As Rangiku's strength improved, Kyoya naturally raised his training standards accordingly.
And Rangiku's personality was the type that would rather lie down than stand if given the choice.
If not for her fear of becoming a burden to Kyoya and Gin, she wouldn't have bothered persisting with training for so long.
Now, confident she would achieve Bankai and fully step into Captain-level strength, Rangiku felt she finally had self-preservation capabilities and wouldn't be a weakness for Gin and Kyoya anymore.
Naturally, she'd already planned her future.
She would enjoy life!
Drink the finest alcohol, see the most beautiful sights, make the best friends!
Hadn't all her years of effort been for this ultimate goal?
But now Kyoya wanted her to continue training? Was he deliberately torturing her?
Immediately, Rangiku stopped delaying and went all out, mentally controlling Haineko's ash particles to spread toward her Zanpakuto's Spirit.
...
Seeing Rangiku get serious, Kyoya nodded slightly.
In Shinigami Battles where strength differences weren't vast, combat often came down to intelligence.
In ordinary fights, Rangiku being somewhat careless wasn't problematic.
If she were merely a Lieutenant, Kyoya wouldn't have high expectations for her.
He knew well that Rangiku had exhausted her potential.
In swordsmanship, Great Swordsman level was her peak.
In Reiatsu, after completing Bankai Training, her Reiryoku might break through to 3rd-Class within a decade, truly reaching Captain-level.
But this was Rangiku's limit.
She lacked the drive to break through to Master Swordsman level, and the potential to reach 2nd-Class Reiryoku.
But now, Isshin had confirmed he wouldn't return to Seireitei.
And the future 10th Division's Captain, Hitsugaya, had long been recruited into Kyoya's forces, now commanding the Revolutionary Army's 7th Division.
This meant that, barring unexpected circumstances, Rangiku mastering Bankai would become the 10th Division's Acting Captain.
Moreover, if no new Captain-level powerhouse emerged within ten years, Rangiku would officially become the 10th Division's Captain upon reaching 3rd-Class Reiryoku.
At that time, the dangers she'd face would far exceed those of a Lieutenant.
After returning to Seireitei, he should research whether the Devil Fruits he'd acquired over the years could be used by people in this world!
If possible, he might enable Rangiku and his other subordinates without Zanpakuto to master Devil Fruit's powers through Zanpakuto methods!
...
"Shopkeeper Urahara, we'll take our leave now."
Outside the small wooden house, Kyoya bid farewell to Kisuke.
This trip to the living world with Rangiku and Gin, though unplanned, had gained Kyoya much of what he wanted.
First, naturally, was Rangiku's strength improvement.
Both Gin and Kyoya prioritized Rangiku's safety above all else.
That Gin would betray Aizen early over potential harm to Rangiku showed how seriously they took this.
And Kyoya wanted not only to protect Rangiku but also preserve the poignant relationship between her and Gin.
Second was the [Senkaimon] Kyoya had long desired.
Kyoya's current level still fell short of Zero Division's Captain, Ichibei's.
From the Soul King Palace, Ichibei could use the 'black' of all three worlds as his power.
Kyoya's current strength wasn't inferior to Ichibei's.
But in understanding the essence of his power, Kyoya still lagged behind Ichibei.
Currently, his perception and control of 'light' remained limited to whichever world he occupied.
That is, in Soul Society, he controlled Soul Society's 'light'.
In the living world, he controlled the living world's "light."
In Hueco Mundo, he controlled Hueco Mundo's 'light'.
But he couldn't perceive or control another world's 'light' from his current location.
Ichibei could do this because the concept of 'black' existed within the Dangai.
Thus, through the Garganta connecting the three worlds, he controlled all 'black' across the living world, Hueco Mundo, and Soul Society.
The Dangai isolating Kyoya's perception meant his reserve power was only one-third of Ichibei's.
To reach Ichibei's level, Kyoya needed the ability to break through the Dangai and connect the three worlds.
Unfortunately, Senkaimon Technology was exclusively controlled by the 12th Division in Soul Society, and Kyoya couldn't obtain Senkaimon's data from them.
Kisuke's Senkaimon wasn't the 'backdoor' intentionally left since creation like Seireitei's, but a spatial gate opened through personal research on the Dangai.
It's less stable than Seireitei's Senkaimon...
Moreover, without means to monitor the Dangai, using the Senkaimon would likely encounter the Dangai's [Cleaner]-
The Kototsu!
However, at Kyoya's current strength level, even encountering the Kototsu, he could easily destroy it.
Even Hogyoku-enhanced Aizen could destroy the Kototsu with Reiatsu alone, let alone Kyoya.
Of course, for Kyoya, the Senkaimon's significance wasn't traversing worlds, but extending his perception through it to enhance his perception and control over the three worlds' 'light'.
"Yes, Kyoya-dono, until we meet again."
"Additionally, I may frequently travel to Soul Society in the future. I hope your Revolutionary Army will turn a blind eye and not pursue me, a Seireitei's criminal."
"That's not something to discuss with me."
Facing Kisuke's joking tone, Kyoya shook his head seriously, "Urahara, I established the Revolutionary Army to give Rukongai's residents stable living conditions and a second choice for their future."
"If you enter Soul Society without breaking laws, the Revolutionary Army will treat you as an ordinary Rukongai's resident."
"But if you conduct forbidden research or use Rukongai's residents as test subjects, even if you flee to the living world or Hueco Mundo, I'll find and kill you."
Hearing this, Kisuke's smile stiffened.
He never expected Kyoya to view him this way.
"Kyoya-dono, I'm a law-abiding citizen!"
"Law-abiding citizens create the 'Hogyoku'?"
Kyoya raised an eyebrow, countering Kisuke's question.
"Urahara, you can fool others, but don't fool yourself."
"My perception can cover all of Soul Society."
"That means I witnessed many things you did in Seireitei."
"However, I had no fondness for those people either. Using them as Hogyoku's materials was their deserved fate."
"But besides them, there were others... I needn't specify, you know."
"You may enter Soul Society, but in Rukongai, you must obey Rukongai's laws."
"Otherwise, I'm not Aizen Sousuke or Captain-Commander Yamamoto."
"They value talent and anticipate your growth."
"I'm different… I've seen your future and have no expectations for your growth."
Kisuke's gaze sharpened.
'What did Kyoya mean by having seen my future?'
'Besides possessing the strongest light-type Zanpakuto, what other abilities did he have?'
'Future sight?'
'Or something else?'
Whatever it was, Kisuke knew Kyoya's words weren't empty.
Kyoya had zero expectations for him.
What did this mean?
What was he like in the future Kyoya saw?
Soon, Kisuke remembered the female Quincy lying in his underground training room.
'Could it be that Kyoya anticipated the child of Shiba Isshin and that female Quincy more?'
'It seemed I succeeded in the future.'
'At least, in Kyoya's seen future, I must have succeeded!'
'Otherwise, I didn't believe I wouldn't participate in the conflict against Aizen.'
'And the only reason for my future non-participation was-'
'I trained someone surpassing myself, even surpassing Aizen Sousuke, leaving me handling logistical support.'
Realizing this, Kisuke understood.
'No wonder Kyoya said he had no expectations for my future.'
Moreover, Kisuke took Kyoya's warning seriously.
'What could drive me to conduct experiments like the Hogyoku in the future? Probably the situation was worse than I imagined.'
'The Soul King?'
From Kyoya's words, Kisuke gleaned some clues about the future situation.
'It seemed I needed to resume Mod Soul Technology.'
'Otherwise, if I truly used human or Shinigami's souls as test subjects, being chased across three worlds by Kyoya would be troublesome...'
...
"So? Gin."
Back in his 3rd Division's Captain's office, Gin heard Aizen's familiar voice as soon as he returned.
Gin narrowed his eyes, turning to see Aizen sitting in his chair, smiling at him.
Within his sleeves, Gin's hand clenched briefly before relaxing.
'Not yet time!'
He couldn't determine whether the Aizen before him was real or just a mosquito, a fly, or some familiar or unfamiliar Shinigami.
"Well, we didn't find Captain Shiba."
Gin naturally knew what Aizen wanted to ask.
Originally, according to Aizen's plan, all three were to observe Isshin and White's battle in the living world, collect sufficient data on White, and ensure Isshin remained there.
But later, because of Rangiku, Gin volunteered to stay in Seireitei to buy time for Aizen and Tosen.
Thanks to Gin's message, Aizen and Tosen returned to Seireitei immediately after Kyoya's trio went to the living world, avoiding Kyoya's detection.
That Gin, Kyoya, and Rangiku stayed nearly two hours in the living world, Aizen didn't believe they spent the entire time searching for Isshin.
"The extended stay was because Kyoya produced something to help Lieutenant Matsumoto train for Bankai."
"Oh?"
"What thing can help Shinigami train for Bankai?"
"According to Kyoya, it was something Urahara Kisuke invented called Tenshintai, which can materialize a Shinigami's Zanpakuto..."
"I see."
Aizen nodded understandingly.
"It seems although Kyoya left Seireitei, he still wants his voice heard there."
With the 10th Division's Captain missing, undoubtedly, if word spread of Rangiku mastering Bankai now, the 10th Division's Captain position would likely go to her.
"Captain Aizen, do you think Kyoya will stand against us in the future?"
Hearing Gin's question, Aizen's hand paused before resting on the desk, smiling at Gin, "Gin, whether we confront Kyoya depends not on me, but on Kyoya's choice."
"Of course, regarding Kyoya, you needn't worry."
"If he dares obstruct our path, I'll personally deal with him."
"You just need to believe that nothing can stand before us!"
In the Captain's office, Aizen's words still echoed in Gin's ears, but his figure had vanished from sight.
Even with his Reikaku fully extended, Gin couldn't tell whether Aizen had reasserted control over his five senses or dispelled Kyoka Suigetsu to show him reality.
'Sixth sense...'
Gin sighed inwardly.
It's a pity that during his years in the 11th Division, he hadn't taken Kyoya's advice seriously.
Now, he couldn't distinguish whether Aizen was still monitoring him.
Whether exposing his training to blind his five senses would provoke Aizen's killing intent didn't concern Gin.
But implicating Kyoya, letting Aizen know Kyoya possessed a sixth sense immune to Kyoka Suigetsu's control, who knew how Aizen might react?
Five senses manipulation was, after all, merely Kyoka Suigetsu's Shikai Ability.
Zanpakuto's Bankai typically enhanced Shikai's abilities.
For example, Hyorinmaru and Daiguren Hyorinmaru.
Ryujin Jakka and Zanka no Tachi.
But some Zanpakuto's Bankai developed entirely new, more powerful abilities.