Why Did the Tsunayashiro Family Keep...

Jushiro was taken aback when he saw him do this: Do we have to be this careful even within the Fourth Division?

"Do you think I'm being overly cautious? But what I'm about to say really can't be told to anyone outside, not even the Captains... not everyone can know."

Shunsui's eyes were deep. "The Second Division found the stone tablet that Shitan mentioned in the destroyed ruins. It has now been sealed and is kept in the Shihoin treasury. No one can access it."

"What does the stone tablet say?"

Upon seeing this, Jushiro naturally knew that this matter was of utmost importance.

"That's something between mythology and records, talking about things related to the Soul King and the ancestors of the Five Noble Clans... but the details are very vague and have nothing to do with us, so don't worry about it too much."

However, besides these records, it also describes a method of 'evolution'.

"Evolution?"

Jushiro blinked. "What do you mean?"

"Visored and Arrancar, Hollowfication and Shinigamiification."

Shunsui composed himself and said, "If we compare the opposition between the Grim Reaper and the Hollow to 'yin and yang,' then the fusion of the two can create All Creation!"

Simply put, once a Hollow evolves into Vastolorde, it has reached its limit and can no longer progress. However, it is still not perfect and must break through its boundaries and merge with the Shinigami power to transcend the constraints of the mundane world and become a "Transcendent"—and the process of Hollow Shinigamiification is called "Arrancar."

Jushiro remained silent for a long time. Although he subconsciously wanted to refute this unorthodox behavior, as a veteran captain, he vaguely felt that it actually conformed to some kind of unspoken Rules.

"So, correspondingly... a Shinigami who merges with the power of a Hollow can also become a 'Transcendent'... The process of Hollowfication is called 'Visored'?"

"As expected of Jushiro, he's as clever as ever."

Shunsui smiled, then composed herself. "Now you know why we had to keep the news under wraps, right?"

"You did the right thing, Shunsui!"

Jushiro said with lingering fear, "If this kind of thing gets out, who knows what kind of trouble it will cause? Although nothing might happen, the Seireitei can't afford to take any more risks right now... cough!"

"Calm down, your health is the most important thing."

Shunsui quickly helped him lie down, and after sitting down again, her eyes flashed, and she continued, "I have already verified this statement with Captains Shihoin Hyakuchu and Kuchiki Ginrei. Although they themselves are not very clear about it, after consulting some ancient books, they found that this statement is not fictitious, but has a factual basis."

In the past, Hueco Mundo did have special individuals that spontaneously Arrancar, which happened before the formation of the Thirteenth Division... However, none of them were as powerful as the one we encountered the day before yesterday, and we managed to eliminate it after paying a price.

As for the Shinigami Hollowfication... even the records of the Five Noble Clans on this matter are vague, and it is speculated that it would shake many things, so it was deliberately erased.

However, the Tsunayashiro family has kept the relevant information all along, and even conducted research on it in secret..."

Is this information accurate?

Out of caution, Jushiro asked one more question, "Could it be that the stone tablet was deliberately left by Shitan to mislead us?"

"It has been authenticated as an antique with a long history, but it is difficult to determine the specific era in which it was made."

Shunsui stroked his stubble. "Shitan might certainly be up to something, but since the stone tablet has already been sealed away, no one will be guided to study the Hollowfication."

"That's good... cough!"

Jushiro a sigh of relief, "Now we only need to consider the Hueco Mundo expedition."

"Yes,"

Shunsui nodded. "We can't let Shitan, otherwise the Soul Society will never have peace. However, it will take some time for the Thirteenth Division to recover. Hopefully, it's not too late."

"... So the one we encountered the other day was the so-called 'Arrancar'?"

"They're too strong. If we give Shitan time to create a second and a third, then Soul Society will be in real danger. So even if it's difficult, we must set out as soon as possible!"

"I understand you. The teacher thinks so too. The old man is very angry right now. You don't need to worry. It's Shitan who should be worried."

Shunsui comforted Jushiro with a few words, then said thoughtfully, "On another note, what we saw that day might not have been an Arrancar; it could have been a Visored, a Hollowfication Shinigami."

"Varied--"

Jushiro on the hospital bed, opened his eyes wide. "Shunsui, what do you mean? What we saw was undoubtedly Menos Grande!"

"On the surface, that's how it seems, but if we follow the inscription on the stone tablet, the Hollowfication Grim Reaper would also appear in that state."

As for the "Arrancar"... firstly, we haven't found Hollow Hole, though it's possible it's somewhere we can't see. But what's more troubling is his way of using weapons... it seems very familiar with fighting humanoid creatures.

"That's right... Almost Menos Grande are in beast form. If they were born in Hueco Mundo, they certainly wouldn't have developed such combat skills."

"During the on-site investigation, it was a Seated Officer the Second Division who found the stone tablet and pointed out that, according to previous research, Hollows evolve by becoming more and more similar to humans in appearance. If it is an 'Arrancar' that has fused with the Shinigami power, then theoretically it is already almost indistinguishable from Kazuma human and would not have such obvious features as a mask covering the entire face."

"Is that why they're called 'the Arrancar'? That makes perfect sense."

Jushiro exclaimed in surprise, "The Second Division's Seated Officer has such insights?"

"A very interesting young man. Although he seems carefree, I think I might have to deal with him a lot in the future... Oh, he holds a high position in the Second Division, so he must be a retainer or confidant of Shihoin."

Shunsui thought for a moment and said, "His name is 'Urahara Kisuke,' and he wants to study the stone tablet further, but given his status, that's naturally impossible."

"What are the plans of the Tsunayashiro family?"

Jushiro then asked another question he was concerned about. Patients like him are really not suited to thinking too much. He hadn't said more than a few words before his face turned red, but he held back from having an attack.

Shunsui could tell that he was forcing himself, but knowing his friend's personality, he didn't give a perfunctory answer. Instead, he gave a concise and clear explanation.

"He categorically denied what Shitan said."

Although some traces were found at the shrine, there's no way to actually accuse them... especially given the current state of affairs.

"Well!"

Jushiro sighed and shook his head.

This incident was essentially a trap set by Tsunayashiro, almost dragging half of the Thirteenth Division into it... but it will be difficult to settle accounts afterward.

It's not that they're afraid of Tsunayashiro's power. After all, this has involved very fundamental issues, and neither Captain-General Yamamoto nor the other major families would tolerate it. Even if Tsunayashiro is powerful, she can't fight against such a force.

What truly left the Thirteenth Division at a loss was... the deaths of most of the high-ranking members of the Tsunayashiro!

As the saying goes, the dead can't testify, and now no one knows who the culprit is or who to hold accountable!

It's impossible to remove the Tsunayashiro family from the list. Putting aside their status as one of the Five Noble Clans, even a fair judgment wouldn't warrant such a complete eradication.

After all, it's true that Tsunayashiro enjoys scheming and plotting, and is willing to harm others for her own benefit, but to say that they intend to destroy the Seireitei and dominate the Soul Society is pure nonsense.

Therefore, Yamamoto and other high-ranking officials still believed that only Shitan, not the entire Tsunayashiro, had truly betrayed Soul Society. However, they also demanded that Tsunayashiro hand over all related research, thus stripping him of his authority in this area.

However, the answer given by the Tsunayashiro family was "I don't know".

They had no idea what "Hollowfication" meant, nor did they know the contents of the stone tablet!

—That's not surprising, after all, he's taking the blame for someone else.

Interestingly, despite being completely bewildered, Tsunayashiro did not deny her crimes outright, but simply claimed that the data was lost, which was tantamount to admitting that her family had conducted related research.

The main reason is that all the evidence currently points to them...

Even Tsunayashiro himself felt that this was likely a bomb planted by their ancestors, which was eventually found by Shitan in their generation!

They even suspected that some of the elders knew about it all along and were even cooperating with Shitan. After all, there were many Tsunayashiro branch families, and it was hard to guarantee that some of them had bigger ambitions... Fortunately, everyone was dead, so they could just pretend that nothing had happened.

In short, the Tsunayashiro family took the blame, even feeling that it was originally theirs, and didn't question it much...

"Even if the specific person responsible cannot be found, it is inevitable that Tsunayashiro will suffer a major blow, and it will be a question whether he can maintain his status as one of the Five Noble Clans from now on."

Shunsui pursed her lips. "And this time, many positions in Central 46 have been vacated... I feel like some people are about to get restless."

Jushiro nodded, looking much more relaxed. Now that he knew Tsunayashiro was under control, he felt relieved.

As for the power struggles within Central 46, he didn't care at all.

"That was a really great job!"

In the backyard of a small shop in Rukongai, Yuki sat on the corridor, her white-socked feet resting on the warm bluestone, leisurely sipping tea.

"To be able to think so far ahead and make the whole plan go so smoothly as if it were a masterpiece, your wisdom is truly eye-opening."

"Oh, no, it's all thanks to my older sister's excellent teaching!"

Iori stood to the side, leaning against a pillar, and said, "I was just going with the flow."

"I don't remember teaching you anything like that."

Yuki glanced at him. "Unlike you, I'm an upright person."

"Without me, it's uncertain whether you could still be 'upright'," Iori smiled slightly.

"If it were my older sister, she would definitely perform even better than me."

"Hmph~ That's true, but you really are excellent... Come here, let me pat your head as a reward~"

"I'm not a child anymore. Besides, who's really rewarding whom here?"

"Or a hug would be nice."

"Where's the kiss?"

Iori laughed and said, "Just kidding."

"..."

Yuki's temple throbbed slightly, but seeing how happy Iori, she couldn't help but smile too.

Indeed, I'm in a good mood. After all, this time, the two siblings have truly manipulated the entire Seireitei!

Captain-General Yamamoto possesses unparalleled fighting prowess, while Shunsui and Jushiro are both intelligent and courageous individuals. Like Yoruichi, Zaraki, and Hikifune, they are all heroes of their time, despite their flaws.

But isn't it something to be proud of? Isn't it something to be joyful about that this group of people can only follow the script designed by the siblings?

Yuki and Iori were just like before, teasing and making fun of each other in a silly way...

"Um?"

Holding a large bouquet of wildflowers, Nemu, who seemed to have just returned from an outing, skipped and hopped into the backyard, only to find the siblings sitting together, looking very Mugen. Iori had his head resting on Yuki's lap, while Yuki was intently manipulating a slender wooden stick, cleaning Iori's ears.

"Alas!"

When Nemu saw this scene, she blinked. For some reason, she felt a little sad, but she quickly adjusted her mindset and even joked about it.

'What a cheesy pair of in-laws! And they're my parents! I'm doomed now!'

~~~~~

Chapter 325 Why was Tsunayashiro preserved...?

Boom!

A granite boulder, twice the height of a person, shattered amidst the Roar, leaving a gaping scar across the land like a rough blade as the wind swept across it...

Iori, who had assumed a fighting stance, slowly withdrew her fist, dissipating the residual spiritual pressure on it. She turned back and smiled slightly at the brown-skinned beauty, "Do you understand?"

"What the hell do you understand!"

The young lady of the Shihoin Clan gave him a strange look that seemed to say, "What are you talking about?"

Do you really think everyone is like you, able to learn it after just one viewing?

"I think the movements are slow enough..."

"It's not a matter of speed! The key is the conversion and control of Kido power!"

Yoruichi clenched her fist and lightly tapped her forehead, puzzled. "I still don't understand how you can extract the Kido power, convert it into Lightning attribute, and still output it stably... Doesn't that mean you have to Isshin?"

When I use Shunkō, maintaining that state for a long time requires complete concentration. If I also have to consider attribute changes... tsk! What's wrong with your brain?

"Nothing special, it's just a matter of practice makes perfect. I also practiced for a long time before I could master it."

Iori shrugged and offered Yoruichi few words of comfort, but made no attempt to reveal the secret of the "mark".

It wasn't that he was hoarding his knowledge and unwilling to share with others, but rather that this method wasn't suitable for Yoruichi.

He uses "imprints" to activate many skills, including Shunkō, which is essentially a borrowing of the Magic Crest technique from Type-Moon, writing Taijutsu into his body's circuits.

It's like turning your physical body into a True Magic circle or scroll, allowing you to automatically perform complex spells with simple operations, thereby increasing efficiency.

But this thing isn't a tattoo, where you can just put the design on. To make it effective, you have to modify your Magic Circuit and completely transform them into the "shape" of the corresponding spell, which means you permanently occupy the space.

In online game terms, it means your skill bar is permanently locked to a True Magic, and you can't reset your skill points.

Iori is so indulgent because of his special physique. His Soul Materialization body means that his "skill bar" is almost infinite. Moreover, he can discard these fixed Reishi circuits at any time and create new ones whenever he wants.

Furthermore, he has quantum computers to help store data, so he doesn't have to worry about getting his thinking wrong and being unable to revert to the original technique.

In other words, he cheated; he could reset his skill points even with a save file.