Advance, To The Real World

The next day, just as dawn was breaking, Genji Mirai arrived punctually at the assembly point located on the outskirts of Rinrinan.

A considerable number of Shinigami had already gathered, standing in two distinct, clearly separated queues.

One side consisted of the members of the Thirteenth Division. Their numbers were significantly larger, and from the seated officers to the regular soldiers, almost the entire division was present.

Looking at this formation, the situation in the Human World was indeed not optimistic, requiring a large number of personnel for guidance and soul burial.

Genji noticed that at the front of the Thirteenth Division's queue stood a young man with a calm demeanor and short black hair – it was Third Seat Shiba Kaien.

The Thirteenth Division currently had no lieutenant, and Captain Ukitake Jushiro was absent due to illness. He was the de facto leader of this operation.

Shiba Kaien was speaking in low tones with several seated officers beside him, arranging the grouping matters after passing through the gate.

On the other side were the personnel of the Eleventh Division.

Their numbers were fewer than the Thirteenth Division, but each one was full of spirit, with a glint of eagerness in their eyes. One might even think they were heading to a festival.

Captain Kuchiki Kenpachi had not yet arrived, and Lieutenant Ashido stood silently at the very front of the queue.

Although Shiba Kaien was a Third Seat and his experience and abilities were well-recognized, with the participation of the Eleventh Division captain in this joint operation, the highest command authority would naturally fall to Kuchiki Kenpachi according to custom.

However, given Captain Kuchiki's personality, the detailed arrangements and coordination work would likely still be handed over to the meticulous and reliable Ashido.

Shiba Kaien seemed to have no objections to this, maintaining a cooperative attitude.

Genji, as an "observer from the sidelines," consciously stood at the edge of the formation, not belonging to the Thirteenth Division nor close to the Eleventh Division, maintaining a subtle distance.

His gaze was drawn to something in the center of the venue.

It was not the usual fixed Senkaimon base.

Instead, it was a machine that looked like it had been hastily assembled from various metal components and Reishi circuit boards, piled haphazardly. It hummed, and faint glimmers of Reishi occasionally flowed across its surface.

A familiar, petite figure with short blonde hair was leaping around beside the pile of machinery, tools in hand, tapping and fiddling with different parts, muttering incessantly:

"Hey! You over there! The Reishi output circuit is connected incorrectly! Do you want the Senkaimon to collapse halfway through! Baldy!"

"And you! What's with the lieutenant? Even if the lieutenant is wrong, it must be corrected! Setting such basic parameters wrong, are you trying to get people killed passing through the gate!"

"All of you shut up! Listen to my commands! A bunch of baldies!"

The crisp and irritable shouts of "Baldy!" were particularly clear in the morning air.

Genji Mirai's brow twitched slightly with each "Baldy!"

But he took a deep breath, forcefully suppressing his urge to retort.

His face quickly resumed the aloof, "noble young master" expression of indifference to his surroundings, only standing a little straighter.

So, the construction and maintenance of the Senkaimon this time were the responsibility of the Twelfth Division.

And the hot-tempered, yet seemingly highly skilled blonde girl before him was the Twelfth Division's newly appointed Fifth Seat, Sarugaki Hiyori.

She darted rapidly between the complex machinery. Although her tone was terrible, every adjustment she made appeared orderly.

A moment later, she forcefully slapped a main control panel and shouted, "Done! Activate!"

Buzz!

The seemingly chaotic pile of machinery suddenly vibrated, and the Reishi circuits on the surface of all components lit up with dazzling light. Reishi flowed rapidly, converging in the preset channels.

Immediately after, the air in front of the machine began to distort violently, emitting a low hum.

The light collapsed inward, transforming into a slowly rotating black vortex that stably materialized in the air.

"Got it!" Sarugaki Hiyori declared, hands on her hips, tilting her small head up.

"The new Senkaimon's stable duration has been increased to one hour! Amazing, right! This is a key project I participated in improving!"

However, the exclamations and praises she expected did not appear.

Most of the Shinigami from the Thirteenth and Eleventh Divisions present merely glanced at the Senkaimon, nodded, and continued their preparations.

For these seasoned Shinigami who frequently traveled between the Human World and Soul Society, whether the Senkaimon lasted ten minutes or an hour made little difference. They only needed a few minutes to pass through the gate on missions.

Increased duration? It sounded good, but it didn't seem... that necessary?

Sarugaki Hiyori's expectant expression slowly deflated. She pouted and grumbled in a low, bad-tempered tone:

"Hmph, a bunch of tech-illiterate baldies..."

Just then.

Clap clap clap!

A clear, rhythmic round of applause rang out, particularly noticeable in the somewhat quiet outskirts.

Everyone turned to look.

Genji Mirai stood there, a smile of admiration and praise on his face, clapping rhythmically.

He stepped forward to the pile of machinery and Sarugaki Hiyori, bowed slightly, and said in a clear voice:

"Truly a remarkable improvement."

His words attracted everyone's attention.

"Increasing the stable duration of the Senkaimon from ten minutes to one hour is by no means just a change in numbers."

Gotei's gaze swept over the stable black vortex, his tone serious.

"This primarily signifies a qualitative improvement in the spiritual particle structure strength and circuit stability of the dimensional transfer gate itself, leading to smoother energy output and a more robust spatial channel."

He looked at Sarugaki Hiyori, his eyes filled with sincere admiration:

"The leap in stability greatly reduces the risk of accidents that could occur during dimensional transfer.

For example... in the past, Soul Reapers would occasionally be thrown off course due to an unstable channel during transfer, getting 'lost' in the Dangai or some unknown location in the Human World. The probability of this happening should be greatly reduced, or even eliminated, right?"

He paused, then summarized:

"This is a significant improvement that tangibly enhances safety for all fellow Soul Reapers who need to travel frequently between the two realms for missions. It's truly excellent."

After Gotei finished speaking, the Soul Reapers present finally reacted.

That's right! Dimensional transfer gate instability, and the occasional loss of someone, had indeed happened before, though not with high probability.

Now that the stability has improved, it was like adding an extra layer of insurance for everyone's safety!

"Clap, clap, clap..." First, there were scattered claps, and then more and more people began to applaud.

Sarugaki Hiyori listened to the applause around her and looked