Chapter 129: The Calm Before the Storm


    <span>A/N: Forgot to add Harribel’s new outfit in thest chapter.


    Spoiler


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    [copse]


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    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">…


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">As the door creaked open with a note of foreboding, M Rose found herself staring at Kazuya. “Gosh, he brought a new girl home.”


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">Api shrugged her shoulders. "She''s not a woman, you dimwit. I see them all the time outside—oh right, you never go outside!”


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">She pointed a finger at M Rose and erupted intoughter. The biting scorn rattled M Rose to her core, causing her teeth to grind in suppressed fury. With a roar of pent-up frustration, she jumped off the couch and dashed up the stairs, vanishing into the sanctuary of her room like a wounded animal.


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">“There she goes.” Kazuya shook his head. “Jeez, M Rose was already feeling depressed. You kicked her mood all the way down to the abyss. It’s not right.”


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">Sung-Sun nodded her head in somber agreement. “That was truly mean, Api. Husband, why don’t you spend some time with Roseter?”


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">His absence had an undeniable effect on M Rose’s psyche, despite what the lioness imed. A sprinkle of his affectionate teasing would certainly uplift M Rose’s mood.


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">Mimicking Lisa, Aikawa looked at Api with pure disdain in her eyes. “Evil Onee-chan. Bullying is bad!”


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">Harribel flicked Aikawa’s forehead. “You aren’t innocent either. Remember what you did to children at the school.”


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">“Ugh…” she averted her gaze. “I-I was bored of waiting.”


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">He chuckled at their banter and gestured to Api to leave with Aikawa. She didn’t resist and dragged the mischievous little girl to her room. Once everything was set, he invited everyone to take a seat.


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">“Tier, let’s talk about your job. I take it you work at a school. In what capacity?”


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">With her arms elegantly crossed and a hint of a smile gracing her lips, Tier Harribel revealed, “A teacher at an elementary school.”


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">Spending time with kids and nurturing them — shended her dream job while he was banging his teachers and senior students to find a solution for his Zanpakutō’s problem. Just the thought of Harribel fulfilling her desires made him smile.


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">“That’s wild. How did you do it without an education degree?”


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">Harribel didn’t even have a proper identity, much less the qualifications to be a teacher. He was curious if she lied or intimidated her way into her dream job.


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">She cast a knowing, sidelong nce at Sung-Sun, who theatrically puffed out her chest in pride. “I couldn''t have done it without you or Sung-Sun. She’s friends with Izumi, which helped me get in.”


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">“Onee-chan helped out Tier. I guess I’ll thank herter.”


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">“You absolutely must meet her,” Lisa interjected, her voiceced with a rare sternness. “Between her madman training and her obsession with Quincy, she is abusing her body…”


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">Izumi’s remarkable prowess today was the byproduct of an unyielding training regime. He hadn’t anticipated that her escapism would manifest through rigorous training rather than enacting her Quincy revival mastern — repopting the Quincy race.


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">“Onee-chan is still far from her thirties. She can endure these hardships.”


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">Irritated, Lisa thumped her thigh. “I can’t help but worry, dammit. She’s shining so brightly with passion that I fear she’ll burn out… you know, like a firefly.”


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">With her obsession regarding literature, especially erotic ones, one wouldn’t take her for the sentimental type. She had be so attached to Izumi and her service that it hadpletely changed her priorities. Nothing like this would have happened had he stayed away from Karakura Town.


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">{That is just the beginning, for we are the storm that will sweep away every atom of the ‘canon timeline.’}


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">“The light of a firefly is all the more beautiful because it is destined to fade,” he whispered with a yful smile. “Maybe her brilliant light is what the Quincy race needs to rise again.”


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">“What use is the brilliant light if it leaves a shadow of sorrow in its wake?” Harribel questioned with a calm face. “Sacrificing yourself for a cause is noble… it’s also sad.”


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">Her gaze turned distant, as if she were grappling with the weighty philosophical implications concealed within her own statement. After all, she embodied the Aspect of Sacrifice, yet wished to never see any sacrifice.


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">With a melodramatic sigh, Lisa threw her head back. “Fuck, don’t get me started on the Quincy shit. I fucking hate her ‘Quincy needs to repopte the world again’ mindset. Does she not know she can’t do it alone?”


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">It was surreal to hear Lisa venting and cursing her employer, Izumi, while wearing a maid dress.


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">{A certain demographic will kill to date this Lisa.}


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">He wholeheartedly agreed with Nami while feeling happy that he wasn’t a part of that demographic.


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">“Enough, Lisa,” Sung-Sun interjected, her voice icy with restrained emotion. “My husband returned after so long. This should be a day of jubnce for us all. Instead, Rose is depressed, Api is steeped in mncholy, and here you are, bitching about your employer. What the fuck, friend?”


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">Lisa''s eyes widened, as if struck by a bolt of realization. “Sorry,” she murmured, bowing her head slightly. “I got swept by my emotions.”


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">He revealed a smile at the exchange. “Don’t be like that, Sung-Sun. You know how much I cherish Izumi. I’d be mad if anyone hid her status from me.”


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">Lisa returned his smile with a sly grin. “Yeah, Kouhai. It’s up to you to fix Izumi. How about we make a deal? You take care of my employer and I’ll deal with the child you brought. I promise the kid will pass onto the Soul Society with <span style="font-style:italic;vertical-align:baseline">zero<span style="vertical-align:baseline"> regrets.”


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">“Deal.”


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">{She scammed herself. Silly pervert.}


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">Harribel looked intrigued with their arrangement. Unlike Kazuya, Lisa was a Shinigami with decades of experience. She could rest assured that Aikawa would get her proper send-off to the afterlife.


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">“By the way, I want you all to meet Izanami.”


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">At his beckoning, his Zanpakutō Spirit materialized before them, capturing their attention as though she were a rare, enchanting creature. Far from shrinking under their gazes, Nami puffed out her chest and smirked. “Ahhh~, Partner. You have a nasty kink of showing off your soulmate like amodity.”


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">“You <span style="font-style:italic;vertical-align:baseline">are <span style="vertical-align:baseline">amodity, my sword.”


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">“A, can''t I just be your trusty kitchen knife instead? That way I can justify a massacre in the name of thinning out mypetition.”


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">“Hell no.”


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">Lisa adjusted her sses with an imperceptible smirk. “The chances of a man having a female Zanpakutō Spirit is quite slim. You willed her into existence with your sheer lust.”


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">Sung-Sun couldn’t help but giggle. “That’s my adorable husband for you.”


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">Nami licked her lips deviantly. “Partner is a man of focus,mitment, and sheer fucking will. And fuck him I will.”


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">“...”


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">Sung-Sun turned to Harribel. “Any words for your favorite egg?”


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">Harribel crossed her arms with aplicated look. She had nurtured Nami''s egg as if it were her own flesh and blood. Now, witnessing Nami as a full-grown Zanpakutō Spirit made her recall all the fond memories of Heuco Mundo. “Wee to family, Izanami.”


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">Nami smiled at the warm wee. “You can call me Nami. Thank you for protecting me during my most fragile phase, Mama Harribel.”


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">Suddenly, Api dashed down the stairs, her Reiatsu leaking through her Gigai. “M Rose and Ciri—they disappeared!”