After the Match, They Went Their Separate Ways

After leaving the Fourth Division, Shunsui Kyōraku, Jūshirō Ukitake, and Kaien Shiba walked through the streets of the Seireitei. Afternoon sunlight filtered through the cherry trees lining the road, casting dappled patterns of light and shadow. But the aftermath of the battle had unsettled what should have been a peaceful atmosphere.

Jūshirō Ukitake coughed softly a few times and looked at Kaien Shiba beside him, concern on his pale face. "Kaien, about Captain Shiba's disappearance... do you really know nothing about it?"

The question was direct, and sensitive.

Kaien Shiba's heart tightened. He instinctively wanted to tell the truth—that his uncle Isshin Shiba had been set up by Aizen, was now stranded in the World of the Living, had lost his Soul Reaper powers, and was with a Quincy woman...

But just as the words reached his lips, he abruptly remembered the seemingly gentle yet unfathomable look Sōsuke Aizen had given him at the Training Ground.

I can't say it. At least, not now.

He forced the words back down and put an appropriate amount of confusion and helplessness on his face. "Captain, I don't really know much about that either. The last time we came to the Fourth Division, we really only wanted to help train the Medical Guard Team. After all, as you know, the Medical Guard Team often works with other divisions. Getting familiar with how to cooperate in advance benefits both sides."

The explanation sounded reasonable. As a newly established unit, the Medical Guard Team did need to learn to work with the combat divisions. It also made sense for Isshin Shiba, as a captain, to go and train them personally.

But neither Jūshirō Ukitake nor Shunsui Kyōraku was easily fooled.

Jūshirō Ukitake watched Kaien Shiba quietly, a glimmer of scrutiny passing deep within his gentle eyes. He said slowly, "I see... but judging by how you're acting, you don't seem very worried about Captain Shiba's disappearance?"

It was a clever question. If Kaien Shiba truly knew nothing, then given his personality, he should have been searching everywhere for leads, rather than being... relatively calm, as he was now.

Kaien Shiba silently cursed. He quickly scratched his head and gave an awkward smile. "Well... considering how strong my uncle is, if this 'disappearance' wasn't his own choice, then whatever the other reason was... even if I knew, I'm afraid I couldn't handle it."

He paused, his tone turning serious. "So all I can do now is train hard and get stronger. Once I'm capable enough, I'll investigate—if there's still a need to investigate by then."

His words were half true and half false. He wasn't worried because he knew his uncle's life wasn't in danger and that he had made his own choice. At the same time, though, he truly did want to grow stronger—to deal with possible future crises and protect the people important to him.

Jūshirō Ukitake and Shunsui Kyōraku exchanged a glance, each reading the same message in the other's eyes:

Kaien Shiba knows something. But he has a reason he can't say it.

Since he was unwilling to speak, there was no point pressing him further. Both captains were intelligent men, and knew that some things were safer left unknown.

Shunsui Kyōraku took over at just the right moment, his tone relaxed but meaningful. "That's true. Given Captain Shiba's strength, there are probably only a handful of people in all of Soul Society who could make him disappear without a trace. Looking at it that way... this disappearance was very likely his own decision."

He was both helping Kaien Shiba out of a difficult position and setting the tone for the matter—that was how it could be explained to everyone else. After all, the disappearance of a Captain-level Soul Reaper needed a reasonable explanation.

Kaien Shiba breathed a sigh of relief and gave Shunsui Kyōraku a grateful look.

The three walked in silence for a while before finally parting at a fork in the road.

Elsewhere, Tōshirō Hitsugaya and Rangiku Matsumoto had not spoken since leaving the Fourth Division.

Tōshirō Hitsugaya looked grim—not because he had lost the match, but because he had lost so completely, so... helplessly.

Only after they returned to the Tenth Division barracks, entered the captain's office, and closed the door did Rangiku Matsumoto speak carefully.

"Shiro-chan, don't be discouraged. You only recently learned Bankai, after all. You still have a long road ahead of you."

She deliberately used her usual affectionate nickname, trying to ease the mood.

But to her surprise, Tōshirō Hitsugaya didn't angrily correct her as he usually did, telling her not to call him Shiro-chan but captain. Instead, he walked silently to the window and turned his back to her.

After a long while, he finally spoke, his voice frighteningly calm.

"I deserved to lose today."

Rangiku Matsumoto was taken aback.

"That fight showed me exactly how far behind a truly powerful fighter I am." Tōshirō Hitsugaya turned around. The sharpness in his ice-blue eyes during the battle was gone, replaced by a... profound calm.

"Lieutenant Liu Hao didn't even use Bankai. With Shikai alone, he had me suppressed for almost the entire fight. And even with Bankai, I never truly threatened him."

His assessment was objective, but it also carried an almost ruthless self-examination.

Rangiku Matsumoto tried to comfort him. "But... Lieutenant Liu Hao didn't seem to have such an easy time either. Your fight was so intense..."

"That was only how it looked," Tōshirō Hitsugaya interrupted calmly. "While we were fighting inside the barrier, I could clearly feel it—he seemed to know every move I made in advance. Every time, I attacked and he countered. He was in complete control of the entire fight."

He paused, then added, "And I have a feeling... if he'd really wanted to beat me quickly, he could have ended the fight in a few moves, even after I'd used Bankai. He only dragged it out until my Bankai ended on its own because... he didn't want me to lose too badly."

Rangiku Matsumoto was utterly shocked.

She knew Liu Hao was strong, but she hadn't expected him to be this strong—he could easily suppress Captain Hitsugaya's Bankai with only his Shikai?

"Is he... really that terrifyingly strong?" she murmured.

"Yes." Tōshirō Hitsugaya nodded, a flicker of complicated emotion in his eyes. "A few times during our fight, when I angered him, the sharp aura around him erupted in an instant... and in that instant, I felt the true presence of 'death.' It only lasted a moment, but I definitely wasn't mistaken about that feeling."

He clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white. "I couldn't accept it. I'm a captain, yet the Fifth Seat of the Fourth Division suppressed me so thoroughly... That's why I kept fighting until my Reiatsu ran out and my Bankai ended on its own."

Rangiku Matsumoto looked at the boy before her, who had taken on the heavy responsibility of a captain despite his youth, and her heart ached for him. She said softly, "So... he probably didn't tell us about Captain Shiba because the opponent is too troublesome, and even he isn't confident he can handle them. No wonder he was so blunt at the start, calling us 'weaklings' and 'cannon fodder'..."

The words were harsh, but they were true.

Some battles could not be joined through courage and determination alone. Those who lacked strength and forced their way in would only become a burden, or even throw their lives away.

Tōshirō Hitsugaya was silent for a moment before finally saying slowly, "I'll surpass him. When I'm strong enough... I'll bring Captain Shiba back myself."

He spoke softly, but the determination in his words carried immense weight.

"Yes." Rangiku Matsumoto walked over to him and looked at him seriously. "I'll do my best too. Let's get stronger together."

Inside the Fourth Division's training grounds, Unohana stood alone.

Her Reiatsu spread slowly outward like the surface of a still lake, sensing every inch of the surrounding space for anything unusual. She was trying—trying to find the person who might be hiding in the shadows.

The look Liu Hao had given her before leaving, and the subtle movement he had made to stop her from speaking, both indicated one thing: someone was watching them from hiding, and that person... was very likely Aizen.

But no matter how carefully Unohana sensed her surroundings or how thoroughly she searched, the space around her was entirely "normal." There were no unusual fluctuations of Reiatsu, no hidden presence, not even a single unnatural ripple of energy.

Everything was perfect... too perfect.

After a long while, Unohana slowly withdrew her Reiatsu and sighed softly.

Now that Liu Hao has left, the person hiding in the shadows... has probably left too.

She gave up the search.

Because if that person really was Aizen, and if he had really used Kyōka Suigetsu's ability... then there was no way to find him unless he chose to show himself.

That was what made Complete Hypnosis so terrifying—you didn't even know whether what you saw was real or false, or whether what you sensed was truth or illusion.

Meanwhile, Liu Hao was walking back to his quarters.

His steps were steady and his expression calm, but inwardly he remained on the highest alert.

Ever since leaving the training grounds, he had felt it—someone was following him.

It wasn't a misconception or an illusion, but an almost instinctive intuition. The feeling of being watched from hiding clung to him like a disease in his bones, impossible to shake.

But no matter how carefully he sensed his surroundings or searched with his Reiatsu, he couldn't pinpoint the person following him. It was as though that person had completely blended into the surroundings, becoming part of the "background."

Could it be... Aizen followed me?

The thought arose in Liu Hao's mind, but he immediately felt a trace of confusion.

Why would Aizen follow him? To check on his condition? To observe his reaction? Or... did he have another purpose?

He showed none of it, simply maintaining his normal pace as he returned to his quarters.

After closing the door, Liu Hao immediately withdrew all the Reiatsu around him.

Not to hide it, but to... disguise it.

He made his Reiatsu appear weak and disordered, as though he had exhausted himself. Then he sat cross-legged on the bed, assumed the posture for Tōzen, and closed his eyes. His breathing became slow and deep.

From the outside, he looked every bit like a Soul Reaper who had just been through a fierce battle, spent too much Reiatsu, and was trying to recover.

At a certain "position" outside Liu Hao's quarters, Sōsuke Aizen stood quietly.

Kyōka Suigetsu's Complete Hypnosis allowed him to stand in broad daylight without anyone noticing him. Like an invisible observer, he clearly "saw" Liu Hao's condition inside through the wall.

Oh... was he forcing himself to keep fighting, and now he finally can't hold on anymore?

Aizen pondered.

But... it doesn't quite look like it. Although he spent some Reiatsu during the fight, it was nowhere near enough to require immediate, quiet recovery.

His gaze was as sharp as a scalpel as he analyzed every detail of Liu Hao—his breathing rate, the fluctuations of his Reiatsu, his posture...

But Liu Hao's disguise was almost perfect. If Aizen hadn't watched the entire battle from the beginning, he might truly have been fooled.

He managed to defeat Tōshirō Hitsugaya's Bankai with Shikai. His strength is certainly impressive. But judging from his current condition... he doesn't seem to have reached the level needed to master Bankai yet.

That was Aizen's conclusion.

If Liu Hao had already reached the threshold for Bankai, then the energy spent in a fight of that level wouldn't have made him appear so obviously "weak." Only a Soul Reaper whose total Reiatsu was still insufficient and whose control wasn't refined enough would end up in such a state after a fierce battle.

And a Soul Reaper who hadn't even mastered Bankai posed no real threat to Aizen, no matter how special his Shikai ability or how strong he was.

Having confirmed this, Aizen lost interest in watching any longer.

He turned and left without a sound.

Inside his quarters, Liu Hao remained in his Tōzen posture.

After about ten minutes, the feeling of being watched finally disappeared completely.

He slowly opened his eyes and let out a long breath.

Has he gone...

He asked softly in his mind, "Imperial Princess, just now... was someone following me?"

Imperial Princess's voice soon sounded in his consciousness, carrying a hint of approval. "Your senses are sharp. Aizen really was following you the whole time, from when you left the training grounds all the way to your door. He stood there watching you go inside, then watched you begin Tōzen... He observed you for about five minutes before leaving."

Liu Hao's heart jolted.

Five minutes... he watched me for a full five minutes.

"I could tell someone was watching me, but I couldn't sense exactly where he was or who he was," Liu Hao replied in his mind. "If you hadn't warned me, I might not even have been able to confirm he was following me."

"He was standing right behind you the whole time, less than three steps away." There was a hint of amusement in Imperial Princess's voice. "I don't know what he wanted, but he just watched you quietly like that. He didn't leave until you started 'pretending' to be weak and began Tōzen. Maybe... your disguise worked?"

"Maybe." Liu Hao couldn't be sure. "But it's also possible... that I didn't completely fool him. He might have left only because he saw me return to my quarters to rest and thought he wouldn't get any more information by continuing to watch."

"In any case, you did well too." Imperial Princess's tone grew serious. "You defeated Bankai with Shikai without even going all out. That kid Hitsugaya may be young, but Hyōrinmaru's power really can't be underestimated."

Liu Hao smiled wryly. "I actually benefited from my attribute countering his. Imperial Flame naturally suppresses ice-based abilities. If I'd faced someone with a different attribute, it might not have been so easy."

"Being modest now?" Imperial Princess chuckled. "Attribute advantages go both ways. Ice can counter fire too; it's just that your Imperial Flame is on a higher level, so it suppressed his ice. Besides... you still have plenty of abilities you didn't use. If you'd used them all, the fight would have ended even faster."

"After all, that's the strongest ice-and-snow Zanpakuto in Soul Society's history," Liu Hao said with feeling. "Hyōrinmaru's potential goes far beyond what it showed today."

"Then why don't you say your Imperial Sword is the strongest Zanpakuto in history?" Imperial Princess's voice held a trace of pride. "After all, your Zanpakuto's abilities cover almost every category—elements, healing, space, time... In terms of 'possibilities' alone, Imperial Sword's potential far surpasses that of any known Zanpakuto."

Her words made Liu Hao a little embarrassed. "All right... my Zanpakuto really could be called the 'strongest in history.' But the problem is, I'm still too weak. The power I can use isn't even a tenth of Imperial Sword's true strength."

"That's true," Imperial Princess admitted. "Although the strength of your spiritual body has improved considerably, your control over Reishi is still far from perfect. But..."

She paused, her tone growing serious. "In your current state, you can actually begin training in Bankai. When are you planning to start?"

Liu Hao had considered that question many times.

He was silent for a moment before slowly answering in his mind, "I want to start training in Bankai now too. But I keep feeling... that something is still missing. So I want to put it off a little longer, until I feel truly 'ready.'"

"Are you waiting for something?" Imperial Princess keenly sensed something.

"Yes," Liu Hao admitted. "I want to wait until... I'm no longer under Kyōka Suigetsu's control before I start training in Bankai."

"No longer under Kyōka Suigetsu's control?" Imperial Princess sounded a little surprised. "That's an interesting goal. Compared with completely 'breaking' Kyōka Suigetsu, it's certainly much easier. Do you have an idea already?"

"A little." Liu Hao organized his thoughts. "First, I'll suppress the 'Reishi Seeds' Kyōka Suigetsu implanted in my body. Although the traces of Aizen's Reiatsu are concealed, now that I can sense their presence, I have a way to suppress their influence."

He paused, then continued, "After that, I'll find a way to 'remove' the part of that Reishi that belongs to Aizen and lets him control it, at the source, so it can no longer be manipulated by him. At least that will ensure I don't fall completely under his hypnosis."

"But that's not enough," Imperial Princess pointed out. "As long as you still 'accept' Reishi from outside, there's still a chance more seeds could be implanted in you."

"So the ultimate goal," Liu Hao said, determination flashing in his eyes, "is to be able to 'selectively' accept external Reishi. As I accept it, I'll be able to completely 'assimilate' it directly, making it thoroughly 'my' Reishi the instant it enters my body. Only then can I truly break Kyōka Suigetsu—because the instant his Reishi Seeds enter my body, my spiritual body will automatically identify, break down, and reconstruct them, stripping them of all their 'foreign' properties."

The idea left Imperial Princess silent for a moment.

After a long while, she finally spoke slowly. "Isn't that... the Quincy's 'Sklaverei' ability? Absorbing external Reishi and converting it into their own power."

"It's different." Liu Hao shook his head. "Quincy Sklaverei only forcibly absorbs external Reishi and 'grafts' it onto their own spiritual bodies. That method gives them power, but it also makes their spiritual bodies 'impure,' less than pure."

He paused, then continued explaining, "What I'm talking about is being able to completely control the 'state' of external Reishi as I absorb it, making it completely 'belong to me' on the most fundamental level—not forcibly grafting it on, but transforming it completely. It's like cooking raw rice: its nature is fundamentally changed."

His words touched on the deepest mysteries of Reishi manipulation. If he could truly accomplish it, Liu Hao's control over his spiritual body would reach an unprecedented level.

Imperial Princess fell silent again, seemingly digesting the idea.

After a long while, she finally spoke slowly, a hint of... anticipation in her voice.

"I see... then keep working at it. When you want to train in Bankai, just let me know. In any case, your current strength is already enough."

After saying that, Imperial Princess's voice vanished into the depths of Liu Hao's consciousness and spoke no more.

Silence returned to the room.

Liu Hao remained seated cross-legged on the bed, but his eyes were open now. He gazed out the window at the setting sun gradually sinking in the west, a complicated light flickering in his eyes.

Kyōka Suigetsu, Sōsuke Aizen, Bankai training, control over Reishi, future crises...

Clue after clue, goal after goal, intertwined in his mind into a vast, intricate web.

He knew the path he had chosen was full of unknowns and dangers.

But he had no intention of backing down.

Because backing down meant accepting the predetermined fate—those tragic, heartbreaking futures.

And he wanted to change those futures.

He wanted to protect the people important to him.

He wanted to... find a different path.

"Then," Liu Hao murmured to himself, his voice echoing in the quiet room, "let's start by mastering Reishi."

The road ahead was still long.

But he had enough time, and enough determination.

He would keep moving forward, one step at a time.

Until one day, he could truly stand before Aizen and tell him, "Your Kyōka Suigetsu has no effect on me."

That day would come. Liu Hao believed it.