Tenshintai

"Koga Kuchiki Sealing Incident..." Liu Chuan's gaze lingered on this record.

The information stated that Koga Kuchiki, son-in-law of Ginrei Kuchiki—grandfather of the current Sixth Division captain, Byakuya Kuchiki—had murdered three comrades and was ultimately sealed in Karakura Town in the Living World by Captain-Commander Yamamoto and Ginrei Kuchiki working together.

The record ended there. Concise, cold, and in line with the standard format of official archives, yet Liu Chuan's brow furrowed slightly.

"Three murdered comrades warranted Captain-Commander Yamamoto personally stepping in to seal him alongside the head of the Kuchiki Household, foremost among the Four Great Noble Houses?"

"This account is far too evasive. It even feels like a deliberate cover-up."

Given what he knew of someone like Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, an ordinary internal murder case, even one involving nobility, could never have so easily brought the Captain-Commander out to personally carry out a sealing.

Unless what this "Koga Kuchiki" had done—or the power or threat he represented—was already grave enough to shake the foundations of the Seireitei.

Or unless it had touched upon some taboo that could never be made public. The charge of "murdering three comrades" was likely only the most insignificant tip of the iceberg above the water.

"For Captain-Commander Yamamoto and Ginrei Kuchiki to join forces... this must involve far more than a simple murder."

Liu Chuan silently noted this doubt. The Kuchiki Household, foremost among the Four Great Noble Houses, and a truth concealed alongside the Captain-Commander... these waters ran far deeper than they appeared.

He continued browsing. The section on the Quincy carried a grander, yet crueler, sense of "inevitability."

Since the Quincy first emerged, Soul Society had spent many years trying to persuade them to hand over the handling of Hollows to the Soul Reapers.

The Quincy refused to accept this arrangement. As time passed and their numbers grew, the cycle of souls became increasingly unstable.

This forced the Soul Reapers to eliminate the Quincy in order to maintain the world's balance, while the small number of surviving Quincy were placed under strict surveillance.

"Maintaining the world's balance." Liu Chuan mulled over those words.

It was undoubtedly an explanation filled with necessity and legitimacy, one framed from the perspectives of Soul Society and the Soul Reapers.

The Quincy's method of completely annihilating Hollows disrupted the cycle of souls and threatened the stability of the Three Worlds, so they had to be eradicated.

The logic appeared flawless, yet between the lines lay the cold ruthlessness of genocide and the victors' one-sided authorship of history.

Then, a record of an event closer to the present and far more consequential seized all of his attention.

It was even directly connected to the Kido Corps he belonged to.

"Urahara Hollowfication Experiment Incident."

Key figure: Kisuke Urahara, former captain of Squad 12 and director of the Research and Development Institute, who led dangerous "Hollowfication" experiments.

Direct participants/victims: Shinji Hirako, captain of the Fifth Division; Hiyori Sarugaki, lieutenant of Squad 12; Lisa Yadomaru, lieutenant of the 8th Division; Hachigen Ushōda, vice chief of the Kido Corps; Kensei Muguruma, captain of the Ninth Division; Mashiro Kuna, lieutenant of the Ninth Division; Love Aikawa, captain of the Seventh Division; Rojuro Otoribashi, captain of the Third Division...

The list was shocking to behold. It encompassed more than a third of the Gotei 13's upper-level combat strength at the time, including several captains!

Chief Kido Corps Commander Tessai Tsukabishi and Vice Chief Hachigen Ushōda were both implicated in the matter, and the latter two vanished afterward.

Incident classification: The experiment spiraled out of control, causing multiple captains and lieutenants to undergo Hollowfication. It was regarded as a grave betrayal of and threat to Soul Society.

Subsequent development: Kisuke Urahara was sentenced to severe punishment.

At the critical moment, Yoruichi Shihoin, head of the Shihoin House and then captain of the Second Division as well as commander-in-chief of the Stealth Force, openly broke into the Central 46 Chambers and forcibly rescued Kisuke Urahara. The two fled together and disappeared without a trace.

The other victims of Hollowfication also all vanished.

As Liu Chuan read through the information, faint ripples stirred in his heart.

He had heard of this matter when he joined the Kido Corps, but the details were even more horrifying, and its scope even broader, than he had imagined.

Kisuke Urahara... someone who could draw so many captain-class figures into his dangerous experiments.

And someone who could ultimately make the head of one of the Four Great Noble Houses, the dignified captain of the Second Division, risk betraying Soul Society to save him... he was far more than an ordinary genius or madman.

"Both the Chief Kido Corps Commander and Vice Chief were drawn in, leaving the Kido Corps leaderless; nearly half of the captain- and lieutenant-class upper ranks were involved; and it ended with the head of one of the Four Great Noble Houses breaking someone out of prison and defecting..."

Liu Chuan rapidly reviewed the matter in his mind.

"The Central 46 Chambers' final handling of the incident appears swift and decisive, but so many key figures disappeared."

"And the true motives behind the incident, the experiment's specific contents, and the details of how it went out of control are all vague in the records."

"This can by no means be summed up as a simple 'experimental accident' or 'personal ambition.' The powers and secrets behind it are likely beyond imagination."

Unfortunately, nearly all those involved had either vanished or lost contact, leaving him no way to investigate further.

Liu Chuan temporarily sealed away this enormous mystery. But the name Kisuke Urahara, along with the dangerous, forward-thinking intellect it represented, had been deeply imprinted on his mind.

He continued browsing other technical records related to Kisuke Urahara.

The former director of the Research and Development Institute had left behind a rich legacy. His countless wild ideas and inventions were dazzling.

Suddenly, a brief description of one invention flashed like lightning through the darkness, instantly illuminating Liu Chuan's thoughts.

"Tenshintai. Inventor: Kisuke Urahara. Original intended purpose: Through a special structure and Spirit Particle stimulation, temporarily manifest the 'true form' of a Soul Reaper's Zanpakuto in reality, forcing it into high-density, physical communication and combat with its wielder.

Theoretical utility: Greatly shortens the time a Soul Reaper needs to comprehend and master Shikai, even reaching the threshold of Bankai.

Note: This technique places extremely high demands on the user's Spiritual Power, mental strength, and compatibility with their Zanpakuto, and carries a risk of backlash. The specific manufacturing method has been designated a restricted project."

Manifest the true form of a Zanpakuto?

Liu Chuan's gaze locked firmly onto those lines, and his thoughts churned like a lake struck by a stone, ripples erupting across its surface!

The mystery of Hyōrinmaru's "twins" stemmed from an incomprehensible duplication in the Zanpakuto itself.

The current investigation, whether questioning those involved or consulting history, had only been circling around people.

But what if they could communicate directly with the core of the problem—the Zanpakuto Hyōrinmaru itself?

What if they could recreate or improve Kisuke Urahara's Tenshintai technology, not to aid training, but to "summon" Hyōrinmaru's true form?

Let that blade—or those two blades?—hailed as the strongest ice-type Zanpakuto speak for itself and explain why it had chosen two masters at once?

Or at least discover the truth from the form it manifested?

Once this thought arose, it spread through Liu Chuan's heart like wildfire.

Compared to blind speculation, speaking directly with "Hyōrinmaru" was undoubtedly a more direct path, one closer to the truth!

Though it would be technically difficult and risky!

"Captain Isshin." Liu Chuan suddenly spoke, his voice exceptionally clear in the silent corridor.

"Hm? What is it? Find something?" Isshin Shiba, who had been boredly counting the glowing panels along the walls, immediately leaned over.

Pointing at the record concerning the "Tenshintai," Liu Chuan quickly and clearly explained his idea.

"...If we can find a way to reproduce or understand this technology and apply it to the Hyōrinmaru of Hitsugaya and Kusaka, perhaps we can bypass every intermediate step and seek answers directly from Hyōrinmaru itself."

As Isshin Shiba listened, his eyes widened further and further. The boredom vanished from his face, replaced first by intense astonishment, then by strong interest and approval.

He slapped his thigh. "Liu Chuan! How is your brain even built? You actually came up with this! Make the Zanpakuto come out and explain it itself!"

He rubbed his hands excitedly. "But this was made by Kisuke Urahara. The technology definitely isn't simple, and it's restricted. Where are we supposed to get it? The Research and Development Institute? That madman Mayuri Kurotsuchi isn't easy to deal with."

Liu Chuan's gaze grew calm as he rapidly weighed his options.

"The Research and Development Institute is unavoidable. But before that, we need more materials on Kisuke Urahara's other research."

"That makes sense!" Isshin Shiba nodded forcefully.

After leaving the Great Spirit Library, it was time to meet Mayuri Kurotsuchi, the captain of Squad 12 known as the "mad scientist."

If they wanted to get their hands on the Tenshintai, there was no way around the Research and Development Institute.

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