Chapter 161
Urahara Kisuke had been under a lot of stress recently.
A certain manipulative boss had resorted to threats of violence to forcefully assign work to him.
Ever since taking on this new job, his leisurely slacking ti had drastically decreased.
In the past, he only needed to work for thirty minutes a day. Now, it was an hour and a half!
This was unbearable! Truly inhumane!
And if that weren’t bad enough, this boss had sohow managed to recruit a genius.
The man nad Mayuri Kurotsuchi was exceptionally sharp and quick to grasp new concepts.
Take the gaming console designed by Kaelith, for instance—Mayuri figured it out in no ti and began pushing the developnt forward at lightning speed.
That guy didn’t seem to understand the aning of exhaustion. Whatever Kaelith requested, Mayuri would work tirelessly, even at the cost of sleep, to deliver it as quickly as possible.
What’s the point of that?!
Watching this unfold, Urahara felt both alard and uneasy.
As a technical professional, the most important thing when starting a job was to establish boundaries around your capabilities.
Whether you had ten points of skill or twelve, the ideal approach was to only show six points when given a task. (t/N; Facts)
If you demonstrated your full abilities, your boss would expect that level of output every ti.
If you slowed down afterward, it would be perceived as laziness and neglect.
Occasionally going above and beyond could be frad as overti, earning extra praise and rewards.
This was how a proper corporate worker should behave!
But Mayuri Kurotsuchi? He was a complete outlier—soone with ten points of ability who put in twenty points of effort. The ultimate chaos-bringer in any workplace.
Under Mayuri’s relentless pace, Urahara was forced to speed up his own work, tears streaming down his face.
With the combined efforts of two geniuses, the gaming console Kaelith wanted was nearly complete.
By the way, Mayuri’s arrival had finally given Kaelith’s small research group so scale.
What had started as a two-man operation with him and Urahara had now grown into a three-person enterprise.
The Second Division, once small and unassuming, now boasted three brilliant minds. Naturally, their research couldn’t continue in Urahara’s dormitory.
Kaelith approached Yoruichi and applied for an abandoned dojo.
The very day the paperwork was approved, Kaelith hung a sign at the entrance:
**“Kaelith Technology Bureau.”**
Standing before the dojo, Mayuri was stunned.
The Soul Society didn’t yet have a formal research departnt.
However, thanks to Captain Hikifune’s contributions to the field, most people assud that if a research division were ever established, it would belong to the Twelfth Division.
At the very least, it should be under one of the more academic divisions, like the Third or Fifth.
Never in a million years would anyone have expected it to appear in the Second Division.
As a forr mber of the Twelfth Division, Mayuri couldn’t help but feel a bit conflicted.
But as soon as Kaelith started leveraging his connections to bring in state-of-the-art research equipnt, Mayuri’s attitude shifted.
A research departnt? It absolutely belonged in the Second Division! To hell with the Twelfth Division!
Kaelith enlisted Ōmaeda Marechiyo’s help to recruit skilled craftsn, completely renovating the dojo.
Both Urahara and Mayuri now had their own dedicated research areas, allowing them to pursue personal projects during their downti.
Kaelith was quite moved by his own thoughtfulness.
In truth, seeing the completed Technology Bureau brought joy to both Urahara and Mayuri.
Even though they knew it was just Kaelith’s ploy to push deadlines, the facilities were undeniably excellent.
Despite their high technical abilities, neither of them had much money.
Building a laboratory of this caliber on their own would have taken them four to five hundred years of savings.
Grateful, Urahara began taking his work more seriously.
Truth be told, although Kaelith often assigned bizarre tasks on a whim, working under him didn’t feel particularly stressful.
In fact, it was oddly more reassuring than his previous days of slacking off.
What a peculiar individual.
As for Mayuri...
He beca even more relentless.
---
“Kid, your strength is already enough to beco a captain.”
At the First Division dojo, Yamamoto held a bamboo sword and addressed Kaelith during a break.
“Coincidentally, Captain Jōmoku Sora of the Eleventh Division recently resigned due to health issues. How about taking over his position?”
Kaelith, holding two bamboo swords and practicing cross-slashes, shook his head without hesitation.
Before he could respond, Yamamoto cut him off.
“If you’re worried about your promise to that little Shihōin girl, you can set your mind at ease.
“She forbade you from leaving the Second Division as a subordinate.
“But if you beco a captain, it would actually benefit her and the Shihōin family.”
“With your relationship, your promotion to captain of the Eleventh Division would greatly enhance the Shihōin family’s influence. It’s a win-win.”
Kaelith blinked.
Win-win? For whom?
You and the Shihōin family?
What about Kaelith himself?
He shook his head firmly. “Not interested. The Eleventh Division... it’s just a group of muscleheads. Their style doesn’t suit soone as refined as .”
Yamamoto: “?”
Seeing Kaelith wasn’t joking, Yamamoto felt a bit conflicted.
Did this kid have any self-awareness?
As Yamamoto pondered, Kaelith asked curiously,
“Captain Jōmoku Sora’s health is failing? He seed fine during the last captain’s exam.”
Yamamoto shook his head. “Captain Jōmoku Sora was gravely injured during a Hollow invasion in Rukongai over a hundred years ago.
“Captain Unohana managed to save his life, but his health deteriorated significantly afterward.
“To hold on for so many years until the rebellion was quelled is already surprising.”
Kaelith nodded.
Under normal circumstances, Shinigami couldn’t voluntarily leave their divisions.
To maintain the Gotei 13’s sanctity, noble families had decreed that any Shinigami who retired would be sent to the Maggot’s Nest for life.
Of course, this rule didn’t apply to soone like Captain Jōmoku Sora.
As a veteran captain, he still commanded respect.
After trying several more tis, Yamamoto gave up on convincing Kaelith.
The Eleventh Division could manage without a captain for now.
As for this kid... his promotion was inevitable, but there was no rush.
In fact, Yamamoto thought with a smirk, when the ti ca for him to retire, perhaps the position of Head Captain could be forced onto Kaelith.
---
Night fell as Kaelith returned to the Second Division.
After a relaxing bath served by Soifon, he stepped into the courtyard and stretched leisurely.
The moonlight was beautiful. A bit of sake from Kyōgokuya would be perfect right now.
As if answering his thoughts, a small black cat erged from the shadows, carrying a bag in its mouth.
Seeing the cat, Kaelith smiled.
“Yoruichi? Why show up like this?”
He took the bag, set it aside, and picked Yoruichi up, nuzzling her soft fur against his cheek.
Soifon, watching from the side, was nearly brought to tears with envy.
The softness of the fur, the delightful sensation—it was truly tempting.
Since this cat form was created through a secret technique, there was no risk of allergies. Kaelith could enjoy snuggling as much as he wanted.
…Well, not entirely. Snuggling the wrong spots would still earn him a scratch.
After playing with the cat for a while, Kaelith looked satisfied.
He turned to the bag beside him and opened it.
Inside were several flasks of sake. Seeing them, his grin widened.
“You really get , Yoruichi!”
Not long after, Yoruichi returned to her human form and put on a yukata. She joined Kaelith on the rooftop.
The two lay side by side under the moonlight, passing the sake back and forth.
“Hey, Kaelith, what do you think of the Seireitei these days?” Yoruichi asked lazily, taking a sip of sake.
“It’s fine. I’m having a good ti, at least,” Kaelith replied, his tone equally relaxed.
“And what about the Shihōin family?”
Kaelith chuckled. “If you’re included, then the Shihōin family is an ally to .
“But without you? They’re just strangers. How am I supposed to feel about them?”
Hearing this, Yoruichi’s lips curled into a small smile.
She turned to face Kaelith, lying on her side.
Sensing she was about to say sothing, Kaelith turned to look at her.
His gaze, however, was imdiately drawn to a particular spot.
Yukatas were naturally designed with a deep V-neckline.
With Yoruichi’s figure filling it out, the neckline looked even more alluring.
Seeing this up close, Kaelith felt his heartbeat quicken.
To give the two of them so privacy, Soifon had already stepped outside to stand guard.
Now, under the quiet moonlight, only the two of them remained.
Noticing where Kaelith was looking, Yoruichi was montarily surprised but then smiled.
“Are you blushing?”
Kaelith couldn’t help but laugh.
Those were the exact words she had said to him when they first t, hiding together under a spiritual pressure cloak to evade Ōmaeda Marechiyo and Chōjirō Sasakibe.
He hadn’t expected to hear them again after so long.
“Blushing? No, I’m just appreciating art.
“Many great artists in the world love painting nude won. Compared to them, just admiring what’s inside a neckline makes practically a saint.”
Hearing his excuse, Yoruichi burst into laughter.
Once she’d laughed enough, she caught her breath and turned serious.
“Kaelith, after our trip to Hueco Mundo, I ca to understand sothing.
“Ever since I was a child, people have called a genius. The elders of the Shihōin family always said I never disgraced our na.
“According to the family records, even the first captain of the Second Division—my ancestor, Shihōin Chika—was only about as skilled as I am now at my age.
“I’ve always taken pride in that talent.
“Although I’ve never slacked off in training, I’ve never truly pushed myself to work harder, either.
“But after seeing you fight, I realized how lazy I’ve been.
“Kaelith, I want to grow stronger.
“Just watch—I will beco stronger and not just stand behind you!”
Seeing the determination in Yoruichi’s eyes, Kaelith dropped his playful deanor.
He nodded. “I believe in you.”
Hearing this, Yoruichi’s smile grew radiant.
“As expected from the one I’ve chosen. That’s a great answer—I’m happy to hear it!”
Kaelith blinked.
The one she’s chosen?
Before he could ask what she ant by that, Yoruichi continued.
“As a reward, I’ll teach you sothing new.
“This is sothing I’ve refined and improved upon from the notes left by the first captain of the Second Division, Shihōin Chika!
“Trust , this technique is no less impressive than the ones the Head Captain has taught you!”
Hearing this, Kaelith suddenly had a guess.
Could it be…
“This technique, I’ve nad it ‘Shunko’!
“Though it’s still under developnt, I’m confident that once perfected, it will beco the most flawless combination of Hakuda and Kidō in the history of the Soul Society!”
As expected.
Hearing the na “Shunko,” Kaelith’s eyes lit up.
He had always assud that Shunko was sothing Yoruichi had developed on her own after maturing.
Although he had been curious about it, he hadn’t been in a hurry to ask.
He hadn’t expected it to be another example of standing on the shoulders of giants.
The Shihōin family truly lived up to its legacy… With such deep traditions and a genius like Yoruichi, it was hard not to thrive.
Since this technique involved the Shihōin family’s secret legacy, it naturally couldn’t be shared with outsiders.
Once again, Kaelith’s Doraemon-like training device would remain unused.
---
For nearly a week, Aizen had been buried in the Great Spirit Library, poring over various texts.
Research like this seed boring at first glance, but once sothing piqued your curiosity, it beca like a ti machine.
Much like browsing through an online encyclopedia—what began as a quick lookup of a single term could spiral into hours of exploring related entries.
The more Aizen read, the more unsettled he beca.
Records about the Soul King were hidden in deeply obscure places by the Tsunayashiro family.
It had taken significant effort for Aizen to uncover even a few scattered clues.
But even these fragnts were enough to send chills down his spine.
If the truth about the Soul King was as described in these texts, then the history of the Soul Society—or rather, the entire three realms—was a tale of atrocities written in the Soul King’s blood.
He even felt as though the sky of the Soul Society had been stained red with blood.
Though there was much more he wanted to read, Aizen realized he couldn’t continue.
Before his emotions spiraled out of control, he decided to leave and clear his head.
Using the power of Kyōka Suigetsu, he bypassed the guards and returned to the surface, making his way to his laboratory in Rukongai.
On the way, he could already imagine what awaited him in the lab.
Most likely, a pile of notes left by Kaelith.
These notes would all begin with sothing ridiculous like “From your friendly neighborhood Kaelith” and list out various outrageous requests for him to handle.
Just thinking about Kaelith’s shaless grin made the shocking revelations from the Great Spirit Library seem less pressing.
However, upon arriving at the lab, Aizen was surprised.
There were no notes.
Kaelith hadn’t left any tasks for him this ti.
…Had sothing happened?
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