Chapter 285
As the woman, dressed in a style completely different from that of Soul Society, appeared before Tsunayashiro Tokinada, stepping on a light green stream of light, she was a sight to behold.
Fullbring?
Tenma Fushizuku has always placed great importance on intelligence.
Even with a niche ability like Fullbring, which only humans can use, he has never looked down on it.
"Fullbringer comparable to Second-Class Spiritual Pressure!?"
According to the report from the Thirteenth Division, the strongest Fullbringer in the World of the Living, Substitute Soul Reaper Kūgo Ginjō, has a Fullbring level that is only equivalent to Captain-level Third-Class Reii.
After the Substitute Soul Reaper incident, the Tsunayashiro Clan did bring back a female Fullbringer from the World of the Living as a prisoner: in Tenma Fushizuku's view, she was nothing more than a slave or research material captured by a high-ranking noble for their amusement.
Who would have thought...
"Lord Fujin."
Tsunayashiro Tokinada spoke.
"This plan was indeed quite perfect."
That was absolutely a heartfelt compliment.
"But have you ever thought about...?"
His narrow, sharp eyes seemed to prey on people.
"All of this was made possible by the Kōga Kuchiki rebellion."
Tsunayashiro Tokinada's words were like a venomous snake, slowly numbing Tenma Fushizuku's senses.
"And Kōga Kuchiki's rebellion benefited from Kuchiki Hine's death."
"Then my beloved Brother Tsukinori..."
"How could I have been so unprepared as to take the medicine you offered?"
"!!!"
The Tenma Fushizuku were wide with rage.
"You... you!?"
He finally realized at that moment --
Tonight's entire scheme—whether it was their attack on the Tsunayashiro Clan, the Reigai's attack on the Gotei 13, or Shusuke Amagai's actions to restrain the Captain-Commander...—was all orchestrated behind the scenes by a powerful, unseen force.
He is not the final boss.
What Tenma Fushizuku most incomprehensible was that the man in front of him, named Tsunayashiro Tokinada, had allowed his entire family to be slaughtered for the sake of this position!
The lonely position of clan leader...
What value does it have left?!
It's a pity.
Tenma Fushizuku had no further opportunity to think.
With a powerful swing of his arms Aura Michibane swung his arms forward.
The ancient buildings of the Tsunayashiro Clan, which had stood for thousands of years, were quickly transformed into the most basic Reishi tsunami, surging outwards!
"Boom!!"
"..."
Just a few minutes later.
There were no other survivors in the Tsunayashiro Clan.
"Next..."
Aura Michibane.
The girl, dressed in a pure black sailor uniform and wearing a white-gray scarf, gazed at the enormous pillar of fire rising in the center of Seireitei.
"Going there?"
"No."
Tsunayashiro Tokinada put away the Enrakyōten.
That's all for today.
Even someone like Tsunayashiro Tokinada would feel a sense of dread upon seeing that pillar of fire.
Shusuke Amagai.
That was a captain with rich combat experience who had grown up by secretly using the power of the Tsunayashiro Clan and giving them a lot of help—a genuine Second-Class Spiritual Pressure couldn't be won over by such means, Tsunayashiro Tokinada didn't have such a pipe dream.
In preparation for tonight's test.
Tsunayashiro Tokinada also made special use of the "specialties" of both the Fushizuku Clan and the Kasumioji Clan to enhance it.
Even so.
Even with Ryūjin Jakka unable to use it, Shusuke Amagai, who possessed Second-Class Spiritual Pressure level combat strength, still couldn't defeat Shigekuni Yamamoto.
So--
Tsunayashiro Tokinada glanced at Aura Michibane beside him.
The discovery of this Fullbringer was the result of his deliberate manipulation; however, no matter how powerful her Fullbring was, she still couldn't possibly contend with the Captain-Commander.
--His plans would be indefinitely put on hold until Shigekuni Yamamoto died.
"What about our allies...?"
"It doesn't seem very safe."
Seireitei Research Institute.
"Knock knock."
Kirio Hikifune knocked on the silver-black laboratory door.
Muramasa's influence still lingered, so she left her Zanpakuto (rice spoon) in the laboratory.
Aren't you going to open the door?
Kirio Hikifune glanced at the monitor atop the gate.
There's nothing we can do about it.
The raised fist slammed down hard on the door, whose material was unknown.
"Ha!"
"Bang!!"
The door is made of a very sturdy material, but the walls might not be.
Amidst flying rivets and walls nearly turned to rubble, a massive metal plate, like a baseball being hit, was dented and slammed into the wall.
"Boom!"
The loud echo reverberated repeatedly throughout several floors of the research institute.
"Really..."
Kirio Hikifune clapped his hands and walked in.
"A terrible woman."
The speaker was a male Soul Reaper with dark green hair.
The Shihakushō, resembling that of a priest, was completely covered by an outer researcher's robe that bore some resemblance to the Captain's Haori.
"Yushima Oko?"
Kirio Hikifune looked at the Soul Reaper before him and asked.
"I am."
The other person nodded.
His eyes, though not particularly fierce, simultaneously revealed both arrogance and apprehension.
"Although I don't remember it very well, the researcher who applied for this lab... I think his name was Kagerōza Inaba?"
Kirio Hikifune took out a strange board and tapped it a few times.
"... As expected, that little trick didn't fool you."
"I'm the head of the research institute."
That was a special type of Kidō that covered the entire Seireitei Research Institute and possessed the ability to "True Name Detection": in addition to preventing thieves and intruders, it could also be used to capture traitors and spies who had infiltrated the research institute.
"You..."
Kirio Hikifune glanced at Yushima Oko more times.
"You split yourself into two people, and then merged back into one?"
"That's right."
Yushima Oko nodded.
When did this happen?
"When the Hueco Mundo Expeditionary Force returned."
Kirio Hikifune wasn't asking about separating, but rather when they would reunite: According to the Seireitei Research Institute's records, the half of Yujima Osho, who used the name Kagerōza Inaba Yushima Oko, had been conducting experiments at the Seireitei Research Institute from the very beginning.
"... The other half of you went to the Expeditionary Force?"
"To be precise, they went to Hueco Mundo, but recently returned with Shusuke Amagai others."
"I see."
"Etc!"
Kirio Hikifune glanced at the board in his hand a few more times, then tucked it back into his long sleeve.
"The person in charge of Project Spearhead?"
Project Spearhead.
The research program to combat Hollows by using Modified Souls that could completely replicate Reiatsu was forcibly terminated by Central 46 for fear that the Modified Souls (i. e., Reigai) would become uncontrollable, and Yushima Oko, who was in charge, was also arrested.
"I knew it felt a little familiar."
Yushima Oko's talent as a researcher is beyond doubt.
Not long after laying the foundation for Modified Soul, Kirio Hikifune naturally applied it to the military field.
"Using Modified Soul technology to split one's soul in two, was it to evade the pursuit of the Central 46 Chambers?"
"Right."
Kirio Hikifune clapped his hands in approval of Yushima Oko's prompt and helpful answers, saying:
"No wonder."
"Copying the Reiatsu of the captains, creating Reigai to attack the Gotei 13... Is this your Central 46 Chambers's way of retaliating?"
Seeing that Yushima Oko didn't seem to be refusing, Kirio Hikifune simply asked again.
"It's revenge against Soul Society."
"Because of your arrest?"
"Because they don't recognize my talent."
Replace it with someone else.
Yushima Oko is definitely not that easy to talk to.
However, it was precisely because his research findings were all based on the people in front of him that Yushima Oko was so cooperative.
"Creating Captain-level Reigai requires a large amount of Reiatsu, and the research institute has no records of your collected Reishi reserves."
Who else is behind this?