CHAPTER 87: The Balance

For the next two weeks, Kazuya continuously trained with the Visored, refining every ability at his disposal, from the basic Cero to the most devastating ability at his disposal, Oppression. His Hierro armor hardened, absorbing lethal attacks from Mila Rose with ease. His Sonído soared to new heights with constant battles against the well-oiled battle machines like Visored.

He hadn't been the only one who reaped rewards from this training. The influence of his 'Crumbling Heart' ability benefited all Hollow allies, including the Visored. Just in fifteen days, the Hollows inside the Visored had a visible growth in strength. Yet, they would never awaken a Resurrección like Kaname Tosen, for their perception of their Hollow selves was skewed. They clung to their Hollow Masks as one would a weapon, failing to comprehend that the Hollow entity residing within them was part of their very being. They needed to accept this Hollow identity, embrace it rather than viewing it as an external object.

In contrast to the leaps and bounds Kazuya was making in his training, his personal life was marked with a significant issue — Izumi Ishida, the woman he held in regard as his own flesh and blood sister. He hadn't yet conveyed his imminent departure, which was due to take place in a matter of hours. Spinning stories was an easy task, yet no scenario existed where Izumi would take his departure lightly. Regardless of the web of lies he spun, tears would inevitably follow. And revealing the true nature of his Hollow lineage would lead to a heartbreaking confrontation.

He was in a sticky situation with no happy ending.

{Bwahahahaha. Pay for thy cruel lies, Sinner!}

'Nami, shut up.'

{Partner, there is a happy ending for her.}

'Huh?'

{Kill her. Wipe her from the face of the earth. There will be no more tears or sadness. She'll live happily after she is taken to the poverty lands of the Soul Society—wait, she will be tortured by Kurotsuchi Mayuri for being a Pure-Blooded Quincy!}

'Fuck you.'

{You don't need her in your life. I'll be your Onee-chan, Otouto-kun. You can also call me Okaa-san or simply Mommy Phoenix~.}

With each passing day, his Zanpakutō Spirit seemed to grow more and more detached from reality, turning into a bloodthirsty yandere. She might need professional therapy at this rate.

'I'm just gonna repeat what I said to Apacci. Come to me when you get a human body. I don't bone animals or birds.'

{Hmph, how uncultured of you. Our bond transcends the barriers of physical intimacy. Our love is spiritual, Partner.}

"Otouto-kun," called out the black-haired woman sitting across from him at a cafe seat. "You're sleeping with your eyes open. Have you not been resting properly?"

His heart clenched at the thought of seeing tears glistening in her gentle eyes. She had been nothing but sweet towards him.

"I'm fine, Onee-chan. Is there any news about Ishida-san? When is he returning?"

Izumi's face clouded over at the mention of her husband. "I don't know… neither do I care about our marriage at this point."

"Huh? Are you unhappy with your marriage?"

He could understand her frustration, but to lose all care for her marriage seemed too drastic. They had been married for like three or four months.

"This marriage…" she said, letting her words drift off into a melancholic sigh. "Let's just… let's just pretend I never said anything."

"You can talk to me, Onee-chan. Maybe I can help with your problems."

"There are no problems," Izumi said, shaking her head softly. "Our marriage was based around creating a lineage of Quincy… Making a family that Quincy can rely upon in times of trouble."

"So, it was a political marriage."

"In essence, yes… I don't need it anymore."

The shift in her perception could be traced back to a single person — himself. He had morphed into a beacon of hope for the Quincy race in her eyes, an illusion formed from her fantasies. She was unaware that the future of Quincy race was all but bleak with Yhwach's sinister plans to destroy the world by merging all three realms.

Lisa's sharp glare bore into him. "Kazuya, you mentioned earlier that you had something important to share with Izumi-sama."

"About that." He rubbed the back of his head, realizing Lisa's attempt to make him omit the truth. "Onee-chan, I'm leaving Karakura Town for a vacation… A long vacation."

"Leaving the town? Where are you going and when will you return?"

"About a year. As for my destination, I'd like to keep it a secret."

Izumi drew a sharp breath. "Otouto-kun, you are joking… Tell me it's a strange joke you learned from Lisa."

She was in denial. His recent absences, while bewildering, were manageable, but a vacation lasting an entire year was beyond her capacity to cope with. His constant presence at her home had become a comforting norm, and the prospect of his absence was akin to a serrated blade cleaving her heart in two.

He shook his head. "I'm not joking, Onee-chan. Look on the bright side. You have one less mouth to feed."

His feeble attempt at humor backfired. As Izumi clutched his sleeve, her eyes brimmed with unshed tears. The cafe patrons began to cast accusatory glances his way for making her cry.

"Onee-chan—"

Izumi abruptly pulled her hand back and sniffed, choking back her tears. "I'm sorry, Otouto-kun… for being a clingy sister. You're free to leave anytime. I won't stop you."

She got up and dashed towards the exit at a superhuman speed — her leg injury had fully healed. As he tried to chase after her, Lisa grabbed his hand.

"Lisa."

"It's fine, Kazuya," she offered, her voice soothing as she pulled him back to sit beside her. "Running after her now will only complicate things for both of you. You have to leave soon."

"Fuck," he cursed under his breath. "Lisa, take care of her."

"You can bet on that," she said with a serious face. "You take care of yourself on the mission. If you die, I'll expose your stash of incestual older sister ero-novels and magazines to Izumi-sama."

"Those are yours, Lisa. Those are all yours," he retorted, a chuckle escaping his lips. "If I take down Aizen, we'll have a one-night stand. Got it?"

"In your dreams."

…

The Gotei 13 was an establishment birthed from the vision of a single man, Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, who currently bore the title of the Captain Commander of the Gotei 13. He led a group of ruthless killers and formed an organization that imposed law and order with brute force.

Then a certain massacre brought forth a transformation in their regulations.

In the new era, the Gotei 13 was entrusted with stern responsibilities such as the safeguarding of the Seireitei — the heart of the Soul Society, the mobilization of Squad members for combat operations on enemy territories, the allocation of forces to defense measures in the Living World, and the guidance of souls to the Soul Society. All these undertakings were geared towards their core aim of maintaining the balance.

To visualize this balance through data, Senjumaru Shutara, one of the esteemed Royal Guards, had conceived the Shutara Scale. The surveillance of the Shutara Scale was now within the jurisdiction of the 12th Squad, which had a direct link to the Shinigami Research and Development Institute.

[Currently in the headquarters of the 12th Squad.]

On the highest level of the headquarters stood a tall man with short, spiky black hair, a prominent hairline bisecting his scalp. Three small horns adorned his forehead, and the absence of eyebrows made him a very impressionable Shinigami.

Akon, the 3rd Seat of the 12th Squad, oversaw the division as they worked fervently before expansive screens. The Captain of the 12th Squad, Mayuri Kurotsuchi, held absolute authority over his department. If one dares to utter an opinion, they could very well be reconstructed into a Human bomb by the Captain. The secret to longevity here is working quietly and fulfilling all duties, never drawing attention to yourself.

As for 12th Squad's duties, they developed innovative technology and spiritual devices. They also measured spiritual waves for the calibration of the Shutara Scale and managed communications between different Squads.

Akon nodded in satisfaction and shifted to the blonde man approaching him, carrying with him stacks of reports.

"Akon-san, we have a report from the Correction Squad to the Captain."

"You can relay it to me. I'll pass it on to our Captain."

"The Correction Squad have wiped out fifteen thousand souls in Rukongai. The Shutara Scale is back to Category 1 from Category 3."

Unflinchingly, Akon nodded his understanding at the grim news of fifteen thousand innocent souls from Rukongai being eradicated. The order had been issued by the Captain, then approved by the Captain Commander. It was not his place to question it nor feel pity for the souls who'd eventually reincarnate. "You can leave."

Once his underling had left, Akon gathered the reports from his desk. A few weeks ago, nearly seventy thousand souls had mysteriously vanished from Hueco Mundo, causing a disturbance that had not been witnessed since the Quincy rampage.

Nobody in the Gotei 13 realized that this disruption was caused by the death of a single Vasto Lorde — Barragan Lousenbairne.

...

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