86 CHAPTER 91: The Art of Persuasion

About twenty minutes later, Kazuya and Yoruichi, now in her true form, found themselves under the penetrating gazes of three members of the Shiba family. Ganju, Kukaku's younger brother, would have swelled their count to four had he not been engrossed in having fun with his gang. Kazuya had deemed Ganju too green to be involved in this matter.

Befuddled, Kaien raked his fingers through his black hair. "Let me get this straight. Kazuya is infiltrating Gotei 13 to inform the Commander about one person with a godly ability to manipulate five senses of anyone."

"Sounds… right," chimed Miyako, her head bobbing in a confident nod. "Doesn't it, Kaien?"

Kaien stared at his wife in disbelief. "As if it does! Why are you accepting his story at face value?"

Miyako tilted her head, puzzled. "Everything in my memory aligns with what Yoruichi-san and Kazuya-kun said. They don't have any reasons to lie to us."

Kazuya let out a chuckle. Miyako was a strong-willed woman but she had no power against his voice.

'Nami, you mentioned my voice coming from the Black Phoenix's prophecy.'

{You're remembering it now,} Nami, his Zanpakutō Spirit, grumbled in his head. {You having the sweet, seductive voice of a demon was no coincidence. Our existence in this world is inspired by the Demon Phenex from the Lesser Key of Solomon.}

'Why phoenix? Wait, I know. A phoenix can undergo nirvana to remain immortal. In a sense, it's the only entity free from life, death, and the very cycle of reincarnation... A creature with true freedom.'

Gaining freedom was always his dream. He had achieved success in the most ridiculous way possible, by inheriting a vessel inspired from a mythological creature.

'It also explains my first transformation from Hollow to Human… I was reborn from flames. My nirvana.'

Yet a mystery remained unsolved. The System. What was it? Where did it come from? And what was the source of its powers? It couldn't have possibly originated from a god's wish, as he had yet to encounter one. Perhaps he had, and his memory failed him. Countless questions were awaiting answers.

{You silly little man, your brain might be bigger than your dick. However, unlike the Phenex depicted in the Lesser Key of Solomon, we'll become far more powerful. We're destined to rule the world as Soul King's successor.}

'No fucking way I'm becoming a limbless vessel to anchor the worlds.'

He'd rather spend a nice and cozy life with his wives on some island. A blissful life free from all the world's bullshit.

{Like I'd let any fool carve out your organs and make you disabled… on second thought, it sounds nice to hold you captive like that. I'd feed you, hug you, and wash you whenever you're dirty. I'll be able to keep and ride my soulmate anytime~. Ahn~, that's so… thrilling. }

Her yandere fantasies sent a shiver down his spine.

{It's a trade offer you cannot resist. You'd receive a loving wife and I'd get to fulfill my dreams of taking care of my soulmate for all life~.}

'Begone, Demon. Get out of my head!'

{Fufufu. Let me teach you the chants to purge demons. Demon, demon, full of strife. You can't control my life! Be off with you, no more rife… Or I'll banish you with my kitchen knife!}

'...'

Misinterpreting the source of his discomfort, Yoruichi gently laid a reassuring hand on his thigh. "I got this," she murmured to Kazuya, before shifting her attention to Kūkaku, who had maintained a stoic silence throughout the conversation. "It's the truth behind our exile. Kisuke still feels down that he can't be a Shinigami."

Kūkaku exhaled loudly before her lips stretched into a wicked grin. "The Seireitei is in huge trouble if you're right… and I love trouble. I'm with you all the way."

Kaien massaged his temple, visibly vexed. "Am I the only one who doesn't believe this story…? I have never heard of any Captain possessing this ability you mentioned."

"Because every captain who saw his Shikai fell under his control," Kazuya explained. "You saw the Shikai and Bankai they wanted you to see."

Kaien crossed his arms. "Let's say, hypothetically, your story is correct. Why is that unnamed captain doing this? What are they getting out of this?"

"We—"

Interrupting Yoruichi mid-sentence, Kazuya patted her leg. "That person wants to bring down the Soul King Palace and become the God of Soul Society."

The revelation wasn't only a shock to the Shiba clan members. Yoruichi too was taken aback, having been kept in the dark about Aizen's true motive.

"You never told me or Kisuke that," she rebuked. "How come?"

"I didn't want any of you to act impulsively after hearing that."

"I'm not impulsive!"

"You rushed to help Kisuke the moment you heard about his circumstances. That's pretty impulsive if you ask me."

His logical argument left her speechless. Her eyebrows knitted as she gathered a response. "That wasn't impulsive," she said with a slow nod. "I had to act or they would have stripped away Kisuke and Tessia's Shinigami powers. It's as if they had deemed that Kisuke was the perpetrator from the start."

"Well, knowing that guy, he is probably in control of Central 46."

Kaien listened to their conversation with a serious gleam in his eyes. Closing his eyes, he began to gather his thoughts. "Alright, I believe you."

[Ability: Persuasion acquired.]

[Current Master Level: Basic.]

Persuading Kisuke hadn't given him this ability but persuading a hard-headed man like Kaien did.

"What do you want from me?" Kaien asked. "Why am I a part of this plan?"

Since Kazuya and Yoruichi went to this length to explain everything, they must want him to play some role in bringing down this evil captain.

"Nothing." Kazuya shook his head. "I want you to act like this meeting never happened. If we meet in Gotei 13 later, you and Miyako-san need to act like we're strangers. That's all."

Yoruichi nodded. "We'll take care of the rest."

"And don't go snooping around and try to investigate. You can't make that person suspicious at any cost."

"Well, fine." Kaien rubbed the back of his head. The less work he had, the more time he'd have to enjoy his naps. "I just have one question. Kazuya, why are you helping us, Shinigami, with this? What do you gain from it?"

Kazuya leaned closer to Yoruichi and wrapped his arm around her waist. "You see, Yoruichi promised to marry me if I help her with this. I'm just a humble man wooing the woman of my dreams."

Yoruichi burst into laughter. "This little me has driven this man mad with my charming body and soul. He is but a puppet dancing on my fingers… he'll do anything to be with me."

The Shiba couple sat in stunned silence, mouths agape at Kazuya's outrageous declaration. To this day, they hadn't heard about Yoruichi being romantically involved with any man. There were rumors about her having feelings for her childhood friend Kisuke but Kūkaku had dispelled them long ago. They could only attribute this unforeseen change to the impact of her life in the Living World.

Kūkaku let out a sigh. "Yoruichi and marriage — I never thought I'd hear those two words in the same sentence."

Yoruichi withdrew from his hold and turned into her cat form, leaving Kūkaku's revealing clothes behind. "We're just messing around, Kukaku. Kazuya already has three or four lovers."

Understanding washed over Kūkaku. She and Yoruichi shared the same view on intimate relationships. They were shackles that bound them down, stealing their precious freedom. The mere thought of it was exhausting, an inconvenience they preferred to avoid. The world of romance was a maze they chose not to enter.

...

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