Chapter 28: Care


    <i><span style="font-weight:400">Crackle. </i><span style="font-weight:400">A vicious surge in Reiatsu brought the kiss to a premature end.


    <span style="font-weight:400">M Rose snapped to her senses and pushed his face away from her. “W-What the hell was I doing?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">She kissed Kazuya, a lewd act she never imagined herself doing with someone else, much less a man.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Kazuya didn''t dwell on M Rose''s distress. Instead, he swept his Reiatsu over the area, searching for the terrifying yet familiar presence that had interrupted their moment. He located the source of the familiar Reiatsu, well-concealed and undetectable to those not diligently searching.


    <span style="font-weight:400">He nced over his shoulder. "Harribel, you cane out."


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Harribel-sama is here?!”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Harribel emerged from behind a boulder and approached them. She wedged herself between M Rose and Kazuya, pushing M Rose away from him in the process.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“You called?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">She acted like she wasn’t eavesdropping and peeping at them from a hidden spot. Her calm and collected manner worked her in her favor this time around.


    <span style="font-weight:400">M Rose just stared at Harribel, stupefied. “Harribel-sama…”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Despite her resentment toward Harribel''s interference, she respected her leader too much to question her suspicious actions.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Harribel sighed. “I’m sorry, M Rose. I had to check up on him… I didn’t want you to get into a fight.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Kazuya would be stupid to take Harribel’s words at a face value. She might be peeping on her ‘son’ for all he knew. “I won’t fight Rose. Heck, we were about to enter a new phase in our lovey-dovey rtionship.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Harribel responded with a shocked look, “I see… I wasn’t watching you.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Oi, Skull. Stop spitting lies! Who the heck wants to—”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Kazuya leaned behind and winked at M Rose. “You let me kiss you — that’s a fact you can’t deny.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“You are horribly twisting the facts.” M Rose sprang to her feet and pointed at him with her sword. “I didn’t stop you because you mentioned something about rewarding you. Yeah, that’s it. Think nothing more of it than a reward.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">She was too embarrassed to admit being attracted to Kazuya, knowing that the menace Sung-Sun will rip her apart with teasing.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Harribel closed her eyes and giggled, adoring the sight of her ‘children’ messing around instead of fighting. It was one of the few times she had been so lively. “Kazuya, I need a favor from you.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Kazuya paused and looked into her eyes. Despite his deep understanding of her character, he could never guess the thoughts coursing through her mind. “Sure.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Harribel lowered her head, her eyes brimming with seriousness. “Can you—”


    <span style="font-weight:400">All three suddenly spun their heads in one direction. A familiar Reiatsu was ring up in the distance, as if it was preparing for a fight.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Kazuya instantaneously slipped into his Hollow form. Standing up and unfolding his wings, he showed a grim look. “Api is in trouble. I’m going ahead.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">With a burst of Sonído, he gained momentum and tore through the air, leaving M Rose and Harribel behind as he raced toward the source of the disturbance.


    <span style="font-weight:400">…


    <span style="font-weight:400">Kazuya found himself in the haunting battleground where he silenced Dordoni for eternity. A horde of monstrous Gillians unleashed torrential Cero rays, painting the destendscape in vibrant crimson. A blood-soaked Api nimbly dodged each lethal beam, her agility and determination evident as she lunged at a towering Menos Grande with every ounce of her strength. Yet the behemoth remained unfazed by her full-powered headbutt.


    <span style="font-weight:400">The Menos Grande drew its colossal hands from its shadowy cloak and struck Api with a resounding impact. She was sent hurtling into a nearby mountain, crumbling rocks cascading around her crumpled form.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Exhausted, injured, and drained of Reiryoku, Api couldn’t even block a Gillian’s attack. She struggled to her feet with trembling legs, only to copse once more. "N-Not yet... Damn it, where are the others?"


    <span style="font-weight:400">"I''m here." Kazuya arrived by her side, cradling her face as he transferred some Reiryoku to her. "Just rest. I''ll take care of them."


    <span style="font-weight:400">She looked at him, eyes overflowing with emotions. “Y-You are sote.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Kazuya nodded solemnly, his focus shifting to the menacing Gillians. His Reiatsu bore down on them, a crushing force that made them shudder. With a swift motion of his hand, he unleashed Oppression, reducing the creatures to grotesque chunks of flesh.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Did theye for Dordoni’s body?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“I didn’t let them touch it.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">She seemed smug about putting her life in danger for a corpse.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“I’m d you’re not dead..” He leaned his chin on her Hollow Mask and cleared the blood from her with his Reiatsu. Her tail adorably wiggled even while she refused to look at him. “There, you are all clean now.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Sung-Sun approached the pair as Kazuya finished cleaning Api, while Harribel and M assessed Api''s condition from afar and returned to base.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Sung-Sun cast a nce at the mangled remains of the Gillians, yfully nudging Kazuya with her tail. "Ara, am I interrupting your cuddle time?"


    <span style="font-weight:400">Api shot Sung-Sun a re. “I''m out of Reiryoku at the moment. Kazuya is helping me clean.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“I’d also request Kazuya’s cleaning services after I be an Arrancar. They will be free for a friend, right?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Absolutely free. You can bring another friend if you want.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“What a sweet gentleman. I’d bring my old friend Rose then. She will appreciate your services.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">After some light-hearted flirting, Sung-Sun left Kazuya alone with Api. It was for the best, as he needed to address her privately, away from prying eyes.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Api, I care more about you than that corpse over there. I’d be very sad if you became a corpse while protecting a corpse. You know, I can find Arrancar’s corpse in Las Noches but I can’t find another Api.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">His tender words had the intended effect, prompting Api to stare at him wordlessly, touched by his sentiment.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“O-Of course. There is only one Api in this world but there are thousands of M Rose. You won’t find me anywhere.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">He chuckled at her budding envy or perhaps jealousy, for M Rose. He yfully tugged at her ears, making her wince in pain. "That''s why you should stop risking your life for nonsensical reasons."


    <span style="font-weight:400">“It’s not nonsensical!”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“How is it not? You could’ve called me, Sung-Sun, or even Ciri. Fighting them in your condition was beyond reckless. You could have died if I didn’t make it in time.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">His sharp voice contrasted with his usual gentle, honeyed tone. Api felt as if time had frozen. She had been waiting for a reward for enduring an impossible battle for him. Yet, here he was, scolding her for her recklessness.


    <span style="font-weight:400">For the first time, Api experienced the biting sting of cold betrayal.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Kazuya sighed and gently rubbed her horn. “Look, I’m sorry for being so harsh and controlling but I will do everything I can to protect you and others.” He gestured Api to Dordoni’s corpse. “You can eat him.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Api understood his reasoning, but it didn’t ease her bitter feelings. “No, you eat him to increase your Reiryoku capacity. It’ll be beneficial for you.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“You might break into Vasto Lorde if you eat him.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">His enticing words made her pause and ponder, distracting her mind from his previous scolding.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Vasto Lorde…” Api whispered. “Will I have a body like Harribel as a Vasto Lorde?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Envy dripped from each and every word as she imagined herself in a simr form as Harribel and most likely M Rose.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Most likely.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“I…”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Don’t hesitate. You risked your life to protect it. It belongs to you now.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Api nced in Dordoni’s direction and shook her head. “Your strength is harder to increase than mine. I can eat any random Hollow and gain little boost.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">She was being selfless for once, hoping he could feel her care behind her small sacrifice and stop being so harsh. She just wanted him to be the casual, yful Kazuya.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Kazuya grinned. “Jeez, stop staring at me. I know I’m handsome and you love me but get a human form before we take things further.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“W-Who loves you, skullhead?” Api grumbled as she lowered her head, her heart pounding in her chest. “Leave me alone!”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Well, eat to your heart’s content, my adorable dear.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">He left Api alone to enjoy her meal. She might reach<span style="font-weight:400"> Lorde status or at leaste close to achieving it. More crucially, it will heal her wounds faster and recover the lost Reiryoku.