Chapter 160: CHAPTER 178: The Guilt
Izumi jolted awake, her heart pounding in her chest as she stared at the ceiling. "Otouto's spiritual energy…"
Even though the Quincy were not known for their acute spiritual senses compared to Shinigami, Izumi had a deep, almost instinctual recognition of Kazuya's Reiatsu. She would never mistake his Reiatsu for someone else.
'He is fighting something. A Hollow or a Shinigami?' She pondered, her brow furrowing. Ultimately, the opponent mattered little. The dream of reviving the Quincy race might have slipped through her fingers, but she wouldn't hesitate in wielding her Quincy bow to protect him.
She tossed aside her blanket and donned a cardigan over her simple nightdress.
'Hang on, Otouto-kun. I'm coming.'
Upon reaching the doorstep, Izumi halted, noticing Lisa, the titular maid, hurriedly slipping on her shoes. Much like her, Lisa had hurried out of her room in a casual shirt and skirt.
Feeling Izumi's presence, Lisa turned, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes. She had hoped, rather optimistically, that the heightened Reiatsu signatures crowding the Karakura Town wouldn't rouse Izumi. The sight of Kazuya in his Shinigami outfit would destroy all of his hard work.
"Izumi-sama, you… no, you can't go to him."
Izumi's brow furrowed in confusion. "Why not?"
"Because…" Lisa faltered for a moment, her eyes flicking down to her shoes. "He is fighting a strong opponent. You'll make things worse for him in your current condition."
Izumi's frown deepened. "I have fought Hollows for years. Don't underestimate me just because I experienced a few rocky weeks."
"I'm not underestimating you." Lisa tidied her shoelaces and got back to her feet before clicking her shoes together. "You're underestimating your man. He is the strongest Quincy in my knowledge. Simply being near his Reiatsu will kill us. You'll not be able to show your affection if you die."
She made up excuses that sounded convincing from her perspective.
"B-But… I want to see him, hug him… I want to feel his warmth."
Lisa's gaze softened upon seeing Izumi's needy side. "I'll bring him back as soon as he knocks over his enemy. Please, you can sleep without worry."
"Okay… thanks, Lisa. I appreciate your concern for me."
Lisa nodded and rushed out of the door. Her steps came to a halt as she saw Shinji leaning against the wall with his arms crossed and eyes closed.
"Doing your drug dealer impersonation today?"
Shinji gave a wry chuckle. "Lisa, they've already kicked us out of their world. Whatever happens to them isn't our problem."
Lisa rolled her eyes. She barely convinced Izumi to stay at home, and now Shinji wanted to convince her to stay back. "I just want to see which Arrancar is wreaking havoc in my town."
She kept her deeper suspicions to herself, suspecting that amidst the Shinigami's Reiatsu, there lurked a familiar presence. She had to check up if she was hallucinating under Aizen's Zanpakutō or the tiny girl she read stories to was present in the town.
Shinji, however, blocked her path, his expression serious. "They're Aizen's underlings. Do you understand the implications of that?"
"Ah. Kazuya was right, then?"
"Exactly. I won't stand by and watch you risk your life foolishly."
"I'm not dying before I meet my charming prince and corrupt him into a DEMON." Lisa walked and looked over her shoulder, flashing a cheeky grin. "I appreciate the heads-up, though."
"Fool," Shinji groaned, rubbing the back of his head. He grabbed the covered katana standing by the wall and threw it at Lisa. "Take this then."
Lisa caught the sword without turning around and tore apart the layers covering the sword. "Thanks, Shinji."
…
At the same time, Kazuya's Mansion.
Apacci felt a surge in her veins — a reaction to the spike in Kazuya's Reiatsu. She was seated at the dining table with Harribel and Cirucci, who seemed unfazed by the disturbance. Cirucci was tenderly bottle-feeding milk to kittens, her maternal instincts on full display, while Harribel watched her with a gentle, almost wistful smile, reflecting her own innate nurturing nature.
"Tier, he is fighting an Arrancar. Can you stop ignoring it?"
Though everyone was aware of Kazuya's excursion, the sudden appearance of numerous Arrancar was unexpected. Apacci would have gladly taken his place in battle if it weren't for his current guise as a Shinigami, which complicated their ability to intervene.
Harribel turned to Apacci, her smile still in place but her eyes serious. "Doesn't that Reiatsu remind you of Kazuya's when he first became an Arrancar?"
"Now that you mention it… yeah, it does have some resemblance. Is he fighting his brother?"
Harribel shook her head. "It can't be his brother… you both stay here. I'll go over to see if he needs any help."
"I want to go too," Apacci grumbled. "BUT he said I can't be involved."
Cirucci grinned, holding the kittens wrapped in a soft towel. "Lady Apacci, there is a good reason behind his wariness."
"I know, fuck. I might do something irrational to expose him. Tier, you too. Don't do anything that might ruin everything."
Acknowledging Apacci's words with a nod, Harribel rose from her seat. She slipped on a black sweatshirt over her shirt, zipping it up to her chest and pulling the hood over her head. The cover of night outside provided a perfect chance to conceal her distinct features as she prepared to venture into the uncertain darkness.
***
Soul Society.
The bustling high-tech 12th Squad headquarters, the Shinigami Research and Development Institute was awash with a sudden, frantic energy. The Operators scurried about in a state of near-panic. The reason for their distress — their gadgets had just detected multiple high-level Arrancars converging in the same location as a group of their students.
Their precise devices messed up somewhere and overlooked the spatial distortions of Garganta. In a division where small mistakes could spell disaster, such an oversight could have dire, even life-altering consequences.
Akon, however, didn't seem at all worried about the consequences. "Send a transmission to the Captain Commander. He must know this as soon as possible."
He understood the stakes — the presence of powerful Arrancars in close proximity to their students was a threat of the highest order, one that demanded immediate action and the involvement of the Soul Society's highest echelons.
The Gotei 13 had to mobilize reinforcements to provide support as soon as humanly possible.
...
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