The Evil Pieces were originally created to record the unique traits of the devils they were used on. But after the system's little trick, the set of Evil Pieces Keiji received lost all traces of demonic power and, in exchange, adopted the spiritual essence of a Shinigami.
In other words, the Evil Pieces had been completely reconfigured. The demonic power that once fueled those pieces had now become reiryoku — compatible with the Soul Society and Keiji's spiritual power system.
Which meant that by receiving the Queen Piece, Sora had gained the traits of a "Reincarnated Shinigami".
That transformation allowed Sora to break free from her unique role as a Zanpakutō Spirit and become a Shinigami herself.
Even though she was still connected to Keiji as the spirit of his Zanpakutō, Sora could now be considered an independent living being.
When her reiatsu finally stabilized, it reached the peak of Spiritual Class 4.
And since she was still inside the Inner World, Sora retained her direct connection between her and Keiji, and part of her newfound power also flowed into him, strengthening him as well.
Because Sora was a part of Keiji's own soul.
Her growth would inevitably be his growth too.
Keiji watched the transformation unfold with a curious look.
"Sora's gotten a little taller too."
Sora blinked in surprise and looked down at her reflection in the glasslike floor glowing faintly beneath her feet. She had grown about four centimeters.
It didn't seem like much, but it was the first time anything had ever changed in this Zanpakutō spirit who always wished to mature.
"So the stronger Sora gets, the taller she becomes~"
An excellent way to hit two goals at once.
Sora, feeling not only her bond with the Inner World and Keiji deepening but also a faint sense that she could now manifest outside of it, did her best to keep her expression calm.
Because no matter what happened, the "Heaven" never wavered.
She took a deep breath, her white hair swaying slightly in the nonexistent breeze, and her blue eyes locked onto Keiji's.
"Try that piece too, Kei-chan."
She said, referring to the sixteenth piece from the set Keiji had received.
The one never mentioned in Rias Gremory's explanation.
The King Piece.
When Rias had explained the Peerage system, she'd said that each "King" possessed a total of fifteen pieces. She herself had never mentioned owning or using a King Piece.
If that was the case, Keiji wondered why the system had given him an extra piece.
Were there things even the Maou's little sister didn't know?
"The world always has these~"
People hiding secrets from each other.
Manifesting the King Piece in his hand, Keiji watched its soft white-blue glow as he sat down on the translucent floor of the shrine and absorbed it. Instantly, his reiatsu surged, and his reiryoku skyrocketed.
His reiryoku immediately crossed into the Immense Spiritual Power category, with his reiatsu swelling to match the shift.
And Sora continued watching him in silence, a proud smile on her face.
This was the power of the King.
[——]
In the Underground Training Room, the air trembled with an invisible pressure spreading through the space. The distant sound of clashing swords stopped, and the silence was broken only by the echo of stone cracking apart.
Yoruichi, Ichigo, and Renji immediately halted their training, their muscles tensing as their bodies reacted instinctively to the reiatsu that grew heavier with every passing second.
Keiji's reiatsu.
Even though he wasn't releasing it intentionally, the sheer intensity of it made them feel like they were suffocating.
Renji felt his stomach twist, his knees shaking as his body threatened to collapse. Ichigo clenched the hilt of Zangetsu, trying to fight off the crushing pressure that reminded him of the first time he faced Kenpachi… except this was even worse.
When Keiji's reiatsu finally began to stabilize, Yoruichi wiped a hand across her face and felt the cold sweat running down her temple.
She took a deep breath, trying to calm her body that had instinctively gone into full alert.
Spiritual Class 1.
As a princess and former head of the Shihōin Clan, Yoruichi had only ever heard of one person in the entire Seireitei possessing reiatsu of that level.
The Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13 himself.
Just realizing that Keiji was now standing on the same level as Old Man Yama made her stomach churn.
'That boy… has he really reached that level?!'
She didn't want to believe it, but she couldn't deny what she had just felt.
This wasn't about being a rare prodigy or a genius anymore… Keiji had become a true monster.
Compared to him, even the legendary "Flash Goddess" now seemed like just another "common person".
Renji was the first to break the silence, forcing himself to stay on his feet while sweat ran down his forehead.
"That reiatsu… is that guy really that strong?!"
"That guy… what the hell is he, anyway?"
Keiji wasn't even a Captain, and yet his reiatsu surpassed that of every Captain Ichigo had ever faced.
The kind of reiatsu that could crush someone's will just by being nearby.
Ichigo looked down at his own hands, feeling the weight of the gap between them.
'If I achieve my Bankai… would I be able to beat him?'
That naïve question pounded inside Ichigo's mind.
Yoruichi took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a moment.
"He… he's our greatest ally."
At least for now...
[——]
The infirmary was quiet, filled only with the soft clinking of instruments as Isane finished her final examinations on Aizen's body.
The door slid open with a faint hiss, and Unohana entered with calm, measured steps.
"Have you found anything, Isane-san?"
Isane paused what she was doing and turned around, wiping her hands with a cloth before answering.
"I ran every test again, Captain. There are no anomalies. Everything indicates that Captain Aizen died from a direct puncture to the heart."
She didn't understand why her Captain had asked her to repeat all the tests, but she had done so with utmost care.
And the results only confirmed it Captain Aizen really had been killed by Ayano Keiji.
The subordinate who seemed to enjoy provoking her whenever he could.
The subordinate she scolded and chased around almost every day.
The subordinate she had helped train.
The subordinate who—
"..."
Isane bit her lip and looked away. A mix of wounded pride, doubt, and a faint trace of regret crossed her face.
Unohana noticed her lieutenant's reaction but continued to observe Aizen's body for a few more seconds.
"I see. You did well, Isane-san."
Her gentle smile never wavered as she turned slightly, the sleeves of her haori swaying gracefully.
Unohana wasn't some naive, young woman who would blindly believe Keiji just because they had spent a night together.
But her own experience told her that there was something off about Aizen's corpse, and after crossing blades with Keiji, she was certain he hadn't lied about Aizen.
Keiji wasn't the kind of man who wasted time with lies or games.
Her eyes drifted toward the window, where the Soul Society's sky was beginning to darken.
"Tomorrow is the day of Rukia-san's execution, isn't it?"
Isane nodded, not understanding why she asked.
"Yes, Captain."
Unohana kept her gaze fixed outside, the fading light casting delicate shadows across her face.
The thought that something major was about to happen made her blood stir.
She had to take a deep breath to suppress the bloodlust that threatened to surface, as she didn't want to scare her lovely lieutenant.
[——]
The morning sun had barely risen over the horizon when the massive gates of Senzaikyū slowly opened.
The metallic clinking of chains echoed through the air as Rukia was escorted by the Kidō Corps, her hands bound and her gaze distant.
Each step toward the place of her execution felt like it erased another piece of her former life in the Soul Society.
Meanwhile, in another corner of the Seireitei, Zaraki Kenpachi charged forward through a trail of destruction, followed by his subordinates and the ryoka he had rescued.
They had torn through the divisions like a storm, and now stood on the roof of a massive, empty pavilion when four figures appeared before them.
Captains Komamura Sajin and Tōsen Kaname, along with Lieutenants Iba Tetsuzaemon and Hisagi Shūhei.
Kenpachi let out a low, wild laugh when the Captains questioned his actions.
"Finally, something interesting."
Without waiting for another word, he stepped forward, his sharp gaze locked onto Komamura and Tōsen.
"These four are mine."
Far away, Abarai Renji was sprinting through the corridors of the Sixth Division. But before he could reach the main gate, a familiar presence made him stop in his tracks beneath the stone archway.
Standing motionless like a mountain was the Captain of the Sixth Division, Kuchiki Byakuya.
"You're in my way, Renji."
Renji didn't answer. He just tightened his grip on Zabimaru, his expression firm and defiant.
"I can't, Captain. Not this time."
Byakuya didn't bother listening to his lieutenant's words. He moved in the blink of an eye, his blade slicing through the air at impossible speed with Senka.
But Renji twisted his body, dodging by a hair's breadth and blocking before the blade could pierce his heart.
"That trick won't work, Captain. I've seen you use that move too many times."
Byakuya took a small step back, studying his lieutenant with a calm, steady gaze.
"Scatter, Senbonzakura."
The blade of his Zanpakutō began to dissolve into shimmering petals. But before the attack could spread, Renji swung Zabimaru with precision and speed, the blade extending and coiling around Byakuya's sword.
Byakuya froze for a brief instant, recognizing what that meant.
Renji looked at him with a determined smile, the veins in his arm pulsing with energy.
With a roar, he raised his sword and shouted—
"Bankai!"
The ground trembled, and a wave of reiatsu exploded outward, shaking the air in every direction.
The massive form of Hihiō Zabimaru rose up behind Renji.