While Asuka was busy with his studies at the Shin'o Academy, and Captain Kyoraku was navigating the politics of various noble families alongside Kirio Hikifune to find candidates for Central 46...
In the back mountains of the Thirteenth Division, there was a secluded area covered by dense woods year-round.
Kaien Shiba sat cross-legged alone at the edge of a cliff.
His gaze fell upon an object wrapped in white cloth resting across his knees.
Slowly uncovering the white cloth, he revealed a bare hilt and a few fragments with charred edges, completely devoid of the luster of Spiritual Pressure.
It was his Zanpakuto, Nejibana.
Kaien reached out a finger and gently touched the cold fragments. A sharp, electric sting immediately shot through his fingertip.
It was an agony stemming from the depths of his soul—the rejection reaction between a Soul Reaper and their blade after the Zanpakuto's Bankai form had been destroyed.
That arrogant King of Heroes, standing upon his golden ship, had left him with an unforgettable brand for the rest of his life.
His Bankai's domain, originally an endless, raging tide, had been shredded in the storm of the Sword of Rupture, ultimately shattering his Zanpakuto beyond repair.
"Still... no answer?"
Kaien muttered bitterly to himself.
He tried calling out to the depths of his heart, but received no response.
Bankai was the true form of a Zanpakuto's soul, so once it was shattered, it was inherently difficult to restore through ordinary means.
Furthermore, because Nejibana had been broken in the Otherworld, a large portion of the sword spirit's fragments had scattered directly, dissipating into the space-time of Fuyuki City.
Even the Department of Research and Development was powerless to do anything about it.
"Could it be that my path as a Soul Reaper ends here..." Kaien let out a long sigh.
His choice to return to the Thirteenth Division as its lieutenant also stemmed from this consideration.
A Soul Reaper without a Zanpakuto... how could he possibly have the ability to be a captain...
"Yo! That gloomy face doesn't look at all like the hero who managed to come back alive after causing a ruckus in the Otherworld!"
A voice with a strong street-style vibe suddenly rang out from above a towering ancient tree behind Kaien.
Kaien shuddered.
Although he lacked a Zanpakuto, as a Soul Reaper with excellent spiritual senses, he hadn't detected the approach of any Spiritual Pressure at all!
He whipped his head around, his voice laced with surprise. "You're from Squad Zero... the God of the Sword, Lord Oetsu Nimaiya?"
"Bingo! Spot on, but too bad there's no prize, yeah!"
Oetsu leaped down from the tree trunk, landing in front of Kaien like a weightless fallen leaf.
Peering through his strange sunglasses, Oetsu's gaze fell on the fragments in Kaien's bundle. "Tsk, tsk, tsk... That's a nasty injury."
"It's not just a simple break. There's residual energy from the Otherworld on it... Your connection with this blade has completely dissolved."
Kaien lowered his head, masking the disappointment in his eyes with a bitter smile. "Lord Oetsu, did you grace me with your presence just to mock me?"
"Well, that's part of the reason." Oetsu stood up straight and looked at Kaien with a grin. "As the creator of the Zanpakuto, I smelled the rotting stench of your blade's absolute death back at the First Division the other day. I came over specifically to check on you."
"Just like that kid Asuka, you're an anomaly who crossed the boundaries of worlds and returned. I'm very curious about both of you."
Oetsu pointed at the fragments in Kaien's hands. "I was wondering if I could patch up this pile of scrap metal for you."
Kaien's pupils trembled as a sliver of hope ignited within him. "Can you fix it? Even if it can't be restored to its previous strength, as long as I can grip it again and continue..."
"Fix it? Even I can't quite manage that." Oetsu shook his head. "At least sixty percent of Nejibana's fragments were scattered in the Otherworld. They've probably vanished by now."
The spark of hope was instantly extinguished. Kaien could only laugh self-deprecatingly as he covered the fragments with the white cloth again. "Is that so... I guess it really is impossible."
"A Soul Reaper without a Zanpakuto... what kind of Soul Reaper is that..."
"Don't jump to conclusions just yet. Even though it can't be fixed, we can still try reforging it."
Oetsu's gaze slowly drifted downward, landing on another slender Zanpakuto tied to Kaien's waist.
"You've been carrying this blade around, haven't you?" Oetsu asked.
"Yes... this is Miyako's blade." Kaien untied the Zanpakuto and cradled it in his arms, his eyes turning gentle and sorrowful. "Ever since she was taken by that Hollow... I've kept this blade, offering prayers to it at home every day, as if she were still by my side."
Oetsu adjusted his glasses, his tone turning serious. "Very touching, yo. But you might not agree with the suggestion I'm about to make."
"But I still have to ask you, Kaien. Do you want to give this deceased person's blade meaning once again?"
Kaien paused, bewildered. "What do you mean?"
"Take this blade left behind by Miyako Shiba and reforge it together with the remains of Nejibana, merging the two into one," Oetsu said, enunciating every word.
"That... how is that possible!" Kaien exclaimed. "Lord Oetsu, you are the one who created the Zanpakuto. You should know better than anyone."
"Two Zanpakuto represent two independent sword spirits. Even if this blade has now regressed into an Asauchi, it was once a vessel engraved with Miyako's will."
"Forcibly fusing two blades together will only trigger a rejection of Reishi and cause an explosion..."
"Under normal circumstances, that would be true." Oetsu shoved his hands into his pockets and paced in front of Kaien. "Two blades are two different worlds. Forcing them together will only cause both to collapse."
"But Kaien, the blade in your hands is a special case."
Oetsu stopped pacing and pointed at the inherited blade in Kaien's arms. "When a Soul Reaper dies, the Zanpakuto loses its master's supply of Spiritual Pressure and regresses back into a nameless Asauchi."
"But from this blade, I can feel that Miyako Shiba had an incredibly strong dying wish..."
"It was an obsession to protect you, even if her soul was entirely devoured."
Kaien held his breath, his pupils trembling slightly.
"That obsession transformed into the purest brand, deeply etched into this Asauchi," Oetsu explained unhurriedly. "It is no longer a Zanpakuto with an independent sword spirit and name, but rather a piece of living iron that retains the instinct to protect Kaien Shiba."
"When I approached just now, I heard the whispers coming from inside this blade."
"It is the vow of a deceased blade." Oetsu looked into Kaien's shocked eyes. "Sensing your pain from losing your power, this blade let out a mournful cry, yearning to be reborn from the ashes."
"I heard its voice. It is willing to shatter its current form, serving as the framework and kindling to fill in Nejibana's missing fragments, transforming once again into the power to protect you."
"It was the will she left on this blade that made the choice."
Kaien lowered his head, looking at Miyako Shiba's blade in his arms.
He could almost feel a faint yet resolute pulsation emanating from the cold iron.
It was Miyako's soul, her love for him, leaving an eternal longing upon the freezing steel.
"This blade is willing to completely abandon its past form for me..." Kaien's voice grew hoarse, tears welling up in his eyes.
"So, the choice is yours, Kaien."
Oetsu turned around, facing away from him. "This kind of reforging is a hundred times more dangerous than simply forging an Asauchi. The entire process requires you to act as the guide for the Spiritual Pressure."
"If your will isn't firm enough, not only will the blade completely shatter, but you will also be injured by the backlash of Spiritual Pressure."
"If that's the case, do you still want to try?"
Kaien didn't hesitate for a moment.
He stood up, tightly strapping the white cloth containing Nejibana's remains and Miyako's inherited blade to his back. His gaze became as steady as a boulder once more.
"If it's to answer this will, if it's to continue protecting this world..."
"Lead the way, Lord Oetsu! No matter what kind of trial it is, I'll see it through to the end!"
"Excellent! I love that straightforward attitude of yours!" Oetsu snapped his fingers. "Well then, we need to change locations."
"You can't forge any good iron in a place like the Seireitei."
"Change locations? Where are we going?" Kaien asked, puzzled.
"My turf, of course! The Phoenix Palace!"