CHAPTER 95: The Visit

Kaien gazed over the bustling labyrinth of Karakura Town's marketplace, a nostalgic gleam in his eyes as he rekindled sweet memories of savoring local delicacies. His stomach howled in yearning, but without a Gigai, he couldn't indulge in his cravings.

His attention strayed from a stall dishing out his favorite ohagi, settling onto Kazuya, whose mind seemed to be drifting in the realms of thought.

Meanwhile, Kazuya was zeroing in on Harribel's Reiatsu. Her presence was detectable around the vicinity, whereas Apacci, Mila Rose, Sung-Sun, and Cirucci had all but disappeared. They had likely departed, and it wasn't difficult to discern Apacci's motivations—more souls, more strength, a step closer to becoming a Vasto Lorde. Sung-Sun, ever the teasing yet faithful friend, had followed Apacci. Mila Rose may have embarked on a similar journey to gain strength since she was so competitive, taking Cirucci with her.

'I knew they would do this.'

He had previously enlisted Kisuke's aid to craft a device that could generate camouflaging force fields at will. He could only hope they had used the device before opening a garganta, or the Gotei 13 would come sniffing around for an investigation. It wouldn't be just one Vice Captain this time around.

'They left my Harribel alone.'

{Sad mommy noises,} Nami whispered. {You're a failure of a son.}

'Ouch.' Kazuya's hand instinctively gravitated towards his chest as if he could physically feel the pain from her words. 'I'll make up for it.'

{Don't forget Yoruichi. You left her after saying you don't want to trouble women. You're contradicting your own rules, Partner.}

Nami reminded Kazuya of the black cat who was lazier than him on his worst days. He had left the Soul Society to check up on his lovers, seeing how they coped with his absence. His departure would make Yoruichi think twice before rejecting his earnest request to teach him.

'You're more worried about Yoruichi than me. Is there something I should be aware of?'

{I am worried about you, Partner. I don't want you to blow your chance with her and act all sad and depressed. I want to see my beloved partner happy.}

'Awww, you're so sweet today. What did I do to deserve this treatment?'

{Absolutely nothing. I'm utterly indifferent to your women, Partner. They are but fleeting distractions on our endless journey towards Transcendence. It is I, Nami, who will stand by your side forever and ever and ever.}

He let out a sigh. The more he didn't want to think about his long life, the more Nami brought it up to his attention.

{Sorry…}

'It's fine.'

Kaien patted his shoulder, rousing him from his thoughts. "Where do you want to go?"

"Kaien, feel free to eat anything here. I'll be back in a few hours."

He would rather not bring Kaien to his mansion where his Hollows companions lived.

Kaien punched his arm. "You did see me on your group date.Why did you ignore me? And those ladies, were they Quincy?"

He simply nodded, deciding to let the misapprehension about Harribel and the others' race linger. It was a safer façade than their Hollow truth. "Don't tell the Soul Society about them or I'll ignore you for the rest of my life."

"I'm not a snitch," Kaien said with a shrug. "Just don't betray my trust by planning the next war or I'll punch in the face myself."

He was so trusting due to Kazuya's deep friendship with Yoruichi, who had been a long time friend of his sister. Also Kazuya's courage to visit the Soul Society to root out the Villainous Captain had earned Kaien's respect.

Kazuya put on a show of astonishment. "You're onto me already?! Who exposed me?"

Kaien gave a disapproving click of his tongue. "I'll return to the Soul Society to fetch some bounties and a Gigai. Find me here at six."

"Got you. By the way, thanks for helping me."

"No worries." Kaien responded, scratching the back of his head, a hint of bashfulness in his face at the earnest gratitude. "Not everyone in the Soul Society is out for Quincy. There are people like me there who don't give two hoots about it."

"Kaien, you're a smooth talker. If I was a girl, I'd fall for you right now."

Kaien's face morphed from bashful to irked in a second, rewarding Kazuya's teasing with a solid punch in the back. "Get lost already."

"Stop punching me, jeez."

"M-My bad."

Parting ways with Kaien, Kazuya made sure his spiritual pressure was completely concealed as he moved towards Harribel's location. He found her idly lounging on a grassy riverbank, her gaze absorbed in watching a group of children making merry in a distant park. It would be an understatement to say any parent would be alarmed seeing the imposing, queenly figure of Harribel seemingly stalking their child.

The parents aside, Harribel had gathered quite the following around her. He noticed a handful of bystanders stopping in their tracks to observe her. It wouldn't be surprising if the local news crew swooped in to interview the mysterious woman in the town.

Harribel only became aware of his presence when the sound of his shoes crunching on grass reached her ears. "You're back..." she murmured, her features dancing between surprise and relief. "Did you fail the entrance?"

Her voice held a glimmer of hope, as if she wished he had indeed failed and would consequently stay longer by her side.

"It's half a month away, Tier," he said, settling down next to her. "What's happening here? Thinking of ways to kidnap children to replace me?"

"You're irreplaceable," she stated flatly, shaking her head. "I was merely watching them play around in the park. It's calm yet lively here."

Her words were a subtle confession of her solitude, having been left behind while her 'family' pursued their individual paths. Resting her head on his shoulder, she wrapped her arms around his, nestling it against her chest.

"Do you feel lonely?"

"A little," she confessed, her voice no more than a hushed whisper. "I'm not worried about them… it's just I didn't expect them to leave like this when I took them under my wings."

"The time came for the chicks to embrace the sky," he said. "And that's a good thing, isn't it?"

Harribel let out a sigh. "You made it—everything possible."

Without his presence in her life, they might have been trapped in Hueco Mundo for eternity. Her small decision to extend a kind invitation had drastically altered her life's trajectory. She could enjoy a more humane life than other Hollows. For this, she was immensely grateful.

Following a few more peaceful moments, they made their way back to the mansion. Some curious onlookers attempted to trail them, but he easily ditched them by taking overly complicated streets throughout the market.

Back in the mansion, he opened a garganta within the force field. "I'm going to check up on others."

"I'll do fine here. Roaming around the town by myself is fun…"

Despite her efforts at optimism, the undertone of sadness in her voice was as transparent as daylight.

"Then come with me. I need your help with something."

A pair of aqua green eyes lit up at his invitation. "I'll do anything."

Her eagerness was almost powerful enough to coax a horny request from him. He took deep breaths to stabilize his fluttering heart and calming his desires.

Harribel picked up on the fluctuation in his Reiatsu and reached for his hand, examining him for signs of fatigue or illness. "Is something wrong? We can rest if you're tired."

He shook his head and guided her into the garganta. They strolled through the pitch-black void, engaging in light conversation about his experiences in the Soul Society. Harribel was a woman of few words, which made her an excellent listener. Her sharp perception also meant she could respond with the perfect balance of empathy and kindness. He felt refreshed after having a long conversation with her.

{Partner, you're falling deeper.}

'That's fine. Tier deserves all the love—'

His train of thought abruptly derailed as he detected a massive Reiatsu presence nearby. Coincidentally, it was located at the very spot where he had achieved his Arrancar status. He could also sense the presence of Apacci and Sung-Sun nearby, though thankfully, they didn't appear to be engaged in combat with the new Vasto Lorde.

A grim expression shadowed Harribel's face. "I know this Reiatsu… it's the man who forced me to become Vasto Lorde. Kazuya, I want to put a stop to his rampage…"

The thought of meeting Nnoitra Gilga almost provoked a smirk from him. He had plans to recruit future Espada like Starrk, Grimmjow, Nelliel, and even Ulquiorra to add more power to his and Harribel's kingdom. However, the moment he saw Harribel's distressed look, Nnoitra's name was instantly scratched from his list.

'I'll kill him for troubling Tier.'

{Ahhh~, partner, you're truly captivating when you reveal your yandere side.}

He tuned out the obsessive voice in his head, which had become a routine act by now.

Taking Harribel's hands, he revealed a small smile. "You don't need to dirty your hands with his blood. You should go to Apacci and Sung-Sun."

Harribel nodded her head in understanding. Everyone in the family knew how much she detested meaningless bloodshed by now. She might become bloodthirsty like her battle with Evanya — a sight she'd rather not display to Kazuya.

"There are other Hollows around… try not to kill them with your Reiatsu," Harribel said and sprinted towards Apacci's direction.

As Kazuya emerged from the garganta, the Vasto Lorde turned to face him. A male Hollow cloaked in white armor from head to toe. His long, black hair flowed freely, and a disturbingly wide and massive grin was spread across his Hollow Mask. Two large, crescent-shaped horns adorned his head. Each of his four arms terminated in a sharp, curved blade, and the ends of his legs were fashioned into claws with elongated fingers.

Nnoitra was certainly an intimidating Hollow even without considering his Vasto Lorde-level Reiatsu.

...

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