Chapter 151: Master of Samsara?
<span style="font-weight:400">A sea of carmine mes danced wildly, their passionate embrace consuming the lingering ashes that filled the cavernous underground chamber. As each me waned, the ash-veiled ground found itself nearly fifty meters swallowed into the earth’s belly.
<span style="font-weight:400">Kazuya floated in the chamber''s center, dressed in his Arrancar form’s spiritual clothes. A slender chain, born from Nami’s mes, wrapped around him with an intimate possessiveness. It weaved a path up to his neck, finally contracting into a ck blindfold. The crimson gem adorning his forehead shone to match the carmine theme before settling into a dim glow.
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<span style="font-weight:400">[Hollow’s Evolution ‘Arrancar (Resurrión Form: Complete)’ achieved.]
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<span style="font-weight:400">An awe-stricken murmur escaped him, “That was… something.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Achieving one of the greatest powers of Hollows filled him with equal dread and thrill. His hand grazed the blindfold, the catalyst for Nami to channel her powers into him — perhaps return the power that belonged to him.
<i><span style="font-weight:400">‘I’ll reserve the Resurrión as my trump card.’</i>
<span style="font-weight:400">{The demon god must not invoke his authority haphazardly.}
<span style="font-weight:400">He thoroughly agreed with Nami. The forcefield around him had barely caged his Reiatsu, despite the best he consciously limited his output to his limits. A mere whim of releasing his Reiatsu could’ve razed the town above. With his Resurrión activated, he could reap human lives with more ease than a farmer reaping wheat.
<span style="font-weight:400">He was the walking scythe of death.
<span style="font-weight:400">What baffled him was that this monumental power wasn’t even his Hollow form’s final evolution — the System still disyed two further evolutions. One of them being Segunda Etapa, the ability Ulquiorra showcased in his fight against Ichigo. The other remained aplete mystery.
<i><span style="font-weight:400">‘Nami, how fucking strong was Soul King?’</i>
<span style="font-weight:400">{A severed torso serves as an anchor to three massive realms. Mere shards of his being creates artifacts capable of twisting reality to materialize one’s deepest desires. His right and left hand, while estranged, rivals the strongest powers. His self-proimed son wields the ability to peer into future timelines and temper with them… that should give you a good estimate.}
<span style="font-weight:400">“Controlling life, growth, death, and rebirth…” he whispered. “Please let me be wrong about my origin.”
<span style="font-weight:400">{Yours is a false hope, Partner.}
<i><span style="font-weight:400">‘Fuck.’</i>
<span style="font-weight:400">With a weary motion, he caressed his cheek, turning his gaze to where Yoruichi and Lisa stood — near the exit door. “It’s safe now.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Using her tremendously mastered Shunpo, Yoruichi arrived before him, holding his shoulders. “You aren’t burning anymore…” she breathed, a weight lifting from her before the memory of his Resurrión returned, prompting her to flick his chin. “I felt like I <i><span style="font-weight:400">died</i><span style="font-weight:400"> for a second<i><span style="font-weight:400">. </i><span style="font-weight:400">That tree—what was it doing to me?!”
<span style="font-weight:400">Despite guarding herself with her Reiatsu, his Resurrión ability had yanked her into its grasp, albeit for merely a second.
<span style="font-weight:400">{Foolish cat. She doesn’t know she was most alive when connected to the Tree of False Samsara.}
<span style="font-weight:400">He had barely used his Resurrión, and Nami had alreadye up with a chuuni name.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Yoruichi, that was my Resurrión. That’s all I can tell you right now.”
<span style="font-weight:400">His Resurrión was dangerous, so dangerous that the Royal Guard might hunt him down. As much as he trusted Yoruichi, revealing his Resurrión ability might change her stance on him.
<span style="font-weight:400">Yoruichi furrowed her brows, detecting the careful evasion in his exnation. “If your Resurrión is so utterly ridiculous, can’t you just own Aizen in a duel?”
<span style="font-weight:400">He shook his head. “In an even ying field, his fighting skills are way superior to mine.” He clicked his tongue, a tinge of bitterness seeping through. “These prodigies have no right to surpass thousand-year-old Soul Reapers with sheer talent. It’s pure bullshit.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Yoruichi rolled her eyes. “You’re the one to talk with that crazy backstory. Betrayed, reincarnated, and now saving the Soul Society from the man who murdered you.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Avoiding her teasing stare, his attention shifted to Lisa, catching the unusual stillness in her demeanor. “Maid-chan, what’s the matter?”
<span style="font-weight:400">{Probably wondering about agreeing to your idea,} Nami said. {Keep her by your side. Your ability is a cheat to evolve Hollows. For that broken ability, I dub thee the Infernal Lord, and the Master of Samsara.}
<i><span style="font-weight:400">‘When did I go from Prince of Hollows to Master of Samsara?’</i>
<span style="font-weight:400">{When you unleashed the infernal mes of Demonic Phenex to seize control of Samsara.}
<i><span style="font-weight:400">‘...’</i>
<span style="font-weight:400">With a graceful leap, Lisa descended to their level, yet a cautious gap lingered between them. His Hollow Form stirred a hesitance within her, yet he continued in his form.
<span style="font-weight:400">Lisa fixed Yoruichi’s back with a cold gaze and pointed at the ground. “I’ll hold you ountable for this. Please bring Urahara to fix it before others arrive.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Yoruichi swirled to face her, confusion visibe in her eyes. “Huh? Why me? You saw him doing this with your eyes.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“You are friends with him,” Lisa insisted, her sses catching a stray gleam as she adjusted them. “And friends look out for each other.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Kazuya’s handnded on Yoruichi''s shoulder, his touch as light as the whisper that followed, “Yoruichi, I asked your permission for the release. You’re just as guilty as me…”
<span style="font-weight:400">They made fine arguments to paint Yoruichi as guilty, despite the fact she waspletely innocent. She knew she was being yed, yet she had no chance to defend herself.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Ah… Fine,” Yoruichi agreed with a sigh, brushing his hand from her shoulder. “I’ll go fetch Urahara.”
<span style="font-weight:400">It was a great opportunity to stick her neck for the man risking his life for her mission. The sh Goddess wasted no time in leaving the Visored base.
<span style="font-weight:400">She approached him with the wariness of a dear in an unfamiliarnd, every sense alert and muscles coiled. Unleashing his Resurrión did something to her or the Hollow inside her.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Kazuya, you’reing with me to see Izumi.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Her motive for casting the responsibility on Yoruichi became clear.
<span style="font-weight:400">He smirked, his gaze mysterious behind the blindfold. “Alright.”
<span style="font-weight:400">…
<i><span style="font-weight:400">Creak. </i><span style="font-weight:400">The wooden door elegantly opened, inviting an autumn breeze and rustling leaves. There, in the frame, stood a silhouette Izumi found both strange and achingly familiar. Her heart leapt, pulsing waves of warmth. Her hands, hanging limply by her sides, twitched. Her lips quivered, parting slightly.
<span style="font-weight:400">The light shifted as Kazuya stepped forward, his featuresing into focus. She noticed changes in him, subtle like minor growth in his height and substantial like his short hair.
<span style="font-weight:400">In the space between heartbeats, Izumi’s hands found the courage her voice couldn’t. They rose up, reached out, and touched him. The contact, skin and fabric grounded him into reality from a potential dream.
<span style="font-weight:400">He was <i><span style="font-weight:400">there </i><span style="font-weight:400">with her.
<span style="font-weight:400">Without hesitation, she threw her arms around him, taking in his familiar scent. “Otouto-kun…”
<span style="font-weight:400">Holding her quivering and sobbing form, he rubbed her back. “I’m back.”
<span style="font-weight:400">{Partner… you knew her for, what, two weeks. Isn’t her reaction too extreme? It’s as if she had been reunited with long-lost son.}
<i><span style="font-weight:400">‘It’s the bond of true siblings.’</i>
<span style="font-weight:400">{Nah, Partner. Izumi is a RED FLAG I’m telling you.}
<i><span style="font-weight:400">‘I don’t see anything wrong.’</i>
<span style="font-weight:400">{Argh, blind love. I can’t even do anything or Tsubasa will sh with me.}