An invisible distance

"Me? I never believed a single word you said from the start." Sōgo stood behind Kisuke Urahara, looking perfectly at ease. "An amateur liar like you could only fool someone as airheaded as my sister. Your tricks don't work on my type at all."

"Hahaha... stop joking, Sōgo!" Kisuke Urahara froze at Sōgo Shihoin's words, then laughed loudly to ease his own tension. "If you knew I was lying to you, why did you appear behind me?"

"Good point. If I knew you were lying, why did I still appear behind you?" Sōgo Shihoin asked in a puzzled tone, then abruptly changed tack, a cold, villainous smile spreading across his face. "You'll have to guess the exact reason yourself, Urahara. You're a genius, after all!"

"A genius is only a little smarter than an ordinary person. A genius isn't a god. How could I possibly know what you're thinking?"

"But although I don't know exactly what you're thinking, Sōgo, my Zanpakuto's ability is very real. As long as you're within my range, I can restructure you..."

As Kisuke Urahara spoke, he suddenly froze in place, his eyes widening in disbelief.

"Restructure me? What a terrifying ability. Then hurry up and use it on me. I can hardly wait, little brother Urahara." As Sōgo Shihoin spoke, he draped an arm over Kisuke Urahara's shoulders. Pressing his cheek close to Urahara's, he asked with a cold smile, "Or have you actually activated your ability already, little brother Urahara, but unfortunately, it doesn't work on me?"

"Why?"

After hearing Sōgo Shihoin's words, Kisuke Urahara knew he had lost, but he did not understand how. He was not a sore loser, but he at least wanted to understand the reason for his defeat.

"You still don't understand, Urahara?"

"Do you remember what I asked you at the start? What are battles between Soul Reapers about?"

Sōgo Shihoin looked thoroughly disappointed at Kisuke Urahara's bewilderment.

"Spiritual pressure?!"

A flash of inspiration struck Kisuke Urahara after he heard Sōgo Shihoin's words, and he asked uncertainly.

"Exactly!" Sōgo Shihoin nodded lightly. "There's a decisive gap between us, one that can't be bridged with Zanpakuto, Kidō, or technique. It's called a gap in spiritual pressure. True, factors such as Zanpakuto matchups, proficiency in Kidō, and combat experience can determine the outcome of a battle between two Soul Reapers, but that only applies when their spiritual pressure is equal or the difference is small. Once there's a gap in their fundamental spiritual pressure, the other factors no longer matter. Remember this, Urahara! It'll be on the test."

"A gap in spiritual pressure?"

Kisuke Urahara murmured softly. He still did not quite understand how a gap in spiritual pressure had nullified his ability.

"From the look on your face, you still don't understand, do you?"

"Oh, well. Maybe this will help you understand a little."

With that, Sōgo Shihoin stepped directly in front of Kisuke Urahara and held out his palm.

"Come on, hold out your hand."

Sōgo Shihoin kept waving his palm in front of Kisuke Urahara's face.

"Huh?!"

Kisuke Urahara frowned deeply at Sōgo Shihoin, who kept waving his palm as though he were joking around.

"Hurry up, hurry up."

"Don't you want to know why you lost, then go back and work out a countermeasure?"

"Then hurry up and hold out your hand."

Sōgo Shihoin spoke to Kisuke Urahara while continuing to wave his palm.

He probably isn't just making fun of me... Then I'll give it a try...

Thinking this, Kisuke Urahara reached toward Sōgo Shihoin's palm, only to be stunned by what happened before his eyes.

No matter how hard Kisuke Urahara pushed, his palm simply could not get close to Sōgo Shihoin's. The two were very close, yet a sheer cliff seemed to separate them, like a Wall of Lamentation that mortals could never cross, no matter how they wailed.

"I can't touch you?"

Kisuke Urahara stared wide-eyed at the dozen or so centimeters between his palm and Sōgo Shihoin's.

"That's right, Urahara."

"Although I'm within your Zanpakuto's domain, my excessively powerful spiritual pressure surrounds my body, forming a wall. That's why your Zanpakuto's ability can't reach me at all. Ultimately, it isn't that your Zanpakuto's ability isn't powerful enough, but that your spiritual pressure isn't sufficient."

Sōgo Shihoin instructed Kisuke Urahara.

"My spiritual pressure isn't sufficient?"

"So I'm the one holding Benihime back."

Kisuke Urahara smiled bitterly. He now understood why he had lost, but the painful part was that even knowing the reason, he had no good solution. Increasing spiritual pressure was countless times harder than improving Shunpo, Hakuda, or Kidō.

"Very good! Lesson time is over."

"Next up is break time."

Sōgo Shihoin nodded lightly as he looked at Kisuke Urahara's bitter smile.

"That's it?"

"I only just started fighting a little while ago, didn't I?"

Kisuke Urahara froze at Sōgo Shihoin's words. He felt he could still keep fighting.

Boom!

Upon hearing Kisuke Urahara's words, Sōgo Shihoin punched him in the stomach.

"Pfft!"

The violent impact made Kisuke Urahara's stomach churn, even sending stomach acid back up his throat. His eyes lost their light as he lost consciousness, and even his Zanpakuto, which had entered Bankai, returned to her original form, becoming an utterly ordinary katana.

"How many hours do you think I sat here waiting for you to train your Bankai?"

Sōgo Shihoin spoke viciously as he looked at the unconscious Kisuke Urahara, then hoisted him onto his shoulder and headed toward the healing hot spring.

"Splash!" After casually tossing Kisuke Urahara into the hot spring, Sōgo Shihoin headed happily toward the dining hall. "Life's greatest pleasure is eating."

"Ah..."

"I lost. I lost completely and utterly."

Soaking in the hot spring, Kisuke Urahara looked as though he had nothing left to live for. The pride he had held as a genius had been trampled to pieces by someone else today.

"Come to think of it, this pool seems rather interesting?"

But Kisuke Urahara was very good at adjusting his mindset. As he soaked in the hot spring, he soon felt his body slowly healing, and before long, his attention was completely drawn to the hot spring's structure.

"Let me see... oh, so that's how it works. This part is like this... oh, I think I understand a little now."

Kisuke Urahara kept looking around the hot spring, studying its structure. Once he understood most of its construction, he would be able to replicate it with the Benihime in his hand.

I mailed out the contract today, so the status should change in the next few days. Before it changes, let me ask for another round of investments and recommendation votes. Thank you!

(End of chapter)