The Gojo family forge.
Satoshi stood before the row of completed Zanpakutō, deeply satisfied.
[Ding! Congratulations to the Host for successfully forging the Zanpakutō Minazuki.]
[Ding! Congratulations to the Host for successfully forging the Zanpakutō Zabimaru.]
[Ding! Congratulations to the Host for successfully forging the Zanpakutō Nozarashi.]
[Ding! Congratulations to the Host for successfully forging the Zanpakutō Hōzukimaru.]
After forging four Zanpakutō in a row, Satoshi didn't feel the slightest fatigue.
The skill of forging Zanpakutō was already second nature to him. He had reached a level of mastery where the process was effortless.
Noticing Yuto watching him with anticipation, Satoshi smiled and handed Nozarashi to him first.
Then he gave Minazuki to Shoko, and Zabimaru to Yuki.
At the same time, the system's Zanpakutō display panel updated once again.
[Zanpakutō: Sode no Shirayuki (Owner: Gojo Satoshi) (Borrower: None)]
[Zanpakutō: Suzumushi (Owner: Gojo Satoshi) (Borrower: Gojo Shunichi)]
[Zanpakutō: Senbonzakura (Owner: Gojo Satoshi) (Borrower: Gojo Satoru)]
[Zanpakutō: Katen Kyōkotsu (Owner: Gojo Satoshi) (Borrower: Zenin Toji)]
[Zanpakutō: Nejibana (Owner: Gojo Satoshi) (Borrower: Yagyū Saemon)]
[Zanpakutō: Ryūjin Jakka (Owner: Gojo Satoshi) (Borrower: None)]
[Zanpakutō: Urozakuro (Owner: Gojo Satoshi) (Borrower: Tengen)]
[Zanpakutō: Minazuki (Owner: Gojo Satoshi) (Borrower: Ieiri Shoko)]
[Zanpakutō: Zabimaru (Owner: Gojo Satoshi) (Borrower: Tsukumo Yuki)]
[Zanpakutō: Nozarashi (Owner: Gojo Satoshi) (Borrower: Okkotsu Yuto)]
[Zanpakutō: Hōzukimaru (Owner: Gojo Satoshi) (Borrower: None)]
At present, Satoshi had successfully forged eleven Zanpakutō. Aside from Sode no Shirayuki and Ryūjin Jakka, which he kept for himself, only Hōzukimaru remained unassigned.
Once Geto Suguru returned to the Yorozuya, Satoshi would distribute the final remaining Zanpakutō.
Following this plan, Satoshi had essentially gathered all the most valuable potential "experience packs." If he continued developing at this pace, not even a genius like Satoru could keep up with his growth.
…
Elsewhere, the newly equipped Yuki, Yuto, and Shoko were each filled with excitement.
Yuto couldn't help but feel that coming to Tokyo had been a wise decision. If he had stayed back home, he might have long been forgotten by Satoshi.
It was only by chance that he met Geto Suguru, and because Geto joined the plan with the Tombs of the Star, they ended up helping Satoshi. All of it had been coincidence.
The reward for this series of coincidences was a Zanpakutō, something that left Okkotsu Yuto stunned.
"Nozarashi, huh…"
Just hearing the name, Yuto could feel the wild aura contained within the blade.
The moment he held it, he sensed a feral soul sleeping inside.
With only a couple of swings, he realized how powerful this Zanpakutō was. He never imagined Satoshi would give him something so strong.
What Yuto didn't know was that it was precisely because of the Okkotsu family's undetectable reserves of immense Cursed Energy that Satoshi chose Nozarashi for him.
After all, Nozarashi's Shikai activation demanded an enormous amount of energy.
To unleash its ferocity, a large amount of Reiryoku was necessary.
While powerful, among all the people Satoshi knew, only Okkotsu Yuto was truly compatible with it.
Of course, that power came at a cost. Nozarashi's Shikai was far more difficult to activate than most other Zanpakutō. Gains and losses always went hand in hand.
…
Yuki, meanwhile, felt the soul of her Zanpakutō as soon as she held it.
Unlike Yuto, who felt his Zanpakutō was dormant, Yuki instantly sensed two spiritual presences within Zabimaru—the baboon woman and the snake man.
And in that very moment, her Shikai activated.
"Roar, Zabimaru."
With her quiet incantation, a powerful surge of force erupted from the blade.
In a flash, the plain sword in her hand morphed into a black, viper-like segmented weapon.
Under Yuki's control, Zabimaru extended and contracted freely like a serpent, bearing an uncanny resemblance to Garuda in form and flexibility.
In terms of adaptability, Zabimaru was not inferior to Garuda at all.
This form aligned perfectly with Yuki's expectations. She could already feel how seamlessly the blade harmonized with her innate technique, Star Rage.
If I overlay Star Rage onto Zabimaru in the instant of striking, my opponent won't even have time to react.
Under her control, Zabimaru adapted swiftly. In a short span, she was able to dual-wield Zabimaru and Garuda, unleashing simultaneous attacks.
In terms of raw combat ability, Yuki absolutely deserved her title as a future Special Grade.
Watching Yuki master her Shikai so quickly, Yuto couldn't help but feel envious.
He hadn't even connected with Nozarashi yet, and Yuki had already gone full Shikai.
How could the gap between people be this big?
Yuto sighed and turned, only to see Shoko standing there awkwardly with her Zanpakutō still in sealed form. That gave him a bit of peace of mind.
Yuki is Tengen's Star Plasma Vessel. Of course she's gifted. But Shoko hasn't completed her Shikai either, so I'm not too far behind.
Just as Yuto was reassuring himself, a faint sparkle appeared in Shoko's eyes. Then she suddenly leapt in delight.
In the next second, a soft green light radiated from the Zanpakutō in her hands.
Satoshi's expression shifted. He immediately opened the window.
"Shoko, let it outside."
Shoko obeyed, extending her Zanpakutō out the window.
Right in front of everyone, the blade in her hands transformed into a massive, flat, pale-green manta ray with large eyes.
"...What is that?"
Yuki and Yuto's eyes widened in disbelief.
(To be continued.)