Shimiya Takeru then changed the subject.
"That's why I need to seize the time and quickly reach that profound realm where I'm cultivating in every movement—walking, standing, sitting, lying down—integrating it into my daily life."
"..."
"..."
"..."
The large bathhouse near the First Division barracks certainly lived up to Aizen's praise; it was extremely popular. Even in the scorching heat of summer, it was still bustling with people.
Shimiya Takeru could even see the female Shinigami who had left earlier.
Suì-Fēng was among them.
This was not surprising.
Despite her cold exterior, unsentimental nature, and ruthless actions, she got along quite well with other female Shinigami—mainly the Vice-Captains—and was a member of the Female Shinigami Association.
This time, it was likely one of their group activities.
As for why the large bathhouse was so favored by everyone…
"It's surprisingly cool inside."
Shimiya Takeru stepped onto the smooth rock-bed bath stones, sighing as he gazed around.
Yes, gazing.
He didn't know what it was like on the ladies' side, but the men's section of the large bathhouse was quite vast and spectacular.
It was entirely terraced.
From the entrance, multiple pools were divided upwards, with hundreds of steps alongside them. If one walked to the very top, it felt no different from climbing a hill.
Similarly, the "hilltop" pool at the highest point was almost like a high-altitude swimming pool, offering an extremely open view that encompassed the central First District outside the large bathhouse.
The majestic Sōkyoku Hill and the adjacent, towering First Division buildings were, of course, visible.
Looking at it this way, the women's bathhouse should be located on the opposite side.
Besides the expansive scenic view,
the environmental temperature here was also quite pleasant.
Cherry blossom trees, already in bloom, filled the surroundings. The summer heat seemed to have been absorbed by them and the underground spring water. As the sun began to set and the temperature dropped, the breezy high ground of the bathhouse would only become cooler. Standing by the pool's edge, a breeze could even make one's skin feel a bit cold.
"Now I understand why this place is so popular."
Ichigo also changed his clothes and walked over.
"So, which pool should we choose?"
"—I suggest the highest one."
Aizen's calm voice rang out.
"Teacher, you're like a completely different person without your glasses."
Shimiya Takeru looked in the direction of the voice. The man walking towards him wasn't dressed in any peculiar way; everyone in the large bathhouse looked the same.
However, because he lacked his usual black-rimmed glasses and seemed to have slicked his hair back to prevent his bangs from getting wet and obstructing his vision, his entire face, even when smiling, gave off a different feeling than usual.
It was akin to aggressiveness, yet not enough to inspire fear. If one had to find an adjective, there was no other choice besides "charisma."
"Is that so? In my opinion, Si Gong student has also changed quite a bit. This tempered body is vastly different from when he first enrolled."
Aizen's assessment was spot-on.
Due to the +1000% physical training growth bonus from 「Fairy Tale Dragon Blood」, and Shimiya Takeru's particular focus on leveraging his strengths and working hard in this area, his young eighteen-year-old body had undergone further development.
A few months were equivalent to dozens of months. Even ordinary people could develop a muscular physique or lose a lot of fat, completely transforming themselves, let alone Shimiya Takeru.
He had grown a few centimeters taller, from 1.78 meters to 1.83 meters.
His weight had also increased significantly, now exactly eighty kilograms.
Thanks to the physical specialization elements of the Fairy Tale Dragon and Aizen's guidance, his training was not only extremely thorough and comprehensive, visibly strengthening him, but his muscle structure and overall physique also possessed an impeccable aesthetic, like a finely crafted weapon.
So, when he usually wore the looser academy uniform, it wasn't easy to tell. One would only think he had a well-proportioned figure, not particularly robust, but definitely not slender.
It could be described as textbook-level "healthy."
But after taking off his clothes, one would discover that it was more than just healthy, more than just strong; it was incredibly tough and powerful, making one completely disinclined to wrestle with him, while also leaving a deep impression like, "Can swords really cut through him?" or "Will even his skin not be pierced?"
In comparison, Ichigo looked much more normal.
So, he completely avoided discussing this topic, even holding back his thoughts on Aizen's change in appearance.
It wasn't until the three of them arrived at the highest pool together, immersing most of their bodies in the hot spring water, that he almost uncontrollably let out a long breath.
"Ah…"
"Heh."
"What? Is it funny?"
"No, I just genuinely want to laugh… I can't help it at all."
Shimiya Takeru spread his arms out along the edge of the pool, comfortably narrowing his eyes. His facial muscles completely relaxed, revealing a refreshed smile that rippled like the surface of the hot spring water.
Ichigo instinctively touched the corner of his mouth upon hearing this and indeed felt the shape of a smile. Looking at Aizen again, he seemed to be smiling constantly, but his smile clearly held a more relaxed and joyful feeling.
The reason was simple.
The moment they lay in the water, their bodies instinctively felt a sense of security, as if returning to their mother's womb. This sense of security, combined with the physiological comfort, made their minds and bodies so pleasant that they couldn't stop smiling, and even involuntarily laughed out loud.
"Heh… Hahahaha… You were right, Shimiya, I really can't help it…"
Ichigo's shoulders shook non-stop, as if he was laughing at his own instincts.
The pools were large and numerous.
Others seemed uninterested in occupying the high ground, choosing instead the pools near the entrance, or further back. The hilltop pool was their last choice.
Now, there were only the three of them here.
Laughing loudly wouldn't cause too much of a disturbance.
The three of them didn't each occupy a side of the pool, forming a triangle, but rather faced the entrance, sitting in a semi-circle at a distance while maintaining the best view.
Aizen was in the middle, with Shimiya Takeru and Ichigo on his left and right.
The three of them fully enjoyed the rare moment of tranquility offered by this leisure time.
The sunset glow dyed the sky red, and candles were lit in the bathhouse. If there were bustling voices and fireworks, it would truly be the atmosphere of a summer festival.
"Thank you, Teacher."
"What makes you say that, Si Gong student?"
"Although the Captain Commander said he made the decision, I think he only thought of doing so because you reminded him, Teacher? And coming to the large bathhouse goes without saying… This is all to help me eliminate the fatigue from my training, isn't it?"
Shimiya Takeru closed his eyes, murmuring softly as if talking in his sleep.
"Caring for a student's physical condition is also a teacher's duty. Besides, it was just a trivial suggestion that required no effort, so there's no need to dwell on it."
Aizen responded nonchalantly.
"It seems we're only here thanks to you, Shimiya, but I don't want to thank you at all. After all, I still haven't settled the score with you for secretly training Bankai behind my back."
"Ah, ah… whatever you say."
Seeing Shimiya Takeru's utterly comfortable expression, completely unconcerned, Ichigo could only turn to Aizen and say, "Now that I know about this, I can't enjoy my vacation in peace anymore… Teacher, if you don't mind, please let me join the Bankai training too."
"That's naturally not a problem."
Aizen showed no surprise on his face, as if he had long anticipated this outcome.
Or perhaps, this outcome was something he had orchestrated himself.
To have two geniuses, not under the supervision of others, but influenced by each other, continuously ascend like a spiral tower until they reach the very top…
"Speaking of which."
Aizen gazed at the sky filled with the evening glow, asking a soul-stirring question in a deep, resonant voice.
"Si Gong student, Kurosaki-kun."
"Seeing you two strive so hard makes me wonder, what do you plan to do in the future? Or rather… do you have a dream?"
Chapter 47: Fairness, Fairness, and More Fairness!
Splash!
A splash of water hit Hinamori Momo's face, startling her awake. She puffed out her cheeks and glared at Matsumoto Rangiku.
"Miss Rangiku, what are you doing?!"
"I should be asking you that! What are you spacing out about? I called you so many times and got no response. I thought you'd fainted from soaking too long."
"…No, I was just thinking…"
Hinamori Momo looked up in the direction of the men's bathhouse.
"What are Captain Aizen, Shimiya-kun, and Kurosaki talking about? They wouldn't be discussing strange topics like Miss Rangiku, would they?"
"What do you mean by 'strange'?! Explain yourself, or else… take this!"
"Ah!"
Rangiku continuously splashed hot spring water at Hinamori Momo, forcing her to raise her hands to cover her face.
"Hey, you two… that's enough."
Suì-Fēng reluctantly intervened, because Rangiku was splashing so hard that the water even hit her face, and she was constantly moving around, making her incredibly dizzy.
"Yes~~~ You got away with it this time, Hinamori. I was actually planning to check on your development."
"Eek!"
Although she calmed down, Rangiku's malicious gaze swept over, scaring Hinamori Momo into immediately swimming behind Suì-Fēng.
"Why did you come over to my side…?"
Suì-Fēng felt a subtle malice.
"But speaking of which… men's topics?"
Rangiku looked up at the sky, thought for a while, and then waved her hand dismissively.
"Besides dreams, what they want to do in the future, what else could it be? Just like children."
"Sometimes I completely don't understand what they're thinking."
…
"A dream? Asking that suddenly, I really don't have an answer."
In the men's bathhouse, Ichigo pondered, arms crossed and head tilted.
"It doesn't have to be too grand; focusing on the present is fine… There must be one or two things you feel you must stick with until the end of your life."
Aizen, embodying the spirit of a teacher, patiently guided Ichigo.
"Until the end of my life… that's already pretty grand, isn't it?! But speaking of that, there is indeed one thing I feel I absolutely must do."
Ichigo muttered after a brief complaint.
"I want to protect many people."
"What's that? A world-saving hero? Didn't you say you weren't interested in that when you enrolled?"
Shimiya Takeru interjected lazily, eyes closed.
"Shut up! When I first arrived in Soul Society, I was completely lost and living cautiously. How idiotic would it be to shout about saving this and saving that?!"
Ichigo retorted, as if angered by embarrassment.
"Besides, I'm not that great of a person… After all, I'm well aware that even at this very moment, many people are surely getting hurt or even dying in places I can't see… Realizing this fact, how can I have the nerve to say such hypocritical words as saving the world or protecting humanity?"
"So, I never intended to protect everyone."
"But, I also can't bring myself to only focus on the people I can embrace with two hands right in front of me. I'm not so cold-blooded or petty as to abandon someone who's about to die right before my eyes. Of course, heinous scoundrels, who would harm more people if saved, are not included."
"Combining practical circumstances, to protect as many people as possible—if I had to put it into words, that would be the dream I want to pursue to the very end."
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