The Captains Begin to Change (2)

Unohana gazed in the direction he had disappeared for a long time before softly murmuring to herself, "Is that so? You even know about him. It seems you truly do know everything, just as you said." She picked up her now-cold tea and drank it all in one gulp. "Then let me see where this Silent Blade of yours will ultimately strike."

Instead of returning to his own barracks, Liu Ziyun took a few detours and, after confirming that no one was following him, quietly entered a hidden space beneath the Fourth Division.

This was Training Ground he had secretly built over a decade. The walls were covered with multiple layers of Kidō Barriers, which could completely prevent Reiatsu from leaking out. In the center of the space, two Tang Dao floated silently in mid-air, their blades emitting a faint, eerie light.

"Life-Taker, Tulu," Liu Ziyun whispered.

The eerie light of the two Zanpakuto suddenly intensified, transforming into two illusory human figures. The figure on the left was tall and slender, dressed in a jet-black battle robe, with a cold and icy expression, representing Life-Taker; the figure on the right was slightly shorter, but more agile, clad in crimson battle armor, with eyes as sharp as knives, representing Tulu.

"How should we train today?" Liu Ziyun unbuttoned his Shihakusho shirt, revealing a muscular body covered in a mix of old and new scars—all from years of battling his Zanpakuto in his Inner World. "I feel like I've made pretty much progress lately, but I don't know why I haven't been able to materialize you all for Bankai training."

Life-Taker step forward, his voice sharp as a blade. "Your current strength has indeed reached its limit. Now I can give you two choices: one is the Bankai you've been longing for, and the other is to allow you to fully master your Shikai state."

Tulu interjected, his tone unusually serious. "Bankai is relatively simpler, and we actually hope you choose Bankai. Because training in the Complete Shikai state could very likely result in death, and we can't guarantee that."

Upon hearing Liu Ziyun's eyes flashed with understanding. "Completely mastering the Shikai state... I always felt a sense of disharmony when I Shikai, and this feeling became stronger as my strength increased. It seems I haven't fully mastered Shikai yet. And the fact that it's more difficult than Bankai proves that I'm stronger, right?"

"It's not necessarily stronger than Bankai," Life-Taker explained. "The training of Zanpakuto is divided into several stages: Asauchi resonance, mastering Shikai, and mastering Bankai."

Tulu added, "But you are different from us. Fatal Life-Taker and Tulu are special twin Zanpakuto; we must grow in sync. If you forcibly train Bankai without Complete Shikai, even if you succeed, you will not master its complete Bankai and will never be able to unleash our true power."

"It's like building a house without a foundation." Liu Ziyun understood. "Then I choose to continue cultivating the Shikai."

Life-Taker was somewhat surprised. "Are you sure? The process of Complete Shikai release is extremely painful. We need to engage in 'real combat' within your Inner World —not training, but a real battle where life and death are at stake. And this process will be very long, maybe five years, maybe ten years. Before you fully master it, your strength will hardly improve significantly."

Liu Ziyun smiled, the excited smile of a warrior facing a challenge, "Come on, I also urgently need to improve my strength. At least after they all become captains, I need to have the strength to escape from Aizen's Kyouka Suigetsu. When he escapes Soul Society, I need to have the strength to fight him. After all, that guy was already at the pinnacle of Soul Reaper when he became Lieutenant, so I really want to fight him."

A hint of worry flashed in his Life-Taker eyes. "Aren't you afraid things will get out of control? Sōsuke Aizen... even in our long memories, he's one of the most dangerous figures."

"I'm not afraid." Liu Ziyun's tone was unusually firm. "We have the Cheat B, and if that fails, there's always the Zero Division. If it were Yhwach, I wouldn't dare do this. But Aizen... his plan, while dangerous, is still within control. More importantly, he needs an opponent, someone who can force him to reveal his full strength."

He clenched his fists. "And I want to be that opponent."

Life-Taker and Tulu exchanged a glance and simultaneously smiled.

"Alright, let's begin then." The humanoid forms of the two Zanpakuto gradually dissipated, returning to their physical blades and falling into Liu Ziyun's hands.

Liu Ziyun sat cross-legged, placed his two swords horizontally on his knees, slowly closed his eyes, and began his Blade Zen.

Meanwhile, in the Fifth Division Barracks, the inauguration ceremony for the new captain had just concluded. Shinji Hirako took off his heavy haori, changed into a light Shihakusho, and gathered with several old friends in the courtyard behind the barracks.

Kensei Muguruma unceremoniously picked up the sake bottle and poured himself a drink. "That guy Liu Ziyun, he didn't even show up on the day you became captain. The noble affair happened so long ago, have he just forgotten all about us?"

Shinji Hirako leaned against a pillar, his long golden hair swaying gently in the evening breeze. "Perhaps there are still some concerns. After all, we've seen him occasionally over the years when we went to the Fourth Division, and he was always so indifferent, as if he treated us like ordinary soldiers."

"What on earth is that guy thinking?" Love Aikawa frowned. "Back then, he didn't hesitate to reveal his hidden strength to save us. Now that it's all over, he's distancing himself from us."

A moment of silence fell over the courtyard.

Shinji Hirako straightened up. "Liu Ziyun must have foreseen something, which is why he's deliberately keeping his distance from us?"

Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi shook his head. "But if that's really the case, then his absence from your inauguration ceremony might be to protect you. After all, now that you're the captain, your every move will be under more scrutiny."

Kensei Muguruma scratched his head in frustration. "So we're just going to wait like this? Wait until he thinks the 'time is right' before showing up?"

"Otherwise what?" Shinji Hirako smiled wryly. "When that guy gets stubborn, not even eight Menos Grande can pull him back. And... don't you guys think there's always been a sense of responsibility about Liu Ziyun that we can't understand? It's like he's carrying something heavy, yet he's unwilling to share it with anyone."

Love Aikawa suddenly spoke up, "Remember back in the academy days? Once, we were attacked by Menos Grande in Rukongai. Liu Ziyun could have easily dealt with it, but he deliberately delayed, waiting for reinforcements to arrive. Afterwards, I asked him why, and he said..."

"Some battles must be ended by specific people; arbitrarily changing things will only cause greater chaos," Shinji Hirako continued, his eyes deepening. "At the time, we thought he was just being mysterious, but now... perhaps he really is avoiding 'changing' something."

The group looked at each other, all seeing the same confusion and worry in each other's eyes.

"Let's leave it at that for now," Shinji Hirako finally said. "Since he's chosen to play it safe, we'll cooperate with him. But we also need to be prepared—someone like Liu Ziyun, once he decides to stop hiding, it's because he has something he absolutely has to do. At that time, we need to make sure we're in a position where we can help him."

Kensei Muguruma raised his glass. "You're right! Whatever that guy is plotting, we'll always be behind him!"

The wine glasses clinked together, producing a crisp sound.