Back in the hot spring, Kuroka kept glaring at Yoruichi while she's hugging Koneko from the back with no intention of letting her go or whatsoever. She would give Kisuke a curious glance once in a while but she couldn't find the inspecting look she saw earlier, 'Is it just my imagination?... No, I'm pretty sure of what I've seen. He gave me a similar look those bastards have when they are still experimenting on me. Although there is something different about him... Something that separates him from those detestable Devils. But it doesn't change the fact that this guy is the most dangerous fellow here. I really have to take away Koneko from this place... But how? Communication magic is blocked and I can't call those guys to rescue me... For now, I'll listen to what they have to say. Maybe I can find a chance or more information by then.'
"Done planning?" Kisuke spoke after waiting for a while. All of them went back to soaking themselves on the hot spring. And the reason Kuroka is behaving 'nicely' is because Kisuke sealed both of her Ki and Demonic Power temporarily.
"Yes... You can start talking." Kuroka replied, intently staring at Kisuke, 'He's the one that will do the talking?'
"Ughh... Guys? Are you just going to ignore me!? Kuhook!!!" Off to the side, Yoruichi is currently doing a sleeper's choke on Aika while her other hand is touching all sorts of places.
"Please!!! I don't want to lose my purity like this!! Someone, please take this pervert off me!!!" Aika begged Kuroka, Koneko, and Kisuke but they ignored her plight and would only give curious glance once in a while.
As Aika is started to let out a voice that won't be allowed unless it's in the restricted channel on television, Kisuke started talking to Kuroka, "Let's see, for now, you can ask questions."
"I see... Then are you the same type of person who experimented on me years ago?" Kuroka's question shocked both Koneko and Kisuke. Kisuke didn't think that it would be her first question. With a smile, he nodded and answered, "Yep. I'm the same kind of person. I won't make any excuses. Feel free to see me like that."
"Haah... So it's not my imagination. Although I can tell that you're a bit different from them." Kuroka sighed as she commented and tightened her hug on Koneko.
"Hmm? How? Not to brag, but I can do some nasty things without batting an eye."
"Don't phrase it like doing nasty stuff is a good thing..." Kuroka went silent for a while but her gaze didn't leave Kisuke's eyes, "You're cold and selfish... but unlike them, you know affection..."
'Affection... is it?' Kisuke subconsciously glanced at Yoruichi who is still playing with Aika, ignoring the mood. Yoruichi noticed his gaze and returned it with a bright smile. It would have been an amazing sight if not for the flushed Aika in her arms. It is still an amazing sight, in a different meaning, however.
"Well... I guess you're right~."
'That's right... This guy is different... I can tell that he truly cares about Shirone, that glasses girl and especially that Yoruichi...' Kuroka remembered the master of the branch family of Naberius Clan. He is an unfeeling demon that doesn't see anyone beyond their utility value and compared him to Kisuke who is in front of her right now. Although he could do what he did, he can at least see people as they are. Kuroka has seen all sorts of people when she roams the darker side of the world and someone like Kisuke is truly rare, 'But that's what makes him even more dangerous. If he somehow lost the target of his affection, he'll descend into something more terrifying than those Devils, especially if his abilities are what they make out to be.'
"You're too dangerous..." Kuroka spoke what's on her mind.
Kisuke somehow guessed what conclusion she came up with and replied with great confidence, "That's why I have to prepare thousands upon thousands of ways to keep her safe. Much like how I prepare for war."
Kuroka can feel his resolution in those words and contemplated the move she should take, "We aren't going anywhere with these questions so let me ask you directly, what do you want from me?"
Kisuke's smile grew bigger at her question, "Simple, I want you to be our eyes on the other side of the coin."
"Couldn't you do it yourself?" Kuroka narrowed her eyes at his answer. Based on the abilities she had seen them use, it wouldn't be hard for them to move around secretly.
"We could, but Yoruichi and I are bound to gather attention and we wouldn't have as much freedom as now." Kisuke could use Gigai to evade detection but having another pair of eyes working for him is more convenient in some situations.
"Is that why you showed me what you can do? For me to agree to your demand? I could just spread the news that you can gather pure energies and trouble will come for you and I wouldn't even lose anything as they are almost useless for me." Kuroka sneered at his apparent plan.
"That's one, but I showed it to you because I want you to know some of my capabilities. After all, I have an offer for you that you might not believe without seeing what I can do first." Kisuke didn't mind her reaction and replied confidently.
"An offer? Do you think that it'll be more important than my little sister's safety?"
"Let me clear this misunderstanding. Koneko-chan took that form because she took in large amounts of natural Ki that she wasn't able to control it. It's actually a very safe technique aside from initial training that can be dangerous without supervision."
"And how do you expect me to believe your words?"
"That technique is called Sage Mode and you can achieve it by melding your own Ki with the natural Ki effectively controlling it like your own. And one of my offers is teaching you that technique."
Kuroka thought for a bit and recall all her knowledge in Senjutsu but still came to the same conclusion, "Most of the Senjutsu users the past thought that they can use natural Ki around them to power their techniques, but the malice in it affects the mind that it can destroy it if used too much. Are you saying this isn't the case?"
"What you're saying is true." Kisuke unhesitantly agreed with her.
"Then..."
"But only if you take in natural Ki as it is."
"???" Kuroka tilted her head in confusion, 'What else you can do?'
"What we've thought Koneko-chan is how to process the natural Ki before she can meld it with her own Ki. You've seen it in the game. Normally, it doesn't take that much time to absorb natural Ki, but instead of just absorbing it, most of her time and concentration are used in 'cleansing' natural Ki for her own use."
Kuroka's eyes widened in shock, 'So that's the weird feeling I'm getting. I thought that Shirone is strangely slow in gathering natural Ki.'
Kuroka looked down and saw that Koneko is also looking up to her, "What he's saying is true, Nee-sama. If Yoruichi-san didn't ban me from using Senjutsu, I could have shown it to you."
At this moment, Kuroka hesitated because if this is all true, then this technique could help her get stronger faster. And if it's really safe for Koneko, then she wouldn't have much reason to take her away from this place aside from Kisuke himself.
"If you can't still agree after my second and last offer, then I don't have any other ways to convince you 'nicely'."
Kuroka's vigilance rose up again after his last words but she still chooses to listen as she's pretty curious about the second offer.
"I can change you back to a Nekomata."
Hohoho~
Enjoy~
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In this fic, I'm making it becoming a Devil almost irreversible.
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Even if someone takes out their evil piece, their body's physiology won't revert back to their former species.
"I can change you back into a Nekomata."
Kuroka's mind blanked-out after hearing Kisuke's offer. Kisuke didn't say anything else and just enjoyed the hot spring while he waits for her to properly process what he means. Koneko was also dumbfounded as she didn't think it would be possible to go back after reincarnating into a Devil. Yoruichi and Aika stopped what they are doing because they don't want to interrupt what seems to be an important decision for Kuroka.
After a minute or two, Kuroka finally made a sound, "H-how...?" She didn't want to believe something preposterous could happen. As far as she knew, being reincarnated into a Devil forever changes your physique and won't go back even if you remove the Evil Piece embedded. The only way for you to change 'back' is discarding your current Devil body and move your soul to a new non-Devil body.
Creating a new body is already a very huge problem as only a few beings can do it flawlessly, but messing with a soul another thing entirely. Just touching it will risk it from being dispersed and never coming back. The only proven ways you can transfer your soul into another body or container is with the use of a certain Longinus or with the help of another being with a powerful soul that also resides on your body.
With all of this, Kuroka can't believe that he could casually utter those words but she also hopes that he's capable of it as being a Devil is some sort of trauma for her and wanted to get rid of this stigma. So instead of questioning its possibility, she asks him how it would work.
"Well, the whole process is still in the works so I can't do it now. But I should be able to complete it within a few weeks of time. I can make it shorter if I focus on it, but I still have other things to prioritize. As for how it'll go, I would first remove the influence of the Evil Piece from your body and soul and transfer your soul to another container. After that, I would 'fix' your body to how it was before you become a Devil and return your soul into it."
"Fixing the body... That's hard enough yet you sound like you can handle souls just fine. I can hardly believe your words. What gives you so much confidence?"
"I do not dare claim that I'm the best when it comes to souls but I'm confident with my skills. Look at that embarrassing glasses girl. What do you think of her?"
"Who's embarrassing!?"
"A normal human?"
"Why don't you try using those black flames of yours on her?"
"What!? The moment my Kasha touches her, her soul would be burned to oblivion!"
"Don't worry about it~. I'll take responsibility~."
Kuroka hesitated for a few seconds but still agreed to him. A small wheel surrounded by black flames materialize on top on her fingertips and it flew over to Aika.
"I don't have any say in this!?"
Once it hits Aika, she groaned... she tried to, but noticed that even though the black flames are burning him, she doesn't feel anything from it.
"What!? How is that..." Kuroka suddenly remembered back when Yoruichi also took it head-on and said that she chose the wrong target. She then turns her attention back to the grinning Kisuke and waited for his explanation.
"This Kasha of yours is a spiritual attack that damages the soul directly. It won't work on those people who have a more powerful soul than you. Aika-chan may seem a normal person, but her dormant soul power is large enough to offset your attack."
"What!? How is that possible!? A normal human has a more powerful soul than me!?" Kuroka exclaimed but thinking about it again, "You're the reason? You can manipulate souls like this!?"
"Yep~. Transferring souls are actually pretty easy for me. The only hard part is removing the soul from the body as the body has Mana or Ki that can resist it. The larger the Mana or Ki the harder it is. And fixing the body is actually the hardest part as I would still need few data regarding Devil physique and Nekomata physique."
"..."
"So what would it be?"
"That offer is everything that I would want aside from the safety of Shirone, but I'm still having a hard time trusting you. After all, you're very similar to those guys I loathe."
"True enough... Then I would have to resort to a more drastic measure~."
Kuroka obviously didn't like his words and prepared herself.
Kisuke stared at Koneko and Koneko also stared at his eyes, 'What are you planning now?'
"At least you believe in my expertise in the soul, right?"
"... I suppose."
"Then you do know that it's possible for me to plant something nasty directly to the soul."
It finally hit Kuroka what he's trying to say, "You bastard!!! Did you do something to Shirone!?" The seal on Kuroka has weakened sufficiently that she could now fight back but didn't do so in fear that he activates something that'll hurt Koneko.
"Yup~." I indeed planted something inside her. I need insurance after all~." 'Although it's not as you think. It's just some protection spell I conveniently placed.'
"You scoundrel!" Kuroka released Koneko and stood up revealing her voluptuous body.
Kisuke wasn't affected by this and replied, "I won't deny that. So? What's your decision?"
"Fine! I'll be your pawn! I don't care about your other offers! Just don't hurt Shirone!"
Kisuke clapped his hands, "Cool! Since you're still a Devil, we can create a binding contract. And with my expertise of the soul, I'll be able to make something that binds that too."
"I don't care! My first term is you're to protect Shirone from harm to the best of your capabilities! Second is you have to remove everything you planted on Shirone's soul. And lastly, you're not allowed to plant anything further on both Shirone and me!" Kuroka is very worried about her little sister that she didn't think of any loopholes that Kisuke can take advantage of in her terms. The only thing inside her mind is that remove the threat inside Koneko as fast as possible.
"Great. My turn then. First is that you're to all the information that you have. Second is that you've to gather information for me. The third is that you can't come near and reveal any association between you and everyone from Urahara Shop openly unless I agree to it. Fourth is that you have to take the same training as Koneko-chan. And lastly, you'll allow me to change you back into a Nekomata when I'm ready."
What Kisuke and Yoruichi want is just an eye in the darkness where they can't conveniently always come. The fourth term is for Koneko. Both of them didn't like that Koneko is virtually threading an unknown path alone, so they wanted her older sister to accompany her. As for the last one, Kisuke wanted to try it first on Kuroka before he proposes the same thing to Koneko in the future.
Hohoho~
This is the last chapter of Vol 3~
And damn... I didn't think that I would take this long with Vol 4. It's still on the verge of climax...
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Anyways, enjoy~
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