Chapter 252: The Message
<span style="font-weight:400">Kazuyay sprawled amidst the vibrant flowers, his crimson-stained figure stark against the colorful backdrop of the flowers. He gazed up at the mesmerizing sky, his thoughts drifting with the clouds.
<i><span style="font-weight:400">‘The sky is mesmerizing vivid, the birds soaring through a testament to the equivocal freedom granted to all living beings… I can just fly up above the sky, can’t I?’</i>
<span style="font-weight:400">{Stop going off the rail with your delusions!} Nami chuckled in his mind, her tone simultaneously amused and scolding. {Honestly, people gain a newfound appreciation for life after surviving a crisis. Partner just survived the cmity known as Yachiru Unohana.}
<span style="font-weight:400">Nami was right in every sense. Unohana had lived up to her promises — she had systematically traumatized his body over the long hours of their training, carving wound after wound into his flesh, the intensity of which grew when she lost control of her urges. The endless cycle of wounding followed by healing, over and over, had continuously drained his vast reserves of spiritual energy. And while his Reiryoku had nearly recovered by now, his mental and emotional state was still left thoroughly exhausted by the process.
<span style="font-weight:400">Suddenly, Unohana’s upside down face popped into his vision, her long raven hair dangling down and tickling his face. “Do you still want to visit Kisuke?”
<span style="font-weight:400">The mere thought of moving made him wearily shake his head against the soft grass and flowers. “I just want to rest today.”
<span style="font-weight:400">He had already made up his mind to force Yoruichi to take on her human form, so he could snuggle up with her warm, voluptuous body. She owed him at least that much constion for leaving him hanging earlier without an answer to his heartfelt question.
<span style="font-weight:400">{I’m the backup cuddle n if she refuses.}
<i><span style="font-weight:400">“We can also have sex.”</i>
<span style="font-weight:400">Kazuya simply couldn’t believe that his actually horny Zanpakutō Spirit pitched a wholesome idea while his naive yet maniptive Zanpakutō Spirit had the devious idea for intercourse. Tsubasa was driven by a curious fascination with sex, a curiosity that children often disyed for knowledge.
<span style="font-weight:400">{Tsu, do that when you recreate your own body.}
<i><span style="font-weight:400">“Okay…”</i>
<span style="font-weight:400">Unohana’s piercing eyes turned soft, oozing a soul-melting warmth that stood in stark contrast to her intensity during the training. “I can carry you back to your ce.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Just give me a few minutes.”
<span style="font-weight:400">In response, Unohana did something unexpected — she suddenly reached down, tenderly lifted his head, and ced it delicately in herp, giving him an impromptup pillow. The silky fabric of her hakama felt cool and soothing, more so when he had been lying on the grass for a while.
<span style="font-weight:400">He just stared up at her lovely face in wonder, utterly dumbstruck by this open disy of kindness and care that was a stark contrast to her crazy, bloodthirsty side.
<span style="font-weight:400">“A privilege for today only,” she rified as though perceiving his unspoken question. “I say that so you don’t grow ustomed to me spoiling you. I am, after all, not one of your mistresses.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Despite her blunt words, a small, quite pleased smile graced her lips. She was feeling an even greater sense of fluttering satisfaction deep within her soul. The source of her deep contentment was the unexpected results of today’s long, grueling training session.
<span style="font-weight:400">Even ounting Kazuya’s absurd talent, Unohana had anticipated him to be utterly thrashed by her for at least a week straight before he could even begin to defend himself. Yet, amazingly, by the time the red sun finally dipped below the horizon, he was parrying her lightning-fast attacks with nearly a hundred percent uracy — his body and mind had fully adjusted to the blinding, inhuman speed of her de.
<span style="font-weight:400">This growth, put simply, was nothing short of astonishing.
<i><span style="font-weight:400">‘His swordsmanship will soon rival my own…’ </i><span style="font-weight:400">She mused silently to herself. <i><span style="font-weight:400">‘When that happens, who will have the strength to challenge him? Perhaps only the Royal Guards.’</i>
<span style="font-weight:400">The old, never-fully-healed scar on her chest throbbed and ached, as if in instinctive response to her racing heart.
<i><span style="font-weight:400">‘He will outgrow the Zaraki who defeated me…’</i>
<span style="font-weight:400">Her scar pulsed harder at the exciting thought. Yet Kazuya’s strength and potential alone were not the only things that had Unohana so thrilled. She had also gained some invaluable new insights during their intense duel today, insights that would allow her to further refine and perfect her own nearly-peerless sword techniques.
<i><span style="font-weight:400">‘If it’s with him as my opponent… I can shatter my limits.’</i>
<span style="font-weight:400">Kazuya gently flicked her chin, yanking her awareness back to the present. “Your face suddenly became scarily intense. What on earth were you thinking?”
<span style="font-weight:400">Slowly tilting her head down, she smiled at him. “Take a guess.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“You want to train me even harder, so that someday I can fulfill your battle urges in a deathmatch.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“...”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Ha! Another wless read by yours truly. Do I get a prize?”
<span style="font-weight:400">Frowning, she pinched his cheeks and pulled them until they turned red. “<i><span style="font-weight:400">This</i><span style="font-weight:400"> is what you get for ruining my fun.”
<span style="font-weight:400">He couldn’t help but chuckle, even as she made his cheeks red. “Somehow, you manage to be both the most predictable and unpredictable person in the world.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“I appreciate your honest opinion.”
<span style="font-weight:400">{Partner, you got a Hell Butterflyst night.}
<span style="font-weight:400">Nami dropped an unexpected revtion that made him wide-eyed.
<i><span style="font-weight:400">‘You’re telling me this now?!’</i>
<span style="font-weight:400">{It’s probably Api calling you ‘Silly goose this, silly goose that.’ I forgot to tell you in the morning, all thanks to you and Yoruichi acting like an idiot couple.}
<i><span style="font-weight:400">‘What if it was an emergency?’</i>
<i><span style="font-weight:400">“She didn’t think about that,”</i><span style="font-weight:400"> Tsubasa answered. <i><span style="font-weight:400">“I’m sorry for withholding the information from you.”</i>
<i><span style="font-weight:400">‘Just don’t let it happen again.’</i>
<i><span style="font-weight:400">“I promise not to fall for Nami’s cheap tricks in the future.”</i>
<span style="font-weight:400">Unohana cupped Kazuya’s face gently in her soft, slender hands, her brow furrowing slightly in concern. “What’s troubling you?”
<span style="font-weight:400">Kazuya ced his own hands over hers and met her gaze with a serious expression. “It’s about my family… One of them sent me a Hell Butterfly through Kisukest night. My Zanpakutō Spirit only informed me about it now.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Unohana studied his earnest expression for a long moment before nodding. “I’ll take you back.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Thanks. There is a chance I’ll have to leave for the Living World.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Api, M Rose, Sung-Sun, Harribel — they had always been endlessly supportive of his personal endeavors here in the Soul Society, despite how long his absences from home could be. It would be a poor showing as their lover to not prioritize their message.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Understood. Let us depart with haste.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Kazuya cleaned his body with the help of Reiatsu before putting on his uniform.
<span style="font-weight:400">On the back of Minazuki, they departed the flower field, now partially devastated by the aftermath of their fierce battle. The wind whipped at their hair and clothes as they cruised through the air.
<span style="font-weight:400">Thanks to Minazuki’s speed, they arrived at Kazuya’s quarters in practically no time at all.
<span style="font-weight:400">As Kazuya entered the main hall, he spotted Yoruichi leaning casually against the wall, her arms crossed under her ample chest.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Done with the training?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Nah, I actually left early so I could spend more quality time with you like we did in the morning.”
<span style="font-weight:400">He reached out to pull her into a hug, but she yfully dodged his grasp.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Uh-huh. Like I’ll fall for that. What <i><span style="font-weight:400">really </i><span style="font-weight:400">happened?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“I promise I''ll fill you in on all the detailster.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Hmph…” The sh Goddess didn''t look overly convinced, but she made no move to stop him as he ran.
<span style="font-weight:400">Taking the stairs two and three at a time, Kazuya burst into the empty room beside his main bedroom. Sure enough, there was a single ck Hell Butterfly fluttering around beneath an overturned ss bowl on a small end table, just as Nami had said.
<span style="font-weight:400">Right on cue, Nami herself materialized out of Kazuya’s sheathed katana in a swirl of crimson mes, making the sheath instantly feel far lighter on his waist. Whether it was intentional or not, Nami’s casual, swaying walk as she sauntered over to the trapped butterfly oozed sensuality. It was as if she unintentionally seduced him.
<span style="font-weight:400">She gently tapped the bowl with her fingers and smiled at him. “Silly things can travel dimensions but can’t ovee a simple object.”
<span style="font-weight:400">With a chuckle, she lifted the bowl. The ck butterfly flew at him and scattered in ck particles.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Kazuya…” Harribel’s husky voice echoed around him. “I met Gin Ichimaru today, and we talked a bit… Come to me as soon as possible.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Nami,” Kazuya said tly, crossing his arms and giving his Zanpakuto spirit a dangerous re. “Anyst wishes?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Cough. Cough.” Nami suddenly clutched at her ample chest and began coughing dramatically, bending over at the waist. “Partner, I-It’s getting a little suffocating here… I think I should return to your Inner World.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Nami’s form scattered into a swirl of bright embers, retreating back into Kazuya’s katana.
<span style="font-weight:400">He let out a heavy sigh and rubbed his temples. “Change of ns. Yoruichi, I need to see Harribel.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Yoruichi, who had apparently snuck upstairs to eavesdrop, let out a disappointed groan and snapped her fingers. “st, and here I thought I''d finally get to surprise you properly for once…”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Are youing with me?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Nope, I’m good. I always feel like an outsider when you and Harribel are together.” She sprawled on the bed before turning and burying her face in his pillow. “Mhmm, I’m just gonna take a nap here.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Just don’t let me catch you doing anything crazy in my house.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“It’s <i><span style="font-weight:400">our </i><span style="font-weight:400">house now.”