"There's a difference."
Shutorara Sennenmaru said casually: "The Captain-Commander needs robes that appear as soon as one becomes a 'Shinigami.'"
"And as long as the Shinigami is alive, their robes will continuously regenerate, providing some protection."
"If I had to say, it's adding something to the Soul Society's 'reishi rules,' right?"
Adding to the world's rules...
Fujimiya Makoto's eyes widened at this.
You!
Don't say something so casually that's so extraordinary!
He suddenly remembered that in the original story, when Ichigo first received Rukia's reishi, the Shinigami robes and Zanpakutō appeared on Ichigo.
Clearly, his clothes and sword couldn't have been taken from Rukia.
No wonder...
Something that seemed so simple had actually reached the level of rules?
If she had this ability, Shutorara being selected for the Zero Division in the future wouldn't be surprising.
"Oh—I see!"
Saito Futaba clapped her hands, seeming to understand, nodding pretentiously.
"So, what experiment do you need us to do?"
Shutorara smiled gently: "Of course, it's a protection and clothing repair experiment."
"And the reishi control device Makoto mentioned, I have some ideas too."
As she spoke, a pair of black bracelets appeared in her hands.
The bracelets' surface was engraved with intricate reishi patterns, glowing brilliantly.
Fujimiya Makoto asked in confusion: "What's this?"
"Reishi limiters." Shutorara Sennenmaru smiled, "Originally created to prevent high-level Shinigami from accidentally killing too many humans when going to the human world."
"But due to their strong reishi suppression effect, they're also very effective for training reishi control."
"Huh?!" Saito Futaba's single eye widened, "There's such a thing?"
"Give me one too!"
With this, even an ordinary vice-captain could fight her evenly, right?
Saito Futaba was the type to get excited as soon as combat was mentioned—for these killers, the hardest thing was having no fights.
"Yes, yes."
Shutorara Sennenmaru agreed very gently.
Looking at Saito, she seemed like a farmer looking at a lush green onion.
Fujimiya Makoto, following Shutorara's instructions, put the bracelet on his wrist.
The next moment.
"Buzz—"
In that brief instant, Fujimiya Makoto felt as if his entire body was shackled with heavy chains, every limb and body part feeling instantly a hundred times heavier.
However, this was just an illusion.
What was truly affected most were the active reishi particles in his body, which he had previously controlled like an arm.
Judging by Kidō level alone.
If the previous Fujimiya Makoto could struggle to use Kidō up to the 70s or 80s, now, even with great effort, he could probably only manage mid-level Kidō in the 30s or 40s.
The gap was immeasurable.
Also affected were strength, speed, agility...
Because reishi was the essence of a Shinigami.
"Wow!"
"I really feel much weaker!"
Saito Futaba also put on the bracelet, but her face showed surprise.
This feeling of being constrained by pressure was unexpectedly to her liking!
If she kept this state, she could enjoy fighting to the fullest, right?
"Glad you like it."
Shutorara Sennenmaru smiled, her bone hands suddenly stretching out, tapping both their chests.
Fujimiya Makoto and Saito discovered their Shinigami robes suddenly burning like fiery flames, enveloping them in black-red flame-like streams.
However, this state came and went quickly.
Almost as the burning stopped, the black-red flames reverted to their original clothing shape.
But there was a subtle difference.
Fujimiya Makoto looked at his sleeves and hakama, clearly feeling the clothing's tightness and specific areas more fitted to his figure, almost like a tailored state.
Clothes that automatically adjust size?
"Hey—wait!"
Just as he thought this, Saito suddenly shouted again.
Turning, he saw her hugging her chest, her face red, complaining loudly:
"Why did my clothes suddenly change like this?!"
Fujimiya Makoto glanced.
Then, he saw Saito's originally flat chest under loose clothing now outlining a considerable curve.
Incredible!
This is the effect of tailored tightening clothes?!
Fujimiya Makoto looked once, twice, three times.
He was immediately caught by Saito, who shouted:
"Pervert!"
"Don't look here!"
So, he turned to look at Shutorara...
Still flat as usual.
Sigh.
That's probably it.
"Makoto."
Shutorara Sennenmaru narrowed her eyes, her smile very dangerous:
"Your primitive amoeba-like brain seems to be thinking something interesting. Can you share it with me?"
"..."
Fujimiya Makoto was silent for a while, sighing:
"This fabric, hmm, I've never worn such fitted clothes before."
"Thank you very much, Shutorara."
"Is that so."
Shutorara Sennenmaru showed no intention of letting him off, her smile growing more dangerous:
"In that case, please help me with the next Kidō test."
"Huh?!"
Fujimiya Makoto was stunned.
The next second, he saw Shutorara still smiling, extending her hand:
"Kidō Eighty-Eight..."
"Eighty-level Kidō can't be blocked no matter what?!"
"...Flying Dragon Strike Thief Thunder Cannon!"
The roaring thunder pierced the air, exploding in the center of the wasteland-like training ground, creating a flashing arc.
Fujimiya Makoto fled in panic!
Shutorara really held a grudge!
On the other hand, Saito Futaba, at the most inopportune moment, keenly grasped Shutorara's weakness.
She looked down at her tightly fitted, bulging clothes, then at Shutorara's flat chest, subtly realizing the vast difference between wealth and poverty in terms of personality.
"So... being bigger is actually good?"
The twin-tailed girl muttered softly, inadvertently hitting Shutorara's sore spot.
Shutorara turned, her eyes tightening as she raised her hand:
"Saito, don't think you can escape!"
"Huh?!"
Soon, the originally flat, vast wasteland was filled with craters.
It had to be said, Shutorara's total reishi was immense.
...
When these two troublemakers emerged from the training ground, their clothes were mostly restored, but their faces were covered in black marks—from Kidō explosions.
The experiment was successful, with very satisfactory results.
As long as a Shinigami's reishi remained, their robes would continue to regenerate automatically, providing constant protection.
However, what a Shinigami protected by their robes would look like was hard to say.
"Makoto! It's all your fault for staring!"
"You got me hit too!"
Saito Futaba, leaving the door, immediately complained loudly, her face still covered in black ash.
"Huh?" Fujimiya Makoto retorted, "I'm a gentleman, it was clearly you who spoke up and angered Shutorara!"
Saito Futaba felt guilty at this but still puffed up her small chest:
"She clearly hit you first! What does it have to do with me?!"
Fujimiya Makoto equally loudly:
"It's also the fault of your two legal dumplings!"
"What dumplings! They're clearly big, okay?!" Saito shouted, grabbing his arm, "Jerk! Idiot! Baldy! Fujimiya Makoto!"
"Has my name become an insult too?!"
"I don't care! You're treating me to a meal today!"
"I've been running until I'm hungry."
"Ramen, how about it?" Fujimiya Makoto was also hungry, but when ordering, he didn't treat Saito like a girl, "I remember there's a ramen shop in District Nine, the taste seems good, and the meat portion is huge."
"Very affordable."
"Okay! Let's go there!"
Fortunately, Saito wasn't an ordinary girl.
Seeing her easily excited and noisy demeanor, Fujimiya Makoto couldn't help but relax.
Although the Hueco Mundo expedition plan had been set, preparations for logistics and personnel deployment would still take time.
Longer, a year or two; shorter, three to five months.
Even as a Shinigami, he couldn't prepare a hundred-thousand-strong expedition in three days like a great warrior.
Fujimiya Makoto needed to make good use of this time.
Before long, feeling they had only been bickering for a moment, the two arrived.
Fujimiya Makoto walked ahead, lifting the curtain, casually calling out:
"Four extra-large bowls of ramen!"
"Pork bone broth with everything!"
"Ooh—"
Since it wasn't yet the 13th Division Shinigami's off-duty time, most were still busy, so the shop was quite empty, with only two or three customers.
Just these few people, noticing their clothes, quickly left the shop, not daring to look at them.
Soon, the large bowls of ramen were served.
"I'm starting!" x2
Fujimiya Makoto wasn't picky, eating faster than a starving ghost when hungry.
The slurping sounds were very loud.
Surprisingly, Saito beside him seemed quieter than usual, gently blowing on the still hot soup, taking small bites of the hot noodles.
Probably a bit of a cat tongue.
Her hand lifted one side of her drooping twin tail, revealing a section of white neck from the side.
In contrast, her face was covered in black, with a black eyepatch, looking quite fierce.
This Saito was quite rare.
Fujimiya Makoto thought.
Seeming to notice his gaze, or perhaps simply realizing the slurping had stopped, Saito Futaba turned to him, her left cheek stuffed with noodles, speaking in her usual cheeky tone:
"What are you looking at?"
"Nothing." Fujimiya Makoto, quite familiar with her, smiled casually, "I just think Saito looks cute when eating."
"Huh?"
Saito Futaba swallowed the noodles in her mouth, revealing her signature evil smile, her snake-like tongue licking soup from her lips, saying casually:
"You're quite bold, aren't you?"
"Saying that to me, a killer?"
Fujimiya Makoto looked at her extending snake-like tongue, not knowing which nerve was triggered, and subconsciously reached out to grab it.
[I'll tug your little tongue!]
The little broken sword's tone was unusually cheerful.
Saito's expression froze, her face turning bright red.
The next second, her small mouth fiercely bit his finger.
Fujimiya Makoto quickly pulled back, feeling the pain.
Before he could react, Saito was already shouting:
"Fujimiya Makoto——!"
"Boss, put it on the tab!"
Fujimiya Makoto's voice was almost a desperate wail, turning to run.
Saito's figure also vanished instantly.
Soon, the sound of banging and fighting came from outside.
In just one day, Fujimiya Makoto was beaten up twice.
So miserable...