In a vast open space
Shinji's eyes suddenly flashed white.
Then
Thunderbolts rained down from the sky.
Boom!
Blue lightning crackled through the air, carrying searing heat as it struck repeatedly.
But surprisingly, each bolt shattered the moment it reached Shinji.
"Ultra Reiatsu Wall." A smirk played across Shinji's lips as he slowly rose into the air.
After entering the "Three Stage" Shinji had naturally acquired a new ability
A completely transparent barrier, the Ultra Reiatsu Wall.
When activated, Shinji's eyes emit a flash of white light, and an invisible wall of Reiatsu forms around his body, Any object that touches it is instantly shattered.
Aizen once used this ability to obliterate the high-density Reiatsu entity "Kutu" in the Shattered Realm.
This kind of Reiatsu wall is so powerful that even a Captain who crashes into it unprepared would be severely injured.
"I'm faster, Stronger My Reiatsu has grown into an entirely new dimension Compared to before.. I've improved by more than just a little."
"Even my defense is on another level, I bet even Szayelaporro's special toxin-infused Cero couldn't break through now."
Feeling satisfied, Shinji clenched his fists.
Both his physical condition and Reiatsu had improved noticeably.
But most importantly
He'd broken his limit again.
His power was about to enter a rapid-growth phase until he reached saturation, then would come the Four Stage.
"Time to head out, If I keep waiting.." With a grin, Shinji turned and left.
---
-Outside
As Shinji returned to the Kuchiki residence, he suddenly paused.
"Rangiku's Reiatsu? At the Kuchiki mansion? Did she come looking for me?"
Scratching his head, Shinji followed the signature of her Reiatsu.
Crossing through the second corridor, he entered the far-left room, sensing Rangiku's presence inside, He opened the door
"A secret passage?"
He was stunned for a moment when he opened the closet, then sighed in exasperation.
Apparently, this was the Women's Shinigami Association's office.
Shinji looked helpless.
These women really didn't treat the Kuchiki residence like someone else's home, They'd even built a secret corridor right inside it!
He suddenly remembered that Byakuya Kuchiki had once mentioned he had kicked them out multiple times
But it never worked.
Now, the mansion was riddled with hidden rooms and passageways, Even Byakuya didn't know about them all.
Following Rangiku's Reiatsu, Shinji walked deeper in.
He arrived at a fully enclosed room, marked with a sign No Unauthorized Entry.
"This is my house, Am I unauthorized?"
After thinking for two seconds, he concluded he wasn't, and opened the door.
Next second
Shinji rushed back out, sweating, and slammed the door shut.
Then, the door opened again.
Matsumoto Rangiku, dripping wet, peeked out with a teasing smile.
"What's this? Captain Shinji said he wasn't interested, but still showed up, huh?"
"How was I supposed to know you guys were having a swimming party here?!" Shinji cried, covering his face "And you built a bath down in the basement of my house! Isn't that insane?!"
He had just seen a group of female Shinigami in swimsuits, bathing.
Among them, the first person he'd noticed was Unohana Retsu.
Not to mention, that pool was.. really white Seriously, these women had guts.
Being able to construct such a secret bathhouse beneath the Kuchiki estate without anyone noticing, these female Shinigami had some serious skills.
"Oh my, is Captain Shinji interested in our little get-together?" Unohana Retsu, calmly drying her hair, stepped out with a gentle smile.
"Would you like to join us? The lake's big, and there are so many female Shinigami here, It's a rare opportunity, you know~" As she spoke, she elegantly coiled her hair up.
Then.
One by one, heads began to poke out from behind the door.
Rukia, Ise Nanao, Kusajishi Yachiru, Kotetsu Isane, Nemu Kurotsuchi..
Even Sui-Feng, the stoic 2nd Division Captain, glanced over with soapy hair, only to huff and pull back behind the door.
"Forget it, forget it." Shinji muttered with an awkward smile, though his eyes couldn't help wandering for a few more glances.
He had to admit, it was quite the sight.
Joining them might be a great idea..
But the consequences?
Could be terrifying.
So.
"Let's not, I've got other things to do, I'll be on my way."
Without waiting for Unohana to respond, Shinji vanished on the spot with Shunpo.
"What a pity." Unohana smiled softly, What exactly she was regretting, though, no one could say.
---
-Back at the 10th Division headquarters
Shinji wiped cold sweat from his brow.
It had been tempting, no doubt.
Although most of the other female Shinigami got along well with him, even with Sui-Feng, despite her past hostility and the fact that Shinji had buried Nemu's "father"
There was one exception: Unohana Retsu.
Lying back on the sofa, Shinji picked up a paper from the table.
It showed Hitsugaya Tōshirō's current stats and progress.
"Truly a genius, In just a few days, he's already touched on his sword's Zanpakutō Looks like he'll master Shikai soon."
Flipping through the data, Shinji smiled.
The more talent Hitsugaya showed, the more pleased Shinji was.
After all, that was part of the plan.
If Hitsugaya could reach Bankai early..
Shinji could retire sooner, live like a fisherman, and spend his days watching the leisurely lives of female Shinigami.
"Shinji, I'm hungry again." Just then, Nelliel woke up and, rubbing her eyes, toddled over to Shinji and climbed onto him, speaking pitifully.
As a Vasto Lorde Arrancar, Nel required a massive amount of Reiatsu just to maintain her form.
To fully stabilize her body at this level without degrading, the amount of Reiatsu she needed was astronomical.
Anyone else would've been drained dry.
Only Shinji, whose Reiatsu recovery was practically inhuman, could keep her going.
"Alright, Take as much as you need." Holding her close, Shinji began transferring Reiatsu into Nel's body.
In the process of absorbing Reiatsu, another inevitable problem arises, loss and inefficiency in the absorption process.
The Reiatsu released by Shinji can't be absorbed 100% by Nel, Her digestion and conversion rate present a real issue.
And during the process, a considerable amount of Reiatsu is wasted.
This phenomenon is unavoidable.
"Should I mix in the power of the Hōgyoku?"
After a brief pause, Shinji ultimately decided to infuse his Reiatsu with the power of the Hōgyoku, letting Nel absorb it.
There's no doubt about Nel's strength.
But the fact remains, her mask is broken.
The Hōgyoku would help heal Nel's injuries and accelerate her evolution.
As a gem capable of granting wishes and reflecting the soul, the Hōgyoku can fulfill a wish, as long as the host possesses the power to realize it.
And right now, Shinji's Reiatsu is more than sufficient.
Taking Nel's physical condition into account, Shinji gently embraced her, lay down on the sofa, and gradually drifted off to sleep.
Before they knew it, night had fallen.
"Hmm Did I fall asleep?" Shinji blinked in the darkness, rubbing his eyes Suddenly, he felt an unusual weight on his body.
Looking down, he froze.
This is..
"So sleepy.." At that moment, Nel yawned, her eyes fluttering open When she spotted Shinji, she lit up and immediately pounced on him.
"Shinji!!!"
"Ahh, Nel! Let go! You're crushing me, it's too much, I'm going to die!"
"Nel loves Shinji the most!"
"Love me later, please let go first! I really can't take this!"
"Eh?"
Nel blinked in confusion but obediently released her grip, grip strong enough to crush steel, and knelt in front of Shinji.
"You, you've returned to your Vasto Lorde form?" Shinji took a deep breath and stared at her in surprise.
That's right.
At some point during his nap, Nel had returned to her adult form, her Vasto Lorde Arrancar state.
"Mm-hmm, I changed back to Vasto Lorde form this afternoon."
Nel nodded cheerfully, her glittering eyes rubbing against Shinji's face "Then I fell asleep holding Shinji, Your arms are just too comfy."
Hearing this, Shinji scratched his head, blinking at her for a moment "Nel it's time you changed clothes."
Touching his nose awkwardly, Shinji glanced at her.
That blue coat was fine when she was in her Adjuchas form, but now, not so much.
Her toned abs, those long legs, who could ignore that?
And with how clingy Nel was toward him, Shinji had to consider the implications.
If it were someone else's girl, it wouldn't be his business.
But Nel? She's his responsibility.
Her outfit had to change, No questions asked.
Thinking this through, Shinji handed her his captain's haori and a spare Shiba-style uniform.
"Here, take these for now, I'll get you proper clothes tomorrow."
"Okay~" Nel nodded sweetly, then got up and changed right in front of Shinji without hesitation.
Seeing this, Shinji touched his nose again.
Moments later, with the Shinigami uniform and haori draped over her, Nel's presence changed drastically.
If one ignored the fragment of her helmet still on her forehead, she looked, and felt, like a full-fledged captain-class Shinigami.
But then, her regal aura vanished.
Smiling brightly, Nel suddenly launched herself at Shinji again.
With a powerful thud, Shinji was knocked straight back onto the sofa.
"Nel, how are you feeling now? Can you only maintain the Vasto Lorde state temporarily, or have you fully recovered it?" Holding her gently, Shinji asked with curiosity.
He was genuinely interested in her current condition.
"I think I've mostly recovered." Nel snuggled against Shinji and looked up at him "When I was absorbing your Reiatsu this afternoon, there was something inside it that felt really nice."
"After taking that in, my injuries healed a lot."
"So now, I think I can stay in my Vasto Lorde form for a long time."
"Unless I go through non-stop intense battles or take another serious hit I think I'm stable at this level."
"And it's all thanks to Shinji." At the end, Nel smiled and hugged him again, snuggling against him with a soft.
"The Hōgyoku really works wonders." As Shinji enjoyed the warmth of her affection, he gently stroked her hair, lost in thought.
Just like Aizen once used the Hōgyoku to help Hollows evolve and become Arrancars.
Shinji could do the same.
And perhaps, even better.
Nel m, who had almost fully recovered to her Vasto Lorde form, was proof of that.
So then.
If Shinji kept channeling Hōgyoku's power into Nel, could it push her evolution even further?
Could an Arrancar evolve beyond the Vasto Lorde stage?
If so, what would that even look like?
Shinji was intrigued.
It might be worth experimenting.
Plus, further developing the Hōgyoku's power would help him fuse with it more completely, pushing him closer to the fourth stage.
As he pondered this, Shinji subconsciously touched his chest.
"Oh right, Nel, I might be able to help Pesche and Dondochakka return to their Arrancar forms."
"Same method as what I did with you this afternoon." As he said this, Shinji stopped stroking her hair.
"Don't forget, remind them to come by tomorrow."
"Shinji is the best!" Overjoyed, Nel threw herself at him again, her head crashing into his chest with a resounding boom!
The floor gave way.
Together, they fell straight through to the floor below.
In the room downstairs..
Saito Yanagawa stared, dumbfounded, at Shinji and Nel lying in each other's arms on the ground.
Then he glanced up at the gaping hole in the ceiling, and the night sky beyond.
At this hour, in a supposedly empty office.
Shinji-sama and Nelliel-sama, could it be that they?
The thought hit him hard.
The clipboard in his hand clattered to the floor.
Cold sweat trickled down his face.
Forcing a stiff smile, he muttered "Excuse me.." and fled the room in a hurry.
He even thoughtfully closed the door behind him.
"Shinji, what's wrong with him?" Nel sat up on top of Shinji and curiously looked out the window.
Outside, a figure could be seen sprinting away at top speed.
In the blink of an eye, he'd vanished from sight.
"Maybe he got scared?" Shinji looked just as confused.
He pulled Nel to her feet and looked helplessly up at the gaping hole in the ceiling.
Looks like tomorrow, on top of helping Pesche and Dondochakka, they'd also need to call someone to repair the house.
Nel's headbutt was no joke.
If it had hit an average captain, it might have caused internal bleeding.
If it were a vice-captain they might not have made it.
Touching his unharmed chest, Shinji smiled wryly.
Still, that's part of what makes Nel so lovable, right?
As he gently patted her head, enjoying her happy expression, something outside caught his eye.
A black butterfly fluttered through the window and landed gently on Shinji's hand.
"Shinji what's that?" Nel held his hand and asked curiously.
"Oh, this is called a Hell Butterfly, It's used to send messages between the World of the Living and Soul Society Only Shinigami can control them." Shinji explained calmly.
Hell Butterflies are a rare species, even in the Soul Society, They serve as vital messengers between divisions.
They can only be held and guided by Shinigami, They're used for guidance, navigation, and communication, basically like a mobile version of the spiritual communication network.
They're the ones responsible for delivering emergency notices and keeping the information control room updated in real time.
"Getting a message through a Hell Butterfly means something's happened." Staring at the butterfly, Shinji began receiving the embedded spiritual message.
A few moments later
He let out a slow breath "Captain's meeting."