Still own nothing.

I yawned after leaving my apartment while thinking about the progress of my manga. Keys of Realms, volume 7 just released to be exact. It was picking up steam. Mainly because Battle Shonen was underdeveloped at this time period compared to what I was used to back on Earth. The manga wasn't near number one, but it was a unique story with expansive world-building, intricate lore, and lots of characters to ship. So it was popular enough for my purposes.

I got a decent earning now, and I don't have to do much besides being a consultant/director as the storyboarding was done for the most part. Unlike most mangakas, I was able to treat it as a traditional nine-to-five instead of being booked with work 24/7. There were occasionally scenes that were tweaked a little, but it was a rare occurrence as I was thorough with my preparations.

As I walked through town, my eyes flickered at the occasional Pluses I noticed while passing by. I couldn't do anything about them, nor did I want to. I needed them to linger as bait for, or transform into, a hollow. I was waiting for someone peculiar.

"Grauh!" I hear the roar of a Hollow. Something I am still not quite strong enough to kill yet, but I didn't need to do so anyways.

The sound was followed by an explosion of power. I run in that direction as fast as possible and find my target.

"Oh! Miss Kudo!" I shout with a smile as I approach her. The Hollow she just killed fades away as she faces me. Matsuri Kudo is a shinigami with messy blonde hair, bright blue eyes, a small red headband with a flower on top, and a scowling frown on her face.

"Kid! You should be running away from danger, not towards it. Besides, I told you other people can't see me, you will look insane talking to me." She chastised as I approached her.

"I just don't want you to get lonely. I don't have much else to do anyways so it can't hurt to visit." We talk and walk for a while. The whole time I subtly manipulate her mind to like me more and more. Also, molding her to be more negligent of her surroundings, temporarily of course. I had been doing this for a while now, every time I visited her I would carry this task out. So it didn't surprise me when she failed to notice a lanky Hollow with the body of a large monkey and the head of a rhino charging at us. I had to act normal and then shocked as the Hollow pierced her stomach with its horn.

It was especially unsurprising because that was a hollow whose mind I had fucked into being devoted and obedient to me this last week. These mindless ones are much easier to control, they don't have much going on in their empty skulls filled with only instinctive actions.

I quickly duck behind a corner as Kudo is tossed aside and struggles to continue the fight. Eventually, I see her losing hope and stumbling about. Putting on my brave acting face, I charge in and toss pocket sand at the hollow, grabbing Miss Kudo to run towards Urahara's shop. However, both Kudo and I knew that man's shop was miles away. "That hollow will catch up long before you can get even a kilometer closer to the shop. I know a way to save both of us, it is risky, however I have faith in you if you agree to it. Will you do it?"

Of course, I would agree with this idea, I manipulated you to have it after all. Shit, this much power is getting to my head. No wonder Aizen is so fucked up.

"If Miss Kudo believes in me, of course I can do it!" I say with determination with as much childlike cuteness as I can muster. She lifts her zanpakuto and I let her stab me with it. It doesn't work at first as I feel the blade not transferring energy into me as it sinks into my chest. Then I breathe, using my energy control to will the energy to flow by force. The transformation kicks in and power surges through my body, a small gust of wind circles around me and I look at the blade in my hand. It wasn't a katana that belonged to me. It was miss Kudo's zanpakuto. After all, I was merely borrowing her powers. I was no Ichigo Kurosaki.

The hollow was running at us again. I charge at him in turn and force him to trip as I slash at his face with my basic kendo skills. Killing the hollow in a single strike. Miss Kudo, who was still in her Shinigami outfit smiles at me as I face her while the Hollow fades. She gives me a nod of approval and faints. I take her up on my left shoulder and my limp souless body over my right then blitz towards Urahara's shop. I wasn't even using a movement technique like Shunpo and I was still moving ten times faster than before.

In less than ten minutes I reach his shop and bust through his door. "Emergency! Miss Kudo is dying!" I shout. Tessai looks at me and sighs before taking Kudo away in some room. I sit in a chair and wait. I want to leave, but it would be suspicious to bolt out immediately. Eventually, Urahara comes out and meets me.

"Is Miss Kudo going to be ok?" I say with a worried expression. Something Kisuke fucking Urahara can probably see through. I am no top-tier actor after all.

Still, he pats my head and grins. "She will be ok. Shinigami are made of tough stuff kid."

"Ok, um. Am I dead? Is this permanent?"

"Nope, it's temporary. In less than a week, all that power will fade away. Kudo on the other hand will be fully recovered by then."

"Oh, that's good. I am to blame for Miss Kudo getting hurt. I distracted her after all. I am grateful that there will be no long-lasting side effects." That was the truth.

"Don't worry about it. There is nothing we can do for now but wait for Miss Kudo to heal up. In the meantime, you should head home." Urahara accepted my response and is letting me go for the moment. "If you need some help with your body's injuries, I know a good clinic you can go to."

"Yes sir, and I think I will be ok," I said somberly. I need to avoid this man more, otherwise, I am a goner. Kisuke helps me get back into my body and I head back home. I just don't want to go to the Kurosaki clinic so soon, it's not time yet.

After entering my apartment that lies on the outskirts of Karakura town, I let out a deep sigh of relief and took a seat on my bed. Now I can continue to the next stage of my plans. My original plan to collect powers in this world was to first master my Mental Dominion skill get a soul reaper to temporarily make me a Substitute Shinigami whenever I need to be, then go around taking Fullbrings. That didn't pan out due to the time I was placed into the show, I was too late to capitalize on the Fullbringer massacre.

The year is 1980, and the Kurosaki clinic just recently opened. Hell, I didn't even notice Masaki's Hollowfication. Probably for the best as I didn't want to be involved with Aizen just yet. As nice as getting infected by White would be for my potential.

Thanks to my new original technique, all of this changed for the better. The only thing I had to do was make a probable concept and a new technique would formulate for me. Using the concept of Murim/Xianxia cultivation revolving around developing ki centers, the Buddhist samsara cycle, and the concept of the seven chakras of Hinduism, I got lucky and was able to create something overpowered! The cultivation aspect allows me to take in and develop a form of energy to evolve beyond my limits, the Hindu aspect of seven chakras allows me to cultivate seven points of energy and still be in harmony (not blow up), while the Bhudhist aspect of enlightenment and rebirth will allow the energies to forge my body and eventually reach whatever constitutes as godhood in this universe.

The Seven Paths Cultivating Breath allows me to consolidate a specific reiatsu signature to a center point (also known as a realm core or just core) and cycle it throughout my body. This allows me to gain all the traits of that reiatsu too. So the more I absorb a certain reiatsu before consolidating a core, the more of that person's traits I can obtain. I can even accumulate multiple traits before forming a core.

After which it becomes a part of me and can no longer be modified as easily, but I can continue to develop that power normally on my own. The technique even allows me to use that power no matter my physical state! Another benefit of the technique is if one core is lagging behind, by meditation and energy cycling I can passively bring up that core's power to the same base level as my strongest one! It may be the most overpowered technique in this universe, but that's the usual when it comes to Xianxia or Murim tropes—something I completely exploited while developing the concept for this technique.

The only downside is that I can't forcefully drain someone of their energy to make myself a core, it has to be done willingly. For now...

I probably barely have enough reiatsu to emulate one of Matsuri Kudo's lesser unique traits if she has any, but I don't care or need it. I just needed enough shinigami energy to consolidate a core so I could develop on my own. Focusing on my spine, I grasped onto the shinigami energy and began siphoning it into that point and started forming the realm core that I believed best fit the energy type.

[- Seven Paths Cultivating Breath (OT-Initiate)

~ Human Path: Spine: (High-Spec Human)

~ Origin Trait (Enhanced Mind Trait)

~ Asura Path: Stomach: (Shinigami)

~ Talant Trait: (Greater Reiastu Trait)]

To explain how to get this to work in detail, I need to connect and balance four different things. The essence of the power/energy, how it relates to the Seven Paths, how that ties itself with the Seven Chakra Centers, and how it relates to the core of my being.

The human path is integral to my identity, as no matter what I do, I don't want to become complacent. I have a theory that loss of humanity and complacency is what led the shinigami to stagnate. That Ichigo's involvement in the soul society rekindled that human drive within them allowing them to progress rapidly to keep up with him. This is why the Hindu chakra center in my spine, which is responsible for my desire for survival, is cultivating my High-Spec Human reiatsu following the Human Path for the Seven Paths of Rebirth.

However, the Shinigami powers are to be at the core of my ascendance, as it is the most adaptive power set and will become the glue that binds together my future development, much like it did for Ichigo. To tie into that, Murim and Xianxia also focus on the gut being one of the main centers for power. Which is why I have the Shinigami reiatsu there. It is also arguably the Hindu chakra center for willpower, which correlates well. The path of the Asura fits best with them, especially considering their love for battle and the original Gotei 13's warmongering savage ways.

I took several hours of meditation to funnel all the energy to that point, but it was worth it as I felt myself get so much stronger, and my reiatsu increased thrice over. An understandable growth considering 1/3 of Miss Kudo's reiatsu at a base level was still way more than my own before, that was only about as much I could convert into my own as well.

Next, just to be sure, I cycled the two energy centers together to envelop my body and just as I hoped, my human form materialized a shinigami robe invisible to most mortals. Yet no sword appeared at my side. Makes sense, as I was never given an Asauchi.

I did want one, but I don't need one. I also knew where to go to get a zanpakuto for free anyway. Bolting out of my home. I headed straight for a certain temple I visited on occasion. A pristine temple surrounded by a field of red spider lily flowers. I slowly enter the temple and feel for the blade mentally, the red-hilted zanpakuto at the center of the shrine still vaguely trying to resist my will. However, it was weakened to an extent, and unable to fight back or control me like it usually would try to as I lacked a blade for it to corrupt.

I grab the hilt and attempt to use my first slot to bring the blade to absolute obedience. It fought back, but it was futile. It was far too used to controlling others and unlike me, had no resistance to being controlled. The sword shivered before relenting to my will. If it had time to return to the prime of its power, it might have been able to resist, but now have a zanpakuto of my own.

"I welcome your services Higanbana."

"I am yours to comand, master."

Today was a very productive day, meeting Urahara was risky, but hopefully, he is too occupied with Aizen on his mind to deal with a small fry like me.

A/N:

Mental Dominion is a slow single-target manipulation ability. The more time you spend with a target within range, the more you can mentally manipulate and influence them. This influence isn't absolute and can be overridden by other similar techniques.

The only exception is an absolute obedience slot will skip most of this process and turn a target into your willing and devoted slave completely that can't be countered by other techniques, only mitigated at most.

He isn't just limited to manipulating behavior, but he can manipulate memories too, and much more at he grows it.