Under the glow of the Sun Flames, the ice bead gradually melted, revealing the single Reishi particle buried within.
The moment the Reishi appeared, it seemed ready to dissolve into the world's nourishment, just as it had in the World of the Living. But after trembling once, it showed no further change.
That was the Sky Flames at work.
They allowed this space to accept the existence of that Reishi particle.
A drop of sweat slid down Tsunayoshi's forehead. In order to avoid harming that Reishi, he was concentrating fully, releasing the power of the Sun attribute bit by bit.
Compared to the consumption of Reiatsu, the mental strain was far greater.
After all, Hisana's memories were hidden within this single Reishi particle. If he made even the slightest mistake, Tsunayoshi truly would not know how to face Byakuya.
"Good. Move to the second step. Switch to Storm Flames and use their disintegration property to separate the different memories within the Reishi," the Tenth said.
This Reishi particle had come from the Memory Rosary. The memories within it did not belong solely to Hisana. Other memories were mixed in as well.
They had to find Hisana's memories alone.
Tsunayoshi switched to the power of the Storm attribute. The skull-shaped launcher aimed at the Reishi and released a flame no larger than a little finger. His right hand pressed against the skull launcher, afraid that a moment of carelessness would completely disintegrate the Reishi.
Under the burning of the Storm Flames, cracks appeared across the Reishi. Those were the traces left behind by different memories being forcefully fused together.
Under the power of disintegration, those traces were the first to break.
Gradually, the Reishi particle was broken down into even smaller fragments of energy.
As the one directly touching it, Tsunayoshi saw scene after scene appear before his eyes.
There were people.
There were landscapes.
There were fights.
There were lively festivals.
"I'm seeing many memories," Tsunayoshi said quickly.
"Switch to the Mist attribute. Project every memory you see. Byakuya, be ready!" the Tenth ordered swiftly and firmly.
Tsunayoshi moved just as quickly. The instant the skull launcher changed into a trident, he planted the trident against the ground, and one memory after another appeared before everyone's eyes.
The characteristic of the Mist Flames was construction.
Tsunayoshi could make others see the images he wanted them to see. This was an illusion constructed through Mist Flames.
"The one in the middle. That is where I first met Hisana!"
Byakuya pointed to the image in the center without the slightest hesitation.
There was nothing particularly special in the scene. A dilapidated street, old wooden houses, and not even a single distinct person or landmark that could serve as an identifying feature.
But Byakuya recognized it.
That was where he had met Hisana in the Rukongai.
It was also at that moment that he had decided to give that woman the Kuchiki surname.
"Use the Lightning attribute to wrap it up and make it an independent Reishi particle!"
The trident transformed into a pair of horns. Tsunayoshi swiped a finger across the horns, and his fingertip, crackling with lightning, pointed directly at the memory Byakuya had chosen.
The characteristic of the Lightning Flames was hardening.
Under the Tenth's guidance, Tsunayoshi used lightning as a shell around the memory, enclosing it once more. The memory, which had already begun to scatter, was wrapped in the hardened shell and returned to the shape of a Reishi particle.
However, this Reishi particle was only a few dozenths the size of the original. At most, its structure resembled Reishi. The energy inside it was far too little to truly count as a complete Reishi particle.
Seeing this, Mayuri Kurotsuchi could not help frowning.
The Tenth's method was indeed brilliant. It could precisely separate the memories belonging to Hisana Kuchiki.
But this tiny amount of Reishi could hardly be modified. It would even be difficult for the instruments to capture it. How could they possibly use it for Modified Soul work?
A faint smile appeared on Urahara's face.
Seeing Mayuri's subtle expression, he had already completely guessed what Mayuri was thinking.
That was good.
It proved that Mayuri would absolutely take this experiment seriously.
"Next comes the propagation of Cloud Flames, correct?" Urahara reminded them with a smile, having seen through the trace of anxiety in Mayuri's heart.
Mayuri had not directly taken part in the battle between Tsunayoshi and Yamamoto, so he had not immediately thought of the power of the Cloud attribute. That was why he had been worried about insufficient experimental material all along.
"That's right. Tsunayoshi, propagate the Reishi until there is enough to construct a normal soul," the Tenth confirmed.
The horns transformed into two tonfa held in Tsunayoshi's hands. He directly touched the tiny Reishi particle with the tonfa, and Cloud Flames poured into it.
With its hardened Lightning-attribute shell, the Reishi was no longer as fragile as before. It could withstand the direct burning of Cloud Flames.
Bathed in the Cloud Flames, the number of Reishi particles rapidly began to increase. Before long, they had grown to the size of a palm.
"That should be enough. Tsunayoshi, use your Sky Flames to harmonize them into true Reishi."
Because the Tenth's flames were still maintaining the stability of both the space and the Reishi, a different frequency of Sky Flames was needed to fuse these fragile Reishi particles into true Reishi.
The tonfa changed into X-Gloves.
Tsunayoshi cupped his hands around the pile of Reishi and released flame pressure stronger than what the Tenth was currently using.
The Tenth's Sky Flames were meant to stabilize the Reishi.
Tsunayoshi's goal was fusion.
Therefore, the intensity of his flame pressure had to be higher.
Visible orange flames wrapped around the Reishi. These spheres, each only a few dozenths the size of normal Reishi, began gathering and fusing into true Reishi.
After some time, Tsunayoshi panted lightly.
His entire body was soaked with sweat.
The radiance of the Sky Flames dispersed, and in Tsunayoshi's hands was Reishi that belonged solely to Hisana.
"Did it succeed?"
Byakuya walked to Tsunayoshi's side, almost unable to believe it.
Feeling Hisana's unmistakable presence coming from the Reishi, he wanted to reach out and touch it, yet he was afraid of affecting the next stage.
"I have fulfilled my duty."
Tsunayoshi sat down heavily on the floor.
The mental exhaustion he had endured was no less than fighting a battle beyond Bankai level.
"Thank you both. I, Byakuya, will repay this debt handsomely," Byakuya said seriously.
"We can discuss repayment later. Captain Kurotsuchi, can these Reishi complete the experiment now?" the Tenth asked Mayuri.
"Hmph. Nemu, bring them over."
Expressionlessly, Nemu placed the newly created Reishi into the instrument. To avoid accidents, she deliberately kept two particles as backups so Tsunayoshi could propagate them again later if needed.
After a series of operations that non-researchers could not understand, a small red pill identical to a Modified Soul appeared on an empty tray.
Nemu brought the tray to Kisuke Urahara.
In front of Urahara was an Artificial Soul the size of an arm.
"Usually, Artificial Souls have no thoughts. Like newborn infants, they must be nurtured afterward," Urahara explained.
"But this time, we used Modified Soul technology. Captain Kurotsuchi added some new techniques into it. When the Modified Soul enters the Artificial Soul, its memories will be stored in the soul's brain."
"Captain Kuchiki, at this point, we can basically say it has succeeded."
Urahara placed the Modified Soul against the Artificial Soul's forehead.
The Modified Soul immediately transformed into a stream of pure memory and fused into the Artificial Soul's body.
Byakuya walked to Urahara's side with visible joy on his face.
As the memories from the Modified Soul were injected, a baby girl who bore some resemblance to Hisana appeared before him.
"Manager, this isn't some alternative resurrection technique, is it?" Tsunayoshi asked curiously.
"No. Reishi has a lifespan to begin with. Lady Kuchiki's situation counts as an abnormal death. Leaving aside whether Captain Kurotsuchi and I would spend a great deal of time creating another Artificial Soul, Tsunayoshi, would you be willing to repeat what you just did for a stranger?"
"Forget it. Once was exhausting enough. I just want to sleep."
Tsunayoshi waved his hand and lay down on the floor without caring about his image.
For this so-called resurrection, Mayuri and Urahara's technology, along with Tsunayoshi's Sky-attribute flames, had all been indispensable.
"Captain Kuchiki, there is something I must tell you regarding your wife," Urahara said.
Hearing Urahara's words, Byakuya immediately withdrew his gaze and looked at him seriously, just like the family member of a patient.
"Please speak."
"I investigated this before. Your wife's spiritual body was relatively weak. Since she often remained in the Seireitei and the Kuchiki estate, her body was forcibly damaged by captain-class Reiatsu."
"In this soul, Captain Kurotsuchi and I adjusted the soul's strength. She can fully grow to become as powerful as Lieutenant Nemu Kurotsuchi."
"It is also precisely because these technologies were added that we did not have time to expand the soul to adult size. Your wife can only be raised from infancy."
"No, that is no issue at all. I have plenty of time to wait for her to grow up," Byakuya said excitedly. "I missed her past life. This is the perfect chance for the current me to make up for those regrets."
For Byakuya, raising his wife from infancy truly was not a problem.
With his captain-class strength, living for at least several hundred more years was not an issue at all.
"That's good. I suggest you purchase some childcare books and make up for your lack of knowledge. Also, although she is an Artificial Soul, your wife's body is no different from that of an ordinary person. She can give birth normally."
That final sentence was Urahara's main point.
Byakuya immediately gripped both of Urahara's hands and stated that if Urahara or Mayuri needed anything in terms of research funding, they could come to the Kuchiki Clan at any time.
A satisfied smile appeared on Urahara's face as well.
After going around such a large circle, Urahara's true goal had still been the Kuchiki Clan's purse.
While Byakuya expressed his gratitude, Rukia had already approached the newborn.
She curiously looked at the infant, whose soft newborn hair was the same color as her own. In her mind, she began wondering whether she should call this child her elder sister, her sister-in-law, or perhaps her younger sister.
Perhaps awakened by the voices of Urahara and Byakuya, Hisana's eyes trembled, and a faint whimper came from her mouth.
Byakuya, who had been watching Hisana at every moment, did not need Rukia to remind him. With a single Shunpo, he appeared beside her.
He watched with his own eyes as she struggled to open them.
The gaze in those eyes was still just as gentle as ever.
"Lord… Bya… ku… ya…"
Hisana wanted to raise her hand and hold Byakuya's finger, but she could not manage it no matter how she tried.
Still a newborn, she had only just spoken those four words when heavy sleepiness overtook her mind. Her fingers moved only slightly before she fell asleep again.
The joy and excitement on Byakuya's face completely transformed into ecstasy.
The fact that she could say those four words proved that the baby girl before him was the wife he had longed for.
Hisana Kuchiki had returned!
Byakuya could only cover his face with his hand. The awkward effort of wanting to laugh but fearing he would make too much noise twisted his expression somewhat.
Rukia stared blankly at her elder brother.
She could already imagine the scene of the cold-faced nobleman of the Seireitei carrying a baby everywhere he went.
In the past, perhaps the rules and honor of the Kuchiki Clan would have restrained Byakuya, preventing him from doing anything that might embarrass the family.
But now, Byakuya himself was the clan head.
His years of longing for Hisana would allow him to break through every obstacle.
Even if the entire Seireitei laughed at him, Byakuya would definitely keep Hisana by his side at all times.
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