Chapter 205-206: The Reconciliation
<span style="font-weight:400">In a dimly lit room, Lisa could be seen sitting with her arms crossed, her eyespletely focused on the ck-haired woman lying on the bed.
<i><span style="font-weight:400">‘Time sure flew by while I was here.’</i>
<span style="font-weight:400">Over the course of fifty years, a chasm of time that seemed both an eternity and a fleeting moment, Nanao had transformed. No longer the child Lisa remembered reading stories for in the Soul Society, she had blossomed into a refined beauty. Her elegance was only enhanced by the pair of sses that currently sat on the bedside.
<span style="font-weight:400">Lisa, on the other hand, hadn’t changed one bit. The aging of souls was one of the fascinating mysteries that nobody seemed to care about in the Soul Society.
<i><span style="font-weight:400">‘I wonder what Kazuya thought when he met her. Did he mistake her for my sister?’</i>
<span style="font-weight:400">Lisa couldn’t help smirk, imagining an awkward scene of Kazuya indirectly probing Nanao for their rtionship. The fantasy crumbled when she recalled his outright rejection of their date.
<i><span style="font-weight:400">‘Tch, that kiddo is too cocky. I’ll teach him a lesson someday… wait, I had to bring him to Izumi.’</i>
<span style="font-weight:400">Shepletely forgot about her promise to Izumi. Normally, she wouldn’t care about trivial things, but Izumi had be quite the special person to her. The former Quincy had transformed from a rich mistress into a half-pervert obsessed with receiving the seed of her ‘brother.’ A brother who was equally Quincy as he was a Hollow, and now he posed as a Shinigami in the Soul Society. The web of lies spread around him was disgusting yet one of the most fascinating things currently in her life.
<i><span style="font-weight:400">‘It’s either going to end with Kazuya fucking something up… or fucking Izumi up.’</i>
<span style="font-weight:400">She’d wee thetter over the former. In fact, she’d happily pose as Izumi’s bridesmaid at their wedding.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Hold on, if they get married… wouldn’t I permanently be <i><span style="font-weight:400">his </i><span style="font-weight:400">maid?”
<span style="font-weight:400">She never thought too deeply into the matter, but now she had to face the consequences of the changing dynamics. Living with Izumi had be her new norm, which she didn’t want to change any time soon.
<i><span style="font-weight:400">‘The three of us in the same apartment…’</i>
<span style="font-weight:400">Her thoughts began to spiral, descending into dark fantasies far removed from the ordinary. She fantasized about the groom, Kazuya, dragging the bridesmaid into the wedding chamber and forcing Izumi to watch his vile act of iming the bridesmaid’s innocence with the lust and passion of a demon.
<span style="font-weight:400">Lost in these forbidden imaginings, Lisa’s hand moved of its own ord, slipping beneath the fabric of her skirt. A whimper escaped her lips, slowly escting into full-blown moans.
<span style="font-weight:400">Consumed by lust, she abandoned every sense of shame and pleasured herself.
<span style="font-weight:400">…
<span style="font-weight:400">Few minutester, the woman once aze with forbidden fervor now could be seen slumping in the chair, disheveled and lethargic. Each shuddering breath made her chest rise and fall in uneven tides.
<span style="font-weight:400">She slowly withdrew her hand from her skirt and stared at her fingers coated in her sticky bodily fluids — the living proof of her depraved action. The throes of post-orgasm syndrome made her like she hadmitted a grave sin.
<i><span style="font-weight:400">‘What the fuck…’</i>
<span style="font-weight:400">She clenched her fist, feeling a surge of regret rising in her chest. She had masturbated to the strange fantasy of getting pounded by Kazuya, her friend’s ‘husband.’ What’s worse was her imagined scenario — she had been forced into doing the deed, yet she loved every moment of it like aplete degenerate.
<i><span style="font-weight:400">‘I didn’t just get off to that. No, I didn’t! I’m not a horny bitch like the female lead of boss and secretary stories!’</i>
<span style="font-weight:400">She decided to act as if it had never happened and buried the memory deep in her chest, where another traumatizing memory apanied it.
<i><span style="font-weight:400">‘I gotta change. But my clothes are back at the apartment.’</i>
<span style="font-weight:400">After ensuring Nanao hadn’t woken up from all the moans, Lisa left the room to clean her hands and tidy her appearance. She didn’t want Nanao or anyone else to see her current appearance.
<span style="font-weight:400">…
<span style="font-weight:400">Nanao Ise’s senses gradually returned as she awakened, the soft light of an unfamiliar room greeting her. She slowly sat up and rubbed her eyes, trying to clear the haze of grogginess. An unfamiliar scent lingered in the air, but she decided to ignore it for the time being.
<span style="font-weight:400">Her vision, still blurred without the aid of her sses, revealed enough to confirm her suspicions: this was not her own quarters nor the Gotei 13''s medical wing. Instead, everything from the bed to the decor hinted at this being a room in the Living World.
<span style="font-weight:400">A sudden sh of memory jolted her, <i><span style="font-weight:400">''I passed out—that Arrancar!''</i>
<span style="font-weight:400">The vivid recollection of the encounter at the power nt flooded her mind, each moment reying with painful rity. She involuntarily shuddered as phantom pain from the Arrancar’s brutal assault coursed through her. The brutal kicks and punches had broken numerous bones in her body.
<span style="font-weight:400">Holding her arm, she realized theyers of gauze wrapping around her chest and her hands. It was evident that someone had not only rescued her from the battlefield but had also employed Kaido to heal her injuries with a level of proficiency that made the previous night''s battles seem distant.
<span style="font-weight:400">But she didn’t have the luxury of feeling relieved as the weight of her failure came crashing down on her.
<span style="font-weight:400">“I should’ve fought more decisively…”
<span style="font-weight:400">Her self-reproach was abruptly interrupted by a voice, both familiar and unexpected. “The students will be fine,” the voice dered, just as the door creaked open, revealing the source of the reassurance. The sight that greeted Nanao momentarily washed away all traces of pain and disbelief. “Everything was neatly handled by that b of delicious meat.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Lisa Nee-san?!”
<span style="font-weight:400">Lisa casually took a seat on the chair and threw her leg over the other, her smirk devilish. “Long time no see, Nao-chan. Did you miss this Onee-san?”
<span style="font-weight:400">Nanao blinked her wide eyes then pinched her cheeks. Then blinked some more as if she couldn’t believe the sight before her.
<span style="font-weight:400">She hade to Karakura Town in search of Lisa, and now that very person sat before her. It was like a dream, or it was a dream — she couldn’t tell what was what after getting beaten to pulp by the Arrancar.
<span style="font-weight:400">Lisa giggled, amused. “Your sses are by the bedside.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Nanao grabbed her sses and immediately put them on. “I’m still seeing Lisa Nee-san. How do I wake up from this dream?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Dreams and Reality are interchangeable.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“No, they are not!” Nanao retorted. “Lisa Nee-san, are you real?”
<span style="font-weight:400">Lisa rose up from her seat and unbuttoned her shirt. Gently shifting the bra covering her right breast, she pointed at the big mole just outside her are. “Remember this?”
<span style="font-weight:400">Nanao seemed to be in a daze, recalling memories of a century ago. Back when she was young. One night, she visited Lisa to read her a story from the book, only to find the Vice-Captain sittingpletely naked in her room.
<span style="font-weight:400">“That night…”
<span style="font-weight:400">Lisa shrugged and put her shirt back on. “It wasn’t my fault. I was sweating a bucket after working out.”
<span style="font-weight:400">It was a yful workout involving an erotic book and her nimble fingers — Lisa cleverly omitted the perverted detail.
<span style="font-weight:400">Nanao slowly nodded as reality sank in. Then, all of a sudden, emotions long held at bay surged forth. Overwhelmed by a mixture of relief, joy, and the surreal nature of their reunion, she couldn’t contain herself.
<span style="font-weight:400">She leaped from the bed, her actions guided more by heart than thought, and enveloped Lisa in a fervent embrace that sent them both tumbling to the ground.
<span style="font-weight:400">"Nee-saaan!" she eximed, her voice muffled against Lisa''s chest. “I’m so d to meet you again… so d to see you’re fine.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Lisa embraced her back and gently stroked her hair. “Silly girl, why will I not be fine?”
<span style="font-weight:400">Nanao drew back and wiped her tears away. “I read some horrible reports that were traced back a hundred years ago… every one of the reports listed you as an unique ‘Hollow.’ You were to be purged. But seeing you just reassured me of the corruption rooted in the nobility.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Lisa chuckled nervously. “Nao-chan, those reports were true.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Huh?! What are you saying?”
<span style="font-weight:400">But their conversation was abruptly cut short by a sudden shift in the atmosphere. Lisa’s attention snapped to the door, her expression turning grave as she sensed a familiar spiritual pressure.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Captain?” they both said, almost in unison, though their tones could not have been more different. Nanao''s was filled with hope, while Lisa''s was tinged with solemnity.
<span style="font-weight:400">Nanao didn’t seem to register Lisa’s uncertainty as she held Lisa’s hand and rushed out of the room.
<span style="font-weight:400">…
<span style="font-weight:400">Meanwhile, on the other side.
<span style="font-weight:400">Izumi stepped into Shinji’s base. The ce looked run-down on the outside but very neat inside. Her mouth hung open when she saw the massive underground space bathed in natural sun-like lighting.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Looks can be deceiving” — Izumi had often heard the quote from Lisa but she never realized its true meaning until today.
<span style="font-weight:400">Once her initial shock wore off, she noticed six figures standing imposingly, each exuding an overwhelming presence. They were much more powerful than herself.
<i><span style="font-weight:400">‘Did I step into the tiger’s den?’</i>
<span style="font-weight:400">However, she had no desire to turn back. Any danger was worth taking as long as she got the chance to embrace Kazuya again.
<span style="font-weight:400">Shunsui stepped forward and waved politely,pletely ignoring the hostility directed at him. “Um, Shinji. I think it would be a lot better if you exined the situation to everyone.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Shinjiiiii!” Hiyori yelled as sheunched herself at Shinji. “I’ll kill you.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Shinji calmly caught Hiyori’s lethal kick, which was precisely aimed at his family jewels. “Hiyori, rx. Shunsui-san will go away in a few minutes.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“That’s not the problem, dumbass,” Hiyori retorted and pointed at Shunsui. “You—you exposed our base to a Shinigami. Do you want them to capture us for execution?!”
<span style="font-weight:400">“He isn’t any Shinigami, Hiyori. He is Shunsui Kyoraku, the man who has always looked out for us in the Soul Society.” Hepletely shut down Hiyori with his serious and firm tone, which he had hardly used in Living World. “He won’t expose us. I’ll take full ountability if he does.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Shinji, you…” Hiyori paused, unwilling to argue any further. “Have it your way.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Shinji nodded and turned to the rest of the group. “You guys got any objections?”
<span style="font-weight:400">Kensei slowly shook his head, his expression ever-so-serious. “No, I trust Shunsui-san as much as I trust you.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Although he rarely interacted with Shunsui, he and Shunsui always engaged in conversations during the Captain meeting. From what he had observed, Shunsui was more inclined to skirting around the rules and even breaking rules than on his whim. Someone like him wouldn’t sell them out.
<span style="font-weight:400">Love zipped up his tracksuit and flicked his sunsses. “Ain’t winning no war without trusting therade walking shoulder to shoulder with you.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Shinji let out a sigh. “Not another manga reference…”
<span style="font-weight:400">Rose chuckled. “Shunsui-san, don’t betray us. My guitar would mourn if we lose an ally—hey, those two are here.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Shunsui paused and turned around. Standing at the door above was his Vice-Captain alongside his former Vice-Captain. Side by side, they seemed like siblings, despite the fact they shared no rtives.
<span style="font-weight:400">He sh-stepped to Nanao’s side and wrapped her in his arms. “Nanao-chan… I thought I lost you.”
<span style="font-weight:400">His seriousness surprised Nanao, but she gradually settled in his arm.
<span style="font-weight:400">“I thought the same, Captain,” Nanao whispered. “It was… a crazy experience.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“It’ll be fine from now. I’ll protect you.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Lisa took a step back and admired the pair of uncle and niece embracing each other. Her smile vanished once she caught a glimpse of Izumi standing by Shinji’s side.
<i><span style="font-weight:400">‘I’m not in my Gigai either.’</i>
<span style="font-weight:400">Her Shinigami origins would be revealed if she went anywhere near Izumi in her soul form. The frisky daydreams in the bedroom already made her feel guilty towards Izumi. Adding the pressure of being interrogated simply made her want to run away.
<span style="font-weight:400">Yet, the thought of potentially hurting her friend kept her feet firm.
<i><span style="font-weight:400">‘No more lies. It’s the day toy it all bare.’</i>
<span style="font-weight:400">She found the conviction to reveal everything about herself to Izumi, putting an end to the act of deceiving once and for all.
<span style="font-weight:400">Nanao pushed Shunsui away and looked back at Lisa. “Nee-san, aren’t you going to greet Captain?”
<span style="font-weight:400">She found it weird that Lisa didn’t look excited to reunite with Shunsui, her former Captain.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Do I have to?” Lisa asked with a chuckle and waved at Shunsui. “It’s good to see you, Captain. Nao-chan became a fine Vice-Captain in my absence, didn’t she?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“She absolutely did,” Shunsui said with a soft smile. “Lisa-chan, forgi—”
<span style="font-weight:400">Lisa threw a punch at his chin, shutting down his apology. “You abandoned yourrades to find Nanao. What kind of disgraceful Captain are you?!”
<span style="font-weight:400">The fact that Shunsui was here meant he didn’t aid the Shinigami in fighting Arrancars.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Ah, that one hurt…” Shunsui rubbed his chin with a wince then assumed a serious expression. “I’ll abandon any mission if Nanao-chan is in danger.”
<span style="font-weight:400">His calm deration would’ve made any girl fluttery but Nanao showed more anger than joy. If she had her book in her hand, she would’ve smashed it into his face.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Seriously, Captain?! Are you out of your mind? What if—”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Someone died?”
<span style="font-weight:400">Lisa’s eyes widened as she spun around to the familiar voice. A hand swept away the curtain of light.
<span style="font-weight:400">Kazuya stepped out of the kidō’s influence, a rare serious look on his face. “I almost died out there. Uncle Isshin almost died out there. <i><span style="font-weight:400">Isane, </i><span style="font-weight:400">your friend, barely escaped death. Captain Kyoraku, your hastiness almost led to aplete wipe.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Kazuya…” Nanao stepped forward and bowed her head. “I’m sorry for my ipetence. If only I—”
<span style="font-weight:400">“It’s not your fault, Nanao,” Shunsui said as he pulled Nanao out of her bowing stance. “You are Kazuya, right? <i><span style="font-weight:400">The</i><span style="font-weight:400"> Kazuya who has been making waves in the Soul Society.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Shunsui didn’t imagine his first meeting with the infamous future Captain would be under these circumstances.