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25.98% Bleach: Starting as a Vasto Lorde / Chapter 66: CHAPTER 68: Emergence

Chapter 66: CHAPTER 68: Emergence

With a careful gentleness, Kazuya ran his fingers along Apacci's bare back, kneading the tension away with a firm yet soothing touch. His other hand cradled the egg pulsating rhythmically with vibrant waves of Reiatsu. The mystical egg seemed to brim with a sense of contentment, as if it enjoyed his touch, or perhaps it was merely using its Reiatsu to speak in a language only it understood. The egg's true thoughts were shrouded in mystery.

"Urahara-san, can I get a Gigai for Apacci?"

Kisuke calmly nodded. "Absolutely. Before I do, let's talk about an important matter. Come to my room."

A veil of solemnity was drawn over Yoruichi's usually playful eyes, a sight rarely seen by many. "Alone."

Such gravity on their faces usually appeared in matters involving Aizen. "Well, I gotta go."

Apacci peered up at him, her eyes slits of skepticism, mirroring the suspicion reflected in Harribel's gaze. "What are you hiding from us?"

Apacci harbored a sense of skepticism regarding Kazuya's collaboration with Kisuke. A gut feeling hinted at the existence of a larger scheme at play, which was intricately woven around their association. Driven by her instincts, she yearned to stand by his side and help him, but she couldn't do so without knowing his troubles.

"The secret to immortality," he whispered with a cheeky smile. "Do you want in?"

She scoffed. "Liar."

Harribel gazed at him with the intensity of a huntress gauging her prey. "You will tell us everything if you think of us as your family."

Without communicating, she was on the same page with Apacci, both looking to offer him assistance.

He blinked in surprise, taken aback. There was no overt threat in Harribel's words. What she had thrown at him was a masterstroke of emotional manipulation. The thought of being subjected to such strategy by Harribel, of all people, was shocking, to say the least.

"Jeez… I'll fill you in when I'm done with Urahara-san."

Harribel showed a soft smile. "Thanks."

Kazuya could only shake his head in response before flying in the direction of Kisuke and Yoruichi.

Moments later, all three could be seen sitting inside Kisuke Urahara's living room. His Zanpakutō lay dormant in his lap, still releasing small waves of Reiatsu. He didn't pay it any attention, instead staring at the Hōgyoku. The Hōgyoku, despite its uninspiring appearance, seemed as enticing to him as a steaming bowl of Miso ramen. He felt a surge of an uncontainable urge to swallow the orb, yet his practiced discipline held his reckless impulses at bay.

"Don't get sucked into the swirl of temptations," Kisuke said. "Give it to me, Kazuya-san."

Kisuke's caution, while heartfelt, seemed unnecessary. Despite his thirst for power, consuming the Hōgyoku might transform him into an even more unknown species. His body was already a riveting puzzle without the involvement of Hōgyoku.

He exhaled a weary sigh. "What kind of connection do I have to this?"

"One that's rather convoluted," Kisuke responded, his tone neutral. "Nothing connected to that entity will ever find a comprehensive explanation. All we can find are theories."

Despite serving as an anchor to three realms, the Soul King once used to be the strongest entity, possessing nigh omnipotence powers. Every fragment of the Soul King's body possessed immense powers. Even Hōgyoku's creation was made possible by Soul King's fragments.

"Actual facts, Urahara-san. Can I keep Hōgyoku for a little longer?"

"Isn't your objective finished?"

Kisuke's eyes were serious, unlike his usual playfulness. The topic of Hōgyoku had become of utmost importance after Kazuya told him about Aizen's objective. Kisuke wouldn't hesitate in becoming enemies with him if it meant keeping the Hōgyoku away from evil hands.

"What more could you possibly do with Hōgyoku? Unless…" Yoruichi narrowed her eyes sharply. "You know what Aizen intends to do with Hōgyoku, and you want to achieve it first."

Reluctantly, he extended his arm, placing the Hōgyoku back onto the low table. "Here."

"Good decision—"

A sudden interruption froze them all in their tracks. All eyes veered towards the egg.

Crack Crack Crack

A jagged line of fractures began to cleave the eggshell apart. His Zanpakutō awakened at the least expected time. His breath hitched in his throat as a claw ruptured the shell, revealing an entity shrouded in a maroon aura. It emerged and hovered above them.

This day was brimming with revelations, not least of which was his Zanpakutō's true appearance. It was neither a Hollow nor an Arrancar. The being that emerged from the egg was a bird. Not just any bird, but a magnificent bird adorned with vibrant carmine and jet-black feathers. A subtle flutter of its wings kindled dark red flames that played across its enchanting form. Each black feather was adorned with the merest hints of crimson at their edges, like droplets of blood.

'I knew it.'

Somewhat close to his expectations, his Zanpakutō was a black phoenix, one that seemed oddly small and cute for its power level.

The phoenix locked its obsidian eyes on Kazuya, delivering a piercing screech that echoed through the room. "You're the absolute worst, Partner!"

Its voice was decidedly feminine.

An indignant expression crossed Kazuya's face. "How dare a measly bird insult me?"

"I'm not insulting you. I'm questioning your intelligence, you wannabe young master!"

"Are you talking to the bird?" Yoruichi questioned, her gaze shifting from Kazuya's playful face to the phoenix. "This cute little phoenix. How can it be an Arrancar's Zanpakutō?"

The phoenix swiveled towards Yoruichi with a menacing glow in her black eyes. "Do not interrupt my conversation with my partner!"

It seemed like she had decided to address Kazuya as 'her partner', which made sense since they were divided from one soul.

Yoruichi cocked her head curiously. "Is it trying to say something?"

Kazuya couldn't help but chuckle at the exchange. It appeared his Zanpakutō was tempestuous, a stark contrast to his own cool demeanor. However, it seemed she was only capable of communicating with him.

He plucked her out of the air and held her gently. "Urahara-san, Shihōin-san, can I have ten minutes with my Zanpakutō?"

Urahara gave a nod of understanding as he picked up the Hōgyoku under the watchful eyes of the phoenix. "Sure. Sure. What I was about to say is less important than the well-being of your Zanpakutō. Yoruichi-san, let's give them space to connect to each other."

As a fellow wielder of a Zanpakutō, Kisuke found no fault in Kazuya prioritizing his bond with his Zanpakutō.

"Zanpakutō spirits are a pain in the ass." Yoruichi declared with a sigh, casting a lingering glance at the little phoenix before trailing after Kisuke out of the room. "Later."

As the door slid shut behind them, the phoenix broke free of his grasp and launched herself at him. The tackle knocked him onto the floor. She perched atop his chest, her wings fluttering wildly, casting a radiant dark red fire around the room. Oddly enough, the fire danced harmlessly, burning nothing in the room.

"It should stop them from eavesdropping on us. Now, Partner. Let's talk."

***

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Chapter 67: CHAPTER 69: Visión del Diablo

Kazuya let out a sigh, running his hand through his silver locks. "I'd honestly prefer it if you were a busty chick sitting on my chest." he said, the corner of his mouth pulling into a slight grin. "Well, do you have a name, or should I provide one for you?"

"My name… what was my name again? ...Nami? It's only a fraction of my name… Just call me Nami. Not the Nami from One Piece mind you." She scrutinized Kazuya's expression, finding it calmly unsurprised. "You already knew, didn't you?"

"It's only logical that my Zanpakutō will get access to my memories."

"My partner is as calculating as I'd anticipated," Nami mused, her praise tinged with a hint of reluctant respect. "This intelligence works against you sometimes. Take, for instance, your recent incident with the Hogyoku... Your instincts were screaming at you to consume it, yet you perceived this urge as a potential trap. You suspected that the Hogyoku was tricking you… or you were scared of becoming an actual monster."

"Kinda. I don't want to end up like Aizen. Harribel and others won't like it."

He'd never cast away Harribel and the others for a surge of power, no matter how tantalizing the temptation. For a woman who'd sacrifice everything for his sake, it was a negligible price to pay.

"Halting your natural growth for your women? You aren't cold enough, Partner. You—we missed a massive opportunity to evolve to our next stage. What's more, I burned my blood essence to awaken the Hōgyoku. My sacrifice turned out to be meaningless."

The Reiatsu that was the catalyst in Hōgyoku's awakening — it was drawn from her life essence, the crimson drops that glistened on her feathers.

"Relax. It's not like I can't get the Hōgyoku again."

"You absolutely can."

"So, why do I feel anger from you? Like 'you'll throw a punch at me if you had hands' type of anger."

He was able to sense her emotional state, likely an effect of their deep connection. Her internal state was chaotic, a storm of conflicting emotions.

"Forget it." She tilted her head towards the unseen ceiling, eyes closed as if she was having the inner monologue of a protagonist. "It's raining outside…"

"Even though you're a part of me and I can sense your emotions, I can't understand you. My Zanpakutō is such a mystery."

"Hmph!"

"Quit being such a tsundere." Gently, he picked her up by her sides and sat up, nestling her comfortably in his lap. Like soothing a child, he patted her head. "There, there. Everything will be fine."

She stared back at him, rendered speechless by his actions.

"Just out of curiosity, do I get a release form now?"

"No, you don't. Not until I finish my evolution. As things stand, I'm about the level of an Adjuchas. We both need to be on the same level to trigger a Resurrección."

"That's sad."

"Sad indeed, Partner. I could've hatched as a Vasto Lorde in a few weeks at max… now, I have no idea how to evolve my form."

Kazuya gradually understood the root of Nami's anger — her premature awakening had disrupted her evolution. However, he harbored no regrets about his decision not to consume the Hōgyoku.

"You are like that… Partner." She let out a puff of fire as a sigh. "I'll rest in your inner world and try to find a solution… Let's forget about eating Hōgyoku until I evolve."

"Sure."

With that, she vanished from sight. But Kazuya could still sense her presence nestled deep within his being. Her existence seemed to deviate from a typical Arrancar's Zanpakutō, which remained as a physical object on Arrancar's body. Instead, she was more akin to a Shinigami's Zanpakutō Spirit, yet even they had a physical manifestation as a weapon.

'Mine is abnormal like always.'

Every aspect of his existence appeared to diverge from the norm. His Arrancar form, the disappearance of his Hollow holes, his unique ability to manipulate Reishi, and now his Zanpakutō, all chose to tread a different path. Concern gnawed at him regarding what his future might hold for him. Would he end up being similar to the Soul King?

[Racial Ability: Resurrección (Partial Mode) unlocked.]

[Current Mastery Level: Yet to learn.]

The System's notification presented a stark contrast to Nami's earlier assertion about their Resurrección form being unattainable at the moment. Was Nami, his Zanpakutō, more knowledgeable than his System? Who was speaking the truth?

Intrigued, he decided to put Nami to the test to determine if she shared his manipulative tendencies.

"Nami, I feel like I can use your Resurrección."

"Huh? How?" she asked, shock apparent in her voice. "It's impossible!"

Closing his eyes, he sought to tap into the primal instincts that knew his body better than his conscious mind. Suddenly, a surge of dark red flame, akin to Nami's own, erupted from him before disappearing. He opened his status, finding no discernable change except for a black blindfold materializing over his eyes and a blood-red gem embedded in the center of his forehead. Interestingly, the blindfold seemed to be of a spiritual nature, as it brought no impairment to his vision.

The blindfold twitched as Nami made her presence known. "You did it. I remember our original ability now."

"What is it?"

"Focus, Partner. Let your eyes breathe the world around you."

"Don't talk like me!"

With a playful retort, he focused his gaze over his surroundings. The world seemed to plunge into darkness, with only the white outlines of his room giving it form. His gaze fell on the low table before him, and suddenly a torrent of knowledge gushed into his consciousness — its physical structure, components, density, mass, dimensions, volume, temperature, and a multitude of other properties.

Overwhelmed by the flood of information, he reeled back, eyes clamped shut.

'This ability is gonna explode my brains.'

"You can analyze an object to gain an abundance of information. It should take away the weakness of your Aspect of Death: Oppression."

His Resurrección ability allowed him to adapt in fights on the fly. It also took away his biggest gripe with the Oppression ability, which was digesting countless books.

"This is honestly creepy how well my wish came true. Is it an effect of Hōgyoku?"

"Don't glaze over minor matters, Partner. Shouldn't we name this ability?" asked Nami in an upbeat voice. "Something Spanish like other Hollow abilities… how about Visión del Diablo (Vision of Devil)?"

"What does the devil have to do with it?"

"Who cares?! It sounds cool. That's what matters the most."

It seemed like his Zanpakutō became fond of hobbies often associated with the 'edgy phase.' One of those struck with the 8th grade syndrome.

"Visión del Diablo is only a fraction of our power. It's not even connected to our original ability. You'll be surprised when you wield a full hundred percent."

"Damn. What's our true ability?"

"The power of life and death. That's all I'll say for now," she said cheerfully. "I'm canceling the release. Adiós!"

She retreated to his inner world, where she could rest without any disturbance.

Sitting there in silence, he processed everything that happened for a couple of moments.

'No point stressing over it now. I'll see when Nami's powers fully awaken.'

He called out to Nami to withdraw her barrier of flames and opened the door. Kisuke and Yoruichi, who were waiting at the end of the hallway, approached him.

Yoruichi burst into laughter. "Sneaky brat, you put a barrier kidō."

Kisuke gently hit her head with his paper fan. "We agreed to give him privacy, Yoruichi-san. Kazuya-san, let's talk inside."

Once they were seated, Kisuke unfolded his paper fan to cover his mouth. "Kazuya-san, I want you to enter the Gotei 13 and become a Shinigami."

Kisuke dropped a bomb out of nowhere.

***

You can read 20 more chapters on my Patreon!

https://www.patreon.com/GMilfhunter


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