The Alchemist in Bleach

"Huh?!" Ichiro looked at the Captain-Commander in surprise, unable to believe that such words would come out of his mouth.

"Are you surprised that I would make such a decision?"

"Ah."

“It’s normal. I was surprised too, but what surprised and angered me even more was that the Zero Division dared to openly threaten us! Who do they think they are? No matter how special the Zero Division is, they still belong to the Seireitei. Their insubordination is a crime deserving of death!”

Ichiro nodded silently. Indeed, even if you really wanted to recruit Kuchiki Kyouga, you could have done it quietly and everyone could have pretended not to see it. But you went and brazenly gave him the title of "Demon Sword." Isn't that blatantly threatening all the Shinigami?

By now, Zanpakuto have long become the core power of each Shinigami. Don't you see that one of the criteria for becoming a captain is Bankai?

No wonder the Captain-Commander was so angry. Ichiro stroked his chin and pondered for a moment. Although he had obtained more specific information, the methods he had prepared for them were not affected. After all, he had been aiming for something beyond the established standards from the very beginning.

After a while, he took out a round badge and placed it on the table. The badge had a cube engraved on it, and inside the cube was a clock.

"The Chapter of Time, the Fullbring ability to be bound, contains the power of time and space. Once activated, it can place the user in another space, where no attack can touch them. Spatial attacks also require corresponding spatial coordinates. However, in return, you cannot attack the user either. But this only applies to the user's physical body; energy attacks that have already been launched are not included in this range."

Upon hearing this, the Captain-Commander's gaze sharpened. He understood the strategy behind this move: since he existed in another dimension, the monk's pen was useless—it couldn't seal his Zanpakuto, and even the demon sword might be able to defend against it. However, his Ryujin Jakka could still be used for attack.

"The chapter on time sequence, shouldn't 'time' refer to the concept of time itself?"

“Yes.” Ichiro nodded in response to the Captain-Commander’s question and continued, “The Chapter of Time does indeed possess time-related power, which is its main power. However, this requires a lot of spiritual pressure. Even the Captain-Commander can only exert the same effect as spatial power, placing his own body in the future to avoid all harm. This is the most basic power.”

After a pause, Ichiro continued, "There are also higher applications, such as transferring one's negative state to the vague future, thereby putting oneself in the prime of life. This can be done by transferring toxins, spiritual pressure depletion, or even the physical weakness caused by aging!"

A look of shock flashed in the captain's eyes. This final ability was practically tailor-made for him!

He is strong now, but at the same time, his advanced age has caused his physical functions to decline. As his strength increases, his weaknesses become more and more obvious, and his peak performance period becomes shorter. Unless he undergoes a transcendent transformation like the monks, there is no possibility of changing this situation, but he cannot accept that. However, Ichiro's Fullbring technique might be an option!

After all, he knew what Ichiro's Fullbring technique was all about, and that it didn't use the real Soul King's body.

However, the captain, who knew Ichiro very well, smiled helplessly and said, "But?"

“Well, but!” Ichiro continued, “In the Soul Society today, no Shinigami’s spiritual pressure can reach this standard. Even the Captain-Commander can’t use this ability. Well, I’ve included the second source of spiritual power.”

Captain: "...Continue."

"Ahem~" Ichiro coughed awkwardly, took out another tarot card - The Fool, and introduced it, "The Chapter of Time is not very realistic because I added too many elements when designing it later, which made it a bit useless. It is not enough to deal with Hyosube Ichibei, but this Fullbring is very suitable."

Its name, like the card itself, is simply "The Fool." Its ability is to nullify all Kido-type abilities within a certain range! Of course, this is still based on spiritual pressure intensity; if the difference in spiritual pressure is too great, The Fool will be completely ineffective.

"Kido ineffective? This seems... wait!" Halfway through his sentence, the Captain-Commander suddenly realized that Ichiro wasn't saying Kido was ineffective, but rather that Kido-related abilities were ineffective! "Are you sure it's Kido-related abilities that are ineffective?"

The ineffectiveness of Kido (鬼道) and the inability to use Kido-based abilities are not the same. The former simply means that Kido itself is ineffective, specifically the three paths of breaking and returning to the original state. However, Kido-based abilities are different...

All Zanpakuto, regardless of whether they are slashing, rule-based, or illusion-based, are actually Kido-based. They are simply further subdivided for easier distinction.

But no matter how you divide it, one thing will never change!

The mechanism of a Zanpakuto itself is a type of Kido!

"Yes, Kido-type abilities are ineffective, so the release of Zanpakuto is also ineffective. Of course, it is ineffective for both the enemy and ourselves, because it is within a certain range. If it is a single target, there are too many factors, and the threshold will continue to rise."

Despite its significant flaws, it was still quite suitable for dealing with Hyosube Ichibei. After all, his Zanpakuto's abilities and attack methods both relied on Kido (a form of magic), so even if it was a step too late to seal his Zanpakuto, the impact wouldn't be significant.

"This...is perfect for Kenpachi!"

Hearing the captain's murmur, the Captain-Commander nodded. Kenpachi, a reckless man who knew nothing about demonic arts, was the most suitable for this ability. It could be said that it was a perfect match for him!

Because if he can't unleash his Zanpakuto, this guy is invincible!

The prerequisite is that the spiritual pressure is sufficient.

"Yes, this was originally prepared for the captain, because it is the most suitable ability for a sword-type Shinigami. If she masters the opening and closing, and combines it with the captain's return, her strength will reach a new level. It's just that someone more suitable than the captain has appeared. I guess it's fate."

The Captain-Commander and the Captain nodded. After the Captain's Yachiru no Utsurugi was perfected, this ability was no longer suitable for her, but it was a perfect match for Kenpachi.

"Anything else?" the Captain-Commander asked, looking at Ichiro again.

Of course, although it was said to be a question, the tone was more like asking Ichiro to speak directly.

If he still doesn't understand by now, then he's really wasted these thousands of years. This little bastard has definitely been preparing for this for a long time!

Otherwise, what a coincidence that he just happened to ask, and just happened to have a targeted ability, two in a row, and the captain estimated that among the entire Thirteenth Squad, only Retsuichiro might not have prepared a countermeasure.

Of course, from an elder's perspective, he was quite satisfied with Ichiro's actions in this regard. It showed that he was thorough in his work. It would have been even better if Ichiro hadn't targeted him directly!

“Of course there is more.” As he spoke, Ichiro took out a silver necklace adorned with a blue gemstone. “This is the Stasis Domain. Like the Fool, it is also an area-of-effect ability. Just like its name suggests, during the activation of this ability, within a certain range, the concept of speed will be suppressed. Simply put, if you move too fast, you will slow down. If you heal too quickly, you will also slow down. In this domain, there is no concept of speed.”

Originally, I planned to make this ability a time-based one, but I found that time-based abilities were either too strong or too weak, with too few transitional abilities. So I chose this concept of speed. It's worth noting that it's different from the Fool. The Fool shields itself as well, while the Stasis Domain doesn't. This Fullbring technique is quite suitable for dealing with Kirinji-sensei.

Upon hearing this, the captain and the commander-in-chief were both astonished and their expressions turned somewhat strange. "You keep calling me 'Master Kirinji' so affectionately, but then you sever a major artery with a single cut. Truly, a deep master-disciple bond!"

"Only one left." Faced with these Fullbring ability carriers, the Captain-Commander had a lot to complain about, but he had to admit that Ichiro had done a great job!

Therefore, he also began to look forward to the last two houses, Wang Yue.

However, this time Ichiro did not take out his Fullbringer device as before. Instead, he frowned, seemingly troubled.

“Wang Yue…is facing some difficulties…I’m afraid only I can handle it!” After thinking for a moment, Ichiro finally shook his head.

"Why?" The captain frowned, looking at Ichiro with a puzzled expression. He did not doubt Ichiro's talent. Although he was not yet a match for him, given time, it was only a matter of time. And he believed he could buy time.

"His ability is too simple and too unknown! It's simple because of that sword that can cut through anything! No matter what it is, when a certain characteristic is brought to its extreme, it becomes more difficult to deal with than those fancy ones. His sword is like that. The only thing I can think of is to deal with him, just from the perspective of ability countermeasure."

"reason."

“First, regarding that sword, given the similar spiritual pressure, there shouldn’t be any sword in Seireitei that can go toe-to-toe with it, so only I can handle it.” With that, Ichiro drew the Yachiru no Tsurugi from his waist and held it in front of him. “This is the sword the captain gave me. In terms of quality, it’s probably no match for Wang Yue’s sword, but I have one advantage.”

Alchemy! So what if it's broken? I can instantly repair it. Furthermore, in the clash of blades, I can gradually analyze his sword, thus continuously refining my Eight Thousand Streams Sword and ultimately surpassing it!

“But there are still risks, you know, and that doesn’t convince me.” The captain, unmoved by Ichiro’s ideal vision, calmly stated.

"Yes, so there's also Plan B. Only a physical sword can have the concept of cutting. But what if I use a sword that's entirely formed from the Demonic Path? It's constantly flowing, so how can it cut?"

"Can you do it? Yachi... your technique shouldn't be able to reach this level, right?" The Captain-Commander looked at Ichiro with doubt. He understood, after all, his Ryujin Jakka had already achieved this form, but it was only a preliminary one.

"Yes, it is entirely possible if the Eight Thousand Streams Sword completely abandons the enhancement to the body."

"It's the ultimate technique, the Eight Thousand Streams Sword!" The captain beside him raised an eyebrow and couldn't help but correct him.

"Uh, more or less."

Captain-General, Captain: "..."

Don't you have any idea how much the difference is?

And judging from your statement, you've finally revealed your "wolf's ambition," completely abandoning the sword, is that it?

They can actually accept swordsmanship without a sword; many sword masters have this realization. But at least they use swordsmanship. If you were to smash something with a sword, you could forcefully call it a slash. But now that the sword is gone, and it's just a long, thin energy object that you smash down. Who would dare call that a slash?

"Ahem~ Anyway, this is one reason for me to deal with him. There's another reason, which is this thing that appeared in the Captain-Commander's intelligence report, the sword storage... Since it's called a sword storage, it can't just contain that one Zanpakuto, right? There must be others, but we don't know exactly what they are, so it has infinite possibilities!"

The captain nodded. This was also his biggest headache. The combination of the Sword God and the Monk was a perfect match!

Therefore, only Ichiro can deal with Wang Yue. Of course, Urahara might also be able to handle him; that guy's methods are no less than Ichiro's, but Urahara...

He might not still be in Soul Society when the war starts, which is a significant problem. Therefore, all things considered, Ichiro is still the most suitable candidate.

"Then there's only one left, the demon sword... What do you plan to do? Its Shikai is fine, you can just use a mimic Zanpakuto, but its Bankai can directly summon the sword spirit from within its own heart."

"In my opinion, the one we need to worry about the least is precisely the Rotting Wood River."

"Oh, why?"

------------

Chapter 191 Three sentences that made that man...

"Because of his personality! The Zero Division isn't just about power; it also holds the cruelest truths of Soul Society! Given Kuchiki Kyoga's personality, unless there are any hidden tricks behind the Transcendental Modification, he will definitely rebel!"

The captain nodded slightly. After Ichiro's reminder, he realized that it was true. He knew some of Kuchiki Kyoga's personality, and the current Kuchiki Kyoga absolutely could not accept those truths!

but……

The captain shook his head and continued, "We still need to take precautions. Just like you said, what if the Transcendental Modification has some hidden tricks up its sleeve? So, tell us your plan."

Well, the captain has given up on asking. There's no need to ask; this guy is definitely prepared.

really.

"Well, the only thing Kuchiki Kyoga needs to be wary of is Muramasa, and Muramasa needs to be guarded against in two ways: Shikai and Bankai. Shikai is easy to deal with; you can just use a Zanpakuto that mimics an inanimate object. Bankai is a little more troublesome, but not too difficult. His Bankai is essentially about calling upon the sword spirit from within his heart and then guiding it."

Therefore, as long as it is directly prevented from entering one's inner world, Muramasa's ability is useless. This is a mind-sealing technique that can artificially isolate the inner world. These are spiritual tools called "Spiritual Instruments: Chapters of the Mind." Wearing them will protect one's inner world. Unless spiritual pressure completely surpasses yours, Muramasa's ability will not take effect.

The captain looked at Ichiro silently, thinking, "You've really gone all out with this targeting..."

However, to his surprise, besides these two, Ichiro had another plan...

"Besides that, there is another plan. The first two methods have a drawback: once Kuchiki Kyouga's spiritual pressure surpasses ours, the effect will be negligible. But after the Transcendental Transformation, he is very likely to reach that point."

"...Did Kuchiki Kyouga offend you?" The Captain-Commander's lips twitched. Putting aside Muramasa's power, in terms of the four major techniques of Slash, Fist, and Oni, except for Slashing Technique, in what way can he compare to you now? In terms of spiritual pressure, he's not as strong as you either. Is it really necessary?

"Um... that's not important. I'll continue. I think I don't need to elaborate on the relationship between Zanpakuto and Shinigami. The two must trust each other. There's basically no need to worry about Zanpakuto. So far, without external interference, there has never been a case of a Zanpakuto betraying a Shinigami. On the contrary, there are occasional instances where a Zanpakuto awakens and saves a Shinigami when they are on the verge of death."

Therefore, Zanpakuto generally have absolute trust in Shinigami, since they are part of their own souls. However! Shinigami may not!

"You mean..." The captain narrowed his eyes, somewhat guessing Ichiro's thoughts. This kid really is a bad seed, able to think of such underhanded tricks. But underhanded as it may be, the success rate is indeed quite good.

“That’s right! All we need to do is sow discord between Kuchiki Kyoga and Muramasa. Given Kuchiki Kyoga’s personality, it’s easy to make him doubt and distrust Muramasa. If Muramasa can’t hear his voice, then the release of his Zanpakuto will be out of the question.”

"The idea is good, but it's difficult." The captain shook his head. This time, he didn't quite agree with Ichiro's idea. He admitted it was a good idea, but...

“We can see this, and so can they. Changing a personality is difficult, but making someone aware of their shortcomings is quite easy.”

"I know." Ichiro nodded, but he had his own reasons for saying that.

"Captain."

"Hmm? What's wrong?"

"Old bald man!"

"Um?!"

"boom!"

The Captain-Commander glared, and a scorching spiritual pressure swept over him, seemingly about to incinerate Ichiro!

However, the overwhelming spiritual pressure subsided in just a moment. The Captain-Commander frowned, looking at Ichiro with suspicion and uncertainty. Something was wrong with him just now...

With his composure, it's impossible for him to be provoked by the term "old bald man." He's been bald for so many years, how could he still care?

Well, he was a little bit bothered, but only a little bit. At least with his thousands of years of self-cultivation, this one sentence wouldn't cause any ripples in his heart.

But just now, he was indeed angered by those words, and he was even addressing Ichiro...