The next morning, Ichiro got up, forced down a few bites of breakfast, and headed straight for the warehouse behind the barracks. All the materials he needed for the experiment were either on him or in his head, so there was no need to go back to his dorm. Besides, how careless would he have to be to keep this stuff in his room?
It was no exaggeration to say that if anyone found out about these things, he'd be dead!
Even if the captain thought highly of him!
Of course, getting caught and revealing it himself were two very different things.
The supplies prepared in the warehouse now, along with the two "specimens," were proof enough.
"Tch. The captain really does trust me. Well, no time to waste. Let's get started!" Ichiro said softly, looking at the supplies before him, his left hand resting on his Zanpakuto. "Just you wait, world. It won't be long now."
While Ichiro immersed himself in his research, Urahara and Yoruichi began their own training elsewhere.
The recent attack on the academy had made them realize just how inadequate their strength was. To be fair, they were already quite capable by the standards of the entire Seireitei.
They had surpassed at least eighty percent of the Soul Reapers. For their age, they were undisputed geniuses!
But precisely because they were geniuses, they refused to settle!
What did eighty percent matter?
They wanted to be among the top ten percent!
Even the top one percent!
So, after learning that Ichiro was doing fine, they both requested leave and threw themselves into intense training.
Urahara was working hard on his research into the Tenshintai, a portable Bankai training device. Yoruichi, meanwhile, had gone to her family for the first time, asking them to help her develop Shunko!
Now she understood that honor and pride were nothing but empty words. These days, the label of "genius" meant nothing. The ones who survived were the geniuses; the dead were just fools.
But a week into their training, a notebook arrived for Yoruichi and Urahara at the Shihoin estate.
"Did Ichiro send this?" Yoruichi sat down beside Urahara and leaned over to look at the envelope in his hand.
"Yeah. It came from Squad 4. We don't have much contact with them besides Ichiro, and his seal is on it, too." Urahara glanced at Yoruichi, then forcibly tamped down his restless heart.
He didn't know why, but although they'd shared even more intimate moments in the past, Urahara had never before caught her scent so clearly. It was strangely alluring.
"A seal? How come I can't see it?" Yoruichi reached out curiously to touch the envelope's flap. With a crackle, a tiny barrier sprang open, protecting it.
"Ah!" Yoruichi blew on her finger, gazing at the envelope in surprise. "Ichiro's making pretty fast progress with Kido! That seal was quick and subtle."
"Are you all right?"
"I'm fine. It wasn't very strong."
"Good. Ichiro's always had a knack for Kido. I wouldn't be surprised by anything he came up with. Besides, he's been focused on research this time. Let's see what he sent us."
Urahara casually dispelled the barrier, took a notebook from the envelope, and began to read. The light in his eyes made Yoruichi's heart skip a beat, but only for an instant before she looked away.
Once her heartbeat settled, Yoruichi stole a glance at Urahara. He was still reading the notebook and hadn't noticed her reaction. She felt relieved, yet strangely disappointed.
After composing herself, Yoruichi asked, "What's in there that's got you so excited?"
"Do you remember the two key elements of Zanpakuto release that Ichiro discussed with us before?" Urahara's excited gaze remained fixed on the notebook, though he spared some attention for Yoruichi.
"I remember. The connection between Reiryoku and the leap in the Zanpakuto's abilities. I remember him saying he wanted to artificially create both. Does this have something to do with that?" Yoruichi looked surprised, even stunned.
"Yeah. That guy's a monster! He's already figured out both! The Mimicry Zanpakuto aside, although it's technically difficult, it's not all that useful to us. It might be of some use to you, but we couldn't make one anytime soon.
"The other technique is what matters: Mimicry Shikai!"
"Mimicry Shikai? What's the point? You and I can already achieve Shikai, can't we?"
"No, that's not how it works. Remember what we said? The reason Reiryoku increases so dramatically after Shikai is that a circuit forms between a Soul Reaper and their Zanpakuto. Their Reiryoku merges, producing that leap in power. The degree of that increase corresponds to how completely they merge."
"Wait, that doesn't make sense." Yoruichi looked at Urahara in confusion. "By that theory, wouldn't there be no Zanpakuto with a permanent Shikai? No matter how similar the Zanpakuto and its Soul Reaper are, they're still two separate individuals. They can't merge completely."
"Right, we considered that, too. But there are too few examples of Zanpakuto with a permanent Shikai, so we don't have enough data. That theory applies to ordinary Zanpakuto. And that's not the main point."
"Then what is?"
"You know how a Soul Reaper's Reiryoku surges for a while after achieving Shikai, right?"
"Yeah. According to your theory, a circuit forms between the Soul Reaper and their Zanpakuto. Even without releasing the Zanpakuto, that circuit remains. Then, like water in two bottles, it flows from the higher level to the lower one until the levels even out. That's why a Soul Reaper's Reiryoku rises so quickly after achieving Shikai or Bankai."
"Exactly. We don't have enough data on Bankai, but it should work the same way. That's why Mimicry Shikai is so important to us!"
"Why? Are you saying it can let us rapidly increase our Reiryoku, just like a Zanpakuto?" Yoruichi had only meant it as a casual guess, but Urahara stared at her. "Wait. It really can?"
"Yeah! Exactly! That's why I said Ichiro's a monster! Mimicry Shikai works by imitating a Zanpakuto to create a separate source of Reiryoku, then forming a circuit in the same way. Since this source of Reiryoku has no will of its own, Mimicry Shikai can be achieved the moment it's created, and the 'pressure' starts flowing!"
"Th-this... is that really possible?"
"It is! And it's highly feasible! Ichiro's already worked out most of the formula for creating the source of Reiryoku. He just has other things to take care of right now, so he doesn't have time to test it. That's why he left it to us to experiment and refine. We're the only ones who can do it. It requires a lot of rare materials that ordinary people can't get their hands on. Some of them would be difficult even for the captain of Squad 4 to obtain."
"The Mimicry Zanpakuto and Mimicry Shikai... He really trusts us, handing these two things to a pair of nobles like us."
"Because he's Ichiro. He's a goofball, so nothing he does surprises me."
"So what are you going to do with this? If the higher-ups learn about these two techniques, everything will change."
Urahara fell silent. The old system of Zanpakuto was relatively fair, since it depended on talent and luck. As long as you had a Zanpakuto, everyone had a chance to rise through the ranks.
But the two techniques Ichiro had invented were different. Neither Mimicry Shikai nor the Mimicry Zanpakuto had a will of its own. That meant talent wouldn't matter as much. What mattered was resources.
And who held the most resources in the Soul Society?
The nobles!
Before you continue