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Chapter 374 B
🕑 Added 2025-06-10 15:03:01 +0000 UTCChapter 374
2-in-1 chapter:
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“Haah!!”
“Awaken, Slumbering Bear!!”
Kaelith shouted and sprang up from the bed, wearing a bright, heroic smile as if making a dramatic entrance.
Just as Aizen was about to say something, Kaelith, still smiling, suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood.
“?”
Aizen’s expression stiffened slightly.
He forced Kaelith back onto the bed and began checking his condition while asking what had just happened.
Upon hearing that Kaelith had simulated battles in his mind with a realism close to actual combat, Aizen was a bit surprised.
Simulating battles in one's mind was something most people could do.
He himself often used such methods to preview techniques and refine them in reality once the theoretical groundwork was confirmed.
But being able to simulate not just combat but another person’s full personality, to the point it was like fighting them directly within one’s mind—that, he had never heard of.
If one really wanted to do it, he supposed it was possible, but the required calculations would be massive and inefficient.
That time would be better spent refining Kidō techniques or condensing one’s spiritual pressure.
If someone else claimed to train this way, Aizen would likely dismiss them as insane.
But… with Kaelith, he didn’t find it entirely implausible.
After thinking it over, he decided to conduct a test.
“Come with me.”
Bringing Kaelith along, Aizen led him to the training ground.
“Kaelith, I’m going to attack you with a few techniques. Observe them and try to break them down using your internal simulation.”
“Once you’ve analyzed them, explain your countermeasures. I’ll judge how accurate your mental reconstruction is.”
“Oh, no problem! Leave it to me!”
Kaelith showed a confident expression and patted his chest.
Under his eager gaze, Aizen drew his Zanpakutō and launched an attack.
Watching the trajectory of Aizen’s strikes, Kaelith dodged back and forth while looking a bit puzzled.
Aizen’s attacks looked fierce and threatening, but they were actually riddled with openings. He could counterattack at any time and take him down.
Why bother simulating this? Wouldn't it be faster to just finish him off right here?
Thinking that, he prepared to act.
But before he could move, Aizen suddenly halted.
“That’s enough.”
“Now, use your simulation ability to reconstruct the battle. Then explain the counter.”
Under Aizen’s watchful gaze, Kaelith closed his eyes and recreated the fight within his mental world.
A void materialized into the training ground.
Then, Aizen—graceful, composed, with Kyōka Suigetsu in hand—appeared in simulation.
Simulated Aizen raised his hand into a ready stance.
Staring at him, Kaelith spoke:
“Sōsuke, do you have any tricks for breaking the combo you’re about to use?”
Under his expectant look, the simulated Aizen gave a light chuckle.
“I’m merely a replica formed in your mind. Everything I possess—my abilities, my knowledge—comes only from the information you have.”
“You don’t even know what techniques I’ll use. So how could I know?”
“Useless.”
Kaelith clicked his tongue.
The smile faded from simulated Aizen’s face. His eyes narrowed.
Without giving Kaelith time to prepare, his figure flashed forward, instantly closing the distance.
In a blur of light, he repeated the three slashes Aizen had used earlier.
Because Kaelith had already seen these moves in reality, he avoided them with ease.
But just as he went to counterattack, simulated Aizen suddenly flipped his wrist and changed his grip on Kyōka Suigetsu, swinging the blade upward.
This move hadn’t appeared in the real battle, so Kaelith didn’t react in time.
The fist he’d already thrown was intercepted by the unexpected slash, leaving a bloody cut on his arm.
“Huh?”
Looking at the wound, Kaelith’s face showed surprise.
He had thought he had completely taken control of the real battle and was ready to beat Aizen senseless—but apparently, Aizen had hidden one more trick.
Staring at the simulated Aizen before him, his interest spiked.
Wiping the scene, he restarted the simulation.
The first time Aizen flipped the blade, Kaelith dodged it effortlessly. But then he found that Aizen had preemptively planted a Kidō spell at a likely dodge point.
In casual sparring, Kaelith usually just barreled through spells like that—they didn’t do much damage anyway.
But today, his goal was to avoid injury completely.
Facing the simulated Aizen’s trap, he sidestepped the rising blast.
After about ten minutes, Kaelith opened his eyes.
“Finished?”
Aizen stood off to the side, arms crossed, watching patiently.
Kaelith nodded.
“I’ve seen through your technique!”
“Good.”
Aizen nodded. “Let’s test it.”
The two returned to the field and resumed the fight.
Aizen raised his arm—same attack sequence as before.
But when they reached the point where Aizen had stopped earlier, he now flipped his grip and slashed upward.
Clang!!
Kaelith grinned and blocked the blade using Rixiang Jimie, smashing Aizen’s strike aside.
Aizen gave a near-imperceptible nod and twitched his fingers.
A pre-cast Kidō spell emerged from the ground at Kaelith’s feet.
Kaelith, seemingly expecting it, stepped down hard.
At the moment of impact, he activated an identical Kidō from beneath his foot. The clash of spiritual energy created a mutual destruction effect anti-Kidō counter-cancellation—and both spells were nullified.
If the earlier upward slash could be chalked up to Kaelith’s quick reflexes, then this Kidō response was undeniable proof of preparation.
After exchanging a few more moves, Aizen withdrew.
Continuing like this would only make him look bad.
Facing Kaelith, his mood grew complicated.
The small traps hidden in his movements weren’t noticed by Kaelith in real-time.
But after simulating for a mere ten minutes, he had deconstructed everything.
Could this guy actually be a genius?
Sheathing his Zanpakutō, Aizen was silent for several seconds.
“Facts are facts. Your simulation ability is indeed strong.”
“To be able to train at high intensity without consuming your opponent’s time or energy—this is the best method to rapidly improve your strength.”
“If used together with the Superhuman Drug, your simulation rate could increase by thousands of times.”
“Even if your spiritual pressure doesn’t grow, the sheer combat experience will boost your combat power no less than spiritual energy itself.”
“As for spiritual pressure, leave it to me. I’ll help you raise it.”
“What we need to solve now is the physical burden caused by your brain operating thousands of times faster under the effect of the Superhuman Drug.”
“First is heat dissipation. This can usually be handled by immersion in fluid... but no, your heat output is too high. Unless you’re soaking in a lake or seawater, there’s no cooling fluid sufficient to handle it.”
“Nutritional consumption is also a problem. The brain is the most energy-consuming organ, and with how you’re using it, you’ll run out of nutrients very quickly...”
Hearing this, Kaelith suddenly thought of something.
“Speaking of heat dissipation, I have an idea!”
...............................
.........
.
Shino Academy, a certain classroom.
Hitsugaya Tōshirō sat in the classroom, his expression serious, listening intently to the lecture, occasionally taking notes.
Given his personality, he normally wouldn’t be this studious.
But, to repay a certain person’s kindness, he had long since resolved that no matter how exhausting or difficult it was, he would persist.
Just becoming a Shinigami was far from enough.
At the very least, he needed to become a warrior so strong that even Menos Grande would fear him—just like that dark-skinned woman with golden hair. Only then would he be qualified to repay that person.
While organizing his notes, Hitsugaya Tōshirō also communicated with his Zanpakutō in his mind.
In the past, while living with his grandmother, he had always assumed that this presence inside him was some kind of monster and had avoided contact, afraid it would break free.
Only after enrolling in the academy did he realize this was no monster—it was the spirit of his Zanpakutō.
Once he stopped resisting and began sincerely communicating, he quickly gained its power and learned to use Shikai.
Hinode Kinoshita, now promoted to director, had been overjoyed upon learning that a first-year had already achieved Shikai.
He specially called Tōshirō in to speak with him, checking on his mental and physical well-being.
After their talk, he was even more pleased.
Though a bit inexpressive and cold in temperament, this Hitsugaya student was clearly a serious and hardworking young man.
Far better than that certain slacker from the past who had deliberately held back and made him look like a fool.
As the talk ended, he casually asked:
“By the way, Hitsugaya-kun, have you thought about which division you want to join in the future?”
Hitsugaya Tōshirō nodded.
“I want to join the Eleventh Division and serve under Captain Kaelith.”
“……”
For the rest of that day, Hinode Kinoshita felt like he'd been spiritually struck by a ghost.
Another promising seedling... about to be turned into a berserker by the Eleventh Division.
The pain—too much to bear!
While Hitsugaya Tōshirō focused on connecting with his Zanpakutō, the classroom door was suddenly thrown open.
Everyone in the room turned to look.
A group of towering, fierce-looking men stood at the door, exuding an overwhelming aura.
These muscle-bound men in Shihakushō quickly scanned the room.
“Which one of you is Hitsugaya Tōshirō?!”
The students instinctively looked toward the white-haired boy in the back row.
Because he always focused on studying and training, Tōshirō had never made friends.
His classmates viewed him with a mix of awe and distance.
Now that it seemed he had provoked Shinigami, no one dared say a word.
Under their gazes, Tōshirō slowly stood up.
He looked calmly toward the doorway.
“What’s the matter?”
Only then did the teacher on the podium realize what was happening.
He quickly came forward, looking furious, ready to stop what he assumed was an act of violence.
But before he could say anything, the muscle men moved in perfect synch, splitting into two neat rows:
“Lord Hitsugaya! Big Brother Kaelith requests your presence!”
“Please accompany us to the Eleventh Division!”
Tōshirō: “……”
???
Big Brother Kaelith—as in Kaelith?
Kaelith, requesting him to go to the Eleventh Division?
His eyes lit up.
Could it be that Kaelith had heard of him and wanted to recruit him early?
After a brief surge of excitement, anxiety followed.
Even though he had achieved Shikai, his combat strength wasn’t outstanding, and he didn’t have a firm grasp of Shinigami knowledge yet.
Would it really be okay to join now?
With a somewhat uneasy heart—and under the astonished and envious gazes of his classmates—he followed the Shinigami to the Eleventh Division…
..........................
.......
.
Tōshirō felt conflicted.
In front of him was a large coffin-like container.
The man he had admired was lying inside, eyes closed in sleep.
Tubes were attached to his body, pumping in green liquid.
Meanwhile, Tōshirō stood ready, gripping his Zanpakutō.
Inside the container, Kaelith’s body had turned red.
Large amounts of steam billowed from him.
Beside him, the stockpile of ice prepared in advance was melting at a rapid rate.
Tōshirō quickly raised his Zanpakutō.
As the ice nearly melted completely, he swung down hard:
“Reign over the Frosted Heavens—Hyōrinmaru!!”
With his slash, a blue ice dragon materialized out of thin air and surged into the container with a crashing sound, freezing around Kaelith in a thick layer of ice.
Kaelith, whose temperature had been rapidly rising, began to cool down.
Tōshirō lifted his hand to wipe the sweat from his brow.
Since arriving here, he had repeated this same operation dozens of times.
According to Kaelith and the glasses-wearing man nearby, this was part of his training.
And although it was effective, was this really okay?
The constant alternating between heat and cold—was that really safe?
Unable to hold back, he glanced at the man beside him—Sōsuke Aizen.
Aizen stood there with a faint smile, his glasses reflecting the light, like a final boss in some lewd game.
Terrifying—truly terrifying.
With heavy psychological pressure, Tōshirō lifted his Zanpakutō again.
“Reign over the Frosted Heavens... Hyōrinmaru!!”
A new wave of ice surged into the container…
Though still young, Tōshirō’s Zanpakutō was already showing the potential to be the most powerful ice-type in Soul Society.
With Hyōrinmaru’s help, Kaelith’s unique training began advancing at an astonishing pace.
Each day, within his spiritual world, he engaged in life-or-death battles with Yamamoto, holding nothing back.
At first, he only faced Yamamoto’s Shikai.
Gradually, as he became more accustomed to the intensity of the fights, Kaelith began lifting restrictions on Yamamoto.
Until eventually... he allowed Bankai.
In the spiritual world, Kaelith stood wielding metal claws, shadows writhing beneath his feet.
Before him stood Yamamoto Shigekuni, holding a long blade of ash, his face calm and emotionless.
This was their three-thousandth clash with Yamamoto in Bankai.
In the previous 2,999 fights, Kaelith had lost 2,128 times.
Every defeat ended in death.
Burned to death, roasted to death... most often, cleaved in two by a single strike from Zanka no Tachi.
At first, dying repeatedly had left Kaelith mentally shaken.
But slowly, even death ceased to scare him.
Watching Yamamoto slowly raise his blade, Kaelith took a deep breath.
He had a feeling—this time, he wouldn’t lose.
After a brief standoff, both stepped forward at the same time, charging straight at one another!!
