Sting

In the wake of Ohta's explanation, Karin couldn't help feeling a little betrayed. She couldn't believe so many things had been kept from her, but before she could grouse outwardly, Ohta said, "Don't be too upset. Your dad may have a few screws loose, but no caring parent wants to burden their kids with this type of shit. The more you get pulled into this world, the more troubles you'll be forced to endure."

"So, what, I'm just supposed to continue living as if the world isn't on the brink of being destroyed?" asked Karin.

Shrugging his shoulders, Ohta remarked, "There's a reason for the saying ignorance is bliss. Keep staring into the abyss, and it won't be long before you're consumed by it."

Before Karin could respond, Ohta took the wind out of her sails by saying, "Besides, even if you spent every moment from this point on training, you wouldn't be able to influence the outcome of coming events. You might be able to make a difference a few years from now, but if you got involved at your current level, you'd be like a toothless toddler trying to gum an entire army to death."

"..."

Hanging her head, Karin remained silent for nearly two full minutes, her expression halfway between a pout and indignation. The thought of just sitting by as the world's fate was decided made her uncomfortable, but she also understood there was little she could do against a group of foes capable of supplanting the 'god' holding their world together. If someone that only recently started training could make a substantial difference, far more experienced individuals should have no trouble dealing with it...

If Ohta had been able to hear Karin's thoughts, he might have burst out laughing. Instead, he said, "Well, that just about sums up everything you didn't need to know but wanted to. If there's nothing else, you should go home, have a good old heart-to-heart with your old man, and spend some time with your family. I don't have the time to split my focus and train you right now, so if you want to get more involved in the future, continue your current training and return in two to three years."

"..."

Dissatisfied with having to wait such a lengthy period, Karin asked, "What about Spring and Summer Break? My family doesn't go on vacation, so I'll have plenty of free time..."

"We'll see," replied Ohta. "I don't make promises that don't guarantee me some kind of benefit. And as much as I'm sure you've thought about it the past few months, there isn't anything you can offer to me."

Understanding precisely what Ohta was referring to, Karin's face became bright red. Ohta had left behind most of his and Rukia's old clothes when he abandoned his previous apartment, so she had appropriated a large portion for personal use. Even as she sat on his sofa, Karin was sporting a pair of panties pilfered from Rukia's underwear drawer, so it was difficult for her 'not' to have certain wayward thoughts and expectations...

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After seeing Karin off at the lobby, Ohta ordered Soifon to ensure she got home safely before heading to the gym. He suspected that Rangiku had returned by now, so he decided to give the underground chamber a wide berth and focus on the conditioning of his body.

Entering the gym, Ohta was drawn to the sound of a loud metallic clang, his head and eyes swiveling to a squat and powerlifting rack in the corner of the room. Ikkaku was casually squatting around 2000kg in nothing but a speedo, his toned body on full display while the flowery Yumichika sat nearby, gazing at him with a 'listless' look on his face.

("I should install a gym in my penthouse...") thought Ohta, diverting his gaze from the strength-obsessed duo until Ikkaku racked his weights and called out, shouting, "Hey, Ohta! Come and join us, man! Nothing like a bit of friendly competition to liven things up and get the blood pumping!"

Waving his left hand from side to side, Ohta responded with a curt "Pass." before making his way over to the dumbbells, picking up what looked like a fairly innocuous set of weights, but they had dials on the sides. Turning said dials could alter the weight from as little as 50kgs to 500kgs, so Ohta cranked it up to around 200kgs for a light warm-up before heading over to a beige, pillar-like punching bag made from Sekiseki and beating the shit out of it.

"Your control is insane," remarked Ikkaku, having donned a robe before walking over with Yumichika following close behind. "Not many people can leave an outline of their fist in Sekiseki."

Punctuating his words, Ikkaku punched the opposite side of the pillar with all his strength. However, while the impact caused a shockwave to ripple through the area, causing a prominent hum as his Reiatsu resonated with the surrounding equipment, retracting his fist revealed that his hand was the only thing he had damaged.

Licking the blood from his knuckles, Ikkaku sported a rather creepy smile as he remarked, "As you can see, I have more than enough power, but my control is shit. Let's exchange pointers."

"Which part of 'pass' confused you?" questioned Ohta, shaking his head as he added, "I have no interest in making friends-"

"I don't know," interrupted Ikkaku, grinning like a demon as he taunted, "You and Rangiku seem to be getting along well enough. Are those your weaknesses? Booze and women...?"

"It's the opposite," replied Ohta. "As irksome as they can be, having a good woman warm your bed can be a powerful motivator. Anyone who thinks they can leverage Rukia and the others against me is suing for a very slow and painful death. No compromises..."

Placing his palm against the surface of the Sekiseki pillar, Ohta pushed out a hand-shaped block of the incredibly durable material as if he were dislodging a middle piece in Jenga. Ikkaku responded with a whistle, but as Ohta had already turned to leave, he decided not to call out to him and instead turned in the opposite direction, returning to the squat rack and increasing the weight to 4000kg as he considered finding a good woman for himself...

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"I've been thinking..." muttered Soifon, who, as usual, was seated atop Ohta's lap as they watched period dramas in the living room.

"About Yoruichi...?" asked Ohta, causing the diminutive Captain to frown and puff her cheeks ever so slightly.

"I wanted to try manifesting my Zanpakuto Spirit with the Tenshintai..." replied Soifon, her tone notably huffy.

Raising his brows, Ohta questioned, "Why? Didn't you obtain Bankai a long time ago...?"

Catching Ohta a little off guard, Soifon turned around, straddling him as she stared into his eyes and said, "I want you to trust me, and I 'need' to get stronger. Observing the growth of Kuchiki-sama and Matsumoto-san has convinced me this is the quickest path to improve..."

Realizing what Soifon meant when she said she wanted him to trust her, Ohta asked, "You want me to subjugate your Zanpakuto Spirit...?"

"It would make you feel more at ease," contended Soifon. "I intend to continue serving as your Kagemusha until you, Yoruichi-sama, or Kuchiki-sama have children. After that, I will safeguard them for at least 150 years to ensure they reach full maturity without issue..."

With Soifon's reminder, the gears in Ohta's mind nearly ground to a halt at the realization his future children would need literal decades to transition from being infants to toddlers and then prepubescent little shits. Puberty was already an ordeal in the human world, but in the Soul Society, it was a nightmare that persisted for upwards of fifty years...

Noticing the 'existential dread' in Ohta's eyes, Soifon blinked a few times before remarking, "Forgive my impertinence, Ohta-dono, but I believe you might be misunderstanding something. Unless they experience something that promotes and subsequently stunts their growth, children in the Soul Society develop similarly to human children until Reiryoku condenses in their Hakusui around the age of ten. It is exceptionally rare, even among native-born Souls, for Reiryoku to condense prematurely."

Exhaling a sigh of relief, causing Soifon's nose to scrunch slightly, Ohta surprised the petite Shinigami by placing his hands on her butt, giving it a playful squeeze as he teased, "Sure, I'll subjugate your Zanpakuto Spirit. Just promise me you won't start behaving like a certain blonde-haired cat girl..."

Furrowing her brows, Soifon asserted, "I would 'never' behave in such a slovenly manner..."

Resisting the urge to point out he could see her behaving in such a way if Yoruichi 'demoted' her to the position of a pet, Ohta asked, "When should we do it? Now...?"

"I would prefer to do it when no one else is around..." replied Soifon. She could still vividly recollect the scene of Rangiku writhing about like a cat in heat as Ohta 'tamed' her feline Zanpakuto Spirit. She didn't believe her Suzumebachi would be subjugated similarly, largely because she was around 18cm tall, but it was better to be safe than sorry. If the Tenshintai gave Suzumebachi a full-sized human form, there was a good chance the hornet-like Spirit would let Ohta do her out of spite...

"Then we'll do it this evening," decided Ohta. "Once all the members of the Advance Attack Squad have gone out on patrol."

Nodding her head, Soifon felt compelled to 'express her gratitude' for Ohta's understanding. However, before she could consider how to go about it, Ohta made her genuinely grateful by caressing her head and saying, "Save it for tonight. For now, let's finish this episode and take a nap. I have a feeling it's going to be a long night..."

Recovering from her momentary stupor, Soifon adopted a faint smile, replying, "As you will..." before subsequently resting her head against Ohta's chest. He rolled his eyes in response, but instead of telling her to turn around and focus on the TV, he moved his hand from her head to her back, gently caressing it as he watched the remainder of the period piece in silence...

("I miss streaming...") thought Ohta, seriously considering whether or not he should invest in this world's versions of Youtube, Netflix, or Hulu to prevent things from getting out of hand as they had in his previous world. Hell, if the Shihouin Clan could build a luxury hotel in five days, he might even be able to finance a completely original platform. That sounded like more trouble than it was worth, but if he wanted to retain a foothold in the human world, it could prove fairly useful long-term...

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After being summoned by Soifon, Suzumebachi, resembling a pig-tailed fairy with a fondness for hornets, exclaimed, "I can't believe you actually went through with this! Gah! First Yoruichi, and now this guy! Why do you always let others dictate your decisions!?"

Furrowing her brows, Soifon contended, "There is no shame in being loyal toward one's Mistress or Master..."

"Don't make me sting you...!" exclaimed Suzumebachi, angrily flailing the stinger covering the entirety of her right arm. Then, like a child with ADD, she promptly shifted her attention to Ohta, lunging toward him with tears in her eyes as she screamed, "Let's just see you try and dominate me, you big stupid meanie head...!"

With Suzumebachi's stinger unable to penetrate the protective membrane encompassing his body, a frown marred Ohta's face as he scratched the back of his head. Haineko had been easy to deal with as she outright asked him to fuck her. Suzumebachi was small enough to sit in the palm of his hand, and, based on her ongoing endeavor to try and kill him, she wasn't particularly fond of him...

("So, this is how Soifon 'really' feels about me...") thought Ohta, glancing at the diminutive Shinigami, prompting her to look away with an awkward grimace. It was common knowledge that a Zanpakuto Spirit reflected the innermost qualities of their wielder, so seeing Suzumebachi lash out like a moody adolescent caused her to feel more than a little embarrassed...

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(A/N: The advent of the murderous Tsundere. Also, here's your ONCE daily reminder that Not a Mob: Psycho is NOT a harem novel (O,....,O)...)