You are very strong, but my painting style is better than yours!

While spiritual pressure intensity is a necessary condition for breaking through these two stages, mental state also hinders many people.

Zanpakuto are born from the souls of Shinigami, but they possess independent consciousness and have inconsistent personalities. They can be more positive, more depressed, more extreme, or more gentle... It would not be surprising if they had completely opposite personalities.

Many Shinigami, if they are not in sync with their Zanpakuto, often resort to brute force to fight back, and may even complain that their Zanpakuto does not follow their wishes.

This is actually a fallacy!

A knife doesn't need to be completely identical to its master; beneath its unruly exterior lies a heart that wants to protect its master!

— Simply put, it's being arrogant and tsundere.

At this point, Iori gestured for Mayuri Kurotsuchi to step forward and open a wooden box, inside which were small round balls that looked like balls of yarn.

"This was made by mixing Muramasa's hair with the spiritual traces of the Shinigami himself, and using Kido and Gikon techniques. Kurenai named it 'Yū'."

As for its effects, let's test it out in practice... Huh?

"Can't you ask someone else to do something this troublesome?"

"Generally speaking, no one wants to be your guinea pig, right?"

"Tsk!"

Mayuri walked unhappily to the center of the field and picked out a ball of thread the size of a bullet from the box. It was then that Hibiki noticed that there was a label on the ball of thread, which seemed to have a name on it.

"Each ball of yarn is custom-made."

Iori explained, "This was made using Mayuri Kurotsuchi's spiritual information, and it can only be used on him."

Just as he was speaking, Mayuri Kurotsuchi had already taken out his Zanpakuto, then pressed the ball of thread to the part where the scabbard meets the tsuba. Instantly, a hazy spiritual light emanated from the scabbard, enveloping the entire scabbard. Then, strands of "light" floated out and wrapped around Mayuri's little finger and the hilt.

call!

Like a flame that has been blown out, the faint light dissipated, and the ball of yarn vanished without a trace, while Xianghe watched these changes intently.

"Muramasa can be used now."

"……what did you say?"

Xianghe turned his head in surprise.

"Use [Muramasa] on Mayuri Kurotsuchi,"

As if discussing something quite ordinary, Iori spoke casually, "Turning his [Pishikiri Jizo] to the enemy side."

"This……"

Xianghe hesitated because his ability was too special and could not be used casually; there had to be a sufficient reason.

“I will take responsibility, and I will explain to the Captain and Captain Kuchiki.”

"Well!"

Xianghe immediately frowned: "I can't let you take responsibility under any circumstances... I'm fine with this."

After saying that, he didn't draw his sword or unleash it. Instead, he looked directly at the Muramasa Sword Spirit, exchanged a glance with the strangely dressed man, and then passed on the order.

Muramasa didn't care about any of that. He simply waved his hand across the void. There seemed to be some strange spiritual pressure fluctuations in the air, but they did not have any effect on the material level.

But soon, Mayuri's [Pishisochi Jizo] at his waist and between his legs began to tremble. After an indecent shudder that almost excited Mayuri, a golden light flew out of his Zanpakuto, hovered twice in the air, and took on a petite form.

It is less than a meter tall, with butterfly-like wings, but its head is like that of an infant. Tears like raindrops stream down its pale eyes. It wears a yellow cloth shirt and a red bib. Interestingly, a golden ring floats in mid-air behind it, making it look somewhat like a Buddha's merit wheel.

But clearly, neither Mayuri Kurotsuchi nor his sword has anything to do with "merit".

Yes, although Mayuri Kurotsuchi's Zanpakuto is still there, everyone knows that this golden child with butterfly wings is the true form of Ashisogi Jizo!

"Hmm, not as cute as I imagined. Maybe the makeover wasn't quite right."

Despite losing control of his Zanpakuto, Mayuri Kurotsuchi showed no panic. Instead, he stroked his chin and examined it carefully, uttering some self-righteous remarks: "It's too monotonous. There aren't enough terrifying elements, and the child should be a bit chubby to be better."

"Aww——!"

The golden child flapped its wings incessantly, glaring angrily at Mayuri below, its two rows of sharp little teeth squeaking, clearly showing its attitude towards its original owner.

The three onlookers even felt that even without Muramasa's instigation, this Zanpakuto had enough reason to rebel.

"careful!"

Hibiki warned, "Zanpakuto attacks without mercy."

"I know."

Mayuri Kurotsuchi glanced in this direction, and the child in the air suddenly lunged forward, revealing a forest of sharp longswords emerging from under his red collar, aiming to pierce Mayuri Kurotsuchi completely.

Frankenstein remained calm, drawing his monstrous Zanpakuto from his crotch and holding it up to block the attack. He didn't seem to care about the blade grazing his cheek, side, or collarbone, as if he felt no pain.

Clang!

Clang!

Clang!

The two clashed repeatedly, one man and one sword. The golden child's fighting style and skills were extremely similar to Mayuri Kurotsuchi. The blade was coated with a deadly poison that could paralyze people, and he could also spit out poison gas and venom from his mouth. If you were not careful when fighting against him, you would be hit and then at his mercy.

However, Mayuri Kurotsuchi was naturally prepared for these. His self-modified physique was immune to these toxins, and in a pure sword fight, he was not inferior to his opponent—both were quite weak.

Hibiki watched intently, initially thinking this was no different from the usual reaction to turning a Zanpakuto against its master, but slowly he sensed something was amiss:

The golden child's behavior was somewhat strange.

As the battle progressed, the sword spirit's movements began to stiffen. After each exchange, it would feel as if it had been pricked by a needle, falling into a brief daze. It would also become hesitant after separating, and this condition became more pronounced the more rounds they fought.

A few minutes later, the golden child, looking struggling and bewildered, hovered in mid-air. Instead of attacking Mayuri Kurotsuchi, it deliberately distanced itself, circling around but refusing to come down, appearing quite agitated.

"What, what's going on?"

Muramasa was surprised.

He knew the style of Zanpakuto well. After all, they were created as weapons, and with very few exceptions, most Zanpakuto were aggressive and would not hesitate to attack once they identified the opponent as an enemy.

This is why those Shinigami often don't have time to fight back: while they are still stunned, their Zanpakuto has already decisively unleashed its killing move.

To reclaim a Zanpakuto, one must either subdue it with force or have Muramasa break the hypnosis... Such indecisiveness is extremely rare.

If Mayuri Kurotsuchi persuaded the Zanpakuto with words, we didn't hear him use any verbal sparring.

"What's going on? Something's very wrong with [Pishishiro Jizo]."

"Don't rush, look carefully."

Upon hearing this, Hibiki and Muramasa looked back at the arena. Suddenly, Hibiki's eyes narrowed as he caught a glimpse of something faintly visible...

"It's silk thread?! Silk thread is connecting the two of them!"

"Ok?"

Muramasa also observed intently, and suddenly realized:

A faint red thread, sometimes visible and sometimes hidden, connects Mayuri Kurotsuchi's little finger to the scabbard and the golden child in mid-air, yet it doesn't affect either of their actions, as if it doesn't exist.

"That's a kind of ghostly path."

Iori explained the mystery in detail: "Since there is a way to close off the mind, then naturally there is also a way to develop a way to communicate with the mind—I tried it."

"Original creation?"

The Xianghe River showed an unusual color.

"It's just a trick; after all, a special medium is needed, which is this kind of silk thread."

Iori said gently, "You could say it's borrowed from Muramasa's ability. As long as there is the corresponding spiritual information, this kind of tool can ignore the mental world that hinders the connection of the target—of course, the premise is that it is bound to the other party."

The Grim Reaper and the Zanpakuto are essentially connected by their souls. Muramasa's manipulation can create a rift between them, amplifying the Zanpakuto's inner dissatisfaction and thus forming a barrier of 'rejection' against its master.

These threads reconnect the spirits of the two, and each clash of swords is like a collision of souls, with important memories flashing back, gradually reminding the Zanpakuto of its 'true self'.

"...Did you unlock my abilities so easily?"

Muramasa was shocked and somewhat unconvinced: "But not all Shinigami can be in sync with their Zanpakuto, and the gap in their hearts is not so easy to bridge."

"Indeed, so this connection is actually a 'triangle'."

No sooner had Iori finished speaking than Mayuri Kurotsuchi, growing impatient, raised the Asauchi and sheathed it, wrapping the red thread on his little finger around the blade as he finished the fight—

Snapped!

The silk thread snapped, and golden light, like sand, flowed upwards along the burning thread, eventually disappearing into the golden child's body in mid-air. Suddenly, the child shuddered, swayed, covered its head, and fell down.

"This is another hidden ghost path—[The Revolving Lantern], consider it insurance."

"What a strange name..."

"Don't mind it~"

Iori explained with a smile, "Many people overlook the fact that what fights alongside the Shinigami is not only the Zanpakuto, but also the scabbard."

Each sword has a corresponding sheath (Zangetsu is not considered a Zanpakuto), and some sheaths even return to the Zanpakuto after Shikai, becoming one with it.

The sheath bears all the marks of the Shinigami and the Zanpakuto. Every time the sword is drawn, every time it is sheathed, every time meditation is performed—these actions will inevitably leave behind spiritual particles, which will also be collected by the sheath.

The purpose of this Kido is to extract the spiritual information within, using shared memories to create a targeted mental attack, much like a revolving lantern. The Zanpakuto is merely hypnotized and manipulated, not controlled by a puppet; such a treatment naturally breaks its control.

The only downside... is probably the lack of a 'love-hate' relationship, and there's no benefit gained after acquiring a Zanpakuto.

"That's really... amazing."

After listening, Xianghe was filled with admiration and was completely stunned by Iori's creativity.

"I never imagined there was such a method..."

"That way, things will be much easier for you from now on."

Iori's words immediately stunned Hibiki: "Hmm! Could it be... could it be that you..."

Xianghe is not a stupid person, just immature and somewhat naive in politics. He is a very intelligent and serious man, otherwise he would never have won the favor of Xiumu Yinling.

Hearing Iori's kind words and recalling the scene of the experiment just now, he suddenly realized that this tool could change his life!

If the "Knot" item can effectively break Muramasa's spell, even just once, the threat of Hibiki to Soul Society will be greatly reduced, because it will no longer be "invincible".

If one can recapture the Zanpakuto through the combined effects of "Yū" and "Muramasa", it will be extremely beneficial to the Shinigami's training and may even pave the way to Bankai!

Perhaps this depends on talent and is very dangerous, but for the Gotei 13, who are constantly on the brink of life and death, the benefits outweigh the drawbacks!

In this way... Xianghe will not only no longer be ostracized, but may even become a highly sought-after figure!

And all of this is thanks to Iori's hard work!

"Captain Aizen..."

"Don't make that face, I'm not interested in men."

Iori waved dismissively and walked towards the arena, leaving Hibiki Gai staring blankly at his retreating figure.

"Don't overthink it. You'll become a pillar of the Thirteenth Division sooner or later, so I did this for the future of Seireitei. Besides... having someone with a sour face all the time is too depressing."

I've never seen you laugh heartily before... From now on, try to laugh more often, it'll make the young lady of the Kuchiki family happy, Hibiki-kun."

Chapter 419 Your Zanpakuto Only Has Half a Name

The world is full of wonders. After Iori made some initial progress, she privately reported to Yamamoto, explaining the potential and future development of Hibiki and his Zanpakuto, Muramasa. Yamamoto's attitude towards Hibiki immediately changed dramatically.

Although he had previously valued Xianghe highly, it was merely out of an old man's "care" and "appreciation" for a younger generation. To be fair, he knew that someone like Xianghe would have been locked up in the past, but the [Forty-Sixth Room] hadn't found an excuse yet.

Unfortunately, Xianghe is full of flaws in this regard... He himself is not very popular and is a bit too straightforward.

However, now that Iori has allowed Mayuri Kurotsuchi to develop "Knot," Muramasa has suddenly gained the ability to help others train their Shikai and Bankai. Even though the threshold is high and the danger is great, it is still of great value. In the long run, it can help the Thirteenth Division select more high-end combatants.

Xianghe thus became an important figure, possessing "strategic significance"!

Frankly, in this situation, he should be transferred back to the First Division to avoid any accidents during the campaign against Hueco Mundo. However, Yamamoto is not such an indecisive person, and since Iori and Hibiki have already made their decision, he will not interfere arbitrarily.

Ultimately, Iori is the "commander-in-chief" of this campaign, and Yamamoto would not do anything that would damage his prestige.

To verify the specific effects of the "knot," Yamamoto brought in Iori and two others, and had Suzakube act as the test subject. Kurotsuchi used the handsome old man's spiritual information to create a new "knot" on the spot.

The reason for choosing Sasakibe is that this vice-captain, who has assisted the Captain-Commander for over a thousand years, has long mastered Bankai and possesses a sufficiently high level of understanding to judge the changes within it.

And the experimental results were as expected:

To his shock, Sasuke discovered that his Bankai, which he hadn't used in a long time, felt much more natural and effective after his battle with his Zanpakuto, and his control over the power seemed to have improved considerably.

If even someone like him, who has already completed his Bankai, can undergo such a transformation, then the younger officers or captains must have an even deeper understanding!

The effects are real and undeniable!