Chapter 376: The Vile Mikami!
This day was a joyous occasion for the Zero Division.
To be precise, it was a joyous day for the three male members of the Zero Division.
Because today, Satoru was leaving!
The Omotesando of the Soul King Palace.
Ōetsu stood at the base of the steps, grinning widely with happiness.
Beside him, Kirinji Tenjirō's face was filled with joy.
The Priest stood not far away, also unable to suppress his good mood.
Satoru's years in the Zero Division could be described as those of an ascetic cultivator.
Most of the time, this guy was training everywhere.
Whenever he felt he had made progress, he would drag the Priest out for sparring.
If it were anyone else, the Priest might have been quite happy.
Having been idle for hundreds of thousands of years, finally having someone of similar level to train with wouldn't be bad.
But this guy Satoru had already simulated fighting him in his mind countless times. Sparring with him was pure torture.
Even if he could forcibly win using the power of his authority, the victories weren't satisfying.
Hearing that Satoru was finally leaving, he breathed a heavy sigh of relief.
Finally... finally no more suffering through those sparring sessions!
Hikifune Kirio brought a large bundle containing food she had prepared for Satoru.
Thinking about her master leaving, she couldn't help feeling somewhat down.
Among those present, only Senjumaru Shutara showed little reaction.
She had neither suffered under Satoru's torment, nor was she as emotionally expressive as Hikifune Kirio.
In fact, looking at these people's reactions, she felt rather puzzled.
These people, could they really be considering Satoru part of the Zero Division?
Wake up!
Suddenly, a voice came:
"Hohohoho, have you all come to see me off on my journey!"
Satoru's voice arrived before he did.
Under everyone's gaze, he flashed into appearance among them.
The Priest looked at him strangely:
"Why are you later than agreed?"
Satoru blinked, then grinned:
"I took a bath on the way, got delayed a bit."
A bath on the way?
The Priest tilted his head, somewhat confused.
But never mind, it didn't matter.
He adopted a serious expression and advised:
"That ability—you don't need to rush too much with it."
"Some things can't be obtained through diligence alone. They might suddenly breakthrough in daily life, at some opportune moment."
"If you have any problems, you can always come up..."
Before he could finish, he suddenly stopped.
Behind him, Ōetsu and Kirinji Tenjirō stared at his back with resentful gazes.
Feeling the pressure from behind, the Priest let out an awkward chuckle.
"...You can write to me anytime, old man will share everything I know without reservation."
As he said this, he suddenly thought of something.
"Ah, right! The Soul King Palace has another dedicated network line that connects to the Seireitei. If anything comes up, we can communicate through the game!"
Satoru had no objections and readily agreed.
Reaching out to take the food package Kirio Hikifune handed him, Satoru opened the Shadow Space and stored it inside.
After finishing this, he looked at everyone, raised his hand, and clasped his fists in salute one by one:
"Friends, the green hills remain unchanged, the blue waters flow eternal! Until we meet again!"
Watching Satoru toss the package into the Shadow Space, Ōetsu suddenly felt like he had remembered something.
But when he tried to recall it carefully, the thought slipped away.
Joining the others, he waved along to see Satoru off.
Satoru turned to the Priest:
"How about giving me another send-off with your Thousand-Mile Heavenly Palm this time?"
Hearing this, the Priest laughed heartily.
"No need, no need... With your current strength, flying down directly would be much faster than taking one of my palm strikes."
Satoru snorted lightly, walked to the edge of Omotesandō, and leaped down.
Watching the figure gradually disappear beyond the horizon, everyone's expressions slowly shifted.
Kirinji Tenjirō scratched his head.
All these years, he had always hoped Satoru would leave soon and spare his hot spring, but now that the guy was actually gone, he felt strangely unsettled.
Damn it, he had clearly been emotionally manipulated by Satoru—how infuriating!
Ōetsu simply let out a sigh.
"Ah, when you think about it, although my blade-quenching pool has been constantly depleted, it's not like it can't recover. Why bother being so fixated on it…"
The thought that he had been wishing for a congenial friend to leave quickly over such material concerns filled him with a sense of self-reproach.
The Priest scratched his head.
After a moment's thought, he chuckled:
"Forget it, young Satoru isn't gone for good. When he comes back next time, we can all happily hold a banquet again, right?"
The others nodded in agreement and returned to their respective quarters.
Back in his own detached palace, Ōetsu pondered for a while before heading toward the Quenching Bluff.
He planned to go to the seaside to enjoy the breeze and reminisce about the friend who had just departed.
When he reached the cliff, Ōetsu froze in place.
Staring at the scene before him, he wore a puzzled expression, as if doubting his own senses.
Below the cliff, where roaring waves should have been crashing against the shore, there was now nothing but a barren, empty crater.
Scattered haphazardly within the pit were numerous swords—all the cursed blades he had previously sealed at the bottom of the sea.
Everything reminded him that this was no illusion, nor had he come to the wrong place. This was indeed the cooling sea he used for quenching blades.
Although the sea level had already dropped significantly over the years due to Satoru's constant consumption, how could it have dried up completely?!
Ōetsu suddenly recalled what Satoru had said earlier—
[I took a bath on the way, so I got delayed a bit.]
You bastard, was that bath of yours even legitimate?!
No wonder the rate of seawater depletion had slowed down over the past six months.
So this was what you were waiting for?!
Staring at the "basin" before him, Ōetsu felt his vision darken.
Then, he suddenly remembered something.
"Oh no!"
In a flash, Ōetsu appeared in the dried-up basin.
He approached a rock and looked at the mark left behind where a sword had once been embedded, his face twisting into an expression of utter exasperation.
"Satoru, you vile thief! I, Nimaiya Ōetsu, will remember this grudge, ahhh!!!"
...
...
Satoru continued his rapid descent, falling faster and faster.
After confirming that no one was following him, he grinned and pulled a sword out from the Shadow Space.
This sword was named 'Ikishippakko.'
About two thousand years ago, when Yamamoto was still a youth, Hueco Mundo had more than just Baraggan as its ruler.
An ancient Menos Grande, as old and powerful as Baraggan, suddenly invaded the Soul Society.
After defeating the still-young Yamamoto, the Menos Grande broke through the barrier seals and charged into the Soul King Palace.
To reward its audacity, the Priest wielded his brush, erased its original name, and bestowed upon it the new name "Ikishippakko."
Ōetsu, being a ruthless man himself, forged a special Zanpakutō and sealed Ikishippakko inside the blade.
From then on, this super Menos Grande, Ikishippakko, became the power source of the Zanpakutō.
Back when Ōetsu finished telling this story, Satoru became intrigued.
If he could bring this Menos Grande back to Hueco Mundo, wouldn't Baraggan be in for a surprise?
Just thinking about it was amusing.
Hehe!
Putting away Ikishippakko, Satoru stomped hard on the air behind him.
With the enhancement of his innate physique, he had no fear of the burden that acceleration placed on his body.
Faster, even faster!
Around him, the air violently rubbed and burned, forming a red conical shockwave.
Satoru, like a brilliant fireball meteor, traced a magnificent arc as he descended toward a mountain range in Rukongai.
But just as his speed reached a point capable of triggering a massive explosion, his body abruptly and eerily came to a halt moments before impact.
Flipping in mid-air, Satoru landed steadily and spread his arms.
"Perfect score!"
After giving himself a rating, he cheerfully headed in a certain direction.
However, after only a few steps, he suddenly sensed something and vanished from the spot.
Among the trees, a tall, fair-faced girl with a long braid was directing over a dozen squad members in gathering materials nearby.
The girl showed little expression, almost like an android.
Holding a folder of paper documents, she pressed it against her chest while carefully checking the requirements listed.
Her beautifully shaped bosom was slightly pressed together by the folder, drawing noticeable attention.
"The plant materials required by Lord Mayuri are almost all collected. Next is... Hm?"
The girl suddenly paused.
She lifted her head and looked in a certain direction.
There, standing beside a tree, was a man in a white Captain's Haori, waving at her with a smile.
Recognizing the man, the girl first showed surprise.
Then, a happy smile spread across her face.
She set down the folder and ran up to him.
"Lord Satoru! You're back!"
During her creation and countless subsequent adjustments, her soul had been personally calibrated by Satoru, so she could never mistake anyone else for him.
This deep, soul-level recognition belonged to Satoru alone and no one else.
Looking at the girl before him, Satoru reached out and ruffled her hair:
"Long time no see, Nemu... You've really grown into a fine young woman."
The last time they met, Nemu was somewhere between a junior high school girl and a high school girl in appearance, but now she looked fully like a high school student.
According to Mayuri Kurotsuchi, once she reached this stage, Nemu's age appearance would basically stop changing.
Satoru's opinion on this was: that old man is really disgusting.
If it were up to him, he would have kept Nemu at the junior high school girl stage, preventing any further growth.
This had nothing to do with any particular preferences—he simply appreciated the innocent cuteness of young girls.
Upon seeing Satoru, Nemu immediately halted the material collection.
After dismissing the squad members she had brought, she led Satoru to a grassy area, gently helped him lie down, and offered her lap as a pillow.
Even with his vast experience, Satoru was taken aback by Nemu's actions.
"Where did you learn all this..." Satoru didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
Nemu smiled:
"Lord Mayuri said these are all things you like, Lord Satoru. He specially compiled this information for me to memorize and use when I had the chance with you."
Mayuri Kurotsuchi, you old... outstanding and ever-vigorous scientist, how dare you teach such things to the pure Nemu? I'll make sure you pay for this someday!
With a condemning thought toward Mayuri Kurotsuchi, Satoru comfortably nuzzled against Nemu's thigh, finding a suitable position.
While enjoying the pleasant lap pillow, he chatted with Kurotsuchi Nemu about the situation in Seireitei over the years.
In truth, although he had been staying in the Soul King Palace all these years, he was still well-informed about major events in Seireitei.
Various significant occurrences in the Soul Society would be periodically compiled and sent to the Soul King Palace, allowing those above to stay updated on the Soul Society's affairs.
Satoru's conversation with Nemu served two purposes: to relish the sensation of the lap pillow and to fill in any gaps, ensuring his understanding was sufficiently detailed.
After listening to Nemu's account, he nodded.
"I see, I think I understand now."
"Ah, that Sōsuke... after all these years, he's still just a vice-captain."
"Even Gin managed to become a captain before him. He's definitely going to be mercilessly mocked, isn't he?"
Imagining Ichimaru Gin smiling with his eyes closed while taunting Aizen with, "Vice-Captain Aizen," Satoru couldn't help but reveal a grin, relishing the potential drama.
After lying there for a while, he sat up and then, without using his hands for support, slowly rose from his seated position on the ground, relying solely on his powerful leg and core strength.
"Lord Satoru, are you returning to Seireitei?"
Kurotsuchi Nemu inquired.
Satoru shook his head:
"Though I'd like to go back, I... have to make a trip to the Living World first."
"I rushed down here in such a hurry because I have a mission to complete."
"If I were to drop the ball at such a critical moment, I wouldn't be able to sleep at all."
Reaching out, he ruffled Nemu's head once more and grinned:
"Send my regards to everyone for me. Say... hmm, never mind. I'll go see them myself when I return."
With that, his figure flickered and vanished into the air.
Hearing Satoru's words, Kurotsuchi Nemu shook her head with a smile.
With Lord Satoru's immense Reiatsu descending from the Soul King Palace, everyone must have sensed it already. There was no need for her to relay any messages...
...
...Huh?
At this thought, she suddenly wore a puzzled expression.
Staring at the spot where Satoru had disappeared, she realized something was amiss.
From beginning to end, she hadn't sensed Lord Satoru's Reiatsu at all...?
How was that possible?
He wasn't wearing any Reiatsu-concealing clothing, and he was so close to her—zero distance contact. How could she have been completely unaware?
Nemu raised a hand and placed it over her chest.
What kind of existence has Lord Satoru become now...?
...
…
Passing through the tunnel of Dangai, Satoru arrived in his loyal Living World.
Upon reaching the Living World, his first thought was: after all these years he'd been away, what had that Bambi become like?
Though he was somewhat curious, compared to Bambi, the other matter was clearly the priority now.
Sensing the Reiatsu in the air, he curled his lips into a smile and Flash Stepped to his destination.
Gazing at the building bearing the sign "Kurosaki Clinic," Satoru couldn't help but feel a wave of emotion.
It had been about two hundred years since he crossed over to this world.
After going through so much, so very much... I've finally arrived at the place where this dream began.