The Essence of Power  

However, Shin'etsu Kisaragi had clearly underestimated the defensive might of the Kasumiōji Clan.

After sneaking into the clan's territory, their group of five was swiftly discovered. While Shin'etsu Kisaragi might have fled under the warriors' assault, his companions would have become the Kasumiōji Clan's captives.

To rescue his comrades, Shin'etsu Kisaragi had no choice but to reveal his true strength and fight his way into the Kasumiōji Clan's base. Yet Shin'etsu Kisaragi still underestimated the prowess of the Kasumiōji warriors.

Although the Kasumiōji Clan had no one who could match Shin'etsu Kisaragi, they possessed even more sinister Bakkōtō Blades.

After over twenty warriors had perished, the Kasumiōji Clan's remaining fighters finally managed to shove a powerful Bakkōtō Blade into Shin'etsu Kisaragi's hands.

The Bakkōtō Blades were weapons the Kasumiōji Clan had forged through unique methods. They once competed with Asauchi to become the Shinigami's standard armaments. But due to their overly malicious side effects, the Bakkōtō Blades were rejected in the end.

When dealing with Shin'etsu Kisaragi, the Kasumiōji Clan had staked everything by taking out the strongest Bakkōtō Blade in their possession.

This Bakkōtō Blade that the Kasumiōji Clan had sealed away for hundreds of years naturally wouldn't let slip an opportunity upon encountering someone with Shin'etsu Kisaragi's immense Reiryoku reserves.

Thus, the rampaging Shin'etsu Kisaragi fell. Nearly all his Reiryoku was drained by the Bakkōtō Blade and he collapsed within the Kasumiōji Clan's territory.

In the end, while fully commandeered by the Kasumiōji Clan's Bakkōtō Blade, Shin'etsu Kisaragi was manipulated into charging at the First Division and slashing at his own teacher.

Everyone believed this incident had concluded at that point. Yet Ailin was aware that this matter's aftermath also marked the start of the Kasumiōji Clan's decline.

Over two hundred years later in the future, the Kasumiōji Clan heiress had nearly lost the entire family to a treacherous vassal.

If not for Shin'etsu Kisaragi's son who changed his name to Shūsuke Amagai two hundred years later to take revenge on Captain-Commander Yamamoto by embroiling Kurosaki Ichigo and friends, the Kasumiōji Clan might have truly fallen.

During this period, Ailin had successfully forged replicas of both Shin'etsu Kisaragi's Zanpakutō and the youth's spear. Substantially reinforced by their power, Ailin's own strength rose tremendously.

Especially after manifesting Shin'etsu Kisaragi's Zanpakutō, a Bankai-wielding blade, the feedback elevated Ailin's Reiryoku all the way to Third Seat-class.

In other words, vice-captain level.

***

"Boom!"

"Whoosh Whoosh Whoosh..."

"Boom Boom Boom..."

Beneath the fiery red sky, hundreds of swords rained down under Ailin's manipulation, crashing thunderously into the earth and detonating with tremendous force.

Along with Ailin's soaring power, the projectile speed and might of these swords had also increased significantly.

From what he could tell, the damage inflicted by each sword when it smashed into the ground was now comparable to a level 30 Hadō spell.

In other words, Ailin's single attack just now was equivalent to simultaneously unleashing hundreds of Hadō #30 spells.

At most, only around a hundred individuals in the entirety of Soul Society could safely withstand such an onslaught. And that was with Ailin generously counting those hidden guards of noble families.

"With my current abilities, I should rank among the stronger vice-captains."

Within his inner world, Ailin nodded in satisfaction at the destruction caused by his move just now. Next, Ailin shifted his gaze towards the sword hill on the other side.

Right now, fifteen blades were stabbed into that hilltop. At the very center stood Ailin's own Zanpakutō - Unlimited Blade Works. One level below was Shin'etsu Kisaragi's recently forged sword. Another dozen or so blades were scattered midway up the hill.

Compared to Shin'etsu Kisaragi's Zanpakutō, these thirteen swords were far more inferior. But the fact that they could be mounted onto the hill was proof that none of them were ordinary.

And that was indeed the case. Every single one of those thirteen swords had achieved initial release. However, due to Soul Society's "rules", the replicas produced by Ailin had to remain concealed.

Just over two hundred years later, two individuals possessing identical Zanpakutō would warrant an execution order from Central 46 towards one of them.

If it was exposed that Ailin had multiple copies of others' Zanpakutō, wouldn't it be a given that either Ailin and those swords' original owners had to die?

Come that time, would there even be a need to consider whether it was them or Ailin who died?

Even if Central 46 members were all pig-brains, they wouldn't tolerate Ailin's limitless potential to grow.

From Shin'etsu Kisaragi's example, Ailin understood that if he wanted to swiftly amass power and stand on equal ground with the Gotei 13 captains, that was the optimal approach.

After all, every time he produced a captain-class Zanpakutō, his Reiryoku obtained an exponential boost. Just now, Shin'etsu Kisaragi's blade had forcefully propelled Ailin's Reiryoku from being on the cusp of Fourth Seat-class all the way to Third Seat-class.

However, given Ailin's current Penal Force identity, he had to be ready on standby in the barracks at all times in case an emergency summons came down.

Those who were absent without leave when an urgent mission notification arrived definitely wouldn't receive leniency from the Detention Unit just because they were from the Second Division.

Otherwise, Ailin would have snuck out long ago to randomly traverse Seireitei and copy the Zanpakutō of any Shinigami he encountered before returning to manifest them in Unlimited Blade Works.

"If I want to get close with those big shots, I'll need to raise my status and abilities."

"While my power is now about on par with vice-captains from other divisions, the tricky part is how do I explain my Zanpakutō's capabilities to others..."

Staring at the hundreds of blades in his inner world, Ailin lowered his head deep in contemplation.

At a certain moment, inspiration suddenly flashed across Ailin's mind.

"That's right. My Zanpakutō's power is Unlimited Blade Works. More accurately speaking, it should be called Unlimited Arms Works."

"I cannot expose the Zanpakutō from Soul Society. But if I can produce weapons from other realms, then there's no issue using them here!"

Thrilled by this realization, Ailin's heart instantly fired up. Men would forever remain boys at heart.

After watching so much anime and reading countless novels, which guy didn't harbor fantasies about divine weapons?

Even if he couldn't wield them externally, simply messing around with those arms in his inner world would still be exhilarating. Hence, Ailin immediately began gathering the "sword" elements in his inner world based on mental impressions alone to craft those weapons deeply engraved in his memories.

"Identify creation concept..."

"Establish basic framework..."

Innumerable blue lights glittered within the Unlimited Blade Works dimension as all sorts of armaments emerged from Ailin's mental landscape over the passage of time.

If any otaku were to witness the weapons currently inside Ailin's inner world, they would surely yell out "WTF" in shock.