an ability similar to Azashiro Kenpachi, they'll immediately suspect a connection between you two."
"You'll be unable to move freely within the Seireitei and might even be falsely accused and sent to the Maggot's Nest!"
Hearing Yoruichi's words, Kaelith felt a wave of exasperation.
Great. He finally had a golden ability that didn't rely on Aizen, only for it to come with such a ridiculous drawback.
Seeing Kaelith's dejected expression, Yoruichi chuckled softly.
"Don't look so defeated. All I'm saying is to keep this under wraps."
"If you practice in secret, there's no way the Central 46 can magically know and come after you."
Hearing this, Kaelith's eyes lit up.
Yoruichi continued, "I found a great spot in Rukongai yesterday. I'm planning to set it up as a special hot spring."
"Once it's ready, you can practice your new ability there, and I'll keep watch for you!"
Looking at her confident smile, Kaelith couldn't help but feel a surge of gratitude.
No wonder Soifon was so devoted to Yoruichi.
This woman, every now and then, truly gave off the impression of being dependable.
---
As Kaelith left the Shihōin estate, he scaled the walls and made his way back toward the dormitories.
The moonlight reflected softly off the smooth roads of the Seireitei.
Occasionally, he passed patrolling Shinigami responsible for internal security.
As he walked, his pace gradually slowed.
In the distance, he spotted two Shinigami carrying lanterns, which made him frown.
He'd dealt with these patrols countless times in the past.
Before becoming Yamamoto's official disciple, he frequently snuck into the Seireitei.
Over time, he had memorized their patrol routes and general habits.
Normally, while patrols would occasionally change their routes, the overall defensive pattern remained consistent—main roads were always covered.
But tonight, something was off.
In some areas, the patrolling Shinigami were oddly concentrated.
In others, there were glaring gaps, leaving blind spots in their coverage.
Standing atop a rooftop, Kaelith stroked his chin thoughtfully.
After a moment's consideration, he pulled out the pass Yamamoto had given him, intending to question a patrol about who had assigned tonight's shifts.
However, just as he was about to move, a sharp ringing sound echoed in the distance—
*Dong!*
*Dong!*
*Dong!*
Accompanying the bell tolls, a voice suddenly rang out across the sky.
**"This is the Seventh Division Barracks! We're under attack! The attacker is… Argh!!"**
Hearing the message, Kaelith's eyes widened in surprise.
The voice had used Tenteikūra.
As Kidō No. 77, Tenteikūra was a difficult technique to master. Given its rarity and the dire circumstances required for its use, only a high-ranking Shinigami—likely a Vice-Captain—could have cast it.
A Vice-Captain-level Shinigami, unable to stop the attacker?
Kaelith instinctively prepared to rush toward the Seventh Division Barracks but paused as a chilling thought flashed through his mind.
A terrifying possibility began to take shape…
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