In the noble circles of Seireitei, there was a special term for the standard used to measure Reiatsu density.
It was called "Spiritual Power"!
It could be used to reflect a Soul Reaper's strength.
Spiritual Power was divided into twenty grades. Ordinary squad members had to be at least Grade Twenty. In the eyes of Soul Society's nobles, anyone with an even lower grade was no different from an ordinary soul.
Lieutenants were Grade Four or Five.
Grade Three and above was Captain-level.
Ordinary souls in Soul Society didn't need to eat. They could get by on water alone.
Only souls who could sense Reishi needed to eat.
And eating food with the same or even higher Spiritual Power as oneself naturally replenished one's own Reiatsu more quickly.
So how were lieutenants and captains, the strongest fighters in Soul Society, supposed to replenish their Reiatsu quickly?
After all, whether their Reiatsu was sufficient also affected how long they could keep fighting.
Take Bankai, for example.
Captains rarely used Bankai in battle, because it consumed Reiatsu faster than Shikai.
Although it was more powerful, it generally couldn't be maintained for long.
But if they ate to replenish their Reiatsu while Bankai was consuming it... wouldn't that let them extend the time they could use Bankai?
But materials with Spiritual Power above Grade Five didn't occur naturally in Soul Society.
Spiritual Power above Grade Five could only be cultivated through hard work.
So aside from using healing techniques to replenish their Reiatsu, captains had no way to recover it quickly.
But not everyone had Captain Unohana's formidable healing abilities.
Now, Aoto's roasted Hollow leg could be considered food with Grade Five Spiritual Power. It was more than enough to replenish Vice-Captain-level Reiatsu.
Even captains would recover their Reiatsu faster by eating it than they would with ordinary food.
But not everyone could stomach it.
After all, eating Hollows went completely against the beliefs of ordinary Soul Reapers.
"As an emergency measure, it's fine. But if you try to promote it on a large scale, you don't even have enough Gillian legs for that. And you'd be lucky if Central 46 didn't send people to arrest me! Hey, hey, don't eat it all. I don't have much left."
Seeing how Kaien couldn't get enough, Aoto's earlier poetic mood vanished, and he hurried over to stop him, heart aching at the sight.
"What kind of guest shows up empty-handed and then eats all the food in the house?"
Aoto was still lamenting the loss, but Kaien was completely satisfied. He picked up a toothpick and picked his teeth. "You're overthinking it. Captain Hikifune has to use her own Reiatsu to make Mod Souls. You didn't use any of your own Reiatsu! You barely paid a thing for this. Why all the gloom and doom?"
"And if it doesn't catch on, so what? Once you've extracted the Hollow's spiritual channels, it doesn't taste like Hollow anymore. You could just put out a limited supply and say you developed it yourself. No one's ever tasted Hollow leg, so just say it takes your own Reiatsu to make even a small amount. Trust me, plenty of people will be clamoring to get some."
"I get it. It'd become something like a soldier pill." Aoto rubbed his chin. "Kaien, you're a lot more cunning than I am."
"I grew up in noble circles. If I didn't learn to be a little crafty, I'd have been framed long ago!" Kaien poured himself another cup of wine. "Not every noble is as kind as Captain Ukitake!"
Aoto chimed in, "Or you could say Captain Ukitake is the unusual one."
Kaien wholeheartedly agreed.
"Anyway, enough about that!" Kaien suddenly remembered something else. "Aoto, what about that thing I mentioned last time? My sister's already an adult! How about becoming my brother-in-law? There aren't many people who can keep my sister in line!"
"Uh..." Aoto immediately pictured that busty young woman who smoked a pipe.
No, no. He couldn't handle that.
"Forget it! I have no intention of marrying into your family!" Aoto shook his head repeatedly. "Your sister's bound to find someone better!"
"There really aren't many!" Kaien was still worried. "After she gets into trouble, there aren't many people who'd dare give her a good smack! Aoto, how about helping out an old classmate? You don't have to marry into the family, either. I can offer a pretty generous dowry!"
"Why does it sound like you're treating your sister like a hot potato, trying to pawn her off even if you have to pay someone? Careful, I'll tell her what you just said. Then you'll never get married!"
After finishing his last cup of wine, Aoto lamented that he hadn't bought more.
Aoto's final counterthreat had been highly effective. Kaien finally stopped trying to sell his sister to him.
As a classmate, Kaien knew quite a few of Aoto's secrets.
Including the secret of the Zanpakuto he kept hidden.
Kaien felt that Aoto would become incredibly strong someday, far stronger than him, a man who hadn't improved in over a century.
If Kūkaku could be with him, Kaien would feel at ease.
Unfortunately, it hadn't worked out.
After finishing the entire jug of wine, he stretched out in the rocking chair beside them.
"You sure make yourself at home fast!"
Aoto helplessly went inside and brought out another rocking chair.
Two young men, physically still in their prime despite being several centuries old, began enjoying the moon after a few drinks.
The moon in Soul Society really never changed, did it?
It wasn't until the clacking sound of the night watch's wooden clappers came from outside that Kaien realized how late it was.
By then, he was completely sober.
It was so late. He should head home!
But just as he stood up, he suddenly said, as if struck by a thought, "Aoto, if something ever happens to me, please look after my family for me..."
"Hey, Lieutenant Kaien, why the sudden gloom and doom?" Aoto's expression didn't change. "Are you getting old before your time? Or are you having problems in that department? You're not even married yet, and you're already saying depressing things!"
Whatever Kaien had been about to say was knocked right back by Aoto's words.
"You're the one having problems!"
A man couldn't afford to sound weak about that!
But Aoto laughed out loud.
After they finished laughing, Kaien left Aoto's home.
Once he was sure Kaien had left completely, the smile Aoto had been putting on finally faded.
My real self, you've sure given me a tough problem to solve!
Hueco Mundo, Las Noches.
The King of Hueco Mundo was still seated on the throne atop the high platform.
But the Adjuchas below had already dispersed!
Resting his skull against his hand, he gazed at the empty space before him, yet seemed to be watching a fine spectacle.
But it wasn't long before he put away his look of amusement.
The one he'd summoned was about to arrive.
In the empty space below, an arm suddenly reached out of nowhere. Then a Hollow stepped through, with batlike wings and a human-sized body.
His dark green eyes and full-face mask revealed his identity.
He was a Vasto Lorde.