Chapter 82 - A challenge

As Ryu crossed the giant gate, a group of five people appeared before him.

"And who might 𝐲𝐨𝐮 be?" One member of the group asked with a calm smile and eyes that seemed to be gentle enough. He was a short, round, man with a large beard and mustache. His bald head gleamed from reflecting the sun's light, and he had a neckless of large, red, prayer beads around his neck. The man's most noticeable feature is his giant ink brush.

He wore a black and white robe with a wide collar and long sleeves. The robe had a pattern of black stripes and dots at the bottom. The robe was loose-fitting and flowed around the man's body as he moved. The sleeves of the robe were wide and billowy, swaying from side to side. His name was Ichibe Hyosube.

"Hello. I'm sorry to intrude, I wanted to meet the self-proclaimed sword god and I understood that he was here," Ryu said.

"But you are not allowed to be here. 𝐇𝐨𝐰 did you get here?" Ichibe said as his red eyes turned cold while his smile stayed as wide as ever.

"I just teleported here, nothing really prevented me from doing that," Ryu said simply.

"Now hold on, Hyosube. Before you get mad at this man, I believe he wanted to meet his idol, didn't he?" Another member of the squad asked. One who had an incredibly wide smile plastered across his face.

The Shinigami who spoke was a dark-skinned man with thick, black hair that was shaven and dyed light green on the sides of his head. He wore a variation of the Shinigami uniform, featuring instead a green undergarment, and a shortened hakama that exposes his lower legs. Worn over this is a white, sleeveless puffer jacket. His attire was completed by gold-framed sunglasses with blue lenses and a pair of green slippers. His name was Oetsu Nimaiya.

"I take it that you're the blacksmith?" Ryu asked. "Yeah. You like my work, don't you? Hifive!" Oetsu exclaimed.

"I'm not a fan, actually. I came to belittle you for your horrible work. You completely and utterly wasted the potential your idea held. you came up with something ingenious, shame it's worthless," Ryu said in disappointment.

Oetsu's smile disappeared in an instant as he heard Ryu's words. "What do you mean by "wasted potential"?" Oetsu inquired with a mix of curiosity and anger.

"You're so fixated on creating a sword with the potential to become anything, that you forgot the advantage of a specialized weapon. If you'd have made a personal Zanpakuto for each Shinigami to fit them better, you'd have a much stronger force. Take a look at a weapon I forged using your idea, and tell me that you're using it in the best way," Ryu said as he tossed him a Zanpakuto he intended to give to a new promising member of the Protectors.

As Oetsu caught and examined the spear-shaped Zanpakuto, he was in absolute awe.

The spear was a masterpiece of craftsmanship and artistry. Every inch of the weapon was designed to inspire awe and admiration, from the enchanting Yggdrasil wood shaft to the magnificent golden spearhead.

Starting with the shaft, the Yggdrasil wood was a sight to behold. It had a natural shimmer that could mesmerize any onlooker. The wood had a deep, rich brown color, with a hint of green that added to its enchanting quality. As Oetsu ran his fingers along the surface, he felt the slight ridges and bumps of the carvings, which depict the cycle of nature, life, and death in stunning detail.

The carvings were a true work of art, each one telling its own story. There were images of young saplings sprouting from the ground, their delicate leaves unfurling in the sunlight. Other carvings showed mature trees, with thick trunks and branches reaching toward the sky. Some of the carvings depicted the animals that call the forest home, with their intricate fur and feathers etched in exquisite detail. Others showed the more difficult aspects of life, such as the decay of fallen leaves and the cycle of life and death in the animal kingdom.

Moving up towards the spearhead, Oetsu came across the circular guard. The guard was made from the same pure gold as the spearhead, and it was etched with the same intricate runes. The runes themselves seem to have a life of their own, pulsing with power and energy.

The spearhead itself was a marvel of design and engineering. The gold shined in the light, almost blindingly bright. The metal was smooth and sleek, with not a single imperfection in sight. The blade was long and pointed, with a slight curve that added to its grace and elegance. The edges were razor-sharp, and the tip was so fine it could pierce through a single strand of hair.

Looking closer, Oetsu saw the intricate details etched into the spearhead. they were swirling designs, almost like a complex knotwork pattern, that seemed to spiral endlessly toward the center of the blade. The runes are etched in delicate lines along the sides of the spearhead, each one pulsing with energy and power.

"...Ha... And 𝐈 am called the God of Swords..." Oetsu whispered in bewilderment as he stared at a weapon he knew far outclassed everything he ever made.

For the first time in his life, Oetsu felt a sense of true humility. He had always thought himself the greatest blacksmith in the world, but now he knew that there was someone who was leagues above him in skill and talent. Maybe, just maybe, he really did misuse his own technique.

"This Is truly marvelous, and Nimaiya will be wise to learn from this experience, but this doesn't change the fact that you broke the rules. Trespassing here means getting executed, you know?" Another member of the Zero Division spoke.

She was a large, plump woman with a jovial demeanor. She had light skin and curly, purple, hair that is styled in a bob. Her green eyes were closed in a relaxed expression. her cheeks were round and rosy, giving her a friendly and approachable appearance. She was Kirio Hikifune.

"I mean this in the nicest way possible, but you lot won't be able to touch me even if you try. Can we please skip this part? I want to fix up the universe while I'm here," Ryu sighed as he didn't want to enter a fight here.

"Oi, it sounds like you think we're the same as those babies in the Gotei 13. Do you think we won't be able to touch you? Let's test it out!" a fourth member of the Zero Division walked towards Ryu with intimidating strides, a vain bulging on his forehead.

He was a lean-built and very tall man with black hair arranged into an outlandishly large Regent hairstyle, with tapered sideburns. He chewed on a small stick, playing with it in his mouth. Instead of the standard Shinigami uniform, he wore a waist-length white jacket that leaves most of his chest exposed. His name was Tenjiro Kirinji

"Wait, Kirinji. You, what do you mean by "fix up the universe"?" The final member of the Zero Division asked.

She had the appearance of a slender and very youthful woman with fair skin and long, black hair that was adorned at the back by a large golden ornament in the shape of a crescent moon with numerous small lines radiating outwards. Additionally, She had 6 long, golden skeletal artificial arms attached to her back. Her name was Senjumaru Shutara

"I meant it as I said it. Using a maimed body as the anchor of three separate dimensions is just plain stupid. I mean, the world will practically end if he has a cold. It also wastes all your time since you need to guard him, so I figure I'd do everyone a solid and build something that's actually capable of holding up dimensions," Ryu shrugged.

"..." The entire Zero Division was absolutely flabbergasted by Ryu's words.

"Uh... And how do you intend to do that...?" Kirio asked as it was the only thing she could think of. "Well, I'd forge an artifact that does the job better than the Soul King. I do need to inspect him for it, though," Ryu explained.

"And you expect us to believe that? Honestly speaking, coming here is a death sentence. If you try to bullshit us we'll kill you on the spot," Kirio said in a disbelieving tone. "You can test me if you want, I'm not above a good challenge," Ryu said carelessly.

"Is that so?" Oetsu said with a calculating tone. Seeing Ryu's spectacular creation, he understood that there was an incredibly large gap between him and Ryu. But how big that gap was, he didn't know.

"I have a failed creation, its name is Sayafushi. When I created it, I made it sharp enough to cut effortlessly through everything. Not even the hardest materials in the Soul Society were able to make a sheath strong enough for the sword. I challenge you to make a sheath strong enough to contain Sayafushi. Do that, and we will allow you to make the artifact," Oetsu said.

"Challenge accepted!" Ryu smiled excitedly at the challenge.