Ichigo leaves and takes up residence in Soul Society!

The four palaces then changed the subject.

"Therefore, I must seize the time and reach the profound state of cultivating myself in every aspect of my life, integrating it into my daily routine."

"..."

"..."

"..."

Chapter 46 The Three Giants of the Bathhouse

The large public bathhouse attached to the First Division barracks truly lived up to Aizen's praise; it was extremely popular, and even in the summer, during the hot season, it was still packed with people.

Shinomiya-no-Tsurugi could even see the figures of the female Shinigami who had left earlier.

Soi Fon was among them.

This is not surprising.

Despite her cold, aloof, and ruthless exterior, she gets along quite well with the other female Shinigami... mainly the vice-captains, as they are all members of the Female Shinigami Association.

This must have been a group activity for them.

As for why the public bathhouse is so popular...

"It was surprisingly cool inside."

The four palace masters stood on the smooth rocky platform, gazing around with awe.

Yes, gazing into the distance.

He didn't know what it was like on the women's side, but the men's area inside the large bathhouse was quite spacious and impressive.

It is entirely a terraced structure.

The path leads up from the entrance to several pools, with hundreds of steps along the way. Reaching the top feels almost like climbing a hill.

Similarly, the "slope top" pool at the highest point is almost as high as a rooftop swimming pool, offering an extremely wide view that can encompass the Chuo Ichiban-ku area outside the large public bath.

The majestic Twin Hills and the adjacent towering Ichiban-tai building complex are also noteworthy.

Judging from this, the women's bathhouse should be located at the back.

In addition to the expansive views and scenery.

The ambient temperature here is also quite pleasant.

Cherry trees that have already bloomed are planted all around, and the summer heat seems to have been absorbed by them and the underground spring water. As the sun is about to set and the temperature begins to drop, the already windy bathing area will only become cooler. Standing on the shore of the pool, you can even feel your skin getting a little cold from the wind.

"Now I understand why this place is so popular."

Ichigo, having changed his clothes, also came over.

So which pool should we choose?

"I suggest choosing the highest one."

Aizen's calm and composed voice rang out.

"Teacher, you look like a completely different person after you take off your glasses."

Following the sound, the four palaces looked towards the man walking towards them. To be honest, his attire was nothing special; everyone in the public bathhouse looked the same.

However, because he was without his usual black-rimmed glasses, and it seemed that he had swept his hair back to prevent his bangs from getting wet and obstructing his vision, his face, even when he was smiling, gave people a different feeling than usual.

It's similar to being aggressive, but not intimidating. If you had to find an adjective, there's no better choice than "powerful".

"Is that so? In my opinion, Shinomiya-kun has changed quite a bit. His body, which has been tempered and refined over the years, is completely different from when he first entered the school."

Aizen's assessment was spot on.

Because of the +1000% physical growth potential granted by the "Fairy Tale Dragon Blood," and because Shigu-no-Tsurugi himself paid extra attention to leveraging his strengths and worked hard in this area, his young body, at the tender age of eighteen, underwent further growth.

A few months is equivalent to dozens of months. Even ordinary people can build up muscles or lose fat and completely transform themselves, let alone the Four Palaces Master.

He grew a few centimeters taller, from 1.78 meters to 1.83 meters.

My weight has also increased considerably, and now I weigh exactly 80 kilograms.

Thanks to the special physical enhancements of the fairy tale dragon and Aizen's guidance, he not only trained extremely well and comprehensively, becoming visibly stronger, but his muscle structure and overall curves also possessed an impeccable aesthetic beauty, like a weapon forged through countless trials.

Therefore, when wearing relatively loose-fitting cadet uniforms, it's not easy to tell that this person has a well-proportioned figure, not particularly muscular, but definitely not slender.

It can be described as textbook-level "health".

But once you take off their clothes, you'll find that they're not just healthy, not just strong, they're incredibly tough and powerful to the extreme. They make you not want to fight them at all, and leave you with strong impressions like, "Can swords really cut through them?" or "Won't they even cut through the skin?"

In comparison, Ichigo seems much more normal.

Therefore, he didn't want to discuss this topic at all, and even held back his feelings about Aizen's changed appearance.

It wasn't until the three of them reached the highest pool, with most of their bodies submerged in the hot spring water, that they almost uncontrollably let out a long breath.

"what……"

"Ah."

"What? Is it that funny?"

"No, I just wanted to laugh... I couldn't help it."

Shinomiya-sama laid his arms outstretched on the edge of the pool, squinted his eyes contentedly, and his facial muscles were completely relaxed, revealing a refreshing smile like ripples on the surface of a hot spring.

Upon hearing this, Ichigo subconsciously touched the corner of his mouth and indeed felt the shape of a smile. Looking at Aizen again, he seemed to be smiling the whole time, but his smile clearly had a more relaxed and joyful feel to it.

There is no other reason.

The moment I lay down in the water, my body instinctively felt a sense of security, as if I were back in my mother's womb. This sense of security, combined with the physiological comfort, made me so happy that I couldn't stop smiling, and I even couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"Heh... Hahaha... You were right, Shinomiya, he really couldn't resist..."

Ichigo's shoulders trembled uncontrollably, as if he were laughing out of his own instincts.

The pools are large and numerous.

The others didn't seem interested in taking the high ground, so they either went to the pool at the entrance or went further back; the pool at the top of the slope was their last choice.

Now there are only the three of them here.

Laughing out loud won't have too bad an impact.

Instead of each occupying one side of the pool to form a triangle, the three sat in a semi-circle facing the entrance, maintaining the best view while keeping a distance between them.

In the center is Aizen, with Shinomiya and Ichigo occupying the left and right sides.

The three of them thoroughly enjoyed the rare moment of tranquility brought about by this leisure time.

As the setting sun paints the sky red, candles are lit in the bathhouse, and if there were a lively crowd and fireworks display, it would truly be the atmosphere of a summer festival.

"Thank you, teacher."

"Why do you say that, Shinomiya-kun?"

"Although the captain said it was his decision, I think he probably remembered to do it because a teacher reminded him, right? And coming to the public bathhouse goes without saying... It's all to help me relieve the fatigue from training."

The four palace masters closed their eyes and murmured softly as if talking in their sleep.

"Caring about students' health is a teacher's duty, and besides, it was just a trivial suggestion that didn't take much thought out of it, so there's no need to worry about it."

Inazome responded calmly and nonchalantly.

"So it seems I'm only here because of you, Shinomiya. But I don't want to thank you at all, since I haven't settled the score with you for secretly training Bankai behind my back."

"Ah...whatever."

Seeing the carefree and nonchalant expression on Shinomiya-sama's face, Ichigo had no choice but to turn to Aizen and say, "Now that I know about this, I can no longer enjoy my vacation in peace... Sensei, if you don't mind, let me join the Bankai training too."

"Of course this is no problem."

Aizen showed no surprise whatsoever, as if he had expected this outcome.

Or perhaps, he was the one who orchestrated this outcome.

This allows the two geniuses to rise like a spiral tower, not under the supervision of others, but influenced by each other, until they reach the very top...

"Speak of it."

Aizen gazed at the sky ablaze with the colors of sunset, and in a deep, resonant voice, softly posed a question that struck a chord deep within him.

"Shinomiya-kun, Kurosaki-kun."

Seeing how hard you two work, I can't help but wonder, what are your plans for the future? Or rather... do you have dreams?

Chapter Forty-Seven: Fairness, Fairness, and Fairness Again!

Wow!

A splash of water hit Hinamori Momo's face, startling her awake. She puffed out her cheeks and glared angrily at Matsumoto Rangiku.

"Rangiku-san, what are you doing!"

"I should be asking you that. What are you daydreaming about? I've called you so many times and you haven't responded. I thought you'd lost your mind."

"...No, I was just thinking..."

Hinamori Momo looked up towards the men's bath area.

"What are Captain Aizen, Shinomiya, and Kurosaki talking about? They can't be talking about weird topics like Rangiku-san, can they?"

"What do you mean by 'weird'? Explain yourself clearly, or else... take this!"

"ah!"

Rangiku kept splashing hot spring water on Hinamori Momo, forcing her to raise her hand to cover her face.

"Hey, you two... that's enough."

Soi Fon reluctantly tried to dissuade her, because Rangiku had used too much force, and the water had splashed onto her face, and Rangiku was swaying back and forth in front of her, making her extremely dizzy.

"Yes, Hinamori, you escaped a disaster. I was planning to go and check on your development."

"Alas!"

Although she calmed down, Rangiku's malicious gaze swept over her, startling Hinamori Momo, who immediately swam behind Soi Fon.

"Why did you come here..."

Soi Fon sensed a subtle malice.

"But speaking of which... is this a men's topic?"

Rangiku looked up at the sky, pondered for a while, and then waved her hand dismissively.

"Besides dreams, what else could it be but things you want to do in the future? Just like a child."

"Sometimes I just can't understand what they're thinking at all."

……

"Dreams? If you ask me this suddenly, I'm actually a little unsure how to answer."

In the men's bathhouse, Ichigo crossed his arms, tilted his head, and pondered deeply.

"Don't aim too high, just focus on the present... There will always be one or two things that you feel you must persevere with until the end of your life."

Aizen embodied the spirit of a teacher, patiently guiding Ichigo.

“Until the end of life…that’s already a huge goal, okay! But speaking of which, there is one thing I feel I absolutely must do.”

Ichigo made a sarcastic remark and then pondered for a moment.

"I want to protect many people."

"What's this? A world-saving hero? Didn't you say you weren't interested in this when you enrolled?"

The Fourth Prince, with his eyes closed, lazily interrupted.

"Shut up! When I first arrived in Soul Society, I was completely lost and living cautiously. How could I be so idiotic as to shout about saving this and that!"

Ichigo retorted, seemingly embarrassed and angry.

"Besides, I'm not such a great person... After all, I know very well that even right now, there are many people who are injured or even dead in places I can't see... Knowing this fact, how can I have the face to say such hypocritical things as saving the world and protecting humanity?"

"So, I never intended to protect everyone."

"But I can't just pick up someone I can lift with both hands. I'm not so cold-blooded and petty as to stand by and watch someone die right in front of me. Of course, that doesn't include the most heinous bastards who would kill even more people if I saved them."

"Based on the actual situation, protecting as many people as possible—if I had to put it simply, that would be my dream to carry on to the end."