บท 146: Chapter 145 - Beginning of The End Part 3
The atmosphere in the hallway of the Orbital Fortress was tense for the last few days. The fleet had been cruising for days without end or any indication of an endpoint.
Tina was roaming the hallway towards the upper halls where his private space was. She wasn't alone since Alice tagged along too.
They walk to the elevator and manually move between floors since those with authority to use the Teleportation Function were only Adam and Angie.
After she called for the elevator, she waited for a few moments, impatiently tapping her shoe against the cold metal floor before a *Ding* prompt her the arrival of the elevator. She and Alices enter the elevator but stopped when she saw the Sirin shipgirl, Purifier exiting the elevator before she also stopped a brief moment to look at them.
"Are you two going to meet him too?" She asked which Tina nodded and replied, "Yes." But her senses are tingling and telling her something ain't right.
"Well, I was bored and wanted to find him to play. But too bad he keeps meditating just like yesterday and hasn't woken up." Purifier said with a deflated expression before she huffed like a child throwing a tantrum.
"Oh… well. I was planning to check on Nii-san with Alice. But if this is the case. Then we can only leave for now and come back tomorrow." Tina sighed but the Alices are taking it way worse than her, all five look depressed with their previously energetic ears immediately flopped and their posture turned hunched.
Tina then sighed after seeing Alices depressed state.
"Alright. Maybe… we can at least visit him."
The flopped ears immediately stood back up before all five of them went into the elevator. They immediately look at Tina who is still standing outside the elevator. Urging her to get in so she can close the elevator door quickly.
"Oh, hope you don't mind me tagging along." Purifier said and re-enter the elevator seeing that Tina and Alice have the chance to meet Adam.
Tina shook her head and Purifier tag along. Everyone finally entered the elevator before Alice rapidly spam tapped the close button before selecting the top floor before the elevator door closed shut and started humming as it moved up.
"So… Why are you looking for him?" Tina wonders curiously while looking at the floor number continuing to decrease and Alices who are also like her, staring at the little LED screen above the doors that displays numbers.
"Me?" She asked while playfully pointing at her face. "I'm bored and hope I can find him to play." She answered which made Tina almost stumble.
"Wait, you come here to disturb his meditation because you want someone to play with?" Tina asked which Purifier nodded and said yes.
"Then you are looking for the wrong person. You should have come to play with us instead." Tina sighed but Purifier looked at them from top to bottom before shaking her head.
"I don't think either of you can survive even a punch from dmy fist. Only he can survive my punch and he is even stronger now than last time!" She said excitedly while holding her fist out.
Tina immediately facepalmed.
"You are looking for him for a fight?"
"Yes. What else?" The Siren replied with a confused look on her face because Tina sounded angry.
"If you are looking for a fight. There is plenty in the training room that can fight against you. Please don't disturb Nii-san. The last thing he needs right now is distraction." Tina sternly said before the elevator stopped and made a *Ding* sound which meant it arrived.
Alices immediately sprint out on all four, racing with each other but Tina still arrived first before the five and Purifier that tag along.
When the door is opened, Kyoka Suigetsu sits in a seiza pose, greeting the familiar girls before looking at Purifier who is analyzing her with a frown.
"I knew it. Something was wrong when I visited. You did something to me right?" Purifier pointed her finger righteously at Kyoka Suigetsu who clicked her tongue in annoyance.
"That's because you are not welcomed here. Begone this instance."
"No!"
"This is not a request. It's an order." Kyoka Suigetsu said before that Purifier suddenly acted odd because she was affected by Hypnosis and voluntarily walked out the room leaving only Alices and Tina behind.
Kyoka Suigetsu huffed and chased away the girl with a loose screw in her head that almost killed Adam during their first meeting. A while later, Purifier found herself all the way down at the bottommost floor. She stomped her legs angrily and wanted to blast a hole onto the upper floor but obviously wouldn't do it because Observer Zero will have her ass if she dares.
Back to the meditation room.
Once Purifier left, Kyoka Suigetsu invited them in and prepared tea for them while they observe Adam who is actually well awake and simply is fiddling with a golden cube that floats in his fist. The cube constantly changed shape. From a simple eating utensil to various types of weapons.
When they sat down in front of him, the transforming cube returned to its original form before faded into motes of light that vanished into his body.
"Tina. Alices. Why di—"
Before he could finish, the first Alice jumped on him then the other four immediately piled up on him too, all eagerly snuggled up to him and rubbed their body on him.
"I guess the reason is to check up on me then." Adam chuckles before giving each of them plenty of headpats because he hadn't done it for days due to his meditation.
"Yes. She is very restless and couldn't catch proper sleep because she is low on his Adamnium" Tina said jokingly.
Adam picked up some cue from Tina's words and flashed her a smirk and asked, "What about you?"
Seeing she had been found out, Tina had an embarrassed look but she still approached Adam before she is given a headpat and rubs too as they silently pass their time until Kyoka Suigetsu returns with a tray carrying a tea set and a steaming tea pot.
While Adam and Tina didn't complain about the tea and enjoyed it. Alices recoiled and called it 'leaf water' before she demanded something sweet and not hot instead. Which he offers her boxed juice instead which he somehow has a lot sitting in his Inventory.
———
A week into the journey, they had yet to arrive and Adam became increasingly worried as his Spiritual Energy was depleting and he could only slow it by meditation but not stop it completely.
Inside the meditation room, Adam's visage looks visibly more exhausted and less vibrant than usual. Around him are Alices, curled up and sleeping on his lap because he couldn't leave the meditation room and they decided to come to him instead.
Able to rub and caress their fluffy ears and hairs does feel calming. Although, Tina expresses some jealousy that she didn't have similar animalistic features like some other Cursed Children have and not as cuddly as Alice were even if he reassured her she is as cuddly as Alice is.
"Hmn. The solution is quite simple." Unohana said after hearing the situation from him. "I think you already know the answer too. Just use your power to absorb Reiryoku from us. That should lessen the burden. Although, it is only a temporary fix."
Adam sighed and nodded. "Indeed, I thought of using Sklaverei when push came to shove. However, it wouldn't help much either because even if I drain all Reiryoku from everyone, it's just a handful compared to my reserve." He explained and guessed. "At most I can buy us one more day."
"How much longer can you hold on?" Observer Zero questioned.
"At most, another week maximum."
"Then it's enough. I had calculated that we should arrive in two to three days." The jellyfish themed Siren said confidently.
"If that is the case, I will return to my station and continue perfecting my preparation." Angie said before she left with Winter.
Jeanne and Jalter stay behind and still look worried for Adam although he reassures them he is fine and they can return to their task.
After that, Unohana said she wanted to do another checkup and asked everyone to leave. Including Alices who reluctantly left after Adam promised she can return as soon as Unohana is done.
Once it's just two of them minus the three Zanpakuto Spirit, Unohana finally loosen up to her real personality and stare at Adam with a rather threatening stare.
"Are you going to continue and ignore the state of your soul?" She asked as if she was looking at a stubborn terminal patient. "Why did you hide it till now?"
"I didn't hide it. The flaw just never made itself obvious until now that I am forced to push myself." Adam shrugs like he doesn't care even if he is aware of the consequences which made Unohana want to sigh but she keeps a straight and professional expression.
"Then I admit I was unprofessional to overlook this underlying issue. For a soul of weaker Ego to merge with two bigger ones, even after you trim away the unnecessary parts of Aizen and Yhwach souls, they are still individually stronger than yours. Yet you assimilate with both even when knowing there is risk their soul might devour yours in the process?"
"Guilty as charged. Then." Adam lifted his hands in surrender which caused Unohana to twitch her brow.
"This is not a funny joke, Adam. This is a very serious one. If your own soul were swallowed by either egos inside your mind, the worst it could be is you lose the sense of self and be overtaken by another Ego and become someone else. Those powers you use are not without price and they are a ticking time bomb!"
Hearing this, Adam opened his eyes and measured up to Unohana's stare and said, "I am aware of what I am doing. This is a necessity."
"Even at the cost of yourself?"
"It's a necessity." Adam repeated.
"Then, for what exactly are you fighting for? What is your drive to keep pushing forward this suicidally? Is it worth it in the end knowing one day you might not be yourself anymore?" Unohana wonders and questions.
"To be honest? I don't even know anymore. I can't recall the reason why. But I know firmly that my only reason is to keep the people I care, safe." Adam shrugged.
Unohana widened her eyes before she quickly extended her palm forward and wanted to confirm her thoughts but a hand stopped her. It's Kyoka Suigetsu who stopped Unohana.
"So, I assume that you are aware?" Unohana glared at the dangerous Zanpakuto Spirit after knowing what her abilities were before she tried to confirm with Adam but Kyoka Suigetsu interjected.
"You do not need to meddle between us, Shinigami. You should know the weakness of my Hypnosis and he couldn't possibly be affected. What he did was of his own free will." Kyoka Suigetsu looked offended that Unohana thought she would turn against Adam.
Adam puts a stop before the situation escalates, especially with Kyoka Suigetsu. He firmly held her hand and squeezed lightly before Kyoka Suigetsu left and dematerialized.
"Well, it's as she said." Adam said as the trademark reassuring and gentle smile appeared on his face without him even noticing which Unohana didn't point out knowing he is probably already aware of what he said a moment ago.
"I do not blame you for being privy. It's your job as a doctor. But no one forced me. This is on my own free will and I am aware of the consequences."
Since Adam already said it like that, Unohana has no reason to pursue the matter anymore. She sighed and stood up before she left but stopped before she slid the door open.
"Well, considering you are going to continue to push those powers further. I suggest you prepare for the worst." She said her final piece before she slid open the door and left.
"Of course, I know." Adam mumbles as he opens his palm and the Void Archive appears and floats on his palm.
—————
(Yosh! I placed enough flags.)
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