Chapter 82 The Power Beyond Calculation

If this was true, even Yhwach would have to kneel down and write the word "pathetic" in shame.

But truthfully, it didn't matter either way.

Even if these people could calculate and predict Ichigo Kurosaki and Yhwach's every move, they would never be able to calculate him.

Shiroha's confidence stemmed from potential that surpassed everyone else's. No matter how strong others might be, they were merely fragments of the Soul King's power, unable to surpass the original source.

After all, the Soul King was the wellspring of death itself—the origin of annihilation and all Fullbring techniques. The Soul King stood as the eternal ceiling of the Soul Society, an insurmountable peak.

No one could transcend it. No one except Shiroha, who possessed the unique task system.

This gave him the unshakable confidence that he could never be outmaneuvered by the monk or the Soul King. In fact, given the opportunity, he would be the one to calculate this ancient black-robed monk who had lived for tens of thousands of years with only these meager accomplishments. Such a limited scope of ambition.

In the days that followed, Shiroha didn't return to Soul Society. Instead, he remained at the Court Army's base, occasionally offering guidance to Michibane as she practiced her Fullbring techniques.

After spending this time together, it was evident that Michibane had grown more attached to him, more obedient to his instructions. Yet she still had much to learn—not just in terms of raw power, but in cultivating her mind and understanding of the world.

Pure, naive beauties held little allure for Shiroha. Such women were already at his fingertips, all of them pure and flawless in their own way. Only those with truly exceptional temperament could capture his genuine interest.

For a woman, identity, status, temperament, and self-confidence were vital attributes. Beauty that radiated from the inside out, without any shortcomings—that was true beauty. Only such women were worthy of Shiroha's time and energy. The rest were merely fleeting amusements.

This was why Shiroha rarely interfered with the personal development of the women around him. He preferred to let them grow freely, enjoying the spectacle of their blooming like flowers in their own time.

As evening descended, the rain continued its steady rhythm against the roof. Michibane had changed into a white lace maid dress, engaging in role-play with Shiroha. Her inexperience was evident in her awkward performance, but her attentiveness and eagerness to please made up for her lack of skill.

Shiroha patiently guided her, collecting what he jokingly called his "tuition fees" along the way. Just as he was beginning to lose himself in the moment, his spiritual senses tingled. Activating his observation Haki, he captured a scene unfolding in the distance.

The spectacle he had been waiting for was finally beginning.

Meanwhile, at Urahara Shop in Karakura Town, four figures had gathered: Kisuke Urahara, Isshin Shiba, Ryuken Ishida, and Masaki Kurosaki.

Masaki's condition was dire. She lay unconscious on the tatami mat, her face contorted in pain. A black hole had appeared in her chest—unmistakably a Hollow hole. This alarming development had forced Ryuken Ishida to remove Masaki from the Ishida family compound.

The bloodline of the pure-blooded Quincy could not be tainted; in their eyes, Masaki was now defiled, no longer of use to the Ishida lineage. But Ryuken, unable to abandon his feelings for her, had chosen to seek help elsewhere, to save her regardless of the cost.

On his desperate journey, he had encountered Isshin Shiba, who had once again ventured into the World of the Living. Isshin recognized immediately that Masaki had fallen into this crisis because she had saved him from a Hollow attack. Guilt weighed heavily on his broad shoulders.

So when these two men, both consumed by self-reproach, heard there might be a way to save Masaki, they followed the mysterious figure before them without hesitation, arriving at this unremarkable little shop tucked away in Karakura Town.

Isshin couldn't shake the feeling that this stranger seemed oddly familiar. Ryuken, however, was too consumed with worry to give it much thought.

Looking at the two anxious men before him, Kisuke Urahara, wearing his distinctive green and white striped bucket hat, introduced himself:

"My name is Kisuke Urahara. I was exiled from Soul Society, and I've been studying something similar like this girl's condition for nearly a hundred years..."

As someone who had long monitored Soul Society's affairs, he was well aware of who Isshin Shiba was, and suspected Isshin might recognize him as well. However, his introduction was primarily for Ryuken Ishida's benefit.

"It really is you..." Isshin's expression darkened as recognition dawned.

He had seen this man a century ago—Kisuke Urahara, former Captain of the 12th Division and Director of the Department of Research and Development. The years and Urahara's current gigai made him almost unrecognizable, especially without his Shinigami uniform or captain's haori.

Recalling the crimes Urahara had allegedly committed, Isshin couldn't help but worry if this might be a trap.

Ryuken interrupted Isshin's thoughts with an impatient shout:

"It doesn't matter who you are! Didn't you say there was a way to save her? Hurry and restore her to normal!"

Self-recrimination consumed him. Why hadn't he tried harder to stop Masaki from saving the Shinigami? Why hadn't he intervened in the battle sooner? His usual calm demeanor had completely shattered.

Isshin realized that whatever schemes Urahara might be plotting were irrelevant now. The most important thing was saving the young woman before them. Her condition was deteriorating rapidly—there was no time to waste and no other options available.

Urahara glanced at Masaki, who continued to struggle against her affliction. A rare solemnity settled in his steel-gray eyes:

"I'm sorry, but I cannot restore this young woman to her original state. I call this condition 'Soul Hollowfication,' and it's irreversible. Once it begins, there's no returning to one's former self. Without special intervention, her condition will only worsen."

"But you said you could save her!" Ryuken's voice cracked with desperation.

Urahara nodded slowly. "I cannot restore her to her original state, that's true. But if we simply want to save her life—to allow her to continue living as a human—then yes, there is a way."

"What is this solution?" Isshin asked, his voice steadier than his racing heart.

Recalling that bloody night a century ago, Urahara adjusted his hat brim and explained:

"Hollowfication refers to the influx of Hollow power into other souls. This process breaks the boundaries between spiritual entities and can enhance a soul's potential. However, it's an uncontrollable technology and extremely dangerous. Souls that lose their boundaries eventually lose all control, continuously collapse, and ultimately self-annihilate."

It was because of the Hollowfication incident a hundred years prior that Urahara had been forced to flee Soul Society. That event had revealed to him the horrifying truth about Aizen, the Hōgyoku, and the process of Hollowfication itself.

The pursuit of power was instinctual for most spiritual beings. They rarely resisted Hollowfication's allure. But the process was too dangerous, its consequences too unpredictable. If implemented on a large scale, it could shatter the balance between worlds.

Such technology should never have existed.

In the dimly lit shop, Ryuken demanded impatiently: "How do we save her? What must I do?"

"You need do nothing," Urahara replied, his gaze meaningful as he studied Ryuken's face. "The only way to halt the self-destruction of a Hollowfied soul is to stabilize its boundaries with an opposing force. This preserves the soul's integrity and maintains relative stability."

Urahara gestured as he continued. "Let me offer an example: a Hollowfied Shinigami possesses both Hollow and Shinigami powers. In such a case, using a vaccine derived from Quincy reishi arrows and human souls could arrest the Hollowfication process. But for a Hollowfied Quincy, a vaccine alone is insufficient, because Quincies have no natural resistance to Hollow power."

"I don't understand," Isshin's brow furrowed as he struggled to grasp these concepts. "What exactly are you saying?"

Urahara explained patiently: "Simply put, we must introduce an opposing spiritual power to save Masaki—a particularly potent one. Moreover, this power must remain present indefinitely to ensure her soul doesn't destabilize."

Despite Urahara's detailed explanation, confusion still clouded Isshin's features.

Ryuken, however, trembled as understanding dawned on him. "Impossible!" he cried out. "There must be another way!"

His face had drained of color, his eyes reflecting hopelessness.

"You're quite perceptive to understand so quickly," Urahara sighed. "But the choice isn't yours to make. It belongs to him." He turned to face Isshin directly, his expression grave.

"The power that opposes a Quincy is that of a Shinigami. The power that opposes a Hollow is that of a human. This young woman is now a hybrid of Quincy and Hollow, so she requires both Shinigami and human powers to stabilize her soul's boundaries and prevent complete Hollowfication."

Urahara's gaze bore into Isshin as he delivered the final revelation:

"To save Masaki Kurosaki's life, Captain Shiba, you must provide the power of a Shinigami."

As Urahara spoke, he retrieved a specially prepared object—a physical vessel he had crafted years ago in anticipation of such a need.

"This is a specialized gigai that embodies the power of humanity," he explained, holding it up for inspection. "Should your soul enter it, Captain Shiba, you'll become a hybrid of human and Shinigami. This fusion will provide the counterbalance needed to save Masaki."

Urahara's eyes narrowed, his tone grave as he continued. "However, once you enter this gigai, you will completely lose your Shinigami powers. From that moment forward, you can only exist as an ordinary human. You may not even retain the ability to see Hollows."

He paused, allowing the weight of his words to sink in. "Unless this woman dies, you will never be free of this limitation. Moreover, the Hollow influence within her may pass to future generations, requiring your power to suppress it indefinitely." Urahara looked directly into Isshin's eyes. "Even knowing all this, do you still wish to save her?"

Urahara doubted that the Captain of the 10th Division would abandon everything in Soul Society merely to save a Quincy. Such sacrifice seemed fundamentally un-Shinigami-like.

Ryuken's thoughts raced desperately. This offers him nothing but disadvantages—how could he possibly accept?

"Of course I'll save her!" Isshin declared without hesitation, surprising both onlookers. "You're explaining too much. Just tell me what to do. I enter this gigai, correct?"

Urahara couldn't mask his astonishment. "Is that so? Do you truly hold no attachment to Soul Society?"

Isshin's response came matter-of-factly, though his eyes reflected deeper emotions. "How could I not? There are countless things I cannot easily surrender. But even so, I must save her—otherwise, the man I become tomorrow will certainly look down upon the man I am today."

Ryuken stared at the scene, speechless.

To save a Quincy—someone who was nearly a stranger—this Shinigami was willing to sacrifice everything.

Ryuken had always adhered rigidly to family traditions, prioritizing the preservation of pure-blooded Quincy lineage above all else. Personal feelings, individual interests, everything had to yield to this singular purpose. This rigid adherence to tradition had directly led to Masaki's current desperate situation.

Compared to this Shinigami whom he had previously regarded with contempt, Ryuken's own stubborn principles now seemed like a cruel joke.

Working together, Urahara and Isshin initiated the procedure to save the Hollowfied Masaki. Using Isshin's power as a Captain-class Shinigami to create a spiritual boundary, they successfully halted Masaki's Hollowfication, returning her to a stable state.

Her fundamental nature had changed, of course. She was no longer a pure-blooded Quincy, but rather a hybrid whose spiritual makeup had been permanently altered by Hollow influence.

None of this escaped Shiroha's perception through his observation Haki. He witnessed everything with fascination, enjoying what amounted to a three-dimensional version of the anime. It was even more captivating than he had anticipated.

While Isshin and Masaki remained in close proximity at Urahara's shop, Ryuken Ishida—having lost both his fiancee and his faith—walked alone through the cold, rainy night. The young heir of the Ishida family experienced profound emptiness, loneliness, and a bone-deep chill that had nothing to do with the weather.

Yet even in this moment of vulnerability, Katagiri Kanae did not miss her opportunity. Taking advantage of his lowered defenses, she approached this "future king" with compassion and gentle words that would eventually penetrate his broken heart.

Back at the Court Army base, Shiroha enjoyed Michibane's attentive massage

He sighed softly. "It's a shame I don't have a camera right now; I would have loved to capture an image of the mighty Quincy breaking down like that. When he tries to act cool and aloof in the future, I could show him the photograph. Wouldn't that be priceless?"

While others fought their battles and struggled with their fates, he observed from afar, enjoying life and rapidly increasing his strength. In matters of lifestyle, strategic planning, and mental fortitude, these people were clearly outmatched.

The following day, after spending more time with Michibane, Shiroha ventured out alone. Since he was in Karakura Town, he decided it was time for a proper conversation with the self-proclaimed "Humble Shopkeeper" who was anything but humble.

He had always admired Urahara Kisuke. As a resourceful inventor and strategist, Urahara was truly exceptional. So, as someone who considered himself "Party A" in this developing drama, Shiroha thought it appropriate to pay his respects to "Party B."

After a short journey, he arrived before a small, unremarkable shop that attracted little attention from passersby. The wooden sign above the entrance read "Urahara Shop" in faded characters.

Glancing around, he noticed the absence of both the arrogant red-haired boy and the timid-looking girl who normally staffed the establishment. At this point in time, Urahara had not yet taken in Jinta and Ururu, those potential Soul King candidates.

"Urahara Kisuke! Your client's father has arrived—come out and greet your guest!" Sensing the various spiritual barriers surrounding the shop, Shiroha didn't hesitate to kick the door forcefully.

As a self-styled "senior investigator," he chose the direct approach. Today, Urahara would witness the power of the "Door-Kicking Brigade."

Inside the shop, the dark-skinned and impressively tall Tessai Tsukabishi was gathering spiritual pressure, preparing to unleash a kidō spell. Such an intrusive entrance clearly indicated an unwelcome visitor, so he saw no need for politeness.

However, Urahara, who stood nearby, hurriedly halted Tessai's action. Waving his folding fan with a cat-like smile spreading across his face, he called out:

"Welcome, Captain Commander Uehara! What an honor to have such a distinguished visitor grace our humble establishment!"

Despite having made extensive preparations beforehand, no amount of preparation would ever be sufficient when facing someone of Uehara's caliber. Even setting aside his official position, his unfathomable strength alone made him an unwise enemy to cultivate.

So Urahara, who typically preferred to remain secluded in his shop, chose to yield at the first opportunity.

Tessai, with his dreadlocked hair, regarded Urahara with barely concealed surprise. As the former Captain of the 12th Division and Director of the Department of Research and Development, was it really necessary for Urahara to be so deferential before a young Shinigami?

Manager Urahara, you've changed. You've become someone I don't recognize!

Then realization struck him—Urahara had addressed the Shinigami as "Captain Commander." This meant the young man before them was none other than Uehara Shiroha himself.

Yet even knowing the visitor was the Commander-in-Chief of the Court Army, Tessai remained unimpressed. He had once been the Grand Kidō Chief of the Kidō Corps; in terms of rank and prestige, they weren't so different...

Shiroha stepped into the shop, his eyes scanning the dimly lit interior with interest. The shelves were stocked with an eclectic assortment of merchandise—some mundane, others decidedly supernatural. The air smelled faintly of incense and something metallic that he couldn't quite identify—perhaps the residue of recent spiritual experiments.

"I see you've been busy with your little science projects," Uehara remarked casually, picking up a small candy dispenser shaped like a cartoon duck. "That was quite an interesting procedure you performed last night. Sacrificing a Captain's powers to save a Quincy? Soul Society would have a collective aneurysm if they knew."

Urahara's smile never wavered, though his eyes sharpened slightly. "We all make choices based on our personal calculus of value, General. Captain Shiba made his."

"Indeed he did," Uehara agreed, setting down the dispenser and moving deeper into the shop. "And what an interesting calculation it was. Love is truly the most unpredictable variable in any equation, wouldn't you agree?"

Tessai shifted his weight, ready to intervene if necessary, but Urahara subtly motioned for him to remain still.

"To what do we owe the pleasure of your visit?" Urahara asked, his tone pleasant despite the tension beneath. "I doubt you've come merely to discuss Captain Shiba's romantic inclinations."

Uehara laughed, the sound echoing in the quiet shop. "Can't a father check on his daughter's future family? After all, what happened last night has set certain events in motion that can't be undone." His expression turned more serious. "But you're right, of course. I'm not here just for social pleasantries. I'm here because you, Kisuke Urahara, interest me tremendously."

He turned to face Urahara directly. "A man of your talents shouldn't be hidden away in a dusty shop in the human world. Your brilliance is wasted here."

"You flatter me," Urahara replied carefully. "But I find this simple shopkeeper's life quite suitable."

"Do you?" Uehara's smile was knowing. "Or is it merely the best you can manage while you prepare for what's coming? We both know who's pulling strings from the shadows, don't we? The man with the glasses who thinks himself a god."

Urahara's fan stilled for just a moment—a nearly imperceptible hesitation that spoke volumes.

"I prefer to focus on the present," Urahara said finally. "The future has a way of arriving whether we're prepared or not."

"How philosophical," Uehara replied with a hint of mockery. "But I didn't come here to speak in riddles. I came to propose an alliance."

Now it was Urahara's turn to be surprised, though he masked it well. "An alliance?"

"Yes," Uehara confirmed, his voice dropping lower. "The game board is being set, Urahara. The pieces are moving into position. Aizen believes himself the master player, but there are other games happening simultaneously. I think you'd prefer to be on the winning side when all is said and done."

Tessai's eyes widened at the mention of Aizen, his spiritual pressure fluctuating slightly.

"And you believe you know which side that will be?" Urahara asked carefully.

Uehara's smile was confident, almost predatory. "I don't believe, Urahara. I know."

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