Chapter 79: Sealed Memories

Chapter 79: Chapter 79: Sealed Memories "Shutara Senjumaru?" Katori Nanatsuki sat cross-legged atop a black desert, recalling the dream he’d just experienced. A member of the Royal Guard—Shutara Senjumaru—had actually appeared in his dream! Nanatsuki lowered his gaze toward the shadow beside him. It was rapidly stretching and shifting into the form of Kagehime. "Kagehime, you’re the one who pulled me in here, right?" Nanatsuki asked. This black desert was his Inner World, and the white tower loomed not far in the distance. Kagehime spoke slowly. "That’s right~" "’Yumemaku’s’ dreams are easy to break. As long as I pull you into your Inner World, the illusion is shattered. A Zanpakutō closely linked to its Shinigami can do this." "That’s also why the wielder of ’Yumemaku’ hasn’t dared to use the third-layer dream until now. He needs to make sure you won’t be awakened by your Zanpakutō first." "I brought you here late on purpose—so you could recall the memories sealed away by Kidō." "’Yumemaku’s’ dreams aren’t like normal dreams. They’re yours, yes, but guided and manufactured by ’Yumemaku’, which allows them to bypass the Kidō seal." "That way, when you wake up, you’ll remember everything you dreamed." "I see," Nanatsuki muttered inwardly. He’d had that dream involving Shutara Senjumaru many times now—but the details always vanished after waking. Now it made sense. The recurring dream was actually a sealed memory. But remembering it only brought more questions. Based on what the dream showed, his Reishi body might not be an ordinary spiritual body. "’Reishi Shells’... did they already exist back then?" Nanatsuki recalled the term. In his previous life, that technology wasn’t perfected until the 12th Division formed the Research and Development Bureau. At this point in time, Hikifune Kirio was still the 12th Division’s captain, and the Bureau hadn’t even been founded yet. Which meant the emergence of "Reishi Shells" happened far earlier than he knew. If his spiritual body was one of them, then his encounter with Katori Batsu’unsai might not have been coincidence. The metal operating tables in the dream—on them lay bodies that looked almost identical to Batsu’unsai. So including himself, all the ones lying there... were Reishi Shells of Katori Batsu’unsai. "Never thought I’d end up inhabiting a Reishi Shell..." Nanatsuki realized that he had become something far removed from the typical Reishi Shell. Those shells usually had major flaws—violent tendencies, bloodlust—and if seriously injured, their spiritual bodies would collapse. But despite the injuries he’d sustained in the battle against Unohana Retsu, and the backlash from using Raikiri, his spiritual body hadn’t broken down. There had to be a deeper reason behind Shutara Senjumaru’s creation of Batsu’unsai’s Reishi Shells. But the dream only showed the moment he awoke on the surgical table. It wasn’t enough to deduce her true motive. ’If I could just access the Great Spirit Book Gallery, I might find an answer.’ That place recorded the history of Soul Society, and many key events were documented there. "Kagehime, you seem to know a lot about Yumemaku’s ability?" Nanatsuki asked. Her understanding of Kasumioji Tora’s Zanpakutō felt oddly precise. "That’s because it’s part of my ability~" Kagehime smiled sweetly. "It’s just something you can’t use yet~" "’Something I can’t use yet...’" Nanatsuki raised a brow. "Is that... a Bankai ability?" "You’ll have to keep working hard if you want to use me properly~" Kagehime didn’t elaborate further on Bankai. Instead, she changed the subject: "Time to send you back to reality." "The wielder of ’Yumemaku’ is probably still lost in the dream. That’s one of its limitations—it can’t force its user to exit the third-layer dream." Nanatsuki gave a nod, just as a powerful tugging sensation swept over him. The surrounding desert and Kagehime stretched out like a pulled film, blurring into afterimages. His consciousness soared upward—endlessly high. And at the exact moment he left the Inner World, he saw the very top of the white tower. A silver-haired girl—barely ten years old in appearance—sat perched on the edge of the tower. Her braided silver hair dangled over the side, longer than her own height. She wore only a sleeveless white dress. Her legs were bare, and her flawless white feet swung idly in the air. Noticing his gaze, the girl looked up. Her silver eyes were expressionless, her delicate features as cold as an autumn night. ... When Nanatsuki returned to himself, he was already back in the real world. The silver-haired girl sitting atop the tower—that had to be the other Zanpakutō spirit. But now wasn’t the time to dwell on it. The enemy hadn’t been dealt with yet. Nanatsuki quickly checked his body. He was unharmed—injuries from the dream had no effect on the physical world. He scanned the room. The scroll chamber was still filled with black mist, but it no longer affected him now that he’d exited the dream. ’Yumemaku’ could only drag one person into the dream at a time. The others hadn’t been affected by the mist. Somewhere nearby, the clash of blades could still be heard. Kyōraku Shunsui and the guards were still fighting. The Gotei patrol hadn’t arrived yet—it seemed not much time had passed. Kasumioji Tora stood just a short distance ahead, eyes tightly shut, his whole body trembling. He was clearly still trapped in the dream—but on the verge of waking. Nanatsuki’s expression turned cold. Kasumioji Tora had seen into his dream. That man now knew his secret. He couldn’t be allowed to live. Nanatsuki stepped forward, raising his blade. Lightning coiled along the edge. Shun Strike: Raikiri! Just as Kasumioji Tora’s eyes fluttered open, the lightning-wreathed blade filled his vision. He had no time to react. The blade pierced his skull in a single flash. The raw impact blasted his head open. Everything scattered was charred into cinders by the thunder. Nanatsuki flicked his blade, using Reiatsu to shake off the blood. Behind him, the headless corpse crumpled to the floor. The black mist in the scroll chamber faded rapidly. All eyes turned toward Nanatsuki. "Katori-kun, that was pretty ruthless of you. And fast, too!" Kyōraku Shunsui sighed. "You’re making me look bad here—I was struggling, you know!" Nanatsuki rolled his eyes. ’Was there really any need to say that out loud?’ This guy had clearly been holding back—he hadn’t even released his Zanpakutō! Just then, several figures in Shihakushō appeared through the broken wall—shattered earlier by Hadō. "Captain Kyōraku!" "Perfect timing! I was just about to hit my limit!" "We’ll assist you!" "They’re the intruders, you idiots!" Even so, a captain’s title carried great weight in the Gotei 13. Hearing Kyōraku’s cry for help, the newly arrived Shinigami ignored the guards and promptly subdued them instead.