Chapter 245: Disillusioned (II)


    <span style="font-weight:400">Sung-Sun regarded M Rose with a troubled look. “Rose, don’t nk out in the middle of conversation.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">The sudden grim look on M Rose’s face had her confused and worried.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Someone was up there on the roof,” M Rose spat. “I don’t sense them anymore. They fled pretty quickly.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Sung-Sun frowned, a worry creasing her brow. “A Shinigami, you think?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">M Rose’s instincts were seldom wrong, and the rest of their little family had learned to trust her uncanny perceptiveness without question. But the idea of a Shinigami skulking about, spying on them from the shadows, was deeply troubling.


    <span style="font-weight:400">The entire house, including Sung-Sun, never doubted M Rose’s senses and instincts. What bothered Sung-Sun was the identity of their stalker.


    <span style="font-weight:400">M Rose crossed her arms, keeping vignce. “Why will a Shinigami eavesdrop on us?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Because we don’t look like the locals?” Sung-Sun shrugged. “Maybe they were just on a routine patrol and got curious about us. I don’t know. I’m throwing guesses here.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">M Rose slowly nodded, processing the different scenarios that could be connected to a Shinigami looking for them. “Let’s just tell everything to Harribel-sama. I have a bad feeling about this stalker… My skin crawled when I was being watched.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Sung-Sun covered her mouth with her oversized sleeves andughed. “Your skin is thicker than a gori. They must’ve been real creepy to make your skin crawl.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">M Rose shot her a re, clearly unamused by Sung-Sun’s frivolity. “I’m fucking serious, Snake.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“I know, I know. I’m sorry.” Sung-Sun waved her hands. “We’ll take detours in case we’re being tailed.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“I know just the route for that.” M Rose tossed her hair confidently. “I have every street memorized. Just follow me like a duckling.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Very well, Kitty. Lead the way.”


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


    <span style="font-weight:400">…


    <span style="font-weight:400">Meanwhile, Soul Society.


    <span style="font-weight:400">The night sky was a brilliant view today, but not as brilliant as the face Izanami had her eyes on. Resting his head on her thighs, Kazuya looked nothing short of perfection.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Caressing his face gently, she looked up and let out a heavy sigh.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“This peace isn’t going tost.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">She had a strong hunch that this calm signaled an approaching storm, one that was bound to plunge Kazuya into a whirlwind of endless bloodshed and violence he had yet to experience.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“I’m a bit torn here.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">The conflict between the sweetness of violence and the agony of seeing her soulmate suffer was slowly ripping her apart.


    <span style="font-weight:400">She, of course, endorsed the violence as passionately as the God of War himself, but this duality had grown more muted after Tsubasa merged with her.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“You’re being moody,” she spoke, words not hers but the other spirit in her soul. “Father has grown stronger… he can endure the storm.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“I know, Tsu. I know he can endure it. It’s just, he might <i><span style="font-weight:400">lose </i><span style="font-weight:400">something when he emerges on the other side.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“No, you’re being disillusioned. I’ll tell him myself.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“<i><span style="font-weight:400">Shhh. </i><span style="font-weight:400">Tsu, have you ever noticed how weplete each other?” Nami sneakily changed the topic to something she always felt curious about. “Like you’re the Life to my Death. Defense to my Offense. Assertiveness to my receptivity… Pure rationality and logicality to my emotion-driven brain…”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Tsubasa had no reply. Rather, she wasn’t intelligent enough toprehend Nami’s musings.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“That’s not all, Tsu. You make him think of his future and how his actions will impact it… I only drag him back to his past life. I remind him of memories he’s better off forgetting. Tsubasa, you’re literally the progression to my stagnation.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Nami…” Tsubasa spoke slowly. “The way I see it, we are strongest when we’re in harmony. It also means you and I can’t take care of Father on our own, but together we can.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Nami couldn’t help but giggle at Tsubasa’s optimism. “That wasn’t the point of my rant.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Then what was?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Why are we like this? Who and what made us <i><span style="font-weight:400">this </i><span style="font-weight:400">way like we’re two halves of a greater whole? I want answers, and I want them now!”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Having the knowledge from his past life, sometimes she dreaded if she was just some pawn in a grand scheme, ying to the whims of some omnipotent entity outside of their universe.


    <span style="font-weight:400">The thought made her extremely ufortable.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“...You should ask Father tomorrow. In any case, be on your guard. We can’t let anything happen to Father.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Nami nodded her head. “Yoruichi is approaching us. Let’s act normal in front of her.”


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


    <span style="font-weight:400">After a few moments, Yoruichi appeared before them in her normal form. Now that Aizen knew her identity, she didn’t bother hiding her human form, especially during night when her stealth excelled.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Putting her hands on her hips, she looked at the pair. “This horny rascal. He got you to coddle him when Momo and I weren’t around.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Nami chuckled before pointing at the rope hanging from Yoruichi’s waist. “What’s that for?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Yoruichi nced down, a faint blush suffusing her cheeks as she fumbled for a response. “Oh, this? It’s just... ah, that’s for my training…”


    <span style="font-weight:400">And there she paused, shooting Nami a pleading look that was quite inly, ‘please, for the love of Reio, do not ask me to exin myself further.’


    <span style="font-weight:400">Nami revealed a smile. “Say no more, Yoruichi. He is yours for the night!”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Thanks, Nami. I’ll take him to the bed.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">A/N: What are Yoruichi’s intentions and what will happen to Kazuya? Find out in the next episode of Dragon—