Chapter 169: It's Instinct!
Satoru felt a sudden tension, as if sensing some danger.
However, the danger didn't seem to come from the Blade Spirit before him.
Well, that's fine then.
If the crisis isn't immediate, then there is no crisis.
Tomorrow's problems can wait until the day after.
Looking at the Blade Spirit who could now only defend, he began to lose interest.
With a mid-air flip kick, he sent the Blade Spirit crashing down from the sky into the ground.
Pulling with both hands, he recalled the two swords.
Chains automatically wrapped around his arms in coils.
Gripping the dual swords, Satoru used Flash Step to appear beside the Blade Spirit.
Looking at the Blade Spirit lying in the crater, struggling even to get up, he released his grip.
In a flash of light, the dual swords disappeared, returning to their Zanpakutō form which he sheathed at his waist.
Satoru reached out his hand toward the Blade Spirit.
The Blade Spirit looked at him in confusion.
Satoru tilted his head, looking back at her with equal confusion.
After staring at each other for several seconds, the Blade Spirit took a deep breath:
"Kill me."
Satoru stepped back in surprise, raising both hands defensively in front of himself.
"What are you saying? How could I, Satoru, commit such a cruel act?"
Blade Spirit: "?"
Others might not know, but she was well aware.
This Satoru guy had taken plenty of lives when fighting the rebels.
Why was he pretending to be righteous now?
She said irritably: "Don't you want to learn Bankai?"
"Kill me now, and you'll learn Bankai."
Satoru showed an expression of sudden understanding.
Without another word, he immediately drew his sword: "Hai, you should have said so earlier."
"..."
Watching Satoru draw his sword and approach her, the Blade Spirit fell silent.
Taking aim at her neck, Satoru swung his sword down.
"Wait..."
The Blade Spirit suddenly spoke.
But before she could even finish the word, Satoru's sword had already stopped.
Looking at the startled Zanpakutō spirit, Satoru grinned.
"Are you trying to tell me I shouldn't kill you now?"
The Zanpakutō spirit looked at him with some surprise.
Satoru withdrew his blade and slung it over his shoulder.
Then, with a casual wave of his other hand,
A mass of black energy rose from the ground, forming a human-shaped silhouette beside him.
"Although I've awakened the true Zanpakutō's power, the shadow blade hasn't disappeared."
"Even before this, I vaguely sensed that the shadow blade's power contained something dangerous."
"The reason it never manifested was probably because you were suppressing it."
"If I defeat you now and weaken the Zanpakutō's power, the shadow blade's energy will inevitably strike first and seize the Zanpakutō's strength."
"By then, having an enhanced shadow from beyond this world inside me would be a huge problem."
Hearing Satoru's analysis, the Zanpakutō spirit nodded with a complicated expression.
"Yes, your guess is correct."
"The shadow blade and I are now difficult to separate. If you want to learn Bankai, you must first master the shadow blade's Bankai."
"Now that you've prematurely obtained my power, as long as you successfully master the shadow blade's Bankai, you can continue to master mine at any time."
Hearing this, Satoru also breathed a sigh of relief.
Although the power of mutual annihilation was strong, the shadow blade's ability actually suited him better.
Putting everything else aside, just the Double Sōkotsu alone was exhilarating enough to make one soar.
If learning Shikai meant losing the ability of the shadow blade, he'd probably cry from the sheer loss…
As if sensing Satoru's thoughts, the Zanpakutō spirit suddenly cast a dangerous glare in his direction.
Satoru's heart skipped a beat.
His long-term interactions with Aizen had made him particularly sensitive to such vengeful looks.
If Aizen held a grudge, it might not be a big deal—partly because Aizen had a decent temper, and partly because he was too busy with other matters to pay much attention to him.
But a Zanpakutō was different. This thing resided in his soul space day in and day out, with nothing better to do than obsess over him.
Moreover, as his own Zanpakutō, the spirit had likely inherited at least a fraction of his personality.
Not to boast, but Satoru had quite a bit of confidence in his own ability to hold a grudge.
After his mind raced through a few quick calculations, he suddenly hit upon a perfect way to change the subject.
Clearing his throat, he turned to the Zanpakutō spirit:
"When two identical beings exist—one seeking to dominate the battlefield, the other to serve as a mount, enhancing combat power…"
"What determines the difference between them?"
Hearing this, the Zanpakutō spirit furrowed its brow slightly.
Nearby, Aizen, who had just arrived via Flash Step, also wore a contemplative expression upon hearing the question.
After a few seconds, the spirit ventured a guess: "Is it power?"
Satoru shook his head:
"It's instinct!"
Instinct?
The Zanpakutō spirit paused, seeming to grasp something.
Satoru's words were a reminder to it.
Although the shadow blade did not originate from Satoru's soul, through their long fusion, it had become inseparable from both the spirit and Satoru himself.
The spirit and the shadow blade were like a king and his steed—the one who could unleash more of their instinct would become the decisive force.
Watching Satoru, who now carried the aura of a master, the spirit felt a mix of emotions and gave a slight nod.
"I'll remember that."
With that, the Zanpakutō spirit vanished into the air.
Seeing that he had successfully glossed over the situation, Satoru breathed a small sigh of relief.
In truth, he had no idea what that statement meant—it just sounded profound, so he'd casually used it to bluff…
Nearby, Aizen cast a meaningful glance in his direction.
So that's it… this is your philosophy.
Despite having ample analytical and reasoning abilities, you entrust everything to instinct.
Is this the reason you've grown so strong, advancing step by step to where you are today?
Aizen felt a wave of emotion.
Satoru's path was remarkably pure.
No wonder, even with his own immense talent and relentless effort, he still couldn't surpass him.
Unfortunately, such a path wasn't suited for him.
He suddenly felt a strong desire to see how far Satoru's instinct could take him, compared to how far his own science and strategy could go.
The passion that had cooled amid a life of tranquility began to burn once more.
The anguish he had felt after witnessing certain things in the Great Spirit Book Repository also settled into calm.
Truly, he was a partner worthy of walking this path alongside him… always managing to inspire him at critical moments.
As for that grudge he'd just noted, he might as well mercifully erase it.
In his "List of 500 Grudges Against Satoru," Aizen silently crossed off one entry.
Then, something suddenly occurred to him.
A moment ago, hadn't Satoru said something utterly astonishing in the most casual tone?
After a few seconds of recollection, Aizen's eyes widened in realization.
He reached out and slapped his hand onto Satoru's shoulder.
Under the latter's somewhat frightened gaze, he spoke:
"Satoru, what did you mean earlier when you mentioned shadows from outside the world?"
If Satoru's ability was what he suspected, then the value of this pseudo-Shikai would likely need to be reassessed!
...
...
Early the next morning, Aizen entered the Fifth Division barracks with an excited mood.
He had spent the entire previous night studying Satoru's Reiatsu.
Though his body was exhausted, his mind remained exhilarated.
Just as he was about to find a place to slack off and rest for a while, he saw a figure walking directly toward him.
Under Aizen's somewhat puzzled gaze, Shinji strode up to him.
Then he spoke:
"Though this might be sudden... the situation is urgent, so I'll get straight to the point."
"Sōsuke, would you like to become my vice-captain?"
Aizen: "?"