CHAPTER 245: Disillusioned (II)

Sung-Sun regarded Mila Rose with a troubled look. "Rose, don't blank out in the middle of conversation."

The sudden grim look on Mila Rose's face had her confused and worried. 

"Someone was up there on the roof," Mila Rose spat. "I don't sense them anymore. They fled pretty quickly."

Sung-Sun frowned, a worry creasing her brow. "A Shinigami, you think?"

Mila Rose's instincts were seldom wrong, and the rest of their little family had learned to trust her uncanny perceptiveness without question. But the idea of a Shinigami skulking about, spying on them from the shadows, was deeply troubling.

The entire house, including Sung-Sun, never doubted Mila Rose's senses and instincts. What bothered Sung-Sun was the identity of their stalker.

Mila Rose crossed her arms, keeping vigilance. "Why will a Shinigami eavesdrop on us?"

"Because we don't look like the locals?" Sung-Sun shrugged. "Maybe they were just on a routine patrol and got curious about us. I don't know. I'm throwing guesses here."

Mila Rose slowly nodded, processing the different scenarios that could be connected to a Shinigami looking for them. "Let's just tell everything to Harribel-sama. I have a bad feeling about this stalker… My skin crawled when I was being watched."

Sung-Sun covered her mouth with her oversized sleeves and laughed. "Your skin is thicker than a gorilla. They must've been real creepy to make your skin crawl."

Mila Rose shot her a glare, clearly unamused by Sung-Sun's frivolity. "I'm fucking serious, Snake."

"I know, I know. I'm sorry." Sung-Sun waved her hands. "We'll take detours in case we're being tailed."

"I know just the route for that." Mila Rose tossed her hair confidently. "I have every street memorized. Just follow me like a duckling."

"Very well, Kitty. Lead the way."

"..."

…

Meanwhile, Soul Society. 

The night sky was a brilliant view today, but not as brilliant as the face Izanami had her eyes on. Resting his head on her thighs, Kazuya looked nothing short of perfection.

Caressing his face gently, she looked up and let out a heavy sigh.

"This peace isn't going to last."

She had a strong hunch that this calm signaled an approaching storm, one that was bound to plunge Kazuya into a whirlwind of endless bloodshed and violence he had yet to experience.

"I'm a bit torn here."

The conflict between the sweetness of violence and the agony of seeing her soulmate suffer was slowly ripping her apart.

She, of course, endorsed the violence as passionately as the God of War himself, but this duality had grown more muted after Tsubasa merged with her.

"You're being moody," she spoke, words not hers but the other spirit in her soul. "Father has grown stronger… he can endure the storm."

"I know, Tsu. I know he can endure it. It's just, he might lose something when he emerges on the other side."

"No, you're being disillusioned. I'll tell him myself."

"Shhh. Tsu, have you ever noticed how we complete each other?" Nami sneakily changed the topic to something she always felt curious about. "Like you're the Life to my Death. Defense to my Offense. Assertiveness to my receptivity… Pure rationality and logicality to my emotion-driven brain…"

Tsubasa had no reply. Rather, she wasn't intelligent enough to comprehend Nami's musings.

"That's not all, Tsu. You make him think of his future and how his actions will impact it… I only drag him back to his past life. I remind him of memories he's better off forgetting. Tsubasa, you're literally the progression to my stagnation."

"Nami…" Tsubasa spoke slowly. "The way I see it, we are strongest when we're in harmony. It also means you and I can't take care of Father on our own, but together we can."

Nami couldn't help but giggle at Tsubasa's optimism. "That wasn't the point of my rant."

"Then what was?"

"Why are we like this? Who and what made us this way like we're two halves of a greater whole? I want answers, and I want them now!"

Having the knowledge from his past life, sometimes she dreaded if she was just some pawn in a grand scheme, playing to the whims of some omnipotent entity outside of their universe.

The thought made her extremely uncomfortable.

"...You should ask Father tomorrow. In any case, be on your guard. We can't let anything happen to Father."

Nami nodded her head. "Yoruichi is approaching us. Let's act normal in front of her."

"Ummm."

After a few moments, Yoruichi appeared before them in her normal form. Now that Aizen knew her identity, she didn't bother hiding her human form, especially during night when her stealth excelled.

Putting her hands on her hips, she looked at the pair. "This horny rascal. He got you to coddle him when Momo and I weren't around."

Nami chuckled before pointing at the rope hanging from Yoruichi's waist. "What's that for?"

Yoruichi glanced down, a faint blush suffusing her cheeks as she fumbled for a response. "Oh, this? It's just... ah, that's for my training…"

And there she paused, shooting Nami a pleading look that was quite plainly, 'please, for the love of Reio, do not ask me to explain myself further.'

Nami revealed a smile. "Say no more, Yoruichi. He is yours for the night!"

"Thanks, Nami. I'll take him to the bed."

A/N: What are Yoruichi's intentions and what will happen to Kazuya? Find out in the next episode of Dragon—