CHAPTER 149: Cleanse

Lisa Yadōmaru, a maid whose snarky demeanor opposed her subservient title, folded her arms over her chest. Her eyes flickered with a mischievous glint as they landed on Kazuya and Yoruichi, the latter adorned in a crisply red military uniform. "You turned her into a lady of culture. As expected of the man who nearly took my heart."

He chuckled. "You're still not over that date."

"As if I could forget. You brought great shame to my name. I can't look my seventy-three suitors in the eye."

"What is that number without the people in your imagination, Maid-chan?"

Lisa averted her gaze. "Zero."

"Make it one." He extended his hand. "For you shall be the mother of my child."

With a swift motion, Lisa slapped his hand away. "To propose to me despite having multiple lovers, your skin is thicker than a rhinoceros."

Yoruichi stared at them with narrowed eyes. "Soul Society, Living World, or Hueco Mundo. Is there a place where I can't find your admirers?"

"There is one."

{The Soul King Palace. The cuddly and cheerful chef Kirio Hikifune or the regal yet playful weaver Senjumaru Shutara. Pick your poison, Partner.}

'We'll think about that if I survive my first meeting with the Royal Guards.'

Given that the Royal Guards had the unenviable job of guarding the lifeless husk of a god, they were more than likely well-versed in the intricacies of Soul King's essence. Which, unfortunately, meant that they could see right through Kazuya's peculiar origins. And Ichibei, the most ancient of the Royal Guards, would most certainly discern his true nature.

Even though Kazuya was a formidable force in the current timeline, facing the Royal Guards would be a fool's errand. His best chance lay in mastering his Zanpakutō's shield, working towards achieving the Bankai Release. Additionally, there was the untapped potential of his complete Resurrección, a form made accessible ever since Nami's ascension to Vasto Lorde status.

Thankfully, Ichibei's motto was to never interfere with the events of the Soul Society, so he wouldn't be meeting the Royal Guards anytime soon.

{There is a possibility Oetsu knows about me through his Zanpakutō Sense.}

'I know. He's probably baffled about your existence.'

Snapping back to the present, he found Yoruichi and Lisa staring at him, their eyes riddled with confusion. Yoruichi touched his shoulder gently. "Limit monologues with your Zanpakutō when you're in the middle of something. You look like a goofball with those unfocused eyes."

"The frequency of such conversations will wane as your bond deepens." Lisa wrapped her fingers around her Zanpakutō's hilt. "Since my own Hollowification, my Haguro Tonbo barely talks to me. But when it matters, they lend their power to me without hesitation."

Kazuya held back the retort that danced at the tip of his tongue. Lisa and the other Visoreds had so much untapped potential — they could grow so much more than just a Shinigami sprinkled with Hollow traits. Kaname Tosen had shown the Visored's full potential through mixing his Inner Hollow and Zanpakutō Spirit, transforming it into a Resurrección.

Tosen's Resurrección took his existing Zanpakutō abilities to the next level.

{She needs to embrace her Inner Hollow, not shun it like it's a monster. It's about becoming a bridge between the Zanpakutō Spirit and the Inner Hollow.}

'It ain't that easy, Chief. Her Hollow isn't exactly sentient like an Adjuchas. It's a risky maneuver to introduce it to her Zanpakutō Spirit.'

{Yet, it's through risk that we evolve, that we surpass the limits imposed upon by the world.}

'True.'

"Then there's little old me who never uses Zanpakutō." Yoruichi laughed. "I fight better with my body."

He raised an eyebrow. "And they made you Captain of the 2nd Squad, how?"

Grinning, she prodded his waist with her elbow. "I'm an excellent assassin, and an even better stealth expert."

Lisa glanced at her wristwatch and opened the door. "Kazuya, we don't have time to dally around. Shinji and rest will return around the afternoon."

"You're certain they won't return sooner?"

"I shooed them off to step outside and enjoy life for once." Lisa gave him an exasperated look. "It won't be a surprise if they stay out late. Do you not trust me?"

His eyes met hers, steady and unyielding. "I trust you as much as I'd trust a cat to babysit a mouse."

Lisa's eyes flared, her mouth opening to unleash what would undoubtedly be a scathing retort. But before the words could escape, Kazuya interjected, "The cat I'm referring to is Yoruichi, who never eats rats. That means I trust you as much as I trust Yoruichi, and I trust this girl with my life."

A smirk played at the corners of Lisa's mouth. "I know, doofus, or else I won't be part of your inner circle."

Yoruichi, however, took a step away, her eyes widening just enough to betray her surprise. His words echoed in her mind, heavier than she'd expected, and they filled her chest with an unanticipated warmth.

She collected herself before her uncharacteristic reaction could draw attention. "Yadōmaru is right. We shouldn't waste time, My Prince."

…

Standing in the vast underground chamber, Kazuya held his Zanpakutō before him. Despite harboring a Vasto Lorde-class entity, the weapon remained as light as any regular katana. He slowly unsheathed the katana, and as it reached halfway, he whispered, "Weave, Shinku-no-Tsubasa."

As the incantation dissolved into the air, his Reiatsu erupted. A furious tempest of energy that picked up particles of dust, swirling them into an impromptu cyclone around him. Tongues of soft, ethereal flames crawled out of the sheath and wrapped around the blade.

Kazuya slowly drew his katana, its blade ablaze with flame. He reoriented the searing blade and pointed it towards his own chest before he plunged the flaming sword inward, piercing the core of his very being.

A convulsion of spiritual energy surged through him, the flames igniting him from the inside. His eyes turned incandescent. With a sudden, explosive burst, the flames detached, condensing into dual, luminescent blades that hovered in the air beside him.

Lisa shielded her eyes, peering through the gaps between her fingers. Her Reiatsu sat somewhere between a Vice-Captain and Captain-Class, yet next to Kazuya's overwhelming force, she felt like a flickering candle facing the sun's searing might. But fear was a stranger to her at that moment as the Reiatsu had no intent to harm her.

"Goodness," Yoruichi whispered, licking her lips subconsciously. "I didn't think he'd grow this much. What a terrifying man."

"For all that show-off, his Shikai is just two weird floating blades."

"Yadōmaru, did no one ever tell you not to judge a Zanpakutō by their appearance?"

"Keep your wisdom to yourself, Cat Lady."

Ignoring their sideline commentary, Kazuya gestured with a wave of his hand. The hovering blades responded, swirling around him in a beautifully choreographed dance, harmonizing to his mental commands and physical movements. "Yoruichi, get into your Shunkō form. Lisa, use your Bankai. Give me your best."

Yoruichi laughed. "You'll apologize to Sung-Sun for what I'm about to do."

She thrust her hand to the side and clenched her fist. Her Reiatsu turned ferocious, materializing a layer of white energy around her. Her ponytail danced in the wind, a sharp contrast to the white lightning crackling and snaking around her. The Kidō enveloping her grew denser and denser until— Crackle! — the pressure reached a crescendo, and arcs of lightning erupted.

Her sleeves were ripped apart, as was the fabric covering her back. Sung-Sun's dress was half ruined.

Yoruichi grinned, turning to Lisa. "Don't hold back. This guy can take on both of us."

"As they say, the road to ruin is paved with overconfidence." Lisa pushed up her glasses and unsheathed her Zanpakutō. "For you, the road will lead to thrashing by two beautiful onee-san."

She slammed the hilt of her Zanpakutō into the mouth of its scabbard before twirling it over her head with both hands. As the blade twirled, her Visored Mask manifested — a diamond shaped white mask with a cross-shaped opening instead of a mouth and eye slits. "Smash… Haguro Tonbo!"

Her Shikai activated, transforming the blade into an elongated polearm, its spearhead mimicking the shape of a monk's spade. Lisa, the former Vice-Captain with all the qualifications of a Captain, aimed her weapon at Kazuya.

"My fellow abomination, prepare to bleed magma from your heart."

***

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