"..." Ichiro wasn't an idiot. If he really tried to strangle her right now, that would be the end of him. Never mind that he couldn't do it; even if he could, he still wouldn't.
Still, the Zanpakuto World's reaction let Ichiro breathe a little easier. If she was sulking, that meant there was still room to work things out.
After considering his words, Ichiro said, "You and I are two sides of the same coin. You know a lot about me, so you should understand that what happened before wasn't my intention. I acted recklessly under the influence of Absolute Reason. I can promise you that I'll never use Absolute Reason again. I can even give up the Mimicry Zanpakuto."
"What about Alchemy?"
"No." Ichiro refused without hesitation.
"Heh."
"..." After a moment's silence, Ichiro sighed. "You should know how important Alchemy is to me. I can agree to anything else—even make time to practice the Zanjutsu I'm bad at. But Alchemy is nonnegotiable."
The world fell silent for a moment, then asked, sounding a little unwilling, "Why? Alchemy can break down and reconstruct Reishi. I can do that too, and I'm even better at it!"
"But you can only break things down and turn them into Reishi. Reishi is merely the basic substance that makes up Soul Society, not the World of the Living. I'm pursuing absolute truth, not relative truth confined to Soul Society!"
"Absolute truth is something you'll never be able to grasp!"
"I know. But it's my dream for now."
"Hmph! Then use your Alchemy to make a Zanpakuto that suits you! Why come to me? Just break me down. It's not like this would be your first time."
The world gave a soft snort and shifted slightly, turning her side toward Ichiro.
Ichiro froze for a moment, then his furrowed brow relaxed. "So you're still mad about that... But you've got one thing wrong. I've never broken down a Zanpakuto. I only broke down an Asauchi. There's a difference."
The world turned her head just a little, seeming somewhat interested in the topic, though she tried not to show it. But Ichiro had been watching her closely and didn't miss it. A smile flickered across his face before he continued.
"An Asauchi is just a special kind of weapon. A fully formed Zanpakuto is different. It consists of three parts: the blade, the spirit of the blade, and the Zanpakuto's independent consciousness. As my other half, don't you think that sounds a lot like the elements of a certain taboo transmutation?"
The world's brows knit slightly. What Ichiro said wasn't wrong; she was indeed his other half. But she didn't know everything he knew. She only knew a small part of it, so some memories weren't very clear to her.
Ichiro shook his head and explained, "The three elements of Human Transmutation are the body, the soul, and the mind. The blade is the body, the spirit of the blade is the soul, and the Zanpakuto's consciousness is the mind. Do you understand now?"
"!!" The world forgot all about sulking and stared at Ichiro in shock. She knew, at least to some extent, what Human Transmutation meant. She also knew it was one of the things Ichiro planned to study in the future.
"Doesn't that mean you got what you wanted? Should I congratulate you?" The world seemed to realize her reaction was off, so she immediately put on a cold expression and replied sarcastically.
But Ichiro had no time to worry about her changing moods. Instead, he said, with lingering fear, "Congratulate me? Heh... I should be relieved. Now isn't the time to attempt Human Transmutation. I don't know if seeing the Gate was just an effect of that Transmutation Circle, or if it happens whenever you attempt Human Transmutation. If it's the latter..."
"Wouldn't that be great? You'd get the Gate of Truth you wanted."
"..." Ichiro stared deeply at the world. Only after she began to feel uncomfortable under his gaze did he say, "Alchemy is based on equivalent exchange. If I simply transmuted one Zanpakuto into another, I'd only need to add some Reishi to make the exchange equivalent. So what would I have to pay to see Truth?
"No matter how much I saw, I'd lose the thing most precious to me. And to me, nothing is more precious than you."
The world looked up at Ichiro, surprised, and bit her lip. "That's not what you said just now. You said you couldn't give up Alchemy!"
"Let me clarify. What I meant was that your abilities aren't equivalent to Alchemy, not that you aren't. You're my other half, World. You're the one who understands me best, so you should know what I lack most..."
The world's lips curved into a small smile. Then she put on a cold expression and turned away from Ichiro. "I don't know. I'm just a Zanpakuto!"
"...A Zanpakuto, huh... That's why I can't give up Alchemy. Because I need Human Transmutation! No matter how strong a man is, he can't lift him—"
"That's enough! Get out!"
At the world's sharp cry, Ichiro vanished from the Mental World.
"Gah—"
The moment his consciousness returned, pain crashed over him from every direction. Even after years of training, Ichiro couldn't help sucking in sharp breaths. This was what it truly meant to be broken to pieces!
After a while, once he'd contributed a tiny bit to warming Soul Society with his gasps, Ichiro waved away the school physician who was giving him emergency treatment. At this rate, how long would it take to heal?
The physician hesitated, then stepped back. He trusted Ichiro's Kaido skills, but he was seriously injured. As the saying went, a physician couldn't treat himself... Well, geniuses were the exception.
Watching Ichiro go from battered to hale and hearty in a flash of lightning, the physician's mouth twitched. A moment ago, he'd been on the verge of death, and now he was almost fully healed. Wasn't that medical skill on par with the Fourth Division Captain's?
Why were you still hanging around at school?
Wouldn't becoming a lieutenant and reaching the peak of life be better?
The physician shook his head and began packing up to go elsewhere. This wasn't the only place that had been attacked; plenty of people still needed help. With Ichiro there, the Shihoin Clan's next head would surely be fine.
And that was exactly what happened. Once Ichiro took over the treatment of Urahara and Yoruichi, their spiritual pressure quickly recovered. Before long, they were nearly healed.
After all, Ichiro had received instruction from two of Soul Society's Kaido experts. The only things separating him from them now were their signature techniques, such as Hot Spring Demon's hot springs and the captain's Shikai.
In the Mental World, after Ichiro left, the world stayed in the same position, sitting on the ground with her knees hugged to her chest. But unlike before, countless points of light were once again drifting through the air like snowflakes. The world rested her delicate chin on her knees and smiled foolishly.
"Alchemy exists for the sake of the world... Hehe... Alchemy exists for the sake of the world, not to replace the world. Hehehe..."
Thanks to Monokuma Black and mioss for the monthly tickets!
Thanks to Monokuma Black for the tip!
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