CHAPTER 252: The Message

Kazuya lay sprawled amidst the vibrant flowers, his crimson-stained figure stark against the colorful backdrop of the flowers. He gazed up at the mesmerizing sky, his thoughts drifting with the clouds.

'The sky is mesmerizing vivid, the birds soaring through a testament to the equivocal freedom granted to all living beings… I can just fly up above the sky, can't I?'

{Stop going off the rail with your delusions!} Nami chuckled in his mind, her tone simultaneously amused and scolding. {Honestly, people gain a newfound appreciation for life after surviving a crisis. Partner just survived the calamity known as Yachiru Unohana.}

Nami was right in every sense. Unohana had lived up to her promises — she had systematically traumatized his body over the long hours of their training, carving wound after wound into his flesh, the intensity of which grew when she lost control of her urges. The endless cycle of wounding followed by healing, over and over, had continuously drained his vast reserves of spiritual energy. And while his Reiryoku had nearly recovered by now, his mental and emotional state was still left thoroughly exhausted by the process.

Suddenly, Unohana's upside down face popped into his vision, her long raven hair dangling down and tickling his face. "Do you still want to visit Kisuke?"

The mere thought of moving made him wearily shake his head against the soft grass and flowers. "I just want to rest today."

He had already made up his mind to force Yoruichi to take on her human form, so he could snuggle up with her warm, voluptuous body. She owed him at least that much consolation for leaving him hanging earlier without an answer to his heartfelt question.

{I'm the backup cuddle plan if she refuses.}

"We can also have sex."

Kazuya simply couldn't believe that his actually horny Zanpakutō Spirit pitched a wholesome idea while his naive yet manipulative Zanpakutō Spirit had the devious idea for intercourse. Tsubasa was driven by a curious fascination with sex, a curiosity that children often displayed for knowledge.

{Tsu, do that when you recreate your own body.}

"Okay…"

Unohana's piercing eyes turned soft, oozing a soul-melting warmth that stood in stark contrast to her intensity during the training. "I can carry you back to your place."

"Just give me a few minutes."

In response, Unohana did something unexpected — she suddenly reached down, tenderly lifted his head, and placed it delicately in her lap, giving him an impromptu lap pillow. The silky fabric of her hakama felt cool and soothing, more so when he had been lying on the grass for a while.

He just stared up at her lovely face in wonder, utterly dumbstruck by this open display of kindness and care that was a stark contrast to her crazy, bloodthirsty side.

"A privilege for today only," she clarified as though perceiving his unspoken question. "I say that so you don't grow accustomed to me spoiling you. I am, after all, not one of your mistresses."

Despite her blunt words, a small, quite pleased smile graced her lips. She was feeling an even greater sense of fluttering satisfaction deep within her soul. The source of her deep contentment was the unexpected results of today's long, grueling training session.

Even accounting Kazuya's absurd talent, Unohana had anticipated him to be utterly thrashed by her for at least a week straight before he could even begin to defend himself. Yet, amazingly, by the time the red sun finally dipped below the horizon, he was parrying her lightning-fast attacks with nearly a hundred percent accuracy — his body and mind had fully adjusted to the blinding, inhuman speed of her blade.

This growth, put simply, was nothing short of astonishing.

'His swordsmanship will soon rival my own…' She mused silently to herself. 'When that happens, who will have the strength to challenge him? Perhaps only the Royal Guards.'

The old, never-fully-healed scar on her chest throbbed and ached, as if in instinctive response to her racing heart.

'He will outgrow the Zaraki who defeated me…'

Her scar pulsed harder at the exciting thought. Yet Kazuya's strength and potential alone were not the only things that had Unohana so thrilled. She had also gained some invaluable new insights during their intense duel today, insights that would allow her to further refine and perfect her own nearly-peerless sword techniques.

'If it's with him as my opponent… I can shatter my limits.'

Kazuya gently flicked her chin, yanking her awareness back to the present. "Your face suddenly became scarily intense. What on earth were you thinking?"

Slowly tilting her head down, she smiled at him. "Take a guess."

"You want to train me even harder, so that someday I can fulfill your battle urges in a deathmatch."

"..."

"Ha! Another flawless read by yours truly. Do I get a prize?"

Frowning, she pinched his cheeks and pulled them until they turned red. "This is what you get for ruining my fun."

He couldn't help but chuckle, even as she made his cheeks red. "Somehow, you manage to be both the most predictable and unpredictable person in the world."

"I appreciate your honest opinion."

{Partner, you got a Hell Butterfly last night.}

Nami dropped an unexpected revelation that made him wide-eyed.

'You're telling me this now?!'

{It's probably Apacci calling you 'Silly goose this, silly goose that.' I forgot to tell you in the morning, all thanks to you and Yoruichi acting like an idiot couple.}

'What if it was an emergency?'

"She didn't think about that," Tsubasa answered. "I'm sorry for withholding the information from you."

'Just don't let it happen again.'

"I promise not to fall for Nami's cheap tricks in the future."

Unohana cupped Kazuya's face gently in her soft, slender hands, her brow furrowing slightly in concern. "What's troubling you?"

Kazuya placed his own hands over hers and met her gaze with a serious expression. "It's about my family… One of them sent me a Hell Butterfly through Kisuke last night. My Zanpakutō Spirit only informed me about it now."

Unohana studied his earnest expression for a long moment before nodding. "I'll take you back."

"Thanks. There is a chance I'll have to leave for the Living World."

Apacci, Mila Rose, Sung-Sun, Harribel — they had always been endlessly supportive of his personal endeavors here in the Soul Society, despite how long his absences from home could be. It would be a poor showing as their lover to not prioritize their message.

"Understood. Let us depart with haste."

Kazuya cleaned his body with the help of Reiatsu before putting on his uniform.

On the back of Minazuki, they departed the flower field, now partially devastated by the aftermath of their fierce battle. The wind whipped at their hair and clothes as they cruised through the air.

Thanks to Minazuki's speed, they arrived at Kazuya's quarters in practically no time at all.

As Kazuya entered the main hall, he spotted Yoruichi leaning casually against the wall, her arms crossed under her ample chest.

"Done with the training?"

"Nah, I actually left early so I could spend more quality time with you like we did in the morning."

He reached out to pull her into a hug, but she playfully dodged his grasp.

"Uh-huh. Like I'll fall for that. What really happened?"

"I promise I'll fill you in on all the details later."

"Hmph…" The Flash Goddess didn't look overly convinced, but she made no move to stop him as he ran.

Taking the stairs two and three at a time, Kazuya burst into the empty room beside his main bedroom. Sure enough, there was a single black Hell Butterfly fluttering around beneath an overturned glass bowl on a small end table, just as Nami had said.

Right on cue, Nami herself materialized out of Kazuya's sheathed katana in a swirl of crimson flames, making the sheath instantly feel far lighter on his waist. Whether it was intentional or not, Nami's casual, swaying walk as she sauntered over to the trapped butterfly oozed sensuality. It was as if she unintentionally seduced him.

She gently tapped the bowl with her fingers and smiled at him. "Silly things can travel dimensions but can't overcome a simple object."

With a chuckle, she lifted the bowl. The black butterfly flew at him and scattered in black particles.

"Kazuya…" Harribel's husky voice echoed around him. "I met Gin Ichimaru today, and we talked a bit… Come to me as soon as possible."

"Nami," Kazuya said flatly, crossing his arms and giving his Zanpakuto spirit a dangerous glare. "Any last wishes?"

"Cough. Cough." Nami suddenly clutched at her ample chest and began coughing dramatically, bending over at the waist. "Partner, I-It's getting a little suffocating here… I think I should return to your Inner World."

Nami's form scattered into a swirl of bright embers, retreating back into Kazuya's katana.

He let out a heavy sigh and rubbed his temples. "Change of plans. Yoruichi, I need to see Harribel."

Yoruichi, who had apparently snuck upstairs to eavesdrop, let out a disappointed groan and snapped her fingers. "Blast, and here I thought I'd finally get to surprise you properly for once…"

"Are you coming with me?"

"Nope, I'm good. I always feel like an outsider when you and Harribel are together." She sprawled on the bed before turning and burying her face in his pillow. "Mhmm, I'm just gonna take a nap here."

"Just don't let me catch you doing anything crazy in my house."

"It's our house now."