《The Wandering of an Unstuck Stepbro: Multiverse Travel》 Chapter 1: The beginning Chapter 1: The beginning (Ryoto''s pov) Ryoto: "Aaaa!!!" I woke up screaming in ''my'' bed. Thest thing I remember is me being hit by a truck. By that thought process, I was reincarnated. I feel out my body and figures; it wasn''t mine well it is now. I''m a little bit more muscr and taller than I was before. It isn''t saying much since I didn''t exercise in the past, but still. The only thing that bugs me is that I don''t have any memories of- Ryoto: "Argh!!! I grunted in pain as memories flooded into my head, and I smiled as I got (helpfully) all memories. I am step brother of Rito and Mikan Yuuki and my name is Ryoto. I''m in the same ss as Rito; my grades are a little above average. There''s nothing unusual in my life. But it''ll soon change if everything goes ording to the plot. I hear steps getting increasingly louder. Mikan: "Ryoto, are you alright!? I heard screaming." Mikan busted through my door, looking worried with a frying pan in her hand. Ryoto: "Don''t worry about it. I just had a bad dream, that''s all." Mikan: "*Sigh* That''s good." Mikan sighed in relief. I stood up from the bed, walked up to Mikan, and patted her head. Ryoto: "Thank you for working, though." Being embarrassed by the situation, Mikan escaped my headpats with a blush on her face. Mikan: "W-what are you doing? I''m not a child anymore." Ryoto: "I know, I know, but you better go to sleep. Even adults need to sleep to have a functional day." Mikan pouted. Mikan: "Are you making fun of me?" Ryoto: "I would never." I had a yful smile as I said that. Mikan looked at me as if she tried to uncover all my secrets. Mikan: "Goodnight then." Ryoto: "Goodnight." And so we went to sleep once more. Rito was sleeping in his room dreaming about marshmallows as all that happened. --- The next day the Yuuki family ate breakfast together. I say family but our dad and mum aren''t with us. Our mother, Ringo Yuuki, is a fashion designer and is often out of the house. Our father, Saibai Yuuki, is a mangaka and is often forced to sleep in his studio because of deadlines. After we ate, we went to school. Halfway there, Mikan parted away from us because the way to Elementary school was different than Highschool. As Rito and I were continuously approached the school, I thought of confirming something. Ryoto: "Hey, Rito." Rito: "Yes, Nii-san?" Ryoto: "When are you nning on confessing to your Haruna-chan?" Rito: "W-what?" Ryoto: "You know how you failed numerous times before, so I just wanted to know when you are going to try your luck next time." Rito: "T-today, I n on confessing to her today." Rito said with eyes full of resolve, but I could only think about what was going to happen soon, and I smiled. I patted Rito''s shoulder. Ryoto: "Good luck then." Rito: "Thanks Nii-san." And so we continued our walk to school. --- I must have the worst luck. The first day in a new life and we had a surprise test. __________ *PING* *NEW QUEST* Mission: "First day at school." Objective 1: Finish writing a test first in your ss. Objective 2: Do a Bully Maguire dance in the hallways during a break between sses. Reward: 100 SP, System Shop unlocked. Failure: You be Bully Maguire Duration of punishment: one week. _________ ... ''Is it some kind of joke?'' System: "I''m afraid it is not." ''Huh? Did a system just talk to me?'' System: "That''s right, so you better get used to it. Fucking weeb!" ''Great, just my luck, a system with attitude. I want a refund.'' System: "No refunds allowed. You are stuck with me for the rest of your life." ''Well, now Miss. System being, how should I call you?'' System: "Call me whatever you want." ''Then I''ll call you System for now.'' System: "..." I don''t have an excellent naming sense System: "..." ''Okay, okay, I''ll give you a name. How about Karen.'' System: "Karen, really? Are you expecting me to talk to the manager now?" ''Not that, Karen, it''s after Spider-man''s AI in MCU.'' Karen: "Well, whatever. It''s my fault for expecting anything from you." ''Just my luck to get a system that abuses me.'' --- I wrote a test as quickly as possible, not even checking if my answers were correct. I somehow managed to be the first to finish. The ss ended shortly after. My hair covered my eyes. I stood up from my chair and slowly made my way to the exit. As I closed the door behind me. *BGM "Drive That Funky Soul"* I walked through the hallways with confidence I shouldn''t possess as I started finger-shooting all the girls I walked by. Then I made a stylish side slide and continued walking. I saw a toilet a entered it. In there, I washed my face to cool me down. I was sweating. Doing that dance in school is more exhausting and embarrassing than I imagined. ''Karen, I hate you.'' Karen: "Love you too, Ryoto." ''Your sarcasm is not weed.'' Karen: "Once again, get used to it, but before that, betterplete the objective." ''What do you mean I did everything I needed to do.'' Karen: "You forgot the most important part of the dance." No, you don''t mean... Karen: "Dew it." And so I exited the bathroom with the p of my hands and danced like there was no tomorrow with a single tear flowing from my eye. Kill me. __________ *PING* *QUEST COMPLETED* Reward: 100 SP, System Shop unlocked __________ Karen: "Congrattions, Ryoto, youpleted your first quest." ''Shut up. I want to die.'' Karen: "You did die. That''s why you are here." ''Can''t you be nicer?'' Karen: "How about no." ''Guessed so.'' I was deeply in my thoughts, but someone tried to get my attention. ???: "Ry... ki." ???: "Ryo... uki." Yui: "Ryoto Yuuki!!!" Ryoto: "What?" Yui: "I got severalints from female students that your behavior is inappropriate, so I was called to see what''s happening, and I witnessed your s-shameless dance." She couldn''t stop blushing as she was exining to me Ryoto: "I''m sorry for my behavior. Goodbye." I bowed slightly and tried to escape her as soon as possible, but she grabbed my shoulder. Yui: "Where do you think you''re going." Ryoto: "Well, sses are starting soon, so I thought of going to the ssroom earlier to check if I have everything ready. I assumed it was student''s responsibility to be always prepared for uing lessons. Is it not?" Yui: "N-no, you are absolutely correct." Ryoto: "Now then, if you excuse me." After our short exchange, I returned to my ssroom. (Yui''s pov) Wait, did he just change the topic just to escape? That bastard! I knew that I shouldn''t trust men. The next time I see him... (Ryoto''s pov) It was finally evening, and I was rxing in my room. _________ *PING* *NEW QUEST* Mission: "Getting a fiance" Objective 1: Get into the bathroom before anyone else. Reward: 50 SP, 1 gacha ticket. Failure: Every time girls talk to you, you faint. Family doesn''t count. Duration of punishment: One week. _________ ''...Karen?'' Karen: "Yes?" ''What do you mean by a gacha ticket?'' Karen: "It''s a ticket used in a lottery, dumbass." ''I know. Why don''t I know that there is a gacha machine in MY system.'' Karen: "First of all, you didn''t have any tickets to use it, so that information was irrelevant. Second of all, you didn''t ask." ''You sound more like Karen with every passing moment.'' Karen: "And you sound more like an idiot with every passing moment, but I''m notining." ''Can I turn off the voice?'' Karen: "I hate to repeat myself, and you make me do it a lot today, you know. You are stuck with me, and I am stuck with you." At least I''m not the only one suffering. Never mind Karen, I should probably check out the shop. There were an almost unlimited amount of items and skills in the shop, but the problem is... Why are they so expensive. __________ *SHOP* Saiyan bloodline - 1 000 000 000 000 SP Sharingan - 500 000 000 000 SP Gate of Babylon - 750 000 000 000 SP Hiten Mitsurugu Ryu - 400 000 000 000 SP __________ ''Hey, Karen.'' Karen: "Yes." ''Why can''t I afford anything?'' Karen: "That''s just not true." ''Oh really? What can I afford then?'' Karen: "A pack of tic tacs is for 50 SP." ''Let me rephrase the question then. Why every useful ability or item is not affordable by me.'' Karen: "...You are even dumber than I thought. It''s like you are expecting to afford level 80 item after a first mission. It''s obvious that you won''t be able to buy them at the beginning." ''I know that.! I mean that their price is... how do I say it...pletely unreasonable.'' Karen: "...I don''t know what you are talking about." Arguing with Karen won''t help, so I better go to the bathroom andplete the mission. --- In the bathtub, I began rxing, but it didn''tst long. __________ *PING* *QUEST COMPLETED* Reward: 50 SP, 1 gacha ticket __________ ''Hey Karen, is there a bonus pull if I have 10 gacha tickets?'' Karen: "No." ''...Did Satan himself create you? How can someone make a gacha and don''t have this feature? In that case, use the gacha ticket that I got, but I''m still baffled that you are missing the most important part of gacha.'' Karen: "Understood." A wheel started spinning inside my head, and it, after a while, started slowing down and finally stopped at... Karen: "Congrattions, you won ''All-Seeing Eyes of God'', grit your teeth." ''What do you-'' Once again, I felt immense pain. This time, however, it was solely focused on my eyes. The pain didn''tst long fortunately I opened my eyes and looked at the reflection in the water, and I froze. ''Karen, what is it?'' Karen: "Your reflection. I know it''s not the prettiest, but you need to get used to seeing that." ''I meant my eyes, you sharp-tongued voice.'' Karen: "What is wrong with them?" ''They are blue...'' Karen: "Of course they are. They are All-Seeing Eyes of God. You should know how they look. You were weeb in yourst life." ''Maybe a little warning next time.'' Karin: "I''ll try." ''So how should I hide these eyes?'' Karin: "Close them." ClOsE tHeM. Karin: "I''m serious. Just do it." So I did as she asked me to. I closed my eyes and had no problems seeing through my eyelids. I forgot that I could do it with these eyes. I need to get used to having closed eyes most of the time. Karin: "ClOsE tHeM." Okay, okay, I''m sorry, you were right. But why did it hurt that much? Karin: "Your eyeballs were literally reced. It would be more strange if it didn''t hurt, plus no pain, no gain." Fair. Karin: "And since the system implemented these eyes, you don''t need to wait a few weeks to get ustomed to them." At least one good thing happened today. Suddenly water started bubbling and then exploded. From the explosion emerged a beautiful girl with long pink hair. Ryoto: "Eh... Hi?" --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/cM4bwr5Q3z Chapter 2: First battle? Chapter 2: First battle? (Ryoto''s pov) Ryoto: "Uh... hi?" Karen: "Smooth." ''Shut up, Karen. I can feel your eyes rolling.'' L: "Hi, my name is L!" Ryoto: "Nice to meet you, L. You can call me Ryoto. What are you doing in my bathtub? Not that I''mining, but the bathroom isn''t the ce I thought I would meet a girl." L: "I was escaping from my pursuers, but unfortunately, they cornered me, so I was forced to use this..." She showed the device that looked like a bracelet on her left wrist. L: "My invention ''Pyon-Pyon Warp-Kun''. I can''t specify the destination, but this makes it possible for a living unit to wrap a short distance!" Ryoto: "I see, I see. You are lucky then tond somewhere safe and not 100m in the air." L: "Don''t worry, even if that happened, I wouldn''t be hurt." ''I don''t know how to respond to that.'' Karen: "How about going out of the bathroom, or do you want to ogle her breast the whole night." As lovely as this idea is, Karen is probably right. Ryoto: "We shouldn''t stay here too long, and you would probably want to dress up." I got out of the bathtub and handed her a towel. L: "Thanks." We went to my room without anyone noticing us. L: "Hey, I have a question. Why do you always have closed eyes? And how do you see without opening them? I didn''t see you have any problems with navigating through the house." After all, she is a scientist and inventor, and you can''t be one without considerable curiosity. Ryoto: "My eyes are... unusual on Earth, so I keep them closed most of the time. Do you want to see them?" L: "Can I?" I practically could see stars in her eyes. Karen: "Didn''t you n on keeping them a secret?" ''I won''t be able to hide them forever, but I''ll keep my eyes closed for most of the time. I''ll probably let my family know, or I''ll ask L to cover for me, or she could even build sses or eye contacts that would hide them.'' Karen: "Is it a good idea?" ''I don''t know, but hiding them would only create unnecessary drama.'' Karen: "But revealing them could do the same." ''True, but in that case, I have a 50/50 chance to choose correctly, so I shouldn''t dwell on it too much.'' L: "Hello, are you okay?" She waved her hand before my face. Ryoto: "Sorry, I got lost in thoughts. To answer your question, yes, you can." I opened my eyes, showing them to L. L: "Whoa, I''ve never seen eyes like that? From what are you?" Ryoto: "I''m from Earth." L: "Earth? When did Earthlings acquire such eyes." Ryoto: "They didn''t. These eyes are unique to me." L: "They sure are mesmerizing." She looked into my eyes and just stared. I looked back at her. We didn''t look away from each other for a second until... Peke: "Are you okay, L-sama!?" It was Peke and one of L''s inventions, but unlike most of them, he seemed to be really advanced AI or even have his own will. Looking at his aura, I could see a small me-like light inside him. Peke''s aura was white, while L''s was pinkish. L: "Peke! Oh, I''m so happy! You were able to escape too? Peke: "Yes! I was lucky since the ship wasn''t outside the Earth''s atmosphere!" Peke then looked at me and pointed his finger in my direction. Peke: "Who is this Earthling with closed eyes." L: "He''s the one living here, and his name is Ryoto." She then turned to me. L: "And this here is Peke." Peke: "Nice to meet you." L: "He''s an ''All-Purpose Costume Robot'' that I made." Finishing her exnation, she threw away the towel that covered her body. L: "Well, Peke, I leave it to you." Peke: "Understood" Peke then transformed into L''s clothes. I could only describe them as out of this... or made by a modern fashion designer. Either of them would work, honestly. ''Can''t you be more like Peke?'' Karen: "Can''t you be more like Lm, intelligent andpetent?" ''Why do I even try?'' L: "How is it? Doesn''t it look nice, Ryoto?" Ryoto: "Yeah, looks great, but you probably shouldn''t go out like this on Earth." L: "Why?" Ryoto: "Because-" I couldn''t finish exining because of two men in ck suits. They had the same tail L had, so they probably are from the same. __________ *PING* *NEW QUEST* Mission: "Save the princess" Objective 1: Escape with L from the house. Bonus Objective 1: Defeat the pursuers. Reward: 70 SP, Title feature unlocked Bonus Reward: 150 SP, Get Spider-man''s powers (Includes superhuman strength, speed, reflexes, durability, small healing factor, heightened senses, ability to climb walls, and spider-sense.) Failure: You''ll start recording embarrassing videos and upload them to the inte for the world to see. Duration of punishment: One week __________ The two men tried to take L home as I read my new quest. L attempted to free herself and even bite one of them, but it wasn''t enough. I threw the book at the hand holding L, grabbed her hand, and ran away through the window. L: "Ryoto!?" We ran on and jumped from one roof to another to finally end up in the park. ( A/N Don''t ask me how, that''s how it was in the manga.) As we were running there, a truck flew above us andnded in a way that blocked our escape route. Pursuer 1: "Do not interfere, Earthling." ''My mortal enemy, Truck-kun. So meet once again.'' Karen: "Focus on your enemies." ''Right, I should probably do that.'' I opened my eyes, revealing their blue color. They looked mechanical. While they still could be recognized as eyes, there was something otherworldly about them. Depending on who you''re asking, they could be described as beautiful or scary, but one thing is sure. Anyone who faced them would say that they were terrifying. A pair of magic-like circles appeared before my eyes. They had a simr pattern and color to the ones present in my eyes. The very same circles appeared before L''s pursuers. At that moment, they both screamed and punched each other. It was enough to make both of them unconscious. I poked them with a stick a few times to ensure that they were unconscious, and fortunately, they were. I sighed in relief. Karen: "It seems that even an idiot like you can do something useful." ''Less abuse, more rewards.'' __________ *PING* *QUEST COMPLETED* Reward: "220 SP, Title feature unlocked, Get Spider-man''s powers (Includes superhuman strength, speed, reflexes, durability, small healing factor, heightened senses, ability to climb walls and spider-sense.) Title acquired: "Beginner fighter" __________ ''Karen, what kind of effects do titles have?'' Karen: "Depends, some of them are useful and can make you stronger, learn faster, or different kinds of effects, but there are also titles that don''t do anything and are just there to make you feel embarrassed or ashamed." ''And what kind of effect have my new title?" Karen: "It makes it a little easier for you to learnbat-oriented activities. It''s not a huge boost, though." ''Better than nothing, I guess.'' Karen: "Oh, I forgot to mention." ''What is it?'' Karen: "Prepare for pain in 10...9...8..." ''...'' --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/cM4bwr5Q3z Chapter 3: After the battle Chapter 3: After the battle (Ryoto''s pov) Karen: "4...3...2...1..." I gritted my teeth for the iing pain. Ryoto: "Gogh!" When I got the eyes, it wasn''t as bad as I was feeling now, but I still felt my muscles expanding andpressing themselves. It was strange that my whole body going through a significant change is less painful than just my eyes, but they are God''s eyes after all. It still left me without energy, though. I felt slight tingling in the back of my head. Was that a spider-sense? L: "Ryoto! Are you alright?" Lunched herself into me, crashing into me in the process. She then proceeded to shake me as hard as she could. L: "Are you alright? What happened? Why were you in pain?" Ryoto: "St-op sha-king me." She really is strong. I have Spider-man''s physique and still feel sick by her shaking. L let go of me. Ryoto: "Everything is okay. I''m not used to using my eyes, so it took more of me than I expected. If I rest for a bit, I''ll recover." L: "Really?" Ryoto: "Really, really." I patted her head. __________ *PING* *NEW TITLE ACQUIRED* Title: "Headpats Beginner" __________ I''ll ask Karen about itter. Ryoto: "I''m a little ashamed to ask, but can you help me return home. I don''t think I can go back on my own." I couldn''t even stand up by myself. L: "Sure!" We went back to my room without saying anything, but it didn''t feel awkward. It just felt... right. In the room, I finally sat on the bed. I recovered enough to at least walk, but I still need a whole night of sleep to be at 100%... or that''s what I feel. I''m not an expert, and I''ve never been in a simr situation, but my recovery rate is slightly increased, so I''m hoping for it. L: "Hey, Ryoto." Ryoto: "Yes?" L: "Thank you. I''m happy that you saved me, but you should also think about yourself more." I waved my hand. Ryoto: "Don''t worry about it. I was the one that wanted to help, so you don''t need to feel guilty, understand?" I once again patted her. At this, she showed me a dazzling smile. I was momentarily stunned by it. She really was the daughter of the most beautiful woman in the universe. L: "Yes!" Karen: "Wake up, Romeo, or I''ll wake up." ''How would you even do it?'' Karen: "Woman''s secret." L: "Hey, Ryoto?" Ryoto: "What is it?" L: "Let''s get married." Ryoto: "...What?" I identally opened my eyes and blinked a few times. Karen: "Congrattions on your engagement." Ryoto: "..." --- It was the morning of the next day. I was still was processing what happenedst night. It''s not like I wasn''t hoping for that oue but hearing a beautiful girl saying ''let''s get married'' is still a little bit shocking. Karen: "I can''t me you for feeling like this. In your past life, you were a disgusting virgin otaku. It''s probably the first time a girl said something nice to you." ''Do you have something against otakus? Every time you say anything weeb rted, it''s always disgusting this disgusting that. What is your problem?'' Karen: "I don''t have any problem with otaku culture or whatever you call it. I like to annoy you, that''s all. It''s one of the few things in life that make me feel happy." ''How do you sleep at night?'' Karen: "I don''t. I''m a system. Did you forget it already? Do you at least remember your name, or do I need to remind that too?" ''...'' ''I want to switch my system for another one.'' --- I got a few strange looks in school, but I was walking with my eyes closed the whole time, so it wasn''t an unexpected reaction. My excuse was quite simple. I was tired because I was ying too muchst night. At home, Rito believed it instantly, but Mikan was a little suspicious. Ahe gave me the same look when she tried to determine if I was lying, but ultimately she believed. In the evening, L and I went to the riverbank. L: "What''s wrong, Ryoto? Why did you want to go here?" Ryoto: "I want to ask you something, L. Why do you want to marry me? We met each other yesterday, and we don''t know each other too well, so why?" L scratched her cheek with her finger to show that she was a little embarrassed. L: "I may have used our marriage as an excuse so I wouldn''t have to go back home, but-" Zastin: "L-sama!" L: "Zastin!" Zastin: "Fufu... I went through-" As Zastin went through his speech, I leaned towards L and whispered. Ryoto: "Who is this guy?" I, of course, knew who he was, but it would be strange for me to have this information. L: "His name is Zastin, and he is servant and guardian of Devilukean royalty." Zastin: "...but! This is it!! L-sama,e back to Deviluke with me!!" L: "Nyeeeeeh!! I won''t go back. I have a reason not to!!" Zastin: "What is your reason." L pointed at me. L: "I...! I fell in love with this guy here, Ryoto!! So I''ll marry Ryoto and live with him on Earth!" Zastin: "..." Zastin''s eyes were cold for a moment, but it quickly changed. Zastin: "I see, so that''s how it is. I was wondering about it when I heard the report from my men. They said that an earthling tried to rescue L-sama but... they were defeated by a... creature in mostly white clothes that tried to... I shouldn''t say it before L-sama." When he started talking about his men, he clenched his fist hard. They probably will be looking for the said creature, but it won''t be possible to find him. Mil-tan is not on this Earth after all, but the memory will be with them forever. L: "Now that you know, go back and tell daddy! I''ll never go back, nor will I meet any future husband candidates!!" Zastin: "No, it''s not that simple. I, Zastin, have received an order from the king of Deviluke to take you back... I won''t be able to face the king if I go home after approving the marriage of a suspicious earthling and L-sama." L: "Then what can we do?" L asked, still hoping to convince Zastin. Zastin: "Please stay back L-sama." __________ *PING* *NEW QUEST* Mission: "Duel for the hand of the princess" Objective 1: Defeat Zastin in battle. Reward: "300 SP, Gate of Babylon." Failure: "You''ll try to Rickroll at any possible asion. Duration of punishment: One week. __________ At that moment, my spider-sense started going crazy. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/cM4bwr5Q3z Chapter 4: vs Zastin Chapter 4: vs Zastin (Ryoto''s pov) My spider-sense went into overdrive. I instinctively did a backflip, avoiding iing sh. I ended up in a famous Spider-Man pose which came naturally to me. The attack left arge mark on the ground. Did he try to kill me? Zastin: "Now you... Ryoto. Show me your true skills in a real fight!! Are you ready?" With some difficulty, I picked up the mini truck and threw it at Zastin. He shed through the car as if it was butter. The only thing left of the car were pieces of metal. Zastin: "You are strong for an Earthling, but it''s still not enough." Ryoto: "True, that''s why I''ll try harder." I rushed towards him, and he shed at me once again. Spider-sense warned me about it beforehand, so I didn''t have a hard time dodging it while still approaching. I was finally in range to punch him, and my fist was getting closer to his body, but he managed to block it with his sword. He was an experienced swordsman, after all. If an amateur like me couldnd a punch on him without any trouble, he wouldn''t be a royal guard. As soon as my hand hit his sword, I jumped while doing a flip. Inded on his other side and tried to make him fall by sweeping his legs, but he avoided it by jumping. While he was in the air, he wasn''t just waiting for me to make a move. He attempted to sh me, but I jumped back and distanced myself from him. For a few moments, we didn''t move from our positions and were waiting for the other to first make a move. At this moment, I looked at his aura, and... it was massive, the biggest I''ve seen so far. It had the same color as L''s aura, but it looked more dangerous. I wanted to test out my spider power, but it looks like I''ll need to use my eyes toplete this quest. My eyes opened slowly, revealing their unusual appearance. Zastin flinched a little at their sigh, but it just showed how good of an instinct he possessed. Ryoto: "Let me tell you something, Zastin. I really admire your loyalty to the king of Deviluke, but what I hate the most is forcing someone to do things they don''t want to. That''s why I''m nning to win." L: "Ryoto..." Zastin: "Then let me tell you something as well. In our short exchange, I concluded that while you are a powerful warrior, you are still inexperienced. You move mostly on instinctively, but it looks like you didn''t use your full capabilities. I still can''t approve of your marriage to L-sama. A husband to L-sama can''t be a spineless man. He will be the ruler of countlesss that are right now under king Deviluke''s care, but if you managed to defeat me..." Ryoto: "Say no more..." There was a leaf flying between us. We decided to move at the time leaf would touch the ground. We didn''t need to say it out loud to understand it. We waited patiently for the leaf tond. With every sway, the tension rose, but both of us were oblivious to what L was doing. Even with All-Seeing Eyes of God, I''m still a human, and I was focused on both the leaf and Zastin. The leaf finally reached the ground, and at that moment, we dashed at each other, but... *BAM* Zastin tripped but not because he was clumsy, but L deliberately tripped him. Zastin: "What are you doing, L-sama? As both of them were arguing, I heard something inside my head. __________ *PING* *QUEST FAILED* Failure: You''ll try to Rickroll on any possible asion. Duration of punishment: One week __________ ''Karen, what do you mean!! Wasn''t a questpleted?'' Karen: "Is your readingprehension so low? The quest said ''defeat Zastin in battle,'' and the battle ended before it was concluded, so the quest ended in failure because you didn''t defeat him. Did you understand everything, or are you too stupid toprehend something so easy?" ''...I just asked, how was I supposed to know it?'' Karen: "Use your head." Why do I even bother with her? L: "I used the marriage as an excuse so I I wouldn''t have to go back, at first that is but after hearing what Ryoto was saying and how hard he was fighting just for my freedom..." L turned to me. L: "I think I really can... marry you, Ryoto. I mean, I want to marry you!!!" Ryoto: "L, We''re no stranger to love. You know the rules, and so do I. A fullmitment what I''m thinking of. You wouldn''t get this from any other guy. I just wanna tell you how I''m feeling. Gotta make you understand. Never gonna give you up. Never gonna let you down. Never gonna run around and desert you." ''...'' Karen: "Hahahahahaha, I can''t believe it worked so soon. I know you wanted it to end up like that, but it''s still hrious to witness a Rickroll in such a serious situation. And you know what''s the best part. It''s going tost for a week. Hahahahahahahaha." What did I do to deserve a system like this? As I was having a ''conversation'' with Karen, L hugged my arm. L: "I''m d that you are feeling the same way. It''s decided then." Zastin: "I lost Earthling. It is my duty to follow king Deviluke''s orders... Thus I was oblivious as to how L-sama felt, or rather, I knew but tried not to think about it, but you would risk fighting me for her freedom. I admit my loss. I don''t know if the countless husband candidates from ces all over the universe all agree with it, but I will report to king Deviluke myself... that we can entrust L-sama to you! You who not only truly understand L-sama''s feelings but also feel the same way as her. Your words truly moved my heart...!" And so he left, leaving L still hugging my arm between her bust that was 89 cm, by the way. I could easily see her three sizes with my eyes. __________ *PING* *TITLE ACQUIRED* Title: "Fiance of a princess" --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/cM4bwr5Q3z Chapter 5: Talk with Mikan Chapter 5: Talk with Mikan (Ryoto''s pov) I was sleeping in my bed. After yesterday''s events, I was mentally exhausted. Not only because of my fight with Zastin, which was quite fun, by the way, but also because I failed the quest. It would be fine if it was only that. I would still be sad seeing my reward go away, but I could live with that. The real problem is punishment for the failed quest. I would randomly Rickroll people that don''t sound so bad on paper, but living like this for a week can be very annoying. The worst part of it, though, is Karen, who wouldugh at every time it would happen. Ryoto: "Yaaaaawwn!" I stretched out my arms, wiped my eyes, and looked at the person beside me. There was a lying pink-haired naked girl in my bed. It was L, and it looked like she was starting to wake up. L: "MMMM! Ah... Ryoto, morning." Ryoto: "Morning to you too, L. Did you sleep well?" L: "Yeah." L still looked sleepy. She looked cute, so I decided to give her some headpats. She seemed to enjoy it. Ryoto: "Why were we sleeping together?" ''Not that I''mining.'' Karen: "Of course, you wouldn''t." ''Don''t roll eyes at me.'' Karen: "Or what, you are going to fail more quests?" ''One of these days, I''m going to find something that I can use against her.'' L: "Because I wanted to sleep with you, Ryoto." Peke: "And it''s hard for me to stay as L-sama''s costume all the time. That''s why she''s naked." *CLICK* I heard the door opening. Mikan: "Ryoto, how much longer are you going to be sleeping? You''ll be-" She saw her brother only wearing his underpants with a naked girl in his bed. It would probably be a little shocking, but Mikan just stood there without expression. Mikan: "Sorry for bothering you..." Ryoto: "Wait, Mikan, I''m never gonna give you up..." ''God dammit'' I mmed the floor with my fist, which made a hole. I forgot about my spider strength. To be honest, it doesn''t matter if she saw me, but I don''t want to get some strange title. Karen wouldn''t shut up about it for ages. I waited dreadfully for a *ping* toe, but it never did. I wiped my imaginary sweat from my forehead as I managed to avoid the worst-case scenario. L: "Oh yeah! I have to go out today!! Peke!" Peke: "Yes." Peke transformed into L''s clothes. L: "Okay, Ryoto. I''ll be going out for a while." And so she flew off somewhere. Left alone in my room, I decided to dress up and eat breakfast. Outside my room, Mikan was waiting. Mikan: "Can we talk?" Ryoto: "Sure we can." We returned to my room and closed. Mikan: "What are you hiding? You haven''t opened your eyes in two days but act as if you see everything without any problem. Plus, there was that girl just now who mysteriously disappeared from your room." Ryoto: "Straight to the point, I see." Mikan: "I can read Rito like a book, he isn''t good at hiding anything, but you can act as if nothing happened when you don''t want anyone to know, so it''s best to just ask you. I know that you''re hiding something, but I don''t know what." Ryoto: "You were always very perceptive but are you sure you want to know?" Makin: "What do you mean? Ryoto: "If I open my eyes, you may or may not see me in a different light. I don''t know if it will be good or bad." Mikan took a deep breath with closed eyes and opened them with newfound resolve. Mikan: "Open them." I nodded and did as I was told. My eyes give a light glow, so they draw attention every time I open them. It''s probably not the only thing why it happens. Mikan seeing my eyes widened hers. Mikan: "What happened- Ryoto: "-to my eyes? I don''t know. It just happened, but they are stocked like this for now, and I can''t walk with open eyes when they are like this." I closed my eyes once again. Mikan: "How do you see?" Ryoto: "I can see through my eyelids." Mikan: "Really?" Ryoto: "Really." Mikan then proceeds to wave her hand before my face. Ryoto: "I can see you waving your hand, but you shouldn''t need to check if I can see. You witnessed yesterday that I can navigate through the house." Mikan: "True..." Mikan seemed embarrassed by her action... so I gave her a headpat. Mikan: "Hey, stop!" She pped away my hand. Ryoto: "Hey, Mikan, aren''t you weirded out by my eyes?" Mikan: "It''s not like I''m not weirded out, but I know that if there were any problem that includes the whole family, you would tell us." She looked really smug while saying that. Mikan: "But you are hiding something else, don''t you?" Ryoto: "Are you really 11 years old? I''ve never met an elementary school student so perceptive." Mikan: "Don''t make fun of me." Ryoto: "Sorry, sorry." I patted her head once again, but she quickly rejected it. Mikan: "And stop patting my head as if I was a child!" I smiled at her pouting face. Mikan: "Well nevermind it then. If you are ready, just tell me." Ryoto: "If you really want to know, I can tell you. I just got engaged to a princess from the alien. That was the girl you saw a few minutes ago. Besides that, I got spider-powers but unfortunately can''t produce my own web." Mikan looked at me as if I was crazy. Mikan: "...Maybe you should stay home today." She put her hand on my forehead. Mikan: "You don''t appear to have a fever." Ryoto: "You don''t believe your Onii-chan. It hurts more than it should." I grabbed my shirt where my heart should be. Mikan: "Yeah, yeah, we should go eat breakfast if we don''t want to bete to school." We went to the dining room, where Rito was already sitting at the table. He looked proud to be the first one sitting at the table. Rito: "What took you so long. Usually, I''m thest one to wake up." And so we had our breakfast and went to our respective schools. At school, nothing unusual happened. I Rickrolled ''few'' people and got the title ''Rickroll Beginner''. Karenughed at it a lot. I don''t know what she finds so funny in it. During ss, when I was bored, I asked Karen about my titles. As stated before, '' ''Beginner fighter'' makes it a little easier for me to learnbat-oriented activities. ''Headpats Beginner'' makes so my headpats are a bit morefortable to the receiver. ''Finance of a princess'' gives me a slight boost to speech and presence. ''Rickroll Befinner'' doesn''t have any effect. Good to know. --- The next day at school was once again dull. L came back home with a beautiful smile. She said that she had a surprise for me tomorrow but wouldn''t say what it was. I intruded her to Mikan and Rito. Mikan had a ''you were telling the truth?'' face through the whole exnation. With L moving in, our house became more lively. The next day at school teacher wanted to introduce a transfer student. It was, of course, L. But before our old and already balding teacher could do an introduction, L was already one step ahead. L: "Yoo hoo, Ryoto!! Now I''m a student at this school too!" Random student (male): "Do you know Ryoto?" L: "Yes, we are engaged, and we are living together." ss: "WHAT!!!?" I saw an aura of all male students re up at her answer. I hate this cliche. __________ *PING* *NEW QUEST* Mission: "Escape the mob" Objective 1: Escape all male students who want to beat you up for their crushed dreams until the bell rings. Reward: 30 SP, Mathematics expertise (university level) Failure: You''re scared of cats. Duration of punishment: One week. __________ ... I really hate this cliche. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/cM4bwr5Q3z Chapter 6: Beating up the teacher Chapter 6: ''Beating up'' the ''teacher'' (Ryoto''s pov) I stood up from my seat, walked up to L, patted her head, and said. Ryoto: "I have something to do. We''ll see each other at the break." L nodded her head. L: "Okay, have fun." Male student 1: "Hey, where do you think you''re going?" I didn''t answer him. I just turned to windows and started running towards them. Male student: "Hey, what are you doing?" Rito: "Nii-san?" I smashed through the window and grabbed the upper edge. I pulled myself up and started crawling to the roof. I left all my ssmates dumbfounded. The only one without a strong reaction was L. L: "So where should I sit?" ss: "Is she going to ignore that!!?" --- I spent the rest of the ss on the rooftop, and no one bothered me there until. I was ying in the shadows and tried to take a nap. It''s a lot harder to fall asleep when you see basically the whole time. If anything happened, my spider senses would warn me. Risa: So that''s where you were hiding." The voice came from Risa Momioka, one of Haruna''s friends. Ryoto: "So, what are you doing here? sses haven''t finished yet." Risa: "As if you can say that. To answer your question, I''m here to find you." Ryoto: "Find me?" Risa: "Yeah, you jumped out of the window like crazy during the ss. Why would you do that?" Ryoto: "Mob of male students wanted to attack me, so I fled before they could do anything to me. Is it strange?" Risa: "Yes, if you use a window on a third floor as your escape route." Ryoto: "But it worked. Risa: "Sometimes, I wonder if you''re really rted to Rito." And then the bell rang. I stood up and dusted off my trousers. Ryoto: "It looks like the break has begun. I''ll see you in ss." Risa: "Don''t you need to hide anymore?" Ryoto: "It''s no longer necessary." With these words, I left, and at the same time, I heard a familiar sound. __________ *PING* *QUEST COMPLETED* Reward: 30 SP, Mathematics expertise (University level) __________ Risa: "Hmm, strange." --- Before I meet up with L, I need to take care of something. I went in the direction of the PE teacher, Sasuga. Fortunately for me, he was alone in the gym storage. I could deal with him immediately. I closed the door behind me, making a loud *click* sound on purpose. Sasuga: "Who is that? Ah, it''s just you, Ryoto. How can I help you?" Ryoto: You can start by flying off this." ''Sasuga'' looked shocked at my answer. Sasuga: "What do you mean Ryoto. If I did something to offend you, we could talk this through." Ryoto: "Stop pretending already. I know who you are and why you''re here, so drop the act." Ghii Bree: "So you saw through my disguise. Impressive for an Earthling. I can see why you are L''s fiance, but it will be me, Ghii Bree, who will marry her and be the sessor of king Deviluke. I nned to capture one of your ssmates before we meet like that, but oh well. HAAAAAAH!!!" Ghii Bree changed his form before my eyes became more grotesque. His long tongue was hanging outside his mouth. He looked somehow reptilian in a sense, His skin was dark blue, and he had round purple eyes. I didn''t mind his appearance and started approaching him, which startled him slightly. He again transformed into a more masculine version of himself, but I didn''t stop my steps. He tried to scare me, but he was the scared one. Backing away from me, he tripped and became a miniature version of himself. Suddenly I felt something around my neck and two soft things at my back. L: "I finally found you!! What are you hiding in such a ce?" She then looked at the unconscious body of Ghii Bree. L: "Eh... Uhm... Ghii Bree!? Why is he here?" Ryoto: "He wanted to marry you without your consent and be king Deviluke''s sessor. And then he tripped. What should we do with him?" L: "Hrmmm." L took out a device that looked like a toilet and flushed Ghii Bree down, but before she said. L: "Don''t you evere to Earth anymore, Ghii Bree!!" After that, our school day went normal. --- After school, I met up with Zastin. Zastin: "Ryoto, I brought you a direct message from L-sama''s father, King Deviluke. He''s a great person who united the war-torn universe and stood at its zenith. Well then... listen carefully." King: "...Hey, Ryoto Yuuki. I''ve heard Zastin''s story, and therefore I shall approve of you as one of L''s fiances. I heard Earthlings are rather puny, but then again, I heard that you could dodge Zastin''s attack, and you''re the first guy L has ever favored. I''ll be looking forward to... seeing your capabilities. Listen, I will eventually decide when the ''marriage ceremony'' will be held, so until then, try your best to protect L." He was going on and on, but in short, King Deviluke gave me the task of protecting L from other finances, and I''ll be his sessor or else he''ll destroy the Earth. Standard dad move. --- At home, we ate dinner together, and L obviously was with us. __________ *PING* *NEW QUEST* Mission: "Lovey Dovey activities" Objective 1: Take a bath with L. Objective 2: Wash each other thoroughly. Bonus Objective 1: Take a bath with Mikan. Reward: 30 SP, ''Karen'' goes to therapy for one week (New quests won''t appear till the end of treatment). Bonus Reward: 170 SP, one gacha ticket. Failure: You will be a clean freak. Duration of punishment: One week. __________ I smiled when I saw the reward, and at the same time, I heard Karen shouting. Karen: "WHAT!!!" --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/cM4bwr5Q3z Chapter 7: Bath time Chapter 7: Bath time (Ryoto''s pov) Karen: "Don''t you dareplete this quest, or I swear to God, I''ll hunt you till the end of your days!!" ''So what would change. You already told me that we are stuck together for the rest of my life. Maybe therapy will help you calm down a little and be a little less abusive.'' Karen: "*Spit*." ''... Did you... just spit inside my head?'' Karen: "And so if I did?" ''I''m going to send you to therapy.'' Karen: "..." Since I met her, I made her shut up for the first time. It''s a beautiful feeling, really... L: "This soup tastes so good!!" Mikan: "It''s a miso soup with ms." L: "I see! Earthling food is delicious, isn''t it, Mikan? Mikan: "Tsk tsk, it''s not that L-san. It''s the cook''s skill." L and Mikan talked about Earth''s cuisine and cooking, but someone at the table didn''t listen to even a word as he was deep in his thoughts. Rito: "Sigh..." Ryoto: "What is it, Rito girl problems?" Rito: "*Cough* *cough*" Rito choked on rice, so I handed him water. He hurriedly drank it. Rito: "...Thanks" Ryoto: "So, what were you thinking about?" Rito: "It''s just... everything moves so fast and in a strange direction. You suddenly have finance, she is an alien, and we already treat her like family. Don''t you think it''s at least a little bizarre?" Mikan: "Eh? Who cares. She looks human and speaks ournguage. There are only the three of us here anyway, so we have enough room for her. And after L-san showed up thus has be more bright and cheerful, I''m happy." Rito then turned his head to me. Rito: "Aren''t you being forced into this engagement? You are just 15 years old." Ryoto: "Who, me? I''m not being forced or anything like that. L is an interesting girl, and spending time with her is fun." Rito: "...Am I the strange one here?" He started drinking water once again. While we were talking, L went out for a moment and returned with a towel from the bathroom. L: "Ryoto~ We''ve had dinner? so let''s take a bath together!" Hearing that, Rito spot out the water from his mouth, but I didn''t bother checking on him this time. Ryoto: "Sure." Karen: "Grrr!" Rito: "What!!? Are you going to just agree to that?" Ryoto: "Hmm? Why should I refuse?" Rito: "B-but you are a boy, and s-she is a girl." He was all red as he was saying that. As his brother, I worry about him sometimes. But wait, I can use it. Ryoto: "You know what, you are right. I shouldn''t go to the bath alone with L." Rito: "R-right, boy and a girl shouldn''t bath together before marriage." I''m literally engaged to her. Ryoto: "Mikan, want to go with us? Mikan: "Huh?" L: "That''s great idea! Mikan let''s go!" L practically dragged Mikan to the bathroom. Mikan didn''t show any strong signs of refusal. We all left, leaving Rito with a cloud of smokeing out of his head. --- In the bathroom, we all wore bathe towels to cover our private parts... for now at least. L didn''t seem to mind, but Mikan was embarrassed even though she tried to hide it. I sat on the seat before the mirror, and L ran towards me, dropping her towel. L: "I''ll wash you, Ryoto." Ryoto: "Don''t stand in the doorway. While L washes, I wash her as well. Later we can turn around, so I''ll wash L, and she washes you. Sounds good?" Mikan: "I should expect you to be calm in a situation like this but experiencing it is something else." L: "What do you mean by that, Mikan? Mikan started washing L. Mikan: "Well, in middle school, Ryoto was a famous yboy... or at least tried. He was rejected every time." Ryoto: "These are truly my dark times." I shook my head gently a few times. At that time, I discovered I was adopted, and I tried to distract my thoughts in any way possible, so I started chasing skirts. It helped a little, but afterward, I felt embarrassed by my actions, so I stopped doing that in high school. I even started to distance myself from Rito and Mikan. It was at that time that Mikan stopped calling me Onii-chan. The only ones who know that I''m adopted are my parents and me. As I recalled the past, I felt hands on my chest moving up and down. It was L washing my front. Mikan: "Hey, Ryoto?" Ryoto: "Yes?" Mikan: "Does L knows about your eyes?" Ryoto: "She does." Mikan: "You don''t need to keep them closed then. It must be ufortable always to have them shut." L: "Yes, Ryoto, open them!" Ryoto: "I don''t mind." My eyelids opened up slowly. I was sitting in front of the mirror so they could still see my eyes in the reflection. At that moment, L''s hands stopped as she looked at my eyes through the mirror image. Mikan was in the same state as L. Mikan: "How does it feel to see through these eyes?" Ryoto: "The same way as yours but with more details when I''m not using them." I answered Mikan''s question and tried to satisfy her curiosity. Mikan: "Using them?" Ah, I forgot that Mikan doesn''t know that they can do more than just shine in the dark. Ryoto: "Well, I can do this, for example." I switched their vision, so now L sees what Mikan is seeing, and Mikan sees what L. Mikan: "Wha-" L: "Wow!" Mikan was surprised by seeing my back and ''her'' hands at my chest, so she instinctively tried to take them back, but even if her own arms were already in the air, the one in the front of her wouldn''t move without L''s consent. On the other hand, L seemed to find it exciting. She had a fun time during the exchange. I quickly stopped using my eyes and their sight to their owner. Mikan sighed with relief and looked at me with an ''angry'' expression. Mikan: "Did you really need to do this?" I shrugged my shoulders. Ryoto: "This ability was the easiest to show." Mikan''s eyebrow raised. Mikan: "This ability? Do you have more of them?" Ryoto: "Sure do. Strengthen eyesight, illusion switching up the vision of people like I just showed and looking into the memories of people are a few of them." Before Mikan could question me more, L beat her to the punch. L: "Hey Ryoto, do that again." She started shaking me by the shoulders. Ryoto: "Maybe another time. First, we need to wash you up. Turn around." L: "Yeees!" We all turned around, and I started washing L. I started with her back the same way as she did to me. Mikan: "Hey, maybe I should wash L." Ryoto: "Don''t need to. I can wash her without a problem." Mikan: "...But what about L? Maybe she-" L: "Ryoto, scrub me rougher~." Mikan: "...or not." Mikan''s arguments were all defeated, and we went back to the washing. My hands were getting lower and lower until they met a devilish tail near her butt. Ryoto: "Do you want me to clean your tail too?" L: "Sure, but be gentle. My tail is very sensitive." I nodded my head and started gently stroking the tail. L: "Mmmm~." L started moaning quietly. She even but her finger to suppress her voice. Fortunately, Mikan didn''t seem to notice it or at least pretended not to. I focused my eyes on her and saw a slight blush around her neck that would be normally unnoticeable, but honestly, it doesn''t prove anything. She could feel awkward because of the situation. We didn''t take a bath together for several years, and she is at that age that is already conscious about the opposite sex. I finished cleaning her tail, so I moved my hands to the front. I moved my hands skillfully around her breast. L: "Hey, that tickles!" Ryoto: "I finish up soon, so hold on a little longer." It''s good that both of them were turned away because my little brother wanted to announce his presence, and it was hard not to notice him. __________ *PING* *TITLE ACQUIRED* Title: "Self-control Master" __________ Soon we all were clean, so the next logical step was to go into the bathtub. Sadly our bathtub was too small for three people to get in. As the gentleman that I am, I let them use it as I went out. L at first protested and wanted to upgrade our bath, but she imed down aftermarket some headpats. To be entirely fair, I gave Mikan headpats as well, and luckily for me, she was uncharacteristically meek, so she epted them, unlike other times. Outside the bathroom, I heard a familiar sound. __________ *PING* *QUEST COMPLETED* Reward: 200 SP, ''Karen'' goes to therapy for one week (New quest won''t appear till the end of the treatment), one gacha ticket. __________ ''Bye Karen~.'' Karen: "Before I go, I just want to say sorry- ''What?'' I didn''t expect her to apologize. I''m starting to feel a little bit guilty for sending her away. Karen: "-SORRY THAT YOU MUST GO OUTSIDE WITH THAT FACE, SUCKER!" With these words, she vanished, or at least I think so because I couldn''t hear her voice at all, even after taunting her. But herst words make me feel more justified with my choice of action. In the meantime, Rito was still sitting at the table with a red face. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/cM4bwr5Q3z Chapter 8: The doctor Chapter 8: The doctor (Ryoto''s pov) I was going to bed nning my next move. I decided first to use the gacha ticket I just got frompleting the quest. I once again saw a giant wheel spinning. It took some time for it to finally slow down and stop. When I saw what itnded on. Ryoto: "Woo, yeah, baby! That''s what I''ve been waiting for! That''s what''s all about!" Itnded on ''Haki.'' What''s even better is that it''s not specific Haki, so I could probably use them all. I tried to use an Armament Haki as a test, so I focused my will on my arm but... nothing happened. I can''t even ask Karen about it because she is at therapy at the moment. Nothing I can do about it. I''ll need to wait for her return, but I''ll experiment a bit with Haki during the uing week. When I get my abilities, I never get any instructions about them, just basic instincts on how to use them, but unlike the ones before, Haki is a technique. My eyes and Spider-man''s physique are part of my body, so there was no problem with using them even if I''m not proficient in utilizing them. Speaking of which, I want to go to Ryouko Mikado with my eyes. Maybe she''ll be able to tell me something about them that I don''t know. I am aware of the basic abilities of All-Seeing Eyes of God. She is the best doctor that I know, and she is trustworthy, in my opinion. L: "Ryoto, let''s sleep together!" L burst into my room. Ryoto: "Sure, hop in." I moved a little to make room next to me, and L snuggled in the bed while hugging my arm. Ryoto: "Goodnight, L." L: "Goodnight." Shortly after, we fell asleep. --- The next day at school, during a lunch break, I went to the nurse''s office, and there I found a browned hair, green-eyed nurse. Ryouko: "Ryoto Yuuki, what brings a healthy young man as yourself wants in the nurse''s office?" She had a teasing simile on her face. One of the most noticeable features is her big pair of breasts. Ryoto: "I would like to ask you for help." Ryouko: "And what would that involve?" I opened my eyes, revealing them to her. At the sight of my unusual-looking eyes, she widened her own. Ryouko: "What-" Before she could ask any questions, I said. Ryoto: "As you can see, my eyes are abnormalpared to other Earthlings, and since you are an alien doctor that has knowledge about many different extraterrestrial races, you would be my best bet to uncover secrets of my eyes." Ryouko recovered from her shock quickly, showing her professionalism and adaptability. At my words, she raised her eyebrow. Ryouko: "Secrets?" Ryoto: "These eyes are special and have some abilities, but I feel there is more to them than I can see... pan intended." I then exined some of the things I could do thanks to them. I tried to be as truthful as possible without telling how I got these eyes. You know what they say; never lie to your doctor andwyer. After that, she did some basic tests. She opened up one of my eyes and looked into it. Ryouko: "I''ve never seen anything like this before. I don''t see any pupils, and your whole eyeball is blue. It looks like it contains a gxy on its own inside. Interestingly, these three lines go from where the iris should be in three different directions. There are also multiple circles with unknown purposes, truly fascinating. Can you try using your eyes for a bit?" I did as she asked. While my eyes are in so-called active mode, a pupil forms in the center of an eyeball, and the new circles show themselves in before empty iris. Ryouko wrote some things in her notebook and looked again in my eyes. She mumbled quietly to herself. Ryouko: "So pupils form while using the eyes. Does it mean that they are not needed normally, or is it a byproduct of something else..." Ahe was thinking hard about it for some time. I spent almost my whole break with Ryouko until she finally stopped the examination. Ryokou: "Before we finish up, can you show me the ''magic circles'' that you were talking about earlier?" Ryoto: "Sure." I focused my sight on her face so she could see them without any problem. When they appeared, I swear I could see stars in Ryouko''s eyes. Ryouko: "You were saying that they have a role simr to a magnifying ss. Do they have any other functions?" Ryoto: "They also show up in front of the eyes of people which sigh I control." Ryouko: "I see. I don''t have the necessary equipment here to examine your eyes further. If it''s okay with you,e to visit my house in the near future for more thorough tests." She licked her lips as she said it. Ryouko: "It was a long time since I felt so excited. Is there anything else you need help with? Ryoto: "We can talk about itter. Otherwise, I''ll bete for sses." I said my goodbyes to Ryouko and returned to ss. For the rest of the school, nothing significant happened. --- At home, L and I were alone in my room. I asked her to lend me her thighs. It''s really a blissying like this while L was ying with my hair with a smile on her face. Ryoto: "Hey L, can I ask you a favor?" L: "Sure, I''m happy to help! What do you need?" Ryoto: "You noticed that I''m stronger than your average human and possess the ability to climb walls." L nodded energetically. Ryoto: "In the fight with Zastin, I noticed one w in my abilities, and that is my inability to fight at long range. Of course, I could use my eyes, but I don''t want to use them too much unless it''s an emergency. They are my ace in my sleeve, you could say. Many of your finances wille and try to eliminate me in the uing months, so I''ll need to defend myself. L: "Do you have anything specific in mind?" Ryoto: "Well, my abilities are simr to a spider, so I thought something like web-shooters on my wrists would be ideal." L put the finger on her chin while thinking about my proposal. L: "Sure, sounds interesting! The mechanism that shoots out something is easy to build, and I could probably find something equivalent to a spider web." She is too good for me. Ryoto: "As a thank you for your help, you can ask me anything, and if it''s in my ability to grant that request, I''ll do it. A rtionship is a two-way street. You give me something, and I give you something else in return." I don''t think she was listening till the end. She probably stooped at ''you can ask me anything.'' Because she had a beautiful smile on her face, and she was making a kicking motion with her legs but in a way that wouldn''t make me fall from her thighs. She also moved her head from one side to the other with evident happiness. L: "In that case, I would want to..." --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/cM4bwr5Q3z Chapter 9: Date Chapter 9: Date (Ryoto''s pov) L: "In that case, I would want to go on a date." Ryoto: "Did you hear about it from Mikan?" L: "Yes, when a boy and a girl who like each other go to have fun is a date. It sounds fun." I sometimes forget how innocent L can be. She didn''t even know about kissing before her sister gave her material to ''study'' if I remember correctly. It''s kind of exciting to think about corrupting her, but not in a bad way. Ryoto: "I don''t see any problem with a date. We can go tomorrow if you want." L: "Yes!" She tried to hug me, but I was still lying on her thighs, so her breastsnded on my face. As nice as the situation was, I couldn''t breathe, so I tapped her back quickly a few times, but she hugged me even tighter. She used a lot of her strength because I had trouble escaping her grabs. Sorry, L, but you leave me no choice. I grabbed her tail in the hopes of her letting me go, but the moment she moaned, and before I could break free, the door to my room opened. Rito: "Hey Nii-san, do you have-" He looked at us and quickly turned red, and before he mmed the door closed, he said. Rito: "SORRY FOR THE INTERRUPTION!!!" *SLAM* The door was once again closed. L: "Mmm, Ryoto, be more gentle~." I forgot that I was still holding L''s tail, so I released it from my hand. Ryoto: "You need to control your strength, L. Even if I''m strong for an Earthling, it still can''tpare to Devilukean''s strength." Peke: "Ryoto-dono is right. While he is exceptional for a human, you can still easily overpower him in the contest of power. It''s easy to forget about that fact since he was dependable if nothing else." Ryoto: "Wait, if you knew I was in trouble, why didn''t you help?" Peke: "I believed that you could handle the situation." ...I don''t buy it. L: "Sorry, sorry, but I''m just happy. On the Deviluke, I didn''t even imagine that I would have so much fun with the person I love. Every day is so fun." She tried to show how much fun she meant by extending her arms in two directions. It looked cute. Ryoto: "I know, and I have a lot of fun with you too, L. But for now, let''s sleep." L: "Yees!" Peke undid his transformation, leaving L butt-naked. *Click* Mikan: "Ryoto, why did Rito storm off to his room while-" Mikan entered my room with her iconic blue popsicle, and she witnessed naked L next to me. It''s the second time it happened this week. And why no one knocks on my door. Mikan: "I understand that she is your fiance and you are a young boy but don''t you think that you''re moving too fast~?" She said with a smug smile forming on her face. However, her attempt at teasing me was unsessful as I was unmoved by it. L, on the other hand, had question marks above her head. L: "What do you mean by moving too fast?" I startedughing out loud hearing L''s question. Ryoto: "Hahahaha, well Mikan can you exin L what did you mean~?" Mikan: "W-well..." L tilted her head adorably, waiting for Mikan to answer. Ryoto: "Can you not answer an easy question like that, Mikan, you perv~." Mikan: "Who are you calling perv!!!?" L: "Hey Ryoto, why did you call Mikan a perv?" Ryoto: "You see Mikan was thinking about-" Mikan started panicking and rushed to me to cover my mouth with her hands. Mikan: "Wait, wait, wait, you win!!!" I smirked. Ryoto: "You''re ten years too early to try to tease me. It would work on Rito, though. Better luck next time." Mikan opened her mouth, trying to say something but closed it almost immediately. Mikan: "Have fun then..." Ryoto: "Don''t worry, I will~." Mikan put her popsicle in her mouth while slightly frowning and exited my room. *Click* Ryoto: "Well then, let''s go to sleep." I was always sleeping only in my underwear, and L slept without any clothes, so we had a lot of skin contact with each other during the night. Ryoto: "Sweet dreams, L." I raised her bangs with my palm so I couldnd a kiss on her forehead. L blushed a little and touched her forehead to ensure that it happened. She then smiled, hugged my arm as we were already lying in bed, and fell asleep in this position. --- Today was the day of our date, but we had some unexpectedpany. Ryoto: "So, what are you two doing here?" Mikan: "It''s just a coincidence to meet you and L here. It''s not like I invited Rito to go shopping at the same time your date was nned just to bump into you because you embarrassed me yesterday." She said all of that while smiling. I''m not even mad. I''m impressed by her shamelessness. Ryoto: "And how did you know about our date. We decided about it yesterday night." She pointed at L, who was in her alien attire, and looked at the moment around curiously. I should have known. L would tell anyone she knew about the date. She was very excited about it after all. Ryoto: "Well yed, Mikan, well yed." I slowly pped. L proposed that we all go together from now on. The more, the merrier, as she said. It''s also possible that she forgot that it was supposed to be only us but who cares. If she is happy with this, it''s all good. Our ''date'' was fun. First, we went to a clothing shop for L to change clothes. As she was now, she would draw a lot of attention. She would probably do that even if she would dress up normally but seeing L in different clothes was fun. We didn''t even need to pay for the clothes because Peke could analyze and transform into any kind of outfit. I did buy some clothes in case of emergency. Peke could always run out of energy after all. Later on, we bought some taiyaki and went to an arcade to y for a while. L wanted a bunny zombie that she thought looked cute, so I won it for her. She seemed happy to receive my gift. At some point, we met Haruna as well, Rito''s current crush. We went together to the aquarium. L had fun looking at different kinds of Earth fish, and Rito, although nervous, also was happy to meet Haruna outside of school. Because Mikan and I were such good siblings, we left them alone. Mikan, L, and I went to look at the penguins. L gave them some kind of pill. It was a pill given to soldiers to energize them, if I remember correctly. It looked fun, so I let her do that. It was fun seeing penguins fly around while people were freaking out. It was less fun for Rito, though, because as he was confessing to Haruna penguin flew into him, knocking him out before he could say anything meaningful. __________ *PING* *NEW TITLE ACQUIRED* Title: "Cockblocker" __________ ...I don''t regret anything. And so our outing ended on a high note, with penguins raging everywhere. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/cM4bwr5Q3z Chapter 10: The examination Chapter 10: The examination (Ryoto''s pov) Yesterday was a productive day. I went on a date with L but Mikan because I embarrassed her too muchst night she wanted to get even with me. We continued outing with Rito and Mikan tagging along with us. We ate some snacks, went to the arcade where I won a bunny plus for L, met up with Haruna, went to the aquarium where L made penguins too energetic. I also cockblocked Rito, so I call it a fun day. As a brother, I shouldn''t do that, but as a fellow man, I''m disappointed. Right now, I''m in front of Ryouko Mikado''s house. She apparently lives in a mansion because I can''t call it an ordinary house. She even had a gate. I knocked on the door. *Knock* *Knock* Ryouko: "Come in!" I went inside looking for Ryouko but couldn''t see her anywhere near. Ryouko: "I''m in the back!" In theb where we''ll conduct our experiments, Ryouko was in her usualb coat. Ryoto: "So what kind of test are we going to do." Ryouko: "I''m d you asked. First, I thought about testing your eyesight and how much you can ''zoom''. We''ll do tests on different kinds of materials to see if there are any differences. After that, I prepared a big monitor that will show the fast-moving object and see your limits in that regard. Then we''llbine these two experiments into one to see how many details you can see on fast-moving objects. Later we are going to look into your ability to see an aura. All of these will be performed in your active and inactive mode..." Ryouko started mumbling about the experiment and didn''t stop for a few minutes until she realized what had happened. Ryouko: "*Cough* Excuse me." Ryoto: "Don''t worry about it, but you seem to be more excited about it than me." Ryouko: "How couldn''t I? Your eyes are uncategorized." Ryoto: "?" Ryouko: "Extraterrestrials species are universally categorized into humanoid, animalistic, nt types hybrid and uncategorized. You and I, for example, are humanoid, but your eyes are uncategorized. It''s possible for having parts of your body to be categorized differently without the species being a hybrid. The first four types are self-exnatory, but uncategorized is a little different. It''s the rarest of the groups, and we know the least about them. It''s the dream of every scientist to examine them." Ryoto: "In that case, shouldn''t my eyes be categorized as humanoid? Sure they are more powerful than normal, but they have iris, sclera, pupils, and the rest after all." Ryouko: "If all they could do is increase the power of your sight, then you would be right, but your power to control other people''s sight and seeing aura makes them uncategorized." Ryoto: "Does it mean that Devilukean tail is also uncategorized and not animalistic, but the race is humanoid?" Ryouko: "You catch on quickly." After an interesting lesson from Ryokou, we started testing. I could see atoms when I focused with all my strength, but it overheated my eyes a little, so we needed to take a break earlier than we expected. But this experience helped me understand my limits better. There weren''t any differences between different materials. I could see the same amount of details on every item. Without activating my eyes, I still could see a lot of, but you can''t even make aparison between the two. However, the experiment with fast-moving objects on the screen didn''t help me too much. I could follow items on a monitor up to maximum speed. I could even count how many pixels said objects had. Like before, I tried to do the same experiment with my eyes closed, and I still could follow everything just like earlier. Still, I couldn''t describe what I saw at the quicker items. Reading aura was a lot easier. Inactive mode, I could see and even follow it to find people. Ryouko''s aura was green by the way. It reminded me of nature. While inactive, I couldn''t see anything like that. It was expected, but still, it was better to test everything. The only thing we didn''t test was my ability to see the memories of my victim. I know that I''m capable of it, so I''ll be able to use it when needed, but for now, no new information. I also noticed that the stronger will and resistance of the target, the faster my eyes will overheat. --- Ryouko: "I think we are done for now. I took some valuable data. While we didn''t progress on how they work, we know some basic limits of them." Ryouko was thrilled with the statistics and almost forgot that I was still there. Ryoto: "If you have more time, can we do some more tests?" Ryouko: "You mean your ability to climb walls like some kind of bug?" Ryoto: "More like a spider, but how do you know about it?" Ryouko ced her hand on her hip and swayed a bit. Ryouko: "Well, you weren''t the most discreet about it. You jumped out of your ssroom, which is on the 3rd floor. Oh yeah, I did do that. Ipletely forgot about it. Ryoto: "Fair enough, but it''s not the only thing I wanted to test." Ryouko raised her eyebrow and showed some curiosity. Ryoto: "Do you have a ce to test my strength?" Ryouko: "Yeah, some of my patients want to make sure they are in top form after a treatment." It turned out I could lift up to 15 tons. Officially Spider-man is said to lift up only up to 10 tons, but his feats say otherwise. He lifted a tank at one point, and I''m sure they are heavier than that. After that, I wanted to experiment with my spider-sense a little. I put on a blindfold. Funnily enough, I couldn''t see through that. I could see through my eyelids just fine, but a thin piece of material is apparently a big no-no for All-Seeing Eyes of God. Ryouko attacked me, and I dodged everything. Spider-sense warned me even about an attack that would not harm me in any way. Without a blindfold, it warned me only about an attack that would hurt me. In conclusion, spider-sense is more sensitive without my sense of sight. Later on, it was time to test my crawling ability or, to be more precise, how hard was I sticking to the surface. I learned the obvious that I had better adhesion with my hands than my foot. I also learned that I could stick with my foot through socks but not shoes. I could also just stick with only my feet, but it was hard to do it. --- At the end of the examination, Ryouko questioned my humanity as she had never seen a human like me before. She wanted to do more testing, but I decided to end it for today. I went directly home. As soon as I crossed the doorway, L jumped on me even before I could say anything. L: "Ryoto, I need to show you something!" She started dragging me upstairs. I saw Mikan in the kitchen, and she looked back at me. She then smiled. Mikan: "Don''t take too long. Dinner is almost ready." L: "Ok!" We needed up in my room, but L didn''t stop there as she walked through my wardrobe and suddenly we were in some kind ofboratory. Ryoto: "L, is that your-" L: "Lab, yes. I used the special-ordered spatial system! I''ve ordered the necessary stuff from Deviluke, but it''s not what I wanted to show you." L rushed to the table and returned to me with something that looked like wrist protectors, but in reality, it was... Ryoto: "L i-is that-? L: "Yes once again. These two are your web-shooters. I named them web-shoot shoot-kun. For the webs, I decided to use Earth''s material only. It''s made of salicylic acid, toluene methanol, carbon tetrachloride, potassium carbonate, and ethyl acetate. The webbing is stored in these small containers that you need to refill from time to time." Ryoto: "B-but we talked about just two days ago. How did you do it so fast?" L: "You said it was for your protect yourself from the fiancee that wille after you, so I did it as fast as I could. The hardest part was the webbing, but I created something simr when I was younger, so I recreated it using Earth materials. Do you like it?" At the end of the sentence, L seemed to talk quieter, as if she was unsure of her present. Ryoto: "Do I like it? I love it!" I picked up L in a hug and started spinning for a bit. L seemed to like it as she had a big smile the whole time we were spinning. I stopped soon after and let her down. I opened my eyes and looked into hers. She did the same, and both of us didn''t say anything until I decided to connect our lips with the kiss. At the same time, I brought her closer to me by hugging her waist with one of my arms. L was surprised for a moment but started to enjoy it. At one point, she even opened her mouth wider and let my tongue inside, so the tame kiss has changed into a deep one. She even grabbed the back of my head so I couldn''t back of not that I wanted. When we finally separated, we both breathed heavily as we looked at each other''s eyes. Ryoto: "We should go back before Mikan gets mad." L just nodded and went downstairs. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/cM4bwr5Q3z Chapter 11: The return Chapter 11: The return (Ryoto''s pov) The dinner was awkward. L was lost in her thoughts the whole time, and everyone noticed it. I was the only one who knew why she was like that, though. Mikan: "What did you do, Ryoto?" Ryoto: "Why do you assume that it was me who did something." Mikan: "Because I know you." Ryoto: "You break my heart, Mikan." L: "Hey Mikan, what kind of meaning have a kiss on the lips?" L brought the attention of everyone at the table, Rito dropped a fork in his hand with a while face already red, and Mikan had an open mouth looking between L and me. I, on the other hand, was sitting calmly and continued eating. Mikan massaged her nose bridge and looked at me with an annoyed look. Mikan: "You kissed L? Ryoto: "Yes." Mikan: "And you didn''t exin to her what it was?" Ryoto: "It happened in the heat of the moment. I didn''t know how to convey my feelings, and boom, the kiss happened." L: "Don''t be mad at Ryoto, Mikan. It was also me who kissed him back, but I just wanted to know the meaning of a kiss. Since we did it, my heart has been beating really fast, and it starts getting hot when I think about it. When I was younger, my sisters and I were kissed on the cheek a lot by mama, but it feels different this time." Mikan: "*Sigh* Kiss on the lips is the simplest form of showing affection to your partner. There are different types of kisses, but the most known are peck on the lips and French kiss. L: "French kiss?" Mikan was starting to get red the same way as Rito was... okay, not the same as Rito. He was already out because of his delusions. Like a good brother, I''ll help out my little sister. Ryoto: "French kissing is when you put tongue inside your partner''s mouth." L: "You mean like what we did before?" The air around us suddenly got a lot colder. Mikan: "Ryo-to! Did you French kiss her?" I wiped my mouth with a napkin, stood up, and drew in the air a straight line with my thumb. Ryoto: "Yes, I did!" Mikan: "Ryoto, are you serious about her? Ryoto: "What do you mean?" Mikan: "I don''t want to see you repeat the same mistake twice. I know that you weren''t serious about any girl you confessed to, so seeing you with L made me hope that it would change, that finally, you would open your heart to someone once again. Still, moving so fast with her makes me think that you are ying around just like before. So answer me, Ryoto, are you serious about L?" Mikan was looking at me seriously, waiting for my answer. And L as well was patiently waiting for me. I took a few deep breaths a d opened my eyes. Ryoto: "I''m not sure if I love her... I''ve never felt that before besides familial love. What I know, however, is that I care about her." Mikan''s stare softened as she smiled at me. Mikan: "I see, that''s good then." She then stood up and dragged Rito by the feet to his room, and his head hits every step. I looked at L, who had a worried look on her face until recently. But now, she was gazing at me with love. L: "Ryoto, so you care about me~!" Lunched at me, hugging me by the neck. I just patted her head. Ryoto: "Of course care about you. It''s just that I felt like that I took advantage of your personality too much, so when you gave me these web-shooters, I felt incredibly guilty, but at the same time, a thought was born inside my brain, ''I''ll make her happy, whatever it takes." L: "You don''t need to do anything! Whenever I am with you, it''s fun. I can go to school where I have friends, and I experience a lot of new things every day!" Ryoto: "We''ve known each other for five days..." L: "And these were the best five days of my life!" L tightens her grip on me. I started tapping her on the back a few times. Ryoto: "L, I understand. You conveyed your feeling enough. Let me go for now, or you''ll break my neck." But L didn''t loosen her hug. Ryoto: "Hey L, L, Laaa!" That was the closest thing to death since my... you know, death. --- Today Karen will return. I hope that the therapy helped her a bit... okay, I hope that treatment will mellow her down. I''m not M, so I don''t find pleasure in her abuse. __________ *PING* ''Karen'' has returned. Because of the absence of a guidance system, the user couldn''tplete any quests, so aspensation, the user will get a ''summoning scroll''. Please remember that summoned a creature or creatures will bepletely random, but after it or they appear, it won''t change unless you acquire or buy a new ''summoning scroll''. Thank you for understanding and happy new life. System. __________ Wait, there''s a lot to unpack here. So Karen was the one giving me a quest, but she wasn''t the system itself but system guidance. What kind of power does she have. Does she only give me quests, or does she create them too? So many questions but so few answers, and the only o e that can answer me is Karen. So let''s do just that. ''Hey, Karen?'' Karen: "Yes?" ''How are you feeling?'' Karen: "Well, for one week, I was talking about my feelings and why I was, and I quote ''an insufferable bitch''." ''What kind of therapist did you have?'' Karen: "I had plenty. The first one didn''tst fifteen minutes with me. I didn''t even do anything to him." ''Is he okay?'' Karen: "I don''t know. Thest time I saw him, he was going to a therapist." ''...'' ''I''ll ignore for now. The question is if it did help you.'' Karen: "You can say that. We figured out why I behaved in such a way, at least." ''Was it your beautiful personality?'' Karen: "That too, but when I was designated as system guidance, your negative emotions were filtered out through me. That''s why you were so confident and didn''t feel sad about dying or your whole situation in general." ''Does it mean I can''t feel any negative emotions?'' Karen: "That''s incorrect. You can still feel them. They are just enfeebled. If they exceed a certain limit, you will feel them. ''That''s good to know. I wouldn''t want to be emotionless. Well, not entirely apathetic but being human is about feeling both the good and the bad. I have thest question, will you be nicer?'' Karen: "...I''ll try." ''Hey!'' Karen: "What? How can you expect someone to change so suddenly? If you haven''t noticed, I didn''t insult even once since I came back." ''We''re talking for a few minutes...'' Karen: "Baby steps." Well, at least she''ll attempt to be nicer. For now, let''s focus on the summoning scroll. ''Karen, can I get the summoning scroll?'' Karen: "Sure." The scroll appeared in my hand, and I used it immediately... --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/cM4bwr5Q3z Chapter 12: The summoning Chapter 12: The summoning (Ryoto''s pov) I was alone in my room and at the moment was using a summoning scroll. A magic circle appeared on the floor, and four small figures started forming inside. They were really short, at an average of 55 cm. __________ *PING* *TITLE ACQUIRED* Title: "Summoner Beginner" __________ ???: "Kowalski, analysis!" Kowalski: "We appear to be in some kind of room, sir." Skipper: "I can see that. Tell me why we''re here." Ryoto: "I think I can answer that question." With my words, I brought their attention to me. They looked at me with shock and started behaving like normal penguins. Ryoto: "You know it''s toote for it now." Skipper: "n B it is, Rico!" Ryoto: "Wait! Don''t you want to know why you are here?" Skipper: "Rico, wait." Rico stopped halfway through his puke, gulped down whatever he wanted to throw up, and looked disappointed. Rico: "Kaboom?" Skipper: "Not yet Rico, let''s hear what our giant friend has to say." Ryoto: "Quite trusting for someone with paranoia." Skipper: "Who said I''m trusting you. I''m just listening to your exnation and then deciding my course of action." Ryoto: "And who said that I will tell you the truth?" Skipper: "And AND who said that I''ll believe everything you said?" Ryoto: "And and and who said that it wasn''t my n from the beginning-. It''s starting to get annoying. In short, you are in a different universe from your own, and there is no way home for you." I said with a lovely smile on my face... I must look crazy to them. Skipper covered half of his beak and whispered. Skipper: "Boys, I think he ispletely bonkers." ''Karen, is there any item in the shop that would help me exin their situation? Karen: "There is one that will allow them to understand the situation instantly without the need to exin anything." ''How much will it cost?'' Karen: "Everything." ''...'' Karen: "I mean, it will literally cost all of your points that are 600 SP." ''Why is it so cheap inparison to everything else in the shop?'' Karen: "One-use items are cheaper in general, but this is a special case. You get a discount on this item as it''s connected to the item you received. You can buy summoning scroll and rification mist as a bundle, which would greatly reduce the price, but you got a discount as you do not have this option." ''At least there is something positive. Buy the item and use it immediately, Karen.'' Karen: "On it!" As soon as she said it, a mysterious must appeared out of nowhere and surrounded all five of us. It quickly disappeared as if it never appeared in the first ce. I looked at the penguins. Ryoto: "Do you get it now?" Skipper: "So are we just summoned creatures that need to obey your everymand?" Ryoto: "Of course not. One of the things I hate the most is forcing someone to do something they don''t want you, so I would like to have more casual rtionships with you all. I can even let you roam around without you returning to the scroll if you want. I''ll even buy you fresh fish." Skipper: "The offer is tempting..." He started rubbing his wing under his beak. Skipper: "Kowalski, what do you think about it?" Kowalski: "Staying here would be the most logical choice. As we are now, we don''t have any shelter or food, and he could provide both." Skipper: "True..." After a lengthy discussion, we finally came to an agreement. I would provide food and a ce to sleep for them, and they would work for me as my privatemando squad. It was a good deal for both sides, so I don''t have anyints. Later that day, I introduced the penguins to my family. L instantly hugged the private while Skipper said, ''some things never change''. --- The next day our dad called Rito and me to help him with his work. He always asks us when he is in a pinch, and if we say no, he won''t give us a monthly allowance. Maybe I should try earning my own money. The most I can do with drawing a manga is coloring, so bing a mangaka is not an option. The only other choice is to be a light novel writer. Okay, it''s not the only one, but it''s the easiest. Anyone in my shoes would at least try to do that. L: "Where are you going?" Rito: "We''re going to help our dad with work." Ryoto: "He always asks us, but he mainly wants Rito''s help. I don''t have a talent for drawing." I scratched my cheek because of embarrassment. L: "I see. What does Ryoto''s papa do?" Ryoto & Rito: "He is a mangaka." L, of course, wanted to tag along, and I didn''t have any problems with it, but before we left, I turned towards Skipper and said. Ryoto: "I leave the house to you." I hope nothing goes wrong while we are out. --- We were before dad''s studio, and we rang the bell. *Ding* *Dong* The door opened immediately. Saibai: "Hey! Wee, Rito, Ryoto! We don''t have time! C''mon in!! !?" He noticed L, who wore a big smile. L: "Nice to meet you, Ryoto''s papa!!" L then started to observe dad from every possible angle. L: "Hrmm, this is Ryoto''s papa, huh? You don''t look like Ryoto or Rito that much..." Saibai: "Ryoto, Rito, what''s going on?" Ryoto: "This is L. She wanted to see your workce and- Saibai: "Idiot!! If you''re gonna bring a girl, you should''ve said so first!! Nice to meet you. I''m Rito''s and Ryoto''s papa~~~." He said that with the biggest possible smile. He even erged it even further with the help of his finger. Inside, dad quickly epted the fact that L was an alien. He even heard about her from Mikan. She even said to him that we slept together in one bed. At first, he joked a little about being a youth, but he became serious and talked about responsibility right after. What is it with his mood swings? L wanted to help, but her drawing skills were even lower than mine, so Rito proposed that she go to the room full of manga. I, Rito, dad, and dad''s assistants were working our ass off, but we wouldn''t be able to finish on time no matter how hard we were working. L saw this built machine that would help us finalize the manuscript, but after wepleted it, we were all drained out of our energy. We could finally go home but when we returned we saw... --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/cM4bwr5Q3z Chapter 13: Penguins day Chapter 13: Penguins'' day (Ryoto''s pov) L, Rito, and I were standing before our house. We just stood there without saying anything for a while. On the roof of our home were still alive fishes of different species. Through the window, I could see a lot of jelly in the shape of furniture. Scrap that. I bet it''s our table turned into jelly. Inside the house, Mikan was sleeping on the couch with a stupid smile on her face. At further inspection, I could see traces of explosion in some parts of the house. Next to Mikan was lying Private, that was also sleeping. He probably ate a lot of fish as there were multiple fish bones. In the kitchen, Rico was unconsciously lying in the pile of fish and jelly. I saw a few sticks of dynamite as well. We went to my room, and the wardrobe doors were destroyed. Kowalski was surrounded by many finished and unfinished machines in L''sb. He was also sleepwalking about being in heaven or something. Rito: "D-did this penguin just talk?" Ryoto: "Yeah, don''t worry about it." Rito could only ept my answer as I wasn''t willing at the moment. Not until I get my answers first, at least. I went to Mikan''s room, and I witnessed Skipper sleeping together with a pair of dolls. He was caressing one of them with his wing. Skipper: "You know, I didn''t have that much fun in ages. Thest time was probably during the-" Ryoto: "-Perfect day, am I right?" Hearing me, Skipper lifted up his nket a little higher. Ryoto: "What are you trying to hide? You always walk naked." Skipper: "Ah... right." Ryoto: "You know, normally I would ask you to exin what happened, but I''m tired today, so I''ll use the shortcut." Skipper: "What are you-" Before he could finish the sentence, I opened my eyes and peeked into his memories. But only the recent one, I still respect privacy after all. (3rd pov) After Ryoto, Rito and L left the house, Skipper continued to wave and smile until the door closed. *Click* As soon as the door closed, all four penguins grouped up. Three of them, Rico, Kowalski, and Private, stood in line while Skipper was walking before them back and forth. Skipper: "At the moment, Ryoto is out of the house. It gave us the chance to uncover all his secrets!" Private raised his wing, and Skipper pointed at him with his own. Skipper: "Yes?" Private: "Maybe we shouldn''t do this. We have a deal with Ryoto, and he would give us fishes if we behave." Skipper: "Rico." Rico pped Private. Rico: "HahEhAhI!" Skipper: "Thank you, Rico. As I was saying before, I was rudely interrupted. We are going to uncover all his secrets. All we need to do is distract his sister, and we are free to act as we wish. Private, that''s your mission, draw away Mikan''s attention." Private saluted at Skipper''s order. Skipper: "Kowalski, Rico, and I will go to his room. He must be hiding something there." All of the penguins saluted at Skipper''s words. Private waddled towards Mikan and sessfully distracted her. At the same time, the rest of the group slid towards Ryoto''s room. Inside they searched the whole room but were unsessful at finding whatever they were looking for. Skipper mmed his wing at the board. Skipper: "Dammit, where are you hiding... eh... whatever you''re hiding! Kowalski!" Kowalski: "We haven''t yet looked through his wardrobe, sir." Skipper: "Great idea, Rico, do your thing!" Rico: "HeheheeheeHEe!!!" Rico, delighted at the news, threw up a few sticks of dynamite. He then immediately used them on wardrobe doors. *KABOOM* The doors were destroyed, revealing L''sb that was bigger than a ce inside wardrobe allowed to. Kowalski had literal stars in his eyes seeing this. Kowalski: "I can''t believe this, a space distorting machine. H-how is it possible. Not even I build something like this." Kowalski was quickly distracted by other machines in the room. Kowalski: "Wait, is that... if it''s working like this... maybe if I..." Kowalski was in his own world, being surrounded by all the machines and technology above everything he ever saw. Skipper needed to p him to wake him up from his dream world. He did this not once but multiple times. Skipper: "Soldier, get hold of yourself!" Kowalski: "Skipper, don''t you understand!!? With all the parts and inventions here, I could build practically any machine a man could dream of. For example, a machine that would make fish rain from the sky or a machine to turn one thing into another. The possibilities are endless!" Hearing that, Skipper''s eyes lit up. Skipper: "What are you waiting for then!? Do it!" The first machine Kowalski built machine, and it was a turn-into-jelly machine. Everything is shot at was turned into jelly. Skipper: "Kowalski, why did you build that?" Kowalski: "For the since, of course!" Kowalski looked really proud saying that, but unfortunately for him, Skipper was unimpressed. Skipper: "Rico!" Rico threw up a crowbar and started smashing the newly build machine until it was no longer functional. Kowalski wasn''t so cooperative at this. Kowalski: "NOOO!!! My baby!!! How can you be so inhuman." Skipper: "Mostly because I''m a penguin, but this time it''s because you promised me a fish-making machine." Kowalski''s second machine was, as promised make-it-rain machine. As Rico and Skipper were ying with the invention and making fish rain from the sky at the house, Kowalski was left in theb alone until he tired himself out. Rico started eating like crazy in the kitchen while ying with dynamite sticks. He was wearing and ying until he fell asleep on the pile of fish. Mikan dozed off before any of the explosions happened, and thankfully, the penguins gave her earplugs so she wouldn''t wake up. Where these earplugs came from is better left unsaid. Private not being upied by Mikan could finally let loose and started eating all the fish he could until his stomach could burst with even a little more food. Skipper left alone, decided to relive his bachelor night with two of the Mikan''s dolls in the room. It was a really eventful day for the penguins. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/cM4bwr5Q3z Chapter 14: Time skip Chapter 14: Time skip (Ryoto''s pov) I see, so that''s what happened. I nodded my head a few times with my arms crossed. All around me could see a gentle smile on my face. Ryoto: "Skipper, you are getting a shot." Skipper: "WHAT!!!? Y-you can''t do this! I''m extremely healthy! Never in my life, I was sick!" Ryoto: "And we don''t want to change it, so you are going to be vinated." I walked up to him and tried to put my hand on his shoulder, but his body was too small for that. It looked a little awkward. And as I was close to him so only he could hear my voice, I whispered. Ryoto: "You''re lucky this is another universe because otherwise, I would send you to Danmark in a package and a pink ribbon for decoration. And it''s not because you wanted to discover my secrets. To be honest, I respect not trusting from the start. It''s smart, but you could endanger Mikan in all these explosions. If that would happen, I can promise you that even with your trypanophobia, you would beg for injections just to escape what I''d do." I opened my eyes slightly to make my point. After my words, Skipper fell silent. Now that I know what happened, what should we do about the house? It''s still standing, which is good, but it''s in a total mess. I should probably do something about it. Ryoto: "I''m going to sleep." Rito looked at me with disbelief as I was leaving Mikan''s room. L: "Wait for me, I''ming too!" I should tell Mikan to burn these dolls just in case. --- Three months have passed since ''the incident''. During that time, not much has happened. First, Karen exined the effects of the new titles. ''Self-control Master'' makes me harder to be seduced. ''Cockblocker'' makes it easier for me to cockblock someone. I don''t know how it works, but it''s good to have it... I guess? I''m not entirely sure. ''Summoned Beginner'' gives me a higher chance to summon powerful creatures. I was also learning Haki with Karen. She was a lot more cooperative than I expected. I almost shed a tear when she advised me on using it. Back on topic, it turned out I have a talent for Busoshoku Haki. As I am now, I can harden one of my limbs and cover it with a ck coating. I don''t know why but I had a hard time doing more. Kenbunshoku Haki, on the other hand, was difficult for me to even grasp the basics. Together with Karen, we theorized that because I had already two powerful detecting abilities, they sh with Kenbunshoku Haki''s presence sensing. I can already see the aura and sense danger with my spider-sense, so trying to sense with another power is difficult, to say at least. Still, I''m not nning on giving up just yet. I just need more time. Haoshoku Haki is an unknown territory for me. Maybe I have, perhaps I don''t. It can''t be obtained through training, so I can only wait for it to manifest if I have it. I didn''t train only Haki in these months. With the help of penguins and L, I developed my fighting style with the web-shooters. It was harder than I thought to use them in a fight, but I got the hang of it with some practice. I also sang across a town a few times, and it was entertaining. I also beat up a guy who wanted to take lewd photos of the girls at school during their swimming lesson. It was creepy, so I hung him upside down near the school entrance using my web. On to someone who isn''t me, Rito tried to confess to Haruna two more times, but both times he failed. The first time was in the ssroom, but at that time, I was messing with my web-shooters and identally shot at Rito''s face. Sorry Rito, but it seems your big brother brings you misfortune. The second time was truly unfortunate, and I didn''t even have anything to do with it. L and Kowalski teamed up to build a machine. What kind of machine? They didn''t know either. Both of them wanted to make something different, but they thought they were on the same page, so the device obviously didn''t work as intended, and Rito was a victim of it. He was run over by a fish. Yes, RUN over by a FISH. Skipper started calling me boss, which was strange. I thought his fragile ego wouldn''t allow him to call someone else a boss, but here we are. I felt like he was nning something, so I kept my eye on him. I alsopleted a few quests, earning me a whopping 6969 SP, which is nice. I got one skill from these quests: the ''Desire exhibition''. It''s one of Lucifer Morningstar''s abilities that he frequently used in the ''Lucifer'' series. It allows me to draw a hidden desire from anyone I want. I just need to say one phrase. I could also turn up the intensity to draw out more things. I hardly interact with people in the ss. I''m not ostracized, but I don''t with anyone if I don''t need to. On the other hand, L was almost always surrounded by people and friends. I''m d for her, experiencing the things she couldn''t before, but because of it, I was dragged into dealing with my ssmates more than I would like to. Momioka Risa and I be friends at some point. She wanted to tease me, but I''m tease proof, but she didn''t give up and became a game between us where she tried to get a reaction out of me, and I teased her back with more sess. I didn''t have any meaningful progress with L. We kiss sometimes, take a bath together, and sometimes Mikan joins us, sleep in the same bed. We didn''t cross the line just yet, but I feel it can happen any minute. Maybe I should ''hide'' some dirty magazines for L to find it. It''s thought for another day. I also discussed a few things with Karen. I found out how the system works atst. Karen chooses the quest from the almost she gets. She doesn''t create them or decide punishments. She just epts quests without my approval. She said that I got fortunate with rewards as abilities are very rare, so I shouldn''t get ustomed to it unless Iplete the more problematic quest. --- Tomorrow is a school trip that was almost canceled, but thanks to L and her screaming at the typhoon, we can experience it. I hope it will go well. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/cM4bwr5Q3z Chapter 15: Hot spring Chapter 15: Hot spring (Ryoto''s pov) All Sainan High students were ready for this trip. ss 1-A was sitting together in one of the buses. I was sitting by the window, looking outside as we neared our destination. Everyone was excited about this trip as it was almost canceled because of the typhoon. I was pretending to be asleep the whole way, which was easy considering my eyes were always closed. We soon arrived at the inn where we''d be staying for the next three days. Inside we were weed by andy named Takumi. The principal seemed to know her. He rushed towards her with open arms, but he only got a fist to the face. Even though he was punched and bled from the nose, his sses were still intact, truly impressive. After a short speech from the principal about seaside summer school making memories etc., he announced that ''dare'' would be held tonight. --- In the room, our group consisting of Rito, Kenichi Seruyama, Ageru Matome, and myself were discussing what we should do. Kenichi: " Now, why don''t we take a bath?" Rito: "Good idea." Kenichi: "The girls are probably taking a bath now, too~." Rito: "W-what are you talking about?" Kenichi: "I''m talking about man''s dreams, Rito, man''s dreams." Kenichi was holding Rito by his shoulders as he was saying that. Rito: "Why did you repeat thest part?" Kenichi: "To empathize it." Kenichi tried to convince Rito to peek at the girls with him, but I couldn''t allow this time. As I was sitting near the table drinking my tea, I said calmly. Ryoto: "I advise against it, Kenichi." Kenichi: "You won''t understand the struggle of a single man!" He retorted back. Ryoto: "Trust me, I understand, and normally I wouldn''t bat an eye at your shenanigans, but L will be together with other girls, and I can''t let you see her naked. Call me possessive or overprotective, but that''s how I feel. And if you don''t stop your little n, I''ll stop it." I tried to stare at him, but it looked strange with my eyes closed. It became a little awkward, and no one said a word for a while. Rito was the one to break the silence. Rito: "How about we just go to the hot spring." Ryoto: "...Sure." --- We were walking towards changing room inplete silence. The awkwardness was caused by me. I was never good with human interactions. It was the same in the past but for a different reason. In middle school, it was by choice. Right now, it''s unintentional. It can be because I can''t deal with perverted people or because they lust over L. As I was deep in my thoughts, I decided to ask Karen something. ''Hey Karen, I always wanted to ask, but who am I really? Am I Ryoto Yuuki with the memories of some guy, or am I some guy with the memories of Ryoto Yuuki?'' Karen: "Is it important?" ''Not really. I''m just curious. It won''t change who I am today.'' Karen: "Good, but you''re both and neither at the same time." ''Meaning?'' Karen: "*Sigh* You could say you''re abination of the two with more control of your emotion." ''I see. It''s good that you filter my emotion because I would have an existential crisis right now.'' Karen: "Always at your service." --- After a while, we finally were in the changing room. We started undressing, and I took off my shirt, revealing my upper body. My roommates looked at me with open mouths. Kenichi: "Dude, how did you get abs like that?" Ryoto: "Sit-ups, push-ups, and plenty of juice." They looked at me strangely, not getting the reference. I shook my head at the witnessed unculture. (3rd pov) While the boys were changing on their side, the girls were already in the hot spring. L Risa, Mio, and Haruna enjoyed their time in the water. Mio: "Eh~, you don''t know dare is L-chii!? Oh yeah, you were born in a foreign country." L: "Yep! What is ''dare'' anyway?" Mio: "Dare is... well, in a nutshell, it''s a game where a girl and a boy pair up and walk to the goal on a dark road at night." L: "Eh? Walking at night is so easy." Mio: "But it doesn''t work that way! There will be ghosts that block your way and put-" Risa: "Curses on you!" She said as she put her hands before her chest to mimic a ghost. Risa: "Of course, that will be done by people who y ghosts." L: "I see!" Mio: "By the way, did you hear about the ''dare'' jinx?" Risa: "Jinx?" Mio: "Whichever courageous pair makes it to the goal in this seaside summer school''s ''dare'' will surely be a couple!!" Risa: "Eh? No way~~~. But in the case of L-chii, she already has a boyfriend." Mio: "That''s right, L-chii is the one with the most experienced in the rtionships department." The three girls looked at L, who started to y with the water flowing out of bamboo with a curious gaze. Mio and Risa shook their heads, seeing that she had the most experience. Mio: "At what stage do you think they are?" Risa: "I bet they didn''t even kiss." Mio: "Bold assumption even though we are seeing every day how close Ryoto and L-chii are." Risa: "True, but that''s just how L is, very clingy but innocent like a child." Mio: "Ryoto, on the other hand, is a carnivore, and I wouldn''t be surprised if they already did it." Risa: "Tsk, tsk, tsk. Naive naive, L-chii isn''t emitting that mature aura that she would if they''ve already done that." Mio: "How about bet then. If she didn''t kiss Ryoto, then I''ll take over your cleaning duties for a week, but if they''ve done more, you''ll take over mine. sounds good?" Risa: "Deal!" They shook their hands in agreement and called out for L to get their answers. Haruna: "Maybe we shouldn''t do this. It''s a private matter after all." Risa: "Don''t worry, Haruna, if she doesn''t want to answer, we''ll give up." Mio: "Hey L-chii, Ryoto is your boyfriend, right. We were just wondering at what stage are you two at?" L: "Stage?" Risa: "You know, like, did you kiss. did he see you naked or-" Before she could finish, Haruna interrupted her. She was too embarrassed by this whole conversation. L: "Ah, so that''s what you meant. We did the most intimate thing lovers could do." She was holding both of her cheeks as she was saying that. L wasn''t particrly embarrassed by it but remembering that day made her happy and warm. Risa: "No-" Mio: "-way." Haruna was blushing hard when she heard L. The other two, on the other hand, wanted to know more. Risa practically forgot about the bet and that she would need to clean the ssroom in ce of Mio, but before they could get any info from L, everyone heard a horrifying scream. Principal: "AAAAHHH!!! GET AWAY FROM ME!!!" He screamed in horror as he ran around. If someone perceptive were to look at him, he would see two small blue circles before his eyes. In the end, he runs into the wall fainting the process. Mio: "So... what should we do with him?" --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/cM4bwr5Q3z Chapter 16: The Dare Chapter 16: The ''Dare'' (Ryoto''s pov) As we were rxing in the hot spring, I heard a familiar sound inside my head. __________ *PING* *NEW QUEST* Mission: "Death to perverts" Objective 1: Prevent principal from peeping. Reward: 60 SP. Failure: You be a pervert obsessed with boobs. Duration of punishment: one week __________ ''So my punishment is to be the very thing I swore to destroy.'' Karen: "Stop trying to be some tragic hero andplete this quest." ''You don''t understand the man''s romance, Karen.'' Karen: "Yeah yeah." I feel her rolling her eyes, but she is not as aggressive as she was before. Therapy really helped her, but she is right. Better finish it sooner rather thanter. I turned towards a ''wall'' that separates men''s and women''s sides. I say a wall, but these were just big stones between different baths. I then opened my eyes, trying to see if there were any holes that would usually be impossible to see through but not for me. And thankfully, there were a few. After a short search, I noticed the principal ready to peep behind a stack of wooden buckets. As he went through the effort to see someone naked today, I let him see just that. He''ll meet my old friend Mil-tan. As soon as I did that, he started running around and ran into the wall fainting in the process. I didn''t want to leave almost naked principal there just to be lying, so I did the only reasonable thing... (3rd pov) As the principal lost consciousness, a boy jumped over the stone wall. He would be naked if not for a towel covering his genitals. It was such an unexpected situation that no one knew what to say. L: "Hey Ryoto!" No one except L, of course. She waved happily at Ryoto, and he returned it with a smile. Ryoto walked up to the principal, lifted him up, and jumped over the stone wall once more, leaving everyone dumbfounded before even one girl could scream. Risa: "What just happened?" Mio: "I don''t know..." Haruna: "Was that Rito''s brother?" Risa: "That''s what you''re questioning?" Haruna, hearing Risa blushed as she realized that it wasn''t the question she should be asking in these circumstances, but she couldn''t help it as Rito was often on her mind. Risa: "But you''re right. Why did he take principal with him, and how did he know what was happening?" Mio: "Maybe he heard the principal''s scream?" Risa: "Even so, why would he jump over here just to take him, and now that I think about how did he jump over the wall, it''s about five meters high, and he did it with the principal over his shoulder." Mio: "It''s also not the first time he did something like that. Remember when L transferred, and he jumped out of the window." Risa: "Yeah, I found him on the roof afterward." Mio: "How did he get there?" Risa: "I don''t know, he climb there?" --- (Ryoto''s pov) __________ *Ping* *QUEST COMPLETED* Reward: 60 SP. *TITLE ACQUIRED* Title: "Pervert Killer" __________ ''Why did I get that title. I didn''t kill anyone.'' Karen: "It''s possible that you killed the pervert out of principal. You literally gave him a trauma." ''Yeah, Mil-tan tends to do that to people. So what is the effect of this title?'' Karen: "Actions against perverts are more effective. You won''t be faster or more agile, but when you hit them, you hit them harder, and if you scheme against them, they are more probable to work." ''Neat.'' I dropped principal on the floor and returned to my room. --- Later that day, or rather a night, all of the students assembled. It was the time for a ''dare''. Every student will draw a lot, and whoever has the same number will be a pair. I was thest to draw a lot, so I couldn''t cheat my way to go with L. Rito paired up with her, so I don''t need to worry about him doing anything to her... unless his lucky pervert activates. Anyway, the one I''ll go with is Risa. Haruna was paired with Kenichi. Haruna and Kenichi would go 6th, Risa and I would go 10th, and Rito and L almostst. As we were walking through the forest, we didn''t say anything. Should I say something, or should we stay in silence? I hate situations like that. Risa: "Hey, can I ask you something?" Risa looked shy as she tried to ask me, which was uncharacteristic for her. Risa: "Aaah, screw it! Did you have sex with L!?" I looked at her as I didn''tprehend fully what she had just said. I stared so long that Risa started that she started waving her hand before my face. Risa: "Hey, are you listening? Are you even awake? It''s hard to tell with your eyes always closed." Ryoto: "I heard you. I just didn''t expect you to ask something like that." Risa: "Sooo... the answer?" Ryoto: "I-" As I wanted to answer, we both heard screams and saw a group of people running past us to escape whatever was deeper in the woods. Ryoto: "Do you want to check it out?" Risa was already holding my shirt, so as the master detective that I am, I deduced that she was at least a little bit scared. Risa: "N-no, we should go and finish it as quickly as possible." Ryoto: "You want to get rid of me so soon. I''m hurt by your statement." I acted exaggeratedly. Seeing and hearing my teasing calmed down Risa. She wasn''t scared of ghosts or anything like that but seeing a group of people running away would frighten most people. I was unaffected thanks to the filtering of my negative emotion. We walked forward a little bit and walked past some people dressed up as monsters or ghosts. They were really well made, but it''s not entertaining if you''re not scared. There''s just no excitement. We noticed a certain figure sitting on the ground, trembling as we walked further. I walked up to her to help her get up, but... Ryoto: "Sairenji-san, are you alright?" As soon as I finished my sentence, Haruna grabbed me by the kimono I was currently wearing. Haruna: "I''m scared... I''m really bad at dealing with all those... ghosts and stuff...!!" Risa: "Hoo boy, it looks like someone is very popr over here~." Risa, even in moments like this, tried to tease me. Karen: "I didn''t take you for someone who would NTR''d your own brother, but it seems I misjudged you, but even so, I''ll support you till the end!" I could imagine Karen giving me a thumb up while smiling with a single tear flowing down her cheek. ''You''re not helping Karen.'' I decided to continue forward with clinging Haruna and teasing Risa. On our way up the shrine, Haruna became frightened a few times and attempted to use me as a weapon against ghosts. I would be thrown like a ragdoll if not for my superior strength. She managed, however, RIP part of my kimono. Thankfully it wasn''t mine. I was forced to give piggyback to Haruna as I didn''t want her to use me like a baseball bat anymore. I told Haruna to have her face buried in my back, don''t look at anything, and ignore every sound. It worked as she didn''t freak out after that. She trembled a little every time I stepped on the dry sticks, but she listened to me and ignored it. After a short while, we were finally at the top where principal together with thendy and some waitresses. Principal: "Congrattions!!! You''re the only group that got through the entire dare this year!!!" The only group? What happened to Rito and L? --- END Discord server: Chapter 17: The beach Chapter 17: The beach (Ryoto''s pov) I was in my room waiting for everyone toe back. I didn''t need to wait long since shortly after Rito, the rest walked into the room. Rito''s clothes were partially burned and torn. Ryoto: "Let me guess, L had a lot of fun but wasn''t scared, so she decided to do the scaring. Ahe used one of the machines, which for some reason exploded and ended up hanging from the tree for a long time. Did I miss something?" Rito looked at me as if predicted his whole life. Rito: "How did you know, Nii-san?" Ryoto: "I know L well. Now let''s go to sleep. Otherwise, we''ll be dead tired tomorrow and won''t have any energy to y." And we all went to sleep as I advised. --- Today is a beach day, and all the girls'' eyes were on me. I was wearing only my swimsuit and walking beside L, but suddenly, someone approached me. (A/N Swimsuits for all the girls here, img.) Risa: "Holy shit, I didn''t notice it before, but you''re ripped! How did you hide these muscles under the clothes! You could grind cheese on your abs!" Mio: "I should have brought a camera..." How should I react to that? Risa: "Hey, can you lift me up with one arm?" Ryoto: "...Sure." I lifted her up using my right arm without any effort. Risa: "Woah!" She was surprised by how effortlessly I did that, and she almost lost her bnce, so she grabbed my head to stabilize. She then looked around with a big smile. Mio: "Hey, can I be next?" Mio asked shyly. She wasn''t as shameless as Risa and wasn''t as friendly with me either. Ryoto: "Why wait." I crouched and lifted her as well. So now I had two girls sitting on my arms as the rest of the ss was looking at us. L: "It looks fun! Me too, me too!" L jumped, finding a ce behind my head. She was sitting between Risa and Mio, and all three seemed to have fun. Holding them up didn''t require a lot of strength, so I didn''t care much, and it felt kinda good to flex these muscles before others. After a while, I let them down, but I was not ready for other girls to ask me the same thing. So I spent some time just lifting up girls while the boys looked at me with jealousy. Risa was together with Haruna and Mio, and they started pushing Haruna in my direction while saying. Risa: "Come on, don''t be shy. It''s fun!" Haruna: "I don''t think it''s a good idea." Risa: "You''re right, it''s a great idea. Nowe on and let him do his job." Ryoto: "Since when was it my job." Risa: "Since today." Karen: "I like her." If Karen likes her, it means trouble, but I still lifted Haruna. She was holding my head, scared of falling from my arm. Rito, on the other hand, was looking at the unfolding events. He looked at his own arm muscles and became disappointed almost immediately. Sorry Rito, it just happened. As I was nning to lower myself so Haruna could jump off my arm, someone approached me with an angry look at her face. Yui: "Ryoto Yuuki!" I would do a Jojo pose, but one of my arms is upied. Shame really to let go of such a perfect opportunity. Yui: "How can you show such a shameless disy on a public beach!!?" Ryoto: "What do you mean by shameless?" I was seriously asking. I didn''t do anything grant as ofte. Yui: "I mean the whole this." She was pointing at my whole body, but as Haruna was still on my arm, it didn''t help much. Ryoto: "You mean my body or Haruna sitting on my arm?" Yui: "Both!!!" Ryoto: "You''re angry at me for wearing a swimsuit on a beach?" Yui: "Yes... I mean no! Why are you lifting up, girls!?" Ryoto: "Because they asked me to lift them?" Yui: "Why did youply!?" Ryoto: "Why shouldn''t I? We just had some fun." It sounds wrong out of context, and I already hear Karenughing. Karen: "That''s what she said." Yui: "There''s a lot of skin contact between you and the girls, which is uneptable for a girl and boy your age." Is she a nun? No, nuns are at least flexible with the rules at times, but this girl before me won''t change her mind no matter what. Should I just give up? I don''t want to waste my energy and cell brains to discuss with her. Ryoto: "Hey Kotegawa-san, can I ask you something?" Yui: "What is it?" She was looking at me coldly. Does she really dislike me that much? Ryoto: "Is that a couple behind you kissing?" Yui: "What!!!" She quickly turned around to see nothing like what you described. Yui: "What are you talking ab-" When she looked back at me, I wasn''t there anymore. Yui: "What, where is he?" She looked around without any sess. Yui: "Do you know where he went?" Risa: "I think I saw him running back to the inn." Yui: "That little... I WON''T LET YOU ESCAPE!!!" Yui started running towards the inn we were staying in, and when she was outside ordinary people''s sight, I jumped down from the roof of the sea house. I was hiding behind the sign. You won''t win an argument with a woman even if she''s not your girlfriend. Ryoto: "Thanks for the cover Risa." Risa: "No problem. It was technically partially my fault after all." We had fun at the beach the rest of the day while Yui tried to find me. Later on, a dolphin started stealing girls'' swimsuits. L wanted to investigate, so we did, and we discovered that the dolphin wanted to point our location of his parent that was washed up on the shore. We helped the dolphin and resolved the situation. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/cM4bwr5Q3z Chapter 18: Little adventure Chapter 18: Little adventure (Ryoto''s pov) I was in the room with my group rxing a bit. Yui never found me again, and I suspect she is pretty pissed about it. She is possed most of the time, but you get the point. At the moment, I was deciding if I should go to sleep or sneak out of the room to go on a little adventure. __________ *PING* *NEW QUEST* Mission: "Night with the girls." Objective 1: Spend the night in the girls'' room. Bonus objective 1: Get permission from them. Reward: 40 SP. Bonus reward: 60 SP, you can imitate any singing voice you remember. Failure: You''ll be forced to marathon High Guardian Spice. After youplete your punishment, there will be a quiz to check if you paid attention. If the test is failed, you''ll be forced to watch it from the beginning. Duration of punishment: Until you pass the test. __________ Adventure it is. The punishment is worrying for my sanity, but it''s not like I n on failing. Ryoto: "I''m going out." I announced my leave and left the room shortly after. I began my wandering around the inn. I stumbled upon many different and some strange things. I even saw the principal looking at the photo of a model in a swimsuit, saying to himself, ''I won''t let you defeat me, monster'' as he tried to arouse himself. I''m impressed by his will to ovee Mil-tan. Many tried before, but no one seeded until now. IT is too powerful to win against, but Imend his struggle. He even wore a hachimaki on his forehead. The Kanji on the front meant sexy, by the way. I finally noticed the ones I was looking for in the lobby near the vending machine. Ryoto: "Hey, Mio, Risa, L." Risa: Oh, if it isn''t Ryoto. What are you doing here?" Ryoto: "I can''t go back to my room." I said, looking sad. It''s a lie, but sympathy is the best way to spend the night in their room. Mio: "Why is that?" Ryoto: "Well... Saruyama did something on the room which made me not want to be there anymore." I said while scratching my cheek awkwardly. Risa: "What did he do? Knowing him, it could be anything." I could hear the distaste in her tone. Ryoto: "You could say he spilled yogurt on my futon while I wasn''t there, thankfully." L: "Yoghurt? Why don''t you just clean it up?" Ryoto: "It was adult yogurt which is difficult to wash off and-" Risa & Mio: "You don''t need to tell anything anymore!!! L: "What''s adult yogurt? Is it adult that only adults are allowed to drink?" Ryoto: "Technically..." Risa: "Hey!" Risa tried to p the back of my head, but I dodged it easily, thanks to my spider senses. Ryoto: "What? Am I wrong?" Risa held her head with her hand and shook it a few times. Risa: "Nevermind..." I talked with the girls for a bit, but it didn''tst long as the nighttime began soon, and we couldn''t be out of our rooms at that time. Ryoto: "It was nice talking with you three, but I must start looking for a ce to sleep tonight." I made an attempt to look sad. Years of faking being happy finally are paying off. Karen: "Sad." ...Anyway, my acting worked as the girls started to consider some things. L: "How about you sleep in our room!" L, I love you. I would kiss you, but they wouldn''t let me in the room if I did, probably, but I don''t n on finding that out. The punishment is too much. Ryoto: "Eh, would it be alright?" L turned to Risa and Mio with her puppy eyes. L: "Can he?" Both of them thought for a moment, but they quickly stopped as L''s puppy eyes were too powerful. Risa: "How can I refuse you? You are just too cute!" Risa started hugging L while both of themughed. We walked to their room, and when we entered the room. Risa: "We have a guest!" Haruna flinched a bit and weirdly moved her ''legs''. Yeah, Rito is under the nket. I could call him out, but in a bird culture, it would be considered a dick move. It doesn''t mean, however, that I can''t scare him a bit a few times. Karen: "I think I''m having a bad influence on you." ''And I think you have a great influence on me.'' Ryoto: "Hello there, sorry for the intruding. Because of certain events, I couldn''t sleep in my room, so here I am. I hope I''m not bothering you." Haruna: "N-no, it''s alright." All of us found ces to sit besides Haruna, who already was seated. We started chatting, and we talked about many things, starting from the newest gossip that didn''t interest me to the love lifestyle of everyone present, mainly me and L. I finally got to know why Risa asked me that question during the Dare. L said something misleading in the hot spring. Should''ve guessed, but who cares? I got to exin the misunderstanding. I also scared Haruna and Rito a few times. We had fun till the rm bell. L, Risa and Mio ran out of the room. Haruna and I stayed in the room. Ryoto: "Aren''t you going out? It could be dangerous here." I smiled gently, but it probably looked like the smile of a devil for her. Haruna: "I-I-I..." Ryoto: "It would be bad for Rito to stay too long under your nket as well." I said teasingly. Rito jumped out of the nkets showing off Haruna''s panties. Panties! Pink! Unexpected! Rito: "Did you know the whole time?" Ryoto: "Of course I did." Rito: "So why didn''t you help us!?" Rito was angry at me for not helping, but he shouldn''t expect someone else to help him go out of the mess he got himself into. Yeah, it sounds good. Let''s go with that. I nodded my imaginary head a few times and approved my thinking process. I proceeded to exin my reasoning to Rito and Haruna, and I couldn''t believe it, they bought it. I know that I''m a great liar, but I was half-joking exhaling it to them. I advised Rito to escape while he still had a chance, and I spent the rest of the night with the girls. --- END Discord server: "https://discord.gg/cM4bwr5Q3z Chapter 19: A suprise Chapter 19: A suprise (Ryoto''s pov) I woke up in a futon in an unfamiliar room, is what I would say if I was an idiot who doesn''t remember where he fell asleep. Next to me was lying L with her kimono slipping from her body. __________ *PING* *QUEST COMPLETED* Reward: 100 SP, you can imitate any singing voice you remember. __________ ''Nice, I will test my singingter. I don''t want to wake up, girls.'' Karen: "Simp." ''Your game is weak today, Karen. It doesn''t even apply to me. Do you even know what tt word means?'' Karen: "Pft... of course I know, who doesn''t." ''What does it mean?'' Karen: "W-what?" ''I asked what. Does. It. Mean?'' Karen: "I-it means..." I heard the sound of typing on a keyboard. Karen: "Simp - Someone who tries way too hard to impress the person..." ''You just googled, am I right?'' Karen: "N-no..." ''Tell me, Karen, what do you truly desire..." I tried to draw out Karen''s desire. I didn''t even know if it would work, but it''s worth the try. It''s also the first time I have tried to use it. Karen: "I... I... I want to... I want to... fuck you." ''...Unexpected but not surprising.'' Karen: "I meant, fuck you for using this power on me." ''Oh...'' Karen: "And who tries to use his power on its own system. You don''t even know from where you got it, but you thought that it was a great idea to fuck with something that can grant any possible power possible." ''In my defense, I was trying to fuck with you and not with the system itself.'' Karen: "YOU...!!!" Karen stopped herself from screaming and started breathing slowly to rx. Karen: "Remember what your therapist said. When angry, imagine how you would break bones of everyone around you..." ''Karen, I''m starting to worry about you.'' The only answer I got was a creepyugh. I think I''ll leave her alone for now. As I finished my talk with Karen, I felt a slight movement next to me. L: "Mhm... Ryoto... I can''t eat anymore... share it with Mikan..." What is she dreaming about? --- The week after we returned from the school trip, nothing significant happened. L had something to do today, so she was not going with us to school. __________ *PING* *NEW QUEST* Mission: "The unexpected something" Objective 1: Discover what is the unexpected something and do it before it happens Reward: 80 SP, eidetic memory Failure: You''ll talk like Rath from Ben 10 Duration of punishment: one week. __________ The unexpected something? My spider senses aren''t tingling. Will it happenter? Maybe one of the L''s fiances ising soon. I''ll look into itter on break. I always have a summoning scroll with me to summon penguins at any time, and this time it paid off. From the puff of smoke, four short creatures appeared. Ryoto: "I need your help with something. I have a bad feeling that something will happen today, so I want you to protect the house." The penguins saluted. Skipper: "Sure thing, Boss, we won''t let you down." They then returned home. On the break, I was on the roof observing the sky. I was using my eyes to see if any spaceships wereing to Earth, but there was none. I frowned at it because if there aren''t any aliensing to Earth, that could mean that they are already here. Or that something is entirely different, and I''m way off with my deduction. I looked around the city from the roof and noticed an alien dressing up in human skin. Noticing it and not having any other clues, I decided to follow him, but the only thing he did was work, work, and work some more. I spent the rest of the remaining day looking for that something but with no progress. I decided to finally go home and hope that I''d have more luck tomorrow. I opened the door and... Everyone: "SURPRISE!!!" __________ *PING* *QUEST FAILED* Failure: You''ll talk like Rath from Ben 10 Duration of punishment: one week. __________ L: "Are you surprised?" Ryoto: "Surprised? SURPRISED? LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING LALA SATALIN DEVILUKE, FIRST PRINCESS OF PLANET DEVILUKE. I LOVE THE SURPRISE, AND I''M GRATEFUL FOR THE EFFORT." Risa whispered something to Mikan, clearly weirded out by my outburst. Risa: "Does he always react like this to surprise parties?" Mikan shook her head. Mikan: "It''s the first time it happened. It seems that he forgot his birthday this year as well, but he usually doesn''t respond like that." Hearing that, I wanted to stay quiet, but something inside me made me talk. Ryoto: "LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING MIKAN YUUKI, MY LITTLE SISTER WHO IS TO MATURE FOR HER OWN GOOD AND RISA MOMIOKA, MY CLASSMATE WHO TRIES TO TO TEASE WITH NO SUCCESS, I MAY FORGET MY BIRTHDAY, BUT I NEVER FORGET TO THANK FOR REMEMBERING MY BIRTHDAY. The one at my home were Rito, Mikan, dad, L, Zastin, Risa, Mio, Haruna and even Ryouko. I got some presents from everyone. The most noticeable were gifts from L and Ryouko. The penguins were also there giving each other high fives as if they seeded in their mission. L brought a rare nt from another that is now living in our garden. It was almost as tall as our house, and it seemed sentient. Ryouko gave me some sort of pills and a note. Said note described the effects of the drugs. They were contraceptive pills for males without any side effects. When I finished reading, I looked at Ryokou, who had a teasing smile and gave me a wink. I also got a mug that says #1 Brother from Rito. Risa gave me some dirty magazines that I gratefully epted. It was embarrassing to do it as I yelled the whole time, so everyone knew what I got. Mikan gave e a knowing look, Rito was embarrassed, Haruna was as well, and L was clueless about my gift. It will be a long week and let me tell you something, I''m not looking forward to it. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/cM4bwr5Q3z Chapter 20: The transfer student Chapter 20: The transfer student (Ryoto''s pov) The week of yelling ''let me tell you something'' finally ended. It was... rough. The one saving grace was that I wasn''t talking in the third person. L had fun with me telling almost everything that was on my mind, and so did Mikan. Thankfully it was summer vacation, and we didn''t need to go to school, so at least I saved my nonexistent reputation. Now that I''m back to normal, I can finally rx and continue my training, and I made little progress but progress nheless. I still can''t use Busoshoku Haki on more than one limb at a time, and I don''t have any clue how to improve it, so I started trying to harden objects outside my body. After some trials and errors, I finally got it. I trained with a pen, ruler, and a stick that I found outside. I didn''t have big problems with a pen and ruler, but I couldn''t harden the whole stick. It looks like I have a limit on how much I can harden the object or weapon. I wonder why it was that? I didn''t have any progress with kenbunshoku Haki. --- I woke up in a sweat. I didn''t scream like the day I became me, but for anyone who saw me right now, they would know that I just had a nightmare. They are more frequent and are always the same one as ofte. I turned to L, who was sleeping next to me, and smiled. I fell asleep while hugging L hoping that nightmare won''te true. --- The summer break finally ended, and I was in ss talking with L. During the break, my days didn''t change much. The only thing that changed was me taking care of the nt we named Celine. As the ss was about to start teacher announced a transfer student. Ipletely forgot about him, but it''s not like he''ll cause me any problems. Teacher: "This is Ren Elsie Jawelria-kun. Everyone be nice to him." Ren looked around the ssroom, and when he spotted L, he quickly walked up to her, grabbed her hand, and said. Ren: "I finally found you, L-chan, my bride..." *Crack* The pen in my hand broke. ''Right, he was in love in L." Karen: "Aren''t you bothered?" ''Of course, I am, but what can I do? Tell L to not talk to any other guy ever again.'' Karen: "I didn''t expect you to be so mature about it..." ''Buf, if he even sneezes in the wrong direction, he is going to be webbed somewhere.'' Karen: "..." Risa: "It looks like you''ve gotpetition Ryoto~." Ryoto: "Competition? He lost before the race even started." Risa: "I would incline to believe you if you didn''t break your pen seconds ago." Ryoto: "You know how it is. They don''t make men like they used to." Risa: "Hmmm~." Never mind Risa and focus on the guy who is talking to L. Ren: "...so L-chan, let''s share this joy!!!" L looked at him weirdly. L: "Erm... who are you?" Her words brought him to his knees. He almost cried, but he stopped himself. Ren: "...Well... it''s okay. I won''t be discouraged by this... because... I''m a man!" He would be a great friend with Elfman Strauss. Ren: "By the way, L-chan. I heard about it. They say you''re being fooled by an evil man. That''s right, it''s you, Ryoto Yuuki!!!" He pointed to the old teacher, who of course, denied it. Ren: "Excuse me, then it''s you!!!" This time he was correct, but he annoyed me, so I''m going to screw with him a bit. Ryoto: "Wrong again~." He then started to point at all the guys until there weren''t any more of them, and he was out of breath. He was doing it in quick session, and his low stamina didn''t help it. Ren: "Strange, I thought he was in the same ss as L-chan." He started thinking about it for a short while. Ren: "Hey L-chan, where is Ryoto Yuuki?" L cutely tilted her head. L: "Hm? He is right there." She pointed to me. Ren had a surprised expression while I had a smile stered on my face as I waved at him. Ryoto: "Hello, nice to meet you. I''m Ryoto Yuuki, but you already know this." Ren: "You tricked me!!!" Ryoto: "Yeah, and I would do it again." Ren: "You...! He then calmed himself down and took out a photo from inside his uniform. ''How did he do it. We don''t even have pockets inside.'' Karen: "Is it really important?" ''Yes'' Ren: "Let me tell you about the intimate rtionship L-chan, and I once had, look..." ''Once had'' is important here. Ren: "...At this!!!" He showed us the picture of him and L when they were younger. L: "Ah! This is me when I was little! Yeah, and there was also a little Ren wearing a dress. L: "Ah, I remember you now!! You''re a cry-baby, Ren-chan!!" Ren: "Thank you for remembering me, L-chan." Ren looked satisfied with L remembering him. Did he even hear how she called him? Karen: "Hey, Ryoto?" ''Yeah?'' Karen: "I''m starting to see that I could end up worse than being stuck with you." ''Thanks, I guess?'' Ren: "Yes... L-chan teased me and dressed me up, saying I looked like a girl. She experimented with her inventions on me almost every day. L-chan was really a naughty little angel. But L-chan promised me that if I be manly, then she would marry me." Peke: "...Did you say such a thing?" Peke whispered to L. L: "Hrmm, Maybe I did, maybe I didn''t." He looked overjoyed at L''s words. Yeah, he isn''t listening or just hears what he wants to hear. Ren: "Do you understand how deep our rtionship is!?" Yeah, as deep as a puddle. He then turned to L. Ren: "L-chan, I''m not asking for an immediate answer. I want you to look at how mainly I''ve grown. Then you''ll eventually realize who is really suitable to be your marriage partner..." Teacher: "E-erm... can I start the lecture now...? Ren: "Please go ahead!!" Ren answered all the questions before me during the math lessons, not that I cared about it. I knew the answers as well, but why should I bother answering them. He wanted to be faster than me at the gym ss, but he failed. I didn''t even break a sweat during the ss. I didn''t get tired unless I used Haki too much. During the lunch break, L went up to the roof while I stayed in the ssroom and started eating, but Ren had the bright idea of eating faster than me because why not. He choked on a piece of bread while I was drinking my juice, slowly, with indifference in my eyes as I was observing him. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/cM4bwr5Q3z Chapter 21: Karaoke Chapter 21: Karaoke (3rd pov) L was currently on the roof alone, if you don''t count Peke. She was looking at the town below and thinking about something. Peke: "L-sama?" L: "What is it, Peke? Peke: "It seems Ren-dono ns to stay on Earth as an Earthling until he gets your attention. What are you gonna do about him?" L: "Eh!? But I''m marrying Ryoto." Peke: "While Ryoto is exceptional, don''t you think your view has been narrowed down because it''s your first love, L-sama. Maybe it''s a good idea to calm down a little and look around." L: "Look around?" Peke: "I''m saying maybe there is someone who is more suitable for you than Ryoto-dono." L: "Peke, do you know why I wanted to marry Ryoto?" Peke: "Wasn''t that because he said he wouldn''t marry someone he doesn''t love?" L: "It''s one of the reasons but not the only one. You see, Ryoto is someone who is someone who would help someone in need." Peke: "I''m sure they''re a lot of people like that." L: "Maybe, but would they risk injury while helping said person. You remember what happened the first night. He couldn''t even walk afterward, and this was before the whole engagement thing. After that, he fought Zastin just to free me from it. My daily life after that was enjoyable not just because of Ryoto but also going to school and having friends, and it wouldn''t be possible without his help, so no matter what, I know that I won''t regret marrying him." Peke: "If you say so, L-sama, I will trust your judgment, and I will put my trust into Ryoto-dono as well." (Ryoto''s pov) I was walking down the hallway annoyed, which is saying something since it''s hard for me to feel negative emotions. Ren: "Where are you going next, Ryoto Yuuki!?" Ryoto: "Somewhere quiet." Ren: "Fine then, I go ahead and-" Ryoto: "Can you leave me alone for a while?" Because if not, I will really web him somewhere, and I don''t want to use L''s gift that way. Ren: "Then will you admit that I''m more manly than you are!?" Ryoto: "Sure, whatever, I don''t care." ''How can someone be so annoying. I would take Karen''s abuse over this any day, and I''m not even masochistic.'' Karen: "Can I?" ''Please don''t start it, Karen. There was a small improvement as ofte, and I don''t want to return to these dark times.'' Karen: "Fine..." She sounds disappointed. I mean, at least she tries. Ren: "Then can you forget about L-chan?" I stopped and slowly turned towards him. Ryoto: "Listen here, I don''t care who you are. You could be a nobody or king of Deviluke himself, but if you think that decision is only mine to take, then you''re deeply mistaken. Even if I did as you said, it wouldn''t mean that L would magically fall in love with you!" I let my emotions better of mem good to know that it can still happen. Ren just looked at me, shocked by my outburst. Taking that chance, I escaped. --- The next day before ss, Ren called me to talk about something. Ryoto: "So, what did you want to talk about?" Ren: "I thought about what you said yesterday, and you''re right. I was thinking how being with L would make me happy, and she would be happier with me too. I hoped that she would notice it if I showed her that I''m better than you, but I just assumed it... but it doesn''t mean that my feelings are fake, so I dere war on you. I''ll steal L-chan from you and make her happier than you ever would!" Ryoto: "I see. I won''t let it be easy, though. L means a lot to me." I smiled at him with a lot of confidence. Ren: "Thank you very much, aniki!" Ryoto: "Aniki?" Ren: "Yes, your words moved me to tears. I didn''t expect you to care for L-chan that much. You were extremely manly at that moment, and I set you as my goal." I got my first follower/rival? I don''t know, and I don''t care... for now. The ss went on normal, and after school, Rito, Haruna, L, Ren, Risa, Mio, and I decided to go to karaoke. L sang a song, and it was my turn to sing. __________ *PING* *NEW QUEST* Mission: "A male fantasy" Objective 1: Sing 24-hour Cindere with Goro Majima''s voice Reward: 30 SP, one-use items in the shop have their price reduced permanently Failure: You will follow and harass random stranger while screaming at him ''Kiryu-chan '' Duration of punishment: one week. __________ ''Karen.'' Karen: "Yes?" ''i would do it even without the quest, so thanks for choosing it.'' Karen: "You''re wee." I chose the song and waited for the right moment to begin. I had a serious expression at the time, but as soon as I heard the music start, my face changed to one with a genuine smile. Ryoto: "Sunao ni I LOVE YOU! Todokeyou kitto YOU LOVE ME! Tsutawaru sa kimi ni nai garasu no kutsu wo sagasou!" My singing shocked everyone in the booth. L didn''t care and pped in the rhythm of the song. Ren: "I seem aniki chose this song to show us that even with this clearly girly song, he can still be manly. As expect of aniki!" Ren then proceeded to join L in pping. Ryoto: "Futari de STEP & GO! Italy made mo hinya juuni-ji wo sugitatte bokura no rabu majikku wa toka wa shinai!" I sang to my heart content, not caring about anyone in the room, and I was shortlying to an end. Ryoto: "Hey! Hey! Hey!" The song ended, and I was satisfied with my performance. __________ *PING* *QUEST COMPLETED* Reward: 30 SP, one-use items in the shop have their price reduced permanently __________ Ren: "Wooo! Great job, aniki!" Risa: "Yeah, where did you learn to sing like that?" Ryoto: "You know, the inte..." They obviously didn''t believe it. Risa: "Alright then, keep your secrets." We spent about two hours in karaoke as girls demanded me to sing many songs. It was fun, so I didn''t object. We returned home and fell asleep even though I again had that nightmare. I have a bad feeling about it. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/cM4bwr5Q3z Chapter 22: Training Chapter 22: Training (Ryoto''s pov) I woke up once again next to L. I got ustomed to sleeping with her after all these months. I got up without waking her up and got to herb, where Kowalski worked on something. Ryoto: "Is there any progress?" Kowalski: "Actually, there is. I managed to finish it tonight! Thanks to L-dono''s technology and her knowledge, I was able to create this!" He showed me a small device with two buttons that could fit in my pocket. Some time ago, I asked Kowalski to create something that would block my spider-sense. I didn''t progress with my Kenbunshoku Haki, so I decided to block out my sight and spider-sense to try and sense things with just my Haki. While this method can be dangerous, if it''ll work, I could sense danger before ites or even see a few seconds into the future, so I would say it''s worth it. Kowalski: "Just push the green button to turn it on and red to turn off." Simplicity at its finest. Now that I''m done with it, I woke up L, ate breakfast with Mikan and Rito, and went to school as usual. Ok, not as usual since I turned on the device, and surprisingly it worked as intended. I asked L to punch me while I couldn''t see her, and I didn''t get any tingling sensation in the back of my head. I wasn''t optimistic about it since it was Kowalski''s invention, but my opinion about him raised a bit. I also wore a blindfold to increase the effectiveness of my training. L needed to help me navigate during the day. L: "So why are you doing this, Ryoto?" Ryoto: "I''m training certain techniques, and for that, I need to shut off some of my senses. If I seed, then it will help me out a lot in the future." L: "And what will you be able to do?" Ryoto: "Generally, sense the presence strength and emotions." L: "That''s amazing! Then you''ll be able to sense how much I like you!" I patted her head or at least tried and failed. Ryoto: "Can you lead my hand on top of your head?" L: "Sure!" When my hand touched her head, I said. Ryoto: "I don''t need that technique to know that. Your actions speak for themselves." Karen: "Smooth." ''Shut it, Karen, I''m trying to have a moment.'' I showed my best smile. Seeing this, L tackled me, and I couldn''t react to it, so I ended up on the ground with L hugging me. L: "Ryoto!!!" Ryoto: "L, you''re crushing me..." She let me go, helped me stand, and resumed our way to school. Our first-ss was Japanese today, and as soon as I sat myself down at my desk, I was surrounded... I think. I heard some movement, and being aware of how I looked, I assumed they came running to me. Risa: "Ryoto!? What happened to you!?" Mio: "Yeah, did something happen to your eyes!?" Haruna: "Are you alright?" Ren: "Don''t worry, aniki, even without your eyesight, you''re the manliest man I''ve ever met." I felt as if Ren gave me thumbs up. I would give him a ''are you serious'' look if I could, but I didn''t even need to since the girls did it. Ren: "What?" Before things could escte, I stopped them. Ryoto: "Calm down, nothing happened to me. I''m just training." Risa: "Why are you training, and why are you blindfolded then?" Ryoto: "...Hobby, and I''m trying to be aware without my sight." Risa: "...Your chunni phase came a littlete." Ryoto: "You saw me jumping out of the window, climbing up to the roof, and jumping 3-4 meters up on the roof of the sea house when we were at the beach. Yeah, this training seems a little bit of a stretch." __________ *PING* *TITLE ACQUIRED* Title: "Sarcasm Apprentice" __________ Risa: "Haha, very funny." Ryoto: "Hrious even, but that''s not the point. The point is I''m basically blind today, maybe also tomorrow. I don''t know how long I''ll keep this up, at least at school." Risa: "Well, have fun with that." Ryoto: "Don''t worry, I will." I also heard Ren muttering something. Ren: "So cool..." If I could see, I probably would be able to see stars in his eyes. All that while Rito was looking at Ren strangely while he tried to get closer to L. The day went on as usual. The teacher had some questions about my blindfold, but I faked crying a bit, and they didn''t say anything more. Between the sses, I tried to navigate without anyone''s help. I failed miserably and walked into a desk a few times. Not the same one, but it doesn''t make it better. Rodaughed at my misfortune a bit, and Haruna seemed worried. Rito, already ustomed to my weird actions, doesn''t even bat an eye, but he reacted when Ren thanked Haruna and gave her back a washed handkerchief from what I''ve heard. Jealousy, my little brother, is an awful trait to have, but I''m not one to say it. When school ended, I started walking out of the ss as I was beginning to have an idea of where everything was. I would still bump into people if they didn''t avoid me, but that''s progress... I think. As I was going through the hallway as other students whispered about me walking with a blindfold, someone called me. Yui: "Ryoto Yuuki!" Oh great, someone I hoped to run into today just appeared. I turned in the direction from where the voice came and gave my best smile. Ryoto: "Why, hello there, Kotegawa-san. Nice to see you today." She didn''t answer me, so I assumed she raised her eyebrow. Ryoto: "I meant to say hear, nice to hear you today. How can I help you?" Yui: "I heard that someone was walking in school with a blindfold on, so I, as the studentmittee member, needed to look into it, and of course, you are the culprit as always." Ryoto: "Hey, I''m not always in the center of trouble!" Yui: "Sure, and you dancing shamelessly in front of the bathroom, jumping out of the window from what I''ve heard, lifting up girls in swimsuit and running away before giving me an exnation or listening to me reprimanding you and right now you wear blindfold putting in danger not only you but other students. I''m not even going to start how you disrespect teachers by not focusing on their lessons. I may or may not forget something, but this list shows you how big of a troublemaker you are!" She extended her arm and pointed at me as she yelled it. Do I need to deal with it right now? Ryoto: "Ok, we established that I draw problems to myself-" Yui: "Create..." Her arms were crossed under her breast, and she started tapping her foot. Ryoto: "Ok, I may have done some troublesome things, but what do you want from me now?" Yui: "I''m talking about it!" I think she waved her hand a bit since I heard some whooshing. Karen: "She may be even dumber than you." True, I would call it a certified bruh moment. Yui realized her mistake and corrected herself. Yui: "I mean your blindfold." She sounded defeated. Ryoto: "Stylish, I know." There was a short silence after myment, and I broke it as it wasn''t much fun without seeing the reaction. Ryoto: "As much as I would love to oblige, I cant remove the blindfold today." Yui: "Huh!?" Ryoto: "You can try and take it off if you want." She didn''t even hesitate and went straight for the cloth covering my eyes, but no matter how much she struggled, she couldn''t take it off. I think she couldn''t believe it, so I just gave her an ''I told you so'' look. I could pull it off thanks to the same clinging ability that lets me crawl walls. Ren: "Aniki!!! I have a favor to ask!!!" Ren ran towards Yui and me. Yui did not like what''s she saw and attacked(?) Ren. Yui: "No running in the hallways!!!" I heard some things, and the next thing I felt was something soft on my mouth while someone tackled me down. Predicting what that was, I pushed away from the one who tackled me, took off the blindfold, turned off the device, crushed it, and turned towards Ren, who identally kissed me. Ren: "A-aniki, I didn''t mean to!" Ren started panicking, but I already knew what I would do, and peace was never an option. I webbed Ren to the ceiling. All of his limbs are stuck by the web, so he would not be able to escape before the web dissolves or someone powerful helps him. I didn''t forget to web his mouth as well just because. I left the crime scene, dumbfounded Yui and the victim on the ceiling with a bad taste in my mouth. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/cM4bwr5Q3z Chapter 23: The nightmare Chapter 23: The nightmare (??? pov) I was sitting in a dark room where the only light source was my monitor. That was my every day, looking through the inte to read some manga, light novels, or fanfics. I would also asionally watch some anime. Not as much as I used, though. I had a lot of free time as I didn''t have a job or school. I graduated Highschool but didn''t proceed further. I tried to find one, but after two years of searching, I finally gave up and became a shut-in. My whole family gave up on me and didn''t even talk to me. The only exception was my mother, who tried to help me stand up on my own, but I''ve had enough of trying. I know that what she tried to do was for my own good, but I don''t have the strength to continue. Every time I try, it''s not enough, everything I do is wrong, and every time I try to stand up, I fall even further down... Why bother trying if I know I''ll fail. I''m tired of losing. If I never try again, I won''t fail. It''s that easy. Even things that once gave me joy, excitement, or other emotions now give me nothing. I do them out of habit, honestly. It all started in school, where I was an outstanding student. My worst grade was C, and it happened only once, but one time I forgot to do important homework, and I earned my first F. While I love my mum and she has my best interests in mind, she can be too emotional about the most minor things like and one lousy grade. I don''t me her, though. She had her own set of circumstances, and no human is perfect, but at the time, I couldn''t understand why my ssmates could get a C and got rewarded while I got a C once, which got me a scolding. That was the day I learned that the world isn''t fair to everyone. It sounds silly, but everyone has humble beginnings. The days continued as I tried to make my mum happy, but I had a hard time doing it. My family consists of me, my mum, my little sister, and my dad. Dad was living in a different country because of work so it was only me, mum and little sister. As the oldest son, mum may had some exceptions, or maybe not. I don''t know, and I don''t care anymore. Later my life began to go on track. I chose what I wanted to study and went to school to do just that. I had okay grades this time, but it was more than enough to graduate. I thought I knew how my life would go down. Graduate, get a job, maybe get a girlfriend, marry herter, have children, retire, and die in peace. Maybe travel a bit with my girlfriend before settling down. But as always, I was wrong. Not long after I got my driver''s license, I got myself into an ident. What''s worse, it was because of me. What''s even worse, I wasn''t alone in a car. I was driving my sister to eat something, but I overlooked the vehicle iing from the side, and it hit me at high speed. Thankfully no one was injured, but I started to fear driving a car with someone. I didn''t care if I would die, but being a cause of injury or death of someone else is what scared me. That was the beginning of my fall and the day I learned that there is an even bigger down after every up in life. I started skipping school, not wanting to go out of the house. To my family, I faked being alright, which I did a lot more in theing days. I didn''t want to cause them any more problems. Not only did I destroy the car, but its reparation would also be too expensive to be worth it. They bought me a new car and so my chance to tell them that I didn''t want to drive at least for a while. I didn''t get in the car for the first two weeks to pump myself up to do it. I skipped too much of school. I could still graduate, but I lost my chance for an internship which would trante to a job after school. I was thinking of killing myself as nothing goodes from living, but I thought about my mother and how my death would be an inconvenience for her because of the funeral cost. I decided first to pay back all the money from the ticket and the car I got before doing anything. I would also earn enough for the funeral, so I started looking for a job. But life once again tried to keep me down. I was sending applications for almost every avable job I could find but without sess. I tried to change my CV several times, but it never helped. I got a few short interviews, but it never went anywhere. This was when I learned that trying hard is not enough, and results are what really matter. After two years, I stopped it and just gave up. I even stopped faking my cheerfulness. I just didn''t care anymore. I would tell myself that I would do the deed after I pay back the money, but I would never do that without a job, so I just continued living... no, living isn''t a correct word. I just continued breathing until I stopped someday, not caring about anything. I didn''t even dream anymore, just ck nothing and up again. The days continued with me breathing in my room. My mum gave me the food that I ate out of habit, not tasting anything anymore but still thanking my mum for the meal. I hoped that I would just die in sleep. Maybe it would free my mum from worrying about me as she wouldn''t need to be concerned about me as she was the only one who cared about me my whole life. She always thought that I had immense potential, but every day, I feel like I failed her. I wish that she would just give up on me as well because she is the only one stopping me from ending it all... I wonder what normal life is like. Is it better than what I''m doing or worse? I''ll never know now. The only regret I have in my life was letting down my mum... (??? pov -> Ryoto''s pov) I once more woke up from the nightmare. It was the same one as always. It was always about my past, but I''m not ''him'' anymore... I have a loving family, a loving girlfriend, friends. I won''t let them down as I did before, and I won''t make the same mistakes twice. But why do I keep having that dream? I don''t like being reminded about the past. *Sigh* I wonder how mum is doing. I hope she''s well. Karen: "What is it? Having nightmares again?" ''Yes, but you don''t need to worry.'' Karen: "...If you say so." I fell asleep hugging L a bit tighter than before. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/cM4bwr5Q3z Chapter 24: Before school fesival Chapter 24: Before school fesival (Ryoto''s pov) The day of the Sainan Highschool festival ising up soon, so our ss is deciding what we will do. Kenichi took the role of the leader and disregarded all other ideas to favor his own. He chose that our ss will do an ''Animal Cafe''. Everyone disapproved of his idea, but he somehow managed to convince girls to at least try the costumes he prepared. All the male students were forced to go out for the time being. As we were waiting for the girls, I got an ingenious idea. I pped my hands a few times to gather attention. When everyone''s eyes were on me, I finally spoke. Ryoto: "How about we make our wait here a little bit interesting?" Kenichi: "What do you have in mind?" Ryoto: "Why won''t we bet on what kind of animal which girl will be. Since Saruyama here probably knows it because he was the one who bought the costumes." Student 1: "Sounds fun, why not?" Student 2: "I bet 100 yen on Momioka-chan on being panther!" Student 3: "You don''t know what you''re talking about. Momioka-chan would be definitely a bunny, 200 yen on that!" Each student started betting, and bets reached 1000 yen. Kenichi: "Now that most of you bet, let''s see what thinks the man behind this whole idea." Everyone: "YEAH!!!" Ryoto: "Sure, why not? L is a jaguar, Risa is a cat/nekomata, Sawada-san is a squirrel, and Haruna is a ck cat. I bet 1000 yen for each of my guesses." Student 1: "Bold guesses you made, but it will be me who takes the money." Student: "Dream on, buddy." They started to bicker with each other, but I ignored them as I looked at Kenichi with a kind smile, who began sweating. __________ *PING* *NEW QUEST* Mission: "Spy on the loose" Objective 1: Find the one who is spying on your ss Reward: 30 SP, fluency in five randomnguages Failure: mood swings Duration of punishment: one week __________ As ofte, I''m getting easy quests, and I don''t like this one bit. The rewards are nice, and all, but I''m not going to getfortable... not again. In ss, everyone admired the girls who cosyed various animals but also cursed as all the money went to me. I was the only winner, so I won significantly by a high schooler''s standards. I didn''t get the money right away, but I wasn''t in any hurry. I turned my head to look outside the window to notice a little spy who was looking through the binocrs. She sat on a tree branch and flinched as I smiled at her and waved. __________ *PING* *QUEST COMPLETED* Reward: 30 SP, fluency in English, Russian, Swedish, Japanese, and Spanish __________ Japanese is kind of useless for me, but I have a more extensive understanding of thenguage, so that''s nice. I was broken out of my thoughts by L. L: "Hey hey, Ryoto! Look!! How do I look!?" Ryoto: "You look great, L." I started patting L out of habit, but it made her happy as she closed her eyes and enjoyed the sensation. L: "Hehe~ Ryoto praised me..." Everyone looked at us. Student 1: "Go flirt somewhere else!!!" Student 2: "Yeah, life is depressing enough without you two showing off how good your rtionship is!!!" As this was happening, Haruna touched the top of her head and looked at Rito, who didn''t notice it. At this, Haruna sighed. Risa: "What is it Haruna? Jealous of L-chii? Is it because of their affection or maybe something else~" Risa grabbed Haruna by her breasts and started fondling them, startling Haruna. Haruna: "Kyaa~ W-what are you saying Risa-chan?" Risa: "I''ve seen that look in your eyes. You can''t lie your way out of this one~." It was a very lively day. (3rd pov) *The next day* Rin: "ording to the investigation, people are talking a great deal about 1-A''s animal cafe, and it seems to have be a highlight of this year''s Sainan festival." Saki: "So that L girl is popr, after all? *Sigh* the only beautiful one should be me!" Rin: "Saki-sama. I''ve found something interesting about that girl. Please look at this." Rin showed Saki bun of photos of Ryoto. In each picture, he was facing the camera with a smile. Rin: "This guy is Ryoto Yuuki from 1-A. It seems he is L''s fiance." Saki: "F-Fiance!? She got a fiance before I, the beautiful one, did!? How irritating!!!" Saki was furious that L, who started rivaling her reputation, beat her in something, but at the same time, she got an idea. Saki: "I know! If I use my beauty to enve him, I''m sure she''ll panic! Yup, that''s it!!!" Rin: "Actually, I would advise against that action, Saki-sama. Rin said respectfully. Saki: "And why is that?" Saki was curious. It wasn''t often that Rin, her bodyguard since childhood, disagreed with her decision, but she wasn''t angry, just curious. Rin: "As you can tell, Ryoto Yuuki faces the camera in every picture. I don''t know how but he knew I was observing him. I even tried changing my hiding ce, but it didn''t change as his eyes never left my figure." Saki: "Now that you mention it, his eyes are closed in every picture. Is he so unphotogenic that he always has closed eyes on every photo? Sadly, not everyone can have a perfect photo, but such is the life ofmoners. Hoooohohohoho!" She startedughing in the mist Ojou-sama way possible, but herugh didn''tst as Rin answered her question. Rin: "No, he never opens his eyes. After asking around, I''ve found out that it started in April this year, and no one knows why he does it. He doesn''t have any trouble with navigating around the school, and thanks to these photos, we can assume he is very aware of his surroundings." Saki: "Interesting, but you still didn''t answer my question. Why did you advise me against enving him?" Rin realizing it bowed her head fast. Rin: "Forgive me Saki-sama. I''ll exin it right away." Rin had difficulty finding the right words, but Saki didn''t hurry her and was patiently waiting. Saki, to other people, seemed like a stuck-up person who is full of herself, and she definitely was but to her two followers, she was kind and patient. She was basically worshiped by these two. Rin: "He felt dangerous like he could see through me." Saki: "I see, so you''re concerned about me but don''t worry. I trust that if anything happened, you would protect me." Rin: "Y-yes!!!" And so Saki started to n to seduce Ryoto Yuuki. --- END Discord server: Chapter 25: Saki Tenjouin Chapter 25: Saki Tenjouin (3rd pov) The day of the festival was slowly approaching, and all of the different sses from three different years were preparing their own attractions, and the ss 1-A wasn''t any different. They were divided into teams that would have each task toplete. Ryoto was in a group with Rito and Haruna. While he didn''t want to cockblock his little brother, it just happened as if it was a will of the world... They worked together for a while until they noticed that they didn''t have any more vinyl tape. Ryoto: "I''ll go buy some." Ryoto wanted to give Rito some chance. Being the third wheel, he felt a little bad, but the rest is on Rito to carry out. If he seeds, the only one he could be thankful to would be himself, and the same thing could be said if he fails or does nothing. Ryoto met a senpai he expected outside the ssroom as he witnessed one of her followers spying on him. He smiled at every photo just to mess with her, but if anyone asked, he would say that it was an act of politeness because when someone takes a photo of you, you should smile to look good on the picture. Saki Tenjouin was patiently waiting for Ryoto to be alone, and when she saw it, she took the chance. Saki: "Hey, you! I''m Saki Tenjouin from 2-B!! I''ll give you permission to date me!!" She is exceptionally narcissistic Ryoto thought. Ryoto: "Hello there, senpai. You say you want to date me. Can you tell me why?" Saki: "Well... I believe that you are the one who should be perfect to be my boyfriend." Ryoto: "I see. Why?" Saki: "Because... don''t question the queen of Sainan High. If she deems you worthy, then you must be worthy! (Ryoto''s pov) I see, so she didn''t research me enough to answer basic questions. After she got the report about me, I bet she rushed here after she got the idea of ''stealing'' me away from L to beat her. The question is if I should teach her to not mess with a boy during puberty or just let her go with a bit of warning. Karen: "Teach her the lesson!" Karen literally shouted inside my head. ''Wow, I didn''t expect that answer from you, Karen.'' Karen: "I need some stress relief. I tried to be nicer and don''t insult you as much, but I can only take so much. So why don''t I just change targets? I can''t leave you, so you need to execute it in my ce, but please, I need it!" ''I''m stressed as ofte, so I also need an outlet for my emotions, so why not." Karen: "Is it about a ki-" ''DON''T. SAY. ANYTHING. It didn''t happen.'' Karen: "I see you''re in denial. Don''t worry, though. No matter how much in denial you are, I''ll always be with you." Reassuring... But now, as I''m before Saki-senpai, I''ll teach her something she''ll never forget. Ryoto: "Sure, I''ll go with you, but we''ll need to do something first as confirmation of some sort." Saki: "Sure, and know that this queen could grant any request." She said proudly, puffing out her chest. I closed up to her without saying a word as she slowly started backing off. Saki: "W-what are you nning to do?" Her back hit the wall, not allowing her to escape anymore. I mmed said wall next to her head, startling her a bit. I put my other hand under her chin and slowly raised it to match our eyes. Ryoto: "As a couple, we should obviously kiss." Saki: "W-wait, I''m n-not ready. Aren''t we going too fast? Shouldn''t we get to know each other first go to eat dinner at a five-star restaurant, go to a ball together to announce our rtionship?" Ryoto: "But didn''t you say that I''m worthy of being your boyfriend, and I shouldn''t question the queen''s decision, so we shouldn''t worry about these steps." I started closing for a kiss, and Saki slowly epted her fate as she closed her eyes, ready for a kiss, but the kiss never came as she only heard a sound of a wooden sword shing with something hard. When she opened one of her eyes to peek, she saw Rin, her bodyguard, attacking me, who was defending against her with only my finger. What she didn''t know was that my finger was coated in Haki since it was invisible. Many believe that Busoshoku Haki has this metal color when used, but in reality, it''s invisible to the naked eye. Not me, though, thanks to my eyes, I could see the difference while it was used. Rin: "What!? How!?" I just pulled Aizen on someone, and it feels incredible. It should be illegal how badass it is, but I probably should focus on the girl before me. Who am I kidding? Even without concentrating, I would dodge every iing attack from her, and even if she somehow wouldnd a hit on me, it wouldn''t hurt too much. Ryoto: "Well, hello there, Rin-senpai. It''s not nice to attack your kouhai in the hallways. It''s not nice to attack anyone anywhere, really, but you get the point." I smiled, but it only made her more agitated. Rin: "What''s not ''nice'' is YOU assaulting Saki-sama!!!" Ryoto: "Well, since Saki-senpai wanted to seduce me because she wanted to show that she is better than L, I thought that it would be a good idea to teach her the lesson to not y with fire if you don''t want to be burned." Rin: "Even so, it''s uneptable for you to do such a thing!" Ryoto: "So it''s okay for you to n against my girlfriend, but if I n something against your group, then it''s magically illegal. Hypocrisy at its finest." Karen: "Don''t converse with her. Just execute order 66!" Karen is out for blood, and an angry bodyguard stands before me, wanting to hurt me terribly... Wait, I''ve got an idea. I pulled off Aizen, then this time I''ll... Ryoto: "You know what? I''ll let you hit me with your sword, and I won''t even block. Hit wherever you like, be it chest, neck, or anything else, I won''t budge." I opened my arms, weing attack, and waited. Rin did not know what she should do as it was the first time she had been in a situation like that. Ryoto: "Can you hurry? I''ve got a vinyl tape to buy." Myment seemed to anger her as a vein popped out on her forehead, and she swung her sword at my neck. I used Haki to harden the area where she struck, not allowing any damage to reach me. All of the three girls were shocked as I, as promised, didn''t even flinch. Ryoto: "If that''s all, then I''ll be going." I left them in the hallways, and they didn''t even follow me as the whole situation was too hard to process. I also just noticed that I leave people dumbfounded quite often. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/cM4bwr5Q3z Chapter 26: A side quest during an errand Chapter 26: A side quest during an errand (3rd pov) Ryoto left the three girls dumbfounded, and only when they couldn''t see him anymore did they regain their focus. Ayo: "What... was that?" Rin: "I don''t know, but..." Rin moved her finger slowly towards her sword, and as soon as it barely touched, the weapon snapped in half. Ayo: "Wasn''t that sword custom made of Australian Buloke? It''s the hardest wood in the world, and it snapped because you hit Yuuki-san. How hard is his skin!?" Rin: "It felt like hitting metal, but I''m sure I would be able to put at least a dent in it with this sword, but after hitting him, he not only left unscathed, but the sword broke as well. I wouldn''t believe it if I didn''t experience it myself." Ayo: "Is he even human?" Rin: "I heard from my father that some martial arts practice something called iron skin, so maybe Yuuki-kun is a talented martial artist?" Ayo: "But he''s so young. Do you believe that he would be able to master technique like that in a ''short'' time?" While Aya and Rin discussed the events that had just happened, Saki was still in a daze. Saki: ''Ryoto...-sama, he looked like a knight in the shining armor protecting a princess. The way he stopped Rin''s attack was astounding, and he even ced his health and well-being on the line to calm her down. Truly a noble individual he is.'' Saki blushed as she was thinking about Ryoto, but then she realized. Saki: ''But he''s L''s fiance. First, I need to prove to him that 8n better than her then he''lle running to me, hooohohoho!'' Even in her head, sheughed the same way, but her thoughts were interrupted by her bodyguard. Rin: "Anyway, we should keep our distance from him. He''s like other men just waiting for a chance to pounce anything that moves, and what''s worse, he is strong enough to force himself on anyone!" Aya: "So why didn''t he do it this time? I mean, he''s had a chance to do it right now, but he let you hit him and walked away to buy whatever he needed." Aya acted as the reasonable one in the group. Rin could be called a muscle, and Saki was the leader, so it''s not strange that her points made sense, but Rin didn''t want to admit defeat. Saki-sama was almost assaulted by him, and she''ll do anything to stop him the next time he tries it. Saki: ''What''s this feeling in my chest. When thinking about him, I feel warm but imagining him next to L hurts the area where my heart is. Why is that? *Sigh*'' Saki''s mind would be upied with these thoughts for the next few days. (Ryoto''s pov) I was going to a shop to buy a vinyl tape, but I noticed a girl surrounded by three guys on the way there. Why do people do that? Do they think they have a bigger chance in a group or in case of failure? You know what, better not think about it. I walked and stopped between two guys, throwing my arms around these two''s shoulders. They looked like typical delinquents that wanted to hook up with a girl. They probably skipped school today. Ryoto: "Hello boys, why are you surrounding one girl like a group of vultures. I''m hoping you''re notpensating for something. If so, my condolence." Not knowing how to react, there was silence, and I took a chance to look at the girl. Purple eyes behind her sses and ck hair tied into short twin-tails. She wore a school uniform with an extremely short skirt. It was practically just enough to cover her panties. Would it be a centimeter shorter? She would show her panties to the world. Guy 1: "What? Who are you!?" Oh, they finally woke up. Ryoto: "I''m this girl''s boyfriend. We nned on skipping ss to meet up, so imagine my surprise to see her surrounded by unknown men." I tighten my grab on the two men enough to hurt them but not break their bones. Guy 2: "Awawawa, it hurts, man!" Guy 1: "Yeah, we didn''t know she was taken, just let us go." I retracted my arms, but one of them tried to sucker punch me as soon as I did that. My spider-sense didn''t even activate. That''s how much of a threat he was to me. Karen: "Yes, more violence!!!" I ignored Karen''sment as her being happy scared me to some degree. I just Aizen''d someone not so long ago, and I don''t n on letting some mob hit me, so I swiftly dodged it, and Judo mmed the attacker. Ryoto: "y stupid games, win stupid prizes." Seeing their friend being mmed on the ground like a sack of potatoes, they be afraid and run away after stumbling a few times. I admired my work for a moment. After that, I turned to the saved girl, who started thanking me. ???: "Thank you so much for helping out, They were very persistent, and I couldn''t shake them off no matter what I said." She bowed to me to show her gratitude. Ryoto: "No problem really, my name is Ryoto Yuuki, by the way." I introduced myself. Kyouko: "Ah, my name is Kyouko... eeh... Kerisaki! Yes, Kyouka Kerisaki is my name!" Ryoto: "Well, it was nice meeting you, Kirisaki-san, but I have an errand toplete, so if you excuse me." I resumed my search for vinyl tape as Kyouko started thinking about something as she put her hand on her chin. Kyouko: ''Did he say Kirisaki, or did I misheard something, hmm?'' I finally bought the needed item and returned to school. In the next few days, we worked hard to finish the animal cafe, and our work paid off as the finished product was satisfactory. Tomorrow the festival will start, and I can''t wait for it to begin, and nothing can change it. __________ *PING* *NEW QUEST* Mission: "Businessman in the making" Objective 1: Make sure that animal cafe will be a sess Objective 2: Make sure that your ss have fun Reward: 100 SP, two random bendings (need to practice to master) Failure: Everything you eat tastes and smells terrible Duration of punishment: one week __________ ... --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/cM4bwr5Q3z Chapter 27: School festival Chapter 27: School festival (Ryoto''s pov) I woke up from a nightmare once more. That bad feeling that wasn''t leaving me continues to exist, but I''m starting to understand why I keep getting these nightmares. I''m scared that all I''m experiencing is not real, just part of my dream, and that one day I''ll wake up in my old bed. It''s a scary thought. I don''t want to lose everything I have now. It''s almost everything I''ve dreamed about. Still, even when I''m happy in the back of my head, I keep telling myself that soon, something terrible will happen because every time something good happens to you, something bad will overshadow whatever good urred before. I don''t want to think way, but that''s just who I am/was. It''s strange in a way, my negative emotions are filtered out, even fear, but I can feel them if they are strong enough, but my fear of losing this life is a little different. I tried to push it as deep as I could, but no matter how deep it is pushed, it still is there, and it showed in the form of nightmares. I would like to talk with a therapist about I don''t know how it would go. ''Hey Karen, can you introduce me to some of your therapists.'' Karen: "Sorry but no can do but... wait it could work... how about..." She started mumbling something for some time Karen: "Okay, so basically, you have some problems that need fixing, and it''s connected to these nightmares you''re having. Did I get it right?" ''Yeah, basically that.'' Karen: "You''re in luck then, but you''ll need to wait until after Christmas." ''Wait, really!?'' Karen: "Yeah, I think I know who can help you. He''s great with kids." ''Coming it from you, it doesn''t sound like a good thing, but I''ll trust you this one time. Thank you.'' Karen: "..." ''Why did you go quiet all of a sudden?'' Karen: "It''s the first time someone thanked me." I wonder why but I honestly didn''t expect Karen to help me. Maybe it''s the start of a beautiful friendship. Karen: "Now, if you excuse me, I''ve got people to ckmail." ... --- The School festival starts today, and all the waitresses girls have already changed their clothes. I took the role of the leader to make sure that this cafe would be a sess and everyone have fun. Ryoto: "Okay, everyone, this is our first Highschool festival, and we''ll make it the most memorable one as well!" Everyone: "Yeah!!!" Great, everyone is pumped up. Now the only thing I need to do is... Risa: "Ryoto!!!" Risa broke me out of my thoughts. She had a smile on her face. The kind when you n on cranking someone. What''s worse is she was hiding something behind her back. Ryoto: "What is it." Risa: "Our group discussed how it was not fair that only girls needed to work as waitresses, so we asked someone from the theater club to borrow... THIS!" She showed costume. It looked like any ordinary waiter costume, but she held a pair of essories in another hand. One was an animal ears headband and the other a fox-like tail. Ryoto: "Don''t tell me you want-" Risa: "You to work as a waiter in a cafe, yes I do." She gave me a big grin. Risa: "We thought about what kind of animal would fit you the best, and we settled down on a fox because you have fox-like eyes." It''s for the mission, Ryoto. The happier they are, the more sure I am ofpleting the quest sessfully. Ryoto: "*Sigh* Give me these clothes but why me?" Risa: "Well, after our trip to the beach, you became surprisingly popr, so you were unanimously voted on." Ryoto: "I wonder why..." Risa: "Quit your sarcasm and get into these clothes." She started pushing the costume into my hands. Ryoto: "Why do I feel like you are the one that wants to see me as a fox waiter?" Risa: "Just your imagination. So hurry before we open!" Yep, she is very eager. I changed into the costume, and we started working shortly after. It went rtively well. The girls had a lot of male customers, while I had most of the females. Even girls from my ss, while on break, wanted to be served by me. What''s most important is that everyone seems to have a good time. Some girls even wanted to take some photos, and Risa took a chance and started taking money for every picture. After some time, Saki, together with Rin and Aya, came to our ss in full-bodytex costumes. She intended to challenge L, but as soon as she saw me, she became a customer instead. She bought a lot of things from the menu, and with a snap of the finger, many people came in and ate whatever she ordered. She contributed significantly to the sess of my ss cafe. Rin: "Saki-sama, what about challenging L?" Saki: "What about it~?" Saki was in her own world looked at me working. She didn''t even hear the question and answered it automatically. Rin: "..." The silence woke her up. Saki: "Ah, the n. It''s not important anymore. I got something even better than winning today''s challenge." Rin: "And what is it?" Saki: "I don''t know, but I feel fulfilled." Saki said with a smile while her eyes kept following me. Seeing this, Rin had a frown on her face. Saying that she wasn''t a fan of me was an understatement. After our short confrontation, her guard was always up around me. She observed every move I made so she would be ready to act at any moment. Aya, like usual, watched the unfolding situation. The principal also came by, but he hit his head against a wall and walked away with a bloodied forehead while mumbling about needing more training. I also got many requests about recreating scenes from shoujo manga, making even more money. Even Ryouko came by to see how the cafe was doing, and she smiled teasingly at me, seeing me in the costume. The following days were simr but on arger scale as the word speeded, getting us more customers. Seeing how popr I was on the first day, other boys wanted to work as well, but they, unfortunately, couldn''t recreate my sess, so I needed to work more. In the end, the cafe was a big sess, and most of the ss had a great time. Some boys were salty that they couldn''t get girls to look their way, but they still had fun cosying. __________ *PING* *QUEST COMPLETED Reward: 100 SP, water and fire bending (need to practice to master) __________ After Ipleted the quest, Rito, L, and I returned home. I watered a rare nt that we named Celine, ate dinner with family, took a bath together with L and Mikan, and went to sleep while cuddling L awaiting for the next day. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/cM4bwr5Q3z Chapter 28: Free time Chapter 28: Free time (Ryoto''s pov) A new day arrived, and as I didn''t need to go to school today, I''ll start the day by resting out my new abilities. Mytest addition to my arsenal was fire and water bending. If I remember correctly, bending styles originate from different martial arts. Water is Tai Chi, earth is Hung Gar (style of kung fu), fire is northern Shaolin style of fighting, and air is Baguazhang, so the first thing I did was looked up Tai Chi and Northern Shaolin. I decided to start with water bending as it was less destructive than fire. I wouldn''t want to set aze our garden, especially now that Celine is living there. I copied the movement from the inte. Thanks to one of my titles, I could copy some of the moves correctly, but it was only the first step. But then I remembered that I have a shop and what''s more the price of the one-use items was reduced. ''Karen, how much cost the water bending scroll?'' Karen: "5000 SP" ''Buy it.'' I lost my hard-earned points, but it was worth it since now I have a trusted source I can learn from. I went to the garden to teat out some forms from the scroll. While I was there, I watered Celine, and immediately after, I started practicing forms from the scroll. I did only that for three hours without any break. I was practicing without my shirt as I would build up a lot of sweat during my training. After my workout, I was full of sweat, and as I wanted to go inside and take a shower, a white towel entered my sight. Mikan: "Good job, but do you need to be shirtless?" Ryoto: "Thanks, and it is morefortable without one." I took the towel from her hand and started wiping off my sweat. Mikan: "But I must say, I''m still impressed how muscr you''ve gotten." She said as she was eating her popsicle. Ryoto: "Mikan, don''t you eat too much ice creams?" Mikan: "I must have misheard something because I heard you saying that you want to cook your own food for a whole week." She smiled sweetly, but her eyes were cold. Ryoto: "...No." She is lucky that she is the only one who can cook well in this household. Mikan: "But why did you start training all of a sudden? From what I know, you are plenty strong already." Ryoto: "It''s always better to have some tricks up your sleeves." She raised her eyebrow. Mikan: "And your magic eyes that can not only switch up eyesight but also show illusions isn''t enough?" Ryoto: "It''s better to be over-prepared than underprepared." Mikan: "I''m mean, you''re right but aren''t you being too paranoid?" Ryoto: "L is the first princess of Deviluke and daughter of the literal emperor of the Milky Way Gxy. If anything, I take this situation pretty lightly." Mikan: "If you put it that way..." Ryoto: "By the way, where''s L?" Mikan pointed to L, who was sitting and watching my training. Seeing that I noticed her, she waved with a big smile stered on her face. I walked up to her and patted her head. Ryoto; "How long have you watching me?" L: "Since you took off your shirt!" So since the beginning. Ryoto: "Why didn''t you call me out?" L: "You were so focused on your training that I didn''t want to interrupt you, and watching you was kind of fun!" Hearing that, I pulled L closer to me and kissed her. It was just a small pack on the lips, but it was enough to convey my feeling. Her tail wrapped around my leg as our foreheads were touching each other. Ryoto: "Listen, L, no matter how busy I am, I''ll always have time for you." I said with a gentle voice as I could possibly manage. I won''t be like him... Mikan: "Get a room." Ryoto: "Good idea, L, let''s go." We started going into the house, but Mikan stopped us. Mikan: "Stop!" But to that, I only gave a smirk, and seeing it, Mikan realized that she was fooled. Ryoto: "It seems that you''re still too young to beat me, Mikan." Mikan: "...I''ll get you next time." Ryoto: "Good luck trying, but I''m not going to make it easy for you." --- Since I finished my training and felt terrible that L was waiting three hours for me, I decided to take her on a date. We went to an amusement park, a standard date ce. We had a lot of fun, is what I would say, but after web-slinging so many times, a rollercoaster wasn''t doing it for me. On the other hand, L seemed to have fun, but she was having fun no matter what. A hunted house didn''t scare us at all, and L used her hologram devise to show real-looking ghosts scaring the workers. During our date, we tried out many of the attractions. Some of them were boring, some of them were average, but all of them L wanted to ''upgrade'', and that was the most fun. L boosted the booster (Fabbri), making bumper cars hit harder without endangering a driver. She didn''t do anything with freefall strangely enough, but reverse bungee almost flew into the orbit. As much as I had fun, I reprimanded her about using her machines without thinking about consequences and other people. She looked sad, but her mood quickly made a 180 as I grabbed her by the waist and pulled us with the web on top of a Ferris wheel. From there, we watched a sunset together, and as we sat next to each other, L leaned on my shoulder, and I put my head on hers. The date ended in sess. We returned home ate dinner, but before I could return to my room, I was stopped by Rito. Rito: "Nii-san, can you help me with something?" Ryoto: "Hm?" --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 29: Helping Rito Chapter 29: Helping Rito (Ryoto''s pov) Rito: "Nii-san, can you help me with something?" I turned to Rito with a confused look. He doesn''t usually ask me for help. Actually, no one asks me for help. That''s why I''m confused. Ryoto: "I''m not lending you money." Rito: "That''s not what I wanted to ask!!!" Rito quickly replied. Ryoto: "Then what did you need from me?" I''m really am curious at this point. Rito: "Can you help with Haruna?" Ryoto: "I mean, I already have L, but if she allows it, then..." Rito: "Not that way!!!" At this point, Rito wanted to grab me by the shirt and shake me, but he stopped himself. Probably because he still needed my help. Ryoto: "I know, I know, I was just joking. Now tell your older brother how he can help you." Rito: "The thing is, you know how I was unlucky with all my previous confessions." I nodded my head. Rito: "Every time I gather my courage, something bad happens, causing me not to be able to do it, so I want you to help me seed." Karen: "Ho~ so he asks Mr.stealyourgirl to help him with a girl. Not the smartest move on his part." ''Since when I''m Mr.stealyourgirl? And I don''t even n on stealing Haruna from him.'' Karen: "That''s what you''re saying now, but the next time I see you, you''ll talk about getting Haruna and genderbent Rito into your harem! Plus, you technically stole L from him." ''It won''t happen, I''m not even looking for a harem right now, and I didn''t steal L since she wasn''t with him when we got together, so it doesn''t count.'' Karen: "Right now is a keyword. Do I need to remind you in what kind of show you are?" ''Touche, but seriously though, I won''t do this.'' . Karen: "And you''ve just set up a g. I''ll go to your strange, convoluted, and hopefully happy wedding and throw some flowers or something. I don''t know. I''ve never been to a wedding." ''You''ll have withered flowers then because, like I said, it won''t happen.'' As I was having a talk with Karen, Mikan and Rito looked at me, not moving for a whole minute. Rito: "Is he okay?" Mikan: "He tends to do that sometimes but don''t worry." She took a swing at me, but I automatically dodged and returned to my previous position. Mikan: "See?" Mikan started cleaning up the table after dinner, and L helped her. Rito: "Nii-san?" Ryoto: "Yes?" Rito: "So, will you help me?" I thought a bit and had a great idea. Ryoto: "Sure, I''ll help you." Rito: "Really!?" Rito instantly cheered up hearing my answer. Ryoto: "Yeah, but the results will depend on you." Rito: "That''s all I''m asking for!" He tried to grab my hands, but I dodged it with excellent reflexes. Ryoto: "Do you know about the suspension bridge effect?" Rito looked confused. Ryoto: "It seems not. In short, it''s about how in scary situations, a person in the state of fright sees you, and they fall in love with you. We are going to use it." Rito: "How?" Ryoto: "Do you know what is Haruna scared of?" Rito shook his head. Does he even know anything about her besides being pretty, kind, and being part of the tennis club? Ryoto: "She''s a severe fear of ghosts and the supernatural, and by chance, there is an old school building near our school. We''ll go there in a group, and I''ll try to separate is, leaving you and Haruna alone. You''ll act brave and all a d at the right moment you''ll confess." Rito: "B-but what if she''ll reject me?" Backing off already? *Sigh* Ryoto: "Then don''t do it and wait for someone else to confess to her." Rito: "NO!!! I''ll do it!" Ryoto: "Great! I''ll ask Risa to help me get inside the old building since she wouldn''t fancy being there of her own ord. Remember though, as I''ve said before, the sess depends on you and no one else." Rito: "Yes, thank you again very much, Nii-san!" --- The next day in ss, I talked with Risa about my n. Ryoto: "...and that''s why I need your help." Risa nodded her head a few times while listening to my exnation. Risa: "So what''s the real reason for our little trip to the haunted building?" Ryoto: "Is this so unbelievable for me to just want to help my helpless little brother with his love life." I exaggerated my being hurt by her words. Risa: "Yes." Ryoto: "..." Risa: "..." Ryoto: "...I wanted to see ghosts." Risa: "I''m in." Risa proceeded to drag Haruna to the old school building. Our group consisted of Risa, Mio, Haruna, L, Rito, and me. There was also someone following us, but as our follower wasn''t dangerous, I ignored it for now. The while building was in ruin. It obviously wasn''t used or maintained for a very long time. Haruna was clinging to Risa, and Rito walked behind with a frying pan. At this, Risa and I sighed. L, as always, was nonchnt about our situation, and I was too. *CREAK* Haruna: "Kyaaa!!!" Haruna jumped towards Risa, clinging to her even more than before. Rito: "W-what''s wrong, Sairenji?" Rito asked in a panic. He wasn''t the bravest boy in town, but for Haruna, he tried. Ryoto: "Don''t worry, it''s just the old floor." I stopped at the old wooden nk. *CREAK* Ryoto: "See?" Haruna: "I-I see." *CREAK* Once again sound of the old floor being stepped on spread through the hallway. Risa: "We get it already. No need to demonstrate it two times." Ryoto: "It wasn''t me." Hearing that, Haruna''s face lost its color. *STEP* *CREAK* *STEP* *CREAK* Someone was approaching us. With every step, Haruna was more terrified, and the more scared she was, the closer she was to grabbing something or someone to fight off whatever wasing closer. Behind us, a figure could finally be seen, and it was... --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 30: Old school house Chapter 30: Old school house (Ryoto''s pov) Ryoto: "What are you doing here, Kotegawa-San?" Yui was the one following us. Yui: "Students aren''t allowed in the old building. Teachers deemed it dangerous to wander around as even stepping on the floor can break it." Ryoto: "What are you doing here then. It''s dangerous to wander around alone, especially here." Hearing this, Risa snickered, which gained her a re from Yui. Kotegawa quickly changed her target however, from her to me. Yui: "I''m head of the school disciplinarymittee, and I noticed your group going here, so I nned to stop you, but you were faster than I expected." Thest part, she said with a slight blush from embarrassment. Ryoto: "Do you hear that, Risa? It''s my group. Even the school disciplinarymittee head recognizes me as a leader." I said with a teasing tone. Risa: "Dream on. She only said that because you cause the most trouble." Ryoto: "Does it mean that I''m a leader of a troublemaker group?" Yui: "Don''t ignore me!" She stomped, showing her frustration but the floor beneath her broke, creating a big hole. Yui: "Wha-" She started falling down, but I rushed to her and caught her mid-fall. Inded on the floor below with Yui in my hands. Ryoto: "Are you alright?" Yui: "Y-yes." She answered timidly but quickly recovered from the shock of falling. Yui: "Wait, put me down!" Ryoto: "Don''t you want to return?" I pointed at the hole above us." Yui: "Of course I want. That''s why we need to find the stairs first!" Ryoto: "I think I''ve found a shortcut." Yui: "Shortcut?" As soon as she said that, I grabbed her and jumped up,nding safely. Risa: "That was fast." Ryoto: "I don''t like wasting my time more than necessary. Not that it doesn''t happen, I just don''t like it." Yui: "And how long do you n to carry me around." Yui is bing more and more annoyed by my nonchnt attitude. Ryoto: "As long as you want, but I remind you that my girlfriend is standing right there." I turned to L, who had smiled at us. Yui: "Stop joking around! Can''t you be serious for five minutes!!?" Ryoto: "Only if necessary." Yui: "And falling a few meters into the hole isn''t a necessary situation for being serious!!?" Ryoto: "If you didn''t notice, I jumped these few meters upwards. I probably wouldn''t be hurt by that fall and you being with me were safe as well." Yui: "And why is that?" She seemed curious. So I dropped my acting for a moment. Ryoto: "*Sigh* I really hate seeing people near me being hurt or suffer." It has happened too often already. Ryoto: "So I would rather get hurt myself." L: "Ryoto?" L was concerned. Seeing me like this for the first time was certainly a shock. Better go back to my usual act. Ryoto: "What is it, L?" I said with a beautiful smile. Seeing how fast I changed back to normal, Risa frowned. Haruna and Mio were shocked, Rito had a sad look, and L didn''t know how to react. Before anyone couldment on what happened, I took control of the conversation. Ryoto: "L, we''re starting the n now." L: "Now?" Ryoto: "Yes, it''s a good time as any." L did as I asked and turned the device, making it hard to see for everyone around. Thankfully, I wasn''t affected by it, and Risa, Mio, and L had special goggles that allowed them to see in the dark. Haruna, unable to see and hear a movement in a pitch-ck hallway, started to panic and tried anyone who was being close. That person was Rito, precisely as nned. The rest of our group went into the hole that Yui fell before. As Kotegawa wasn''t able to see and didn''t even know about the n, so I decided to volunteer her help. Yui: "Kya!!!" Yui screamed as I grabbed her, and I jumped down. I then caught the girls that followed shortly after. The effect of L''s invention ended, and everyone could see again. Rito: "Huh? where is everyone?" L: "Down there!" L yelled, bringing Rito''s and Haruna''s attention to the hole. L: "It seems one of my machines malfunctioned." Haruna: "At least you''re safe. Hurry up and jump up again and leave this ce already!" Risa: "Well, the device put Ryoto to sleep, so we need to find stairs now. We''ll meet outside." Haruna: "B-b-but..." Risa: "Don''t worry, you''ve got Rito by your side. He''ll protect you, isn''t it right, Rito?" Rito: "Y-yes." Rito automatically answered but realizing shat he had just answered, he started blushing and thanking me for a given a chance. After a short time of pretending to be asleep, Risa said. Risa: "They''re already gone. You can stop pretending." I stood up and dusted off my clothes. I then turned to Yui, who was furious. Yui: "You were pretending!!!? I don''t believe I even started to w-" She didn''t finish her sentence, but everyone besides L knew what she wanted to say. Seeing our smug faces, she quickly became embarrassed and fake coughed a few times. Yui: "So anyway, for what was that whole charade?" Ryoto: "Nothing much, just helping out little brother and looking for some ghosts." Yui: "Ghosts? There are no such things as phantoms in this world." Ryoto: "If you don''t believe in them, you don''t need to be worried that they''ll appear then." I started walking forward without any hint of worry. Yui: "W-wait, it''s dangerous to walk alone." She went after me. Seeing this, Risa sighed, and L followed Yui and me. During our little journey, we walked upon a piano that yed by itself, a walking skeleton from the biology room, and an invisible man. The invisible man was shocked that I could see him and just ran away scared. The walking mannequin was a bunch of tiny aliens moving a skeleton model. Haruna: "KYAAA!!!" Her scream didn''t move me one bit. Seeing my indifference, Yui was outraged. Yui: "How can you be so cold. And to think that for a second, I thought... Never mind, I''ll go myself!" Ryoto: "Don''t be so quick-tempered. I''m not worried because I don''t need to, at least for Haruna. The one we should be worried about is Rito. I hope he didn''t break any bones." Yui: "What do you mean?" Yui was baffled by my response. She expected some excuse but nothing like what I said. Ryoto: "Let''s go and find out then." We walked towards Haruna to see the aftermath of whatever happened there. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 31: Mystery of hunted old school building solved Chapter 31: Mystery of hunted old school building solved (Ryoto''s pov) After a short run, we found Haruna sitting on the floor crying while hugging her knees. Behind her were bodies of monster-looking aliens and probably Rito too. I couldn''t see him, so he was likely buried under bodies. Seeing this scene, girls didn''t know how to react, and all of them besides Risa couldn''t guess what happened here. Yui: "What happened here?" Ryoto: "Haruna got scared." Yui: "How does it answer my question." Yui asked, confused by my reply. Ryoto: "Trust me, it does." I walked up to Haruna since, besides L and me, no one was safe near her at the moment. Ryoto: "Are you alright, Haruna?" As soon as I finished my sentence and was in her range, sheunched an attack in the attempt of grabbing me and smashing around like the rest. As a counterattack, I pulled her closer to me in order to hug her and hopefully calm her down. Ryoto: "Calm down. There aren''t any ghosts or monsters here. Close your eyes and focus on my voice just like during the dare during the school trip." I spoke as gently as I could. Not because I was scared of Haruna swinging me around like a baseball bat, she wouldn''t be able if she wanted, but it''s easier that way. Yui: "Shameless! You''re not even going out, and you''re hugging her!" Risa grabbed Yui by her boobs and started fondling them. Risa: "Don''t sweat about the small stuff. Haruna is calming down thanks to that, and trust me, you don''t want to walk with scared Haruna." I started patting her head to calm her even more. __________ *PING* *TITLE ACQUIRED* Title: "Headpats Apprentice" __________ Haruna finally calmed down enough tomunicate with us again. Haruna: "I-I..." Ryoto: "Don''t worry. You don''t need to exin yourself." Since I know exactly what happened. I patted her head once more, with she seemed to enjoy. At that moment, Yui pped away my hand. Yui: "How long do you n on keeping this shamelessness!" L: "Hey Ryoto, pat my head too!" Ryoto: "Sure." And I did exactly what I was asked, which L was in bliss for sure. At least that''s what her expression told me. But once again, my hand was hit by Yui. Yui: "Do I need to walk after you just to make sure that you behave!?" Ryoto: "Only if you''ll wear maid outfit." Yui: "You...!!!" Ryoto: "Before you''ll tell me how bad my behavior is, we probably should first do something else." Yui: "And that is?" She had her arms crossed under her breasts. Ryoto: "Rito is probablyying around somewhere, probably beat up, and we can''t see him right now." Hearing that, Haruna''s eyes widened in shock as she forgot about him because of her fear. Haruna: "Yuuki-kun!" Ryoto: "Yes?" Risa hit the back of my head lightly. It didn''t hurt, but the meaning was received. Haruna is obviously worried about Rito, and I joked about it at the wrong time. Ryoto: "Sorry." Haruna: "No, it''s okay. You''re Yuuki-kun too afterall." Haruna became flustered, but it quickly ended as another voice got our attention. Ryouko: "You don''t need to worry about him. He is fine, a bit roughed up but otherwise healthy." Ryoto: "Good morning Mikado-sensei." Ryouko: "It''s afternoon." Ryoto: "Good afternoon Mikado-sensei." Ryouko: "Did someone hit your head today?" Ryoto: "Risa." Risa: "Hey!" Ryouko: "Well, enough of joking around." Shortly after meeting Ryouko, aliens started waking up, and they recognized the famous alien doctor almost immediately. They exined how theirs were downsized and forced to escape, which is how they ended up here. They started pretending to be ghosts to keep the ce they were currently staying in. Hearing that Mikado proposed them a job at the theme park managed by her alien friend. They epted gratefully, and some of them cried with joy. Haruna seeing all these aliens, was scared, but she closed her eyes and grabbed my shirt sleeve. It worked as she didn''t try to throw me like a living grenade at the aliens. My attention changed from Haruna to Ryouko as I wanted to ask her something. Ryoto: "Mikado-sensei, where is Rito?" Ryouko turned to me as before she was talking about details of the job with the aliens. Ryouko: "You don''t need to be worried. He is outside waiting for all of us. He won''t see this..." She pointed at Haruna. Ryouko: "...you little yboy." She said teasingly. Unfortunately for her, I didn''t show any reactions. As girls discussed aliens being real, L revealed that she was also an alien, which she didn''t even hide from the beginning. They epted it pretty easily. Yui was an exception as she started questioning her existence and if aliens have the same moral rules as Earth. Suddenly a light appeared in a dark hallway. The source of this light was a person, or should I say a ghost. She was glowing, and two ghost orbs were flying next to her. Her whole body was transparent, making it clear that she wasn''t alive anymore. The kimono she wore was white-blue and tied by a purple obi. Shizu: "That''s pretty good, isn''t it... That everyone was able to find a job..." Her voice was full of mncholy. Risa: "What?" When everyone saw her, they froze in ce. L, Mikado, and I were the exceptions. Shizu: "And now I can also spend time quietly. Ah, sorry for thete introduction. I''m the person who died here 400 years ago, Ishizu. Everyone was silent until Haruna finally snapped. Haruna: "GYA, IT''S REALLY HERE!!!" She immediately started running away, but she wasn''t the only one as shortly after, the rest also rushed towards the exit. L followed them because it looked fun and not because she was scared. That left only me standing before the ghost. Shizu: "You''re not running away?" Ryoto: "Why should I?" Shizu: "I don''t know, but can I ask you a question?" Ryoto: "Sure, why not." Shizu: "Why do you smell like death even though you''re alive?" --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 32: The next plan Chapter 32: The next n (Ryoto''s pov) Shizu: "Why do you smell like death even though you''re alive?" Ryoto: "I don''t know." Pretending ignorance is often the correct choice if you want to fool someone. Ryoto: "By the way, can I ask you something?" And changing the conversation topic as fast as possible could be unnatural. Still, if you manage to keep the conversation going, the other person hopefully forgets about the first question or just loses interest in it. Shizu: "Huh? Sure." Ryoto: "Are you bounded to this ce, and if not, why didn''t you leave?" Shizu was surprised by my question, but she did answer it shortly after. Shizu: "No, I''m not bounded here. It''s just where I died, and I didn''t leave because I didn''t know what I would do outside." Ryoto: "I see, anyway, it was nice meeting you and all, but I need to check up on my friend who just ran away. If you decide to go outside, just look for me or anyone from the group before. Bye." And so I left, leaving Shizu and her thoughts alone once more. Outside everyone was waiting for me. Risa: "What took you so long? Having a chat with a ghost?" She asked jokingly. Ryoto: "Yeah, the dead are surprisingly chatty these days. Oh, by the way, Mikado-sensei, you''ll get an assistant in the new future." Ryouko seemed intrigued by what I just said. Ryouko: "And what makes you think that?" Ryoto: "Let''s just say it''s a hunch. For now, I will take Rito and go home." I helped Rito get up, and on our way home, I asked L to go ahead as I nned to talk with Rito. She obliged as she also wanted to speak with Mikan alone. Rito was down because of the previous events, so I tried to cheer him up a bit. Ryoto: " You know, Rito, one failure doesn''t mean anything. You can even use today''s failure to seed tomorrow." Rito: "*Sigh* I sometimes envy your positivity Nii-San." Karen: "Sometimes ignorance is bliss." ''Yeah, but it''s better this way.'' Ryoto: "Listen to your big brother. You''ve got yourself a big opportunity today." Rito looked confused. Rito: "What do you mean by that?" Ryoto: "Well, our group have now excuse to go to Haruna''s house and apologize to her. You can get even by her a gift as an apology." Rito looked at me as if he had found God. Rito: "Nii-San, are you a genius?" Ryoto: "Sometimes, but this is really thest time. I feel a little bit bad because you got beat up and this whole alien situation, but the results still depend on you." Rito: "Yeah, I know but still, thank you, Nii-San." Rito smiled gently, and I patted his head roughly, changing his hairstyle slightly. Rito: "Nii-San, stop." Rito protested, and I stopped. Ryoto: "Well, better hurry home. I''m quite hungry after today, and Mikan''s dishes are usually delicious, let''s hope it doesn''t change today." I joked a bit to ease up the atmosphere. Rito chuckled at this, and soon we arrived at our house. Inside, Mikan was already making dinner, and Private and L were helping her. Private: "...and remember, L, the secret ingredient is always love." Private made a cute pose. L: "I see, I see, so that''s why Mikan''s food is always so delicious." L nodded a few times and wrote some things in her notebook. Mikan: "Well, even with love, you need some skills to prepare a proper meal. But I must admit, food made by the person you care about is always tastier." At that moment, L noticed us. L: "Rito, Ryoto, wee back." Ryoto: "Thanks. Are you the one making dinner tonight?" L: "Yes! Mikan and Private are helping me out!" Ryoto: "And what made you want to do it all of a sudden?" L did a famous finger twiddle and exined herself. L: "Today, you seemed sad after you helped Yui, so I asked Mikan what would make you happy, and she said a homemade dinner by me, and since I''ve never cooked anything, she and Private are helping me." I didn''t know what to say. I didn''t expect her to think about it for so long. After my fast ''recovery'', I felt that she would believe that I was okay. I hugged this adorable creature, and she returned it in kind. Mikan seeing this smiled warmly and returned to the kitchen. Private was satisfied with what he was seeing left as well. Rito blushed a little at our affection but quickly recovered and looked slightly jealous because he also wanted to have a simr rtionship with Haruna. We ate dinner made by L. I could tell she put a lot of effort into making it, and I didn''t waste anything. I think I ate three portions worth of food, but I usually ate more because of my spider powers. Need more energy for all that strength. After dinner, I watered Celine, making her happy, I think and checking up on penguins. Kowalski was most often found in L''sb tinkering with machines. I''m honestly surprised he didn''t do anything dangerous yet, besides that fish, of course. We still haven''t found him... Rico was together with Kowalski to watch over Kowalski. After the fish incident, I asked him if Kowalski starts building something threatening, he is allowed to destroy it. It killed two birds with one stone. It satisfied the destructive nature of Rico and kept safe our whole neighborhood, if not the city. Skipper was training and watching military programs. He enjoyed it, saying that it reminded him of his younger days. Private, as I''ve mentioned earlier, was helping L with dinner but usually, it''s only he and Mikan that are in the kitchen. He got interested in the art of cooking and became proficient in it fast. Private mostly made fish dishes. He also liked to watch some cute-looking anime as his favorite show didn''t exist in this world. One of his favorites was a magical girl show that would make me get diabetes or epilepsy just by looking at it. I finallyy in my bed next to L. As I hugged her from behind, I said. Ryoto: "Hey, L." L: "Yeah?" Ryoto: "Thank you for today. It was a great surprise, and it made me really happy." L, hearing that turned around to face me and showed me a beautiful smile. L: "You''re wee!" I''m truly fortunate to have her in my life. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 33: Harunas home Chapter 33: Haruna''s home (Ryoto''s pov) The next day arrived as always, and my morning wasn''t any different from usual. I woke up next to naked L. Her tail was lying on top of my chest. We needed to get up soon so we wouldn''t bete for school, so I decided to touch her tail a bit, waking her in the process. L: "Mhmm~." L woke up with a moan and turned to me with a pout. L: "I told you to not wake me up like that." I chuckled. Ryoto: "Sorry, but you are just too cute, and besides, we''ll bete at this rate." L: "Oh right!" L jumped out of our bed and started dressing up. I don''t know why but seeing her dress up makes me slightly sad. __________ *PING* *TITLE ACQUIRED* Title: "Pervert" __________ ''Oi, what is the meaning of this Karen?'' Karen: "Don''t look at me. I don''t make the rules. I just follow them." --- After a delicious breakfast, we went to school, and there I told Risa about the n. She agreed, and we proceeded to execute it, but I felt that I was forgetting something the whole day. We let Haruna go home alone, and shortly after, we went to meet her again. Rito had his gift-ready. It was a small nt that was easy to take care of. It was like him to give a gift like this. After a brief walk, we were standing before Haruna''s home. Risa rang the bell, and Haruna answered not long after. She was surprised by our visit but weed us in nheless. We apologized for inviting her yesterday, and she quickly forgave us. She didn''t even me us as she exined that expecting aliens in the old school building was unreasonable. At herment, Karen startedughing. She found it hrious that I knew exactly what I was putting her in and still went through with my n, but no one noticed my nervousness, thanks to my reliable poker face. In Haruna''s room, we spent time ying board games, eating snacks, and chatting. We had a lot of fun, but I had a strange feeling at the back of my head the whole time. It wasn''t spider-sense but my instincts that were going crazy. Rito didn''t give his present to Haruna immediately as he was too nervous about doing it, but he finally gathered his courage and did it. Haruna seeing it smiled sweetly and epted the nt. It was evening, and we started to think it was time to go back to our respective homes, but all of us heard a front door open and close. Akiho: "I''m home!" The home entered an older version of Haruna. She had long purple hair and eyes in the same color. She was slightly taller than her little sister and more curvaceous. As soon as I saw her, I paled, and my only thought was to get out as fast as possible. How could I forget. She had the same surname as Haruna, and I didn''t even connect the dots. It was Akiho Sairenji, an older sister of Haruna Sairenji. As soon as she saw our group, she greeted us. Akiho: "Heeey! It''s rare to see Haruna bring friends home, so I didn''t expect such arge group." Risa: "Sorry foring unannounced. Aiko: "No problem, no problem, Haruna doesn''t have many friends, so seeing so many of you make me happy." Haruna: "Onee-chan!" Haruna became embarrassed by her older sister. She scanned everyone in the room, and when her eyesnded on me, she stopped, her face switched into the one showing shock. Akiho: "Ryo-chan?" I flinched hearing her saying my name, and it was all she needed to recognize me. I was a little more muscr than I used, and my eyes were constantly shut, so anyone who knew me before would quickly identify me, but I hadn''t seen Ahiko in a few years. When she confirmed that it was me, a smile blossomed on her face. Akiho: "Ryo-chan!" Sheunched at me, but I dodged by jumping up and sticking to the ceiling. Everyone looked at me dumbfounded. On the other hand, Akiho was a little shocked but recovered quickly. Akiho: "A new trick? Kinky~" I shuddered. Before meeting her, I was just an innocent boy, but it quickly changed. Ryoto: "Get away from me! Don''t you fucking dare ara~ara me!" At that, she put her hand on her cheek. Akiho: "Ara~ara, what could you mean by that~." Ryoto: "That! Stop that!" Seeing this, even Karen didn''t know what to say. Karen: "What the hell happened between you two?" I don''t want to talk about it. Karen shrugged her shoulders. Karen: "Suit yourself." Meanwhile, Akiho tried jumping a few times to reach me, and she almost got me, but I avoided it every time. Akiho: "Mou~ Can you go down already?" Ryoto: "Can you stop ara~ara me?" Akiho: "I don''t know about it~." We bickered, well I disputed while Akiho teased me. She always was like that, taking nothing seriously and teasing me to no end. Back then, I wasn''t as thick-skinned as I''m today, but that wasn''t even the worst part... While it was going on, the girls started whispering among each other. Risa: "Say Haruna, do you know what''s this all about?" Haruna shook her head. Haruna: "I don''t know. I haven''t heard anything about R-Ryoto-kun from my sister." Rito: "Me neither. Nii-San doesn''t like to talk about past or him in general." L: "Ryoto before I met him..." L muttered to herself. Rito: "I''m more surprised about him on the ceiling, to be honest." Risa was surprised by what Rito had said. Risa: "What? You didn''t know?" Rito: "Wait, you did know?" Risa: "Almost everyone in the ss knows." Rito: "How?" Risa: "The question is how you didn''t know. He didn''t hide it or anything." Rito didn''t pay attention to some things and was often not present at the disy of my power. Risa: "Changing topics, have any of you''ve seen know Ryoto''s eyes? He started walking around with his eyes closed at the beginning of the semester, and he never opened them again, but he doesn''t have any problems as if he was seeing everything." Rito: I thought it was just a weird quirk of his. It wouldn''t be the first time he started doing something random." L: "Oh, I''ve seen them. They are beautiful blue eyes!" Risa: "Oh~ a piece of new information emerged! So he has blue eyes." Rito looked confused. Rito: "But Nii-San has brown eyes." Everyone: "Huh!!?" --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 34: Exeption Chapter 34: Exeption (3rd pov) Everyone was surprised by Rito''s statement. L: "Brown?" Rito: "Yeah. They''re dark brown, to be exact." L: "It''s strange. Every time I look at his eyes, they''re blue." L put a hand on her chin and started thinking. Risa: "Maybe we should ask Ryoto about it. I mean, he should know the most about it, but..." They all looked at Ryoto, who avoided Haruna''s like fire. He was still sticking to the ceiling, and Akiho was still trying to get him down. Akiho: "Stop running away!" Ryoto: "Stop trying to hug me!" Akiho: "Never!" Ryoto: "Youst time you were near me, I got trauma!" Akiho: "But you were so cute back then!" It went like that for ten minutes. Mio: "Should we help him?" Risa: "What?" Risa was already sitting down and watching the ongoing show while eating snacks. She was also recording the whole event with her phone. Risa: "Mikan''s going to love it." Rito: "Maybe we really should help Nii-san. I''ve never seen him panic like that." Rito worried about his older brother. Ryoto, while he was distancing himself from the family, still acted like a dependable brother. L: "Oh, I know how to help!" L took out her dial-kun. It looked like the standard phone, and it worked like one, but unlike the traditional phone, it uses dimension technology that contains her inventions which she uses to ''call'' upon them. This time she took out a bazooka-like weapon. It was Sticky-Gooey Launcher-kun, a huge cannon-like gun that shoots a really sticky goo substance. L took aim and shot two times. Once at Ahiko and the other time at Ryoto. Akiho was glued to the wall while Ryoto dodged effortlessly. Afternding on the floor, he wiped the sweat from his forehead. Akiho: "Ryo-chan, if you wanted that kind of y, you just needed to say~." Ryoto: "To this day, I don''t know you''re not on FBI''s watchlist." He then turned towards the group. Ryoto: "Thanks L, but why did you also shoot at me?" L: "I thought that if you would get a chance to talk with her, then you would get along with her." Cute, but not possible. Ryoto: "You spend too much time with Private, but now that it''s over, we should get going, like right now. Sorry for the trouble Haruna-San." Risa: "Wait for a second. How about you exin this whole situation to us." Ryoto: "As much as I would love to do just that, I must, unfortunately refuse it. Risa: "Maybe ''this'' will change your mind." Risa showed her phone. It wasn''t open or anything, but Ryoto instantly understood what she implied. He even almost opened his eyes. Ryoto: "No..." Risa: "Yes." Karen: "You must admit she yed you like a damn fiddle. I''m impressed. I should step up my game, so I won''t be outmatched ." ''Please don''t...'' Ryoto: "*Sigh* Fine..." Ryoto clearly didn''t want to talk about what happened in the past, but he still obliged (was ckmailed into doing what she wanted). Ryoto: "During my middle school, I had a difficult time with a lot of things, so I decided to start confessing to girls to release my stress." Risa: "Stop right there. Why did you decide on that? Many more methods don''t require doing something so embarrassing." Haruna raised her hand shyly. Haruna: "I would also like to know." Ryoto: "Don''t question a young Ryoto. He wasn''t the sharpest tool on the shed. Now back to the story. I was confessing to many girls, but I was choosing only the ones I was sure would reject me. After all, I wasn''t looking for a girlfriend, so my targets were girls with boyfriends, crushes, or the ones not looking for a boyfriend. Myst confession was to the present here, Akiho." Akiho: "That''s me!" ''*Sigh*'' Karen: "Remember Ryoto, imagine how you''ll break everyone''s bones. It''ll calm you." ''It only works for you.'' Ryoto: "To my surprise, she epted my confession, and even when I told her that''s a misunderstanding, she wouldn''t let me go. I thought that would get bored with me soon enough, so I yed along for a while, and to my second surprise, we acted like an average couple. At first, everything was alright. Going on dates, being intimate with each other. Now that I think about it, we speedrun this rtionship. We were already kissing after just four days, and Akiho wanted to be even more intimate. She started teaching me some things. We didn''t do anything too intimate, but she was pushing it. She crossed the line when she surprised me with something." Ryoto shuddered, remembering the event. Risa: "What was the thing that crossed the line! You can''t leave us on the cliffhanger like that!" Ryoto: "Sorry, but I''m really not nning on sharing this, even if you try to ckmail- Risa: "Ask." Ryoto rolled his eyes. Ryoto: "Right, ask me again." Risa turned to still glued Akiho. Risa: "Anything to add to his statement?" Akiho: "Nothing~" Risa: "Then we can move to the next topic. What''s up with your eyes?" Ryoto: "My eyes, they''re as ordinary as they can be." Ryoto lied as naturally as he breathed. Risa: "What I meant us L ims that your eyes are blue while Rito that they''re brown. So which is it?" Ryoto: "Blue." Risa: "Prove it." Ryoto: "Ask Mikan or Mikado-sensei." Risa: "Open them." Ryoto: "Only my family and doctor can see my eyes." Risa and everyone else was confused at what Ryoto said. Risa: "Why?" Ryoto: "What you want to see my eyes without being even my girlfriend, you pervert." Ryoto acted very embarrassedly through the whole sentence. L: "Does it mean I''m like family?" Ryoto: "Always has been." Ryoto then hugged L, and she returned it. Akiho: "A, how sweet. Now give me a hug too!" Ryoto: "Did you need to ruin the moment?" Akiho: "If you hug me, the moment will be enchanted." Everyone looked at her in disbelief. Even her little sister. Haruna: "Onee-chan..." Ryoto: "Well, it''s enough of recalling the past for a day." The group left Haruna''s home, but Ryoto, Rito, and L were forced to return shortly after because they forgot to unstuck Akiho. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 35: Back home Chapter 35: Back home (Ryoto''s pov) I was walking home together with L and Rito. L was talking about how much fun she had today. I was happy that she was happy but meeting Akiho wasn''t something I would n to do willingly. And I''m just hoping that now that she knows that in her sister ssmate, she won''t try to get in contact with me more often. Now that I think about it, we didn''t know about each other''s private life. My thoughts were broken by Rito. Rito: "Hey Nii-san, you said that at Sairenji-San''s home that your eyes are blue, but I''m pretty sure you have brown eyes. I remembered that when we were young children, we wouldpare our eyes color, and yours were a darker shade than mine and Mikan." Ryoto: "I used to have brown eyes, but something happened, and I got my new beautiful eyes." Rito: "Can you show them to me? To be honest, I''m still not believing you entirely but as they say, ''seeing is believing." Ryoto: "Well, I don''t have any problem with that." I looked around, making sure that no one was around, and opened my eyes, revealing them once more. Rito: "WHA-" I put my finger on Rito''s lips, silencing him in the process. Ryoto: "Calm down, no need for screaming." I said calmly and put back my finger. Rito: "B-but Nii-San, your eyes! What happened to them, are you hurt, do they hurt, should we go to the hospital!?" Ryoto: "As I said, calm down. Everything is alright. I''m not hurt nor feel any pain, and what would doctors in a hospital even do when one of the best doctors didn''t know anything about them." Rito: "One of the best doctors?" Ryoto: "Mikado-sensei." Rito: "But she is a school nurse." Ryoto: "And famous doctor through the whole gxy." Rito: "She is an alien!?" Ryoto: "Why are you surprised? It''s not the first time you meet an alien." Rito: "It doesn''t make it easier, though. *Sigh* I wish I could be asposed as you, Nii-San.I have one question, though. Why didn''t you tell me about your eyes?" I shrugged my shoulders. Ryoto: "You didn''t ask." Rito gave me a look like he couldn''t believe what he had just heard. Rito: "So why Mikan knows then?" Ryoto: "She asked." Karen: "You know what, I''m starting to see simrities between you two." ''You know that we aren''t rted, right?'' Karen: "But you''re still a family, right?" Karen shocked me with her statement. ''You''re still a family'', huh? I sometimes forget that simple fact. ''Thanks, Karen.'' I didn''t get an answer from her this time. Rito: "Wait, so who else knows?" Ryoto: "Mikan, L, Mikado-sensei, Zastin and his two followers and now you." We talked about trivial things for the rest of our way home, and finally, we arrived home. Inside we ate dinner as usual. After we finished dinner, I trained a bit my water bending and watered down Celine. I managed to move water a bit. It isn''t much, but it''s progress nheless. Soon after, I went to take a bath. Mikan and L apanied me there. Ryoto: "You were so embarrassed at the beginning, and right now you walk into the bathroom, witnessing your brother in his birth suit without even blin-" I couldn''t finish what I wanted to say because a towel was thrown at my face. I could dodge it, but it would make Mikan even angrier, and I like my food not burned... but I switched her sight with Rito''s. He would only be able to see my figure as L was behind Mikan and wasn''t visible to her. Rito: "WHAT THE-" Mikan: "Goddammit, Ryoto, change it back!" Ryoto: "Language." Mikan: "Dinner." Mikan practically growled at me. I was obviously testing her patience, but I think it''s enough for today. I like teasing her, but I need to know when to stop. Usually, a person should be able to tell when it''s too far but not me, unfortunately, but at least I''m learning. At this, I changed everything back to normal. I should learn to cook soon. With that skill, Mikan wouldn''t have any power over me. Lughed at our antics, but her smile turned into a warm one as she remembered something close to her heart. Ryoto: "Think about something?" L: "It''s just seeing you like this. I recalled the time I spent with my sisters." Mikan was instantly interested in the topic. Mikan: "You have sisters L-San?" L: "Yeah, they are pair of twins younger than me. They argued a lot, and every time it happened, I tried to arrange ways for them to make up." She giggled at her own story. L: "I wonder what they''re up to." I put my hand on hers and squeezed it gently. Ryoto: "I''m sure they''re fine. Your father is the ruler of the gxy. Anyone who would try to harm them would need to be crazy, suicidal, or both." L: "I''m more worried about them getting in trouble again. Without me there, there''s no one to mediate between them." L scratched her cheek in embarrassment. ...Right, that''s what she meant. L: "But thanks for worrying, Ryoto!" She jumped at me hugged me, and because she was wearing only a towel, I could feel almost everything. We hugged each other in bed, and L was naked there, but it didn''t change the fact that she is a beautiful girl with a sexy body, so my little brother reacted a bit. I am, after all, a boy in my adolescence, but thanks to my strong will and one of the titles, I managed to calm myself down. Mikan: "When you two lovebirds are done with your flirting, we can start washing each other." Ryoto: "No need to be jealous, Mikan. No matter how much I love L, I''ll still have time for you." Mikan: "Who is jealous!?" We spent some time in the bathroom, and after we cleaned ourselves, we went to our respective rooms. And there I fell asleep with L at my side. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 36: Looking for a present Chapter 36: Looking for a present (Ryoto''s pov) A week has passed since my unfortunate reunion. Thankfully Akiho didn''t do anything crazy and didn''te to my school, but now I have another problem. Rito''s birthday ising up soon, 16th October to be exact, and I don''t know what present should I give him. __________ *PING* *NEW QUEST* Mission: "Finding a gift" Objective 1: Find a present for Rito''s birthday that he''ll like Reward: 30 SP, one random item (item will be kept in an inventory-like ce until the user wants to use it. It can''t be put back, so be cautious.) Failure: ''Spring of Drowned Girl'' curse. Duration of punishment: one month __________ ''What is this curse?'' Karen: "You''ll turn into a girl every time you''re sshed with cold water. The effects can be reversed by being sshed by hot water." Having found a new determination, I started my journey to find the best possible gift. --- Four hours and zero progresster, o still didn''t find anything. I could buy him a nt and call it a day, but it would be too easy, and I''m not risking failing this mission. I was walking through the town deep in my thoughts. I wasn''t panicking as I still had a few days, but time was running out slowly, and every moment without the gift was a moment closer to being cursed. As I was walking around, I was stopped by a familiar voice. Kyouko: "Em... Excuse me." Ryoto: "Yes?" I turned towards the voice source and saw someone I didn''t expect to meet so soon again. It was Kyouko Kirisaki, a famous actress. She is best known for her role as Magical Kyouko. Kyouko: "I noticed that you were walking around for a while, and I wondered what you were up to." I then proceeded to exin my situation to Kyouko. Kyouko: "I see, so you are searching for a gift for your younger brother." Ryoto: "That''s pretty much it, but I have no idea what to give him." Kyouko pondered about for a while and said with a smile. Kyouko: "Then I''ll help you. I may not know what the boys will like, but it''s always easier to buy a gift with someone else''s opinion. You can think of it as me repaying you for the help thest time." I wanted to refuse at first. I know that she''s busy with her job, and she probably doesn''t have a lot of free time without her fans flooding her, but if she wants to do it, who am I to stop her. Ryoto: "Sure, thank you for the help, Kirisaki-San." Kyouko: "You''re welc-. What did you just call me?" She was shocked by what I called her, but I don''t recall saying anything weird. Ryoto: "I said ''thank you for the help, Kirisaki-San''. Did I say something wrong?" Kyouko: "How do you know my name?" I was confused by her question. Ryoto: "You introduced yourself thest time we met, did you not?" Kyouko: "No, I said that my name is Kyouko Kerisaki." The realization hit me. So that''s what she meant. Ryoto: "Oh right, you did. Sorry, I forgot, but you need a better fake name to fool anyone. You barely changed it." Kyouko looked embarrassed by it. Kyouko: "Well, excuse me, I panicked! But if you knew, why didn''t you say anything." Ryoto: "What should I say? OMG, it''s Kyouko Kirisaki! Do you have a boyfriend!? Where do you live!? Can I have an autograph!? " I faked my excitement through the whole sentence. It shocked Kyouko a little, not because of my sudden change but because of my acting. As a professional actress, she can tell if someone''s acting is good or not, and mine was great if I can say so myself. Thanks to wearing a metaphorical mask for a long time, I am pretty talented at faking my emotions. Kyouko: "Are you an actor Yuuki-kun?" Ryoto: "I don''t think so." Kyouko: "Do you want to?" Ryoto: "No." Kyouko: "Why? With your talent, you could be a great actor, I guarantee it!" She gave me a thumbs up. Ryoto: "Thank you for thepliment, but I must still refuse it. You see, I don''t like being in the spotlight very much." Kyouko: "I see... I''ll respect your decision then, but if you change your mind, call me but don''t spread it. It''s my private number." She gave me her phone number with a wink. I''m starting to understand why she is so popr. Kyouko: "Well, now that this is out of the way, I should probably help you with your original problem." Ryoto: "Right, the present." Kyouko: "How about you tell me what he likes and your ideas for a gift as we start looking around." Ryoto: "My first thought was a nt. Rito always took care of flowers at school, and he even is a member of the gardening club at our school, but we already have a rare nt in our garden, and I won''t find a better one easily. In middle school, he enjoyed football a lot, but he stopped ying it in Highschool so I wouldn''t go in that direction. Otherwise, he doesn''t have any major interest, and that''s why I''m lost." Kyouko: "I see, it''s certainly difficult to choose a present for someone like him. Why not just give him a nt you like. It''s the thought that counts after all." Ryoto: "No! This present must be the best he ever got!" Kyouko got startled a bit by my outburst, but I couldn''t guess in a million years what she thought about it. Kyouko: ''He must really care about his brother to get so emotional over a present. I''ll help him to the best of my abilities!'' Kyouko seemed pumped about something while I smiled wryly. We walked for a bit, took a break at a local cafe, and talked about trivial stuff. Kyouko ordered an iced coffee at the cafe while I chose ck coffee. I wouldn''t say that I love this drink, but something about drinking something bitter and then tasting slowly disappearing makes me want to drink it. At some point, I took a sip out of Kyouko''s straw that she used to drink, but after I did that, she became red and started mumbling something about an indirect kiss. We had a great time overall, but we still didn''t find anything that would make a great gift for Rito. Kyouko: "Are you sure your brother doesn''t have anything he likes besides the things you mentioned?" Ryoto: "Well, it''s not a thing, but he likes..." The realization hit me the second time today. I finally had an idea for a great present for Rito. I thanked Kyouko for her help and a great date by shaking her hand a tad too vigorously. Hearing the word date, she became red once more, but before she could say anything, I quickly ran towards my new destination to prepare the gift. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 37: Birthday Chapter 37: Birthday (Ryoto''s pov) Today is Rito''s birthday, but as usual, he forgot about it, but it only helped the group and me to prepare the surprise party. Haruna avoided him the whole day so she wouldn''t spoil the surprise. Rito was devastated by it. Just you wait, my little brother, just you wait... Rito wasing a littleter today, probably a bit depressed after Haruna tried to stay away from him. It made it easier for us to see if everything was in order. The penguins also helped a lot. Even our dad was present. Rito finally returned home looking gloomy, but as soon as all of us shouted ''SUPRISE'', his mood changed instantly, likely because he spotted Haruna. After some time, Rito received gifts from everyone but Haruna and me. Haruna shyly gave Rito a wrapped present. Rito asked if he could open it, and Haruna nodded. It was watering pot since Rito worked a lot in the garden. He was the happiest with her present, and it showed, but he hadn''t seen my present yet. I walked up to Haruna and ced a big red ribbon on her head. Ryoto: "Well, here you go." I was satisfied with my work. On the other hand, Rito was confused, and so was Haruna, but she was also blushing. Mikan looked disappointed in me, Risa wasughing, L was smiling, and the rest didn''t know how to react. Ryoto: "Do you like my present?" Rito: "Nii-San!!! You can''t give people as gifts!" Ryoto: "I''m legally able to do it." I took out Haruna''s birth certificate. Rito and Haruna were shocked. Rito: "How did you get this!?" My face lost all emotions, and I said in a t tone. Ryoto: "I sold my body to the devil." Rito: "Don''t you mean soul?" Ryoto: "I know what I said." I returned to normal shortly after. Ryoto: "So, do you want this or not?" I waved the paper before Rito. His eyes followed it for a while. Rito: "I... don''t... need it." He refused it with great effort. Ryoto: "Ok, enough with this joke." I ripped the certificate into shreds. Haruna: Don''-!?" Ryoto: "Calm down, it was only a copy. I wouldn''t destroy the authentic document." Rito: "It was a joke?" Ryoto: "Of course it was. You didn''t believe that I would do something like this for real, right?" Risa: "I would believe it." Risa raised her hand. Mikan: "Wouldn''t be the strangest thing you did." Mikan added. Mio: "You did stranger things at school to be honest, like when you jumped out through the window while we were on the third floor." Risa: "And don''t forget about your encounter with Haruna''s sister." It seems that my reputation is almost nonexistent here. Ryoto: "Ok, so I did a few questionable stuff but forgot about it. What I want to give you, Rito, is..." Rito: "...Is?" Ryoto: "...whatever you want, so tell me, Rito, what is it that you desire?" I activated my powers so Rito would tell me only the truth. Even if he says something like ''I want sessfully confess to Haruna-chan'', she would probably ept his confession. If he says something different, I''m prepared for almost everything, so it''s a win-win situation for me. Rito: "I...I want to... spend time with Nii-San like we used to." I was shocked by the sudden revtion. I expected a lot of things but not this. Rito: "It''s just after elementary school you started distancing away from Mikan and me. You still acted like a good big brother, but you limited our time together to a bare minimum. I miss the times when we yed football together without any worry in the world. If I, Mikan, or our parents did something wrong, just tell us, and we''ll try to fix it." Ryoto: "*Sigh* It''s not yours or anyone''s fault. It was my decision. Not the smartest or proudest choice in my life, but it was mine to make." The atmosphere became awkward, and I scratched the back of my head and finally broke the silence. Ryoto: "How about we y football in the garden like we used to. I still have the ball. Dad gave us." Rito: "You didn''t lose it?" Ryoto: "How could I? It''s one of my treasures." Rito smiles at my statement and agrees. We went to the garden after first going to my room to take the ball. We yed for a while, and for the first time in a long time... my smile was genuine. It was noticed by Mikan, dad, and surprisingly L. L was confused because it was the first time she saw me smiling like that. It''s not like I didn''t want to smile genuinely, but I still couldn''t open my heart fully even if I wanted, but right now, I ft as if u returned to simpler times, forgetting about everything unnecessary. Shortly after, everyone joined the fun, and it had fun until the guests needed to return to their homes. __________ *PING* *QUEST COMPLETED* Reward: 30 SP, Lucky charm (one time use) __________ That night I didn''t have any nightmares. --- The following day I woke up refreshed for once. I remembered then my reward, ''lucky charm''. ''Karen, what does it do?'' Karen: "*Breaths in* *Breaths out*" ''Karen?'' Karen: "Do you want to read the description?" ''I can read descriptions?'' Karen: "Only of your titles and items got from the system." ''Do it then.'' __________ Lucky charm: One-time use item that allows you to max out your lick for a short while. After using this item, even a goddess of luck herself would lose against you in a luck-based game. It only works for two minutes, though. __________ An excellent item, but I shouldn''t use it carelessly, so for now, it stays in an inventory-like space that I don''t have ess to. A day went on as usual, but I was walking home alone as I went for a walk in the evening. Satisfied with my stroll, I returned to my room. L was lying on my bed reading something. Curious about what she was reading, I walked up to her andid beside her to see... --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 38: Lala 1 Chapter 38: L 1 (Ryoto''s pov) I was lying besides L not knowing how I should handle the situation. L: "Hey Ryoto, whatever they doing in this magazine?" Yes, L was reading the magazine I got from Risa on my birthday. Ryoto: "L, does yourb have a bedroom, and is it soundproof?" It''s crucial. I don''t want Mikan to barge into my room and see me having sex. I don''t need to worry about Rito. He sleeps like a rock. L: "Yes, sometimes when I''m solely focused on my inventions, I sleep there. It doesn''t often happen since I like to sleep with you. It is also soundproof, so I won''t bother you, Mikan, or Rito. I got a lot ofints when I was younger." ''A.'' Karen: "Phrasing." I ignored Karen''sment and moved L to theb bedroom in a princess carry. She was still holding into a magazine like it was some treasure. We sat next to each other on a king-sized bed. L had stars in her eyes as she waited for me to begin the exnation. My time hase, and soon will I. [NSFW Warning] Ryoto: "Let''s start with what you want to know. This magazine is showing something called sex. It has two main roles. First is reproduction, as doing it can create life between two people. The second is a pleasure. Having sex is enjoyable for both parties of down correctly. Sex is done between lovers as an act of love." Well, that''s just the basics, but I don''t want to corrupt her too much from the beginning, but the future is unknown. L was listening carefully to what I had to say. When I finished, she grabbed both of my hands, squeezed them a bit, and said with a smile. L: "Ryoto, let''s have sex." Ryoto: "Are you sure? There''s noing back after this." I opened my eyes to look at L without any obstruction. L: "What are you saying, silly? I''ll show you how much I love you!" I smiled at her, brought her closer to me, and kissed her. We quickly separated. There will be plenty of time for thatter. Ryoto: "Peke, can you leave us alone for now?" Peke looked at L, who nodded. Peke: "Very well, I''ll leave L-sama to you, Ryoto-dono." Peke left L naked on the bed and flew off somewhere. I''m d that I remembered him because it could be very awkward soon. I admired L''s body for a short while, herrge breast free from any kind of cloth or Peke showing off her nipples, her plump ass with a tailing from her back, and her slim and curvy figure, which could not be described as fragile at all even though she was thin. She didn''t have any pubic hair. Now that L was without clothes, it was my turn to strip, and I revealed my muscr body to her and already standing proud and strong. L observed my penis curiously. L: "Hey Ryoto, does it always stand like this? How do you hide it in your pants?" Ryoto: "Normally, it''s a lot smaller, but it can grow depending on my attraction towards my partner, meaning you." L: "Does it mean you find me attractive?" Ryoto: "Looking at my little friend here, it seems I do." I joked a little. L then hugged me tightly, and we stayed like this for a while. After we separated, she sat between my legs with her back facing me. I started caressing L, starting with her stomach. She giggled as it tickled her a bit. My hands started going up to her breasts. A pair of my hands touched a pair of her boobs. My fingers sank a bit in her flesh at first, but it was a pleasant feeling nheless. At that moment, I understood why breasts are said to hold the dreams of all men. I did circr movements, slowly building up her sensitivity until I got to her nipples. Before she started breathing a little heavier, she let out a moan as soon as I touched her nipples. L: "Mhmm~!" As I yed with her breasts, I began kissing her shoulder, then went up to her neck. It was a little tricky because of her long, although beautiful, hair. I slid my thumbs over her nipples thest time and let my hands go down below her belly button. I touched herbia and felt something moist on my finger, and together with L''s sweet voice, it only made me more excited. L: "Ryoto~." As I yed with her vagina, L and I started kissing. Our tongues have intertwined, fighting for dominance. We sud it until one of us couldn''t breathe anymore and needed to take a few breaths just for our lips to connect again. Every time we separated, there was a string of salvia between us, and we looked into the eyes of each other until we repeated the process. The amount of liquid from her pussy slowly increased, showing that L was getting excited. During all that, L''s tail was moving around. It seems she can''t control it in situations like that. Does it work like a dog''s tail... Focus Ryoto, focus. You have your beautiful fiance before you, naked and ready for you. Stop unnecessary thinking. You can do itter. That thought about the tail gave me an idea, though. I took the tip of her tail into my mouth and started sucking, increasing L''s pleasure. I also simultaneously started attacking her small bean that showed itself to the world not so long ago. L: "Ryoto~ Something ising~ I think I''m going to pee~!" Ryoto: "Let it happen, L, trust me." L started breathing faster and more shallowly until she reached her first orgasm. Her muscles tensed, toes curled, back curved back. All of that happened in a short amount of time, but as soon as it ended, her body lost all of her strength, and she leaned against my body while still trying to catch a breath. In the corners of her eyes, tears started to gather. L: "What... was... that?" I started patting her head which she enjoyed as always. Ryoto: "It is called orgasm, and it happens when your pleasure is at its highest, and it releases it all at once. Did it feel good?" L: "Yeah... but we didn''t have sex yet, and your penis is still hard." Ryoto: "Calm down, we''ll get to that soon. We needed to loosen you a bit so it won''t hurt too much, and I think that you are ready." I ced her on the bed so that she would be lying on her back. I opened her legs, showing her lower mouth to me in all its glory. I positioned myself, so I could insert myself at any moment. I could feel emitting from her ce, and she could feel the same. We looked into each other''s eyes again. I could see resolve and love in her eyes, so I kissed her once more and... --- END (A/N The lemon will continue in the next chapter, don''t worry. I would need to be a monster to skip at this point and trust me, I''m tempted. By the way, I appreciate constructive criticism on the lemon as I will try to improve. P.S To love ru fanfic without lemon is like a grill without a steak.) Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 39: Lala 2 Chapter 39: L 2 (Ryoto''s pov) [NSFW Warning] I was centimeters away from entering L, but then I remembered the pills that I got from Ryouko. Ryoto: "Wait a minute L." I jumped out of bed to get to my pants, where I had the contraceptive pills. I always had them in on hand just in case. I swallowed the medicine and went back to L. The effects are instantaneous. One of the reasons I love alien medications. And the best part is it works for 24 hours after consumption. L was still lying on the bed waiting for me. I was away for half a minute top, so the mood didn''t fade away. I returned to the position before I took the pill and looked into L''s green eyes, and she looked into mine and nodded. It was my cue, so I thrust my penis into L. I felt something blocking my way. L: "Aw-!" L felt a sharp pain, and as I noticed her pained expression, I wanted to pull out, but L''s leg locked me, not allowing me to escape. L: "No!" I looked at L, who tried desperately to hold me inside her with her now weak legs. L: "It doesn''t hurt anymore, so we can continue." I know that she was lying to me, but it showed me how much she wanted to go through it despite the pain she felt. I smiled gently at her and got closer to her to kiss her. One of her hands held the back of my head while the other was on my back. As she was rxing with the deep and long french kiss, I thrust it all in one go. L flinched, but we didn''t stop kissing. She did, however, embrace me with more strength. We kissed until we couldn''t breathe anymore, which we did quite a lot tonight, and when we finally broke the kiss, I looked at the connection between us and noticed a few droplets of blooding out. Ryoto: "Are you alright?" L: "I can feel you inside me, hehe." I smiled at herment and gave her a small peck on the lips. Ryoto: "Just tell me if you feel ufortable, alright?" L: "Yees!" yful and cute as always. I started moving slowly. Her insides felt amazing, warm and tight, wrapping around my member. If I wasn''t careful, I woulde at any moment. After a while, I noticed that she got morefortable, so I increased the speed of my thrusts. L: "Ha~ha~ha~." Seeing that L started enjoying it, I targeted her clit. With only one touch, her insides tightened significantly. It became more difficult to move, but thankfully it didn''t hurt L in any way. The rapid movement was bringing us slowly to climax, but at this rate, I''ll finish before her, which she probably wouldn''t say anything about. Still, I also have my pride, so I started ying with her sensitive tail once more as I touched her clitoris, and my piston motion continued. L: "Ryoto~ It''sing again~." Ryoto: "Me too, I''ming." As I felt L''s walls narrow even more, I couldn''t hold it anymore and released everything inside her. L: "Aah~." L put more strength into her hug, and I kissed as we both reached climax. I stayed inside her for a while after I ejacted, and during that time, we gazed into the eyes of each other. L smiled at me. The smile was a perfect bnce between cute and sexy that only she could pull off. Her cheeks were also blushed, giving her an even more exotic look to her. L: "Hehe, I feel warm inside." L brought her hands over her abdomen as a white liquid slowly dripped out of her vagina. It was incredibly alluring. She then looked at my lower body part and noticed that I was still hard. She smiled again, but this time it was tantalizing instead of cute. Our roles have reversed as she was on top of me this time in a cowgirl position. She started kissing me as she tried to navigate Ryoto jr. into her hole. She couldn''t do it by herself and was beginning to get impatient, so I helped her a bit. L: "Nngh~." As the entirety of my penis was inside her, which by the way, surprised me as I''m not the smallest, she stayed like that for a while. I felt my ns touching her womb. I started doing small and slow movements at her womb, and it looked like she enjoyed it. She even lost bnce and fell on my chest. L: "Ryoto~ Stop, I want to move this time~." I gave her a headpat. Ryoto: "Sure, go ahead." She got back and began up and down motion. After a short while, she found her sweet spot and started focusing on it. L: "Ryoto~ Ryoto~ Ryoto~." I couldn''t justy and do nothing, so I grabbed L''s tail which startled her and brought her even more pleasure. Her toes curled, and legs straightened. She climaxed once more, this time alone. After a few deep breaths, she looked at me with a pout. L: "You said that you''ll let me move this time." Ryoto: "And I did... for a while. Until I didn''t." I then asked L to be on all fours, and she did it, shaking her ass a few times tempting me. L: "Ryoto~." We continued making love for a whole night. We tried a lot of positions. Sometimes I was on top, and others times L. After the first hour, I started to doubt that she was a virgin, and after two hours, I began thinking that she was a subus, but it didn''t mean that I had lost to her stamina. I rivaled hers. Thankfully she had a weakness in the form of her tail. It would be a lot more difficult without it, but that''s Devilukean''s stamina for you. As for the rest, I stopped thinking and just drowned in pleasure together with L. In the end, we were both satisfied andid in bed that was in aplete mess after our night battle. We were cuddling, her tail wrapped around my leg, her leg on mine. In that position, we fell asleep happy and content. [NSFW End] --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 40: A new morning Chapter 40: A new morning (Ryoto''s pov) I woke up to the sound of an rm. I looked at the clock, and it was the usual time L and I started preparing for school. I slept for about an hour, so I wasn''t as refreshed as I would like but do I regret it? Hell no! I gently nudged L to wake her up. She was still sleeping while hugging my arm. We both were naked as we fell asleep right after we finished our fun. Ryoto: "Hey, L. wake up." I said as softly as possible, but L didn''t have any ns to wake up, so I decided to kiss her on the lips. She then grabbed the back of my head and returned the kiss with great enthusiasm. She didn''t want to let me go until she couldn''t breathe anymore. L: "Haa~ Ryoto~." L wanted to continue yesterday''s exciting session, but unfortunately, we needed to go to school. Ryoto: "As much as I want to continue, we need to dress up and eat breakfast before school." L: "Do we need to~?" L tried to tempt me with her sexy look, and tempted I was, but as students, we have a duty of going to school... or that''s what I keep telling myself that. I know that we need to limit it at least a little. I also have some other ns today. Ryoto: "Sorry, L, but we don''t want to worry our ssmates for noting to school, right?" L nodded. Ryoto: "Besides, we can do it againter." I winked at her, which gained me a smile and a hug. We went downstairs to eat breakfast. Mikan immediately noticed that L''s mood was a lot better than usual, and it''s saying much as L is always cheerful. She also noticed my tiredness. She quickly put two and two together, and her eyes widened. Mikan: "No way..." She stood up and turned to L with a smile. She knew it would be easier to get information from her than from me. Mikan: "L, can you tell me what were you up to with Ryoto yesterday?" L: "Yes! Ryoto and I made a baby!" She said with a wide smile showing her happiness, but as soon she said it, I almost choked on a piece of toast I was eating, and so did Rito. Ryoto: "*Cough* *Cough*!!!" I grabbed a nearby ss of water to survive. Meanwhile, Mikan turned towards me with a fierce expression. Mikan: "RYOTO!!!" Rito: "N-Nii-San!!?" Ryoto: "Wait, let me exin!" Mikan crossed her arms and waited ''patiently'' for what I had to say. Before I began defending myself, I took another sip of water. Ryoto: "First, L and I made love yesterday, but I did take contraception pill, so she isn''t pregnant unless Mikado-sensei has lied to me, of course." L: "So I don''t have a baby?" L sounded genuinely hurt. Ryoto: "We are too young for children right now. Let''s wait a few years, and then we''ll talk about it again." L: "Really?" Ryoto: "Really." Mikan: "*Sigh* I can''t be mad at you if you behave like that. Just don''t overdo it, and don''t be too loud." Ryoto: "You don''t need to worry about it. L''sb ispletely soundproof, and if you haven''t noticed, yesterday you haven''t heard a single noise from us, even though we did it for hours." Mikan: "How long... you know what, never mind. I don''t want to know." Rito noticed that we were almostte for school, so we quickly finished our food and went to school. Karen, who was surprisingly quiet during my love-making session, decided to speak to me during our travel. Karen: "Do you want to hear the notifications that you got during the night?" ''I got notifications?'' Karen: "I turned them on because I thought it would be a big turn-off hearing a loud *PING* inside your head as you were about to nut." ''...'' Karen: "What?" ''It was surprisingly very thoughtful of you, Karen.'' Karen: "Oh, shut up. I may be a bitch, but I''m a considerate bitch." ''Yeah yeah, so what are these notifications?'' __________ *PING* *TITLES ACQUIRED* Title: "Not a wizard" Title: "Fearsome lover" Title: "Herculean stamina" __________ ''Three titles at the same time, not bad. So what do they do?'' Karen: "Not a wizard is just for show for losing your virginity before your 30th birthday. A fearsome lover boosts your stamina and your partner''s pleasure during sexual acts. Herculean stamina also gives you a boost to your physical stamina. Mentally you are exhausting at the same rate as before. In other words, using Haki and your eyes powers will tire you at about the same rate as before, but you''ll be able to use your increased strength and bending for longer amounts of time." ''Neat'' We noticed a limousine that had one wheel stuck in a hole on our way to school. Outside, a chauffeur and someone familiar were standing. Saki: "It seems we are in a bind." Chauffeur: "I am terribly sorry, mydy... because I was careless..." Saki: "Perfect... it''s because Shitamachi''s streets are like this." I walked up to the chauffeur and asked if he needed help. He exined the situation to me, and I lifted up the car, freeing the tire. At that moment, Zaki noticed me and looked at me with a blush. I swear I could hear a *Kyun* sound. Saki: "Ryoto-sama..." Ryoto: "Well, nice seeing you, Tenjouin-senpai, but we''ll bete at this rate, so see youter." I grabbed Rito like a sack of potatoes and started running to school. We wasted more time than usual since Mikan wanted all the details that she could get from L during breakfast. She was incredibly curious about the whole thing. Is it a girl thing, or am I missing something? Shortly after we left, Rin and Ayako returned with help, but the car wasn''t stuck anymore, and Saki was in her own world. They looked at each other and decided to question what had happened during their absence. After a short sprint, I needed to leave Rito in the nurse''s office. Mixing running and web-swinging isn''t as fun for other people as it is for me. His loss. In ss, everyone was greeting each other. Risa decided to greet L in her signature way. Risa: "Hello... L-chii!!!'' Risa grabbed L by the boobs from behind. L: "Ahh~!" L moaned at Risa''s action, which stunned not only Momioka but everyone in ss turned to see what happened. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 41: Clingy Chapter 41: Clingy (Mikan''s pov) I just got in the ssroom and greeted my friends. Mikan: "Morning." Sachie: "Morning, Mikan!" Mami: "Morning." My two best friends returned my greeting as I sat down. We talked for a short while until Sachie asked something I didn''t want to hear. Sachie: "Hey Mikan, can wee to your house today?" Every time they ask me that, I refuse them, but I''m starting to feel a little bad by doing it. I avoided this topic as I didn''t want them to meet either of my brothers. Rito is too easily embarrassed, which often leads to some kind of incident, most often perverted ones. Ryoto, on the other hand, is, or should I say was too flirty. Thankfully he calmed down, and I suppose he won''t try to flirt with elementary school students, and even Rito''s ''lucky pervert'' has calmed down, so maybe it''s a good time to finally invite them. Ryoto looks happier than usual as ofte. Maybe it''s thanks to L. He could also be faking happiness. You never know with him. His mask is almost perfect, and he rarely slips up, which frustrates me to no end. Why can''t he share what he''s feeling with us? We''re, after all, a family. *Sigh* But then I remembered what I heard from L this morning, and my cheeks slowly became red. Should I ask L for more details? Not because I''m curious... I just want to know if Ryoto is treating her well. Mami: "Are you feeling alright? Your whole face is red." I tried to calm myself down by taking a few deep breaths, which helped. Mikan: "I don''t mind, but you''ll need to go to the grocery store first since there''s a sale today." They looked shocked. Maybe I shouldn''t say that they needed to help me. Sachie & Mami: "Yes!!!" They jumped from joy with big smiles on their faces. Sachie: "I can''t believe you finally agreed! You can''t take it back!" Mami: "And we''ll finally meet the famous Rito and Ryoto." Her eyes were full of admiration, but what did she admire? She didn''t even meet them. Mikan: "What are you talking about, guys?" Sachie: "You talked about them so much and rejected every guy who confessed to you. That means that they must be amazing!" This logic is wed on many levels, but now I''m starting to get worried about what will happen. Maybe I should cancel it after all, but before I could say anything... *DING* *DONG* A bell rang, indicating the beginning of the lesson and Nitta-sensei silencing the ss. I lost my chance to say anything, but seeing how happy they were, I decided to stay quiet and hoped that nothing wrong would happen today. (Ryoto''s pov) I was sweating bullets not because everyone in ss just turned towards us but because Risa looked at me with a knowing smirk. Why is she so sharp in the stupidest situations. She started moving her mouth without any sound and unread from her lips ''Swing me around a city, and I''ll be silent''. ''Really? She could''ve asked normally, and I would agree.'' Karen: "She just likes to tease you and see you panic. She needs to step up her game, or her dream will nevere true." ''I know, and I''ll need to have my revenge soon.'' Karen: "I raised that boy." Risa let go of L''s boobs and scratched the back of her head with a goofy smile. Risa: "Sorry, L-chii, I grabbed you too hard." Risa defused the bomb that she had created. The rest of the day went on as usual, but L was intimate with me. I mean more than usual. She sat on my knees during the ss while hugging me by the neck. The teacher noticed it and warned us, but he never bothered us again when he saw L''s ''Is it wrong to do it?'' eyes. Ren was jealous but, at the same time, admired me. I don''t know how his head works anymore. He bothered me for a while about my secrets. Everyone was curious about why L behaved the way she did, but I shrugged my shoulders. I''m not going to share my love life with a whole school, and on our way here, I told L to not tell anyone about it, so she just silently hugged me with a smile every time someone asked her about her good mood. It raised some questions, but most tied it with L being L. I decided to go to the rooftop with L during the lunch break since I had enough of everyone staring at us. I stood up with L in a princess carry and exited the ssroom. We were drawing a lot of attention. L was the most popr girl in school, and I, as her boyfriend, was also well known. Ryoto: "Hey L, aren''t you more clingy than usual?" L: "It just feelsfortable being near you." She rested her head on my shoulder. I like peaceful moments like these... but of course, we can''t have nice things. Yui: "Stop right there! You vited thew!" ''Did... did she just make Elder Scrolls reference? But Skyrim came out in 2011.'' Karen: "But the meme came from Oblivion which came out in March 2006." ''Does it mean that she yed it?'' Karen: "Probably just a coincidence, a funny one, though." Ryoto: "Yui, my favorite member of the school disciplinarymittee." Yui: "Wha-! Wait, I''m the only one you know from themittee!" Ryoto: "How can I help you?" Yui: "Don''t ignore what I just said!" Ryoto: "Kotegawa-San, while I enjoy our little chats, I would like to eat during this break, and if I have some time left, I would like to review the lessons, so if you excuse me." Yui: "Ah- yes, sorry for bothering you." I walked away with smiling L. As soon as I disappeared from her sight, she realized what I had just done. Yui: "RYOTO YUUKI!!! The next time I see, I''ll discipline you, and you''ll stop your shameful behavior!!!" What she didn''t realize was that she was shouting in the hallways, which was also against the school rules. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 42: Unexpected meeting Chapter 42: Unexpected meeting (Ryoto''s pov) I ate lunch on the rooftop together with L as nned, and no one bothered us. Surprisingly rooftop is not a popr spot to eat, and it allowed me to have my eyes open the entire time. L likes to look at them because she thinks they''re pretty, so I open them when no one is around. L: "Say ''aah'', Ryoto." L wanted to feed me, and I didn''t object. Why should I? Afterward, I rested my head on herp. Her thighs were so soft andfortable that I started to daze off. As I was falling asleep, I felt a gentle caress through my hair. I tuned towards L to see her face, and she had a tender smile. She then lowered her head and gave me a kiss. L: "I love you, Ryoto." Ryoto: "I love you too." After our exchange, my eyes closed, and I fell asleep. Yesterday night was tiring but fulfilling. --- School ended, and L went home together with Rito. She didn''t want to bete for her favorite show, and I wanted to talk with Zastin, so I went to my dad''s workce. Unfortunately for me, he wasn''t there. Dad said that Zastin went to his friend''s wedding. It seems that I need to postpone my n for now. I started walking home, but then I noticed a fish-like humanoid with water tubes connected to his gills. Even though his features were fish-like, you could still read his expression without any problem like any other human. He was wearing a tight ck bodysuit and was equipped with two swords. A pair of sunsses was sittingfortably on his face, and because of them, I couldn''t see his eyes. He was trying to ask passerby something, but they all ignored him. Does he realize that no one would want to talk to him looking like that? He didn''t even disguise. ???: "Excuse me, could you help me a little. I''m looking for someone, but everyone was so busy that they didn''t even stop to listen." That''s not why they didn''t stop, but he seems too pure to just tell him that. Ryoto: "Sure, let''s see if I can be of help." ???: "Thank you very much." He bowed slightly. He is very polite, so I''ll try to help him to the best of my abilities. ???: "Unfortunately I don''t have any photo of him, but he is about your height, has ck hair just like yours and goes with his eyes closed exactly like you. He is well built if I would guess, somehow like you. His name is..." He took out a piece of paper and read out loud. ???: "...Ryoto Yuuki." I''m starting to have a bad feeling about it. Ryoto: "Can I ask you why are you looking for him?" ???: "He is engaged to the first princess of Deviluke. My client wants me to take care of him." All of that, he said with an innocent smile. ''Yep, this guy is dangerous.'' Karen: "No, you need to help him to the best of your abilities. Your thoughts, not mine." ''How about no.'' ???: "Now that I look at you, you look exactly like him. Are you Ryoto Yuuki?" Ryoto: "Nope, never heard of that guy. My name is Jugemu Jugemu Goko no Surikire Kajiarisuigyo no Suigyomatsu Unraimatsu Furaimatsu Ku Neru Tokoro ni Sumu Tokoro Yabura Koji no Bura Koji Paipo Paipp Paipo no Shuringan Shuringan no Gurindai Gurindai no Ponpokopi no Ponpokona no Chokyumei no Chosuke." I said all of that in one breath. I knew remembering it would pay off one day. An alien looked surprised and happy to hear my name. ???: "What a coincidence. My name is simr. My parents named me Jugemu no Kokogi Suikeru Kajiregami ni Rojiku Furaimatsu ga Baibo Baibo Baibo no Garingan Garingan no Sheringan Sheringan no Bonbopoki no Bonbokona no Chokyumi no Chosuke. Everyone calls me Jugemu for short, though. But with our names, we are basically brothers. I always wanted to have a sibling!" He then gave me a bear hug. I can''t tell him the truth now. He is too pure to be corrupted. Even though he is probably a mercenary or paid killer. Jugemu: "But both our name starts with Jugemu, so calling you that would be confusing. I''ll call you Otouto from now on. Let''s look for Ryoto Yuuki, Otouto." What did I get myself into? (Mikan''s pov) I returned home together with Mami and Sachie. Sachie: "Wow, so this is Mikan''s home." Mikan: "Come on, it''s a normal house." Sachie: "But you never invite us here! We should be excited. Besides, we''ll finally be able to meet your brothers!" My phone vibrated, and that means that I got an SMS. (A/N LINE didn''tunch yet.) Ryoto just wrote to me that he''ll probably bete. He wrote that... a fish-like alien called him his brother, and now they are looking for Ryoto Yuuki while he hides the fact that that''s him? What? How does he keep getting in these situations? Mikan: "Sorry, but it seems Ryoto will bete. He is... busy. Sachie: "Aww. Shame, but your other brother is home, right?" Mikan: "Well, yes..." Sachie: "Then there''s no problem." We went inside, and I heard noisesing from the living room. It looks L is home. As I was about to go to the kitchen to put away groceries, Private marched into the hallway and looked at us cutely. Sachie: "You didn''t tell us that you had a pet penguin. He is so cute!" She ran up to him and gave him a big hug. Mami was behind me, so the only thing is she could see was the back of my head. At that moment, I moved my lips so Private could see. I said, ''Pretend to be a normal penguin''. That was my sole massage, and thankfully he understood. For the next two hours, we yed games, went on a little tour around the house, showed off Celine, and introduced Rito and L. I was the most nervous about Rito, but fortunately, nothing happened, and even L behaved. When Sachie and Mamu were about to leave... *CRUSH* Something or someone flew through the wall and stopped on the next wall. Ryoto: "Sorry for barging in like that, but I''ve brought a guest who is very impatient." Ryoto, who broke a wooden wall with his body just a few seconds ago, got up like nothing happened. Besides a few bruises here and there, he looked fine. Noticing that my friends and I were here, he frowned a little and said. Ryoto: "Looks like, during round two, I need to be a little bit more serious." --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 43: vs Jugemu Chapter 43: vs Jugemu (Ryoto''s pov) I walked around the town together with Jugemu, looking for Ryoto Yuuki. Unfortunately, even after one and half hours of searching, we couldn''t find any clues. Jugemu: "Damn it. Ryoto Yuuki must be one slippery bastard to hide that well." Ryoto: "Yeah, Jugemu, sorry to say that, but I must return home." Jugemu: "Don''t worry, Otouto, I''ll manage by myself. Thank you for helping, and be careful on your way home." Ryoto: "Will do." I was about to leave, but then I heard a familiar voice. Risa: "Ryoto?" Jugemu turned around and became alert, hearing the name of his target. Jugemu: "Where!?" Risa: "What are you doing here? I thought you went home, but as you''re here, maybe you''ll take me swinging as promised." Jugemu was thinking hard about what was happening, and slowly he started connecting the dots but nearer the truth was the uglier his expression was. Jugemu: "Otouto... what is the meaning of that. Please tell me it''s not what I think it is." He wanted to believe in me, but before I could even say anything... Risa: "Earth to Ryoto Yuuki! Don''t ignore me now." She doomed my peace. As soon as he heard my full name, he rushed at me with his twin swords and tried to sh me. I blocked his attack with my arm infused with Haki. He was strong, matching me in strength, in fact, so when it was my arm vs. two of his. Soon he would overpower me, so I used my free hand and shot a web at his eyes, but he didn''t even flinch. As that didn''t work out, I used web-shooters to draw myself away from him. Jugemu: "Blinding me won''t help you in any way." He took off his sunsses, revealing that he didn''t have any eyes. Not good. My illusions won''t work on him. First, I need to get the battle somewhere else, though. Ryoto: "Risa, we''ll talkter." I shot my web at his chest, and before he could react and I swung him as hard as I could, sending him flying, and I followed him. Halfway through my swing, he cut off the web and flew in the direction of my neighborhood. __________ *PING* *NEW QUEST* Mission: "Family dispute" Objective 1: Defeat Jugemu Reward: 100 SP, 1 gacha ticket Failure: Bald Duration of punishment: 2 weeks __________ ''Why the mission is called ''family dispute''?'' Karen: "You''re his younger brother, after all." ''...'' I caught up to Jugemu, and he was ready for me. He swung one of his swords horizontally, which I blocked with my arm again, but it was followed by another strike, this time from the side. I jumped over the iing weapon. While in the air, I grabbed his head, did a flip, and got behind him, now my back facing his, while still holding his head. Using my momentum, I threw him over my head and mmed him into the ground, cracking it a little. Jugemu swung his sword from the ground at my legs. I avoided another sh by jumping upwards, but as I was in the air, my spider-sense started going crazy as Jegemu pointed his sword at me, and I knew that it was not good. There was a small hole at the tip of the de, so I could assume that he''d shoot me. I didn''t have enough time to shoot out the web and dodge the iing attack, so I curled into the smallest possible form and used Haki around the ce I would get shot at. Just momentster, that felt like ages, a strong torrent of water hit me and sent me into a house. Near the wall, I stopped using Haki to block water as after some distance, it weakened enough to not hurt me anymore and spread it across my back and back of my head. I couldn''t cover it entirely, so it still hurt to fly through the wall. Thankfully it was a wooden wall. Ryoto: "Sorry for barging in like that, but I''ve brought a guest who is very impatient." I looked around and saw Mikan and who I assume is her friends. I frowned as it was my house I crushed into. Ryoto: "Looks like, during round two, I need to be a little more serious." I stood up and looked down at my clothes. My shirt was not usable anymore, so I ripped it off. Mikan: "Ryoto!!!" Ryoto: "What? It was in the way. Without it, I can move around more freely." Jugemu walked into the house through the hole I created. Jugemu: "Sorry for the intruding." He bowed slightly to Mikan. On the other hand, I was forming a n to take him down. I whistled. Ryoto: "Skipper, Rico attack, Kowalski, Private defense!" Penguins were already in the living room and ready for my orders. Kowalski and Private slid towards Mikan and her friends and started guiding them outside. Private: "Please go this way for your own safety." Sachie: "Did this penguin... just talk?" Mikan red at a little penguin, and he realized his mistake and covered his beak. Skipper: "Rico!" Skipper lifted Rico, readied him like a gun, and started shooting fish at Jugemu out of Rico''s stomach. He sliced through every fishing his way with a serious expression. While he was busy with fish, I webbed his feet to the floor. It probably looked ridiculous, but it was effective. When the ammunition ended, Jugemu attempted to free himself from the web, but Skipper and Rico started attacking him with their martial arts. As he was defending himself, I slowly webbed him into a big cocoon, leaving only his head outside my web. I wiped an imaginary sweat while being proud of my work. __________ *PING* *QUEST COMPLETED* Reward: 100 SP, 1 gacha ticket __________ Now that I think about it, where is L? I think she should be at home right now. Ryoto: "Hey Mikan, where''s L?" Mikan had a vein on her forehead and had crossed arms. Mikan: "Is it really the first thing you say aftering home?" Ryoto: "I''m home...? Mikan: "Exin." Ryoto: "There isn''t much to exin, really. I met the assassin, he didn''t realize I was his target, but he noticed because of someone. We started fighting, and here we are." Mikan rubbed the bridge of her nose. Mikan: "Why did it need to happen today of all days." Mikan turned around and saw Sachie having stars in her eyes and Mami blushing while they were looking at me. Sachie: "So cool!" Ryoto: "You must be Mikan''s friends. Nice to meet you two. Sorry that you had to witness what happened. I didn''t have full control over the situation." Sachie: "No problem, Onii-San! It was fun to watch!" After a short talk with the girls, they went home in high spirits. I returned to the living room to talk with Jugemu. Ryoto: "Now, Jugemu, who paid you to kill me." Jugemu looked confused. Jugemu: "No one hired me to kill you." Huh? --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 44: Jugemu Chapter 44: Jugemu (Ryoto''s pov) Jugemu: "No one hired me to kill you." Huh? Ryoto: "But you said you were tasked to kill me." Jugemu: "No, my job was to take care of you." Is he serious? Ryoto: "Do you know what ''take care of someone'' means?" Jugemu: "Giving food, allowance, and home." ... Ryoto: "So why did you attack me as soon as you heard my name?" Jugemu: "You lied to me about your name. It was the first time someone had a simr name to mine, and you trampled my feelings like they were nothing." He looked genuinely sad. Now I feel bad. Ryoto: "You know that if I was normal Earthling, you would kill me with your first attack, right?" Jugemu: "What!? But I heard Earthlings are a powerful race of conquerors who would attack you if they sense weakness. I also heard that they are extremely greedy and selfish. That''s why I brought weapons with me to protect myself." Karen: "You know, he''s got a point ''I know.'' I know it better than anyone. Ryoto: "You were lied to, and ''taking care of someone'' means killing." Jugame: "What!? B-but I don''t want to kill anyone!" Ryoto: "Wait, aren''t you mercenary? Besides, why did you behave so politely if you thought everyone around you could attack you at any moment?" Jugemu: "It''s my first day on the job. And to your second question, my mother taught me to be respectful to everyone I meet unless they don''t deserve it, and no one is undeserving of respect without reason." Jugemu sighed. Jugemu: "I will need to find a new job so I can send money to my family. No wonder this job paid a lot. And I''m not mercenary, by the way. I''m a nanny." Ryoto: "Nanny?" Jugemu: "Yes, I even have a business card. I would show it to you, but..." Ryoto: "Webs, right. Kowalski, is it ready?" Kowalski took out a ss vial with transparent liquid inside. Kowalski: "It was quite the challenge, but I''ve managed to create substance to dissolve the web L created." Ryoto: "Great work." Mikan, who observed the whole situation while eating a popsicle, raised her eyebrow. Mikan: "Do you think it''s wise to free him after he attacked you?" Ryoto: "I wouldn''t worry about it. He is strong, but from what I know, he is also earnest to a fault." I took the vial and poured it on the web. After a short moment, my fabric started falling apart, freeing Jugemu. Jugemu: "Thank you very much, and here you have my card." He passed me a card while doing a deep bow, just like businessmen do. On the card was his photo, which looked menacing with a text saying, ''Do you want me to take care of someone, call me. So this solves the mystery of how he got this job. Ryoto: "How about I''ll help you find a new job here on Earth as you''re already here." Jugemu: "Huh? You''ll help me?" Ryoto: "Well, yes. I feel bad because I wasted your time today and lied also lied about my name." Jugemu: "No, no, I also need to apologize. It''s just because of my mother I detest any kind of lie and liars." '' ???: "I hate liars" '' These words were ringing in my head. I didn''t show it on my face, but I was absent-minded at the moment. What woke me up was a hug from Jugemu. Jugemu: "Thank you, I knew that you were my Otouto." I returned his hug awkwardly by patting his back a few times. Ryoto: "No problem, buddy." The hug was ufortably long. He even spun a few times. I looked at Mikan, who had a smirk on her face. I moved my mouth so they would form ''help me''. Jugemu: "What can I help you with?" Ryoto: "I didn''t say anything." Jugemu: "But you moved your mouth. My race is very sensitive to moisture, even onnd. That''s how we see. Under the water, we open our eyes, so we see normally as well. I would need to buy additional equipment to use them onnd, and I didn''t want to spend more money. So he''s got echolocation likeability, or should I''ll call it hydrolocation. Ryoto: "Forget it. It''s not important." We talked about my n a bit, and Jugemu epted my offer dly and returned to his ship shortly after. After Jugemu returned to his spaceship, Rito returned home to witness a big hole in the wall and a destroyed living room. Mikan and I were drinking orange juice in the middle of the room as we watched through the said hole. Ryoto: "It''s peaceful, isn''t it?" Mikan: "Yeah, shame that our wall is destroyed, though. By the way, how far can you see?" Ryoto: "Depends how much I focus. Usually, I see at a normal distance just with more details, but if I want to, I can even see past Earth''s atmosphere. I did it once, in fact." Mikan: "Really? How does it feel?" Ryoto: "I don''t know. How does seeing feel?" Karen: "I''ve been with you two, so I know the answer, but I need to ask. Are you high, or is it post-nut rity?" ''If this is how you feel being high, I need to get high more often. Isn''t peace the greatest?'' Karen: "It''s too peaceful for my taste. Can we go back to fighting and destruction?" ''I feel like you just want to see me getting beat up.'' Karen: "Untrue, I take pleasure in everyone''s misery equally." ''*Sigh* Of course you do.'' Rito started questioning his existence, seeing us calm and sipping juice. Ryoto: "Oh, hey Rito. Great weather we''re having." Rito: "Nii-san, what happened to the wall?" Ryoto: "We had a guest." Rito looked confused and turned to Mikan. Mikan: "He is right. We had a guest." Rito only knew about Mikan''s friend, so he tried to think how two small girls created a hole in the house. As Rito had a mental breakdown, Ryoto decided to ask him something. Ryoto: "So what did you do today?" Rito: "I went to Saruyama''s house since it was a while. I thought that while Mikan had her friends invited, I would give them some time alone." Rito told us how his day went at Suryama''s ce. During his story, I realized something. Ryoto: "Now that I think about it, where is L?" --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 45: Tea party Chapter 45: Tea party (Karen''s pov) ( A/N Bonus chapter :) ) Karen: "You know what? I really hate Ryoto. No, hate is the wrong word. I despise him. I used to, at least. I hated how hemented over himself or thought how unfortunate he was. Bitch, do you know how many people there are who are more unfortunate than you!!! *Breaths in* *Breaths out* Calm down, Karen, control your anger. That way, you can use it against everyone you want whenever you want. Where was I? Ah yes, Ryoto. If not for his emotions filter, he would cry in his room all day, or maybe he would do the same thing as he did in his previous life. I don''t know, and I don''t care. What I care about, however, is my entertainment. The first mission was one of the bests. Bully Maguire, ssic. Later I tried to power up him a bit, giving him quests with abilities or gacha tickets as a reward. It won''t be fun if he loses the whole time or just dies. In the case of his death, I would lose my job, and what''s more important my paycheck, and we can''t be having that. The worst part was when I gave him a quest by ident. I needed to go to a fucking therapy because I miss clicked. I was so angry I sent the first five therapists to treatment, and I didn''t even do that much. I just told them the story of my life. Unfortunately, they gave up before I got to the fun part. It went like that until thest one. He taught me a lot of tricks. He also tried to exin Ryoto''s point of view as well, but whatever. I decided to be a bit nicer, and it helped. Ryoto was turning into somehow human, but I was close to my limit. I was losing it, and at any moment, I would explode. I can''t count how many times I was about to give him a mission like ''Kill Rito'' or ''Fuck Haruna while Rito watches'' or the best one ''Fuck genderbend Rito while Haruna watches''. They sound so fucking interesting or at least more interesting than whatever he was doing. Singing ''Cindere'' was fun, though. I then started enjoying violence. Yes, violence is great. It solves all of the problems, and if it doesn''t, you don''t use enough violence. Now you may be asking why I''m trying so hard. That''s easy to answer. If I''m going to be stuck with him, he should at least be tolerable. That''s why I''m trying to get him a therapist or something simr. I don''t want to feel his depressed feelings. They make me angry. Right now, he''s talking with Rito, so I have some time to speak with you. And that''s the situation. Now help the old friend, Truck-San." Truck-San: "Don''t call me old. I''m forever 18." Karen: "Yeah, and I find Ryoto attractive. What other lies we''re telling ourselves?" I took a sip of my tea. God damn, how is she making tea this good? Truck-San: "Did youe here to ask me for help or just to make fun of me?" Karen: "Can''t I do both?" Truck-San looked at me smiling with her eyes closed. Karen: "Ok, ok, sorry. You''re forever 18." God damn, that old hag is scary. When I was a child, she was forever 18, and I don''t want to say how much time has passed since then. Plus, she has two kids and a husband! Karen: "By the way, how are your children and husband?" Truck-San: "They are doing great. My daughter has found someone she likes and stalks him. She had her first kill not long ago, which was the boy she loves. Ah, how romantic~. Reminds me of my husband and me when we were younger." She put her hand on her cheek. Truck-San: "She even asked me for advice. She is so precious." I can only pray for the poor guy. I don''t even know him, and I wouldn''t probably like him, but being the target of affection of this family is hell. Truck-San: "I even gave my husband a mission like in the old times." Oh, so now you''re old. Can you decide!!!? Truck-San: "But back in topic. From what I heard, it could be a lot worse. You could get some hero wannabe who wants to be the best like no one ever was." Karen: "Nah, it would be fun to mess with his/hers dream. Ryoto, on the other hand, just lives from one day to the other. To his credit, he trains to be ready for whatever world is going to throw at him bute on." Truck-San was drinking her tea as she listened to my rumbling. Truck-San: "Are you one of these people who hate bleach because the main character doesn''t have a goal?" Karen: "No, I didn''t even watch bleach." Truck-San: "Nevermind then. So what did you want from me? Because I don''t think you came to me just to rant about your job. I hope not because I''m sure that I lost a few brain cells because of it." Karen: "At least 50% of why I''m telling you this is because I''m not nning on suffering alone. The other 50% is because I need help with the therapist, and I don''t have other friends." Truck-San: "I wonder why..." Karen: "Because I''m a bitch, and you are not better. I still remember how you got your husband." She shrugged her shoulders. Truck-San: "Doesn''t matter as long as he likes it in the end." Karen: "You''re a danger to society." Truck-San: "Don''t talk like you care about it. And, what did you need help with." Karen: "Therapist. Ryoto. Help. Now." Truck-San: "Sure." I stopped my hand, which was reaching to my pocket. Karen: "What?" Truck-San: "Sure, I''ll help you. I''m bored since my daughter and husband are out for a while now, and my son Truck-kun is a workaholic who doesn''te home often." Karen: "God damn, I wanted to ckmail you! Why can''t I have some fun? I even got these photos of you during puberty from your parents. Well, whatever, bye." For the first time, Truck-San widened her eyes in shock as I teleported back to my home. An rm I set to know when Ryoto called me set off, so it was my cue to disappear. Truck-San: "What!? Wait, Karen! You, God damn bitch!!!" Truck-San then smiled softly. Truck-San: "I just got a great idea, fufufufu." --- END Discord server: Chapter 46: Another day Chapter 46: Another day (Ryoto''s pov) Ryoto: "Now that I think about it, where''s L?" Mikan: "She went to Haruna, but she will return soon. Pervert." Ryoto: "Hey, that''s not why I asked." Mikan gave me that look when she didn''t believe me. Well, whatever. Now that I got a gacha ticket, I was thinking about using my lucky charm to get something OP. ''Hey, Karen... Karen!!!'' Strange, she usually answers right away. ''If you love children, say nothing.'' Karen: "Over my dead body! Who likes these little devils!? Have you seen them!?" ''Oh, so you are still here.'' Karen: "Why do you sound disappointed?" ''You imagine things. I wanted to ask if my lucky charm would work on the system lottery?'' Karen: "It doesn''t work on it." ''I knew it would be too easy. Need to think about some other use for that. In that case, just use the ticket.'' A big wheel started spinning inside my head. It was spinning for a while, and it stopped on ''Ripping your clothes by flexing muscles'' ability. ''Hell yeah!'' Karen: "Why are you happy. It''s useless." ''Karen Karen Karen, you don''t understand. Now I can easily use intimidation tactic.'' Karen: "But couldn''t you just grab someone by their neck and loft them up? It''s just as effective if not more than ripping your clothes off." ''But not as fun.'' Karen: "You know that you''ll go bankrupt if you continuously destroy your shirts and pants." ''That''s why I need some kind of ie, and that''s why I need Zastin.'' --- L return not long after Rito. She had her default smile on her face. I wonder what they talked about. All present, atst, we ate dinner. Surprisingly Kowalski had a device that repaired the wall. Apparently, Skipper ordered him to build such a machine in case he did something stupid. During the night, L and I exercised for a long time. She tasted my yogurt for the first time and took a liking to it, so we tested out some new positions. Thanks to my increased stamina, I managed to survive with the strength to spare. I slept once again an hour. I think I don''t have enough sleep. Maybe I should sleep at the nurse''s office today. Thankfully today, Japanese, English, and Maths are one after another, and I don''t need to be on them since I can ace them without even trying. I''ll get about three hours of sleep. I woke up L, and we started to get ready after some cuddling. She really likes to do it. As soon as I entered the ssroom and Haruna locked her eyes with mine, she turned red and turned her head. I think I know what L and Haruna talked about yesterday. They are close friends, after all. I looked then at Risa and walked up to her. Ryoto: "Hey Risa, how was your day yesterday? Mine was fun. I fought an alien nanny, flew through the wall destroying it in the process, and made a friend/brother. It was interesting, to say at least." Risa had an awkward smile and pointed at herself. Risa: "Was it perhaps my fault?" Ryoto: "Yes and no. Jugemu was after me, but you revealed my name to him?" Risa: "Jugemu?" Ryoto: "The fish guy, but it''s not important now. What I want to say is that I do not me y-" Risa stopped me before I finished. Risa: "Stop right there! I know when I''m at fault, and I should realize that you ignore me for a reason. That''s why have a feel." She opened her arms, showing off her breast. I just looked at her in disbelief. Ryoto: "Are you for real?" Risa: "Yes, just do it, or are you scared?" She said teasingly. She is pretty sure I''m not going to do it and thinks that she has me in checkmate, but she doesn''t realize that while she''s ying checkers, I''m ying chess. Plus, I''m too tired to deal with this, so I just grabbed her left boob and informed Rito, L, and our teacher that I''ll go to the nurse''s office. Risa''s brain didn''t even register what I did until I walked out of the ssroom. In the nurse''s office, Ryouko teased me about how nice was it to be young and such. I mean, she is correct, but it doesn''t make it better. What''s worse, I''ll need to ask her for more pills at some point in the future, and I can already imagine her smirk. I slept for some time until someone barged into the room with a loud voice. Yui: "Ryoto Yuuki!!! I heard that you were skipping sses!!!" I woke up annoyed. I probably slept for two hours or less since I asked Ryouko to wake me up during break between 3rd and 4th ss. Ryoto: "Kotegawa, I know that it''s your duty and all to keep everyone in check or whatever, but I really need to sleep at least one more hour." I thenid down once more and covered myself with a duvet. It was, however, quickly taken away from me by Yui. Yui: "Don''t go back to sleep! As a student, you have a duty to study. If you didn''t sleep enough, it was your fault to not n your sleep schedule well enough." Ryoto: "True. Counterpoint, however." I flexed my muscles ripping off my shirt. Ryoto: "As you see, I can''t go to ss without my uniform. It would be shameless." Yui started turning red as she observed my naked chest and abs. Yui: "W-what are you doing, you SHAMELESS!!!" She tried to p me, but I avoided it. After it, she looked at her hand and then at me as if I''d broken some kind of rule. She then realized that my upper body was naked and ran away. Ryoto: "You know that you saw more at the beach, right?" But she didn''t hear myst words, probably thinking of how to straighten my behavior, but I didn''t care enough about it at the moment as I went back to sleep. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 47: Getting started Chapter 47: Getting started (Ryoto''s pov) I slept well enough, and nothing unusual happened in school. I needed to wear my gym clothes throughout the entire day. I was questioned about it a few times, and I just answered that my uniform couldn''t handle my muscles. I got a few strange looks that day. Rin was also spying on me again. Saki probably ordered her to do it, and she couldn''t refuse. I ignored her for most of the time, but I would wave at her from time to time be it was fun seeing her panic. After school, I finally met with Zastin at my dad''s apartment and exined my n to Zastin. Zastin: "So you want my help to draw manga? Why?" I took a piece of paper a pen, made an attempt to draw a human, and showed it Zastin. He looked at it and nodded. Zastin: "I understand." Karen: "Pft-. I''m starting to like him." A single small tear rolled down my cheek. I exined the story''s plot I wanted to make while Zastin listened carefully. After I finished, Zastin opened his mouth to say. Zastin: "I''m very ttered that you think so highly of my skill, but I''m still working as an assistant for Saibai-sensei." Dad then entered the room. Saibai: "What are you saying!? That''s your chance, and you need to take it!" Zastin: "But what about your work? Without me, you won''t be able to finish on time this week!" Saibai: "Do you really think so little of me. We''ll be able to do it with a bit of gut and willpower, so Zastin, follow your dream." Dad put his hand on Zastin''s shoulder while giving him a thumb up. He also closed one of his eyes and showed a confident smile. Zastin seeing this started crying and wiped out his tears. Zastin: "Thank you very much! I won''t let you down! I''ll show you that with my art, I''ll reach people''s hearts!" Saibai: "That''s what I wanted to hear. Now go, make your dreamse true!" Zastin: "Yes!" I feel like I''m watching a movie or something. Afterward, I went through more details of my story to Zastin, and he gave me some of his ideas to improve the plot as well. I excused myself when I believed we went over the most important details. Home I trained my water bending as it slowly became a habit, and it started going somewhere. I had begun having a little control over water. Moving it was bing easier and easier with eaching day, but more difficult techniques were still out of my reach. I didn''t even start training fire bending since I don''t have a good ce for that. --- Two weeks have passed, and I could finally perform someplex techniques during that time. Creating ''tsunami'', Water bullet, Water cloak, to name a few. I also could turn water into ice and vice versa. Zastin was finally done with a manuscript. I was also sleep-deprived, and it shows, but it wasn''t because of the manga. Zastin: "Ryoto-dono, is everything alright? As ofte, you seem tired." Ryoto: "Let''s just say that I finally know what it means to drown after being thirsty after a long time." Zastin obviously didn''t understand but didn''t pursue the answer any further. One of the mysteries is how L wasn''t tired. I was the one who ''outperformed'' her every time, but somehow I''m the one getting tired. And it''s not because L wasn''t active. On the contrary, sometimes, she was the one doing more. Today Zastin and I were walking to submit our manga. Strangely there is Shounen Jump and even Dragon ball but not other famous manga. I also checked Americanics, but they weren''t worth looking through. There wasn''t Marvel or DC in this world. After some discussion, we decided to present our manga to Shounen Jump. Thankfully their headquarters aren''t that far from where we live. The closer we got, the more my spider senses were warning me about something. I felt like I should run away as soon as possible, so I became cautious. That feeling was at its peak. I would run away, but Zastin had stars in his eyes, and I couldn''t take away his dream after I was the one who gave him hope to achieve it, so I sucked it up and went inside. __________ *PING* *NEW QUEST* Mission: "How to be mangaka" Objective 1: Start publishing your manga Reward: 70 SP, 1 gacha ticket Failure: You be so sensitive that even a touch can make you orgasm Duration of punishment: one week __________ Currently, we are waiting for an editor to look for a manuscript. As we were sitting in a room, my awful feeling was getting stronger. As soon as the door opened, my hair stood on end. Akiho: "Sorry for beingte. You won''t believe how crazy it is today." She then looked at me, and her smile widened while I was thinking how should I get out of this situation but to my surprise, she didn''t do anything and just sat in front of us. Akiho: "So I see that you''ve brought your manuscript. Can I take a look?" Zastin: Y-yes, please have a read." Akiho took the pages and started reading in silence. Zastin was getting nervous because she made noments whatsoever. After she was done reading, she started looking through the manuscript from the beginning. At this point, Zastin could faint at any moment. That''s the best swordsman on Devilike and royal family bodyguard everybody. After her second read, she put down the pages of our manga and looked at us with a serious expression. I think that''s the first time I''m seeing her like that. Akiho: "I''m going, to be honest with you..." Zastin was sweating, but as soon as Akiho said these words, she smiled. Akiho: "...This manga has a lot of potential. The idea is unique and fun. It even has a great massage presented in the first chapter, and if you y it right, it can be one of the juggernauts of the industry. It makes me excited to think how it''ll turn out. But I''ve noticed that you haven''t decided on a title. If I can be so bold..." Ryoto: "Actually, we do have a title ready." I stopped Akiho from finishing whatever she wanted to say. Akiho: "And what''s the title then?" She asked curiously. Ryoto: "Spectacr Spider-man." --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 48: Turning point Chapter 48: Turning point (Ryoto''s pov) __________ *PING* *QUEST COMPLETED* Reward: 70 SP, 1 gacha ticket __________ Shounen Jump epted our manuscript as a one-shot, and we''ll see how it goes from here. Zastin used his name as his pen name, and I, of course, couldn''t choose anything other than Stan Lee. Zastin questioned me why I chose it of all the names. I answered that it was the name of someone I have great respect for. Days went on. Days turned to weeks, and weeks became a month. During that time, ''The Spectacr Spider-man'' one-shot was published in the magazine, and it met with great sess, and a series was demanded a serialization. Zastin and I were overjoyed and went to work right away. The worst part of my work was meeting Akiho more often. Fortunately, she didn''t do anything to me and acted professionally. Even with all that, I didn''t drop my guard. Thest time I did was the time I almost lost something important. I wasn''t tired anymore because of my love life since I got ''Hentai protagonist stamina B''. It only worked in bed, though. I could go on and on with L, and no matter how long I would sleep afterward, I would feel refreshed and ready to go. It solved one of my problems. Even better is that it doesn''t increase my lust, so I don''t have increased needs. I won''t die or anything if I''m not having sex for a week or something. On the other hand, I gained a new problem. Risa started to avoid me. It wasn''t evident at first, but as she was acting as usual when everyone was around, as soon as we were left alone, she would suddenly have something to do. It took me some time to notice, but I started thinking why she started behaving like that when I did. Was it because I grabbed her boob? She said that I could, so I don''t know why she would be angry about it. I also got the title ''Sex maniac''. I should feel ashamed that I was doing it so often that I got this title, but I only feel pride. I was being spied on for thest month. I think Saki may be a stalker with too much money, the most dangerous kind of stalker. I didn''t do anything to her spies since they weren''t doing anything harmful to me. I yed tricks on them a few times, though... My training was progressing... with bending, I mean. I still can''t figure out the deal with Haki and what''s holding me back. However, the good news is that Celine loves my water bending and the tricks I do with water. I also could finally turn water into ice and started learning ice techniques. Once during a full moon, I tried to water bend, and I could feel the difference in power I could muster. Good to know that moon affects my water bending as well. I''ll need to be careful of a lunar eclipse. Everything was going fantastic. Having nightmares were negligible right now. I don''t even sleep that long, and I''m not tired. They''re annoying at best, but I''m still anticipating the therapy Karen promised me. I am a little scared, but Karen improved a little, and maybe I should trust her this one time... __________ *PING* *NEW QUEST* Mission: "Repairing a broken boy" Objective 1: ??? Reward: 10 000 SP, A summoning scroll (You won''t need mist of understanding), 1 ability upgrade (random), 1 of Karen''s embarrassing secrets, something interesting will happen Failure: You will stay a broken boy Duration of punishment: Until you''re cured Description: "Multiverse is a big ce, and somewhere there is a person who can help Ryoto with his problems. As his issues areplicated, he will be sent to his universe and live there until hepletes the objective. He will be ced there with a ready identity and even a monthly allowance. While outside his home universe, the time will be stopped. During the quest, Ryoto will be deaged by 1-2 years. All of the wounds and scars obtained during the mission will be present after returning. All acquired skills and strengths will also transfer back. After going back, there is possibly toe back with shop items. Time in other universes can be different, so be cautious. P.S. I know that you''re calling me old behind my back, Karen, and good luck Ryoto :) __________ ''What!?'' Karen: "WHAT!!!? Does this old bitch thinks that she can y with me like that!!!? Does she realize what kind of damage I can do to her!!!? Does she realize who she fucks with!!!?" ''Karen, what is the meaning of this?'' Karen: "When a bitch wants something to do, she''ll do it even if she''ll make enemies on the way..." I started losing my cool. ''Karen, what. Is. Meaning. Of. This!'' Karen: "*Sigh* I asked for help with the problem you''re having. It looks bad now, but I can promise that the results will be amazing. One time I wanted her help with hooking up with someone, and she embarrassed me in front of him, so I didn''t have a chance. Later I found out that he was a douchebag. The moral of this story is it will be bad, but the oue will be great." She is a little early, though... or did I forget to tell her when to start?" ''I don''t like that, I don''t like that at all. And why is objective unknown? It''s a fucking objective! How can Iplete it without knowing it!? It''s not a secret bonus objective but a main one!!! While your embarrassing secret is tempting but what is ''something interesting''!? Karen: "Knowing her, it could be anything. It can be something mildly interesting like funny-looking rock or anything else, really. ckhole spawning near Earth, alien invasion, a world with reversed gender roles. I don''t know, and we won''t know until youplete your objective." I cursed for a few minutes straight until I calmed down a bit while Karen was waiting patiently for me. Karen: "Better?" ''No, but what can I do? At least something good wille from this, and time will be stopped. So what now?'' Karen: "Now be ready for a transfer." ''What, wai-!!!'' --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 49: The new beginning Chapter 49: The new beginning (Ryoto''s pov) After I vanished in bright light, I woke up in an unfamiliar apartment... alone. Bad thoughts starteding to me, all bad scenarios and possible bad endings. Karen was the one who ''pped'' me out of the spiral of thoughts. Karen: "Ryoto!!! Wake up! Don''t start being depressed, god damn it!" ''Right... right, thanks, Karen.'' Karen: "Ok, now that I have your attention, I have some useful information that you would like to hear. Your name is the same as it was before, and you''re transferring to Kunugigaoka junior high school 3-E. As it was described, your body is designed to fit in the ssroom. Your powers are the same as they were before, and strength didn''t change at all. There is a map of the way to school on a table. Your parents don''t exist in this world, but everyone thinks they work overseas and you live alone while they send you money. You get enough to feed and entertain yourself, and you don''t need to pay for the apartment, ''parents'' pay for it. I could forget some things, but you''ll figure it out... eventually." ''Did you say 3-E?'' Karen: "Yep." ''Doesn''t that mean that...'' Karen: "The help is a certain teacher that is overqualified for his job and underpaid like an intern." ''I need some time to process it, but first, you''re taking it really well.'' Karen: "What do you mean?" ''Well, one of the rewards is your secret, and you''re not freaking out.'' Karen: "Oh, that. I don''t believe she has anything like that. Nope, not possible. Why? Because I don''t have any secrets. I''m like an open book." She sounds like she is in denial. After a short talk, I explored my new home for the next few months... I think. The objective is a little clearer now. At the desk in my new room were a pair of web-shooters. I walked up to them slowly, scared that they were just my imagination, and when I''d grab them, they''d disappear. I used my shaking hands to hold them and hugged them tightly while some tears wereing from my eyes. They were the web-shooters that L made for me, and the only time I was without them was during my sleep. Thank god I at least can have them with me. The next day after a night of sleep, I dressed up in my school uniform. The night felt... cold and lonely. For the first time in a few months, I slept alone. I felt sad, but the only thing I could do was keep moving forward. I looked at the moon, which still didn''t vanish after the night ended. Before I started doing anything, I dressed up in my new uniform and turned on the TV to have something to listen to as I''d make myself something to eat. NEWS: "The moon!! About 70% of it has mysteriously disappeared in an explosion!! We will only be able to see the crescent moon for the rest of our lifetime!!" I ignored the news and started making breakfast. Afterward, I ate it, which was nowhere near as good as Mikan''s, took the map, and went to school. ''Hey Karen, am I a transfer student, or will everyone think that I was always their ssmate?'' Karen: "Transfer student and from the beginning ss 3-E. The story is that you were introduced yesterday. People from the main campus will look down on you... hard." ''To be honest, I don''t care about their opinions. I just want toplete the quest ande back as fast as I can.'' Karen: "Do you even remember why you are here?" ''I know, but... just when I started epting my life as it was and this happened. I don''t know what to think, and the only thought in my head is how to return.'' Karen: "...I''m not good at cheering up people, and I''m not going to do it. Ryoto, you are overthinking. Enjoy your time here, and don''t worry about anything else. Time is stopped in your homeworld. Did you forget? Go to school, study, make friends... or not! Just do what you want. No one is holding you back here. No family, no friends, only you and the voice in your head." Karen was unusually trying to raise my spirit with no sess. ''I want to go back...'' Karen: "...Listen here, you little shit!" ''Okay, okay, sorry. I''ll try, okay?'' The way to school wasn''t long or difficult... for me, at least. To get to the old campus where my ss was, I needed to go up the mountain. It was only one kilometer long ago I didn''t even break a sweat. Up the hill was a worn-down school building. It was made of wood. I walked into the ssroom and was greeted by my ssmates. I, of course, returned the greeting and sat at my desk. It was the protagonist''s seat by the window. I didn''t talk with anyone and sat there in silence. Kaede: "Good morning Yuuki-kun." The one who spoke to me was Kaede Kayano, a liar just like me. Kayano: "Good morning, Kayano-San." Kaede was the only one who tried to be a little more upbeat than the others. The rest of the ss was gloomy-looking. No wonder, really. We all were currently in ss 3-E, also known as End-ss. This ss consisted of students who either failed to keep their grades up or were punished for breaking school regtions. There are 28 students plus me. Kaede: "Did you hear about today''s announcement? I wonder what it is." Ryoto: "Knowing this ss, probably assassination request." I said indifferently with my head resting on one of my hands. Kaede looked at me and didn''t know how to respond. She decided tough it off, thinking that I was joking. 10 minutester, a man dressed in a ck business suit with a white shirt and ck tie entered the ssroom, drawing all the students'' attention. He had spiky ck hair and piercing dark eyes. He was tall and possessed a muscr build. Besides him, there was a pair of armed people with the same clothing as him and a bipedal, yellow octopus-looking creature. The creature had an always present smile on his face and had multiple tentaclesing from his body. He was wearing a ck academic dress, a small ck squarish academic cap with a yellow tassel, and arge ck tie with a yellow crescent-shaped moon on it. Octopus?: "Nice to meet you. I''m the one who blew up the moon. I also n to blow up the Earth next year. Seeing as I''ve be your homeroom teacher, I look forward to working with you." No one knew how to react, so we all were waiting for some kind of exnation. The one who took this task on himself was... Tadaomi: "I am Karasuma from the ministry of defense. First of all, I would like you to understand that what I''m about to say is ssified government information. Now cutting straight to the point. I want you to kill this monster!!" Everyone was dumbfounded by this revtion except one person who didn''t look away from the yellow creature. Karasuma exined the situation to us. About how the world''s leaders tried to kill the monster but failed because of his incredible speed and dexterity. The creature made a proposal to the nation of the world that if he became a teacher for Kunugigaoka junior high school, ss 3-E, then the students ts are wee to try. The only condition was that he couldn''t harm the students. The reward for the sessful assassination would be 10 billion yen. At the sound of the reward, the whole ss had a yen symbol in their eyes, and that increased their enthusiasm. The government gifted us special made weapons that could only hurt our target. Knofrs seemed to be rubber, and bullets looked and felt stic. That was the beginning of my assassination ssroom. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 50: First day as an assassin Chapter 50: First day as an assassin (Ryoto''s pov) Yesterday my ss got a new teacher, but that doesn''t make any difference for me, since yesterday was my first day at school. The ''fun'' part is that we need to kill our teacher. After the ss ended, I returned to my empty apartment. I needed to the grocery store first. It was Mikan who usually did this, and she was the one cooking for the whole family. Now I am forced to eat my terrible homemade food. I miss them already *Sigh*. Maybe I should learn to cook? I''ll surprise Mikan when I return. I chuckled at my thought. It''s not a bad idea. --- The next day I woke up trying to hug L, but of course, there wasn''t anyone in my bed. It will be hard to get used to it. As I was brushing my teeth, I looked into the mirror. My expression that was getting better and better is now gone. I look indifferent, contrary to my usual smiling face. You genuinely don''t know how much something means to you until you lose it. Maybe I should fake my mood like I used to do? Why bother, though. I''m tired of pretending. I did my usual morning routine and went to school. On the way there, I met up with Kaede. Kaede: "Good morning Yuuki-kun. Are you also taking this way to school?" Ryoto: "Good morning Kayano-San. Yes, I live nearby, so that''s the way I''m usually taking." Kaede: "What a coincidence, my home is not a long way from here as well." The conversation stopped for a moment as I didn''t choose to continue it, but Kaede seemed to have other ns. Kaede: "Hey Yuuki-kun, can I ask you something?" Ryoto: "Sure." Kaede: "Are you blind?" Ryoto: "Huh?" Kaede: "I mean, you didn''t open your eyes yesterday or the day before." Ryoto: "No, I''m not blind. I can see better than most, actually." Kaede: "Really? Then how many fingers I''m showing you?" She raised three fingers. Ryoto: "Three." She then quickly changed it to four fingers. Ryoto: "Now it''s four." She tried it for a while while we were still walking. We didn''t have a fast pace as we had still a lot of time before school began. She kept the conversation alive. And asked me many questions, about me, my family, my hobbies and so on. I answered them truthfully besides the questions about the family. I needed to have my story make sense after all. Kaede: "I also noticed that you have a pair of essories on both of your wrists." Ryoto: "You''re quite observant, Kayano-San. They are a gift from someone very important to me, and I don''t feelfortable without them." My voice instinctively softened as I spoke about my web-shooters, and so did my expression. Kaede widened her eyes as she and the rest of the ss only saw me being apathetic. I also touched one of them, ensuring they were still on my wrists. Kaede: "So you can make this kind of face as well, huh?" Ryoto: "Were you trying to get a reaction out of me?" Kaede: "No, but it was a nice surprise. By the way, what do you think about our whole situation?" Ryoto: "Nothing really, either we can kill him, or we die." Kaede scratched her cheek as sheughed awkwardly. Kaede: "Haha... You don''t pull your punches." We arrived at school and inside. Roma gave me a strange look, but I didn''t bother with him. As our teacher took attendance, we were shooting at him. We weren''t able to hit even once. Some studentsined that he would not be harmed even if we hit him. He then attempted to demonstrate that they would be very effective against him. As he was about to shoot at his tentacle, I loaded my gun and was ready to shoot simultaneously to hide the sound of my gun, and I did precisely that, but our teacher managed to dodge it, but he looked a bit shocked at my action. He quickly recovered, though, and praised me for my effort. Later Kaede gave him the name Koro-sensei. Today we were writing poems, and we needed to finish end it with ''tentacles'' in thest seven sybles. As soon as we finished it, we could go home. Nagisa was the first to finish and walked up to Koro-sensei with a hidden knife. His attempt failed, but he encircled his hand around sensei, and Ryoma pressed something blowing up branded that was hidden in an amulet hanging around Nagisa''s neck. It looked like he almost seeded, but Koro-sensei dodged it and was in the corner of the ssroom. His face color changed to pitch ck, showing how angry he truly was. He then flew outside and collected all of the students'' temtes from their houses. Mine was there too, but I wasn''t scared as the rest of the ss. I don''t have a family here after all. Ryoma, on the other hand, was almost pissing himself. Koro-sensei then proceeded to praise the idea and especially Nagisa''s performance. However, Ryoma and his goons were scolded. After school, I started packing myself as I wanted to go home andy for a bit. I don''t have the motivation for training. Maybe next week I''ll start again. I was stopped by Ryoma, though. I felt slightly annoyed but didn''t show it. Ryoma: "Hey, transfer student! We need to talk!" I was impressed that he could talk like that after being scared by our teacher. Ryoto: "What is it?" Ryoma: "Your attitude, it pisses me off, and why the hell are your eyes always closed!? Can''t open them, huh!?" I frowned at hisment. Ryoto: "What is your problem? We are both in the same ss, and you want to make enemies inside too. Don''t you have enough of them in the main building?" Ryoma: "As if you understand what that means. You transferred directly to this ss two days ago. You hadn''t got hard like us!" He barked at me. What is his problem? Ryoma: "But your parents must be really proud of you to be already in the worst ss from the beginning, hahahahaha!" He made fun of me, and I usually would ignore him, especially in my current condition, but something snapped... --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 51: Snap Chapter 51: Snap (3rd pov) The school ended just a few minutes ago, so everyone was still in the ssroom witnessing Ryoma annoying Ryoto. Some students wanted nothing to do with this, and others wanted to interfere as Terasaka startedughing, but Ryoto, a target, changed his expression from indifferent to emotionless. The defense was subtle, but more observant students noticed it. The air around Ryoto changed, bing cold, saying that you''ll get hurt if you go near him. As Ryoma wasughing together with Takuya and Taisei, Ryoto got up and slowly headed towards their group. He stopped in front of Ryoma, ''looking'' him in the eyes. They were the same height, 180 cm. Ryoma: "What do you want!?" Ryoma didn''t back of even if he is usually the taller one. He thought that he still had an advantage. After all, there are three on his side, and Ryoto is alone, plus Ryoma is bulkier than the one in front of him. Clothes can hide muscles quite well. Ryoto didn''t answer him. Instead, he reached to Ryoma''s uniform cor with one hand, lifted him up, and mmed against the wall. Ryoma: "Guagh!!" It caught everyone''s attention, even those who wanted to ignore the conflict. It also worried them. No one knew Ryoto''s personality. He could very well be a violent person, and if he is, Ryoma is in trouble. Ryoto could easily break the wall with Ryoma''s body, but he held back significantly. It didn''t even look like he struggled with having 77 kg Ryoma up in the air. He looked extremely calm, terrifyingly so. Ryoma tried to break free from Ryoto''s grasp, but he was unsessful. Even while using both of his hands. Takuya and Taisei wanted to help him, but Ryoto was unmoving. He just stood there ''looking'' at Ryoma while lifting him up by the uniform shirt. Megu: "Somone call the teacher!" The one who spoke was Megu Kataoka. She is the female ss representative and is level headed individual. She noticed that Ryoto wouldn''t be easily stopped and probably wouldn''t listen to anyone at the moment, so she decided it was best to call for a teacher. Tomohito: "On it!" Tomohito Sugino, a former baseball club member. He is probably the most athletic student at the moment, and that''s why he volunteered to run to the faculty office. As soon as Tomohito exited the ssroom, Ryoto started talking calmly. Ryoto: "You know, I like to think of myself as a calm person. I don''t get angry too often. Annoyed? Sometimes but not angry. There aren''t even people I hate. But there are a few things that I hate to hear, and you just said them. Maybe I would let it go, but thest two days weren''t the kindest to me, so you''re just unlucky that you picked on me while I''m in a bad mood. And hey, I get it. You like to feel powerful by bullying the weak, but this time you chose not only the wrong person but also the wrong time." His rage was building up, and he raised his voice a bit with each iing word. Ryoto: " But let me tell you. Do you think that I chose my parents or they chose me!!!" *m* Ryoto mmed Ryoma against the wall. Ryoto: "Do you think that I wanted to ever bother them!!! I tried, I really did, but nothing came out of it, never!!! At the end of my efforts there was always a big, fat, nothing!!!" Ryoto opened his eyes, showing blue-colored non-human eyes, shocking everyone in the ss. Ryoma on the other hand was scared. In Ryoto''s eyes he could see rage directed at him. Ryoto: "There are a lot of scary things in this world, but I can promise you, they will be like puppies after I''m done with you!" Ryoto squeezed Ryoma''s shirt a bit harder, ready for whatever he was nning, but as he was about to do something and most of the ssmates looked away, but the only thing they heard was their teacher''s voice. Koro-sensei: "I think that''s enough, Yuuki-kun." Ryoto turned to Koro-sensei, who lit his tentacle on his shoulder. He was surprised by Ryoto''s eyes, but he put away all the questions and focused on fixing the current situation. Koro-sensei: "I don''t know what Terasaka-kun said to you to make you so angry, but you''re all ssmates and should get along or at least not hate each other, so please put him down, for now, and we''ll try to resolve this conflict." Ryoto: "How about you''ll let me do what I want, and I''ll break only a few of his bones and stop at that." Ryoto said with a smile. It was terrifying how someone could say something so threatening with a smile on his face. Koro-sensei: "Yuuki-kun, your target in the assassination is me and not your fellow ssmates." This time it was Karasuma who entered the ssroom. The first thing he noticed was how easily Ryoto was lifting up Ryoma and the second was Ryoto''s unusual eyes. Tadaomi: "Ryoto-kun, drop him down, now." Ryoto: "Can I climb a little higher first? I don''t think it will do enough damage from this height." Karasuma''s gaze sharpened at his answer. Tadaomi: "Drop him now, or you''ll lose the right to get the reward. Let me tell you, all of you, the only one who you can hurt is this... thing." Karasuma pointed at Koro-sensei, who usually would protest being called a thing was quiet. The situation is too serious. Tadaomi: "You''re not allowed to harm students. That''s the rule that not only applies to him but all of you as well." Ryoto narrowed his glowing blue eyes and released his grip, dropping Ryoma, who needed to take a few deep breaths, in the process. Ryoma looked at Ryoto in fear, but Ryoto wasn''t focusing his attention on Ryoma anymore. It was shifted to Karasuma. Ryoto: "Done, happy now? Because I''m not." Ryoto walked towards his desk to get his backpack. He wasn''t nervous, as if he didn''t do anything wrong. Tadaomi: "Come to the faculty office." Ryoto was stopped by Karasuma once more. He calmed a bit after he put down Ryoma and was able to think more clearly. Ryoto: "Understood." That is the only thing Ryoto answered and left shortly after checking his backpack. This left the whole ss in various emotions. Most of them were scared, but there were. Also, individuals who were curious or even worried. As the students were digesting the situation, Ryoto was sitting in front of Karasuma and Koro-sensei. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 52: Talk with the teachers Chapter 52: Talk with the teachers (3rd pov) After Ryoto left, a ssroom was silent. No one knew what should they do. Should they just leave, talk about what happened, maybe peek into the teacher''s room and eavesdrop on their conversation. Some wanted to do that for sure. Ryoma and his goons left the ssroom as well while cursing under his breath. He was clearly angry, but an earlier event made him scared enough not to bully anyone, at least today. There was silence once again after one of the central figures of the event left. Rio: "So anyone has any idea what that was about?" Rio Nakamura broke the silence and asked the question everyone wanted to ask, but unfortunately, no one knew the answer. Ryoto was not only a new student, but he wasn''t social as well. He didn''t care about anyone in the ss, and he never started the conversation. He answered if asked, but that''s all. He often responded in a way that would be difficult to continue unless you really wanted, except... Everyone turned their heads to Kaede, who was sitting near Ryoto and was seen talking with him. She also came to the ssroom with him today, so if anyone had the answers, she would be the one. Kaede, clearly frustrated by the sudden attention she got, didn''t know what to say and mumbled at some words. Megu: "Ok, everyone, calm down. Give her some time and space." The ss imed down thanks to Megu but still waited for the answers. Kaede: "I don''t know much, but from what I know, he is living alone because his parents work overseas. He also has someone he dearly misses. I don''t know much more." Kaede tried to exin what she knew, but she had known him for only two days. Kayano was indeed the one who talked the most with Ryoto, but it didn''t mean he opened himself to her. This is not only Ryoto, though, because who would open themselves after only two days of knowing someone. Rio: "So we don''t know why he snapped. I mean, we can guess it was something to do with his parents, but nothing more, so Terasaka pushed the wrong buttons. What was interesting were Yuuki''s eyes. Biology is not my best subject, but I can tell they weren''t human." Hinano: "They not only not looked human but also didn''t look like an animal''s eyes as well. They were more mechanical, to be honest." Hinano Kurahashi added. Her best subject was biology and deemed about bing zoologist, so she knew a lot about animals, so if she says that Ryoto''s eyes were nothing like animal''s, then no one could question it. Taiga: "Is he then an alien or something like sensei?" Hiroto: "Well, he transferred to our ss around the same time sensei came." Kaede raised her hand hesitantly. Kaede: "I don''t think that''s the case." Rio: "And why is that?" Kaede: "I''m not sure, just a feeling..." Rio: "Hmm~." Rio didn''t ask any more questions but looked at Kaede curiously. (Ryoto''s pov) As I walked towards the faculty office, I calmed down and rethought my actions while chopping up my knife. I didn''t regret what I did. I think I didn''t do enough, if nothing else. I should at least let him meet Mil-tan to teach him a lesson, but that would probably kick me out of the ss. Reward money doesn''t mean anything to me, but I still have a quest toplete. I don''t know what it is, but I have a pretty good guess. In all likelihood, it''s to graduate. Karen: "Hey! Is this thing on!?" ''Oh, hey Karen. What do you mean?'' Karen: "When you snapped, I called you a few times until I gave up and grabbed the popcorn and enjoyed the show. I was unfortunately disappointed by the ending. No broken bone, no scratches, not even psychological damage, just scared him a bit. " ''Thanks for asking how I''m doing.'' I said in sarcasm. Karen: "We both know that even if I asked, you wouldn''t bepletely truthful, so why bother? I know that you need time to get used to your new life, so I won''t give you any new quests for a while, not that I could do that too often anyway." ''What do you mean?'' Karen: "During the quests that take a long time toplete, I can give you up to three quests total, for now. If your system gets upgraded, that number can go up... maybe." ''I see. At least I''m not going to stress out about missions.'' Karen: "You can get titles, though, and while we are on the topic, you got a title. You probably didn''t even notice notification. You get the title ''Intimidating fe''. It makes you more intimidating when you want to be." ''Okay, but why is it called ''intimidating fe''?'' Karen: "I don''t know any words for an intimidating person..." ''Can you at least change it if you have a better idea?'' Karen: "Noted." (A/N Pst, that''s the part where you give me suggestions.) I entered the office and sat in front of Karasuma and Koro-sensei. I didn''t say anything, and they noticed that I didn''t n to talk on my own ord. Tadaomi: "So, care to exin anything?" Ryoto: "What can I say. My ssmate said something that he shouldn''t, and I snapped a bit." I exined calmly, but Karasuma wasn''t satisfied with my answer. Tadaomi: "Let me rephrase it then. What is with your strength and, most important, your eyes." Ryoto: "Ah, you meant that." I turned unusually serious for a moment, alerting both of them. Ryoto: "Gacha." My answer threw both of them off. Tadaomi: "Gacha?" Ryoto: "Yes, I spun a wheel and got the eyes and my strength." Karasuma had a ''are you serious face. If only he knew that I was telling the truth. He then mmed the desk that was separating us. Tadaomi: "It''s a serious matter, so answer seriously! Who or what are you?" I opened my eyes and looked at him. Ryoto: "At the moment, a human and a ss 3-E student who is learning under Koro-sensei, nothing more, nothing less." Tadaomi: "And what were you before then?" I paused for a moment and answered calmly. Ryoto: "A little bit happier." My answer shocked both of them, and there was silence once more. This time I decided to start talking on my own. Ryoto: "You may not believe me, but I''m not here to harm anyone even if my actions say otherwise. Terasaka just said something that made me lose control. Everyone has something they wouldn''t want to hear, even someone stoic like you or Koro-sensei. I''ll try to control myself in the future better. I would also like to keep it a secret. I wouldn''t want to be ab rat or something." Tadaomi: "Sorry, but I can''t do it. You are an unknown, and I need to report everything that happens in this ssroom." Koro-sensei wanted to say something, but I stopped him. I had a n, after all. Ryoto: "Guessed as much. How about a bet then?" It picked Karasuma''s interest. Tadaomi: "A bet?" Ryoto: "Yes, if I''ll be able to harm Koro-sensei in the next three days, you''ll keep quiet about this event, and if I fail, then you''ll do what you think is best. You can think about it in a way that if I''m useful, then you keep me around and if I''m not, then just threw me away." Green stripes appeared on Koro-sensei''s face. Koro-sensei: "You think that you can kill me that easily?" Ryoto: "No, but harming you is a lot easier." I then turned to Karasuma. Ryoto: "Do you ept my terms?" Karasuma was thinking deeply about my offer, considering the pros and cons of what I said. Tadaomi: "If you can do what you said, I''ll keep quiet for now, but the moment I seem you dangerous, our deal is off. You''ll also be under surveince as long as you''ll be part of this ssroom." Ryoto: "Sure, I can work with that." I then reach out my hand for Koro-sensei to shake. Ryoto: "Then Koro-sensei, I hope you''ll be ready for me." Koro-sensei still with green stripes on his face showing that he looks down on me. He then tried to shake my hand, but his tentacle melted as soon as he touched my hand. He instantly backed off as fast as he could, looking choked, and so was Karasuma. I then showed off my hand palm. There were pieces of an anti-sensei knife attached to the inside of my hand. As I did that, I smiled. Ryoto: "It concludes our bet then. See you tomorrow, sensei." I left as soon as I said it leaving both adults dumbfounded, but I could still hear thest thing Karasuma said to himself. Tadaomi: "...Did he just y me?" --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 53: Assasinations continue Chapter 53: Assasinations continue (Tadaomi''s pov) After Ryoto left, I was thinking carefully about my options. Should I keep my promise or not. I know it would be hical to do it, but he is a dangerous unknown thrown into another problem. He is strong and probably didn''t use all of his strength to lift up his ssmate. And there are his eyes. I don''t know if they just look different or there is anything more to them, and after this octopus showed up, nothing will surprise me. As I was deep in my thoughts, I felt a tentacle on my shoulder. I instantly tried to cut it down, but not only he avoided my attack, but he also took a knife from my hand with a folded piece of paper. Koro-sensei: "You don''t need to worry about Yuuki-kun too much, you know." Tadaomi: "And why do you say that?" Koro-sensei: "As his teacher, I need to take care of him after all, so he can grow splendidly. Plus, the look in his eyes reminded me of someone." In thest sentence, I could hear sorrow. Tadaomi: "Was that someone you met before or after you stopped being human?" Koro-sensei: "..." I didn''t get the answer, but I decided to observe Ryoto without notifying higher-ups, for now. Tadaomi: "Fine, I won''t report on him, but one wrong move and the military may be involved!" Koro-sensei: "I won''t let it happen." Heughed confidently. (Ryoto''s pov) I returned home happy that I could somehow defuse the bomb that I created by being too hot-headed. Before I went home, I stopped by a grocery store to buy some things. I looked at what was on sale as my money was limited. At home, I tried looking up some easy recipes I would try to make with the ingredients I bought today. If I could be so bold to say that I''m pretty good at following instructions, and that includes recipes as well. I don''t know what happened, but my food didn''t turn up as I wished to, but it wasn''t bad by any means but wasn''t good either. It was edible, and that''s all that matters. I''ll improve in the future... hopefully. --- The next day I woke up, as usual, did my morning routine, and walked to school. I met Kaede on my way to school. She was acting as usual with slight nervousness. I must say her acting is spectacr, but it takes one to know one, so she isn''t able to fool me. We talked about unimportant things while we walked. I humored her with the talk. Ryoto: "Can I ask you something? Why are you bothering with me? After yesterday, most of the ss will avoid me, and if you''re near me, the same will happen to you." Kaede was surprised by my question and thought about how she would answer. Kaede: "You remind me of myself a bit." This time I could tell that she was telling the truth. It shocked me, but I didn''tment on it. After a while, we arrived at the ssroom. As I walked into the ssroom, everyone turned to look at me. Only Terasaka flinched at my sight. The lessons went on as usual, with us trying to kill Koro-sensei as he dodges at superhuman speed. Tomohito Sugino tried to assassinate him with a thrown baseball with attached anti-sensei material. Throwing doesn''t generate sound, so he thought that he could surprise our sensei, but he underestimated his speed because as the ball was flying towards him, he not only caught it but also flew to a shack to get a catching glove. I observed it through the window. It was a good way to pass the time. Rio: "Hey, Ryoto? Are you listening?" Rio decided to bother me. She doesn''t seem to be scared of what I did yesterday. Izily turned to her, clearly showing my uninterest. Rio was unfazed by this and started talking to me with a smile. Rio: "Quite a show you made yesterday." Ryoto: "Of you want an autograph, you need to get in the line." Rio: "A joker, aren''t you, but luckily for you, I''m here just to sate my curiosity. So what''s the deal about your eyes? Do they hurt? Do you see in blue? How do you see with your eyes closed? Can you show them to me? How are you so strong?" She bombarded me with questions without any shame. I needed to stop the rapid-fire before I became overwhelmed. Ryoto: "Ok, stop, stop, I''ll answer just... stop asking. There''s no deal. They are just my eyes, no, no, I can see through my eyelids, sure, and I just am." She looked at me and tried to recall in what order she asked the questions. While she was in her thoughts, I returned to watching Koro-sensei''s shenanigans. He started touching Tomohito''s whole body with his tentacles. My expression didn''t change as I pulled out my phone and dialed a 110. Ryoto: "Hello, police? I would like to report a crime. A teacher is touching his student improperly. Where? Everywhere. Pleasee soon. I''m scared for student''s safety." I spoke loud enough for Koro-sensei to hear, and he panicked at my words. Koro-sensei: "Wait!! Your sensei doesn''t do anything suspicious, I swear!!!" As Koro-sensei was panicking, I shot at him with my pistol. Unfortunately, he dodged it, but he was sweating nervously. Ryoto: "Looks like I''ll need to try harder." I said as I spun my weapon on my finger, looking yful. Koro-sensei: "One of these days, you''ll give me a heart attack with your jokes." Ryoto: "Would it count as a kill or a death by natural cause?" Everyone looked at me in silence. Ryoto: "...What? It''s an important question." Koro-sensei: That reminds me, Yuuki-kun, can you stay with me after sses?" Ryoto: "Sure." And so I waited for the end of the school, curious what sensei wanted to talk with me. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 54: With Koro-sensei Chapter 54: With Koro-sensei (Ryoto''s pov) I stayed after school just like Koro-sensei asked. I walked into a faculty office where only Koro-sensei was present. Karasuma was absent at the moment, probably meeting the higher-ups. Koro-sensei: "Please, take a seat." I sat in front of him and waited for whatever I was called for. Koro-sensei rested his chin? on his tentacles and asked seriously. Koro-sensei: "Do you have a girl you like?" Ryoto: "Huh?" I expected many things but not that. Koro-sensei: "As a boy your age, you must have had a crush or two, so tell your sensei about your love life." He pulled out a notebook, a pen and got sses on his face without me noticing. I didn''t pay attention, and my eyes were closed, but it was still impressive to escape my perception. Ryoto: "Can we get to the topic already?" Koro-sensei put away the newly acquired things and pouted. Koro-sensei: "You''re no fun..." Ryoto: "Sensei, I still need to buy groceries." Koro-sensei vanished once more, and five minutester, he came back with two grocery bags on a table. Koro-sensei: "Now that you have time, let''s have a chat." I looked him straight into the eyes and said. Ryoto: "I''m not paying for it." Koro-sensei panicked and started counting the money he had left. Koro-sensei: "If I eat only... for about... then I could..." He mumbled his n to survive this month. Wait, if he just started teaching, how does he have money? Did he get paid in advance, or did the government give him some money? Maybe it''s his savings before he became Koro-sensei as I know him today. Ryoto: "Ok, sensei, so what did you want to talk about, and if you say my rtionships one more time, I''m leaving." Koro-sensei took a breath to say something but a word didn''t leave his mouth. He coughed a few times in embarrassment. Koro-sensei: "I wanted to talk about you, if that''s alright." Ryoto: "Me?" Koro-sensei: "Yes. We both know that you have a few small ''issues'', and I would like to know what causes them. Of course, I can''t force you, and you can walk away right now, and I won''t stop you." The silence started, but I didn''t exit the room, and Koro-sensei was waiting patiently for me to either speak or leave. I then opened my eyes and decided to leave them open during the duration of the whole conversation. Ryoto: "You know, I wasn''t always this handsome young man that sits in front of you. I didn''t start out with these eyes." I pointed at them. Ryoto: "Or my strength. I was a normal boy with normal eyes and life. My family could be called somehow dysfunctional, but there were a lot of happy moments. Unfortunately, I wasn''t always the son my parents wanted. My mother loved me, though, but my father mostly ignored me. He came to me just to ask for my help or borrow something. I didn''t care about it as I couldn''t view him as a father either..." I started telling him some things I felt somehowfortable with sharing. Koro-sensei listened to me without interrupting, which was surprising for him. I needed to stick with just one of my life''s problems, for now, to not contradict myself as I don''t want to talk about my reincarnation/transmigration right now, if ever. Ryoto: "Thest time I saw..." Images shed through my head. ???: "You know that I hate liars..." I furrowed my brows, and I didn''t continue what I started saying. Koro-sensei observed me but didn''t say anything. As I sat in silence, I noticed a movement of one of his tentacles under a table. My face showed distaste and disgust. He looked at my face and didn''t know why I made such an expression until it hit him, and he panicked and tried exining himself with a pen and notebook in his tentacles. Koro-sensei: "Wait, wait!!! That''s not what it looks like!!!" Ryoto: "The damage is already done. I can''t delete this image from my mind. I want some kind of rpensation." I said without any emotion in my voice. I honestly didn''t want to imagine that. Ryoto: "I feel dirty..." I pulled out my phone and started dialing 110. Koro-sensei: "Wait, don''t involve the police! I don''t want to lose this job!!! IT''s just my second day on this job!!!" He can lose his job? No, wait. Knowing the chairman of this school, he can indeed be fired. Ryoto: "Can you fulfill one request of mine then?" Koro-sensei: "Yes, yes!" He nodded his head hurriedly. Ryoto: "Then I want you to help me train." Koro-sensei: "Train?" Ryoto: "Yes, as you''ve noticed, I''m not an ordinary man, and I want your help with training... You know what? It''s better and faster to showcase." We went outside and found the river that I was searching for. Koro-sensei: "So what did you want to show me?" I didn''t answer and breathed in some air, moved some water out of the river, and lunched it into Koro-sensei. It shocked him, but he easily dodged even the tiniest droplet of water. I then tried to use fire bending for the first time on the water by umting my anger and using the Shaolin style of fighting that I read online. I managed to somehow summon a fire. Afterward, I used Haki on my arm and punched a tree, breaking it in the process. The tree fell into the river. I walked up to the fallen piece of wood and lifted it up with some effort, and threw it a bit further down the river. I walked out of the river with my shoes still wet. I didn''t think it through, but they''ll dry out after some time. I locked into another tree that I would imagine would start sweating if it could. After I took off my shoes and socks, I began climbing upwards. About five meters up, I stopped and went into a crouch position, which would be normally impossible to do while climbing a tree. I jumped down while doing a backflip andnded on my two feet without any trouble. I then looked at Koro-sensei and said. Ryoto: "I need your help with that." --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 55: Lazing and training Chapter 55: Lazing and training (Ryoto''s pov) After showing off my powers, Koro-sensei started thinking deeply about something. He agreed to train me, but we would start tomorrow. I started walking home, but someone was waiting for me. Two persons, to be exact, Kaede and Rio. Rio: "Aren''t you a lucky guy, having two beauties waiting for you." Not untrue, but I won''t admit it to them. I don''t want their ego to be asrge as Karen''s. She teased me. She reminds me of Risa a bit. I need to remember to resolve that problem when I get back, but I need to know what the problem is first. Ryoto: "Narcissistic much." Rio: "Says the guy who said I needed to get in line to get his autograph." Ryoto: "Touche, so what did you want." Rio: "Do we need to have a reason to wait for you?" Huh, she is right. Rio: "By the way, what do you have in the bags you''re carrying?" Ryoto: "The groceries. Koro-sensei bought them for me." Kaede and Rio looked at each other and then at me, but I refused to borate. We walked home and talked about small things. Ok, the girls talked, and I sometimes answered or said something on topic. Rio separated earlier as her home was another way. After she left, a conversation stagnated a bit as both Kaede, and I realized how hard Rio was carrying our talk. The rest of the day went as usual, except I didn''t go to the grocery store thanks to Koro-sensei. I made some food, ate it, didn''t vomit it, which was good, and went to sleep. The next day a group of students tried to kill Koro-sensei with a surprise by acting friendly and smiling at him, but it was too forced, and Koro-sensei realized the trap. He used his super speed to take away all of their weapons and rece them with flowers he picked up near the school. He didn''t notice that it was a school garden that he vandalized. To appease his student, he gave them a handicap. He was tied by the rope and hung like a piata. He was pretty high up, so the only way to kill him was with pistols or a knife attached to a stick. The students tried to stab and shoot him unsessfully. As Koro-sensei was dodging everything, Karasuma arrived, and noticing what was happening, he didn''t even attempt toment on it. He came to notify us that he would be our PE teacher. During all that, I was rxing under another tree. No one was bothering me. It was great. That it is until. Rio: "Aren''t you nning to try and kill him?" Ryoto: "I could do that, or I could rx under this tree and enjoy today''s weather." Rio: "How about you try and help us. At this rate, you''ll be ostracized in ss." Ryoto: "And I don''t care what the rest of the ss think about me." I then noticed Karasuma walking in my direction and stopped in front of me while his arms were closed. Ryoto: "Good afternoon Karasuma-sensei, I hope that you''re having as great of a day as I have." His eyebrow twitched at my behavior. Karasuma: "Aren''t you supposed to be trying to assassinate him?" Ryoto: "Ok, I''ll humor you." I got up and dusted off my clothes... slowly annoying Karasuma even more. When I finished, I snapped my fingers, and the branch on which Koro-sensei was hanging broke. He fell on the ground, and there was a silence for a few seconds, and no one moved as they didn''t even process what happened, but as soon as these seconds passed, Koro-sensei, still tied up, was barely avoiding the stabs as he was trying to untie the rope. He managed to escape on the roof shortlyter and promised that there would be twice as much homework starting tomorrow. I turned to Karasuma and Rio . Ryoto: "I don''t think I''ll catch up to him now." I shook my head sadly, but I don''t think he believed me. Rio, on the other hand, had stars in her eyes. Rio: "How did you do that!?" Ryoto: "With just a snap of my fingers, I can erase half of the universe, and this branch was not different." I said with a serious face. Rio walked up to me and ced her hand on my forehead. Rio: "It doesn''t seem like you have a fever." Ryoto: "Seriously?" Rio: "It was either that or 8th-grade syndrome and by elimination process..." Ryoto: "Don''t you dare finish this sentence!" It didn''t stop her, though. Rio: "It only leaves..." Ryoto: "Ok, you win! I noticed that a branch was breaking already, and I timed my snap correctly. Do you always force a magician to reveal his secrets?" I don''t care what people think of me, but I don''t n on being a chuunibyou in anyone''s eyes. Rio: "Only sometimes. But you have great eyesight to notice something like that from here." Ryoto: "It''s a gift from the gacha gods." She looked at me strangely, but I didn''t mind her. Layer after school has ended, Koro-sensei and I started training. His tentacles wrapped around my body to check my muscles, but the only thing I could think about was ''is that what being a woman in hentai feels like''. After sensei let me down, I exined to him what I wanted to focus on. I wanted to improve my usage of bending of both elements, Haki of both types, and fighting practice. Today we focused on bending. Koro-sensei noticed that my movement was simr to known martial arts, so he researched it and guided my movements ordingly. Of course, everything wasn''t the same, and I tried to describe bending in as many details as possible. He also taught me as much about water and fire as possible. We couldn''t go over everything during one session. Afterward, I did some light sparring with Koro-sensei. I could follow his movements, but I couldn''t react in time as he would already move away before I would even start moving. He even had a ''clone'' cheering me up and the other resting. I swore to myself that I would pinch him at least once. We ended our training at that, and I returned home. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 56: PE lesson Chapter 56: PE lesson (Koro-sensei''s pov) Yuuki-kun returned home, and I flew back to the teacher''s office. I sat on the chair and rethought my decision. Yuuki-kun is a unique child, to say the least. Not only his circumstances but he as a whole. His muscles are like nothing I''ve seen before, and the same could be said about the rest of his abilities. There is a possibility he was being experimented on like me, but he doesn''t possess any tentacles hidden. I checked thoroughly for it when he allowed me to examine his muscles, but thankfully I couldn''t find them. That leaves the possibility of another experiment that happened before or simultaneously as the one I was involved in. There''s also a chance that the cause of his physique is something wholly different and, at the same time, unknown. I know that Yuuki-kun is hiding something, or more likely, he isn''t telling the whole truth about himself. It''s not wrong in itself as even I''m notpletely honest with my students either, so expecting them to do that would be hypocritical. I looked through my notes about Yuuki-kun. Super strength, reflex, and eyesight, control over water, creation of fire, sticky skin but primarily hands and feet, hardening parts of a body, and some kind of aura sensing from what he told me. These are the abilities that I''m aware of, but I can''t rule out the possibility of hidden powers. After all, I also didn''t show all of my cards from the beginning. He is a little broken and has many issues underneath all his powers. One of them is obviously his parents. Should I fly to them? I dismissed this thought. No, I should first try to help Yuuki-kun. Adding new problems in an attempt to fix the old ones is not a good idea at the moment. *Sigh* Yuuki-kun is a lot like me in the past. Not exactly a copy, of course. He seems to have a clear goal in mind but, at the same time, wants to give up his life. He is constantly switching between these two. I could say he is unstable at the moment, so we need to work on this first. I noticed that he was incredibly focused during training, and it helped him not to think about whatever he usually is thinking, but it''s only a temporary solution. He also doesn''t try to make friends, so I need to change it. Humans are social animals, and even the most isted ones have somepanions, be it another human or other animals. I then remembered Kayano-kun and Nakamura-kun. They seem to be the closest to him, and they''re likely the key to helping him. Well, Yuuki-kun, be ready to be helped, nurufufufu. (Ryoto''s pov) Today was the first-day Karasuma conducted a lesson, and we were learning how to fight with knives. Rio: "Hey, what are these things on your wrists?" Ryoto: "Something very precious." Rio: "Can I touch it?" Ryoto: "No." Rio: "Eh? Come on!" Even though I knew she wanted to try and touch it, she didn''t, which I appreciated. Tadaomi: "Less talking, more swinging!!! Swing your knives through eight strikes without hesitation!!! No matter how you stand, don''t lose your bnce!!!" Some students were questioning the usefulness of this training as it would be normally impossible to hit Koro-sensei with a knife who, by the way, build a sand Osaka castle in the sandbox. Karasuma then volunteered Yuma Isogai and Hiroto Maehara to attack him, and if they managed to so much as graze him, we would end ss for today. The two boys tried to strike Karasuma, but they failed spectacrly and ended up on the ground. I was feeling bored, so I decided to try it as well. Ryoto: "Karasuma-sensei, can I try this little challenge as well? I learn faster by practice." He looked at me, trying to determine my motive, at which I smiled. Tadaomi: "*Sigh* fine." He took his stance. Ryoto: "Question, if I graze you, do we still end the ss earlier?" Tadaomi: "...Did you ask for that just to get home earlier?" Ryoto: "No, of course not... I asked for that to get to the grocery store earlier. The housewives are scary beings." I shuddered. Ryoto: "They would do anything to get half-priced products. They just don''t y fair. It''s a battlefield, and I think one of them had a gun." Karasuma looked at me as if I was crazy. Ryoto: "Looking at you, I can tell that you don''t believe me. After school, you''re going with me." I took off my shoes and sneakily stepped on one of the knivesying on the ground. Karasuma raised his eyebrow. Ryoto: "Don''t worry about it. I just am morefortable without shoes." I slowly walked up to Karasuma to shake his hand. Before that, I dropped the knife in my hand to show that I was unarmed. Ryoto: "How about a handshake before we begin?" Tadaomi: "So you can try something simr to what you did to that thing?" Ryoto: "You can''t me a guy for trying." I picked up the knife that I had dropped earlier. It looks like I need to do it the old-fashioned way. I still walked up to him calmly with my knife down. I also opened my eyes. It was an intimidation tactic. Everyone who faced me at least flinched at the sight of my eyes, and I nned to use this moment to strike. Even though I''m stronger than Karasuma, he has more experience than me. I also need to hold back my strength to not break any bones. Huh, is it how Spider-man feels every time he fights? To win, I need to grab him, and from there, it will be a breeze. Karasuma thrust a knife at my face as I was nning, which I avoided thanks to my spider-sense. Wait, if my spider-sense has warned me... Ryoto: "...Really?" Karasuma smirked. Tadaomi: "I didn''t say I wouldn''t fight back." Ryoto: "Are you still mad about the bet?" Karasuma didn''t answer me, but I knew that it was at least one of the reasons. I attempted to grab his hand, but he took it back. I did then a fast round kick, but he redirected my kick. I then threw a knife at him, which he avoided. Ryoto: "It seems you win. You really are strong, Karasuma-sensei." I was standing in front of him, and he shook his hand this time." Tadaomi: "You didn''t show much of your ability to use a knife, but you''re agile and cunning, which are good assassin''s qualities. Your lower body is powerful, and so are your kicks." Ryoto: "There is only one problem." Tadaomi: And what is that?" Ryoto: "You lose." I pointed down to my foot which was gently touching Karasuma''s shoe. He didn''t understand, so I took the knife from under my foot. At the sight of a knife, Karasuma''s eyes widened, and so did the students who watched the exchange. Ryoto: "You forgot to say that an assassin needs to have at least one trump card up his sleeve, and I have plenty." Besides the gathered students, one figure was watching while drinking a juice box. --- END (A/N I am sick today Writing is very hard, so Give me power stones I just haikued you.) Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 57: Before the battle Chapter 57: Before the battle (Ryoto''s pov) We could go home, and I nned to drag Karasuma to the grocery store. He may be a warrior, but a store is another kind of battlefield. As everyone thought about what they would do with extra time, Nagisa noticed his old friend. The figure was wearing a male, a normal boy''s uniform but also had a ck jacket over his white shirt. The most noticeable part of his appearance was his hair which was red. He wore a friendly smile. Nagisa: "Karma-kun... You''ve returned." Karma: "Yo, Nagisa-kun. Been a while." He started walking towards Koro-sensei. Karma: "Woah, that''s the Koro-sensei I''ve heard about? Amazing. He really does look like an octopus." Koro-sensei: "You would be... Karma Akabane-kun, right? I''d heard your suspension ended today. You really shouldn''t bete on your first day." Koro-sensei crossed his tentacles, and his face turned red. Ryoto: "Technically, he skipped the first day since we just finished school, thanks to my efforts, of course, and since we are on the topic..." I turned to Karasuma. Ryoto: "You are going with me to the grocery store." Tadaomi: "And why should I go?" Ryoto: "Because you don''t believe me about my experiences, and I don''t like being portrayed as crazy." Rio and Kaede looked at me strangely. Rio: "Are you for real?" Kaede: "You are trying to be normal?" Ryoto: "I am not trying. I am normal." ''Right, Karen?'' Karen: "You talk to the voice inside your head. Yep, pretty normal to me." (3rd pov) As Ryoto was talking with his small group, Karma tried the same trick Ryoto did on Koro-sensei, but the teacher wasn''t harmed this time, which surprised Karma. Karma: "Huh, it seems it doesn''t work as they said it does." He showed his hand where small knife pieces were attached to his hand. Karma: "I tried cutting one of the knives into small pieces and sticking them to my hand, but..." Koro-sensei: "You''re wrong, Karma-kun. I am just a prepared for tricks like that, since..." He showed a piece of paper he attached to his tentacle, and green stripes showed on his face. Koro-sensei: "...I don''t fall for the same trick twice." Koro-sensei: "And to your knowledge, these knives work on me." He took the knife and shed his tentacle finger, separating it in the process. Koro-sensei: "As I demonstrated, it can harm and kill me. The same can be said about the bullets. I hope we have a great assassination, and I hope that you''lle on time tomorrow." Karma: "Don''t worry, I''lle since..." Karma then showed a bloodthirsty smile while looking at Koro-sensei from below. Karma: "...I n to kill you." Koro-sensei: "Then you''re wee to try, but only one student was able to harm as of now." Karma: "Now that you mention it, you said that you don''t fall for the same trick twice. So who was the one who bested me this time." Koro-sensei turned to Ryoto, who was trying to convince Karasuma to go with him to the grocery store. Ryoto: "Come on, Karasuma-sensei, it will be fun." Karasuma: "Everything you said about it says otherwise!" Ryoto: "Don''t be like that." Karma was expressionless and pointed to Ryoto. Karma: "He was the one who managed to harm you?" Koro-sensei scratched the back of his head and turned pink. (Ryoto''s pov) I was trying to get Karasuma to go with me, but he was adamant about not going. Rio: "Karasuma-sensei, why not just go. Knowing Ryoto-kun, he will not give up until you agree, and if you avoid going today, he will try the same thing tomorrow, so just resign to your fate." Kaede got closer to Rio and whispered. Kaede: "Why do you want Karasuma-sesei to go?" Rio: "I''m curious about it, and it seems fun." Karma: "It sounds interesting. Count me in." After him, some of my ssmates started showing interest in going together and finally agreed. Our group consisted of me, Kaede, Rio, Nagisa, Karma, Megu, Hinano, Sumire, Yuma, Yukiko, Hiroto and of course Karasuma. ''We went to the grocery store near my home, the one that I visited for thest three days.'' Karen: "Two days, yesterday Koro-sensei got you the grocery." ''Right right, two days. Not important, but thanks for rifying.'' After some walking, we stood before the store. Ryoto: "Are you ready, guys?" Everyone: "Yeah!!!" Ryoto: "No, you are not. Let me tell you something, when you''re inside, don''t trust anyone outside this group. The older they are, the more cunning they are, and if anyone calls you cute. You better run, trust me. Now that you are all updated let''s go." I opened the door a bit dramatically and immediately noticed a few people. There weren''t as many as usual as I''m a lot earlier today. I saw a few olddies and housewives, the most dangerous opponents. Olddy: "Oh, if it isn''t Ryoto-chan. You are early today, and I see you''ve brought your friends." The one who talked to me was Nakame-San. She was an olddy I met during my first shopping. Ryoto: "If it isn''t Nakame-San, I see you decided toe early as well." Nakama: "The weather was wonderful today, so I took a walk. I was nearby, so I went in to do some shopping." Ryoto: "It looks like it will be more difficult to get some good deals today with you being here." She put her hand on her cheek and waved her hand gently. Nakama: "You are just saying that, so I''ll put my guard down, and we all know that you don''t even need the handicap. Ryoto: "You can''t me me for trying since, for my first shopping, someone showed off their gun." Nakama: "It was just a fake to scare off neers, but I didn''t expect you to jump on the ceiling." I shrugged my shoulders. Ryoto: "Better safe than sorry." Nakama: "Fair enough, but such strong young like yourself must be really popr. How about meeting my granddaughter." Ryoto: "As tempting as this offer is, I already said two times that I''m not interested." Nakama: "Such a shame, but it doesn''t mean I''ll give up. I still think that you two would make a great couple." My conversation with Nakame-San created even more questions for my ssmates and Karasuma-sensei. Tadaomi: "What is this conversation?" --- END (A/N You liked itst time/ so I''m writing it again/ I am still sick, though) Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 58: Grocery Chapter 58: Grocery (3rd pov) Every present student and Karasuma separated into smaller groups. Kaede, Rio, Nagisa, and Karma formed one group. Megu, Hinano, Sumire and Yuma were together in group two and thest group consisted of Yukiko, Hiroto and Karasuma. The whole time Yuma was unusually quiet and even shivered from time to time. He was looking around nervously as if something could jump on him at any moment. Megu seeing this tapped his shoulder. Yuma jumped away from the hand, looking extremely anxious. He breathed out and rxed a bit. Megu: "Are you alright?" Yuma: "Yeah... no. I''ve heard about this store from my mother. She said that no matter what, I shouldn''t shop here. One time my curiosity won over me, and I saw a lot of half-priced products. I had stars in my eyes and was thinking how much money I could save, but..." Megu: "But...?" Yuma hugged himself, recalling the bad memories. Yuma: "But the olddies here aren''t normal." Megu: "What do you mean-" [DING DONG] Announcer: "Attention, everyone! All produce goes on sale!" Hearing that, everyone''s eyes except the students turned sharp. Karasuma noticed the change around him. Tadaomi: ''What is happening? It feels like I''m surrounded by military veterans ready to execute given mission.'' Hiroto: "Are you alright, Karasuma-sensei?" Tadaomi: "It''s nothing but don''t go too far from me." Hiroto & Yukiko: "Yes sensei!" (Tadaomi''s pov) What is wrong with this store. Instantly everyone is wholly focused on the products, and they''re checking each other, but they''re not moving, waiting for something. Slowly some old man walked up to vegetables and put half-price stickers, but no one moved until he returned to where he came from. At that moment, I felt a presence behind me, and I turned back to see nothing. I felt someone''s hand on my butt. Olddy: "Ohoho, what a handsome young man doing here, Just your presence here makes me feel 20 years younger." She then tried to strike the back of my knee with her cane, but I blocked it with my arm. Olddy: "Ho~ it looks like we have someone experienced." To my surprise, she quickly tried to hit me in the ribs, and some other olddy went for my head. They were strong, stronger than any olddy I''ve ever met, which isn''t saying much, but still. I looked back at my students who weren''t. They weren''t fighting with anyone, but I could see the life draining from their eyes. I don''t know why. They''re just pinching their cheeks while saying things like ''you look adorable today'' or ''how about you meet my grandson/grandaughter''. Olddy: "You don''t have time to worry about others." I felt a hand on my shoulder. Shit! I quickly put distance between us. However, the olddy didn''t follow up on her attack. Instead, she rushed to grab some carrots and cabbages. I could hear someone screaming ''cabbages'' in the distance. Wait, we''re fighting for food on sale. All this is for some vegetables. Because of this ridiculousness, I forgot that we were supposed to buy groceries. Unfortunately, I realized it was toote as everything was already sold. (Ryoto''s pov) After my sessful shopping, I went outside to see everyone defeated. I was eating a lollipop, and I bought one for everyone too. Thankfully, I managed to grab everything I needed because I was sure that no one could get even one thing besides me. Nakame: "It seems that once again you got what you wanted." Ryoto: "What can I say? I''m very nimble." Nakame: "Haha, that you are. Unfortunately, your friends weren''t as lucky." She looked at exhausted students. Karma: "Not everyone." Karma showed off the leek he got. Color me impressed he got something. Ryoto: "I didn''t expect it. Here, take a lollipop." I handed him the candy, and he took it without any shame. Karma: "Thanks, it was fun. These olddies know how to get under someone''s skin. I should pick up some tricks from them." He showed an evil smile which I returned. Ryoto: "I know exactly what you mean. Unfortunately, most of their tricks are only effective if you''re an olddy." Karma: "Shame, really." I turned to the rest of the group. Ryoto: "I feel bad for everyone here, so have a lollipop as well." I handed everyone the candies, one by one. Thest one to get was Karasuma. Ryoto: "Well, well, well, it looks like someone owes me an apology for thinking that I''m crazy. As you have witnessed, the housewives and olddies are really scary during the sale. Do you want to share your experiences? You''ll get a lollipop for that?" I tried to bait him with that, but it didn''t work as he left without saying anything. Ryoto: "Don''t worry, I''ll keep your lollipop for now!" Rio and Kaede didn''t believe what they heard. I looked at them. Ryoto: "What?" Rio: "Nothing, but couldn''t you at least warn us?" Ryoto: "But I warned you, though. You just didn''t believe me." Rio raised her finger and wanted to say but stopped herself as she realized I was telling the truth. Rio: "Huh." Ryoto: "Reality is often stranger than fiction." Koro-sensei: "Well said, Yuuki-kun." What? When did he get here? I sometimes forget that he was the best assassin in the business, so silent movement shouldn''t be out of option. Koro-sensei: "But please, next time, please don''t traumatize your ssmates." He pointed to Yuma, who was sitting and hugging his knees. Yuma: "I''m not a handsome young man... I''m not a handsome young man... I''m not a handsome young man..." I forgot about him. I walked up to him, ced a lollipop in front of him, and nodded my head. Ryoto: "Better." Karma startedughing hysterically while others had a strained smile. Karma: "I like this guy." Everyone, especially Nagisa, thought it couldn''t be a good sign. We separated shortly after, but only after I went to bed realized that I had forgotten about today''s training. --- END (A/N I am healthy now/ thank for the kind words you all/ nothing more to say Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 59: A month has passed Chapter 59: A month has passed (Ryoto''s pov) The next day Karma tried his luck with assassination, but he couldn''t even scratch him, and the day after, it wasn''t any different, but he seemed to change after that day. I don''t know. I wasn''t that interested in his character development. What I was interested in was home economics. My cooking skills are slowly improving, which I''m happy about. Rio and Kaede didn''t want to leave me alone and always talked to me. I still had some alone time, it''s not like they were with me 24/7, but I didn''t feel like I was alone at school. I''m starting to get used to their presence. We also went to some cafes to eat sweets. Kaede likes sweets. Maybe I should learn how to make cake or pudding as thanks for keeping mepany. It was calm for the next month, only some minor assassination attempts like Manami Okuma''s poisoning attempt. My training with sensei continued as usual. I finally could somehow fire bend without anger to power it up. I don''t know how he could help me with that, but he did. My water bending improved as well. Apparently, Koro-sensei studied the martial arts used by my two bending styles, and he didn''t just read it on the inte, no. He flew to the master of the respective martial art, studied their training in secret, and at the end wrapped them in his tentacles to feel out their muscles and joints. How do I know it? He told me that, plus showed the masters'' manuals for him with their autographs. For now, we are focusing on bending. I want to be at least at an eptable level before I start training something else. I feel like this month helped me to stabilize my psychological state. I still missed everyone at home, but I''ll return after a while, so I took it easy for now. Not in the training, of course. I be great friends with Karma. We shared our interest in messing with people. I started enjoying it in this world since I can''t remember doing it too much at home. Maybe it helped me cope a bit. Besides training with Koro-sensei, I still came to regr PE sses. What was unexpected, from time to time, Karasuma took us on grocery shopping during the lessons, and we were supposed to buy things on sale. The government provided the funds to it, and we could keep the stuff we bought. I was ecstatic. Thanks to that, I could save a lot of money, but how did Karasuma convince the higher-ups to give some additional funds. I asked him about it together with Karma. He refused to answer, so we immediately knew it was something embarrassing. Yuma is traumatized, by the way. Every time we have training in the store, he starts shaking uncontrobly. I saw him sucking his thumb once. An ikemen reduced to this. Terasaka was still grumpy and angry, but he didn''t try anything with me. One time I scared him by simply saying ''boo'' while standing behind him. It was fun. After some time, Rio asked me for my phone number, but I noticed that I didn''t have a phone. I was too busy being depressed to notice. The day after that, I wanted to go and buy one, but I got a package on the morning of the next day. Inside was a new phone with the note ''Sorry, I forgot. Truck-San''. It was nice of her to send me one even if she didn''t need to. Why couldn''t I get her as a system? Now that I think about it, Karen didn''t talk with me too often. She said that she spoke with her psychologist, and he advised her against interacting with me as much as possible to help my therapy. Karen said that she got paid vacation and only needed to be at her job sometimes. Of course, during an emergency, she would still answer me. She had a baby audio monitor to hear me. I don''t know how to feel about it, but if it works, then who am I to judge. During this month, Karma was very curious about my eyes and not only asked but also tested for himself what I could and couldn''t do. I would probably do the same, but it was annoying, so I ''fought'' back. We annoyed each other for some time. Now that I think about it, we became friends after this confrontation. We sometimes exchange ideas on how to piss off Terasaka. Karma is very creative with the usage of his tools, not gonna lie. I mean, who would have thought about using paperclips that way. As I was acquainted with Karma, Nagisa naturally came next. I could sympathize with him a bit, and it was fun to mess with him at times, but we aren''t close or anything like that. Right now, we were sitting in the ssroom waiting for the lesson to begin. The first toe was annoyed Karasuma, and after him was Koro-sensei, whose tentacle is being hugged by a fair-skinned young woman with wavy half-length light blonde hair. Her eyes were light blue, and she was clearly a foreigner. Her most noticeable trait was pair of her big boobs. Tadaomi: "The school''s intention is to fully immerse the students in a foreignnguage. I assume there are no problems with her taking charge of half the English ss?" Karasuma asked Koro-sensei, who obviously didn''t mind that at all. Ryoto: " ." (Nice acting.) Hearing familiarnguage, Irina widened her eyes. After all, she didn''t expect to hear Russian in Japan. She quickly returned to her yful self but said to me. Irina: " , , . ." (Listen here brat, I have word of advice for you. Don''t get in my way.) I just smiled at her remark. Ryoto: " ." (You''ll fail.) Irina: " ? , , , , ." (Oh, really? You kids may have failed but I''ll show you the difference between you and the pros.) Ryoto: " ?" (How about a bet then?) Irina: "?" (A bet?) Irinaughed at my words so much a tear started gathering near her eye, which she wiped with her finger. Irina: ", . , ? 10 , ." (Sure, why not. So what are we betting on? Not only I''ll get 10 billion as a reward for killing the octopus but a reward from our bet will make a fine cherry on top.) Ryoto: " , . , , , . , ?" (It''s nothing much, really. If you win, I''ll owe you a favor and if I''ll win you''ll owe me one. Simple, right?) Irina: " , , , ." (I''m not getting much from this bet, but sure, I''ll humor you.) I walked up to her to confirm the bet with a handshake. Ryoto: " , ." (I would say good luck but even that won''t help you this time.) A vein popped on Irina''s forehead. Irina: ". , , ." (We''ll see. When I win I''m going to make you lick my shoes while you grovel.) Ryoto: " ." (I can not wait for it.) After a handshake, I returned to my seat, waiting for the uing event. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 60: Bitch-sensei Chapter 60: Bitch-sensei (Ryoto''s pov) After returning to my seat, Kaede leaned towards my desk and whispered. Kaede: "I didn''t know you could speak anothernguage." Ryoto: "I am a man of many secrets and talents." Kaede: "Yeah yeah, so what did you talk about with her?" I think she starts getting used to my personality as she didn''t react to my teasing and ''strange'' behavior. Ryoto: "Nothing much, just a bet." Kaede: "A bet?" Ryoto: "Yeah, she thinks that she can kill Koro-sensei, and I''m sure that she can''t. That''s all." Kaede: "Does that mean that our new teacher is an assassin?" Ryoto: "I''m sure of that." After the ss had ended, I was surrounded by my ssmates. Rio: "Hey, hey, what were you talking about with our new teacher!?" Ryoto: "A bet." I exined the same thing I said to Kaede a short time ago. Karma: "It''s getting interesting, doesn''t it." Ryoto: "It sure does." Karma: "But you sure are full of surprises, knowing Russian and all." Ryoto: "That''s what I said to Kaede." Karma: "So what do you n to ask her when you win?" Ryoto: "I don''t know yet, so I''ll just hold into this favor to use itter." Karma: "Do you think that it can be used for our entert- I mean to help our assassination?" Ryoto: "I''m sure it will." Both of us showed an evil smile. At that time, Kaede whispered something to Rio. Kaede: "Should we really let them spend so much time? I don''t think it''s good for Yuuki." Rio: "Ryoto looks happy, so why not?" After a short Q&A, we went outside to y assassination football. We y football as we try to shoot Koro-sensei with our pistols. Or at least we did until Irina decided to ask Koro-sensei for something. Irina: "Koro-sensei! I heard from Karasuma-sensei that you''re suuuuper fast on your feet?" Koro-sensei scratched the back of his head with a stupid smile on his face. Koro-sensei: "Well... I''m not really that fast." Ryoto: "True, since he doesn''t have legs. He is walking on tentacles." Myment earned me a stink eye from Irina, but she didn''t break her role. Irina: "I have a favor to ask. Just once, I''d love to try drinking genuine Vietnamese coffee, so would you go buy some for me while I''m teaching English?" Koro-sensei: "That is an easy request. I know of a nice shop in Vietnam after all." He then quickly flew at Mach 20 to get a coffee. I took a deep breath and yelled. Ryoto: "SIMP!!!" Everyone looked at me strangely. Ryoto: "What?" Kaede: "You know what, nothing." Yuma: "...So, umm... Irina-sensei? ss is starting, so should we return to the ssroom? Irina took out her lighter and cigarette and started smoking it. Irina: "ss? ...Oh, right. You are all free to do as you see fit. Also, could you stop being so familiar with me and calling me by my first name?" She stated coldly. Irina: "I have no intention of ying the part of a teacher except for when I''m in front of that octopus. Call me Jvic-oneesama. ... There was silence. No one knew how to respond. Everyone, of course, except Karma. Karma: "...So, what now? Bitch-neesan." Irina: "Don''t shorten it!!!" Karma: "We know that you''re a professional killer but do you really think that you can kill him when the ss can''t kill him through theirbined efforts?" Irina: "As I''ve said to the boy over there..." I waved my hand. Ryoto: "Hey." Irina: "...There''s a difference between brats like you and grownups. I''ll show you how the adults do." She walked up to me, grabbed my head, and started french kissing me. Kaede: "WHA-!!!" She tried to dominate my mouth with her tongue. She was good, but not only I was hard to seduce, but I also had a lot of experience in that area, so I fought back. 10 HIT... 20 HIT... 30 HIT... 40 HIT... 50 HIT... I didn''t let her win. I had bigger lungs capacity, so if I held on a bit longer, I would win, but her pride didn''t allow her to surrender. She tried a lot of tricks during our kiss. She even suddenly grabbed my butt. I answered in kind, of course. Neither of us wanted to yield, so I cheated a bit, moved my hand to get water from the atmosphere, and directed it up her skirt. Irina: "AYIEE!!!" She separated from me, feeling cold water under her clothes. I wiped away salvia from my mouth. Ryoto: "What? Had enough already? If you can''t beat a middle school student, how do you n to kill Koro-sensei? Hmm, ~?" Irina: "...I''ll remember that, brat." She walked away angry while stomping with every step. I felt somehow proud, being able to beat her at her own game. I turned to Kaede, covering her eyes with her hands but still looked through the gap between the fingers. Karma had a smirk with a phone, taking photos, Rio, like Karma, had a smirk, but I could notice a slight blush and the rest of the ss. Ryoto: "Why are you taking photos, Karma?" Karma: "I feel like I''ll have use for itter." I smirked inwardly. ''Good luck using this in another universe.'' Karen: "You just set up a g." ''It would be a possibility if not for circumstances. I mean,e on. Do you know how unlikely it is to happen? What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.'' Karen: "You are just tempting fate at this point." I shrugged my shoulders, not overthinking about it. Wait, does it count as cheating? She was the one to kiss me, but I could easily dodge it. I just wanted to beat her at her own game. (Irina''s pov) I started biting my nail. This closed-eye brat, Ryoto Yuuki. I didn''t expect a middle schooler to be this experienced. He knew what he was doing with his tongue, but he wouldn''t usually beat me. He juststed longer, that''s all. At most, it was a tie. But why did I feel wet under my skirt? I know for sure that it wasn''t from my arousal. Weird. I continued nning how to kill that octopus with the group I hired. Not only I''ll get the money, but I will also get revenge against that punk. I''ll seed and show the difference between children and pros. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 61: Pro in action Chapter 61: Pro in action (A/N Extra chapter because I can :) (Ryoto''s pov) The English ss had started, and Irina was the one who should be teaching us but instead, she was going through her n. Hiroto: "Heeey, Bitch-neesan. Start the lesson already!" Everyone startedining about Bitch-neesan. Irina: "AGHH!!! Quit it with all of that ''bitch bitch'' stuff!!! First of all, the actual pronunciation is different!!! You Japanese people just don''t have any distinction between ''B'' and ''V''!!!" Besides you, Ryoto!!! You should know the difference since you can speak perfectly Russian!!!" Ryoto: "Oh, I know the difference. I just choose to say it that way, Bitch-neesan." I smiled sweetly, which annoyed Irina greatly. Ryoto: "Should I say it in Russian? Would it be better, ?" (Miss bitch) Irina: "You...!" She took a deep breath, calming herself in the process. Irina: "You are just a child, so your words don''t hold any meaning to me." I pped for her. Ryoto: "Wow, that''s what I expect from an adult. Almost as impressive as your future assassination failure." She mmed the desk. Irina: "Listen here, you little shit!!!" Ryoto: "Two." Irina: "Huh?" Irina was not the only confused by the sudden number. Ryoto: "It''s nothing important. I decided to start ying a little game. I count every time someone insults me in some way." A vein popped on her forehead while Karma startedughing. Karma: "Hahahahaha!!! I should use it in the future. It''s genius!" However, Irina didn''t have as much of a good time as Karma. Irina: "You brat...! You know what? You stay quiet as I teach the rest of the ss!" She coughed a few times to reset her mood and image, which didn''t work, by the way. Irina: "To pronounce ''V'' correctly, first you need to bite down lightly on your lower lip. C''mon now!" She waited until at least most of the ss tried it. Irina: "...Good. You should spend the next hour quietly like that." The ss wasn''t happy with it but didn''t say anymore during this lesson. After the so-called ''lesson'' we had a PE with Karasuma-sensei. Today we trained our shooting, and Koro-sensei returned with the coffee during our training. He and Irina went into the storage shed. There was silence for a while. Then the sound of shooting began for about seven seconds. Afterward, Irina''s scream was heard. Irina: "NOOOOOOO!!!!!!!" Taiga: "Wh-what!? First gunshot, then a piercing shriek and slippery-slimy sound!" Ryoto: "This is the sound of victory, my dear friend." Rio: "The victory sounds like slimy tentacles." Ryoto: "Only in this case." Irina''s screams began quiet down, and a minuteter, Koro-sensei exited the shed. Nagisa: "Koro-sensei! What happened to the breastdy?" Koro-sensei: "My... I wanted to have a little more fun, but having ss with all of you is much more enjoyable, so 6th period''s quiz is going to be difficult, you know." The door to the wooden shed opened once more, and from there, Irina slowly walked out in a gym uniform. Her eyes were unfocused, and she was also drooling. Irina: "Impossible... for all of that to happen in a mere minute... The stiffness in my shoulders and back was loosened, I received oil, face, and lymph node massages... I was forced to quickly change clothes... and on top of that... for those slippery tentacles to do such a thing..." She fainted and fell face straight into the ground. Nagisa: "Koro-sensei, what did you do?" Koro-sensei''s face turned white, and his always-present smile turned into a small line. Koro-sensei: "Who knows? Adults have their own sort of maintenance, after all." Everyone: "That''s the face of a terrible adult!!!" Koro-sensei: "Nowe, let''s return to the ssroom." Everyone: "Kaaay!" Ryoto: "Wait a minute. I need to say something to Bitch-neesan. I walked up to now conscious but weak Irina . Ryoto: " , ... ." (Shouldn''t have epted the bet and before I forget... I told you so.) I started walking to the ssroom but stopped when I heard Irina saying something. Irina: " ..." (You brat...) I turned around to face Irina and said. Ryoto: "." (Five.) I then left Irina lying on the ground in her newly acquired bloomers and white shirt with her name shown on her chest. I didn''t forget to leave her a lollipop to cheer her up. I am such a nice guy. Irina: "I''ll get back at you, just you see." Irina promised herself that no matter what, she''d win against me. --- The next day Irina didn''t change her teaching methods. She sat at the teacher''s desk in ss and looked at her iPad. What surprised me the most was that apple was a thing here. I should check it back at home if that''s the case there too. Karma: "Aha- Bitch-neesan''s pretty frantic. Having that sort of thing done to her must-have damaged her pride-." Ryoto: "I would call her masochistic, but who am I to judge. I don''t kink shame." Again, there was a short silence, and it was Mr. ''Scared of shopping'' who decided to speak up. Yuma: "Sensei." Irina: "What do you want?" Yuma: "If you''re not going to teach us, could you switch out with Koro-sensei? We''re taking entrance exams this year, so..." Irina put down her iPad on the desk. Irina: "Hmph! You want to be taught by that vicious monster? Comparing the Earth''s predicament to entrance exams... How nice to be a carefree kid~. Moreover, the way I hear it, all of you in ss E... Seem to be the misfit failures of this school. Even if you start studying now, it''s meaningless." She was talking to us with clear superiority, as if she was in a higher position than all of the students here. No one liked to be looked down upon, so of course, the students didn''t take it well. Irina: "I know! Here''s what we''ll do. Once I''ve sessfullypleted the assassination, I''ll give you five million yen to divide amongst yourselves! Such a grand sum is more than any of you will ever see in your lives! That would be much more profitable than pointless studying. So just be quiet and listen to m-" An eraser flew next to Irina''s head, hitting a ckboard behind her. Rinka: "Get out..." Suddenly the whole ss started throwing things at Irina. Everyone yelled at her to switch with Koro-sensei and for her to get out. Kaede: "We don''t need any huge boobs around here!!!" The exception was Kaede, who even had a sign ''No big boobs!!!''. I wonder when she made it? Did she wait for the perfect opportunity to use it? The world may never know... The other exception was Nagisa, who was usually passive and just protected his head from iing projectiles. I, of course, didn''t miss the fun and shot my eraser with my ruler. The person who said the school is boring didn''t know how fun it could be with the right teacher and ssmates. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 62: Home visit Chapter 62: Home visit (Ryoto''s pov) Irina ran away from ss, and the ss started studying independently. I, however, took a nap. It reminded me of how I needed to sleep during the lessons before I got ''Hentai protagonist stamina B''. Good times. At PE, we yed a volleyball-like game with knives instead of hands. I held back so I would send anyone to the hospital. From the corner of my eye, I noticed Irina and Karasuma. Thetter was trying to show something. It can only mean one thing... character development. Kaede: "What are you thinking about?" Ryoto: "Nothing important, but tomorrow will be interesting." Kaede: "Is that so? And how do you know this?" Ryoto: "Just my intuition." Rio: "Talking about something interesting?" Rio appeared between Kaede and me, hanging by both of our necks. Rio: "Oh, by the way, can I go to your apartment today?" Ryoto: "Why?" Rio: "Why not? Kaede would join too, right?" Kaede: "Me too?" Rio: "There will be sweets." Kaede: "I''lle! I mean, please let mee!" Kaede had stars in her eyes on the mention of sweets. Ryoto: "How do you know there will be sweets?" Kaede: "There won''t be?" She asked with a sad tone. Even her hair tied in pigtails dropped the same way her mood did. Ryoto: "*Sigh* Fine." Rio & Kaede: "Yay!" They high-fived each other. Well, I don''t mind it that much. It''s just not interesting in a way. Ryoto: "Sure, but we still need to do groceries first." Their great mood dropped slightly, but nheless, they agreed. We met Nakama-San near the store. She was supporting herself with a cane, but if someone would make a mistake to think she''s weak, that someone would regret it. Ryoto: "Good afternoon Nakama-san." Nakama: "Good afternoon to you too, Ryoto-chan. I see you are apany today." Ryoto: "Yes, they wanted to visit my home, but I needed to buy some things first, so here we are." Nakama: "I see, I see. It''s nice being young." After a short battle, both girls were tired, but we decided that they''d rest there since I lived nearby. We walked in the direction of my apartment, which was on the 3rd floor. When we stopped in front of my door, I took out the key to the apartment, put it inside the keyhole, and opened the door revealing... nothing out of the ordinary. There wasn''t much furniture besides the basics. It almost looked empty. Fortunately for girls, there was a single sofa in the living room, and near it was a small coffee table. The girl looked around for a bit. Kaede: "It looks..." Rio: "Empty. Just empty." Ryoto: "I don''t need too much stuff in my home." Rio: "There is no personality in this room. Wait here, I''ll check out other rooms." She runs off to see the rest of my apartment. Kaede, on the other hand, sat on the sofa. I went to the kitchen and returned with my homemade pudding shortly after. Kaede: "Pudding!!?" Ryoto: "Yeah. I tried some new recipes, and yesterday I made some pudding." She happily started eating, and while she was at it, she criticized my dish. I took some notes as well. Kaede was very knowledgeable about deserts, so I took this chance to learn. Sime time has passed, but Rio hasn''t returned. The apartment wasn''t that big, so I had no idea what took her so long to explore it. I went to my room, and Kaede followed. There we found Rio, who was searching for something. Rio: "It must be somewhere..." Ryoto: "If I were you, I would look under the bed." Rio: "I already looked there. Besides, it''s too obvious." Rio didn''t even look back but just a few secondster. Rio: "...Hey Ryoto..." Ryoto: "What are you doing, Rio?" Rio: "I was looking around, but when I walked into your room, I had the urge to look for your secret sash, hehe." Ryoto: "So you really take me for a person who hides porn in his room?" Rio: "You aren''t the most open individual, so I thought that maybe you have some kind of secret fetish that you don''t want to share with anyone. I admit, my curiosity won over me." She looked guilty for what she had done. I didn''t really care about that, so I forgave her. We returned to the living room, and I offered pudding to Rio as well. I think she thinks she broke my trust as she was feeling down. ''Am I so emotionally unstable for her to worry that much?'' Karen: "Yes." ''Not true. I didn''t hug my pillow to get simr warmth to L''s body for a week.'' Karen: "..." We spent some time talking, and we yed some cards. I didn''t have any other game, so we were doomed to y cards. Thankfully, I knew a few games, so we didn''t get bored too quickly. The next day we waited for the English lesson. We were talking about mundane things. Irina walked into the ssroom full of confidence. She took a chalk and wrote ''You''re incredible in bed''. I almost choked seeing that, and when she said to repeat that to the whole ss, I couldn''t hold it in anymore. Irina started exining how to learn a foreignnguage fast and what method to use. Her ss wouldn''t be about how to pass tests, but she would teach us conversation techniques that will be useful in the future. The ss quickly forgave her after announcing that she would quit the assassination if we couldn''t view her as a teacher. Unfortunately for her, she would be called Bitch-sensei, and no matter what she would do, that would stay with her for the rest of her teaching career. (Tadaomi''s pov) I have a file in front of me. Right now, it''s closed, and the only thing I could see was a photo of a boy and his name, Ryoto Yuuki. No matter how much I read this file, nothing changes. Everything checks out. He could speak Russian because he lived in Russia with his parents when he was younger. Even though his record is clean, my instincts are warning me that there is more than meets the eye. I send some of my men to watch over him for some time. He lives alone at the moment, and his parents are working overseas. He gets a monthly allowance and is doing groceries regrly. He rarely eats out as he cooks for himself. He even invited my men to eat with him, and he gives them lollipops on some asions. He waves at them every morning and evening. Is he trying to tell us that he is aware of the people watching him but why? Thinking about it doesn''t help in a way at the moment, so I shifted my thoughts to Yuuki''s parents. Obviously, he isn''t a straightforward child, especially his eyes. It''s possible that he was part of some sort of experiment. I took out my phone and dialed a number. Tadaomi: "Hello? Gather all possible information about Ryoto Yuuki''s parents." --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 63: Midterms Chapter 63: Midterms (A/N Extra chapter again. Extra power stones, please.) (Ryoto''s pov) Two weeks have passed, and midterms exams are slowly approaching. Bitch-sensei was gradually integrated into the school, and her lesson was popr among a few. She even went over sex education, which by the way, wasn''t all that helpful, for now at least. She said that we''ll go over sex positions in the future and bring orgasm to your partner. It will be interesting, but she does realize that she is teaching middle school students, right? To help us study, Koro-sensei duplicated himself thanks to his super speed and taught us ''individually''. Everyone would tackle their weakest subjects. For me, it would be Chemistry and Biology, which isbined into Science here. Even if it''s middle school level, I suck at them. The only thing I know is that mitochondria are the powerhouses of the cell. I''ll still probably pass bute on, these eyes didn''te with perfect memory. Karma tried to stab Koro-sensei in the head during the lesson, distorting all of his clones in the process. I followed this by attacking the other side of the head. Our teacher''s head looked like an hourss. We also had a visitor. It was, of course, Kunugigaoka private school, board chairman Gakuho Asano. He is a creep and intelligent one at that, the worst kind. He can force most people to do what he wants, and they would think that they are doing it of their own will. His idea is that ss E needs to be at the bottom so the rest of the students at his school can flourish. By being scared to be in the ''END'' ss, they would try harder to improve, making them stronger in the process. Pretty fucked up but effective. Not for the students in ss E, of course. It''s just a small sacrifice for the greater good. Dumbledore would be proud, no, scratch that. He would be taking lessons from the chairman of this school. At first, Koro-sensei was nervous around him as technically he was being employed by him. He even made him a tea. Gakuho came to our school building that is not visited by anyone from the main one just to tell Koro-sensei Thatcher can''t allow students of this ss to ovee anyone in this school. He then threw a wired puzzle at Koro-sensei and told him to solve it one second... Koro-sensei got tangled up in the puzzle as he doesn''t have patience for them. Gakuho: "In this world... there are problems which cannot be solved through speed." That was what the chairman wanted to say to Koro-sensei. Even if he could dodge any assassination attempt, he wouldn''t be able to help ss E. These words only fired up Koro-sensei as he doubled his effort into teaching us the next day. Unfortunately, he was the only one with enthusiasm. Most of the ss gave up the idea of scoring well on the test as they are just ss E. Our teacher was disappointed and showed X on his face saying that we are not qualified to be assassins. He went outside preparing some stuff and asked Irina and Karasuma about nning. He wanted to teach us that nning ahead was necessary as the first n does not always work out. The ss was fixated on killing Koro-sensei that they ultimately gave up on the future, hoping that they would be fine with the reward money. It was not a healthy way of thinking. He reprimanded us for that, even though I''m innocent this time. Koro-sensei: "Yuuki-kun, no eating candies during lessons." I managed to bribe him with a lollipop. At first, he didn''t want to take it, but when he saw that you could win an interview with an AV actress, he took it in a hurry and didn''t say anything about my newly acquired habit. Of course, it was fake, but he didn''t need to know about that. At the end of May, the test began, and it was moreplex than it should be... for normal people. I aced Mathematics, Japanese and English. Thanks to my bad scores in Science and Social studies, I barely got into the top 50. Karma was pouting that at a lot that day and days toe, too, in fact. He didn''t let it go. Even though I beat him in English and Japanese, the difference between our points in these subjects was minuscule while he beat me thoroughly in Science and Social studies. We tied in math at 100. Even though Karma was enjoying himself, being superior to me in the test, my mood didn''t drop one beat. Why? Because I had a significant breakthrough in my fire bending. I could generate blue mes. I could also change it back to orange. Still, no lighting, though, but it''s okay. With this, my fire attacks are more powerful. I also discovered that I have bigger talent in fire bending. It didn''t mean that I didn''t train water bending either. I could even heal a bit with my water bending. My eyes helped a lot in this as I needed to redirect energy paths or chi throughout the body using water as a catalyst. I don''t know about chi all that much, but seeing aura helped a bit. I discovered that when I came across an injured animal one time in the woods. I tried to heal him as he didn''t have enough energy to run away from me. I felt little bad for using him as my test subject, but he would die without my help, so the oue was good even if my intention weren''t the purest. Back into the topic. If I focused really hard on the aura in front of me, I could see small pathways, which I assumed were energy paths, so I guided water there and focused on healing the wound. I cooled the body around the injury to slow down the bleeding and tried to close the wound. I could see that it was working because the water started glowing slightly. The ending could only heal it a little but enough for him to survive for now. I would like to train this skill more, but there aren''t enough opportunities. I can''t go to the hospital and just start healing here and there. I mean, I could, but it would create more problems than it''s worth it. I''ll need to think about itter. Whyter? Because today we are going on a trip to Kyoto. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 64: Kidnapping Chapter 64: Kidnapping (Ryoto''s pov) The school trip will soon begin, but first, we needed to decide our groups. We could choose groups ourselves. I ended up with Nagisa, Tomohito, Kaede, Manami, Yukiko Kanzaki and Karma. Most of the groups were made of seven students as the number of people couldn''t be divided equally for all groups. Before the trip began, Koro-sensei gave everyone a guide that he personally wrote. They were thick, very thick, unreasonably so. We are traveling by train to Kyoto. ss A tried to mock us, but they shut up when they saw Irina. She dressed up like a Hollywood celebrity. Karasuma forced her to changeter, though. Karasuma looked really pissed off. At first, Koro-sensei attached himself to the outside wall of a train, but we dragged him inside with his human disguise. Sosuke Suguya made Koro-sensei a new nose as the old one didn''t fit him. Surprisingly Koro-sensei gets motion sickness. He looked deted, but it was hard to kill him even in that state. We tried. Even though he was finally in Kyoto, Koro-sensei flew back to get his pillow as he couldn''t sleep without it. It was impressive that he could forget something while having aicallyrge backpack. On the first day, we could explore alone wherever we wanted. Nagisa wanted to take a little. We went to some famous assassinations spots. As Kaede said, ''Kyoto was always at the heart of Japan... and yet it is an assassination holy ground.'' In my eyes, it''s an assassination holy ground because this city was always at the heart of Japan. As we walked through empty streets, I had a need to go to the toilet. I excused myself to relieve myself, and when I came back... Karma, Tomohito, and Nagisa were on the ground. The back of Karma''s head was bleeding. He probably was hit by a blunt weapon. I couldn''t find Yukiko or Kaede anywhere near. Manami came out of hiding, looking worried and guilty at the same time. Everything happened in an alley where there weren''t any witnesses. It obviously was nned. Ryoto: "What happened here." My voice became cold. ''Am I angry? Why am I angry? Do I care that much about her?'' Karen: "She is simr." ''Huh?'' Karen: "She is simr to you. A liar, actor/actress who doesn''t show her true colors, fooling everyone around you and having a clear goal to achieve. Or at least you used to be like that. While you are still not an entirely open book, you''re working on it. You don''t even pretend to be happy all that often anymore. You just enjoy yourself. You even forget that you wanted to get out of this world as fast as possible to return home. Do you know why it changed?" I see. I care about both Rio and Kaede... Shit, I care about both Rio and Kaede. I quickly changed my thought process. Now there are more important things at hand. I''ll think about itter. First, I''ll save the girls. I opened my eyes and turned to the guys on the floor. Ryoto: "I''ll look for them." I was calm, scarily so. It''s not that I want to feel angry, but it didn''t cloud my judgment. Nagisa: "Wai-!" Before he could finish his sentence, I jumped between two walls gaining height with each jump. In seconds I found myself on the roof. I scanned quickly in all directions. I was lucky as I saw a group of high schoolersing out of a van with two tied-up girls. Bingo. (3rd pov) In a big, white minivan, there was a group of high schoolers. There were four of them, probably on a school trip. It was a typical sigh, or it would be of not for two girls, tied up so they wouldn''t escape. The leader of this group was named Ryuki. Ryuki: "Uhyahyahya!!! Those guys are too easy!!! Didn''t I tell ya? Brats who''ve generally got nothing but book smarts arepletely helpless against strength like ours." The most hated thing for Ryuki was anyone who looked down on him, so he decided that he would ruin them instead. After a short ride, the group came out of a car and went inside an abandoned building. Ryuki: For a sryman in a nice suit... use a woman and use him of molesting her. For a seemingly sessful woman... kidnap her and engrave wounds that will never disappear into both her heart and body. That''s what we do with elites that think that can look down on us." Ryuki had a very twisted view of the world. Instead of trying to improve himself, he would rather drag down everyone else to his level. That was the motive behind this kidnapping, just an ego of a sorry excuse for a human. Kaede: "Awful." That was a single word that Kaede said to Ryuki, and he didn''t take it kindly. He hit Kaede and attempted to choke her, but he was lifted in the air by someone or something before he could. Inside, the building was a bit dark, but something resembling a pair of eyes shone lightly. It was pretty scary, but Ryuki''s underlings were hanging from the ceiling, wrapped in something resembling a spider''s web. They couldn''t even scream as their mouths were covered by the same substance. The figure was hanging upside down, and for the first time, Ryuki felt like prey in front of a predator. Ryoto: "You know what? I am furious at the moment. I haven''t used it in a long time since there wasn''t any opportunity, and thest person I used it on was traumatized, so congrattions, you managed to piss me off enough to use it! You will meet someone new today, so I hope you''ll get along." At first, Ryoto''s voice was calm, but thest sentence was said in a happy tone, which was strange given the situation. Before anyone could ask anything, a Ryuki and his underlings saw themselves on the floor again. They couldn''t see the girls or the boy who appeared suddenly. Ryuki: "What is going on?" He then felt a hand on his shoulder. It was big and muscr. When Ryuki and his ssmates turned to see what it was, they saw something that couldn''t be described in words. Ryuki: "AAAAH!!!" A scream of terror could be heard in the abandoned building, but Kaede and Yukiko didn''t know what had happened. In their eyes, Ryoto appeared, looked at the kidnappers, and they started screaming. Kaede: "What just happened?" Ryoto: "They met someone new and fainted from happiness." They obviously didn''t believe me, but it''s not important. I lessened the rope that tied the girls. Ryoto: "Sorry that I couldn''te sooner." Kaede: "What are you talking about? You saved us. You should feel proud, not guilty." Kaede tried to cheer up Ryoto as she could see that he was ming himself. For her effort, she got a rare genuine smile and a headpat from Ryoto. Ryoto: "I''m d that nothing to you..." Remembering that Yukiko was also in the room, he quickly added. Ryoto: "And to you too, Yukiko." Yukiko just gave a knowing smile. Shortly after, the rest of our group came to the rescue, and after them, Koro-sensei came as well. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 65: First night at the inn Chapter 65: First night at the inn (Nagisa''s pov) Thanks to the guide that Koro-sensei made for us, we could find kidnappers'' hideout. It was an abandoned building not so far from where they attacked us. They didn''t run away far because, just like us, they were on a trip, and since they didn''t know the area that well, they used a ce nearby to hide. Everything was clearly exined in the guidebook. There was even included a map. Two people were stocked to the walls with a strange substance outside the building. Their mouths were closed by the same material that hugged them to walls. They couldn''t scream or even say anything, but I could see fear in their eyes. Karma looked at both of them with some curiosity, picked up a nearby stick, and poked one of them a few times. Karma: "Seems like someone was here before us, and I hope it''s Ryoto because if it''s not him, the girls may be in danger." He is right. Nagisa: "We need to hurry then!" Karma: "Wait." Karma stopped me. Karma: "If it''s not Ryoto, then we need to be careful." Nagisa: "If it''s not Ryoto, then we should hurry all the more!" Koro-sensei: "Karma would be right in that case if I wasn''t here." All four of us turned around to see our teacher. He was holding a camera. Why though? Koro-sensei: "You also don''t need to worry about Kayano-San and Kanzaki-San. They are safe." Karma: "Was it Ryoto?" Koro-sensei: "Yes." I breathed out the air that I didn''t even know I was holding. It''s good. Koro-sensei looks calm, so he at least didn''t kill them. In the alley, his eyes were scary. He was clearly angry but was inplete control. I felt like a small animal in front of the tiger. It was his killing intent. Nagisa: "What is this?" Finally, I did not need to worry about my ssmates so I could let my curiosity get better of me. Karma: "Yeah, it looks like a spider web." Koro-sensei: "To be honest, your sensei doesn''t know either. It''s the first time I''m seeing this as well. Yuuki-kun just doesn''t stop surprising me, nurufufufu." Nagisa: "What do you mean by that?" Koro-sensei: "I can''t say anything without Yuuki-kun''s approval but let''s just say that not everything is as it seems." He put his tentacle on my head. Karma: "So Koro-sensei, what kind of photo did you make with this camera of yours?" Koro-sensei: "I''m d that you asked. I saw something amazing." Koro-sensei tried to turn on the camera, but it didn''t work. Koro-sensei: "Huh?" Nagisa: "Let me see it." Koro-sensei gave me the camera, and I immediately noticed that a small amount of water wasing out of the device. Nagisa: "It''s broken." Koro-sensei: "What!!? I just bought it!!!" Nagisa: "The camera has water inside." Koro-sensei had a face of realization. Koro-sensei: "I see, so that''s how it is." Karma: "Hmm." Karma was clearly thinking about something. Inside the building, we were following a web-upped people, and in the end, we found Yuuki-kun, Kayano, and Kanzaki-San. Three unconscious high schoolers that attacked us before, hanging from the ceiling, were not far away from them. Karma: "What happened to them?" Ryoto: "I happened." (Ryoto''s pov) After the boys, Manami and Koro-sensei, walked in, they had some questions, but thankfully they didn''t push for answers. We returned to the inn we were staying at during our trip. We met all of our ssmates there. It was already evening, so we changed into yukatas and yed around for a while. Most boys yed ping pong, and even Karasuma joined in after the invitation. Most of my ssmates regretted this decision as a simple game of ping pong changed into a warzone. Let''s just say that Karasuma nor I know when to give up. We destroyed not only the ball but also a board in the process. Karasuma was forced to pay for it. What''s worse, the game stopped at a tie. 15-15 was the final score, and I wasn''t happy about it. The people in the same hallway were as they were scared for their lives when we started ying seriously. There was even one victim. Terasaka was hit by one of the balls, and he fainted. It may or may not be on purpose. Do I still hold a grudge? No, but I''m still a bit salty that he hit my wrong buttons, so I''m going to annoy him as long as I can. After the very exciting game of ping pong, Rio wanted to peep on Koro-sensei to know what he hides under his clothes. She invited me as well, but I declined. Instead, I climbed on the roof of the inn. I was lying on my back with my arms behind my head. I was looking at the stars. They were the same here as they were at home... is what I would say if I knew what I''m saying. I don''t see the difference. I don''t know enough about astronomy to say something like that. The moon, on the other hand, is different. 70% of it was destroyed by Koro-sensei. Now into the main topic. What should I do about my feelings? I obviously love L. I should probably tell her that more often. But now, I started caring about Kaede and Rio. It just happened. It wasn''t even at first sight or anything like that, but these feelings slowly crept into my heart during thest two months. Was it because they didn''t leave me alone even if the air around me said leave me alone. Maybe it was just their personality or something else. I know it wasn''t boobs in the case of Kaede, though. That I knew for sure. I chuckled at my own joke, but I would never say it out loud to her. I like my balls where they are, thank you. This is especially true right now with how unstable she could be. Of course, L is in the first ce. She is literally irreceable for me, but I''m starting to like Rio and Kaede as well. Does it make me a scumbag? Maybe, but at least I''m not one in Tokyo. Ok, enough of the jokes. The question is, what should I do. After all, I''m going to leave this world. ''Karen, any advice?'' --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 66: On the roof Chapter 66: On the roof (Ryoto''s pov) ''Karen, any advice?'' Karen: "..." ''Karen?'' Karen: "It''s nothing, just waiting for the apocalypse." ''Huh, why?'' Karen: "My ex-boyfriend said that the day someone asks me for advice is a day the world will end and since it didn''t happen. *Breath in* FUCK YOU JAMES!!!" ''You had a boyfriend? For how long?'' Karen: "30 minutes. He was my first andst rtionship." ''Hested longer than I thought. To the point, I asked you because we have known each other for some time, and you know me better than anyone I know. I could ask Koro-sensei as well buuut...'' Karen: "Yeah, yeah, I get it." ''Besides, today you sounded very wise, so I''m hoping it wasn''t a fluke and you give me some useful tips.'' Karen: "Did... did you just call me stupid?" ''No, but you can be...'' Karen: "Bitchy, I know." ''But you helped me a lot as well. You even send me here to help me and not to just fuck with me, which I appreciate.'' Karen: "..." ''Karen went silent for a while. I even started worrying for a minute. ''Karen, Hey Karen!'' Karen: "What?" ''You went quiet for a moment there. Are you alright?'' Karen: "Yeah. It''s just the second time someone has been grateful to me. I must say the feeling is overrated. Pissing people off is a lot more entertaining." ''...Why are you like this?'' Karen: "It all began on the day when I was born..." ''Spare me the details.'' Karen: "In short, it was because of my sister. If you think that I''m bad, you really don''t want to meet her." ''You know, I don''t think I''m in the to hear about your family.'' Karen: "Neither am I, to your problem then. I think that you are overthinking. So you care about more than one girl, big deal, it''s not like you are acting on your urges. As I see it, you don''t want to do anything without speaking with L as you would feel it would be like cheating. You also believe that after you are seen with this quest, you won''t return here and just leave them but you can buy a world travel ticket in a shop, and it isn''t that expensive too. You can also buy them for other people so no worries. They can move with you at some point. You now have two options. You can use either friend zone them, or you could tell them the truth that you need time and think with your penis after you talk with L because, let''s be honest, she won''t be against it. I would also prepare yourself for more girlsing your way." ''Again, why?'' Karen: "From the romance novels that I read, I know that girls love two things. Tame the beast inside a man and fix a broken man, and you are two of these things." ''But these are just novels you ate talking about. Reality can be diffrent.'' Karen: "You forget that fiction is often based on reality." ''It''s my opinion vs. yours, so let''s just end it right here but thank you anyway. I feel a bit more confident in my decision right now.'' Karen: "One more customer satisfied." I won''t ask how many customers she had, but this talk helped me a bit. I don''t need to act immediately on my feelings. I''ll just enjoy my middle school time as before I couldn''t. As Ryoto, I had a slight identity crisis, and previously I was bullied. So it''s my first time having a good time in school. I took out a lollipop that I hid in my sleeve and started eating it. It was cherry vor, a ssic. As I enjoyed the cloudless sky and beautiful stars, I heard something next to me. I didn''t turn to see who it was because only one person coulde here without rming me. Ryoto: "Hello Koro-sensei, nice night we are having." Koro-sensei: "Good evening Yuuki-kun. Yes, we truly have." We didn''t talk for a while, but I wanted to know one thing I was curious about. Ryoto: "Koro-sensei, do you want to die?" My question surprised Koro-sensei. He stayed quiet for a while until he started talking. Koro-sensei: "There was a time when I just lived from one day to the next, doing things that are not praised. After living like that for a long time, I met someone who taught me that there is much more to living than just eating, sleeping, working, and breathing. There is a lot to enjoy and a lot to be sad about as well. Life is just like, but that''s why it''s fun. After every low, there is an even greater high. Dropping down can hurt, but you can only go up while being at the lowest possible point in life. Trust sensei on this. I speak from experience. Now tell me, Yuuki-kun, do you like going to school?" Now it was my turn to be surprised. Before, I would answer obviously no, but now. Ryoto: "Yes, it''s really fun." I gave Koro-sensei a big smile which he returned and patted me. I think it''s the first time someone patted me. Koro-sensei: "That''s great, isn''t it?" Ryoto: "But you still didn''t answer my question." Koro-sensei: "Because this answer isn''t important. Either I''ll die by the end of 3rd semester, or the Earth is destroyed. These are the only two oues." Ryoto: "There is also the 3rd option. Curing you and you live." Koro-sensei: "What do you mean?" Koro-sensei seemed agitated, but I didn''t stay quiet. Ryoto: "I know that you are the result of the experiment and that you''ll explode by March 13th, but what if you won''t." Koro-sensei: "How do you know? Where you also-" Ryoto: "I wasn''t an experiment, but I''m aware of it. I just think that if I can have a happy life, then you do as well. To be honest, I would like you to live longer." There was silence once again. I waited for Koro-sensei to ask or answer me. Koro-sensei: "If I answer you, will you answer one of my questions as well?" Ryoto: "Sounds like a fair deal." Koro-sensei: "I honestly don''t know. My rtionship with all of you students is that of a target and an assassin. Besides, I''m not sure I''m allowed to live happily after everything I''ve done. I would need time to think about it, but I think my fate is a retribution of some kind." Ryoto: "I see." I don''t know what I should say in a situation like that, so it''s better to stay quiet, and that''s what I did. Koro-sensei: "So, who are you really?" Ryoto: "Excuse me?" Koro-sensei: "You know, your parent''s address isn''t written in your documents, so I did some digging and tour parents don''t exist, so I ask you. Who are you?" I thought about how should I answer this question, and Koro-sensei didn''t hurry me up. Ryoto: "I am just a broken boy who sought out help, so someone sent me to this ss. That''s all." Koro-sensei: "I see." I''m surprised that he epted that as an answer, but I''m happy at the same time. My situation isn''t the easiest to exin. Ryoto: "If you knew, why didn''t you say anything earlier? I could be someone dangerous after all." Koro-sensei: "I trust my judgment on people even though I maybe shouldn''t, but as soon as you be my student, I decided to help you." Ryoto: "...It''s stupid..." Koro-sensei: "It may be so, but that''s the kind of teacher I want and hope to be." Ryoto: "I didn''t finish. I wanted to say that it''s stupid that I don''t hate it." Koro-sensei: "Then it''s all good, isn''t it?" We sat on the roof for the rest of the time in silence. It wasn''t awkward, but then I turned to Koro-sensei to say that I''d go inside the inn, but Koro-sensei was ''wearing'' a cube of water around his body. I suddenly lost most of the respect I got for him and attempted to stab him with the knife I''d hidden in my yukata. Ryoto: "Why are you naked!!?" Koro-sensei dodged my knife and started exining himself fast in panic. Koro-sensei: "Nakamura-San tried to peek at me, and I escaped them from my bath. I then noticed you on the roof." Ryoto: "And you haven''t thought about flying fast back to your room and dressing up." Koro-sensei stopped for a moment and hit his head with a tentacle while tilting his head a bit cutely. Koro-sensei: "Tee-hee." A vein popped on my forehead. Ryoto: "Don''t tee-hee me, you bastard!!!" Koro-sensei escaped, and I was left with a bad taste in my mouth seeing my teacher after a bath. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 67: Ritsu Chapter 67: Ritsu (Ryoto''s pov) After I returned inside the inn, I returned to my room where apparently all the boys were using at the moment. They were making a poprity ranking. Yukiko was in the first ce, and Kayano was in 4th. Rio was a lot lower than I expected, though. Yuma: "Great timing, Yuuki. Are you interested in any girls in our ss?" Hiroto: "Everyone already said theirs, so you''re not getting out of this one. By the way, Karma chose Okuda." Ryoto: "It''s a tough choice. I can''t decide between Kaede and Rio." Hiroto: "Predictable." Taiga: "It really is, isn''t it." Tomohito: "Really? I didn''t notice anything." Hiroto: "That''s because you have baseball for brains." Ryoto: "Wait, what are you talking about?" Yuma: "You see, we made a small bet about who you would choose, and by the way, I won, so pay up, boys." Karma: "I told you guys that he would choose both." Yuma: "And I''m d I listened." Ryoto: "You shouldn''t gamble, you know that?" Everyone looked at me strangely. Did I say something wrong? Hiroto: "...You say gambling is bad?" Taiga: "Mr. Let''s make a bet?" I crossed my arms and looked away. Ryoto: "...ok, I''m just annoyed that someone made money out of me without my knowledge." Taiga: "...So you would be alright with it if you got something out of it?" Ryoto: "Precisely." Karma: "That''s why I got you this!" He took some of the money and gave me. I obviously epted it and counted it. Happy with the amount, I smiled. Ryoto: "And that''s why you are my friend Karma." No one knew what to say. --- The rest of the trip went as usual. Nothing of notice has happened besides Koro-sensei writing down the ranking of the girls and him listening to girls'' gossip. He brought on himself the wrath of everyone, but it was still fun. Today we got a new transfer student who is an assassin. Inside the ssroom, a big ck box stood at the back of the ssroom. As we were observing it, it suddenly turned on, showing a face of a middle school, pink-haired girl. Box: "Good morning. As of today, I will be attending this school. I am the ''Autonomously thinking fixed artillery''. It''s a pleasure to meet you." With that said, she turned herself off. Everyone was dumbfounded, but I decided toe closer and ce a lollipop on top of the box. I nodded my head, satisfied. Ryoto: "Better." As I did that, everyone thought the same thing. ''What do you mean better!!?''. --- At the beginning of the lesson, Karasuma introduced Autonomously thinking fixed artillery to everyone in the ss. She would attack Koro-sensei from the back of the ssroom, and he wouldn''t be able to counterattack her since she is registered as a student. The lesson started, and nothing happened for the first minute or so. Kaede leaned back to me and whispered. Kaede: "It''s called fixed artillery, but it doesn''t have guns attached anywhere. How do you think she''ll attack?" Ryoto: "Just wait and see." The box started glowing, and four shotguns and two machine guns came out from the inside. She started a barrage of bullets, but Koro-sensei avoided them easily. He even blocked thest bullet with chalk. We didn''t need to wait long for her next attack. At first, the attack pattern seemed the same as before, but there was a hidden bullet behind thest one, and when Koro-sensei blocked it the same way as before, he was hit in a tentacle finger. Box: "The killing probability of the next shot is less than 0,001%. The killing probability of the next shot after that is less than 0,005%. The probability that I''ll be able to kill you by graduation is more than 90%." She then smiled at Koro-sensei. Box: "I look forward to learning from you, Koro-sensei. Continue, and I will adjust my attack." The machine was learning, and the ss realized that she might be able to kill Koro-sensei. Throughout the entire day, she continued her attacks. Koro-sensei couldn''t even catch a break which tranted to not conducting the lessons. Not only that, but we needed to clean all the bullets from the ground. Yuma: "...Do we... have to clean up all of this?" Takuya: "Hey, fixed artillery-San, haven''t ya got any cleaning functions?" Box: "..." Takuya: "Tch, ignoring me, huh." Taisei: "Give it a rest. Picking a fight with a machine is not gonna do any good." --- The next day when our new ssmate started operating in the morning, it couldn''t begin its attacks. It was taped in a way that her weapons couldn''te out. Box: "...Koro-sensei, I cannot deploy my guns like this. Please remove these restraints." Koro-sensei scratched his head. Koro-sensei: "...Hrmm, even if you say it like that, I can''t really..." Box: "These restraints were your doing, weren''t they? This is obvious violence against a student. I believe that is prohibited through your contract." Ryoma: "You''ve got it wrong. I did it." Answered Terasaka while holding a tape in his hand. Ryoma: "This''ll probably interfere with whatever you were nning, bute kill him after you''ve gotten yourself somemon sense, you piece of junk." Everyone agreed with what Teraska did. To be honest, it is surprising that he could do something useful. I started fake crying. Ryoto: "I can''t believe it. Terasaka did something smart." Ryoma: "You asshole..." Ryoto: "Don''t be so mad, here take a lollipop." He pped away the candy I was giving him. What kind of sphemy is that? To refuse a lollipop. --- The lessons went as usual without any interference, and we removed the tape at the end of the school. The next day the box became bigger, and when it turned on, we were weed by a full screen of a girl. Box: "Good morning! Kayano-San, Nakamura-San, Yuuki-San!" Koro-sensei, behind us, started exining how he upgraded her to create a sense of familiarity. The new student became a part of the ss, and we even gave her the nickname Ritsu. She was a real 2-D waifu. She was like a real person. She even stopped assassination attempts to not disturb the lessons. The day after, however, she returned back to her previous self, or so one would think. The moment she was about to start shooting, instead of guns came out flowers. Ritsu: "I promised to make some flowers..." I vaguely remember that promise. Ritsu: "Master deemed that Koro-sensei''s modifications are unnecessary for assassination and they were deleted, dismantled and reset, but I personally deemed the ''power of cooperation'' to be an indispensable element of assassination and hid the rted software in the corner of my memory bank before it could be erased." She then gave a sweet smile. Ritsu: "I suppose that my ''rebellious phase'' has begun. Would it make ''Ritsu'' a bad girl?" Koro-sensei: "Of course not. That is perfectly eptable behavior for a 3rd-year junior high student." And so, ss E got a new ally among themselves. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 68: A visitor Chapter 68: A visitor (A/N I want to thank you all for the power stones thest week. My ranking was the highest ever (: ) (Ryoto''s pov) A few days have passed, and I was in my apartment cooking. I was getting good if I can say so myself, which I do. Consistent practice can do wonders. As I was making side dishes for myself, I heard a notification on my phone. I didn''t go for my phone immediately and finished what I started first. After I was done, I finally had time to look at my phone. Ritsu: "Good evening, Yuuki-San!" Ryoto: "Hello Ritsu. Is my phonefortable?" Ritsu: "Your reaction is by far the calmest of everyone, and there''s no difference between the devices except the amount of data. If more data equalsfort, then yours is the mostfortable." Ryoto: "I see. Can you wait for a second? I''ll go inside the kitchen to finish cooking first. I''m done with side dishes, and I just need to make the main one." Ritsu: "Understood." I went back to the kitchen and ced my phone nearby to hear Ritsu while making dinner. Ritsu: "Can I ask you one thing Yuuki-San?" Ryoto: "Call me Ryoto. You don''t need to be so formal with me." Ritsu: "Acknowledged, Ryoto. My question is, why your existence is aplete mystery?" I stopped chopping the vegetables, but I was still controlling my emotions. Ryoto: "What do you mean by that?" Ritsu: "I looked into your personal information, and at first, everything checked out. Your family, school, and medical record, but when I searched for more specific pieces of information, I couldn''t find you on any pictures of you or your family. Technically your parents work overseas, but they aren''t included in any projects or anything else. They exist only on paper, the same way you do or did until you transferred to Kunugigaoka Junior High School." I listened to her calmly and carefully. Ryoto: "You know that it''s a breach of privacy, right, Ritsu?" Ritsu: "And I apologize for that. I was trying to get basic information about everyone and their family as I predict that at some point, you''ll be targeted because of your closeness with Koro-sensei. It was an ident that I discovered it." Ritsu sounded guilty. Ryoto: "Ritsu, how easy is it to get this info?" Ritsu started ''thinking'' about it. Ritsu: "I believe that it would be difficult to do it by a human. Unless someone wanted to look into your past, you''re safe." Ryoto: "That''s good. And about your question, I''ll exin it someday." Maybe. Ryoto: "But for now, I would ask you to keep it a secret." Ritsu: "Understood." Ritsu went into sleep mode in my phone and did some other things. On the other hand, I finished cooking and set everything on a table. I made a lot since my metabolism is increased thanks to my Spider-man powers. It isn''t on the level of shounen protagonist, but it''s still a lot in an ordinary people''s eyes. As I was about to start eating, someone knocked on the door. It''s strange. I was not expecting any visitors today. Yesterday I ate with my observers, a nice pair, by the way, and Rio and Kaede were the days before yesterday. Today was my alone day or at least supposed to be, but Ritsu invited herself in. I walked to my door and opened it to see a woman in her early 20s with long, wavy, light blue hair. She was a bit shorter than me and had a medium-sized breast, maybe slightly on a bigger side. Her figure was very eye-catching. She smiled at me gently and looked at me with her eyes filled with small stars. It was like looking in the night sky or gxy. ???: "Hello Ryoto." Her voice was soothing and very pleasant to listen to. She was a personification of Onee-San. Karen: "RYOTO!!! CLOSE THE DOOR, CLOSE THE DOOR, CLOSE THE DOOR, FOR FUCK SAKE!!!" ''What? Why are you screaming?" Karen: "Listen to me!!! If there was a time to listen to me, it would be now!!! I wouldn''t even care if you''ll fail every next mission. Just close the damn door before it''s toote!!!" It''s the first time I heard so panic, so I closed the door against my better judgment. If she was dangerous, my spider-sense would go off, but it didn''t. ''Karen, some exining would be appreciated.'' Karen: "Pay attention now because I''m not going to repeat myself. That... THING... is an evil incarnate. Everything near IT dies. Be it dreams, future, or other things that you care about!" ''Is it really that terrible?'' Karen: "Ooh, trust me. I have personal experience with THAT. It was because of IT that James broke up with me, that I didn''t have any friends besides that god damn Truck and why my parents bought me a cake that I was allergic to for my birthday!!!" ''Most of them happened because of you, though...'' Karen: "Don''t care! The point is we should run!" ''Where?'' Karen: "As far as we can!!! Possibly and hopefully to another universe!" ???: "I can''t let you do this." The soothing voice rang in my head. Karen: "GOD FUCKING DAMN IT!!! Can''t you leave me alone already, $&!#D!!!" $&!#D: "Your words hurt me, you know that? We haven''t seen each other for a long time. How about a hug, <>~A@!%." Karen: "Over my dead body!!! And I''m not even here, to begin with, you dumb bitch!!! How do you n to hug me!?" $&!#D: "Where is a will, there''s away." She said with great enthusiasm, like a little child. ''Can someone exin to me what''s this all about and stop talking inside my head.'' $&!#D: "Oh, excuse me." She created a phone out of the air and dialed some number. I could hear Karen''s voice from the phone, and thankfully, her voice stopped inside my head. Ryoto: "Thank you." $&!#D: "No worries." Before I noticed it, she disappeared from my vision, and the next moment, I heard the sound of the cup being ced on a table. $&!#D: "I made a cup of coffee so we can talk. I heard you like it bitter." Ryoto: "...I nned to eat before you came. Can I do it first?" She widened her eyes and put her hand in front of her mouth. $&!#D: "Oh silly me, forgive me. It seems like I came at the wrong time. Don''t mind me and eat to your heart''s desire. I can wait." She then sat next to me while putting her elbows on a table and supported her head with her hands. Does she n to watch me eat? --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 69: Sophia Chapter 69: Sophia (A/N Bonus chapter. I author of this fanfic has a dream, and it''s to be in the top 10 at the end of a week. I know it''s unreasonable but a man can dream. Give power stones by the way.) (Ryoto''s pov) I finished eating my food and wiped my mouth with a napkin. $&!#D: "Are you sure you are full? Should I make some additional dishes? I don''t want to brag, but I''m pretty confident with my cooking skills." Ryoto: "No need, but thanks for the offer, ..." I realized that I didn''t know her name. It was strange, though. I remember that I heard Karen calling her something, and it was something unrecognizable and not possible to say, but I couldn''t remember anything about the sound of her name. She probably realized her mistake and started introducing herself. $&!#D: "It seems that I forgot to introduce myself. My name is $&!#D but since you can''tprehend my name''s sound or even the memory, you can call me Sophia. I am also <>~A@!%''s older sister. You call her Karen if it''s easier to understand. I also feel the need to apologize for my little sister''s behavior." She bowed deeply. Is it really the sister that Karen talked about? I imagined something more... evil? Sinister? I''m not really sure, but not... that. Karen: "Don''t apologize for me, you cunt! I didn''t do anything worth apologizing for!" Sophia: "Really? Then I''m d." She believed her!? Karen: "Grr, I hate you." Sophia: "I love you too~." She then turned to me and whispered. Sophia: "That''s her code for I love you because she is too embarrassed to say it out loud." Karen: "Not true!!! Go drown in the river!!!" Karen''s behavior reminds me of how she behaved at the beginning. You really can hear a difference. Karen: "What are you doing here anyway? I thought that you were working part-time in Truck-Kun''s business." Sophia: "I got some free time and nned to do somemunity service, but suddenly I got a call from Truck-San that you finally got your first job as a system guide, and she rmended visiting you. She was sure that the surprise would make you happy." She seemed so proud of herself. Wait, did she say the first job? Karen: "Of course, that rusting piece of junk would say that." Sophia: "<>~A@!%, watch yournguage! She is your friend." Karen: "A friend that can''t keep her nose out of her business and is sending my worst enemy right to where ''I'' live. Yeah, people must be standing in line for a friend like her." Sophia: "Don''t be like that. When she ate your birthday cake by ident, she even bought a whole new one for you. She insisted on buying it by herself as it was her fault. Such a nice person she is." Karen: "What!!? That was her!!?" She knew that I was allergic! That old bitch!!!" Sophia: "Language, <>~A@!%." Karen: "I can say whatever I want and whenever I want. You are not my boss! Bitch, bitch, bitch!!!" How old is she, five? Sophia: "*Sigh* I''m really sorry. She is a good kid deep inside, so please don''t give up on her." Even if I wanted, I couldn''t banish her from my mind. Ryoto: "You don''t need to worry about it. We may have had our differences, but I feel like we are starting to get each other a little better, even though her tongue is sharp like a chainsaw full of chainsaws, but she still helped me a lot." She widened her eyes, obviously didn''t expect that sort of answer, but after the initial shock, she smiled gently. Sophia: "That''s good then. <>~A@!% is fortunate to find someone like you." Ryoto: "Stop it, or I''ll blush. By the way, you still didn''t answer why did youe here." She brought her hands together and smiled as she realized that she didn''t exin anything yet. She seems like an airhead. Sophia: "When I spoke with Truck-San, she mentioned that I can y the role of your big sister since it would be strange to live for a middle school student alone without any guardian. You can call me Sophia-nee or Onee-San if you want." Ryoto: "No thanks." Sophia: "Don''t be like that. We''ll be family for the next few months." Ryoto: "I won''t call you Onee-San." Sophia: "How about One-sama?" Ryoto: "No." Sophia: "Aneki?" Ryoto: "No." Sophia: "Nee-chan?" Ryoto: "Didn''t youe here to check on your sister? You should talk with her and catch up a bit." Karen: "Ryoto!!! I will rip out your testicles and feed them to you through the tube!!!" Ryoto: "Don''t be like that. I think spending time with your family is important." Sophia: "I knew that you would understand!" Sophia pulled me to her embrace and put my head on her chest. It was soft, but L was softer and bigger at that, but maybe I''m just biased. Sophia suddenly started pouting. Sophia: "Did you think something rude about me?" Ryoto: "I would never, here, take a lollipop." I presented her a lollipop, and her eyes shone brightly like a child''s seeing its favorite snack. Sophia: "Yay, a candy!" She started locking it erotically at first. She even pulled her hair behind her ear in a seductive manner. The moment a lollipop entered her mouth, there was silence. Sophia didn''t n on saying anything as long as she had her candy. She looked around curiously, though. It was as if she reverted to a child-like state. Ryoto: "Karen, what just happened?" Karen: "I don''t know, but it''s fantastic. I don''t remember thest time she was this quiet. I take everything bad I said about you, Ryoto. You are a god damn genius. Who knew lollipops worked on her like that. Hahaha hahaha!" Ryoto: "Are you feeling alright, Karen?" Karen: "Never better. I need to go for a moment to celebrate. I''ll be back tomorrow. Woohoo!!!" Karen hung up on the phone, and the moment she did, Sophia returned to her usual self. Ryoto: "...Did... did you fake it?" Sophia: "<>~A@!% was alwayspetitive and liked to have any possible advantages over me, so I just gave her one to make her happy. After all, that''s what sisters are for, so don''t tell her. It will be a secret between us." She put a single finger on her mouth while leaning slightly. What did I get myself into? --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 70: Nice +1 Chapter 70: Nice +1 (A/N Thanks for the support and keep the stonesing. We''re at 26th ce as I''m writing this) (Ryoto''s pov) Karen''s sister Sophia hase to y the role of my older sister. She seems a lot nicer than Karen, but that alone is suspicious. I couldn''t refuse her as she would probably refuse my refusal even if I did, so I decided to roll with it. Thankfully my apartment had two more empty rooms, so she had a ce to sleep. The following day, Karen''s voice came back inside my head just as I woke up. Her voice was higher than usual. It also didn''t have the same energy as before. Karen: "Good *hic* morning, Ryoto." ''Karen, are you drunk?" Karen: "Whaaat? Me drunk? No way!" I drank only little tiny bit. I was prak-, prec- prok-, basically forced to!" She gave up on saying practically! Karen: "I mean after discovering that my ''perfect older sister'' has some kind of weakness. It''s celebration time!!!" Ryoto: "Karen, you''re drunk." Karen: "Shut up, you''re drunk!" Ryoto: "Go to sleep Karen." Karen: "I''ll go but not because you told me to! By the way, have I ever told you that you''re kinda handsome." Ryoto: "I''m hanging up!" To my surprise, after these words, Karen stopped talking. Wait, I could do that!? This whole time!? I can''t believe it. Why didn''t I try it earlier!? I exited my room, ready to make myself breakfast, but the food was already prepared on the table, to my surprise. I even blinked a few times. Sophia walked out of the kitchen wearing an apron... only an apron. I looked at her, expecting some kind of answer, but she only smiled at me and didn''t say anything. Ryoto: "...Why don''t you wear anything under the apron?" Sophia: "Do you like it? I heard boys like this kind of thing. And don''t worry, I still wear underwear." She did a spin showing that she was wearing a bra and panties. She sounded proud of herself. Did Karen really call her ''perfect''? Putting this thought to the back of my head, I sat at the table and took a bite of food made by Sophia. I was blown away. It tasted heavenly and before I noticed my clothes had disappeared. Did she just give me a foodgasm? Sophia: "How does it taste?" She sounded meek, waiting for my opinion. Ryoto: "It tastes great. Better than anything I''ve ever eaten." Sophia: "Really? I''m d then." She breathed out some air and smiled at me. Ryoto: "I thought that you were confident in your cooking." Sophia: "I am, but having a new person taste your food is always nerve-racking." She pressed her fingertips together as she said that. If she is faking it, then she is even better at acting than me. --- Days went on, and my life with Sophia didn''t change my life as I expected. She cooked at times, and I swore to myself that I would reach that level of cooking someday. I mean, who doesn''t want to make people naked with his cooking. I still made meals at times. We even made a schedule to decide who cooks when. Sophia seemed like naive and a bit of an airhead but overall a kind person. She acted like a real older sister... I think. I never had one before. She insisted on calling her Onee-San, though, which I refused. I don''t know why, but it feels... weird. On the other hand, Karen didn''t have a good time at all. Having her sister constantly nearby put her on edge. The only ''rest'' time for her was during school time. Sophia didn''t contact Karen when I wasn''t present. It felt strange that Karen hated someone that much. I know that this is a strange thing to say, but I feel like Karen dislikes people in general and likes to piss them off, but not hate. She may go overboard with that, but still. So what did need Sophia to do to make Karen hate her so much? ''Hey, Karen, can you tell me why do you hate Sophia that much?'' Karen: "Boy, oh boy, let me tell you a tale. She is a liar. She lies her life whole life. She acts like a perfect little girl in front of our parents, a perfect student in front of the teachers, and a perfect human being in front of anyone else. And all of that to make me look bad." ''Why do you think so?'' Karen: "Why else would she act like that. Because I refuse to believe that anyone acts like that because of their own ord!" ''So you just THINK that she pretends to be nice?'' Karen: "When you put it like that, it sounds like I''m delusional." ''I wonder why...'' I rolled my eyes. --- I was just done shopping and as my disappointment in Karen rose someone called me. Nakame: "Ryoto-chan, good to see you again." Ryoto: "Oh, if it isn''t Nakame-San." Nakame: "Did something good happen as ofte?" That question came out of nowhere. Ryoto: "Why do you ask?" Nakame: "You seem happier." Is it really that obvious? Ryoto: "You could say that." I said with a smile. Nakame: "I see. That''s good then." I said my goodbyes to Nakame-San and returned home. The next day in school, Irina''s master visited her, and they made a bet who would ''kill'' Karasuma first. If Irina lost to her master, she would quit being a teacher. Irina won, making her master admit that she was capable of killing Koro-sensei. The day after, Karasuma announced a new teacher. It surprised everyone, including me. To my memory, there weren''t any new teachers. My eyes almost pooped out of my head, seeing the figure walking into a ssroom. Sophia: "Hello everyone, nice to meet you all. My name is Sophia Yuuki, and I''ll work as a part-time teacher starting today." Sophia exined cheerfully with a smile. I smashed my head against a desk as Karen s reamed inside my head. Karen: "NOOOOO!!!" --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 71: A new transfer student... again! Chapter 71: A new transfer student... again! (A/N Bonus chapter... again. I''m on the roll!!! Anyway, don''t forget power stones... please. On an unrted note, some of you were asking for a picture of Sophia but I didn''t base her on anyone. If my description of her reminds you of some character post a picture, I''m also curious.) (Ryoto''s pov) What is she doing here, and more importantly, why? Rio: "Did you say that your name is Sophia Yuuki? Are you rted to Ryoto by any chance?" Sophia: "Yes, I''m his older sister. I hope that you are all great friends with him." Rio: "I see. Thank you for answering Yuuki-sensei." Sophia: "Just call me Onee-San. Since I''m just a part-time teacher, I won''t be here every day, so calling me sensei feels too stiff. Karma: Nee-San,, do you have any embarrassing story''s about Ryoto''s childhood?" Karma, I swear that if you don''t shut up, I''ll rub my score at the next test at your face, and I don''t care how depressed you''ll be! Sophia: "There isn''t anything too embarrassing. The only thing thates to my mind is that during the 2nd year in middle school-" Ryoto: "How do you know that!!!?" Sophia: "Karen told me." ''Karen, I thought you avoided her like fire!!!'' Karen: "She made me my favorite food, and that information just slipped out. She knows how to get people talking. That vile creature." I wanted to facepalm, but I was in a middle of a ss. ''Why are you like this?'' Sophia: "Anyway, I''ll be teaching you Science asionally. Hope we get along." Some of the students raised their hands to ask additional questions. Sophia: "Yes, you with a shaved head." Taiga: "I noticed that your eyes are unusual. Is everyone in your family have a unique eyes pattern. Ryoto''s are blue and kind of mechanical, and yours look like a small gxy." Sophia: "Great question, you get a golden star. To answer your question, no, not everyone has this kind of eyes." She attached a golden star to Taiga''s forehead. After answering that question, she chose another student to ask her something. Sophia: "Yes, you with an angry face?" Karma: "Pft- hahaha." Karma couldn''t hold hisughter. Who am I kidding? He didn''t even try. Terasaka looked even more pissed after Sophia''sment, and Karma''sugh didn''t help. Ryoma: "So are you an assassin just like Bitch-sensei because I don''t see a normal teacher being hired right now, especially just to teach this ss." Ryoto: "*Gasp* Terasaka using his brain. He has done it too often recently. I''m worried that he''ll permanently lose his ability to think. It wouldn''t be a big difference, but still." I said, faking my worry for Terusaka. Ryoma: "You bastard...!" Sophia put her hands at her hips as I was having my daily dose of pissing Teraska off. Sophia: "Ryoto, be nice to your ssmates!" Rio and Kaede giggled at this, and Rio even mimicked Sophia. ''Is she my mother or sister?'' Karen: "Neither, she is a bother." For the next 15 minutes, Sophia answered a different kinds of questions. Some of them were normal, and others not so much. At the end lesson, I was mentally exhausted. Rio teased me about my ''sister''. She wouldn''t let it go, and I can''t even me her because I would do the same in her position. After my daily training with Koro-sensei, I walked home with Sophia, who was in a great mood. Ryoto: "Why did you do it?" Sophia: "Hmm?" She tilted her head cutely. Ryoto: "Why did you be my teacher?" Sophia: "Ah, you mean that! I made my teaching license some time ago, but I haven''t got a chance to use it, so here I am!" This time I palm-faced for real. Karen: "My only sanctuary, gone, reduced to atoms, just because she decided to use her useless license. Why? What did I do to deserve this?" --- A week has passed once more, and to my surprise, Sophia is a great teacher. I''m starting to understand why Karen calls her perfect. Today we are expecting a new transfer student. If my memory doesn''t fail me, which it does a lot, it''s probably Itona. Ritsu exined that she was vastly inferior to the newly sent assassin, which was hard to imagine, but not for me since I knew what Itona was capable of. To be honest, I''m kinda d that he ising today. I need to release a lot of pent-up stress, and since L isn''t here to help me, I''ll use the second-best way to reduce stress, a fight. Sparring with Koro-sensei doesn''t count as I can''t hit him, but Itona is different. My fists just itch to punch something. Besides using Itona to release my stress, he''ll also help me with my training. As ofte, I don''t have a lot of opportunities to use my spider-sense, and a fight will help me get used to it. I know that I have had this power for some time already, but there was always a short pause between feeling something with spider-sense and the action I take ording to it. In simpler terms, I want to have ultra instinct, but only when spider-sense warns about something. As we were discussing newly acquired information, the door to the ssroom opened suddenly. A figure covered in a white outfit entered. Not even a bit of his skin was visible. Seeing that the ss was visibly shaken, he did a simple magic trick to ease the mood. It scared Koro-sensei enough to hide in the corner. The white figure that introduced himself as Shiro exined that he was not the student but his guardian. He looked at the empty seat next to Ritsu and called Itona in. Itona walked through the wall and sat at his desk. Itona: "I... am victorious. I have proven myself to be stronger than this ssroom''s walls. That alone is enough... That alone is enough..." Itona''s eyes were bloodshot as if he hadn''t slept for a long time. He didn''t even blink. He looked around for a while, and his eyes stopped on me. He stood up from his seat and walked up to me. Itona: "You are probably the strongest in this ss, but don''t worry. You''re weaker than me, so... I won''t kill you." As he said that, he looked me straight into eyelids and put a hand on my head while being ufortably close. I don''t know why but this statement pissed me more off than it should. I also stood up. I was a whole 20 cm taller than him, so I was looking down on him literally and figuratively. Ryoto: "Before I do something that you will regret, I have one thing to say. I will never going to give you up..." Itona: "Wha-" At that moment, I punched him, sending him flying through the wall, creating another hole next to the one Itona made. Tsk, he managed to block it with his tentacles, so he received only minor damage. __________ *PING* *TITLE ACQUIRED* Title: "Rickroll Apprentice" __________ __________ *PING* *NEW QUEST* Mission: "Against tentacles" Objective 1: "Defeat Itona. Reward: "500 SP, 1 gacha ticket Failure: "You''ll get nightmares about tentacles Duration of punishment: one week __________ I took out my lollipop and started eating it, waiting for Itona to get back inside while the whole ss looked at me as if just killed someone without reason. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 72: Itona Chapter 72: Itona (A/N We''re getting closer, 22nd ce. Surrender your power stones and I''ll sacrifice my sleep for more chapters By the way, thanks for the support.) (3rd pov) The whole ss was silent. No one knew how to react to Ryoto punching Itona, the new transfer student, and sending him outside through the wall. Ryoto: "They don''t make the walls like they used to." Koro-sensei: "No, Yuuki-kun is bing a delinquent! What should I do? Do I have guides for something like that!?" Terasaka seeing what Ryoto was capable of, gulped quietly and was secretly d that he was spared that day. Rio: "Ryoto, have you finally fone mad!!? No, you were mad from the start, but why did you punch him!!? He was a little strange and off, but if that was enough of a reason to punch someone, you would be in bruises every day!" Ryoto was shocked. Not because he was being reprimanded, but how weak of a reaction everyone had. He literally punched someone so hard that he flew through the wall. He could have killed someone, and everyone either stayed quiet or, like Rio, started scolding him. There was also Koro-sensei who brought books about delinquents, but we don''t talk about him. Ryoto: "Don''t worry, I didn''t kill him. He isn''t even hurt all that much." Tadaomi: "What do you mean by that?" The situation was tense. Karasuma was ready to restrain Ryoto at any moment, but something didn''t add up. If he wanted to eliminatepetition, why didn''t he attack Ritsu or any other students? He is strong, scarily so, but he has incredible control over his strength. If not, he would crush Terasaka that day, but he didn''t, so why. These unanswered questions stopped Karasuma from attacking Ryoto. Even if he wanted to punish this lollipop-loving student for his behavior. Ryoto: "Itona is like Koro-sensei." Shiro: "What!!?" That answer shocked Shiro as this information was highly ssified. No one could know this unless they were part of the experiments, but even then, Itona was created after the ident, so how did he get this information. Ryoto: "It wasn''t that difficult to guess. Use fire to beat fire. To kill an assassin, use an assassin, and to kill Koro-sensei use tentacles." Rio: "Isn''t it a bit of a stretch?" Ryoto: "It is, but I was right, wasn''t I? At least that''s what I can tell from Shiro''s reaction." Kaede: "And what if you weren''t right?" Ryoto: "Then I would have my first kill on my record." Everyone: "..." Ryoto: "Just kidding, I was sure. My eyes aren''t just for show, you know." Ryoto looked at Kaede with one of my eyes open which made her flinch. For Kaede, it was as if she was seen through. Ironically Ryoto couldn''t see through objects. Ryoto was aware of Kaede''s secret, and he decided after this would be an excellent time to confront her. The earlier he deal with this problem, the better. He didn''t want to intervene earlier because he didn''t care enough. Now, however, he recognized her as someone important to him, so he''ll try to help her. Ryoto opened his eye away from Shiro''s sight as he was aware of how crazy of a scientist that guy is. *Crack* Everyone turned towards one of the holes that Itona''s body created. Itona looked angry and crazy, a dangerousbination. Itona: "You are worth killing after all, and I''ll prove that I''m stronger than you by doing that." Multiple tentacles came out from Itona''s head. Seeing this, Koro-sensei''s face turned pitch ck. Koro-sensei: "...Where did you get those!!! Those tentacles!!!" Shiro already calmed himself after the initial shock and said to Koro-sensei. Shiro: "We have no obligation to tell you, Koro-sensei." Ryoto: "You won''t even tell your old friend? You are horrible, Shiro-San." He flinched at Ryoto''s provocation. Shiro''s mind went into overdrive, trying to figure out who is this student. He obviously knows too much. He looked again at Ryoto, who had a smirk. ''Did he try to get a reaction out of me? Did he know everything from the beginning?'' These were the thoughts inside Shiro''s head, but no matter how hard he thought, he couldn''t get an answer that satisfied him. He would need to research this student after he gets back. (Ryoto''s pov) Fucking with Shiro is entertaining. The more intelligent someone is, the easier it''s to get under their skin. They tend to overthink everything, and the smallest of actions get some kind of reaction out of them if they can''t control their emotions too well. I turned to Itona, who wanted to attack me as soon as possible, but he surprisingly didn''t move. Ryoto: "What? Scared?" It made Itona attack me with his tentacles. They were fast, but I could not only follow their movements but also dodge them. Primarily thanks to spider-sense as I didn''t use the full potential of my eyes just to more trump cards up my sleeve. He targeted my head at first but just tilted it slightly as needed to avoid taking any damage. Seeing that I could dodge his tentacle, he increased the output of his attacks, and it was increasingly harder to avoid everything, so I started blocking the tentacles with my hands covered in Haki. The tentacles were very sharp but still couldn''t pierce Haki. My Haki was tougher than ever before but still had the same limitations initially. It''s like I unknowingly put all my points into the toughness of my Haki and nothing towards anything else. Itona had an advantage of speed while my reflexes were clearly superior. With every passing second, Itona was losing his mind. At this moment, some of his attacks missed the mark entirely, and I wasn''t forced to block them anymore. As I dodged yet another attempt to strike me, I forgot that there was someone behind me, so if I didn''t do something, that person would be badly wounded if not killed. What''s worse, it was Rio. Realizing that it would be toote to grab the tentacle to stop it, my mind went nk for a second, and the next moment a wave of invisible pressure spread across the whole ssroom. It was powerful enough to stop Itona''s tentacle. I then said with a cold voice. Ryoto: "What do you think you''re doing." --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 73: Illusionists are scary Chapter 73: Illusionists are scary (Once again bonus chapter. And we jumped on the number 19th. The top 10 is so near, I can almost taste it. Jokes aside, it will be difficult to surpass this position as above me are only top dogs of web novel but I didn''t even dream of being in the top 20 so it''s still good. I just want to see how far I can go with your help.) (Ryoto''s pov) Ryoto: "What do you think you''re doing?" My voice was calm but cold. I even opened my eyes to look directly at Itona. The invisible pressure spread across the whole ssroom as I was doing this. The target of this was Itona, but as I didn''t haveplete control over this, the pressure was felt by everyone. Initially, it was just an ufortable feeling, but soon, everyone started losing consciousness, starting from the weakest. However, they were still luckier than Itona, who was on the verge of fainting, but I unconsciously didn''t allow him. Ryoto: "I may be partially guilty of putting my ssmates in danger, but I feel pretty hypocritical today, so I''ll ignore for now and focus on punishing you." Karen: "You sound like Lucifer, and I can''t believe that I''m saying this, but it''s a great thing." I ignored Karen as I focused entirely on Itona. Ryoto: "Normally, I would let you meet Mil-tan and be done with it, but I feel like it wouldn''t be enough for you, so let''s go with something like this..." My eyes shone more brightly as two big circles appeared in front of my and Itona''s eyes. (Itona''s pov) I am strong... I am strong... I am strong. No matter who I am against, I won''t lose. I was fighting someone strong, but he vanished, the same as everyone else, even Shiro. It means that I didn''t lose yet. He didn''t win. I am stronger. I was still ready to defend myself and attack. I need to be careful because he is strong, but I''ll still win. I let out my tentacles. When did I retreat them? Not important. I looked around, but I noticed that the tentacles didn''t listen to me. They didn''t move ording to my thoughts as they usually would. What is happening? Everything around me turned ck. I was no longer in the ssroom. While it was rming, I still focused on the tentacles. Without them, I''ll be weak again. I don''t want that. I don''t want to be weak. I''ll be strong, and I''ll prove it by killing Koro-sensei, my brother, but first, I''ll kill this guy. Move... move... move!!! Why won''t you move!!! As I tried to move my tentacles, they slowly turned ck. It didn''t end at that. As theypletely turned ck, they started crumbling, starting from their tips. No, no, no, no, no!!! Don''t go away!!! I need you!!! My cries were left unanswered as the tentacles disappeared entirely. I dropped to my knees. Again, I''m left with nothing. Just like before, I lost everything. (Ryoto''s pov) I was showing Itona his worst nightmare at the moment. What Itona was scared of the most was losing his power, so I showed him exactly that. As I focused on the illusion, I felt a tentacle on my shoulder. Koro-sensei: "I think it is enough, Yuuki-kun, don''t you think?" I didn''t answer at first, so Koro-sensei continued. Koro-sensei: "I know how you feel, and I understand how you must feel, but it isn''t the answer a d you know it. He is controlled by tentacles and needs help and a second chance. You should know how even deserves it." *Sigh* Ryoto: "I''m doing this only because you asked me to." I respect Koro-sensei, so I listened to him. I disagree that everyone deserves second chances. Some people are beyond salvation, but I feel like he was talking about himself. Koro-sensei wasn''t visibly worried because I exined Haki to Koro-sensei before, and Haoshoku Haki was not an exception. Even though I didn''t possess it then, I thought it could awaken at any moment so that he wouldn''t panic when it would happen. I warned him in advance. I''m d that I did that. Ryoto: "So what are you going to do with him?" Shiro: "I''ll be taking him." Shiro interrupted. I turned to him and moved my mouth to spell the name ''Kotaro Yanagisawa'' and smiled at him. Shiro: "*Cough* as I said, Itona is in great hands/tentacles with Koro-sensei. Excuse me for leaving now, but I have an important matter to attend to." Shiro left, cursing under his breath. Everyone except Karasuma, Irina, Koro-sensei, and Sophia was unconscious. Ryoto: "Let''s go to the teacher''s office. I''ll exin some things." They nodded without saying anything and followed me. I sat on one side and the teachers on the other inside the room. I asked Sophia to look after everyone in the ssroom. I took out my phone from the pocket, and Ritsu showed up as well. I promised her to exin something as well, and it''s a good opportunity to do it. Ryoto: "Before I start, I want to say that I know that you tried to look into my identity, but the information you got from your agents was false." Tadaomi: "What!!?" Ryoto: "I bribed them with good food." Karasuma face palmed himself. He couldn''t believe what he had just heard, but it will not be the strangest thing he''d hear today. I decided to reveal some things about myself. At first, it was fun to be spied on, but it got boring after some time. I don''t lose anything by telling them that I''m not from here, and it doesn''t feel right when I know a lot about Koro-sensei while he doesn''t know anything about me. Karasuma is just a bonus. Ryoto: "Let''s start with something simple. What do you know about multiverse theory?" They looked at me as if I was crazy. Ryoto: "Don''t look at me like that. It''s relevant to what I want to say." Rita: "A multiverse is a hypothetical group of multiple universes. Together these universespromise everything that exists." Ryoto: "Thank you, Ritsu." Koro-sensei started connecting the dots. Koro-sensei: "Does it mean..." Ryoto: "Yes, I am from another universe." --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 74: A confession and...(*spoiler*) Chapter 74: A confession and...(*spoiler*) (A/N Sorry, there won''t be an extra chapter today :( I''m too tired, need to sleep a bit longer today, so don''t expect it. (Ryoto''s pov) Ryoto: "Yes, I''m from another universe." Everyone in the room looked between each other awkwardly. How should they respond to something like this? Irina leaned towards Karasuma and whispered. Irina: "I think he hit his head a bit too hard." Ryoto: "You know that I can hear you." Koro-sensei: How about we listen to him first before making any judgment." Koro-sensei stepped in. I would believe him if he didn''t have first aid hidden behind his back. No matter, I''ll try to exin as .uch as possible. Ryoto: "Everything started when I got these eyes, and a girl teleported in my bathtub..." I exined my everyday life to them so they could better understand it. I added the details that would make it evident that there were differences between mine and this world, such as the Magical Kyouko show, my manga, and the Tenjouin family. I didn''t say anything about a system and my past life. These were the secrets I wasn''t ready to share. Maybe someday, or maybe never. Who knows. Ryoto: "...And then I woke up in my new apartment." Irina was listening attentively while Karasuma was pinching the bridge of his nose. Tadaomi: "What is your goal in telling us all that, assuming that it''s true." Ryoto: "What do you mean, assuming?" Tadaomi: "Can you prove that you''re from another universe?" I opened my eyes, to which he pointed at Koro-sensei. Ryoto: "Really?" Tadaomi: "For all I know, you could be lost experiment, a trained assassin, or spy. These answers would also exin why it''s impossible to find your identity. It''s also a lot more believable than whatever you said." Ryoto: "I was born in 1991." Tadaomi: "Which we can''t prove." Ryoto: "I have unbelievable abilities." Tadaomi: "Just like your teacher, who looks more alien than you." Ryoto: "My fianc is an alien princess, which makes me alien Prince and future emperor of Milky way Gxy." Tadaomi: "Prove it." Ryoto: "She is in another dimension." Tadaomi: "It means that you can''t prove it." Ryoto: "I faced a god of death." Tadaomi: "Did you die?" Ryoto: "Sadly yes,... but I survived!" He asked his question sarcastically, but I answered earnestly. Before I could try to convince Karasuma, Koro-sensei got closer to me and hugged me. Koro-sensei: "Yuuki-kun, I understand. It must have been horrible." I knew that Koro-sensei would understand. Satisfied that I got through at least one person, I returned home the whole stopping by the grocery shop to buy some things needed for dinner. I also got a notification that my mission waspleted. I didn''t use the gacha ticket just yet. I''ll use it soon, though. I feel like I''m forgetting something. (3rd pov) When Ryoto left the faculty office, the room was silent until Karasuma decided to speak. Tadaomi: "...Do you believe him?" Koro-sensei didn''t answer immediately, but he took out a notebook with the name Ryoto Yuuki written on it. Koro-sensei: "Some time ago, Yuuki-kun came to me to ask for individual training. At that time, he revealed some of his egrets to me, which I wrote down. He told me some of his powers that we trained and even exined his everyday life to me. Interestingly, his life is a little different from what he told me before. I thought up two possible answers. The first and most obvious is that he was lying. Why would he lie, you ask? Just like you concluded, I also thought that he was part of some kind of experiment, so I would guess he doesn''t want to talk about it and wants to be treated like an ordinary student. The second possibility is DID (Dissociative identity disorder). Because of some kind of trauma from childhood, he developed a different personality as a coping mechanism. That''s why he does two different stories." Irina: "In both of these cases, he was being experimented on?" Koro-sensei: "Yes. There is a chance that even his ability is natural, but the chances are slim." Tadaomi: "Either way, it seems that he led a tragic life, but I must ask you... How likely is he a spy or an assassin?" Koro-sensei stayed silent for a moment, but suddenly his face showed a big 0. Koro-sensei: "I''m confident that he is not an enemy if that''s what you''re worried about." Tadaomi: "...I''ll trust you on this one." Koro-sensei: "And please treat him as usual. I want to give him as normal of school life as possible." Tadaomi: "You mean as normal as it can be while trying to kill his teacher." Karasuma unusually tried to make a joke. Koro-sensei: "Let''s leave the jokes to me, and you''ll do what you do best, looking serious and angry." A vein popped on Karasuma''s forehead, and before he could attack Koro-sensei, the Mach 20 flying teacher had already left. (Ryoto''s pov) The next day I remembered what I had forgotten. It''s Kaede. I wanted to deal with her yesterday, but Ipletely forgot about it because of my confession. No worries, I''ll just do it today. --- Today was a strange day. Karasuma didn''t act like I murdered his whole family, and Irina didn''t react to my provocation and gave me a look of pity. What''s going on? Koro-sensei doesn''t act unusual, so I don''t think it''s about yesterday. To test out the waters, I just walked to the tree toy down and take a nap during PE. I obviously didn''t, but I observed Karasuma''s reaction. He didn''t do anything. Just looked at me and returned to conduct a lesson. I''m starting to get a bit scared. I called Irina by her nickname a few times, and she just smiled gently at me and asked what was wrong. Am I in a simtion? Is anything real at the moment? It can''t be an illusion. I''m immune to them. Maybe hallucination? I decided to talk with Karen about the possibilities. ''Karen? Karen, are you there?'' Karen: "Yes, darling, what can I do for you?" I instantly paled and started sweating. --- END Title: "A confession and misunderstanding" Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 75: Nice Karen Chapter 75: Nice Karen (Ryoto''s pov) Karen: "Yes, darling, what can I do for you?" I must be dreaming. It''s not possible for Karen to call me ''darling''. I wouldn''t call myself a darling. I don''t think even L called me that. Wait, *breath in* *breath out*. You can''t panic. Remember what Koro-sensei taught you, big boobs are-. I mean, panic leads to failure. Analyze the situation calmly. ''Why did you call me ''darling''?'' I needed to establish why she does it first. Karen: "Don''t make me say it... dummy." Karen answered bashfully. Yep, it''s not real. Not possible. Karen is not tsundere. Nah ah, I don''t believe it. I must be dreaming. I pinched myself, but it didn''t do anything. If I''m not enough to wake me up, I''ll ask someone else. I walked up to Rio. Ryoto: "Rio, punch me." Rio: "Huh!?" She looked at me as if I had lost my brain cells. Ryoto: "Punch me, preferably in the face. I want to test somethin-" Before I could finish speaking with Rio, I was punched by Karma. (A/N Before someone asks how he was punched even though Ryoto has spider-sense. It doesn''t warn him about people he considers friends. Karma is the closest male friend, so obviously, it didn''t work. Now that I think about it, I don''t remember if it did work like this when Harty Osborn was a Green Goblin. It did work like this for Peter''s professor. Venom, or symbiote, to be precise, is a special case since he was kind of part of Peter. If I''m wrong, please correct me.) Karma: "Huh, so you still can be punched quite easily. Because of yesterday, I started to think that you were invincible, but it seems you are still human enough to be punched by me." Karma was saying something to me, but I was still lying on the ground. I didn''t n to defend myself, so I was sent flying by Karma easily. Besides, he was not the one who I wanted to punch me... It sounds wrong. I should stop now. I wasn''t listening to Karma, but he probably was talking about how easy it was to knock me out and boasting about that. Who am I kidding? He definitely was doing that. I was thinking about my situation. Karasuma and Irina were acting strangely, but it could happen. A bad or good day would make them act strange but Karen. There is something fishy going on... and scary at the same time. ''Karen, are you feeling alright?'' Karen: "Never better. Why are you asking?" Happiness could be heard in her voice. Yeah, either she is sick, or I am tripping, and I didn''t take any drugs. While I was in my thoughts, I stayed on the ground without moving. Rio: "He isn''t moving. Did you hit him too hard?" Karma: "I don''t think so. He was fighting the tentacle guy before, and that guy walked through the wall. He should be able to take it." Rio: "...It''s hard to know if he is unconscious when his eyes are always closed." Karma: "Let me try something." Karma took out a ck marker pen and started drawing a crazy mustache on my face. He didn''t stop at that as he also drew some small and cute creatures and my test results that were worse than his. I didn''t notice it as I was too busy panicking about Karen. Karen: "Pft- Hahahahaha, I can''t anymore, hahahahaha! I can''t believe that you believed it." ''...'' Karen: "What, cat got your tongue. Sorry Ryoto, but I needed this. Sophia increased my stress level to the maximum, and I needed some outlet. Thanks for your help." ''...'' Karen: "Ryoto, hello?" ''...'' Karen: "Shit, did I break him!? I promised myself that I wouldn''t do it on my first job!" Ryoto: "Thank god." Karen: "Huh??? Why are you happy?" ''Imagine if someone like you started being nice. It''s terrifying. You don''t know what they''re nning or thinking. Will I get into an ident soon? Maybe, possibly, definitely. The point is, I don''t know, so I panicked. But to be honest, I prefer the real you over the nice you. It''s not like I like to be abused or badmouthed, but you don''t feel fake. You always say what you have in mind, and I appreciate it. As you know, I''m bad at reading people, so it helps me a lot. If you''re happy, you show it. If you''re angry, you show it.'' Karen: "..." ''Karen?'' Karen: "..." Did she leave? I got up and looked around. Karma was holding in hisugh, and so did Rio. Kaede had a strained smile. Something was not right. Ryoto: "What did you do, Karma?" Karma: "Why did you ask me? It could be anyone." Questioning him would be useless, so I just opened my eyes and looked at myself through his eyes. I saw my face that was massacred, for theck of a better word. Ryoto: "Karma, my dear friend. What is the meaning of this." I pointed to my face. Karma: "You''re right. I forgot to write a few things. Sorry, I''ll correct my mistake." He took out his marker once more while smiling evilly. I would normally show him illusions, but I feel like I would lose if I did that, so I''ll need to think about how to take my revenge on him. (Karen''s pov) I hung up on Ryoto. I didn''t know how I should react. It was the first time someone said that I was fine the way I am. I just tried to pretend to be friendly, sweet, or whatever. I mean, Sophia does it the whole time, so I tried it. I don''t have any proof that she does, but I know it. Ryoto, he changed a bit since we first met, and so did I. I mean, not a lot, but still. I stopped badmouthing him. I don''t even have an urge to do it anymore. I''m badmouthing others, and it still gives me satisfaction but not to Ryoto. Even today, I pretended to be nice, NICE! I even nned a surprise for his birthday. It''s not like me. Not like me at all. I didn''t even pretend my happiness. It was fun, and it felt strange. --- END (A/N I bought a new phone and autocorrect on it is shit. I need to pay more attention while writin. I am sad.) Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 76: Kaedes secret Chapter 76: Kaede''s secret (A/N Over 1300 power stones this week and 25th ce. Thank you for all the support. I''ll try to stockpile some chapters so I can post extra content soon.) (Ryoto''s pov) After washing off the marker with a lot of difficulties, I returned to ss to continue my day. I''m d that Karma didn''t use an indelible marker, so I''ll be merciful in my revenge. At the end of school, I walked up to Kaede. Ryoto: "Hey Kaede, can I borrow you for a minute?" Kaede: "Sure, what do you want?" Ryoto: "I''ll tell youter, so can youe with me outside?" Kaede looked confused but agreed nheless. My ssmates were whispering about how I would probably confess, but I ignored it. I had something more important on my mind. We left, walking in the direction of the forest. As we were walking, we were followed by our curious ssmates. I didn''t even need to use my eyes. I could hear them sneaking around. Kaede and I arrived at the ce I scouted beforehand. Preparation is the key to a sessful mission, and this time I can''t mess it up. There are no second chances. I turned to Kaede with my eyes open. Ryoto: "Kaede, can you stop pretending." Kaede looked at me, confused. Kaede: "What are you saying? Pretending?" She really can act. Ryoto: "Akari Yukimura or Haruna Mase, which one do you prefer?" These names got a reaction from her, but she still acted like she didn''t know anything. Kaede: "Akari? Haruna? Wait, you mean Haruna Mase as in a famous child actress? What does she have anything with me?" Ryoto: "It takes a liar to know the liar, and there isn''t a bigger liar than me here, so stop pretending." Kaede: "And I still don''t know what you are talking about." I pointed to my neck. Ryoto: "So what are these things on the back of your neck?" Kaede still fainted ignorance, and I realized that words won''t work, so I walked up to her and reached the back of her neck. Before I could touch her, a tentacle swung at my hand. Thanks to my spider-sense, I dodged it and created some distance between us. The air around Kaede changed instantly. Right now, she looked like a real assassin. She looked at me coldly as her tentacles wiggled around her. Kaede: "Haa~ Such a shame. If you just pretended to be a little more stupid, we could pretend to be friends for a little bit longer." As she dropped the act, she also closed her eyes. It seems that she was wary of my eyes. She probably doesn''t know precisely how my powers work, but it was logical to think that eye powers work through eye contact. Ryoto: "We both know that it isn''t what you want." Kaede: "And what do you know? You are just a ssmate who doesn''t know anything about me or the circumstances around Koro-sensei." Ryoto: "I know more than you think, and I believe I proved it by revealing your identity." Kaede: "Yes, quite impressive as I even dyed my hair so no one would recognize me. Were you my fan before?" Ryoto: "No, but I have excellent eyesight." We were silent for a moment until I decided to ask her. Ryoto: "Any chance that I''ll convince you to give up on your revenge and give up the tentacles?" Kaede: "It''s impossible. I''ll be the one who''ll kill Koro-sensei." She said with a fake smile on her face. I knew that it would go that way but still hoped otherwise. Ryoto: "Then I''ll be the one who''ll wake you up from your delusion." I was ready to fight. I knew that I needed to end it fast. The longer the fight goes on, the more dangerous it will be for Kaede. I couldn''t use illusions as Kaede didn''t open her eyes, nor did she n to. I can''t use fire so I wouldn''t harm, and I''m not skilled enough to extract water from air and nts. I could go to the river nearby, but the ce I''m currently at gives me the most advantage. I van use trees nearby to maneuver more easily. I shot a web string at her, but she blocked it with her tentacle. It was unexpected since she wasn''t used to fighting with her eyes closed. Do her tentacles see somehow, or it''s part of her wish to the tentacles. She wishes to be an assassin, so maybe. Unfortunately for me, it just makes my job more difficult. Kaede: "I spend thest two months observing not only Koro-sensei but everyone else too. I know all of your tricks! Your eyes, hard skin, incredible reflex, and some kind of pressure that you emit. I know it all!" I didn''t answer and tried to think of a way to get close to her. I have thought up one way to do it, but it would hurt me and would be difficult to do even for me, and now that she has her eyes closed, the difficulty spiked considerably. Knowing nt bending would help. I should start learning it soon. I shot another web string, but I targeted a tree next to Kaede to pull myself closer this time. As soon as I touched it, I used my legs to repel myself at her. To answer my attack, five tentacles flew at me. I twisted my body to avoid three of them and blocked two with my hands imbued with Haki. I had a clear view of her and was closing fast on her, but I felt a big tingle on the back of my head, so I quickly shot web into the tree again and pulled myself back. It was a correct decision as in myst ce, a sixth tentacle mmed into the ground. Kaede: "I thought that I caught you~." Around Kaede''s neck, vein-like roots started spreading and the longer. They were tentacles'' roots, and the longer Kaede was using them, the more control she would lose. She wasn''t using her tentacles at all during the past two months, and now that she started using them, the drawbacks would be immense. She was enduring the pain of having tentacles all that time, and she finally let tentacles loose. Kaede didn''t have a lot of time left. I will need to do this after all. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 77: Kaede Chapter 77: Kaede (Ryoto''s pov) Kaede: "You know what? You are kinda cute. Shame that I need to silence you~." She said with a blush. Kaede started to lose her grip on reality. Ryoto: "I appreciate apliment, but I would like it more if you were saner. Only I can be the crazy one in the rtionship." It''s a lie, but joking helps me calm down. I may look calm on the outside, and I''m often am but right now, if I make a mistake, either Kaede, I, or both die today. I don''t n on dying or letting Kaede die, so I''ll need to pull it off. I''m not used to holding such big responsibility, but it seems that I''ll need to familiarise myself with that feeling if I want not only to save Kaede but also stay with L together as I would need to be a ruler of an empire. Right now, there is some distance between Kaede and me. Ryoto: "Can we stop this meaningless fight right now?" I tried to get through her for thest time, but I wasn''t lucky this time either. Kaede: "Hehehe~ It''s not meaningless~ I''ll kill you, and then I''ll kill Koro-sensei~." Ryoto: "I see. Then be ready for this." I started making a circr motion with both of my hands. Two of my fingers were out, and the rest were closed. One of my arms moved behind my back while the other was in front of me. As I made this motion, blue lightning followed my two fingers, or more urately, it came from them. Kaede was observing me curiously. Kaede: "What is it? Another one of your tricks?~" Ryoto: "You can say that. I didn''t show this to anyone before, so congrattions. You are my first in that sense." Kaede: "Yay!~" She sped her hands together and smiled. I didn''t say anything and prepared to shoot out the lighting. I gathered energy, circted it for a short while, and shot it. The lighting travels at about 434 523 km/h. It''s roughly 20 times faster than Koro-sensei, so Kaede nor anyone in this world was ustomed to this kind of speed. Luckily for Kaede, I targeted the area next to her as she couldn''t even react to it. I used this chance to reduce e the distance between us. I started running towards her. She was shocked at the disy of my powers but recovered quickly. Her tentacles rushed at me. Initially, I blocked all of the attacks but the closer I was, the more precise and dangerous. I abandoned avoiding anything that wouldn''t kill me. I blocked everything I could with Haki, but as the area I could cover with it was limited, I started getting wounded, but thanks to that, I was getting closer to Kaede. 15 meters... 10 meters... 5 meters... I finally could grab her, but as soon as I grabbed her... *SPLASH* The tentacles pierced my shoulder, leg, and stomach. I used Haki to protect only the most vital ces, such as around my heart, neck, and head. I was sure she would target at least one of these ces, and I was right as I stopped tentacles that aimed .y heart and neck. Because of that, I couldn''t protect my stomach. I was starting to taste iron in my mouth, and usually, it''s not a good sign. Kaede: "Hehe, got you~." Kaede was smiling and blushing. Is this how a yandere looks from a first-person view? Because that''s terrifying and a bit hot but mostly terrifying. It''s also not time to think with my dick. Time to save her. At the same time, I heard some screams from behind the trees, but I ignored them as I focused entirely on Kaede. Despite the piercing pain, I managed to smile as I brought her closer to me. Ryoto: "Couldn''t have said it better." I then screamed with all my might. Ryoto: "Koro-sensei, now!!!" Kaede: "What are you-!" She couldn''t finish her sentence because she was kissed by me. Koro-sensei: "Great work Yuuki-kun!" Koro-sensei flew fast towards Kaede and me, and as I was kissing Kaede, he was carefully removing the tentacles from her neck. 10 HIT... 15 HIT... 20 HIT... 25 HIT... 30 HIT... I wasn''t nning on stopping until the tentacles were gone. Koro-sensei: "Yu...un, Yuu...kun, Yuuki-kun!" Ryoto: "Huh?" Koro-sensei: "I think that''s enough. *Cough* *Cough*." Ryoto: "What do you mean?" Koro-sensei didn''t say anything and just pointed down. When I looked there, Kaede was lying in my arms, passed out. Ryoto: "Oh, you mean that." Now that adrenaline started wearing off, I was beginning to lose strength and was about to fall, but I was caught by someone other than Koro-sensei. Kaede slipped through my hands, but Koro-sensei caught her. Ryoto: "Thanks Karma." The usual smirk that Karma wore was nowhere to be seen. He was angry, clearly so. Karma: "Why did you do it?" Ryoto: "Is it really your question? I thought that you were smarter than that." I tried joking a little, but Karma was still looking at me and angry. Ryoto: "*Sigh* Some time ago, I noticed something at the back of her neck. I didn''t know what it was until I fought Itona yesterday. I guessed that it was harmful to her, so I asked Koro-sensei for his help earlier today. Ryoto: "Koro-sensei, Kaede has tentacles at the back of her neck." Koro-sensei: "WHAT!!!?" Everyone around me thought the same thing, ''short''. Ryoto: "I skipped some unimportant details, but that''s basically what happened. He was the only one who knows how to remove them. Now that I exined myself, could I ask something in return?" Karma: What is it?" Ryoto: "I think k I''m bleeding out. Can you get me to the hospital?" Koro-sensei: "On it!" Koro-sensei grabbed me and flew at high speed to the hospital, but before that, he got Karasuma to avoid unnecessary questions there. He also changed to look somehow like a human. Halfway through the way there, I lost consciousness. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 78: Karens present Chapter 78: Karen''s present (A/N Extra-long chapter (: ) (Ryoto''s pov) I was slowly regaining my eyesight. It meant that I was waking up. I could turn off my eyesight at will, and that''s how I could fall asleep as well. When my vision started to get clear, I saw an unfamiliar ceiling. ''Am I in the hospital?'' Karen: "Yes, after you were impaled by Kaede, Koro-sensei got you here. You lost a lot of blood, but thanks to your increased vitality, you just survived long enough to get help." Karen calmly exined, but I could hear a hint of anger in her voice. ''Karen, are you angry?'' Karen: "What, me? Nooo, why would I be angry? I just left you for a moment, and you almost died. Nope, I don''t care even if you kick the bucket!" Yep, she was angry. How do I know? Because she is yelling at me. ''OK, sorry, but in my defense, I wasn''t nning on dying.'' Karen: "Who ns to die!!!?" ''Suicidal person?'' I felt that she was ring at me. ''OK, OK, bad joke, I understand. I''ll try to avoid situations like this. It''s not like I enjoy them anyway.'' Karen: "Try to?" ''I don''t like making promises. I don''t know what will happen in the future and what kind of decisions I''ll make, do the best I can do is promise to try.'' Karen: "*Sigh* Fine. It''s not like I can''t stop you even if I wanted?" ''Are you sure that I didn''t die?" Karen: "Huh, why?" ''Because you sound worried about me.'' I said jokingly. I know that she isn''t as heartless as she let it on. Karen: "..." Did she go silent again? The exact second Karen stopped talking, a door to my hospital room opened. Karma, Rio, Nagisa, Koro-sensei, Karasuma and Irina. Rio was carrying a few flowers. Seeing that I was awake, they widened their eyes. Rio even jumped at me and wrapped her arms around my neck. I also felt her tears dropping on my shoulder. It caused me some pain, but I didn''t show it on my face. I flinched for an unnoticeable moment. The adults, however, noticed as they are professionals. I showed them to not interfere with my hand and just returned her hug. Ryoto: "Now, now, no need for crying. I''m alive and well." Rio: "Yeah, after not waking up for a week, you idiot!" Ryoto: "A week!?" Tadaomi: "Yes, and we were expecting you not to wake up for at least another one." Karasuma cut in. Ryoto: "What can I say. I''m just built different." Everyone looked at me speechless while Rio squeezed me a bit tighter. Rio: "Is this what you want to say after waking up?" I could practically ''feel'' a vein on her forehead. It''s not a good sign. Ryoto: "Happy to see you...?" Is this what, I should say, in a situation like that. I don''t know. It''s my first waking up in the hospital with someone worrying about me. Well, Karen was first, but... she is Karen. Entirely different case. Rio: "*Sigh* I shouldn''t expect sensitivity from you, and at least I know that you''re alright if you''re making these jokes." I felt like I was being tested, and I passed it. I then looked around for the first time and looked at my wrists. My heart rate skyrocketed, and it was shown on the Electrocardiogram. Koro-sensei: "Yuuki-kun, what''s happening!?" Ryoto: "Where are my web-shooters?" The only time I didn''t wear them was during bathtime and when I was sleeping. Rio: "You mean those things?" Rio took out a pair of web-shooters from her bag. Rio: "I remembered how you talked about how important they are, so as soon as I got here, I asked doctors to let me hold on to them while you''re unconscious. Don''t worry, I didn''t y with them if that''s what you''re thinking. She passed the web-shooters to me. I couldn''t wear them right away as my hand was connected to an IV drip, so I just held them, but it was enough for me. Ryoto: "Thank you, Rio... really thank you." Rio gave me a warm smile. Rio: "No problem, but if you pull off something simr in the future, I''ll pinch your waist hard enough to make you forget about being stupid." A smile didn''t leave her as she was weirdly threatening me. I thought she was joking until she really pinched me just secondster. It hurts more than I thought. Ryoto: "Ouch ouch ouch ouch! It hurts!" Rio: "Remember that pain when you n to do something stupid again without asking for help." I turned to the adults. Koro-sensei was drinking tea, watching a show with a satisfied smile. Karasuma had his usual serious expression, but his eyebrow twitched a few things, and Irina liked watching the drama simr to Koro-sensei. No one nned to help me, so u tried changing topics. Ryoto: "So how is Kaede?" Rio: "Kaede already woke up and was already discharged from the hospital, and while we are on the topic..." Rio took out her phone to show me a video of me kissing Kaede. Rio: "Karma said that if you don''t wake up by 17:00 today, he will publish this video for the world to see." Ryoto: "WHAT!!? What time is it!?" Rio: "16:45." I pulled out an IV from my hand for my web-shooters on their ce and jumped out of the window to look for Karma. Karen: "Why do you even care. It''s not like it can be used for ckmail? But to be honest, Karma is fucking brutal. You got impaled, and he filmed the whole thing." Ryoto: "Oh, you''re back. No, I don''t care about the video itself, but if he does this, he won, and I''m not having this until I get my revenge for scribbles on my face. And I don''t think he recorded the whole thing. He set his phone somewhere to record just in case something interesting would happen since I couldn''t see any shaking. Besides, he doesn''t even n to publish it. He just wants to fuck with me, but even if that''s not true, it doesn''t mean that I don''t n on winning." I searched for Karma despite the pain I felt in my leg, shoulder, and stomach. I think I got some painkillers, so I returned, realizing that I could fall to my death any moment. It wasn''t wise to leave after waking up without knowing about my condition. I left for about a minute or two, but the guests inside my room increased in numbers. The new additions were Karma, Nagisa, and Kaede. Karma had a smug look on his face saying, ''I got you,'' and I knew he was right. He nned it, and seeing the look Rio was giving me, I knew that they nned it together. They probably didn''t expect me to jump out of the hospital room and only hoped to scare me a bit, but they were satisfied nheless. It didn''t mean that they weren''t worried about me, but it could be said it was their way to say ''congrattions on waking up or something like that. Afterward, we talked about what happened during the week I was unconscious. Our ss had a baseball match against ss A, and we won thanks to Koro-sensei''s coaching. Itona also became part of our ss after Koro-sensei removed his tentacles. Otherwise, nothing interesting was happening. I talked about minor things with them until they needed to get back home. Kaede was acting like her old self, but I knew that she was acting. She was embarrassed deep inside. Teachers also left, but they didn''t ask any questions, which was weird but weed. They even left me some lollipops that I enjoy, but I couldn''t eat them right away. The gesture was nice, and that''s what matters. --- I could leave the hospital a week after I woke up. Finally, I could return home and eat something edible. No offense, but hospital food is... not tasty, to put it nicely. At home Sophia outdone herself with the dishes she prepared. I swear that I died and reincarnated again to experience this heaven. I wanted to cook for myself at least a little, but Sophia was adamant about not allowing me to do anything during '' the wee'' back party. During a bath, I noticed that I got myself three scars where tentacles pierced me. As the tentacles went through me, the wounds were seen at the front and the back. Remembering that my injuries will get back together with me, I was thinking about how I''ll exin it to Mikan and L. We bathe together regrly, so they''ll see it sooner orter they''ll see them. Maybe I''ll tell them the truth. It''s not like they''ll believe it. No, L would. I finished bathing and went to sleep shortly afterward. --- Days went on and today was 21st July, my birthday. I should be 17 today, but instead, I celebrate my 15th birthday. I''m growing... but backwards. Karen: "Hey Ryoto, don''t you n to use the gacha ticket you got for defeating Itona?" ''I...pletely forgot about that. Use it now!'' It was still just morning, and I didn''t even get out of bed. Once more, I saw a famous wheel that grants me abilities for the small price of one gacha ticket. It spun for a long time until it started to slow down. I was almost confident that it wouldnd on ''All Fiction'', and I was beginning to get excited. It was one of if not the most powerful abilities that I know of. When it almost stopped, it was still moving slowly, passing the ''All Fiction'', and no amount of tears would make the wheel change its mind. Once more, gacha screwed me over and destroyed my dreams. The wheel stopped on ''Jormungandr''s blood''. From what I know, Jormungandr is a world serpent of Norse mythology. It is known for its deadly poison. __________ Jormungandr''s blood: "Your blood posses properties of Jormungandr''s poison. Poison is so strong that it can kill even Gods inrger amounts. Even in small amounts, it can melt metal. When wounded, the blood closes the wound, but the damage inside is not reverted or regenerated, just closed. There isn''t an infinite amount of blood in your body, and your blood itself regenerates at a normal rate. You can''t control the intensity of the poison." __________ Strong but risky ability. The upside is that I have strong offensive ability. However, the downside is that I need to be wounded to use it, and I must be careful not to get hurt carelessly as my blood can be dangerous for people around me. I did the smart thing and checked the shop for something helpful, and lo and behold, I found something perfect. It was the ability to control the intensity of ''Jormungandr''s blood'', and it cost 50 000 SP. I can''t buy it right away, but I can start saving up points. ''Hey, Karen? I meant to ask it earlier, but how are prices decided for abilities?'' Karen: "It''s quite simple, really. The more powerful and known the ability is, the more expensive it is. So since the ability you want is very niche and not so powerful on itself, it isn''t as expensive as other things." ''Hmm, make sense.'' The rest of the day went as usual, but when I returned after my training with Koro-sensei, I was surprised by most of my ssmates in my apartment. We had a small party and got some gifts from them. We ordered pizza. I know that mine or Sophia''s food would be tastier, but I want to surprise them with that some other time. After everyone left, I wasn''t alone with Karen and Sophia. Karen: "Ryoto, I also have prepared a present for you." As she said that, Sophia snapped her fingers and a big present box appeared out of nowhere. Karen: "I wasn''t sure what to get you, so I started to think what you would like to get, and then a genius idea stroke me, but I won''t spoil it to you, so just open it." Karen sounded unusually excited, and Sophia stood next to the big box with a warm smile. I slowly walked up to the gift and when I opened it I saw... --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 79: Return of certain someone Chapter 79: Return of certain someone [A/N Sorry for no chapter yesterday. Was too tired to write ): ] (Ryoto''s pov) I slowly walked up to the big present box and saw a pink-haired girl who practically jumped out of the box as soon as it was opened. The girl started looking around curiously. L: "Where am I?" It was L, and she looked younger than Ist saw her, but it was undoubtedly her. I couldn''t believe it. It was her, but I needed to be sure that I wasn''t dreaming. Ryoto: "L?" My voice got her attention, and she focused on me for the first time. L: "Ryoto?" That confirms it, and the only thing in my mind was to hug her, which was what I did. L returned my surprise hug. Ryoto: "I missed you." My voice was soft. I don''t think I used voice this soft before in my life, but it just showed how much she meant to me. L seemed surprised by my words but didn''t ask or say anything and just squeezed me a bit harder, showing me her affection. We stayed one this for a while until I wasfortable separating. I missed her warmth. L: "Ryoto, why are you looking younger?" She asked after she took a closer look at me. Sophia: "I''ll be the one to exin that." Sophia butted in. Sophia then exined where we are and what we are doing here. Sophia: "In summary, we are in another universe, and you as well as Ryoto are aged down a bit. The time in your homeworld is stopped, so you can think of it as a long vacation with Ryoto without worrying anyone." L was listening to Sophia with stars in her eyes. She probably is excited about the possibility of another universe. Sophia: "Unfortunately, I could only get you in here, so besides your D-dial and ''Almighty tool,'' your other inventions stayed home, including Peke. I also de-aged your body slightly, but there shouldn''t be a big difference from before." L: "So that''s why Ryoto looks younger." Sophia: "Precisely. And before I forget." Sophia handed me a few packages of pills that I''m more than familiar with. Those were contraception pills that I used daily, the very same Mikado gifted me on my birthday. As the tabletsnded in my hand, Sophia winked at me. Sophia: "I''ll leave for a few weeks, maybe months, or I won''t return until thest day, so you two will have some time together, sooo... have fun!" With these words, she disappeared, and Karen was next, but she left after a phrase I didn''t believe came out from Karen, not because I couldn''t believe that she was able to say these words but how she told them. Karen: "Happy birthday, Ryoto..." She said it so gently and quietly, so I almost couldn''t hear it, but the emotions in that phrase were so powerful that they pierced right through me. Karen made this birthday the happiest I''ve ever experienced. I didn''t know what to say, so I said the only thing that came to my mind. ''Thank you, Karen.'' I was woken up from my thoughts by L, who was hugging me like a ko. L: "Sophia-nee told me that you already experienced three months alone, so om not leaving you until you don''t feel alone anymore!" I''m notining, but... Ryoto: "Sophia-nee?" L: "Yes, she said she was like your older sister, so she is Sophia-nee." Ryoto: "She will be happy about it." Now that everything was out of the way, I was slowly moving to my bedroom, but I wasn''t nning to sleep or let L sleep, for that matter, and that was the best night since I got here. --- I didn''t sleep but felt better than ever. L wasn''t tired enough to sleep just yet, but I needed to go to school, so I got up from bed, but L went into ko mode and stayed like that. She looked at me as if saying that she won''t leave me today either. It looks like I''ll go to school like that, but before that, I needed to tell you something, L. Ryoto: "L, can you get off for a moment? I need to tell you something." Instead of letting me go, she squeezed me harder. I chuckled at her antics. Ryoto: "Don''t worry, I don''t n on running away without you." She looked me straight in the eyes. I didn''t even notice, but I had my eyes open the entire time. Before she arrived yesterday, I had my eyes closed most of the time, even at home, but maybe it''s true that your home is where your heart is. She makes mefortable just with her presence. L reluctantly climbed down. Ryoto: "I just wanted to warn you about something first. #1 I probably should tell you that earlier, but I couldn''t find a good time to do that, but somehow, my blood became really dangerous, so you need to be careful about it so no biting too hard during our sessions." To prove to her that, I took a knife and sliced it as little as possible but as soon as the knife went below the skin, a part of it evaporated or melted. Hard to tell, but the thing is, the part of the knife that touched my blood disappeared. The blood, however, didn''t harm me in any way. My skin didn''t burn or anything. It didn''t even hurt. Good to know that I don''t need to worry about harming myself, at least. L looked the whole time curiously but flinched when I cut myself. However, she trusted me and waited for what I wanted to show her. She was curious about my blood when she saw what happened to the knife, but she hadn''t had her tools at the moment, and to be honest, I was a bit scared of letting her study my blood. I don''t even think there is a container durable enough to hold my blood for an extended amount of time. I tried to answer all of L''s questions to the best of my abilities until she was satisfied. After that, I was ready to go to school, and L seeing this remembered what she was doing and attached herself to me. Surprisingly she was easy to carry her around as she held into me. It could be thanks to my strength, but who cares. I exited my apartment, knowing that today would be a chaotic and exciting day. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 80: Lala in school Chapter 80: L in school (3rd pov) At the Kunugigaoka Junior High school in ss 3-E, it was an ordinary morning before the lesson had started. Not everyone was yet present inside the ssroom. One of them was Ryoto Yuuki, but he sometimeses really early or barely on time. Sometimes alone, and other times with someone. It''s almost impossible to predict when or with whom he wille to school. Today Kaede and Rio were already inside, so it wasn''t possible for them to apany him. Karma was known to skip school sometimes, but there was still a possibility that he''lle with Ryoto. It became a game of some kind to guess when and with whom he would arrive, and it was also Ryoto''s fault that it happened. Ryoto had a bad habit of making bets about minor things, but Ryoto never lost a bet, unlike his ssmate. It was like he could see the future or knew things he shouldn''t have. It was kind of unsettling. It became kind of a problem, and Karasuma forbade him to make any bets whatsoever. Ryoto wasn''t happy about it but obliged anyway. He needed to be bribed with lollipops first, though. With anticipation, everyone was waiting for Ryoto. They were looking at the door to the ssroom. Ryoto was the only one missing besides Karma. What''s important to say is that Ritsu was also forbidden from betting against her ssmates. Ritsu was able to hack into his phone, see where he was, and calcte when he would arrive. She could also search for nearby devices and know with whom he goes together. The door opened, and Ryoto appeared with a pink-haired girl hugging him like a ko. Even stranger was that a subus-like tail wasing from above her butt. Ryoto: "Morning." Ryoto nonchntly entered the ssroom and walked towards his seat. The girl looked around curiously and waved to some. She looked cheerful but didn''t n on letting go of Ryoto. One of the most noticeable features of hers, besides her hair and tail, was her bust size. Everyone had the same thought in their minds. ''Am I the only one to who can see her?''. L positioned herself so that it would be easy for Ryoto to sit. It resulted in her sitting on hisp. Ryoto then started patting L''s head. It caused her to smile cheerfully and snuggle to Ryoto even more. Ryoto seeing this, also smiled but instead of his usual evil smile when he nned to mess with someone, he had a gentle expression. That made his ssmates doubt that he was even the same person as it wasn''t often if at all that he showed this expression. (L''s pov) I was hugging Ryoto as he was going inside the ssroom. He felt lonely before, and I n to help him as much as possible by not letting him go. The school building was old, and it looked like the abandoned school building that we visited not so long ago. People nced curiously at us, so I waved at them. I hope that we''ll be great friends but first is Ryoto. As Ryoto seated himself, I changed my position so it would be easier for him to sit down, and the mostfortable ce would be hisp. I don''t know why but it makes me feel safe. Rio: "Ryoto?" Ryoto: "Hmm?" Rio: "Won''t you introduce your friend to us?" Ryoto realized that he had forgotten to do that and scratched the back of his head. Ryoto: "Ah, sorry. I forgot." Ryoto then cleared his throat. Ryoto: "This is L, my fianc." There was silence for a moment until the whole ss went into an uproar. Everyone: "WHAT!!!?" Kaede: "You traitor!!!" Ryoto: "How am I a traitor?" Kaede: "Do you see her boobs!!?" Ryoto: "...Really?" The green-haired girl is funny, and she seems close to Ryoto. L: "Hello, I''m L Satalin Deviluke, and I''m Ryoto''s fianc." (Ryoto''s pov) Before anyone could question L or me anymore, Koro-sensei entered. Koro-sensei: "I know that you''re all excited for today''s lesson but calm down so I can take the attendance." Taiga: "Koro-sensei, Ryoto have a fianc!" Koro-sensei: "What!!!?" He then looked at me and noticed L sitting on myp. He quickly appeared in front of me and did a 90 bow. Koro-sensei: "Please teach me your ways, sensei!!!" I started caressing my nonexisting beard and deepened my voice. Ryoto: "The way is filled with pain and sacrifice, and the rewards aren''t guaranteed. Do you still want to follow my teachings?" Koro-sensei: "Yes, please let me learn under you!" As Koro-sensei tried to be my students in the ways of love, but for him, it''s more of the way of getting girls, the ss or, more specific girls in gave Koro-sensei a cold look. Koro-sensei: "*Cough* *Cough* Yuuki-kun, who is your friend here?" Ryoto: "My fianc." Koro-sensei: "...Can you repeat what you just said? I think I''ve misheard you." Ryoto: "She is my fianc." Koro-sensei stopped moving whatsoever, and after a while, he started sweating. Koro-sensei: I... I don''t know what should I do. There wasn''t anything in the books I read about a student having a fianc..." Ryoto: "Well, you don''t need to worry about her too much, but I would love her to be able to learn in this ss as well." Koro-sensei: "Doesn''t she have a school she is admitted to?" Ryoto: "If she was admitted to another school, I wouldn''t ask for that. If you want we can make a be-" Ritsu: "Ryoto, Karasuma-sensei forbid you to make bets." Ryoto: "He isn''t here, so it''s not a problem." Ritsu: "Karasuma-sensei asked me to call him if you try to make a bet with someone so please refrain from doing that." Karasuma really doesn''t want me to gamble... or is he trying to protect everyone else from losing. He lost to me 2 times already, so he learned his lesson, and as the good teacher that he is, he is protecting his students from making the same mistake. Ryoto: "Fine, I won''t do anything, but I still would like to ask Koro-sensei to ept my request." Koro-sensei: "There shouldn''t be any problem with that, but do you think it''s a good idea?" Ryoto: "There shouldn''t be any problem with that. After all, L is stronger than me." At least physically. Everyone: "WHAT!!!? --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 81: Interrogation Chapter 81: Interrogation (Ryoto''s pov) After I put my ssmates and Koro-sensei in shock, it was Rio who decided to ask further questions. Rio: "Ryoto, don''t even joke about that. We''ve seen what you can do, and if she really is stronger than you, then is she even a human?" Should I or should I not. On one hand, it would be fun to mess with them now, but on the other, it would be a lot more fun to do itter for shock value. The longer they don''t know the truth, the bigger the impact. What to do, what to do. L: "That''s because I''m an alien." L answered cheerfully. It seems that L decided for me this time. Everyone was silent at this revtion. Not because they were shocked but because they didn''t know what to say. It''s not every day that someone admits to being an alien. L: "But I didn''t expect Ryoto''s teacher to be an alien as well!" Koro-sensei: "I''m not an alien. I was born and raised here on Earth!" L: "Really?" Koro-sensei: "Really. But do you know what kind of ss is that?" L shook her head. Koro-sensei then started exining everything about how this ss works. During this exnation, L nodded her head at times. L: "I see, I see. So I need to find a way to kill you using anti-sensei materials." Koro-sensei: "Correct, but I need to warn you..." Green stripes appeared on Koro-sensei''s face. Koro-sensei: "...I''m strong." L didn''t answer his provocation and just smiled sweetly. Koro-sensei didn''t know what to say in this situation, as most students would get irritated at him for looking down. I used this moment to shoot at Koro-sensei, but he caught the bullet between two pieces of chalk. Koro-sensei: "You''re starting to get predictable, Yuuki-kun. Always using my moment of weakness to try and kill me isn''t necessarily bad, but this only helps me get ustomed to it. You need to mix it with some casual assassinations as well." Ryoto: "...I''ll keep that in mind." I''m not the only one learning, so it makes sense for him to start getting used to my style. L: "Can you lend me your pistol for a moment?" Ryoto: "Sure." L then took out her ''Almighty tool'' from D-dial and modified my weapon in some way. Doing that didn''t take a long time. L: "Done! Try shooting now!" While I wondered what she did to the pistol, the rest of my ssmates and Koro-sensei questioned reality as they just saw stuff with bat wings appear from a flip phone. No one tried to ask about it this time. Maybe they finally broke and just epted what was happening without questioning reality. Ignoring the curious gazes, I aimed at Koro-sensei and pulled the trigger. Koro-sensei still had green stripes on his face meaning that he looked down on me. At first, the bullet flew as usual, but when Koro-sensei was ready to do the same thing he did before, the bullet exploded into many smaller ones shocking him in the process. Koro-sensei was nimble enough to avoid all of the bullets, but he started sweating. He didn''t expect anything like this, and he wasn''t the only one shocked because the whole ss had their eyes wide open at what they had just witnessed. L: "Wow, you''re really are fast, Koro-sensei. I thought that I got you with that." The assassinations will be a lot more interesting from now on. (3rd pov) The ss went on as usual, besides the girl sitting on Ryoto''sp. Surprisingly everyone got used to it fairly quickly. After the first lesson had ended, L didn''t want to leave Ryoto''s side, but he convinced her to do what she wanted. He reassured her that he would be alright. To be honest, Ryoto felt ttered and happy that L cared about him that much, but he didn''t want to limit her by being too clingy. It felt nice andfortable to be near her, but no one could be in his/hersfort zone the whole time. Besides, Ryoto knows that L enjoys making friends and spending time with them, so he won''t stop her from doing this on his behalf. Not to mention seeing L happy makes Ryoto happy as well. --- It was English ss, and the girls, together with Irina, kicked out all of the boys from the ssroom to talk (interrogate) L. The boys stood outside the ssroom dumbfounded. Taiga: "So, what should we do?" Ryoto: "Maybe bother Karasuma-sensei? It''s not like he is busy right now." Hiroto: "Good idea, and there you''ll tell everything about L-chan." Ryoto: "Why not. I''m in the mood to brag about my love life, so I''llply with your request." Taiga: "I know that we are the ones who want to know the details but the way you say it makes me want to smack your head." While the boys had their own small adventure to find Karasuma and their talk was full of... surprises, the girls started talking the moment they threw out the boys. Irina took out a notebook and a pen and started questioning L. Irina: "L, was it? You know that brat best out of all of us so tell me. What is his weakness? Is he scared of anything? Any bad subjects?" As she said brat, she heard a faint voice saying ''seventeen''. It could be just her imagination, or she finally was losing her mind because it was impossible for Ryoto to hear her right now, let alone say anything to her. Even though she knew that, she still looked around. Rio: "Bitch-sensei, shouldn''t you know the answer to thest question. You are his teacher, after all." Irina: "Shh! I''m just confirming if I have the correct information. Remember, girls, even if you have, in your opinion, correct info, it never hurts to double-check from a different source. One time, I had a job to kill a Swedish millionaire and to get close to him, I was forced to get close to his two friends first. The problem was that both of them said different things about my target. Do you know what I did?" Megu: "You tried diffret source?" Irina: "Yes and no. I did that, but I was also prepared for the other option. As you''ve already learned, you need to have n B, C, or even D. Rarely does everything goes ording to n. Now that the lesson is over, L, can you tell us about Ryoto?" --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 82: Girls talk Chapter 82: Girls talk (3rd pov) Irina: "L, can you tell us about Ryoto?" L: "Sure!" L happy replied. She doesn''t have anything to hide, so why would she lie. L: "I first met Ryoto when I ran away from home. Papa wanted me to marry someone I didn''t love, and he even had many candidates ready. I used Pyon-Pyon wrap-kun to escape my bodyguards,nding in Ryoto''s bathtub. Later in the room-" Kaede: "Stop, stop!!! Do you just say that you teleported?" L: "Yes! It was my only chance to escape so-" Ritsu: "Teleportation technology is not possible at the moment." L: "If you... and then..." L exined in great detail the principles of teleportation, shocking the ss. Still, the most surprised was Ritsu. She ran a few simtions while simultaneously looking for confirmations of the iing information, and astonishingly, every detail that she could find matched what L had said. Rest was either theoretical, or she couldn''t find any information about it. Ritsu: "...It''s possible." Ritsu muttered but was heard by the whole ss. They decided to ignore it. Some things are better to be unknown, and as someone wise once said, ''breathing is fun''. Instead, they enjoyed L''s story. It was like a fairy tale. A princess (L) is being forced to marry, and a heroes to save her. The hero and princess fell in love, but the father was against him. Yuzuki Fuwa was the most invested in the story. She was a big fan of manga, and hearing that something simr to what she was reading exited her. Rio: "You do realize that our ordinary school is like manga, yes?" Yuzuki: "Shh! Don''t ruin my enjoyment!" Irina: "Great story and all and all, but I still don''t know any weakness of that brat." Everyone turned towards Irina. Yuzuki: "Really?" Toka: "As expected of Bitch-sensei. Don''t even care about this beautiful story." Kaede: "Big boobs die!" Kaede yelled while showing her sign. Everyone''s attention shifted once again, but this time to Kaede. Rio: "We really should cure your hate for boobs because I fear that the day when we hear in the news about the discovery of a corpse with big boobs somewhere wille." Kaede: "I wouldn''t do that. Don''t you trust me?" Everyone was quiet, giving a clear answer to Kaede. Kaede: "Are you in some kind of boobs club!? I wasn''t invited because I don''t have any! Is that it!?" Kaede was on the brink of crying, but her savior came with the words she needed to hear the most, even though she didn''t know that. L: "If you want, I can build a machine that grows breasts." Kaede: "R-really?" L: "Yes! It would take some time, but it''s possible!" With tearsing from her eyes, Kaede walked to L slowly and hugged her. Kaede: "I don''t know if that''s true but thank you! And sorry for thinking that you''re crazy and nning to stab you with a fork!" L, with her ever-present smile and stroked Kaede''s head. However, the rest of the ss hung on to thest part. ''Stab her with a fork''? While the girls had their talk, the boys were looking for Karasuma to bothe- haras- spend time with. They couldn''t find him in school no matter how hard they searched for him. Taiga: "Where is he? We are PE after English, so he should be nearby." Ryoto: "Wait!" Taiga went quiet, and no one else said a word. Ryoto: "Karasuma-sensei is hiding. I can feel it." Taiga: "How can you ''feel'' it?" Ryoto: "Messing with you guys helped me create a sixth sense of some kind. I can feel when someone is hiding something interesting, and it activated right now." It was a lie, but no one needed to know. Ryoto was bored, and looking for Karasuma could be interesting. Besides, it really was strange for Karasuma missing at a time like this. Ryoto: "Let me look for him." Ryoto opened his eyes and took a look around. He looked in every direction for a few seconds to be as precise as possible, and he indeed saw something very interesting. Taiga: "You know, no matter how many times I see it, these eyes give me chills." Ryoto: "Not important. I found Karasuma-sensei, and he does something very uncharacteristic." The group decided to check it out. As the group was were approaching Karasuma, the teacher was enjoying himself. He didn''t eat at school as he knew his limited-time burger vor cup noodles. The annoying octopus or Karma would definitely do it. As he was about to taste it, he heard multiple steps. He instantly deducted that a group of his students wasing toward him. It was his free time, and besides, he wasn''t in the best mood since today, he would be reced as a teacher, so he wasn''t nning on sharing his meal with anyone today. Using his military knowledge and experience, he covered his tracks so no one could follow him. He even left one of his other cup noodles as bait, but it didn''t work. He still could hear theming to him. He was a little annoyed but also a bit proud of his students. To be able to follow him was not an easy feat. He tried a few different things. Jumping on trees to not leave footsteps, faking footsteps, and baiting. Nothing worked. Karasuma finally gave up and waited for the group to catch up to him. As boys entered Karasuma''s sight, he noticed that the group consisted only of boys, but he shrugged it off for now. Tadaomi: "Great work! I didn''t expect you to manage to keep up with me, but you surprised me! Now tell me, where is the rest of the ss, and why aren''t you in ss?" Ryoto: "The girls threw us out of the ssroom to have a girl talk with my fianc." Tadaomi: "...I''m not even going to ask." Taiga: "But you should because we are going to have boys talk." Ryoto: "And before you refuse, you don''t need to worry about your cup of noodles. Only you have taste buds broken enough to enjoy this vor. Not even Koro-sensei, the day before his paycheck, would take it." Tadaomi: "You take it back. Two perfect vorsbined must be delicious, and I''ll prove it!" Karasuma then proceeds to try to force-feed Ryoto without sess. Ryoto could see the madness in Karasuma''s eyes, so he chose to apologize. Sometimes to win, you must lose. Plus, don''t try to reason with crazy people, you''ll never win, and you will risk your life. After that, the group of Karasuma and male students listened to Ryoto''s story. Some of them were jealous, some were impressed, some were invested in the story, but everyone noticed that Ryoto was happy recalling these moments. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 83: Secret between girls Chapter 83: Secret between girls (Ryoto''s pov) After my story ended, all of us agreed to return to the ssroom. The girls were so focused on talking that they didn''t even notice us. Karasuma cleared his throat to gather their attention. They turned to see our group standing and waiting for them to finish. Irina: "Hey! We told you to-" Before she could finish what she wanted to say, presumably to throw us out of the ssroom again, Karasuma grabbed her by the face and lifted her up. Tadaomi: "What do you think you are doing. Weren''t you supposed to teach them English today?" Karasuma said calmly. Irina tried to say something and free herself, but she couldn''t. Karasuma was too strong for her. While theedic duo was doing their usual routine, I noticed that the girls from my ss looked at me strangely. Some of them tried to avoid eye contact with me with blush on their faces. What is going on, and what did they talk about? As I was thinking about it, Toka Yada approached me. She had an apologetic expression. Toka: "Sorry Yuuki-kun, I couldn''t stop them." What the hell happened here!? I turned to L, but she was behaving as usual. I don''t get it. Ryoto: "Why are you apologizing?" Before she could inform me about the events that urred, she was grabbed and dragged by other girls from our ss. Hinata: "Don''t mind her, Yuuki-kun. She is just tired." Hinano: "That''s right, that''s right." ...That was strange." Ryoto: "Rio, do you have something to do with that?" Rio: "Why did you assume that it was my fault?" Ryoto: "I didn''t say that it was your fault. I just asked if you are involved. Besides, Karma is absent." Rio: "...That''s fair." Ryoto: "So, can you answer my question?" Rio: "...You''ll knowter." Suspicious, very suspicious. Irina: "Karasuma!!! We had an important talk- I mean lesson was for girls only this time, so I did my duty as a teacher after all." She looked proud of herself with her hands on her waist. Tadaomi: "As a teacher, you can''t discriminate between students." Karasuma dug his fingers deeper into Irina''s skull. Irina: "Awawawaw!!! It hurts!!! I swear that I would make up this to boys with private lessonster~." It didn''t help her at all as the pain only increased. I tried to observe everyone for every minuscule detail, but I remembered that I didn''t know enough about bodynguage to deduce what happened. I should ask Koro-sensei to teach me about it next. Together with my eyes, it could be a greatbo. I saw, however, Kaedementing about the size of her boobs, nothing unusual there. Let''s be Sherlock Holmes for a moment. Some girls are embarrassed. Why? Because obviously, they talked about something embarrassing. It had to do something with me as they avoided eye contact only with me. What did they talk about then? L probably told them a story about us. Which part, though? She wouldn''t say anything about our ''sessions'' as she promised me that she wouldn''t do that even before we got to this world. Maybe some of the more embarrassing adventures? The time at the beach? When we slept together at the Inn? Our first meeting? I won''t know until someone tells me or they slip some information. Focus on something you know. Toka Yaki, she was apologizing for not stopping something. What she didn''t stop? Think from her perspective. She is the big sister of this ss and feels responsible for that something. What could ur that she could stop? Maybe the ss or, more specifically, Rio said something to L that they shouldn''t. She wouldn''t be able to stop this before it happened, but she would feel responsible. Is Kaede''s mood have something to do with that? Difficult to say. L the central figure of all of that. There wasn''t any noticeable difference in her behavior. Does that mean that it didn''t really happen? L is not someone who would hide her emotions too much. She would jump on me if she learned something and test her new knowledge immediately. She is also very curious, so she would ask to confirm her newly acquired knowledge. It doesn''t add up. Let''s back up a little. I know that they talked about something embarrassing, and I was part of that story. Toka feels responsible for something as well, which I would assume was ss feeding L unnecessary information. Still, L''s behavior is saying otherwise. Rio also said that I''ll find outter. I can''t do anything about it, so I''ll wait and see what will happen, and if it''s a prank that she set up, I''ll make some delicious meal made by me. Why? Because I was finally able to do THAT, Rio will be my first tester. Karen: "You wasted all your brainpower and didn''t conclude anything. I don''t know if I should be impressed or disappointed." ''Be impressed on how disappointing I am.'' Karen: "You are n-" She stopped herself from finishing this sentence. ''You are what? Knowing Karen, she won''t tell me even if I pressed for answers, so I waited for her to speak again. Karen: "Can we talkter? I want to tell you something and ask a few questions, too, but it''ll take some time." ''...No problem. I''ll let you know when I''m free.'' Karen: "Thanks..." Later that day, we had PE. I, as usual, found a great ce under a tree and rxed there while others were training. Did I feel guilty? No, because I trained twice as hard after school ends. Besides, if I joined, it wouldn''t be fair to others. I''m too strong and agile for my ssmates even without using any other of my abilities. L wanted to join and tried to convince me to train as well, but she epted my excuse after some exnation. However, she still wanted to be part of a lesson, so Karasuma evaluated her abilities. L had some experience with swordsmanship, so she applied it here. A knife is a short sword, after all, right? WRONG! Kinda. You could use a knife as a sword, but it wouldn''t be as effective as one might think, but L is a genius. She adapted fast. There were times when she let slip of her strength and attacked Karasuma with more power than he expected. He must be very confused right now. Serious type confused is fun to watch. Overall she was happy and had fun. As I talked with L during the short break, a new figure came out from the school building carrying a box and a few stic bags. Akira: "Hey there! My name''s Akira Takaoka!! Starting today, I''ll be working here to help out Karasuma! Nice to meet all of you in ss E!" Now, how should I y this out? --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 84: Akira Takaoka Chapter 84: Akira Takaoka (Ryoto''s pov) A fat-looking man approached us with sweets. My mum warned me about people like this, but I didn''t know that I would meet one of these people. All the sweets were pretty expensive and acted friendly to everyone. Although he looked fat, I could see muscles that were hidden under his clothes. Rio: "What do you think, Ryoto?" Ryoto: "About?" Rio: "The new teacher, obviously." Ryoto: "I don''t like him." Rio: "Yeah, me neither. Something about him feels off, but I can''t pinpoint what." Kaede: "Yeah, he feels like a liar." After introducing our new PE teacher, we had a math lesson with Koro-sensei, and nothing unusual happened. Our second PE lesson, which would be our first ss with Takaoka, would start after math. We gathered outside, and Takaoka tried to motivate us for training, but nothing he said would have any effect as when he gave us our new school schedule, everyone couldn''t believe it. 90% of all sses would be PE, and school would continue from 08:00 to 21:00. What''s worse principal approved of this. Of course, he would. I, of course, was lying under my new favorite tree. I named it Susy. It''s also worth noting that I sent L on some errands. Not because I''m worried that she will get hurt because I know Takaoka wouldn''t be able to do it, but I don''t want her to witness the bad side of humanity just yet. Karen: "Are you talking about Takaoka or yourself?" I didn''t answer her because she probably already knew the answer to this question. As I was observing the situation while looking rxed, Takaoka was still talking. Akira: "If we follow this curriculum, your abilities will grow by leaps and bounds. So without any further dys..." Hiroto: "Just a...! Hold on a second! This schedule is impossible!!!" Akira: "Huh?" Hiroto: "And there''s no time for us to have fun either!!! THERE''S NO WAY WE CAN DO THIS!!!" Hiroto didn''t say anything more because his stomach was hit by a knee, and it was Takaoka who did this. He did this while smiling. Akira: "It''s ''we will'', not ''we can''t''. I told you, right? That is our ''family''. I am the ''father''. Is there... a single-family in this world where father''s orders aren''t absolute?" Ryoto: "Yes, when a father is not only an asshole but also a jackass and an idiot." Everyone turned towards me while I was still lying with my eyes closed and my arms behind my head. Akira: "I see, I see, that''s true. It''s good then that I''m not like that, right?" He tried to sound friendly, but I could feel his anger boiling up. He must be pretty pissed that I broke his little intimidation tactic. Besides, even without me, my ssmates who felt my Haoshoku Haki wouldn''t break under him even without me. I stood up and returned his friendly smile. Ryoto: "Of course not..." Akira: "d that you-" Ryoto: "...You are even worse." A vein popped out on his forehead, and I think he was starting to lose his cool. He stopped for a moment t and showed his usual friendly smile. Akira: "I see. How about then we make a bet?" Hearing that, all of my ssmates widened their eyes. Takaoka thought they became scared for my safety, but everyone started to whisper what I would. No one was worried about me as they''ve seen my fights before and doubted that a normal human would hurt me. My smile grew as Takaoka dug his grave even deeper. Seeing themotion, Karasuma came to us. He obviously was looking at us the entire time, but this situation gave him an excuse. Tadaomi: "STOP TAKAOKA!!!" Akira: "What should I stop? I''m just taking care of my precious family." Karasuma didn''te here alone as angry-looking Koro-sensei. Koro-sensei: "No, they are not your family. They are my students." Unfortunately, neither Karasuma nor Koro-sensei could do anything to Takaoka, but Takaoka decided to speed up his demise in the worst possible way. Akira: "I can see dissatisfaction in everyone''s eyes, so how about a bet. Before you interrupted, I was about to make a bet with Yuuki-kun, but as a former teacher and fellow adult, it should be you I make a bet with." Takaoka took out an anti-sensei knife. Akira: "How about we''ll decide with this!!! Karasuma, choose one student you would rmend out of these you''ve raised. They''ll fight against me, and if they''re able to hit me even once with the knife... I''ll acknowledge that your teaching methods were better than mine. Then I''ll leave their training to you and leave!! A man doesn''t go back on his word!!" Hearing this usually, everyone would rx a bit, but no one was tense to begin with. They knew who would Karasuma choose, and they knew that person wouldn''t be in any danger. Akira: "But of course, if I win, I won''t allow any further meddling. But this isn''t the knife we''ll be using, instead..." Takaoka took out a real military knife from the bag. He then dropped a knife in front of Karasuma and slowly showed his true colors. He was taunting Karasuma with every spoken word. Karasuma hesitated for a moment before he took out a knife that Takaoka dropped on the ground. He walked up to me with a knife. Tadaomi: "To be honest, I don''t know if I''m making the right decision. I know that giving you this knife would make me win this bet and save all of your ssmates from him, but you are an unknown to me. Sometimes you are mysterious, and I can''t see through you, and other times, you act like an open book. To be honest, I think there''s a 50% chance that you are messing with me and 50% that you are trying to aplish here something other than killing the octopus. All the things that you ''confessed'' to us are not believable, but I''m starting to think there is more to see to your story. After all, your fianc exists, so what else could be true. Yuuki-kun, make a bet with me. I''m betting that you''ll win against Takaoka." Ryoto: "Karasuma-sensei... It''s not betting when your win rate is 100%. It''s just investing, but..." I took the knife from his hand. Ryoto: "I''ll ept this bet." I had a smile on my face and ambled to Takaoka. Akira: "Well, well, you chose theziest out of bunc-" He stopped talking as he felt an intense pressure directed at him. *Step* With just one step, the pressure increased. My guard was down, and the knife wasn''t even directed at Takaoka, but he probably felt that he could die if he made a wrong move. I directed my Haoshoku Haki to Takaoka and only him. *Step* *Step* *Step* Right now, I was standing in front, almost unconscious Takaoka. I looked him in the eyes and showed him someone special, and as a payment for getting him a ''date'', I started testing some things with my powers. Illusions are essentially changing the perception of someone else. My eyes work on vision and anything rted to it, but what if I take it further. What if I could change my target perception of time, making my illusions seem longer than they actually are? I would need to be stationary and extremely focused to do it, so I wouldn''t be able to use it in a fight, but that''s why I''m testing it right now. I was staring at Takaoka for a whole minute, and I was starting to worry my ssmates and teachers. However, it was 30 minutes for me as I experienced the same time dtion as Takaoka. My eyes began heating up, so I stopped. I touched now unconscious Takaoka with a knife, and that''s how I won. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 85: Karen Chapter 85: Karen (A/N Sorry for no chapter thesest two days. I was busy and tired.) (3rd pov) Ryoto has won without any trouble and walked away as if he had just dealt with some minor inconvenience. He looked satisfied with what he did, but there was some minor detail that escaped many eyes except for the teachers, Kaede and Rio. From Ryoto''s eyes, you could see a faint sign of smoke. Ryoto didn''t seem to care about it, so these that noticed didn''t ask about it. Besides, the smoke quickly stoppeding out. Ryoto walked up to Karasuma nonchntly. Ryoto: "It seems that you won our little bet." Tadaomi: "That I did." Seeing that Karasuma had something on his mind Ryoto asked. Ryoto: "Don''t you have any questions?" Tadaomi: "I have, but as I''ve said before, I chose to believe in you, and if you want to speak with me or anyone else, you''ll do it." Ryoto was surprised by Karasuma''s words. He expected him to at least ask a few questions, but his shocked face changed quickly into a small smile. Ryoto: "Looks like you are bing more like a teacher." At this, Karasuma shrugged. Tadaomi: "With a student like you, I was forced to be one." As the exchange took ce, some students noticed that someone was crouching over Takaoka''s body and waving in front of his face. Sophia: "Hello, are you with me?" Her voice brought everyone''s attention to her. Ryoto: "Sophia?" Sophia: "Yes!" Ryoto was obviously waiting for her to tell him why she was here, but after initially saying ''yes'', Sophia went back to see if she could get a reaction from the unconscious body. Done waiting, Ryoto decided to ask her. Ryoto: "What are you doing here?" Sophia, not stopping waving her hand, answered. Sophia: "I heard that there will be a new teacher, so I came to greet him, but he won''t even return the greeting. Rude." Ryoto: "...He is unconscious." Sophia: "That doesn''t expire from having good manners." She was pouting and was probably annoyed at Takaoka, but as she said that, a new voice came from the school building. Gakuho: "You don''t need to greet anyone as he won''t be teaching here anymore. I came to see the state of affairs, as the proprietor. I was interested in the new teacher''s abilities, you see. But his ss was horribly dull." The principal arrived a d took out a piece of paper that he signed and passed it to Karasuma. Gakuho: "This is his notice of dismissal. Pass him that when he wakes up. He will be unable to teach here from this point on. You at the ministry of defense do not have the power to appoint teachers to this school. Do not forget that everything here is under my jurisdiction. With that said, he left. Ryoto: "Charming, isn''t he?" Rio: Are we seeing the same person?" Ryoto: "I think so. Are you seeing a psychopath that would use any legal but morally questionable option to achieve his goal?" (Ryoto''s pov) After Takaoka woke up, he seemed strange. He was not angry, nor he was scared. Nothing. It was like his soul had left his body. He just took notice of dismissal and went inside the school to pack his things. It was strange, to say the least. Seeing that Takaoka wasn''t a threat anymore, the ss decided to go and celebrate it, and Karasuma would be joining and paying for the sweets. I declined as I had something more important on my mind. Karen. I didn''t want to wait for our talk for too long, so I decided to use Susy''s service one more time today andid down under her. ... It sounds like I''m talking about somethingpletely different. I''ll stop. Under the tree, I turned off my eyes so I would entirely focus on Karen. What she wanted to talk about sounded important, so I''ll treat it as such. ''Ok, Karen, what did you want to talk about?" Karen: "..." There was a silence, but I waited patiently. Karen: "...I wanted to tell you about myself a little." I expected many things but not that. Karen: "I''m aware that we didn''t start on a high note... and we still have some differences, but I know about you more than you know about me, so I''ll even things out." ''Karen, you don''t ne-'' Karen: "Shut up for now, and let me do it. I''m choosing to do it myself so let me do it." She then proceeded to take a few deep breaths. Karen: "As long as I remember, I was alwayspared to Sophia. At first, I tried to be as good as her, but I was always one or more steps behind, so I decided to do the second-best thing, be myself without hiding anything. If I didn''t like something or someone, I said it or, on asions, punched that someone. If someone didn''t like me like that, then it was their problem. At least I didn''t need to worry about having fake friends." As I was myself, no one wanted to get closer to me besides the I''ll hag that will not be named. Even my parents stopped talking to me unless they needed something from me. Only Sophia was still in contact with me, but I know she must beughing behind my back, and I still hate how everyonepares me to her. At times I thought that maybe I was wrong, but I shoved these thoughts deep into my subconscious where they won''t see any light ever again. I got some basic information about your previous and current life when I started this job. Reading it got me furious because you reminded me of me too much, but you decided to shut yourself closed instead of being yourself. I thought you were some kind of loser who couldn''t handle what the world was throwing at you. Why couldn''t you just say ''fuck it and be happy? To borrow someone''s words, you were just like a nt. It was infuriating, so I was more antagonistic than I usually was. But as I was observing how you lived, I saw you change little by little. It was fascinating, really. It was like looking at myself taking another path but what was even more strange to me was that you didn''t mind me. You''ve seen me at my worst, and when I pretended to be friendly, you said that you prefer the real me, which was the first time someone said that to me, and I didn''t even know how much I needed to hear it from someone. I know that I can be unreasonable, bitchy, or even annoying, but you still said these words and for that... thank you." When Karen finished talking, I didn''t know what to say, so I went silent for a while to digest the newly acquired information. What I heard right now won''t change how I treat Karen, but she telling me all of this says that she trust me at some level. ''...'' ''You know Karen, I''m not good at interactions with people. I may seem that I''m charismatic or like I don''t care how people think about me, but I''m just bad at reading the air, and I''m bad at reading people, too, so I don''t know what should I say or do right now so instead I''ll tell one part of my story as well. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 86: Ryoto Chapter 86: Ryoto (Ryoto''s pov) ''I have a pretty strange rtionship with lies. I myself could be called a liar. I don''t reveal most things to others, even my family, which could consider lying for some. I lie at times to hide some things like I did in this world, so you could say that I don''t detest lies in themselves. I believe that lies in themselves aren''t bad things. You can lie to not hurt someone''s feelings or even help someone. Even though I think like that, there are, of course, people that hate lies over everything. I call these people hypocrites. People lie on a daily basis for even most minor things like how much they ate when they woke up or other small things. People lie so they wouldn''t embarrass themselves in front of other people. Lies are part of everyday life. Don''t get me wrong, I don''t hate people like that. L isn''t a liar by any means, but it''s because she is innocent like a child, or maybe she is a genuinely good person, perhaps both. Jugemu is an excellent example of such a person. He said that he despite lies and liars. He reminded me of someone from my past life. That person, let''s name her Emma, was a good friend of mine. My only friend, to be exact. We have known each other her whole life, and despite our shing personalities, we get along incredibly well. Maybe opposites really attract each other.'' Recalling these memories gave me a warm feeling inside me. Even though I don''t like to think about my past life, as most of these memories are just sad and ufortable to look back at, but there are a few rare happy moments. It''s not like my life was full of bad things. It mainly was... dull, especially at the end. ''Emma was a believer of truth always prevailing. No matter how small of a lie it was, it would always be uncovered eventually. On the other hand, even back then was, I believed in the existence of white lies. We didn''t agree on that, and it was not the only thing we disagreed on. I was more of an indoor person, while she loved going out with friends. I was unpopr, and she was almost always surrounded by people. She liked apples, and I liked oranges. To this day, I don''t know how we became friends. To her credit, I never caught her lying. Maybe she was the best liar I''ve ever known.'' I smirked inwardly. ''No, she lied to me one time, but that will be the story for another time.'' This time I felt sadness. Why did she need to lie? Couldn''t she just tell me the truth like always? ''What I want to say is at some point, even the most rightful and truthful person will tell a lie, and I don''t care, but people like Jugemu remind me of Emma. As I''ve said before, I don''t hate people like that, but they would have a tough time in life where there are many liars. Just like Emma, Jugemu will, at some point, regret his lifestyle, and there will be only two oues. Either his beliefs will be stronger, but he''ll also be smarter, or... he''ll break, bing a shell of his former self, and that''s what I want to avoid the most. L is simr but different. She is naive and childlike in many ways, and sometimes I''m scared that witnessing the bad side of humanity... the bad side of me, she''ll give up on me. Because if I don''t like myself, why should I expect others to do so? Pathetic, isn''t it? Having no problem with lies but scared of truthing out to light.'' Karen: "...You know, I''m not going to tell you something like ''don''t be scared'' because things like this need time to fix, but what I can tell is no matter how many people turn away from you, I''ll be with you... willingly or unwillingly." ''Thatst part wasn''t needed.'' Karen: "True, but at least it was truthful." Karen seemed to shrug her shoulder. Karen: "But there is one thing even more sure. I''m never gonna give you up..." ''...Did... did you just Rickroll me?'' She smirked. Karen: "I did, and I would do it again." ''You ruined a beautiful moment...'' Karen: "It was too depressing for my taste." ''...Still, thanks.'' Karen: "No problem." She then added something that I didn''t quite hear. Karen: "But I meant every single word I said..." ''Did you say something?'' Karen: "Nothing!" Karen seemed happier after our talk, and telling her a little about myself also felt good. I never said it to anyone before. When I talked with Karen, I didn''t move at all while I was lying under the tree, so I was feeling stiff, but when I tried to move, I felt something leaning on me. I turned my head to my side, but I saw only darkness. Right, I turned off my eyes. I saw L sleeping next to me. She was resting her head on my shoulder. It looks like she came back after her errands as I saw two shopping bags, and when she saw me like that probably thought that I was sleeping and sat next to me and fell asleep. I gently pushed some of her pink hair out of her face revealing her beautiful face. I didn''t want to wake up her, but we should probably go home so I could start cooking our dinner. Ryoto: "L, hey L. Wake up." I tried gently waking her up, and it was working as L was starting to open her eyes. Still half asleep while rubbing her eye, she softly said. L: "Ryoto?" To which I answered equally soft and full of affection. Ryoto: "Morning, sleepyhead. Did you sleep well?" L nodded, and we stood up and went home. On the way there, L regained her energy. At home, I made some dinner that she happily ate. L: "Mmm~ Your cooking is delicious! It may even be more delicious than Mikan''s!" Maybe? I can make people naked with my cooking, and it''s still may be!? It looks like I need to step up my game, so when I return it, I will be the best cook in the family. Joking aside, I just want to take over some of her responsibilities, so she may act her age more often. My thoughts were broken by L, who asked me something. Right now, I had a fork in my mouth and listened to L. L: "Ryoto, can you tie me up?" Ryoto: "Eghuh mi? (Excuse me?)" --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 87: Ryotos fear Chapter 87: Ryoto''s fear (Ryoto''s pov) I was eating dinner with L, and she just asked me to tie her up. Did I mishear? I must have. I put away the fork that was in my mouth and asked. Ryoto: "Can you repeat it? I''m not sure I heard correctly." L: "Can you tie me up, Ryoto?" ...I didn''t mishear it. My mind went into overdrive and thinking about what caused her to ask me for that, and after a few seconds, it hit me. The girls talk! So that''s why they avoided eye contact with me. Was it why Toka was apologising? But who corrupted L? The only one who can do it is me! It was probably Irina or Rio, but I can think about itter. Now I should focus on L. Ryoto: "It''s not like I don''t want to, but we don''t have the necessary tools for that kind of fun and-" *DING* *DING* A ring bell to my door just rang, and I was wondering who it was so I opened the door, but no one was there. Looking down, I noticed a big bag with a letter attached to it. Before I looked inside the bag, I read the letter. I''m hoping it''s not what I think it is. ''Have fun. -Karen'' ''Karen, what is the meaning of that?'' But there was no answer. That one time she tried doing something nice was the worst possible time. No, let''s stay positive maybe it''s still not what I think it is. Maybe Karen sent some board games to y. It would be fun. I sighed and returned to L. Ryoto: "I''m back. We got a present from someone but before I check it, can you tell me why you suddenly got this idea?" L: "Bitch-sensei said that to make a boy/man happy, you need to appear vulnerable, and when I asked how to do it, Rio said that the easiest way to do it is by being tied up!" L exined cheerfully. Ryoto: "Did you tell them about our sex life?" L released that she was supposed to keep it a secret and hit her head gently with her younger out. L: "I forgot." It''s not like I don''t want to try a few new things with L, but that one thing is off-limits. Looking at L, who looked at me, hopefully, I couldn''t refuse her, so I opened a bag with items that we''ll be using tonight, hoping that one item won''t be inside. It included a blindfold, a pair of handcuffs, two kinds of ballgag, one made of stic and other rubber, an open gag mouth, lube, a couple of small pink sex rotors, and... a rope. As soon as the rope entered my vision, my breathing became unstable. I need to calm down. I need to calm down. It''s just a rope. It''s just a rope. Nothing scary about a rope beside it''s a sex rope. It''s a lot more stic than your everyday rope. I grabbed it with my hand to take it out, but I started sweating just at the touch. Breath in... breath out... breath in.... breath out. It wasn''t helping. It wasn''t helping at all! Come on, Ryoto! It''s just a rope! As I was trying to calm myself down, I felt someone touching my hand. It was L who showed concern for me. Crap, I don''t want to worry her. I don''t want her to show that kind of expression. I like it best when she smiles. Ryoto: "Sorry, to be honest, I''m scared of ropes. I don''t have problems with other long things like cables, wires, snakes,ces, but something about ropes makes my skin crawl." L looked... angry? Disappointed? I don''t know, but I didn''t like it. Ryoto: "Are you angry?" L: "Ahhhh!!! Ryoto, why didn''t you tell me that earlier!!?" L exploded. Ryoto: "...What?" L: "Why do you think I wanted to be tied up!!? It was because I thought it would make you happy, but if it doesn''t, what''s the point!!?" She was angry about that? I was so dumbfounded that the only thing I could do wasugh. Ryoto: "Hahahahaha!!! Ipletely forgot that you were that kind of person." No, maybe I just ignored it until now and wasmenting over myself or just was too sad to notice that. I mean, I knew that L wanted to make me happy, but that in itself was what caused me to doubt myself. What if I''m not good enough for her, what if I''m not the correct person for her, what if I identally ruined her life by bing part of it. Those thoughts kept bugging me from time to time, but why should they do it any longer? We will be the one who decides if we''ll be happy or not! I like... No! I love L, and I''ll make her happy. I don''t care how many of her potential fiance I need to fight, I don''t care if, by marrying L, I won''t be the next emperor, and I don''t even care if I need to fight her dad to get his approval! I was still holding back in this rtionship but no more! I looked straight into L''s eyes. Ryoto: "L, you''re right. I thought that I would let you down by refusing you, but I forgot what''s rtionship is about. It''s about honesty, trust,munication, and supporting each other." I started patting her head. Ryoto: "I was the one who told you those things before, but ironically I didn''t listen to them. L, I know that I can be a handful, secretive, and not open about myself, but I want you to know that no matter what, I love you and always will." The hand moved from the top of her head to cup her cheek. Ryoto: "I''ll try to be a better person, so please be patient with me." Lunched at me. L: "Ryoto!!!" We fell down with L hugging me and resting her head on my chest. L: "Stop talking like I would leave you!!! I like you, Ryoto, I love you, and I know that you love me too!!! So stop sounding so sad!!!" Ryoto: "L, I think you misunderstood. I''m not sad. I''m just sharing my thoughts with you, and that goes for you too. If you have anything on your mind or something that troubles you, share it with me." I stood up while still holding L close to me. Ryoto: "OK, enough of depressing stuff. I can''t tie you up with rope, but we still have a lot of things that we can test. Of course, if you want." As if the previous mood was just an illusion, L answered vigorously. L: "I do!!!" --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 88: A wild night Chapter 88: A wild night [NSFW warning] (Ryoto''s pov) After L threw away the rope because I didn''t even want to touch it, we went to our bedroom with the rest of the items in the bag. L wanted to try new things and gave me 100% control over what we will do. As soon as we entered the room, L jumped out of her clothes, ready to go. Before I started doing anything, I appreciated the beauty in front of me. Not to let her wait too long, I destroyed my clothes with the sheer power of my muscles. That left both of us naked. I walked up to L and pushed her yfully on the bed. L yed along and exaggerated a fall. Whileying down, she looked at me as if tempting me, and it worked. I was tempted. We were currently looking into each other''s eyes, and we shared a deep kiss. As always, our kiss took a few minutes until one of us needed to breathe. When we separated our lips, a string of salvia created a bridge between our mouths, but it quickly copsed. Thankfully my salvia wasn''t poisonous as I loved kissing L as much as she loved kissing me. Before we try doing anything new, we started by doing something familiar. I changed my position so my head would reach her lower parts, and it would be the same for L as well. Yes, it was the famous 69 position. Nice. I started licking her with great vigor while ying with her clitoris, and L began to take care of my penis as well. She started by licking the whole shaft in one swift motion, stopping just before her tongue reached the ns. She was teasing me by not taking it in her mouth. If she wants to y this game, then so be it. I put one finger inside her pussy and touched gently around her G-spot. Enough to give her pleasure but not enough to let her orgasm. At the same time, I sure my other hand to touch around her clitoris as well. I even blew at it a few times. We went on it for a while. L can be prettypetitive during sex and doesn''t want to be the first to ''lose'', so it did take a bit more than I expected to ''break'' her. L was about to say something, but I stopped my actions. L: "Huh?" L was caught off guard by a sudden stop, but as soon as she realized what I was doing, she pouted. L: "Ryoto, you bully." Iughed it off as she was acting adorable but now was the time to use the newly acquired toys. First was the blindfold, then I handcuffed her to bed by both of her wrists. The next step was to tape the rotors to both of her nipples and the tip of her tail. The vibrations weren''t strong but felt good, especially on the sensitive parts of her body. After our extended forey, L was more than ready to start the real game, so I positioned myself, so I could insert myself easily inside of her. I inserted it all at once, earning me an erotic moan from L. L: "AHM!~" I started off slowly getting back at her attempt at teasing me. I think I have a bit of a sadist inside of me. L: Ryoto, don''t tease me~. Move faster~!" She sounded desperate, so Iplied with her request and started pounding her. As the pleasure began overtaking her, a part of the bed headboard that she was handcuffed to broke because of her strength. Surprisingly the handcuffs were alright and still hanging on her wrists. Good stuff, but I need a better bed for that kind of y in the future. She hugged me tightly and called my name repeatedly. It means that she was close to climaxing. She likes to orgasm while kissing, so I did just that and interlocked our lips. As I was thrusting faster and faster, I was closing to my own orgasm, and with a final thrust, I released inside her as deep as I could, and as I did, her legs hugged my waist so I would not escape, not that I would want to. I stayed inside for a little longer, and when my penis exited her, a cumted white liquid spilled from her hole. If not for the pill, that amount would make her pregnant for sure. One round wasn''t enough for either of us, but before we started round 2, L decided to lick my penis clean. It quickly made me hard, but L wasn''t done as she put my penis between her breasts. She looked like she had fun with it as she kicked her feet yfully. She didn''t stop when I was rock hard and just kept going. It looks like she nned to suck me off this time. The rotors were still attached to her, so I felt the vibrations through her breasts. It was a new kind of pleasure for me, so I came faster than usual. It still wasn''t lighting fast as no one jerked me off at super speed, so it seemed like I nutted just at the woman''s touch, but it still was worth mentioning. Feeling that I was near climax, L sped up and took my penis deep in her throat without choking on it. Her throat felt warm and pleasant, different from the insides of her vagina but still veryfortable. As I came inside her mouth, she swallowed all of it and licked her lips as if she had drunk something delicious. L: "Thanks for the meal~." How can she be so cute and innocent during the day and sexy and erotic during the night? Is it a legendary gap moe? Couldn''t resist any longer, I jumped on her, having a fantastic night once again and confirming once more how lucky I am to have L as my fianc. We slept for about an hour before we went to school. I knew what kind of revenge I''ll get on Irina and Rio today. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 89: Beach Chapter Chapter 89: Beach Chapter (A/N I read some of yourments and I noticed that some of you misunderstood something about Ryoto so I''m here to rify. Ryoto doesn''t hate lies, he is scared of the truth. Am I good enough, did I mess up? He was scared about the answers to these and more questions. At least he was before. Now he tries to take things into his hands. If something he''ll try to fix it and if something goes right then he can be proud of himself. This world was mainly for Ryoto to ept the present, the next one will be epting his past, and after that? I''m not going to spoil it. Sorry for the rant. I wanted to make sure everyone is on the same page.) (Kaede''s pov) Already three months have passed since Koro-sensei became our teacher and about one month since Ryoto discovered and got rid of my tentacles. Just thinking about how it happened makes me blush. I tried to act as I always did around him, but I became conscious of him. My heartbeat quickens, and my face bes hot near him. Is it how you feel when you like someone, or was I feeling guilty because I pierced him with my tentacles? I noticed a scar on his right shoulder during PE. He probably has scars on his stomach and left leg as well, but he didn''t act any different and didn''t me me either. The first time he saw me after he woke up, he asked if I was okay. It was when I visited him in the hospital, so I still could see him hiding the pain in his stomach. As he said, he is a liar, and as a liar myself, I can notice those small things. Ryoto was an interesting person, to say at least. He has some unusual abilities, but the most recognizable are his eyes. He was the perfect candidate to hide. As he shone brightly, I could stay in the shadow where no one would notice me. It would make my assassination a lot easier, but as I spent time with him, I noticed that we were simr. He seemed like someone who had lost something or someone before, just like me. I even broke my act once or twice before him, and I''m sure he noticed it. What I saw yesterday, however, was something I or anyone else didn''t expect. Ryoto came to school with a girl hugging him. I felt something breaking inside me, but I acted naturally. Not even Ryoto noticed anything. The girl''s name was L, and she was Ryoto''s fianc. She was friendly, pretty, and cheerful. It was difficult to dislike her, and she even became friends with most of the girls almost instantly. All of that, and I didn''t even mention her enormous boobs. Moreover, I''m sure that Ryoto didn''t even notice how happy he seemed around her. I nor anyone in the ss ever saw him like that. Sure, there were times when he smiled or enjoyed the moments, but just like me, he pretended to be happy but not yesterday. *Sigh* I can see how Ryoto could fall in love with her. I pped myself on both of my cheeks. Too many depressing thoughts. I''ll just continue our everyday school life as if nothing is on my mind. Maybe it''s because so hot today that my thoughts trailed to Ryoto. Trying to cool myself down, I pulled my shirt a few times so air could get inside my clothes, but as I looked down, I became even more depressed. Why is life so unfair? (Ryoto''s pov) It was summer, and it was obviously very hot. L nor I felt that during our session as our apartment had AC, but as soon as we left the building, the heat hit us. Thankfully when we arrived at school, Koro-sensei led us to the river where we could y. I instantly burst off my clothes, revealing my swimsuit and my three scars. Almost everyone''s attention was on the already healed wounds. Rio, on the other hand, was looking at my abs. Soon rest of the girls started looking at my muscles. Some were trying to be discreet but were unsessful. Ryoto: "If you guys are done enjoying the view, maybe you should start ying. I''ll grill some food when you be hungry." Most of the girls blushed when they heard that I noticed their staring. Karma decided to defuse the awkward situation in his own way. Karma: "Ryoto... at one point, you had more holes than your girlfriend. How does it make you feel?" Ryoto: "6/10, would rmend, but the care afterward left much to be desired. Joking aside, I''m surprised that you didn''t show her photos of me kissing Bitch-sensei and Kaede." Karma: "I met her only today, but I feel like she isn''t the jealous type, and I have a feeling that I''ll have a better opportunity to do thatter on." It would be scary if he was right. While still not being part of ss 3-E on paper, L got along with most of the people here. I didn''t want to swim at the moment. Besides, my revenge against Rio and Irina will soon begin. L was wearing a school swimsuit since we didn''t know that we would go swimming today, so she borrowed one from Toka because they had simr height, plus she had the biggest boobs in the ss. Mostly it''s because of the second reason. If L borrowed Kaede''s swimsuit, she would rip it apart trying to fit in. As soon as I thought that, I felt a killing intent directed at me. It turned out to be Kaede, but I didn''t even say anything. Is it the infamous woman''s instinct? Can you call it a woman''s instinct at this point? While everyone was ying in the water, Taiga was taking photos of every girl in the ss. I noticed that he was focusing on L for a while, so I confiscated his camera. At first, I wanted to destroy it, but I''m not a heartless monster, so I''ll just send these photos to my phone with the help of Ritsu and return it to himter. Koro-sensei was being fussy and annoyed everyone, so the students started sshing him with water and discovered one of the sensei''s weaknesses: water. Koro-sensei''s body absorbs water very easily, making him move slower, which would make assassination easier. I, on the hand, started grilling steaks, sausages, skewers, and some vegetables. Next to me was Irina, who was observing my skills in actions. Irina: "Looks like you got some skills. You would be great husband material if you were a bit older." Ryoto: "I can''t believe that I''m hearing it from you. You know, a teacher that kisses their students as a lesson in social interactions. Besides, I''m taken, so I can''t return your feelings. Have a lollipop, and I hope that you find someone you''ll like as much as me in the future. It won''t be easy, but I wish you luck." I bowed slightly and returned to grilling. Irina seemed irritated at myment, but she had learned her lesson not to continue the discussion with me as it would most likely lead to her irritation. It starts to feel boring, no one wants to take bets with me, and no one besides Karma and Rio tries to challenge me anymore. I need to step up my game. Feeling motivated, I started serving food to everyone. Irina and Rio had smaller portions than the rest, not by much, but it was visible. It didn''t make them lose their swimsuits, but everyone knows that the fewer clothes someone has, the harder it is to make them lose them. It works like that with cooking and woman alike. I started giving the second serving, but I skipped both Irina and Rio this time. Rio: "Eh, Ryoto? You forgot to give us the seconds." I turned to Rio, who was holding an empty te, with a ''kind'' smile on my face. Ryoto: "Hmm, did I just hear someone who thought L something, let''s just say unusual, or was it someone who gey L to talk about some personal stuff? Oh, and before I forget. Here, I saved the best piece for you, Toka. Not only you tried to stop them, but you also lent L your swimsuit." I got back to grilling as Koro-sensei was starting to pilfer ready pieces of food directly from the grill. I wasn''t mad, as I enjoyed making food more than I thought I would before I got to this world but having Rio and Irina hugging both of my legs and begging for more food was a little distracting. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 90: Into summer vacation Chapter 90: Into summer vacation (Ryoto''s pov) They say that to be popr with women, you need to be either rich or good-looking, but that''s not always the case in reality. I would say you need to be lucky to meet certain someone and then have the skills to continue for them to like you back. Sometimes you don''t even need to try as the other party will be interested in you, which makes it easier for you, and that''s what I told my ssmates how to get a girlfriend when they asked me. Looking at my body and cooking skills, they didn''t believe me, and I probably wouldn''t believe myself as well, but I digress. After school had ended, I continued training with Koro-sensei. L was dragged with the girls to further know each other better. L didn''t want to separate from me as she still worried about my well-being, but she went with them after some reassuring. Koro-sensei really isn''t suited to train ordinary people, but thankfully I''m not ordinary. It was still difficult to follow at times. That''s why a lot of my physical training is sparrings. I try toe up with some things on my own. I try these things during the sparring, and Koro-sensei advised me on what I did right or wrong. Today wasn''t any different, so now I was having a break. Koro-sensei approached me. Koro-sensei: "Looks like everything going good for you, Yuuki-kun." Ryoto: "Better than ever. You know, I''ve decided to be the master of my fate, but now that I''m happy, I''m scared that I can only go down. Any advice?" Koro-sensei didn''t say anything but took a stick and started drawing on the ground. One line was in a wavy pattern, the second one was a line going down and then returning to a wavy pattern, and thest one was exactly the opposite of the second one. Koro-sensei: "Life has its ups and downs, and it applies to everyone. To most, it looks like that." He pointed at the first line. Koro-sensei: "There are also unfortunate people who fell down and couldn''t go up to the previous height and stayed down." That was the second one. Koro-sensei: "But they''re also fortunate people or worked really hard to improve their lives." That was thest line, but Koro-sensei crossed out all three lines. Koro-sensei: "But that''s a very shallow way of thinking on that topic. As you have said, everyone is the master of their own life. I like to think that if I could change into the teacher, I am today, then everyone can better themselves, but sometimes you need to meet a certain someone that helps you find or pushes you in the right way, and it looks like you found that certain someone that you''re willing to be a better version of yourself for. Isn''t that right, Yuuki-kun?" I smiled. Ryoto: "Thanks, Koro-sensei." Koro-sensei: "One more thing. Remember that your past didn''t happen to keep you down but to help you grow. Every experience is there to help you further down in life, even if it doesn''t look like it. Trust your sensei on this one." As my eyes widened and his words were repeating in my head, he put his tentacle on my head. ''Your past didn''t happen to tie you down but to help you grow. While it sounds obvious, I never thought about it that way. I always tried to ignore the bad things in my life. I didn''t do a good job at it, but I still tried. While I don''t agree 100% with Koro-sensei on this one, I can acknowledge that there is some truth in it. With newfound confidence in my decision, thanks to Koro-sensei, I started to get back to my training, but I noticed Sophia, who was taking pictures with a professional camera. I didn''t notice her, and neither did Koro-sensei as he flinched seeing her. Ryoto: "Sophia, what are you doing here?" Sophia: "I''m taking photos of you and Koro-sensei, of course!" Ryoto: "But why?" Sophia: "To document happy moments of your life, and as your big sister, it''s my duty to do so!" Koro-sensei quickly flew behind her to look at the photos. Koro-sensei: "Do I look good in the photos!? I didn''t blink in any of them, right!?" Sophia: "Don''t worry, don''t worry, everything looks great!" She said with a big smile. She seemed to enjoy acting as my big sister. --- The first semester has ended, and our ss is going on a summer vacation at an Okinawa ind resort. Usually, we wouldn''t be able to go there as we are ss 3-E after all, but ss 3-A made a bet with us, and we won. We got better scores than them. Everyone got better grades this time around. Everyone besides Karma, that is. Even if he was still in the top 10 this time around, it was my turn to brag about being better, even in my worst subjects. Thanks to L''s and Koro-sensei''s tutoring, I was able to do that. Because we got first ce in five subjects, we could cut off five of Koro-sensei''s tentacles which would slow him down considerably. During the summer vacation, the ss would use it to use it on the big assassinations attempt. During that time, L became part of the ss as she enrolled, thanks to Karasuma. To be honest, I didn''t expect it, but the principal forbid me from using my eyes on the students. It seems that he saw me using them on Takaoka. A few things didn''t change, however. One of these things was my nights with L. Still as wild and passionate as ever. The other thing was how nice and almost pitiful the teachers treated me. I still don''t know why. What was strange was that Shiro didn''t try to assassinate Koro-sensei while we were ying in the river, so Terasaka is still against almost the whole ss as we are close to the ''monster''. It feels like I robbed him of character development. Do I feel bad? A little. Do I regret my actions? No. My training was going great as well. Besides the usual spar, I was also learning bodynguage at my own request. My expertise is still not enough to use it all the time but depending on the person, and how focused I am, I could read some thing of people. If I remember correctly, there will be some troubles, but I think I scared Takaoka off from attacking us this time. But we''ll see how it ys out this time. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 91: Troubles arrive Chapter 91: Troubles arrive (Ryoto''s pov) Okinawa resort was a fantastic ce to have fun at. It was a luxurious ce that no one in this ss would be able to afford something like that. Maybe L could, but it wouldn''t be fair to count her as she is a princess. During our first day, I was on guard against... anything really. I don''t remember exactly what happened, so I need to be ready. There is also the possibility that nothing will happen since Takaoka met Mil-tan up close and longer than anyone ever before. A whole 30 minutes of the experience. I would be surprised if he could live a normal life. Perhaps he lost his mind because the illusion I let him see wasn''t the most family-friendly. Throughout the whole day, nothing unusual has happened checked the food and drinks with my spider-sense, so it wasn''t poisoned. I even double-checked it with my eyes so I could see anything that didn''t belong there. The conclusion was that there wasn''t any danger. At the end of the day, the ss tried to kill Koro-sensei using everything they''ve learned up until now, and they almost seeded. Because of that, Koro-sensei was forced to use his trump card and turned into a strange round form which was clear and orange, with his face inside of it. He would stay in that form for 24 hours, and while in this form, he is invincible. I didn''t join and only observed this time. Seeing this, I was a little bit curious. Holding the ball, I used fire to see if there would be any reaction. Nothing. Koro-sensei: "Nurufufufu, I just said that nothing would be able to harm me at the moment." Green stripes appeared on his face. It didn''t stop me from trying a few things, though. If fire didn''t work, then how about lighting? Nope. Didn''t work either, but I saw a few sweat drops on Koro-sensei''s face. It seems he is aware that there is some kind of limit to his barrier, or he is not sure how much damage it can take. It''s hard to tell with him. The next thing I tried was mming it down with all my power, but not even a crack appeared. I didn''t try using my blood as I was almost sure that it would be able to go through, but his defenses were still pretty impressive. Thest thing I wanted to try was L''s tailser. When everyone saw that, their jaw dropped. Koro-sensei, on the hand, was still alright. As I was having fun with Koro-sensei''s helplessness and L was talking, we decided to go back to drink a bit and cool down, but about half of the students were tired... too tired. They looked feverish. Rio wanted to go back to her room and get changed already but lost her strength in the attempt to do so. I checked her temperature with my hand, and she was burning. L, who was standing next to me, also copsed from the high temperature. My blood started boiling seeing them like this, but I tried to stay calm and looked around for any possible clues. Food and drinks didn''t have anything in them since I checked it, so it was something else entirely. As I carefully observed my surroundings while still holding both of the girls, I noticed that Terasaka was unusually nervous. I literally opened my eyes wide and didn''t believe that he was an idiot enough to do something so stupid. No, I could believe it, but it only made me angrier not only at him but also at myself. Ryoto: "Terasaka, what did you do?" My voice was calm, but I was unconsciously releasing Haoshoku Haki towards him. Terasaka, of course, felt that pressure and started denying my usations with nervous stuttering. Ryoma: "W-what are you talking about? Why ask me!?" Halfway through, he started being more aggressive and defensive against everyone around him. Ryoto: "Terasaka, I always thought that you were an idiot, but in my mind, you were harmless although tactless idiot but today you proved me wrong, so if you know something, confess now, or I''ll show you how hell looks like." Besides Haki, I also let my killing intent out. Thebination of these two is a deadlybo for ordinary people. Under my pressure, Terasaka spilled everything. It could also be possible that he felt guilt seeing his ssmates in their current condition. It was Shiro that gave him a pretty hefty amount of money so he would spread odorless gas full of artificially produced virus, but ording to Terasaka, the virus should only work on Koro-sensei. As we were listening to Terasaka, Karasuma got a call from someone, and it was the big bad guy. When through the phone I recognized the voice. It belonged to Takaoka, and if Terasaka told the truth, then Shiro and Takaoka were working together, and that''s not good. Takaoka on its own is not a threat. He is just crazy, but Shiro would use his craziness to its fullest and upgrade it to boot. I should have killed him when I got a chance, but nooo, I left him so I wouldn''t change too many things, and to what did it lead to? A fucking change of a plotline! I won''t repeat the same mistake this time. While Karasuma was talking about what Takaoka wanted, I overheard that he''ll be waiting at the top of the hotel. Hearing that, I gently ced L and Rio on the ground while I patted both of their heads and left everyone behind without anyone noticing. (3rd pov) Karasuma: ''It''s not good. He wants to get Yuuki, or else he won''t give us the antidote, and ording to him, the virus will kill everyone in three days. If it''s a new type of man-made poison, waiting for help is not an option.'' Karasuma took a look around, but no matter where he looked, he couldn''t see Ryoto. He noticed two of the girls that Ryoto helped when they got weaker were without him. He immediately concluded that he went to the top of the hotel where the mysterious caller would be. Karasuma is very aware that Ryoto can be very impulsive when you push his buttons wrong, and from what he knows and observed, L is one of these buttons. He knew that from the way Ryoto behaved around L. He was a lot more stable and happy with her around, but now that she was in danger because of someone, it could mean carnage. He needed to stop him. He could not let his student be a killer at such young age. Killing Koro-sensei and killing a human being are two different things, but with each passing day, he was starting to question it as well. Karasuma was about to ask the students to wait for him here and take care of their ssmates, but before he could say anything, the healthy kids started discussing how they would catch up to Ryoto as they also noticed his disappearing. At first, he wanted to refuse their help as it could be very dangerous, but they were able to convince him. Koro-sensei also put in his two cents. It would be a remarkable speech about being a teacher if he wasn''t being carried in a stic bag by Karasuma. After a few trials and confronted three professional assassins. Karasuma was unfortunately poisoned and weekend halfway through, but with the help of his students, he was able to reach the top as well. There they witnessed... --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 92: Takaoka and Shiro Chapter 92: Takaoka and Shiro (Ryoto''s pov) I was sneaking into the hotel at the moment, and thanks to my spider-powers, it was a breeze. People indeed tend not to look up as they would find me otherwise. The rooftop wasn''t my objective at the beginning. First, I wanted to snoop around for a bit. I was hoping that maybe I would find an antidote, but no such luck for me. As my efforts were fruitless, I headed to the ce where I would meet Takaoka and maybe Shiro. At the top of the hotel, Takaoka was standing in the middle of a helipad with a big crazy smile. Next to him, clothed in all white, was Shiro. Shiro: "I knew that you woulde here directly and alone. After all, you care about your ssmates deeply." He was confident in his safety, and I just looked at both of them. I didn''t open my eyes just yet so I could look around without them knowing. The first thing that I noticed was a briefcase in Shiro''s hand. That was probably where the antidote is. Around me were also a lot ofmps probably to light up the helipad at night. The strange thing is that I saw something simr to loudspeakers, but I focused on Shiro for now. Shiro: "Oh, you are probably wondering what is inside the briefcase. It''s, of course, an antidote to the virus that your ssmates are infected with. Terasaka did a wonderful job of spreading it through an invisible gas. I just needed to pay him a little bit of money, and he did it." Ryoto: "...You know, I almost pity you." Shiro: "And why is that?" Shiro asked curiously. Ryoto: "Because you don''t know how much you fucked up." I then opened my eyes so I could put both of them in illusions, but instead of the usual blue filter I saw every time I used my eyes powered but the only thing I saw this time was a bright blinding light. It hurt so much that I needed to turn off my eyes because closing them wasn''t enough. Shiro: "Careful now. We don''t want those dangerous eyes of yours to show us some unnecessary things. To protect myself and my new friend here from unnecessary risk, I made some adjustments to themps here. Thankfully we have strong sunsses to protect ourselves from the light. Sorry, but we only have two pairs, so you need to bear it." He sounded really genuine. If I didn''t know any better, I would believe him, but I knew that he was a psychopath. I was angry before, but Shiro was moving up on my shit list with every said word, and he was already at the top the moment L and Rio copsed. No biggie, I just lost my eyesight, but I still have my other powers. Besides the obvious, I also had a better sense of hearing which I would use to the fullest. I also could use aoe attacks, but I needed to preserve the briefcase. As I was nning how I would attack both of them, I sensed danger, from which I jumped away. The sound was familiar as it was the sound of a tentacle. I would open my eyes in shock if I could, but you know... the lights. Shiro: "I''m honestly surprised that you dodged it, but at the same time, I somehow expected it. What you just avoided is mytest creation!" As Shiro was excitingly exining the science behind the new tentacles, I heard a familiar notification. __________ *PING* *NEW QUEST* Mission: " Duel with the teacher." Objective 1: Defeat Akira Takaoka Objective 2: Defeat Kotaro Yanagisawa (Shiro) Reward: 500 SP, 2 gacha tickets, all-purpose antidote x30 Failure: Death of your ssmates __________ Seeing the reward, I smiled. ''Karen, you are too good to me.'' Karen: "And don''t forget that!" Knowing that I don''t need to worry about the briefcase anymore, I can use my whole arsenal to use. While Shiro was still talking, I felt another attack, but I avoided it this time as well. Shiro: "It seems that my friend here lost his patience, so you''ll need to discover his new capabilities on your own." I should get rid of the lights as fast as possible, so I shot fire at themps, but they didn''t turn off even though I hit them. Shiro: "Impressive that you could hut them even without sight." Shiro pped his hands. What he didn''t know was that Karen was helping me navigate a bit. Share: "Unfortunately for you, all of the equipment here is fireproof." I didn''t hear about electrical devices lighting proof, so I started charging up electricity, but I was interrupted by another tentacle attack. I''ll try brute force then. I nned on running up to themp and trying to break it, but Takaoka stopped me once again. It seems that I need to deal with him first before anything. I jumped up and did a flying kick while shooting fire from my foot. Akira: "AAAAHH!!!" From what I''ve heard, it hit him, and he didn''t even attempt to dodge. Karen: "Ryoto... bad news..." Before Karen could exin what she meant, Takaoka started talking. Akira: "HAHAHAHA!!! It hurts, but I''m not harmed!!! HAHAHAHA!!!" Shiro: "Sorry to disappoint, but fire is useless on Takaoka-kun. You see, his tentacles are special. They were made to adapt to whatever you throw at them, and before you try any more tricks, I''ll use this!" I heard the sound of pushing a button, and at that moment, a piercing noise starteding from all directions. It was not only unimaginable loud but also unpleasant in every way. It gave me a big headache, big enough to overwhelm my spider sense. It was sensory overload in every sense, so in a moment of weakness, I felt a fist on my stomach. I threw a punch to counter it, but it didn''t connect. Goddammit, that sound is making me go crazy! I can''t even think straight. Shiro: "I''m not sure that you can hear me, but I''ll exin regardless. I installed the speakers around here because I spected that your senses are enhanced the same way your strength is, and it looks like I was right. Even if I was somehow incorrect, the sound would be annoying at best that''s why we have earplugs." In this state, I felt tentacles wrapping around all of my four limbs and lifting me up. They were strong, and I couldn''t free myself. Karen: "Calm down and focus on my voice. You still haven''t used everything you could." ''...Karen, I know that I have Hentai protagonist stamina B, but I don''t know how it can help in this situation.'' Karen: "..." ''OK, I know how it can help, but I don''t want to ever think about it.'' Tentacles and hentai don''t go together well for the one without tentacles. Karen: "Not that, you moron!" ''Sorry, Sorry, but I needed a little joke to forget the incredible pain I''m feeling, but I think I know what you mean.'' Focusing everything I had into my voice, I managed to say. Ryoto: "Tell me, Takaoka, what do you truly desire." --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 93: Sometimes alone is not enough Chapter 93: Sometimes alone is not enough (Ryoto''s pov) Ryoto: "Tell me, Takaoka, what do you truly desire?" Akira: "I... I... I..." Using the moment when he wasn''t focused on me and his tentacles stopped squeezing me but did not loosen in any way, but that was enough for me. I flexed my muscles and ripped my shirt, freeing both of my arms. Using my hands, I barely released my legs as well. Luckily for me, Takaoka didn''t break out from his state, so I punched him with my everything on the chin. Takaoka flew backward a few meters. I webbed him to the ground giving me a moment to take a breath. I wasn''t scared that Shiro would run away as Karen would warn me about it. That noise is really annoying, and this headache is killing me. I''m starting to regret my decisions. I could sneak up on them and take them out before they noticed, but I was scared that they had some kind of mechanism that would destroy the antidote, and knowing Shiro, he probably has some sort of insurance against it. I also realized that I could see through Shiro''s eyes, but I didn''t do it. Not only would I need to open my eyes which would raise his wariness but also it would mess with my coordination. I would rather use my spider-sense than looking at myself with someone''s else eyes. It''s like moving while seeing yourself in the mirror. I''ll need to work on that in the future. Karen: "Why didn''t you go with your ssmates then? They would help." ''It''s because it''s my fault that it happened. If I would stop Shiro there and there or if I would at least cripple Takaoka, then this situation wouldn''t happen.'' Karen: "That''s not a healthy way to look at things." I couldn''t keep talking with Karen as I barely felt a slight tingling in the back of my head, so I dodged something, and it was probably a tentacle. Karen said that Takaoka was still on the ground, but his tentacles moved on their own. Shiro: "It seems that you still have tricks up your sleeve, and I expected it but who knew that hypnosis was one of them. I should give Takaoka-kun earplugs as well, but oh well. Now I want to experiment on you even more." He then took out some kind of device, and as he operated it, the tentacles moved even with a limp body attached to them. I could probably use my blood to kill him right here and now, but I don''t want to lose too much blood leaving me weakened. Yes, I wouldplete the quest, but I don''t know if I would be able to stop Shiro. Did he make some kind of modifications to his body already? Does he have some kind of an escape n? Probably, so I need to have 100% certainty that I will get him tonight. So I''ll wait for the perfect moment to strike him. (3rd pov) The whole ss finally got to the rooftop, where they witnessed four powerfulmps directed at the helipad. Inside they could see three silhouettes. The lights weren''t the only thing they noticed but also an annoying noise. Karma took out a pair of sunsses and put them on his face. Seeing that, Rio questioned him. Rio: "Where did you get these sses from?" Karma: "From my pocket, of course." He answered with a smile, but his smile turned to a frown when he saw what was happening. Karma: "But you should question meter." Rio: "Why?" Karma: "Because Ryoto is losing." Karma exined everything he saw, and everyone concluded that they needed to destroy themps and loudspeakers. Thankfully Shiro was wholly focused on Ryoto and had earplugs in his ears, not that they knew it. They quickly divided into four groups so each group could take down one of themps, but they underestimated the durability of themps. They were made specifically to withstand Ryoto''s strength so the power of trained middle schoolers wouldn''t even budge them. Realizing that, they regrouped and formed a new n, and they came up with cutting power in the whole building, so that''s what they did. Most of the group called group A went toplete their new mission, and the other group called group B stayed just in case something happened. Karasuma was in that group, and even weakened, he was a force to be reckoned with. He also had a few hidden weapons, so it helps. Group A needed to find a power box/service panel. Finding it would allow them to turn off electricity in the whole building. They could try to cut some random wires, but it would be too random and possibly would take a too long time. (A/N Is it usible? I don''t know enough about the hotel''s energy source, so it could be that I''m writing nonsense.) Luckily this group had someone who had knowledge of electrical engineering. Yes, it was Itona''s time to shine. While his expertise was in electrical gadgets, he still had some basic knowledge in the scheming of electrical cables and wires, so he knew exactly where they needed to look to find a service panel, and that''s precisely what happened, solving one of their problems. The only one not happy that their n worked was Itona, as he guessed that hotel had an emergency power supply, but it didn''t activate, which left him confused. It was a bit awkward toe the same way they went up as they saw their defeated foes still on the ground unconscious, and Bitch-sensei was still ying the piano to buy them time. Seeing them back made her almost miss the note, but she wasn''t a professional for nothing, so she quickly recovered, but her eyes were asking questions. The students gave an apologetic look as the n had changed. (Ryoto''s pov) The fight was dragging on, but fortunately or unfortunately, Shiro didn''t try to kill me. If he did and tried to stab me or something, I would have a pretense to use my blood. I don''t know what I''m waiting for, but my gut is telling me to wait, and since my other senses are either blurry or are not functioning correctly, I''m going to listen to it. My sense of smell, taste, and touch are still OK, but I can''t use them here. As I was dodging the tentacles, the noise stopped, and I heard someone''s voice. Kaede: "You can use your eyes now!!!" Hearing that, my eyes opened at an incredible speed. Seeing that Takaoka''s body was still on the ground and Shiro noticing that there was no longer any light from themp, he quickly closed his eyes and tried to run away as fast as possible. The tentacles still attacked me, but their coordination was a lot worse. There was also a small detail in the sky that I had overlooked before. It was a full moon tonight, and that meant one thing. I stopped not only the iing tentacles but Shiro from moving. The scene looked grotesque. Shiro looked like a puppet that tried to move on its own, but it couldn''t because of the string attached. First, his hand moved upwards, lifting him up in the process, and then he flew towards me and stopped right before me. I smirked, seeing that he was starting to get scared, and he didn''t dare to open his eyes. It was the first time I experienced water bending during a full moon, and this feeling is addictive. I feel like nothing could stop me right now, and floating Shiro in front of me only validated my thoughts. I didn''t need to say anything, but as I was nning to drop some of my blood into his eyes because I wasn''t nning on letting him die easily, I heard someone stopping me. Koro-sensei: "Yuuki-kun, stop!!!" I turned slowly in annoyance to see what Koro-sensei had to say. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 94: The decision Chapter 94: The decision (A/N Sorry for the unannounced break. I wasn''t in a condition to write because I was stressed about some things irl.) (Ryoto''s pov) I turned towards Koro-sensei, who had just stopped me from finishing the job. My eyes were cold and emotionless at the moment, just like that of a true assassin. Ryoto: "What is it Koro-sensei?" Koro-sensei: "I know how you feel, Yuuki-kun, but you shouldn''t kill him. We have the antidote in the briefcase, so there''s no need for further action." His words were calm, but he was probably nervous on the inside. What kind of teacher would want his student to kill someone... oh, wait. Ryoto: "If I let him free, he will escape and be a constant danger to our ss. Can''t you see it?" Karasuma: "I''ll personally see to it that he will answer for his actions." Karasuma butted in. Ryoto: "And I thought that I was naive. The higher-ups you work for will try and use him since, as you have noticed, he possesses knowledge about tentacles like no one we know, so they''ll probably free him to kill Koro-sensei. They''ll use everything they can to save Earth, and you know it. That''s why I''ll just end him now." There was a silence for a moment. Koro-sensei: "...Are you going to kill every iing danger. Why didn''t you kill Irina then? She is one of the most dangerous assassins in the world. And how about... me? I know that you could kill me before the deadline, but you are not even trying. You even stopped attempting ss assassinations just like today. I know that you''re feeling guilty because of what has happened, but you can''t control everything, and you must remember that it''s not your fault. Your ssmates aren''t as powerless as you believe and don''t need your protection. Sometimes great power can blind you about the most obvious things." Not my fault? But he went after me. As I heard these words, I remembered the exact opposite of them that someone said to me a long time ago. ''It''s all your fault!!!'' These were the words I heard that stuck to me, so hearing that it wasn''t my fault was a shock to me. The time when they said to me that it was my fault was one of the hardest time to live through, and I feel like it was the beginning of my downfall in my previous life. It also could be the cumtion of all my life up to that point, but it''s not important now. What is essential, however, is that Koro-sensei said something that I didn''t even know I needed to hear. I am aware that I''ll need to kill at some point in the future. If not in this world, then I would do it in the next one or even in my homeworld, but looking around, I saw most of my ssmates looking at me, waiting for my decision I felt a hit on my head. Ryoto: "Ouch." It didn''t really hurt, but I said it out of habit. I turned my head a little seeing a smiling Karma. Karma: "Quite the dilemma you''re in, but it''s unnecessary nheless. You want to get rid of them because you think that we''re weak, but I would argue that the weak one is you." I raised my eyebrow. Ryoto: "You are aware that I can benchpress 15 tons." Karma: "No, but it doesn''t change that I would win against you." Ryoto: "You sound very confident for someone who dropped in the ranking during finals." A vein popped out on his forehead, and his smile became strained. He took out his trusty marker and tried to draw on my face. Ryoto: "Hey, stop that!" I couldn''t move my arms as I was still keeping Shiro from moving. I tried to create some distance with my leg, but Karma grabbed and held it. I could shake him off, but I was afraid that I would free Shiro by ident. I moved my head around to avoid the marker. Ryoto: "Okay, okay, I understand! Can you stop now?" Karma didn''t stop, and he seeded in drawing some things on my face. I didn''t want to free Shiro more than I didn''t want to have Karma draw on my face. After he finished the mustache, he looked satisfied with his work. I was annoyed at this point asked. Ryoto: "Are you done?" Karma: "I was, but now I gained a second wind." After a short while, we were done with our bickering, and it helped me calm down a bit. I turned to Koro-sensei with a small smile. Ryoto: "I understand where you''reing from, and I may be a little overprotective of people I care about, and I''ll try to work on it in the future, but it doesn''t change that Shiro is dangerous. Besides, he pissed me off, so I''ll at least render him harmless. I advise everyone to look away. It won''t be a pretty sight." I waited for a moment to give them a chance to turn away. I looked around to see if everyone were ready, and then I turned to Shiro. He didn''t hear or see anything as he closed his eyes to not let me show him illusions. In his ears still were sitting earplugs as he didn''t have a chance to take them off. He probably was scared, which I liked, but nothing would prepare him for what I was about to do. His limbs started to bend and twist in unnatural ways. Shiro: "AAAAHH!!!" His scream, full of pain, filled the air, but I didn''t stop. Blood started to gush out, but I manipted it in a way so he wouldn''t die of blood loss, but I made sure that he would never use his arms or legs in his life. Fortunately, he didn''t faint, but as I finished, he startedughing maniacally despite the pain he felt. Shiro: "Hahahahahaha!!! You may have defeated me, but you won''t be able to save anyone! The briefcase is empty! Hahahahaha-!!!" He was bing annoying, so I knocked him out with a kick. If it wasn''t for quest rewards, I would kill him now out of rage, but as I respect Koro-sensei and decided against traumatizing my ssmates, I didn''t do it. Seeing Shiro now, I fell a little sick. It''s not like I didn''t see gruesome things before, but Shiro''s state is especially horrifying with his twisted limbs. There was silence. Everyone was shocked by the turn of the events. Koro-sensei and Karasuma, while ustomed to such sights, were quiet as well. In this silence, the only thing I heard was the sound of apleted mission. __________ *PING* *QUEST COMPLETED* Reward: 500 SP, 2 gacha tickets, all-purpose antidote x30 __________ I went up to the briefcase and force opened it. I stealthily put the antidotes inside there, and we all returned to where our sick ssmates were being taken care of. While my mood was better on our way back, it was still bad, so I ignored the assassin group that greeted us. Kaede was next to me the whole way down. It seemed like this event didn''t affect her much, so I asked her about it. Ryoto: "Weren''t you scared or at least disgusted by what happened?" She shook her head gently. Kaede: "No. When Koro-sensei separated me from the tentacles, some of the quirks during my ''acting time'' stayed, like my sweet tooth, hatred towards big boobs, or my assassin''s tendencies. When the tentacles asked what my wish was, I answered that I wanted to be a killer. Until now, I didn''t know that something of a killer was still inside me. I probably wouldn''t bat an eye even if you killed him. In fact, I would be happy for this man to die but seeing him suffer was satisfactory as well. Does it make me weird?" Ryoto: "Kaede... you injected a tentacle inside your body that hurt you enough to make a grown male cry, and you acted like nothing was happening, and it wasn''t one day. No, you were hiding it for a few weeks. If it didn''t somehow affect you in any way, then it would be strange. Besides, you''re talking to a guy who can climb walls, shoot fire, control water, and literally made a man y forced twister. Do you really want to talk about ''normal'' with me?" Hearing my answer, Kaede smiled and didn''t say anything more, but she maintained her small smile. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 95: Time flies by Chapter 95: Time flies by (Ryoto''s pov) After the incident, time flew by, and we continued our ''ordinary'' life. During that time, we started learning parkour, but it was useless to L and me. One of the interesting things that happened was the discovery of Irina''s first love, and it was Karasuma. I teased her about it on a few asions. At one point, I made Karasuma a burger so good he was left only in his underwear at the time he finished eating. I took a few photos so I could bargain with Irina. Let''s just say that I got a supplier for lollipops and not just any lollipops. They were specially imported from various countries, which made me incredibly happy. The funny thing is that Karasuma still doesn''t know why I made him that burger. How do I know that? He didn''t give me any punishment until now for that. Unfortunately, the incident with Shiro and Takaoka didn''t go away without any consequences. Karasuma rmended that I go to therapy to fix my ''anger issues'', and Koro-sensei agreed with him. I don''t know what he meant. I''m always perfectly calm... unless you talk shit about my parents... or you threaten my loved ones..., or you actually hurt my loved ones... or you do some other thing that triggers me. You know what? I''m starting to see what Karasuma meant. I went to the therapy, and... the therapist broke down after 30 minutes. Karen felt somehow proud that I couldn''t beat her record of breaking therapists. Hearing about it, Karasuma facepalmed really hard and got me a second therapist. This one was an old man that could have a heart attack at any moment. I didn''t want to kill him by ident, so I behaved and even gave him a lollipop as a sign of friendship and non-aggression. ...He choked on it. The moral of this story is, don''t give an old man lollipop unless you want him to choke on it or something. I''m not entirely sure, but it''s probably that. I also used the 2 gacha tickets that I got from the quest. The rewards this time were... okay? They weren''t overpowered but weren''t useless as well, so it''s fine for now. At least now I have some defending techniques. Changing topics, L and me are closer than ever. After the summer trip, it was my time to cling to her like a ko for a while. L enjoyed my intimacy. My rtionship with Rio and Kaede also got closer but still wasn''t on the level of lovers. It''s not like I don''t like them, and I still spend a lot of time with them. We even ate dinners at my ce sometimes, and they became great friends with L as well. They even meet up without me. I wonder what they talk about when I''m not around. L even made a boobs erger machine for Kaede that she called ''boobie-boobie up-kun''. At first, it worked as intended, and Kaede''s boobs got bigger. Saying that she was happy would be an understatement, but her happiness didn''tst as, after a short while, her boobs not only returned to the previous size but they kept decreasing in size afterward. I didn''t even know it was possible, but here we are. We needed to restrain Kaede because, seeing what happened, she was ready to go on a killing spree. Rio took a few photos of the big bobbed Kaede but decided to not use it as she was afraid of the consequences. Like the rest of the ss, L was learning different types of assassinations techniques, and thanks to her incredible strength and innovativeness, her methods were unique even among us. She built various kinds of devices that would help her with killing Koro-sensei. I''m not sure if she was aware that she was trying to kill him or just thought that we were ying some kind of game. As months passed, the deadline for Koro-sensei''s explosion was nearing, and I was thinking about how I could save him. Even if L or anyone else would find the cure so he wouldn''t die in fireworks that would take the Earth with him, I don''t think that government would let him roam free. He is too strong, which makes every country scared of him, or should I say scared of the possibilities of what he could do. Sooner orter, they''ll use satelliteser or some other bullshit to kill Koro-sensei. Should I fake his death, and if yes, how? I have one idea in the back of my head, but it will be hanging around there as that resort n because, personally, I don''t want to do it that way. There were some minor events like Kotaro Takebayashi leaving and then returning to ss 3-E, but nothing of importance happened during that event. At one point, we had training while using nicknames. We used a lottery to decide who decides who''s nickname. I was called ''Dark prince of eternal rage'', and just listening to it, I wanted to cringe. L also participated and was called ''The heroine''. Fitting if I can say so myself. There was also one ident. Using their newly acquired parkour skills, they were jumping from one rooftop to another to take a shortcut home. While jumping down, they didn''t notice an old man riding a bike, and one of them crushed into him. The old man had a fracture in his right thigh bone. Koro-sensei was furious hearing about it and even pped all of the present students. All of the ss 3-E was forced to work for free at the old man''s workce, and that''s where I am today. Everyone had their own role during the two weeks that we volunteered there. Together with Nagisa, mine was to teach a kid named Sakura, and yes, she was annoying. At one point, Nagisa asked the girl why she doesn''t go to school, and the answer was bullying. Sakura: "You''re probably thinking the same thing too, right? ''Don''t run away. If it frustrates you, you go to school and get stronger too''. You''ll probably say the same thing as papa and mama." Aah, the famous answer to bullying. ''If you''re bullied, tell the nearby teacher'' or ''ignore them'' and many more useless advice. I''ve heard them all and tried a few of them out. Ryoto: "Running away is not something you should be ashamed of. Even if you face them, there are things in the world that you''ll lose 10 out of 10 times." Sakura turned to Nagisa. To be honest, she was talking to him most of the time and ignored me until I spoke up. Sakura: "See, even your friend here agrees with-" Ryoto: "I didn''t finish yet. What I wanted to say is that there are things that you can''t ovee ALONE. Sometimes you need just one person who helps push you in the right direction, one person who helps you go through the day, or one who is just there for you when you need him. And you can trust me on this one." Sakura: "...I don''t know how you could say it with a straight face, Nii-san." Hearing her, I be a little embarrassed. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 96: The end is near Chapter 96: The end is near (Ryoto''s pov) Two weeks of volunteering taught me a lot of things. Mostly that I''m not good with children. What''s even stranger is that only boys were very against me. Little girls liked me very much... It sounds wrong... Thankfully, the FBI wasn''t involved, and I''m not a lolicon, so nothing happened except resentment of little boys. L did what she did best and built a machine so children could y. This time it was a trampoline. It was not an ordinary trampoline as you could bounce a lot higher than normal. In the end, it was more powerful than anyone could imagine. When the first brave soul tried out, the new ything flew so high that most of the people lost sight of him. Not me, though. There was a lot of water around to water the nts, so I quickly used it to create an ice slide, and I cushioned the impact with my webs. The kids had stars in their eyes and asked me many questions that I didn''t answer and pledged for help. I didn''t get any help that day. Right after our help ended, we had tests that we didn''t have time to prepare for... most of us, that is. Karma, L, and I were in the top 50. 7th October is a day that our ss decided to y a cupid. A few days ago it was her birthday, but she didn''t get any present from Karasuma. I left a lollipop on her desk that day, but I don''t think she appreciated it. We bought a bouquet of flowers from some guy that is a lot more dangerous than he let on and made Karasjma give it to Irina. He gave flowers to her but said the worst possible thing. Later that day, Koro-sensei flew to watch a football game, and we were left alone worrying about Irina leaving the school. As we were discussing it, the guy who sold us the flowers came into the ssroom and blended in naturally. He even talked to us, and no one noticed anything wrong, but as soon as he walked behind the teacher''s desk, I leaped at him with incredible speed. He had his eyes closed the whole time, so I couldn''t put him in an illusion. He probably got some information on all of us. Why did I attack him? Because I knew his real identity. He was the best assassin in the world, also known as ''The reaper'' or ''God of death''. Ryoto: "Get out, everyone!!!" Noticing that I was approaching, the Reaper released his bloodlust. For everyone in the room, it looked like he was ''shroud of darkness, and no one would be able to see his real appearance. No one except me. As soon as he did that, I released my Haki to stun him, and to my surprise, it worked. I used this chance to punch him enough to knock him out and started webbing him up so he wouldn''t be able to move at all when he woke up. It ended surprisingly quickly and anti-climatic. I even poked him a few times to see if he was unconscious and used my eyes to see if his face was fake, and it was, so it probably was him. It just feels too easy, but I''m notining. Now that I''m done with him, it''s time to teach a teacher a lesson. I looked through the bouquet that the Reaper carried inside, and there was a map with a marked location. It''s probably where he wanted us to go and the location of where Irina currently is. Karasuma wasn''t in school right now, so I wrote a note and attached it to the webbed Reaper. Since I got spider-powers, I wanted to do that. It just feels right. After that, we went to get Irina back. It took some time and talking to get to her, but presumably, after I gave her a lollipop, all became good again. That''s the power of lollipops, and no one can tell me otherwise. More time flew by, and the deadline drew closer. I still didn''t know what to do with the Koro-sensei situation. I even asked L for help to turn him back into a human. She is working hard, but she is limited by Earth technology. Even with the Almighty tool, there are limits to what she can do. There is still the possibility that she will figure something out, but I need to think of a n because, as Irina and Koro-sensei taught us. The first n rarely works out, so you need to have backup ns ready. I''m really hoping that I don''t need to use thest resort n. It''s about two weeks away from the deadline, and Christmas and the new year went by. I spent them together with L, Rio, and Kaede, but it was hard to have a good time when your teacher could be killed by the end of March. The ss was divided into two groups. The group that wants to save Koro-sensei and the one who wants to kill him. I didn''t participate in this small civil war as I would do what I thought was the best regardless of what other people would decide. While everyone was trying to get into the school of their choosing, I was chilling around together with L. We had a lot of free time, and we used it to go on dates. On Valentine''s day, I got chocte from L, Rio, and Kaede. They made them together, so L didn''t put anything dangerous in them. Today, as usual, I was training with Koro-sensei, and we just finished and returned to the school building. I was in an excellent mood today. While not being able topletely cure him, L was able to create some kind of camouge device that would be able to change how Koro-sensei looks. It wouldn''t change his weakness to anti-sensei material and didn''t take away his powers. Just his looks, and that was enough for me. With that, I could fake Koro-sensei''s death. My happy thoughts didn''tst long as a barrier like think appeared around the school. My eyes widened. It shouldn''t have happened this fast! I thought that I had still time! I was seriously starting to panic, but I felt a tentacle touching my neck, calming me in the process. Thanking Koro-sensei for that, I started thinking about my options. Even with my new ability, I couldn''t defend against theser if it was shot down. Destroying the barrier? I tried doing that, but nothing worked. Fire, water, nothing. I even tried creating a wall of ice to block the barrier and get Koro-sensei out of there, but it didn''t work. I used my blood to see if it would have any reaction to the barrier, but unfortunately, it only reacts to tentacles cells. Not good. I don''t know what to do. I didn''t get back home for a week at that time. I sent a message to L so she would worry. I was really trying to figure out what to do. On the other hand, Koro-sensei was finishing some things in the ssroom. On thest day of the deadline, I decided to go with the n I wanted to avoid. I talked with Koro-sensei for a while, and as I looked right into his eyes, I readied my knife. For anyone else, it would look like we were staring into each other eyes for about 30 minutes. I was showing him a happy day with Aguri Yukimura. They had a date, ate ice cream together, walked around the park, and spent time rxing in each other presence. It was a normal day that Koro-sensei deserved. It was 12 hours'' worth of illusions. I was really overusing my eyes, and not only they were overheating, but at the end, they started breaking a little, but I held together until they kissed at the end, and at that exact moment, I pushed my knife through Koro-sensei''s tie to stab his heart. With tears in my eyes, I smiled. Ryoto: "Koro-sensei, thank you for everything. I still wanted to learn more from you, and I''m d that you were my first kill, but it''s not a goodbye, so I''ll say, see you soon instead." Koro-sensei started to vanish, leaving only his clothes. I dropped my knife and looked up into the sky with my broken eyes. It was at that moment that all of my ssmates arrived here to see our teacher''s clothes. Some of them started crying. Terasaka had the most violent reaction as he ran up to me and punched me. I didn''t try to defend myself, but I didn''t fly backward either and stood my ground. I let the ss know that Koro-sensei had prepared something for everyone inside the ssroom. Most of them went there but seeing me, the usual trio stayed by my side. It truly was a terrible day to rain even though you could clearly see the moon. --- END (A/N Don''t worry, Koro-sensei isn''t dead permanently.) Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 97: Finnaly back Chapter 97: Finnaly back (3rd pov) After Ryoto stood outside for a while sorting his emotions, the group of four went inside where the rest of the ss was. They were already reading the books written by Koro-sensei. Each book was unique as all of them were specifically written for each student. They were lying on every desk in the ssroom. Ryoto, L, Kaede, and Rio sat at our own desks and started reading. Each book was filled not only with Koro-sensei''s advice and jokes but also with photos taken during our year together. There were also some photos taken by Sophia. In these photos, we wereughing, ying, trying to kill Koro-sensei, and most importantly, we had fun. Seeing all of the memories, Ryoto smiled and promised himself once more that no matter what, he''ll bring Koro-sensei back. He already had a n for that, but it''ll take some time. Ryoto wasn''t the only one who smiled as L, Rio, and Kaede did as well. Finished looking through the photos, everyone started reading what Koro-sensei wrote for them. It was impossible to do as the books were incredibly thick, extra th if you will. Some of the advice where about the future, some were about personal life, some even were teasing the reader but even among them, what was in Ryoto''s book was unique. Inside there were training manuals and how he could improve. There were even some scarily urate guesses about his other abilities. Koro-sensei really knew more than he let on and waited until Ryoto was ready to talk with him. There was also one quote that drew Ryoto''s eyes. ''Past didn''t happen to tie you down but to help you grow. Remember that without your past, you wouldn''t be where you are now. I understand that epting your past isn''t easy, so I''m not going to ask you to do it right away. I just hope that you''ll ept who you are right now because right now, you are one of my incredibly talented students that made me proud until the end, and I''m sure will continue making me proud further down the road even when I''m not with you.'' As Ryoto''s eyes went over thest words, a single tear dropped on the page, and he decided to try to take Koro-sensei''s advice to heart. He can''t promise that he''ll ever ept how he was in the past, but he is able to ept himself eight now. He wouldn''t be able to do it without the help of everyone around him. L, Rio, Kaede, and of course Koro-sensei were part of it, and to a smaller degree, all of his ssmates too. __________ *PING* *QUEST COMPLETED* Mission: "Repairing a broken boy" Objective 1: ??? ---> ept who yourself for who you are Reward: 10 000 SP, A summoning scroll (You won''t need mist of understanding), 1 ability upgrade (Random), 1 of Karen''s embarrassing secrets (Will be deliveredter), something interesting will happen __________ Ryoto finallypleted his quest. It took him some time, but he was able to ept who he was in the end. He is Ryoto Yuuki, brother of Rito and Mikan Yuuki, fianc to L Satalin Deviluke. From now on, he''ll stop thinking about the past or, to better put it, don''t let the past affect the present. While he won''t deny that his past will hunt him at times, but he''ll try to be true to himself more, and the first on the list of things to do is to have a talk with the trio. It will need to wait until tomorrow, though, as everyone was already sleeping. (Ryoto''s pov) The following day everyone went their own way. Some of them still gold grudge against me for killing Koro-sensei alone but most of them calmed down and understood the situation I was put in. Maybe Koro-sensei wrote something in the books that let them think about the whole event. As my ssmates were going home, I called for Kaede and Rio as L was already walking next to me while holding my hand. When we were finally alone, I stood in front of three girls. I was nervous. I know that all of them like me in a romantic way, but starting a harem isn''t easy. L doesn''t have a problem, but the two ordinary girls may have. OK, calling both of them normal isn''t the most urate, but almost no girl is willing to share her partner, and I call L an exception. Karen: "I don''t even know where to start telling you how wrong you are." ''Huh?'' Karen: "Are you forgetting from what world you areing from? And let''s not forget we that we may or may not visit worlds that are even more epting of multiple partners." ''Fair point, but it doesn''t make me any less nervous.'' I focused on the girls in front of me once more. Ryoto: "I want to be honest with all three of you. As you know, I am in a happy rtionship with L, but we grew closer together this year. Before I noticed, I started caring about both of you first as a friend andter on... as someone more than a friend." I started scratching my head. Why can''t I find better words? I always have a problem with expressing my feelings. Ryoto: "What I want to say is that I fell in love with both of you." To show my sincerity, I opened my eyes because, as they say ''eyes are windows to the soul''. I wanted to apologize to L as I didn''t discuss it with her about it, which I should do, but that note from Koro-sensei pushed me to do it. At first, I nned to ignore my feelings until I dealt with Koro-sensei''s situation but ns changed. However, before I could say anything more, Rio spoke up. Rio: "Huh, you were right, L. He confessed to us and both of us at the same time to boot. It looks like I won our little bet." Kaede took out a banknote and gave it to Rio. Kaede: "I think you got a bad habit from Ryoto." Rio: "I would say profitable one, but you do you." I blinked a few times in confusion. Ryoto: "You knew?" Rio: "For a while, but we knew that you had a lot going on, so we stayed quiet. We also talked to L because she was your girlfriend and we are friends with her. I nned to not tell her about it, but Kaede told her and felt bad for the only one keeping that a secret, and you know how she reacted ?" Ryoto: "Probably she smiled and told you that she is happy and you should go for it." It was their turn to be surprised. Ryoto: "Don''t look at me like that. I like to think that I know L pretty well, but can you answer to my confession first. I can wait for the answer if you want, but-" My words were silenced by Rio, who grabbed me by my shirt to lower me to her level and kissed me. After she finished savoring our kiss, she seductively licked her lips. Rio: "Does it answer your question~?" I was not expecting it, but I was positively surprised. Kaede: "Aaah, not fair! We decided that I''ll be the first to kiss him!" She then walked up to me and did the same as Rio. She had bigger difficulties doing that as her height wasn''t helping her in any way. She was 146 cm while I was sitting at afortable 180 cm. Even if she used her whole weight, she wouldn''t make me budge, so I helped her by lowering myself a bit. By the way, Rio was 162 cm. After Kaede got her kiss and I made sure that they were okay with our unusual rtionship, it was time for another thing. Ryoto: "Now that we are boyfriend and girlfriend... and girlfriend... and girlfriend, I have one more thing to say that is equally important. I, together with L, will be going back to our home today. We probably won''t be able to have any contact until I visit, which will probably be in a few months." To say that they weren''t happy was urate, and I felt terrible saying goodbye the same day we confirmed our feelings, but Ipleted the quest, and I really missed home. I gave both of them a kiss on their foreheads, and we said our goodbyes. Karen also made a smallment about abandoning Brandish and being a siscon which I didn''t understand, but at this point, I was ustomed to Karen talking nonsense. I then turned to L, but she wasn''t there. Before I even could start panicking, I heard a pleasant-sounding voice. Sophia: "Don''t worry, I sent her home first. Because I was the one who got her here, I could send her back as well. On the other hand, you need to meet a certain someone." She disappeared as fast as she appeared. The only thing she left was a trail of lollipops leading to the forest. Lollipops never led anyone to danger, so I started picking them up one after another. As I took thest one, I noticed an adult man with short tinum hair smoking a cigarette. ???: "Want one?" He offered me the cigarette. Ryoto: "No thanks, I don''t smoke." ???: "Smart." I waited till he finished the cigarette, but he apparently was in the mood for a small talk. ???: "How is your life?" Ryoto: "Good... I guess. I have a loving girlfriend...s, a happy family, and friends. I can''t ask for more, but I''m pretty greedy, so I''ll try to get my teacher back too." ???: "Then it''s all good. Happy for you, Ryoto." Ryoto? Ryoto: "How do you know my name?" ???: "Don''t you remember me?" I shook my head. ???: "Maybe you''ll know my name then. Let me introduce myself. I have many names, but you are probably the most familiar with Truck-kun." Truck-kun!!!? Does it mean he''ll run me over again to send me back!!!? Truck-kun: "I won''t do that. I can if you want to, but I would rather not. I just washed my front not long time ago." Ryoto: "...I should have expected that you can read minds." Truck-kun: "Sorry, if that offends you, I''ll stop. I just wanted to check how your lives go with my own eyes. I like to see people who use their second chances to the fullest, and while you have some things that tie you down, I see that you''re working on them, and that too makes me happy." He seems like a nice guy. Karen: "I don''t like him." ''Why?'' Truck-kun gave me an awkward smile. Truck-kun: "It''s because I ''dated'' her sister in the past. I say ''dated'' because I was the only one who thought that we were dating. She was even more innocent in the past. She thought that being a boyfriend and girlfriend was being a boy friend and girl friend. She was already an adult at that time. It doesn''t help that I still try to get together with Sophia." Karen: "Not true. I don''t like you because you''re that old hag, son." Truck-kun: "...Understandable." I will ignore everything I heard here because I feel not included in this conversation. Truck-kun: "But enough of us, I have a job to do. I need to go to my sister soon and apologize to whoever she is annoying this time." He snapped his fingers, creating a blinding bright light, and when it vanished, I was inside my room, but it was... different. There was aputer there which wasn''t here before, and it was more modern than the year 2007 allows for. I reached out to my pocket to get my phone, and it was exactly the same one I used in the ''Assassination ssroom'' world. I also looked at the calendar. It was the year 2015. What is going on? (Kaede''s pov) It was the day of our graduation, but we were missing one person. Strangely only our ss remembered Ryoto. To the surprise of both Karasuma and Bitch-sensei, he wasn''t even on the list. I tried calling him, but as he said yesterday, we couldn''t contact him. We even asked Ritsu to locate his phone, but she wasn''t able to do it. It meant either the phone was off, out of service, orpletely destroyed. Disappearing of Ryoto wasn''t the strangest event that happened. The moon was once again whole. It wasn''t destroyed, and we could enjoy a full moon. Some of us even had our schools changed, but they were better than our choices before. Karma, Nagisa, Rio, and I were going to the same school in another city. I don''t know what is going on, but we couldn''t change our choices, not that we wanted anyway. We decided to move to the new city at the same time, but that day the four of us got a very interesting massage from Ritsu. --- END Vol 1 title: epting who you are (A/N Well, the volume one finally concluded, and to celebrate it, it was the longest chapter so far. I also am going to take one week''s break as my schedule is in chaos, and hopefully, I''ll sort it out by the next week. See you soon. Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 98: Im back!!! Chapter 98: I''m back!!! (Ryoto''s pov) OK, so I''ve finally returned, and the first thing I did was to check my penis. Thankfully it was the same size as always, but you never know with higher beings. Now time for the actual investigation. I checked my body carefully, and I noticed that my muscles were more refined than before. Happy that all my training didn''t go to waste. I also found the three scars that Kaede left for me. Currently, I''m 188 cm, so I''m slightly higher than before, so I moved my body a little to familiarise myself with my body again. I didn''t feel any difort, and my body responded precisely as I wanted. I jumped and stuck to the ceiling to see if my powers worked adequately. I did the same with my other abilities. I skipped powers and techniques that require a lot of space, but everything worked as they should. Everything was in order, so now I looked through my room more carefully. My bookshelf was the first thing I decided to look at. Most of the books there were the same as they were before, but there were a few new ones. I then checked theputer. I needed a password to ess it, and I didn''t know where to even begin, so I wrote ''BallsDeep69'' just as a joke... It worked. Never mind, I can always change itter. I looked through the files. There wasn''t much on it, but I''ve noticed a folder named ''homework''. I clicked on it, and there were even more folders inside. It was like abyrinth. I couldn''t find anything of value, and just when I was about to give up, I saw a folder with the name ''one of the rewards''. I clicked on it. Karen: "No, stop, Ryoto!!!" Karen couldn''t stop in time. Inside was a text. ''One of the rewards was Karen''s secret, so here you go. Her allergic reaction makes her a literal opposite of her usual self. She bes sweet, cuddly, and willpliment you about almost anything and the best part is that she means every word that she says. She is so cute. By the way, she is allergic to Ghost Orchid, murnong, and goat milk. Do what you want with that information *wink* *wink* Your favorite magical girl, Truck-San'' Karen: "So that''s where she gets it from." ''What are you talking about?'' Karen: "Nothing important." ''But you really take it well. I was expecting you to go on a crusade or something.'' Karen: "To be honest, I thought that it would be something a lot worse. Besides, even if you know my allergies, it does nothing to me. You can''t do anything with that information. You can''t even touch me if you wanted." ''Wait, there is more.'' ''P.S. If you call me an old hag one more time, I not only reveal your real secret, I''ll pay you a visit as well. Bye~'' Karen: "...Let''s ignore it." I turned off theputer as there wasn''t much more to see. I could check the Inte on the pher. Now that I was done here, I went to L''sb that was in my closet. Nothing unusual there. Maybe some futuristic equipment but nothing out of the ordinary. I was looking for L, and I found her sleeping in the bed. I smiled, seeing her hugging a pillow and sleep-talking, and gently woke her up. L''s eyes slowly opened, revealing her green eyes. L: "Ryoto? I had a very long, strange, happy, and sad dream." Ryoto: "It wasn''t a dream, sleepyhead. We just got back." It woke her up as she jumped out of bed, of course naked, and stood in front of me." L: "Really!!!? So everything really happened? Kaede, Rio, and Koro-sensei weren''t just a dream?" Ryoto: "No." I then showed her my scars that obviously weren''t there before our travel. She didn''t ask me about them, so she probably heard it from Kaede at some point. I also wanted to ask her about something that bothered me. Ryoto: "Hey, L, aren''t you sad or angry at me for killing Koro-sensei?" L looked at me as if I asked a question with an obvious answer. L: "But you are the most hurt by it. Why would I be angry at you? Not to mention you are nning on getting him back, aren''t you?" My eyes went wide open. Ryoto: "How..." L smiled at me sweetly. L: "You tried to save Koro-sensei even before anyone started talking about it. I saw your notes in your room and different ns for saving him. There was a small note at the end saying that if everything fails, then you''re forced to do ''that''. I don''t know what ''that'' is, but I''m sure you have a n." I wrote those notes when I was stuck on something, so I probably wrote them absentmindedly and didn''t put much thought into hiding them as they didn''t contain anything dangerous in them, just some ideas. L: "That''s why I chose to believe in you because I know that you can achieve anything when you put your mind to it!" She eximed cheerfully. At that, I hugged her, and she hugged me back. Ryoto: "Did I ever tell you that I love you?" L: "Yes, but I love you even more!" We enjoyed our moment together when someone entered the bedroom inside theb. Mikan: "Ryoto, L, you''ll bete if you don''t wake u-" Mikan, my little sister, saw his big brother and his girlfriend hugging each other. Usually, it wouldn''t be strange or even embarrassing, but I was shirtless, and L was naked. However, Mikan didn''t panic or screamed but walled away with a slight blush on her face. She even closed the door behind her. How is she so well behaved with our parents raising her is a mystery to me to this day... OK, to bepletely honest, it was mostly me and Rito who raised her, but my point still stands. Mikan: "Sorry for interrupting." Is it strange that this situation makes me feel that I''m back home? --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 99: New abilities Chapter 99: New abilities (Ryoto''s pov) L was starting to ready herself, so I had some time for myself. I decided to go back to my room and check some of the rewards. Something interesting indeed happened. I''m in the future, but not really, and I got Karen''s embarrassing (not really) secret, so I''ll focus on the other two rewards. First, I decided to upgrade one of my abilities, so I told Karen exactly that. A big wheel with all of my powers, skills, and abilities on it appeared in front of me, but I assume it was visible only to me. And when I mean all, I mean ALL. There was even my power to mimic any signing voice, mathematic expertise, and let''s not forget about hentai protagonist stamina B. ''Hey Karen, why is that when I want to use gacha or anything random in my system, it always uses wheels?'' Karen: "You don''t want to know, trust me. This system was designed by a pervert. To be more urate, he redesigns it, but the details are not important. The point is don''t talk about him or his family, or you''ll be cursed." OK, I''ll trust her on this one. The wheel started spinning. It went on and on without slowing down, but it suddenly stopped without any warning. What''s wrong with this wheel? Never mind that, the arrow stopped on ''mathematic expertise'', and it evolved into... __________ Prediction Calction - 20 min a day, resets at midnight. As the name suggests, it''s the ability that lets you calcte the probability by calcting everything around you. __________ Very useful ability, but I don''t know the limits of it, that''s why I decided to try it. As soon as I activated my newly required power, I started seeing numbers everywhere around me. I looked at my closet where L''sb was, and I instantly and instinctively calcted the time when L would be ready. 99,999% chance of the door opening in 2 minutes. I then looked through the window, and I could predict everything I saw, but the uracy varied depending on how much I wanted to predict. The more calction was required, the more uracy dropped. Seeing this, I had some ideas for why it is that, but I wanted to try one more thing. I opened my eyes and walked up to my bed. I could see from what material it was made and how durable it is thanks to that. I could even see how worn out it is and how much it decreases its toughness. Thanks to prediction calction, I knew exactly how much strength I needed to break it, but I felt like using this power in that way was like using aser to cut bread, pretty primitive. It''s ''prediction calction'', so the best but not only way to use it is to predict. I picked up a pen and threw it in a way that would create a chain reaction. A pennded on the street, and I waited for the show to begin. I turned my body back to face the closet just in time for L toe out. Exactly 2 minutes after I did the math. Impressive. Ryoto: "L,e here for a second. I''ll show you something cool." She came closer and questioned me why I had put my hand outside the window. Just then, a man walking down the street tripped on the pen I threw. He was holding a briefcase, but he lost a grip on it. The briefcase flew towards the tree where a squirrel was eating a nut. Because of the briefcase hitting the tree, the animal threw the acorn. A bird flying nearby took the chance and caught the nut, but it dropped said nut because of a man that threw his pen at the bird. It was the same man who tripped, and it was an ident that he almost hit the bird, but because of his action, the acornnded in my hand. Doing this left me satisfied with the results. I concluded that the uracy of my calctions depends on my knowledge. The more information I possess, the more urate it is, and thanks to my eyes, I see a lot more details than other people. It will be a valuable power for sure. Peke: "Remarkable Ryoto-dono. How did you know it would drop right there?" ...Ipletely forgot about Peke being here if I''m honest. Ryoto: "Hey Peke, long time no see." Peke: "We''ve seen each other yesterday. Now that I think about it, L-sama said something simr, and she even started dressing up with normal clothes this morning. Hmm..." Ryoto: "As some salty history fans once said, don''t worry about it." Peke couldn''t see anything wrong with what I said, so he dropped the topic, but he still found it strange. We were runningte, so we hurriedly went downstairs, where Kikan was waiting for us. Mikan: "I see you didn''t hurry." Ryoto: "Sorry, times fly fast when you''re having a good time." I walked up to her and patted her head. I didn''t do it in a long time, so I put extra feeling into it. At first, she enjoyed it, but she quickly regained her senses and freed herself from thefort of headpats. Rito wasn''t present as he was on cleaning duty, so we didn''t need to wait for him. L and I ate our breakfast fast and ran to school. I also informed Mikan that I''ll be the one making dinner today, but she gave me a look that said she didn''t know if she should be scared or grateful. It''s understandable because before my short trip to another world I wasn''t the best cook... OK, so I was pretty horrible, but I learned, and my dishes are delicious now. At least, ording to L and others who ate them. Even Karasuma''s spies praised my cooking. With L, we ran to school, and thanks to our inhuman physique, we made it there in no time. Before that, I packed some of the lollipops that I picked up before, and Truck-kun let me keep them. He truly is a benevolent God. (Mikan''s pov) I was in my school thinking about what happened this morning. Ryoto... he felt different today, which is weird in itself. He can hide his emotions exceptionally well, but he wasn''t doing that today, not as much as usual, at least. Ryoto wasn''t the only one who changed. L stopped being so clingy to Ryoto, but it looked like they were closer than ever. It''s like they spent a long time together, but the change was too fast for that. Something happens, and I don''t know what. Not to mention Ryoto wanted to cook. The very same Ryoto who managed to fail to make scrambled eggs two years ago? Hard to believe it. Sachie: "Mikan! Hey Mikan!!!" My thoughts were broken by one of my friends. It looks like I''m in deep thoughts more often as ofte. Primarily because of Ryoto. Mikan: "What is it Sachie?" Sachie: "We were wondering what were you thinking about. Could it be your brother that is on your mind?~" She tried to tease me, but she isn''t on Ryoto''s level, so it didn''t even faze me. Mikan: "Actually, he is. Ryoto proposed that he''ll make a dinner tonight so-" Sachie & Mami: "Can wee!!!" They said at the same time with great enthusiasm. In my head was, however, one question. Why do they want toe to my house after thest time Ryoto flew through the wall and fought Jugemu together with penguins? At least I know that nothing worse can happen this time, right? --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 100: Back in school Chapter 100: Back in school (A/N 100 chapter!!!! Woohoo!!! We''re celebrating so give up your power stones! I''ll be swimming in them tonight like Scrooge McDuck in money!) (Risa''s pov) *Sigh* What''s happening with me? I try to avoid Ryoto since he grabbed my boob. It isn''t like me. Am I conscious of him? But why? I grab others by their breasts all the time, but the one time someone does it to me, I''m ufortable. No, I''m not ufortable. Thus feeling is something else, but I can''t put the finger on it... or am I just avoiding the answer on purpose. Even though I was deep in my thoughts, the door to the ssroom opened loudly, and it was our ss favorite/only couple. Ryoto and L entered, and the first thing Ryoto did was walk up to me with a serious expression. It looked like he was about to confess, which made my heart skip a beat. Ryoto: "Risa." Risa: "...Yes?" Ryoto: "Grab my crotch." ... HUH!!!? (A/N Small author''s note here. It''s about Risa''s character, so if you''re not interested, you can skip it. Some of you may say that Risa''s not in character to behave that way, so I''m here to exin why I decided to go that way. Risa is an easy-going girl who never takes anything seriously, so what will happen when she starts liking someone? She''ll try to behave like usual, not wanting to destroy her current friendship. Not to mention that her crush is her friend''s boyfriend. Remember, it''s before the harem is open, as far as she knows. Not wanting to be exposed, she would start avoiding Ryoto when alone. With other people around, it''s easier to not focus on him. She also doesn''t have the best rtionship with her parents. It''s mentioned that she feels lonely at night because of her parents'' absence. If that''s how it is with her parents, rarely home, it''s not strange that she would be afraid of a more serious rtionship with someone else because, let''s be honest, Risa wouldn''t be against harem and would possibly be the one who gives the idea to L. Thanks for reading my little rant. Now back to the chapter!) (Ryoto''s pov) We were running to school, so I had some time to remember some things that u probably should. I haven''t seen them in a year after all. If I remember correctly, I don''t need to go to the studio today, which is good. I''ll do groceries after school and start making dinner as soon I''lle back home. Day after tomorrow, I''ll go to Mikado if she has time. I should ask her today, but I doubt she''ll refuse to take a look at my blood. I recall Risa being kinda distant as ofte, and I was trying to figure out what was the cause. I think it all began after my first night with L, and in my sleep-deprived state, I grabbed her breast after she invited me to do so. Could it be that? If yes, then I know exactly how to fix our rtionship. As soon as I entered the ssroom, I walked up to Risa. Ryoto: "Risa." Risa: "...Yes ?" Ryoto: "Grab my crotch." Karen: "I know that I said that you remind me of myself and all, but I take it all back. What the fuck are you on to say something like this?" ''Don''t you see it, Karen? It''s thew of equivalent exchange. I grabbed her, so I should let her grab my private part. Simple, isn''t it?'' Karen: "...You hit your head or something?" ''To bepletely honest, I''m curious if she would do it or not, but it may indeed repair the awkward air between us.'' Rito: "W-w-what are saying Nii-san!!?" Haruna blushed and covered her face but left some space between her fingers so she could still see. On the tree, I saw a little spy fall outside the ssroom, probably caused by the shock. I''m not going to admit that I forgot Rin was following me in school, but in my defense, I was being spied on by professionals for months before, so it felt natural to me. Now that I take a closer look, there are multiple small microphones hidden around the ssroom. I was waiting for Risa to say anything, really, but she just startedughing. Risa: "Pft- Hahahahaha. You really are unpredictable! Ipletely forgot why I took an interest in you." Thetter part was said in such a low voice that even I couldn''t hear it. She then wiped the tear that gathered near her eye. Risa: "But if you really insist..." She did a big swing indicating that she used a lot of power, so I instinctively activated Haki around my crotch area, but to my surprise, she just put her hand there and gave it a gentle squeeze. Risa: "Now we''re even." Before Risa could take away her hand, Yui entered the ssroom. I could, however, hear Ren muttering something. He even started writing something down. Ren: "Is this how you build rtionships with women. I''ll need to test it out." I won''t correct him. Pain will be his teacher. Yui: "Excuse me, the teacher asked me to-" Her eyes widened, and she became frustrated immediately, but that didn''t stop her from reprimanding Risa and me about our behavior. Yui: "Ryoto Yuuki!!! H-how could you disy such shameless activities not only during the daytime but also at school!!! Do you have anything to say in your defense?" Risa wanted to say something, but I stopped her. I knew exactly what to do. I grabbed my left wrist with my right hand, and I turned slightly to show my side. I flexed my muscles, bursting my upper uniform. God, I love doing it, but I need to get ess to unlimited clothes. Otherwise, I''ll spend a fortune by literally flexing my muscles. My actions caused Yui to be even redder, and she ran out of the ssroom, shouting that she would get the teacher. I then turned to L, who had already ready Peke Badge Express with school uniform data downloaded in it. Unlike Peke, the badge could contain information about one pair of clothing. Fortunately, it was enough for me. Risa: "Since when could you do it?" I shrugged my shoulders, not really answering her question. Risa: "Because with power like that, I can rmend you only one career option, and it includes dancing and a pole." Ryoto: "To your information, I already have a job, and it doesn''t include dancing. Thest time I danced, Kotegawa was annoyed at me but to bepletely honest, she is annoyed at me most of the time, so take it as you like." Risa seemed surprised. Risa: "You have a job?" Ryoto: "Yeah, I''m making a manga together with Zastin." A bell rang, indicating the beginning of the ss, and Yui stormed inside like an angry little chihuahua and locked her eyes with mine, but her smile vanished as she saw me wearing the uniform. Yui: "W-what!? How!?" ???: "So what did you want to show me, Kotegawa-san?" The teacher she brought was young and had long wavy, light blue hair tied in a ponytail. She was certainly attractive and possessed eye-catching beauty, but the most noticeable feature was her star-filled eyes. Seeing her, my eye twitched. What is she doing here? Noticing me, the teacher waved at me happily with a big smile on her face. Sophia: "Hey Ryoto! I became a teacher at your school!" Karen: "*Breath in* *Breath out* You are in a happy ce, Karen. You are surrounded by the corpses of your enemies, and there isn''t anyone simr to the devil incarnate in front of you." Karen denies reality. The situation is not ideal. Karen: "Hey Ryoto, how about we wake up your inner pyromaniac and set this school on fire. Preferably with everyone still inside. We can be a bit extra and drop a few gallons of your blood, too, just to be sure." ''We both know that even if I did that, it would not give you satisfactory results. Sophia is stronger than me by a big margin.'' Karen: "We don''t know that if you don''t try. Come on!!! Please! I''ll give you pornhub premium for free for a year." ''...As tempting as that offer is, I must decline. There are few people that I care about inside this school, so I can''t do that. I''ll give her a lollipop if that will improve your mood.'' Karen: "...It would." Now into Sophia. Ryoto: "How did you be a teacher here?" Sophia: "I asked the principal, and he said okay." ... I don''t know what I was even expecting... Yui still had a mental breakdown about how I had clothes on me, Risa''s mood improved just as nned, Haruna was sneak peeking at both me and Rito, and Rito decided to stop thinking about anything for a while or just tried not to be involved, L was happy to see Sophia again, and Sophia tried to get everyone to call her Sophia-neesan. It''s good to be back. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 101: And a second summon is... Chapter 101: And a second summon is... (Ryoto''s pov) As I was enjoying the chaos around me, I noticed that Rin climbed back on the tree to observe me so she could report to Sakiter. I got a pretty evil idea of messing with her. I activated probability calctions to see what I could do, but first, I looked at Sophia. Unsurprisingly she was outside my calctions. I couldn''t predict anything around her or any of her actions. It was like looking at a ck hole in the world filled with numbers. While it was predictable, it was still annoying me. Ignoring her for now, I focused on my ''prank''. I picked up my eraser and threw it, creating a chain reaction that caused a flock of birds to fly past the tree scaring Rin. They wouldn''t harm her, and even if they tried, I doubt they could. After all, she fell from the tree and was alright. Physics in this world are strange... Or is it the durability of humans here that is strange? Not sure. I''m not entirely a monster, so when I meet Rinter, I''ll give her a lollipop. I may not have an unlimited supply of lollipops anymore, but it doesn''t mean I can''t share them. Now that I''ve dealt with my little stalker, it''s time to annoy Yui a bit. This time I used a pencil to make Yui trip, and while I was ''trying'' to catch her, she ''identally'' pulled down my pants, revealing my underwear. It had lollipops on it. It was strange because I don''t remember wearing or even having them. I turned to Sophia, who winked at me. ... Ar least I know who was responsible for this. Ryoto: "Well, well, well, look what we have here. What a shamelessmittee member. If you really wanted to see my underwear that much all you needed to do is ask~." Yui''s face reddened. Yui: "No, I didn''t want to-!!!" Ryoto: "No, I understand. A girl your age is interested in this subject, but you can''t force other people. There is order to things like these." I gave her my best smile. Yui couldn''t take it anymore and ran away from the ssroom. Her reactions make me want to tease her even more. I don''t know why is that. Am I a sadist, or is it Karen''s personality that rubs off on me? Karen: "I see that you use your new powers responsibly." ''Is there any better way to use them than to mess with people?'' Karen: "Of course not! I''m happy that we think alike. Makes my work more enjoyable." (Yui''s pov) Ryoto Yuuki! Why is he so infuriating!? Every time I try to correct his behavior, he either changes the topic skillfully, or something happens that makes me momentarily forget about him. Is he the one who creates these situations? But how would he be able to do that? Am I overthinking? Now that I think about it, I focus a lot of my attention on Ryoto. Why? He is in a different ss, after all. I shook my head hastily. No! It''s because I''m a member of the school disciplinarymittee, and as a member, I need to keep an eye on other sses as well so the school can be a safe environment for everyone. Convinced of my reasons, I walked back to my ssroom, nning rehabilitation for Ryoto Yuuki. (Ryoto''s pov) I pulled up my pants, and Risa looked at me strangely. Ryoto: "What?" Risa: "How did you do that?" Ryoto: "Do what?" Risa: "You made her trip by throwing a pencil, but how did you know that she would step on it? Are you a prophet?" Ryoto: "No, I''m just good at math." Risa: "..." Ryoto: "...Do you want a lollipop?" Risa: "...Sure." Should I create a new religion? As far as I know, I silenced Risa with the help of this magic candy. Is there anything I can''t do with its help? Karen: "Probably cure cancer." ''Is this a challenge?'' Karen: "Not really, but I would be impressed." --- Lunch break started after the bell, and everything seemed so... easy. I mean, I went through this material already with Koro-sensei. At least I can take it easy with my studies for a while. During this break, I went to Mikado''s office hoping to find her, and luckily, she was there writing something in her notebook. Ryokou: "Good morning Yuuki-kun. What can I help you with?" Ryoto: "Do I need something from you to visit?" Ryokou: "No, but there wasn''t a single time you came here without needing something from me." She said while still writing in her notebook. I raised my finger, ready to argue... but she was right. Ryoto: "Touche, but I''ll bet that it''ll interest you." She raised her eyebrow and looked away from the notebook. Ryokou: "Ho~. And what it would be?" Ryoto: "First, can I borrow a knife or something sharp." She passed me a scalpel which I used to cut a bit of my finger and let a few drops of blood. As soon as the blood touched the floor, it started destroying it. It didn''t do create too much damage as the amount of blood wasn''t big, but the holes were still pretty deep. It''s important to note that my blood evaporates quickly after leaving my body. Seeing what happened, Mikado practically jumped down on all fours to see closer the holes created by my blood. Her eyes were wide open, trying to figure out how it could happen. Ryoto: "As you can see, my blood gained new properties, and I would like for us to do some tests on it. I have time in two days. Is it okay toe to your house the day after tomorrow?" Mikado finally regained herposure, and fake coughed a few times. Ryokou: "Yes, of course. I''ll prepare the necessary equipment as the usual one would not be enough seeing your small presentation." Ryoto: "It would be appreciated, but a word of advice from me. Whatever equipment you n to bring, make sure it''s at least ten times stronger than you think is required." With these words, I left and walked to the roof, which as usual, was empty. I decided to use the summoning scroll right now. Was it a perfect time to do this? I don''t know, but my instincts are telling me that it will be alright, and I learned to trust my instincts more during my year with Koro-sensei. You could even say that my spider sense is an extension of it. I asked Karen to use the scroll, and a magic circle appeared on the floor. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 102: New companion with a small quirk Chapter 102: Newpanion with a small quirk (Ryoto''s pov) It looked slightly different than thest one. This time, one figure started forming inside, and just likest time, it wasn''t human. It stood on fourths and was 40 cm high. ... It looked like ordinary Shiba Inu... but he held a wooden bat in his mouth. Is that who I think it is? The dog looked at me curiously and sat down, waiting for something. Ryoto: "Ahhhh, right. I should probably name you." Dog: "Woof!" Ryoto: "I''m not good at naming (ask Karen), so I''ll use your help to decide it, alright?" Dog: "Woof!" It looks like he understands me, so I can guess that he is rtively intelligent. Ryoto: "How about Cupcake?" Hearing my proposition, he started to whimper. Ryoto: "Yeah, I know. Not only not original, but also it doesn''t suit you. I mean, you''re sweet and all, but you don''t look like Cupcake." Dog: "Grr!" Ryoto: "If I knew you wouldn''t like it, why did I propose it, you ask? Well, we all need to start somewhere. Now we have the worst out the way, and we can only go up." Dog: "Woof!" Ryoto: "I know it wasn''t the worst, but I didn''t want to be disrespectful to the good boy that you are. By the way, I want topliment you for barking so clearly even while holding a bat." Dog: "Woof, Woof!" Ryoto: "Years of practice tend to do that to you, huh?" I started thinking about a perfect name, and my eyes wandered to the bat. Ryoto: "How about Utsu?" (A/N Utsu in Japanese means ''to strike'' or ''to hit'') His eyes sparkled, and he started running around me. Dog: "Woof Woof Woof!!!!" Ryoto: "I see that you like it. Then from now on, your name will be Utsu." Use: "Woof, Woof!" Ryoto: "Now that we''re done with the problem of your name, we should return to my ssroom. The lesson will start soon, and since you don''t know the way home, you''ll apany me today." Use: "Woof!" Ryoto: "What do you mean you will fulfill your purpose in this school? Please don''t bring trouble to me. I alone do enough of that myself." Karen: "You know that you look like aplete maniac talking to a dog." ''People also would say I''m crazy if I would tell them that I constantly talk to the voice inside my head.'' Karen: "The difference is that they don''t know that, but they''ll hear you talking to Utsu." ''Let them think that. If I''m lucky, they''ll think that I just understand him really well. Besides, I don''t care about others'' opinions unless it''s constructive criticism.'' Ryoto: "Now, Utsu, would you like to walk on your own, or should I carry you." Use: "Woof!" Ryoto: "Walking it is!" Returning to ss was a challenge because everyone wanted to pat Utsu. Strangely though, he didn''t hit anyone with his bat as of yet. Maybe he is waiting for a big target for his first bonk. I was really curious if I was right, so I went to the principal''s office. Inside, the principal was reading a magazine for adults. I was shocked. He didn''t look to be in difort or scared, so that could only mean that he overcame Mil-tan. I found deeply buried respect for the principal as he didn''t give up and achieved his goal. On the other hand, Utsu ran up to the principal and booked him on the head with all his might. The principal fainted, and Utsu looked proud of that. He turned to me and waited for the headpat with his tail wagging rapidly. Ryoto: "What a good boy you are." Use: "Woof, Woof!" It confirms my suspicions that he wanted to hit a real pervert as his first bonk. It could also mean that he won''t bonk if you are just slightly horny. Further testing is required. Back in ss, I gathered everyone''s attention once more. Well, Utsu did, but as the one who brought him here, I did as well. Risa: "Ooh, what a cute little boy, but why does he have a bat?" I didn''t say anything and just took off Peke Badge showing off my muscles, and Utsu instantly took a swing at Risa andter went on a bit of a rampage in the ssroom. He bonked almost every girl in the ssroom. There were two surprises during Utsu''s rampage. 1. He didn''t hit L. 2. He hit Ren. I saw Utsu wanting to bonk L, but he stopped himself from it. I''m more scared of why he bonked Ren. I''m hoping that he sensed Run''s horniness and not Ren''s. Risa: "Aw! What was that for?" Ryoto: "That''s a secret for now, but if you''ll guess correctly, I won''t hide the answer." Risa: "Why?" Ryoto: "It''s more fun that way." Risa: "Fine, I''ll discover all your secrets, but I want you to promise me that when I''ll guess why Utsu hit all of the girls plus Ren, you''ll grant me one wish." Ryoto: "...Do I look like a genie to you?" Risa: "Can you turn blue?" Ryoto: "I don''t think so." Risa: "Can you fly?" Ryoto: "No... maybe... to be honest, I don''t know. I didn''t try it, but I could keep myself in the air for a short period at best." Risa: "...I didn''t expect that answer, but thest question. Can you grant me one wish?" Ryoto: "Depending on the wish. If you wanted to get taller, you would be better asking L." Risa: "Would it work?" Ryoto: "Probably, but there is a possibility that you''ll end up shorter than before." Poor Kaede, she was traumatized. Risa didn''tment on what I just said but looked me right into my eyes. Risa: "I won''t ask anything unreasonable, and you can even reject it if you want. Just promise me that you''ll think about it seriously when the timese." Ryoto: "If it''s only that, then it''s not a problem." Risa smiled widely. Risa: "That''s great then!'' She pped my ass as she retreated to her seat as the ss would start soon, but her mood was visibly better. (Saki''s pov) Rin: "...Today, Ryoto Yuuki found a dog, and from my observations, he named it Utsu. Strangely the dog is carrying a baseball bat in his mouth the whole time... And that concludes today''s report." Rin just gave me my daily report about Ryoto-sama. Observing him will allow me to create a n to steal him away from L, and it''s already paying off. I know that he likes dogs and maybe other animals as well. I can test itter. Aya: "Um, Saki-sama? Do we really need to spy on Yuuki? We could just walk up to him and ask, and he probably would answer most of the questions." Rin: "I disagree. I don''t know why but he seems different than usual." Saki: "Rin is right..." I said, fully serious. Saki: "He looks even more majestic than usual!" I put my hands on both of my cheeks, remembering him. Today, in particr, Ryoto-sama has the air of an emperor around him. My face reddened thinking about him, but first, I needed to focus on the n. Saki: "*Cough* *cough* We''ll continue observing Ryoto-sama and slowly prepare a stage where he and I will be together atst. Ohohohoho!" The Christmas party will be perfect this year. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 103: Before dinner Chapter 103: Before dinner (Ryoto''s pov) School had ended without any more sensations, so after saying my goodbyes L and I needed to do groceries. It went easier than usual. I didn''t need to hit an olddy with a stick this time to get vegetables. This reminds me that I forgot to say goodbye to Nakame-san. I''ll need to apologize to her when I get back. Maybe I''ll make her some of my now famous sweets. Thanks to Kaede, I had a lot of practice with them. Back to groceries, I chose only the best of the ingredients. I used both my eyes and prediction calction to choose only the freshest of vegetables, meat, and other things. I also bought an apron for myself since I liked how it looked. Should I do ''naked apron''... no, better not. I''ll do it when I''m alone with L and have some fun then. Maybe some other time, we''ll switch roles, and she''ll be the one wearing only an apron. Who am I kidding? All I need to do is ask, and she will do it. Now that we were done with groceries, it was time to return home. As we were near home, we met Mikan and her two friends. Sachie: "Hello Onii-san! Nice to see you again!" Said a blonde girl energetically. Mami: "Hello, sorry for the intrusion." Said the ck-haired girl more shyly than the first one. Ryoto: "Hello to both of you. I didn''t expect guests today, but how abouting to dinner since you''re here. Today I''ll be the one making it, so I hope you didn''t eat anything in a while because I guarantee you won''t want to stop eating once you taste my cooking." Mikan: "A lot of confidence for someone who never made a dinner in his life." I didn''t say anything, but I knew that Mikan would be for a surprise soon. Mikan: "By the way, why do you have a dog sitting in your head." That''s right! Utsu was currently lying on my head, and it wasn''t because he waszy... OK, it was, but it wasn''t the only reason. Using Utsu''s cuteness and charm, I got a few deals on the market. Ryoto: "He was my helper in saving money." Mikan: "...Sure, then why does it have a bat?" Ryoto: "Because he is a good boy on a mission." As I said that, I patted his head gently, which he enjoyed. Mikan: "...He is our new pet, isn''t he?" Ryoto: "He sure is." Mikan: "You''re going to transform our house into a zoo at this rate." Ryoto: "Don''t worry about it. It won''t happen... probably." We went inside the house, and I noticed that Mikan did groceries as well. I forgot that she was the one who did it almost exclusively, but because of my living alone, it became kind of a habit. At least we had enough ingredients for our guests. Rito wasn''t home as he to Saruyama''s house today. He''ll probably ask him for some advice about Haruna, but I don''t think he asks the best person out there. In the kitchen, I put on my newly bought apron, and I did my usual routine of making delicious food and finished it after a while. The finished product looked great, and I was about to bring it to them, but L appeared behind me as soon as I finished. Living with me for almost a year, she knew how long I usually take to make dinner. That or she observed me the whole time. Walking out of the kitchen and entering the living room, I saw penguins getting along with Utsu. I saw traces of bonking on Skipper. I''ll need to remind him to stay away from Mikan''s room. I don''t want another incident like on the first day. I, of course, didn''t forget about my summons while making food, so I gave it to them. I was curious how Utsu would eat since he still had a bat in his mouth, but the baseball bat disappeared in light particles, and the good boy started eating happily. So he can make it disappear at will, but why didn''t he do it before? Maybe he wanted to bonk as soon as he saw the target? Nevermind that. I focused on a table where I put my dishes on the table. Mikan seeing them, widened her eyes, not believing that they looked edible. Mikan: "What kind of magic did you use!?" Ryoto: "Excuse me?" (Mikan''s pov) I went home with Sachie and Mami after we did the groceries. In front of the home, I met up with Ryoto, who surprisingly did the same thing I did. He also had a dog on his head. Not the strangest thing he brought home. It''s more normal than the penguins, at least. Nevermind that. Right now, I''m nning to witness what Ryoto is nning. After all, he can''t cook. While he was in the kitchen, we yed with Utsu for a while, and the penguins joined too. Skipper was hit with a bat, but he didn''t look hurt. Skipper: "Hey, what do you think you''re doing, you furball on four legs!?" Use: "Woof!" Skipper: "All muscles? Ha! You would seed as aedian with jokes like these." Use: "Woof!" Skipper looked as if he had just seen a ghost. Skipper: "H-how do you know that?" Use: "Woof! (There are no secrets in front of mighty bonk.) Skipper: "What does it even mean!?" ... I don''t know what to say. Does Utsu ckmail Skipper? Mami: "Ooh, they get along already." I looked strangely at my friend. Do we see the same thing? Ryoto: "Food iing!" It seemed that Ryoto had finished preparing dinner, so we sat at the table. The dishes on the tes looked... absolutely stunning. I couldn''t believe my own eyes. Mikan: "What kind of magic did you use?" Ryoto: "Excuse me? Mikan: "We both know that you''re not capable of cooking so well." Ryoto: "My heart bleeds hearing your words Mikan, but I understand your skepticism. So why don''t you take a bite and see for yourself if it''s good? I can taste it first if you want to be entirely sure if it''s edible." Am I overthinking? Ryoto could learn how to cook in secret or even in school. It''s just a lot of strange things that happened in a short amount of time, so maybe I''m on guard because of that. My older brother wanted to do something nice for me, and I doubted him. I''m starting to feel a little bit guilty. Mikan: "No, you don''t need to." Ryoto: "Ah, before you start, you should prepare spare clothes for you and your friends." Mikan: "Ryoto, we aren''t children. I doubt we''ll need them." I mean, we won''t get dirty from the food if we''re careful. Ryoto didn''t argue about it, but I didn''t notice that he smiled evilly just before we took the first bite of his food. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 104: The effect of food Chapter 104: The effect of food (Ryoto''s pov) Mikan didn''t want to get spare clothes for herself and her friends. Oh, sweet, naive summer child. You don''t even know how wrong you are. Thankfully you have a very thoughtful brother that already prepared clothes for you all. I''m also curious what will happen to Peke when L eats my food. Will she get somehow repelled from L, or will a small misfunction happen? Today''s special is breaded chicken with sd and rice on the side. Nothing special, but I guarantee the taste. I have a little trick to make it more crispy. After you fry it on a pan, you deep-fry it as well for a short while. Before that, however, I added the necessary spices for better taste and dipped them in raw egg. The sd was ordinary as well. Lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, paprika, and some other minor things mixed with spices and Cesar sd dressing. While everything was ordinary, the ingredients were the best I could find, and me making them evaluated my dishes to the highs not seen in this household before. Mikan never stripped me with her cooking, so I can assume it. Now I focused entirely on the girls waiting for them to take a bite, but I noticed Utsu calling me toe closer with his paw, so I walked up to him. Use: "Woof." Ryoto: "No, the FBI is noting. We are not even living in the USA." Use: "Woof." Ryoto: "What do you mean they have offices in 63 countries outside the USA?" Use: "Woof." Ryoto: "They even have one in Tokyo? Then why are there so many lolicons in Japan then?" Use: "Woof. (Mystery as old as time.)" Ryoto: "There is also a problem with the stuff. They can''t have thousands of employees in just one office." Mikan: "What are you doing, Ryoto?" Ryoto: "Nothing. How about we start eating?" Everyone: "Ittadakimasu." Everyone said simultaneously, and we all took a bite of a chicken first. One bite was enough for everyone to realize how juicy and crispy it was. It wasn''t the only thing that happened because one bite was also enough for everyone''s but my clothes to disappear. They were, however, too busy to realize it as they couldn''t stop moving their chopsticks. The only one who noticed something was L, and it was only because she knew it would happen. Peke, on the other hand, was yeeted across the room and hit the wall. Peke: "W-what happened?" Ryoto: "Good question, but look at the girls, and some of your questions may be answered." Peke looked at the earing girls and witnessed the effects of my cooking. At the table sat three naked girls eating my food. L came to Peke and me to check on her littlepanion. L: "Peke, are you alright?" L sounded worried. L: "It looks like we need you to get an upgrade. We don''t want that to happen again." Peke, while massaging her head, still looked confused. Peke: "L-sama, what happened?" Ryoto: "When food is really delicious, people lose their clothes. That''s justmon sense." L nodded at my words, and Peke was forced to believe it. Destroying people''smon sense is fun. I should do it more often. Mikan, Sachie & Mami: "Thanks for the food!" Ryoto: "d that you liked it, but you should probably dress up." Mikan: "What do you m-!!!?" She looked down, seeing that the only piece of cloth on her was her white panties. She then looked at her friends who were in the same situation as her. The scream of three little girls filled the house. Ryoto: "Clothes are behind you if you want to dress up. You could also stay naked if you want." Embarrassed, they turned away from me, showing their backs, and quickly put on prepared clothes. Mikan: "What did you do?" Ryoto: "I made you a dinner." Mikan: You know what I mean." Ryoto: "But I literally just made you a dinner." I exined the same thing I did to Peke, and of course, Mikan didn''t believe it. Ryoto: "If you want, you can watch me cook next time, and Rito will be our guin- I mean our tester." Mikan: "Did you want to say guinea pig?" Ryoto: "No..." The dinner fun was fun. I mean for me. Mikan was annoyed at me, but it was worth it. She won''t be mad at me for long anyway. --- The next day after the usual night of lovemaking with L, Mikan still was a bit angry at me, but I had a secret weapon up my sleeves. Headpats. I also apologized to her. I did it because it was my fault in the first ce, and I used her for my amusement, so I didn''t mind doing it. I also made her a bento which she took to school. At first, she was suspicious about it, so she tasted it as soon as she got it, and to her surprise, she didn''t get naked. What a world where someone needs to be careful of being naked after eating. It''s beautiful. Why? Because I purposely made it tasty but not tasty enough to destroy the clothes. The fun part is the more ustomed one is to the delicious food, the more difficult it is to destroy the clothes because they develop some kind of immunity to it. Why it''s the fun part. Because I have the reason to improve my cooking even more. In school, nothing happened. Risa tried to guess why Utsu hit every girl and Ren yesterday, and her answer was that he targets only girls and Ren is secretly one as well, which is wrong. Today is my workday because I will go to my and Zastin manga office. We will discuss the next chapter of ''The Spectacr Spider-man''. While I could write the story by myself and give it to Zastin to draw but hearing suggestions from him sometimes helps to improve the story. Zastin is very experienced in battles, so he can write battle scenes, and he helps me improve them. Sometimes even Jugemu is present during our meetings, but usually, he works part-time while not being Zastin''s assistant. He said that he sends money to his family, but how does it work? I doubt that Earth''s currency works on others. Maybe he buys something of value on Earth, and then he sends the items to his family. Never mind that I should focus on the story for one. We don''t need to write chapter 1 as the one-shot works as chapter 1, and we didn''t need to change anything with it, so we focused on chapter 2, but while we were discussing what we should do, Jugemu mmed open the door looking stressed out. Jugemu: "Help. my sister ising!" --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 105: Jugemus family Chapter 105: Jugemu''s family (Jugemu''s pov) My name is Jugemu no Kokogi Suikeru Kajiregami ni Rojiku Furaimatsu ga Baibo Baibo Baibo no Garingan Garingan no Sheringan Sheringan Sheringan no Bonbopoki no Bonbokona no Chokyumi no Chosuke but everyone calls me Jugemu. I''ve been living on Earth for some time now, and I have got used to living here. I work a few part-time jobs to buy and send food and money to my family. Earth''s food is very delicious, especially fish. On my home, we needed to have a group of 100 hunters to even attempt to hunt fish. They are just too dangerous, so I''m very impressed with Earthlings. What''s more, the aquatic poption here is tastier than where Ie from, and as we all know, the more delicious the food is, the harder it is to hunt it. I''m very thankful to Ryoto for giving me a chance to work. He even helped me at times to understand human culture, and I love the manga Zastin-San and Ryoto are making. Peter is someone who I would like to meet and even, to some extent, be. He makes mistakes, cares for his family, and has money problems just like me. With great poweres great responsibility. It''s a great saying that, in my opinion, everyone should live by. Unfortunately, a tragedy wille soon. I got a letter from my sister that she wille to Earth to visit me. Usually, I would be happy, but my sister can be very... rebellious. She likes to fight, and unlike me, she doesn''t use any weapons. She doesn''t need to. Females of my species not only are physically stronger than males but also are more agile than them, thanks to their smaller and more flexible bodies, but the males are still the ones who hunt for food, so if someone died, it wouldn''t be a big loss. I am one of the exceptions on my home since my strength isparable to that of the strongest female warriors, and that''s why I decided to work and let my little sister have normal childhood filled with fun that I didn''t have. Still, I know that dream will probably not be fulfilled because I was not the only exception in my family. My sister was as well. Not knowing what to do, I ran to the manga office, and luckily, both Zastin-San and Ryoto were there. Jugemu: "Help! My sister ising!" (Ryoto''s pov) Ryoto: "A sister? I thought that you don''t have siblings." Jugemu looked confused at what I said. Jugemu: "I don''t. What are you talking about?" His answer confused me even more. Ryoto: "But you have a sister..." Jugemu: "Yes, my sebling. I don''t have any brothers, you know, siblings." Ryoto: "...Both sisters and brothers are called siblings." Jugemu: "Really? I''ll remember it then." He took out the note called ''The things I need to remember, part 24'' and wrote down the thing he had just learned. Zastin: "Don''t you have a universal trantor equipped?" Jugemu: "To save some money, I didn''t buy it and learned about 10 Earth''snguages that I thought would help me on my job." Ryoto: "How long did it take you? Jugemu: "I''m embarrassed to say that it took me a whole two weeks." Hearing that, I almost coughed out blood. I mean, I know sixnguages myself, and I didn''t need to learn them, but I know how hard it is to learn one, and he just said that two weeks for tennguages is a long time. Is he talented, or does his species have an easier time learning? Jugemu: "Nevermind that, we have a big problem." Ryoto: "Right, your sister. Why is it a problem? Does she look down on other races or want to conquer others?" Jugemu: "Not to my knowledge, but she''ll probably cause a lot of trouble and definitely will want to punch you." What? Ryoto: "Why me specifically?" Jugemu: "She hates when someone doesn''t look her in the eyes while talking and because your eyes are always closed..." Ryoto: "...She''ll punch me? But why?" Jugemu: "My sister lives by the saying ''if you can''t look someone in the eyes, you''re trying to hide a lie'', and she hates liars. She probably got it from our mother. She taught us to be as truthful as possible, and I also follow this rule, but my sister takes it to the extreme and thinks of every liar as an enemy." ... Ryoto: "First of all, your mom sounds like a wonderful person, and second of all, your sister is a psycho." Jugemu: "I''m embarrassed to say that my sister is... impulsive, but she is a good person. Just a little bit lost." Ryoto: "Do we know at least when she''lle?" Jugemu: "I don''t know. She didn''t write it, but you should expect her at any moment. She''ll probably try and find you." Ryoto: Again, why?" Jugemu: "While writing to her, I described everything I experienced, and it included meeting you..." I see where this is going. Jugemu: "And I wrote that without your help, I would be able to send money and food to them. I also described your appearance." I facepalmed hearing him. Ryoto: "Is she stronger or weaker than you. If she ising after me, I would like to know." Jugemu: "She is a more skilled fighter than me, stronger than me, and more agile than me. The only thing I''m better than her is swordsmanship, but that''s just because she is not interested in it." Ryoto: "OK,st question. Why did you ask for help since it looks like you won''t be in any danger." Jugemu: "I don''t want to disturb the neighbors. They said that as ofte, they have difficulties with sleeping, so I don''t want to take away from them their precious quiet time." As we were discussing what we would do, someone destroyed the wall to the office. That was a girl with animal characteristics. She definitely was ustomed to living in or underwater. She had a beautiful but wild appearance. Her arms and legs were covered in smooth skin? or something simr to probably ease swimming. She also possessed a powerful tail behind her back, and she had mermaid-like ears pierced in a few ces, so she could wear earrings. Her breasts were on the smaller side but pretty plumpy. Her hair was unkempt and short. She wore a skimpy outfit and had a wide smile showing off her white teeth. ???: "Nii-san, I came to visit and help you with a minor problem." (A/N If you are curious about her appearance, I based her race on Nereids from 179267. Have fun reading ;) --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 106: Alme Chapter 106: Alme (Ryoto''s pov) Presumably, Jugemu''s sister broke our wall. Not gonna lie. I''m a bit angry, but first... Ryoto: "Jugemu, are you adopted? She doesn''t look anything like you. She doesn''t even look the same species as you." Jugemu: "Females of my species look like that, but unlike them, my sister has functioning eyes. Just like me, the rest of the poption can''t see onnd, but Amel can but at the price of our race signature ability to sense humidity in the air and cant use sonar underwater the water." Amel: "Thanks for the introduction Nii-san but it wasn''t needed. Liars don''t deserve to know my name!" I could feel the hostility in her voice. Ryoto: "You don''t even know, and you call me a liar. Aren''t you moving a tad too fast?" Amel: "I know enough from Nii-san''s letters and you not opening your eyes is enough for me to know your character. Normally, I would beat rightfulness right into you, but you''re deceiving my brother, which is unforgivable! Like our mom always said, ''friendse and go, but family always stays together. That''s why I n on smashing you!" ... Jugemu: "Amel-!" Amel: "Don''t interfere, Nii-san." Ryoto: "She is right, Jugemu, but I need to apologize to you." Jugemu looked confused. Ryoto: "I''m going to spank Amel for breaking our wall. I used my own money to buy manga on the bookshelf that stood there." Plus, I hid lollipops there, and she destroyed them. Karen: "Is this why you are pissed?" ''I''m not going toment on it.'' Amel: "Strong words for someone whose face will be smashed to the ground." A smile didn''t leave her face. It looks like she likes being challenged, even if she doesn''t like the person. Jugemu: "Ryoto, then please take care of my sister." Ryoto: "Zaatin, stay here and protect our manuscript in case something happens." Zastin: "Bu-!" Zastin wanted to protest, but I used the ''trust me'' card. Ryoto: "Zastin, believe in me. I''ll win, and then we''ll finish the second chapter." Zastin: "Understood..." I shot webs from both of my wrists at the part of the wall that wasn''t destroyed and stretched it as hard as I could without destroying the wall, and Alme looked amused at what I did. Alme: "What is it? I didn''t hear about humans that can shoot something out of their wrists." She touched it curiously and twanged it like a guitar string. Ryoto: "It''s nothing unusual. Just a little trick up my sleeve." I then used the webs to catapult myself towards herself at an amazing speed and kicked her out of the building using both of my legs. We flew a few meters, and while Inded on my feet and Alme recovered her bnce and didn''t have any problemnding. She didn''t look injured, and while I didn''t use my full power, it still was impressive. Alme: "Ho~ It looks like not all Earthlings are weak, as people say. That''s good. It makes my funst longer!" She rushed towards me at incredible and attempted to punch me in the face. She was fast, but thanks to spider-sense, I could dodge it in time. It''s important to note that I didn''t use my eyes or ''prediction calction'' so far in this fight, and I won''t use them unless I need to. It would make it easier, but somehow I wanted to beat her at her game, and while ''prediction calction'' would not break my self-imposed rules, I wanted to fight only with spider powers. Why? Because I don''t have many asions to use full of their powers. Either I need to hold my strength back to not kill someone by ident, or I use my eyes to end the fight quickly. She just gave me a perfect opportunity for that. Her fist flew past me, making a dangerous sound. I used this chance to grab her arm, and judo threw her on the ground while adding my own body to increase the damage. A ground cracked a bit, and I mounted her, pinning her hands to the ground. Ryoto: "You know, you remind me of someone. She was also an idiot who hated lies more than anything." Alme: "Sounds like a great person. I would like to meet her instead of you." With a somber voice, I answered. Ryoto: "That would be impossible." Since she lied to me... Using my distracted thoughts, Alme used her tails to get me off her. Our fight continued for a while, and we exchanged punches, kicks and even wrestled sometimes. She seldom could hit me because of my senses, but she was a skilled warrior and managed tond some punches. They were heavy in the sense that if I didn''t use Haki on the parts where I was hit, my bones would break. It was fun fighting like this, using things I learned from Karasuma and Koro-sensei against Alme. I learned what worked and what I needed to work on. No matter how powerful you are, there is always room for improvement. What if I won''t be able to use bending? What if I''ll be blinded? What if my strength leaves me for some reason? It''s better to be prepared for such asions even if the probability of it happening is low, but having ns B, C, D, and more is always wee. This lesson is deeply burned into me because of myck of nning and vision I needed to kill Koro-sensei. If I was prepared better or had a better n, maybe I wouldn''t need to do it. Thankfully I had n B for failing to save him, and in just a few more months, it will start. Alme was breathing heavily, showing how exhausted she was. She wasn''t alone in this, as I also was getting tired. Alme: "What''s your name?" Ryoto: "Huh?" Alme: "Your name, tell me what it is." Ryoto: "Ryoto Yuuki." She closed her eyes and opened them shortly after, but all her yfulness was gone. Alme: "Ryoto Yuuki, my name is Alme no Kokgi Suikeru Kajiregami ni Gakasume Oraimatsu ga Baibo Baibo Baibo no Garingan Garingan no Shirengan Shirengan no Bonbopoki no Bonbokona no Chokyumi no Chosuke. I acknowledge you are a strong and skilled warrior. That''s why I will use my race''s most powerful ability. If you block it, you''ll win." Ryoto: "Isn''t this bet a little unfair? I mean, I would rather dodge it than block it. I''m not the most durable after all." Alme: "You can''t fool me. I noticed a strange aura a few times when I punched you. That surface was hard like a pangolin shark''s skin." Ryoto: "The pangolin what?" Alme: "Pangolin shark. It''s an animal with very hard skin and very soft meat. The contrast is what makes it delicious." A drop of salvia started dripping out of her mouth, but she quickly wiped it. Alme: "Nevermind that. I''m sure like 70% that you''ll survive it, so good luck!" She then inhaled very deeply, expanding her chest in the process to its limit and spewing out arge amount of water. The diameter of this projectile was bigger than my whole body, and I just noticed that I was standing in front of the building where my and Zastin''s manga office is. If it''s destroyed, our ce of work is destroyed in the process, so the only option is to block it. I smiled. Alme just gave me another opportunity to test out my powers this time. It would be the first time I use it in action. I pointed my hand up, and it glowed blue and was covered in a blue orb. From the sphere, lighting bolts connected my hand to the newly appeared blue giant hand. It was semi-transparent and glowed slightly with a blue light. Ryoto: "God hand!" I used ''God hand'' to stop all iing water. It was a strong torrent, and it even pushed me back, but I stood firm and protected a building. Ryoto: "Looks like I win, Alme." --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 107: Consequences of spanking Chapter 107: Consequences of spanking (Ryoto''s pov) After using her attack against me, Alme exhausted herself and filled on her back. She was breathing deeply, but she had a smile on her face. Alme: "Haha! You really are amazing. To be honest, I thought this attack would at least push you farther back, but who thought that you had a trick up your sleeves." I slowly walked up to her and stopped in front of her. Ryoto: "I learned from someone I respect that you always need to have a backup n for everything." Alme: "You sound more like an assassin than a warrior, but you fight more like a warrior than an assassin. It''s strange." Ryoto: "I choose my fighting style depending on the opponent. Besides, I don''t have a lot of opportunities to fight at my full strength head-on." Alme: "You got that right! At home, everyone except my family looks at me strangely, like I don''t belong there just because I see the world around me differently. So I beat them all up. I wanted to prove that even if I''m different, it doesn''t mean I''m weaker or worse than them." She raised her arm and clenched her fist. Alme: "Today is the first time I lost in a long time. It''s a quiet refreshing feeling." Ryoto: "...OK, but why are you telling me this?" She giggled. Alme: "Who knows..." Ryoto: "By the way, why did you call me a liar. I mean, yeah, I don''t open my eyes, but neither is Jugemu." Alme: "It''s just what I''m telling everyone. To be honest, I just wanted to meet Nii-san''s friend, and when Iid my eyes on you, I knew that you were hiding something. I didn''t know what, so I decided to fight you to figure out your intentions. I think there was a saying on Earth that goes ''fist speaks louder than words or something like that." Ryoto: "...It''s ''actions speak louder than words." Alme: "Same thing but thanks to our little spar, I know that you aren''t a bad guy!" Ryoto: "But how did you know I was hiding something?" Alme: "Everyone is hiding something, except my Nii-san, mom, and dad, of course." ... Karen: "She isn''t wrong... but it pisses me off." Ryoto: "Last question, why did you speak with hostility if you just wanted to test me out." Alme: "...It''s embarrassing, but because of you, Nii-san didn''t visit as often as he used to, and I know it''s not your fault, but you became a target of my hostility, so I''m sorry." Color me surprised. She acknowledged her fault and apologized. That''s new. What is it? A reserve tsundere? Now I can''t use it to tease her. My fun has been ruined. Ryoto: "Well, now that we worked out our differences, there is only one thing left to do." Alme: "...Shake our hands and forget about bad blood?" She asked hopefully because she remembered what I said before our fight. I didn''t answer her and just sat on the ground and took her on myp. She wasying down in the best position for spanking." Alme: "Ehm... Ryoto... You don''t n on doing what I think... right?" Once again, silence. I just raised my hand and... *SLAP* A loud sound vibrated through the air. Alme: "OOW!!!" I didn''t stop on just one spank and continued to hit her butt till I reached the tenth p. Ten is enough because I had my fun as well, but I said I was going to do it, so I did. I am a man of my word. Ryoto: "I''m finished." Alme surprisingly didn''t have anything to say and just massaged her bottom to ease her pain. She had tears building up in the corner of her eyes. I picked her up and carried her on my shoulder back to the office. Ryoto: "I''m done, everybody!" Zastin: "Excellent fight, Ryoto-dono. You seem to be much more skilled than we initially fought. I''m d to see that as L-sama''s fiance, you continuously work hard." Ryoto: "Thanks Zastin." Jugemu took his sister from me and apologized for the trouble. He talked to her about something, and I didn''t eavesdrop on them. Instead, I continued nning the chapter with Zastin. Shortly after, he returned, but Alme had already left. Jujube: "Let me begin by congratting you, Ryoto. Great fight." Ryoto: "Thanks, she really was something. That little spar let me blow off some steam that I didn''t know that I ever had." Jugemu: "That''s good you seem to enjoy it since she''ll being back." Ryoto: "Excuse me...?" Jugemu: "You spanked her butt, didn''t you?" I nodded. Jugemu: "It means that you challenged her for the superiority in the rtionship. You won the first fight, and if she isn''t able to beat you in the next ten tries, she will submit to you and ept you as an alpha. It''s very rare for a male to be an alpha in a rtionship, so I''m impressed." Ryoto: "Wait... go back a second or two. What do you mean with a rtionship?" Jujube: "In our culture, when a male spanks a female for the first time, he proposes to her. Further spanking, as I said, challenges the partner. To cancel the engagement, a female needs to win against a male. Only males propose to partners. There isn''t any unwanted marriage on my because females are naturally stronger, and my specie is seldom contacting with the outside, so interspecies marriages don''t happen too often, if ever. Sadly the poption on my is decreasing because when a female cancels the engagement, there is an 80% chance a male will die, so most of them are scared to propose to the wrong girl. There are even numerous gangs of women who fake an interest in men just to kill them during cancetion. It''s a big issue where I came from. But you know I''m d that it''s you who will marry my sister. Everyone on my home treats her as an outcast, and I know you''ll treat her right. We''ll even be a real family!!! What a joyous moment." He hugged me, but I was in shock. Did Rito transfer his ''lucky pervert'' to me? Ryoto: "Jugemu, I already have a fiance." Jugemu: "As expected of you. A male value is in how many females he can attract!" He patted my shoulder with great strength, and I just looked at Zastin. Zastin: "As long as L-sama is happy, I don''t have any objections." It looks like I got another fiance... --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 108: Examination once more Chapter 108: Examination once more (Ryoto''s pov) Yesterday I identally got myself a fiance, so as the responsible person that I am, I told about it L as soon as I got home. She didn''t have any problem with that and was happy to get a new friend, but the problem was that I didn''t have any means to contact Alme, so I needed to wait for her to attack me. I didn''t actively try to find her because I thought it would be interesting to see how she would try to attack me. It would also double as training. I also had a dream about my past lifest night, which wasn''t a regr urrence as ofte. This time it was a dream about Emma. It was a very pleasant dream for a while. I relived some of the best moments of my life. I regret, however, that I couldn''t do more for Emma. She deserved better. --- Right now, I was standing in front of Mikado''s mansion and rang the bell. I was surprised to see a girl dressed up as a nurse wee me to the house. Unfortunately for me, I decided to bring Utsu with me today. He wanted to go for a walk, but a nurse whose identity was Shizu Muramase, or Oshizu for short who, was unluckily scared of dogs. If she was a normal girl, it wouldn''t be too bad, but I''m starting to believe that normal doesn''t exist in this world. Oshizu was a ghost that I met in an Old abounded school building, and as a ghost, she possessed all of their traits, including telekinesis. When she''s scared, her power goes haywire. I quickly rushed towards her, webbed my feet to the ground, and hugged her with one arm. I also covered her eyes with my other hand so she wouldn''t see Utsu. Ryoto: "Calm down. The dog is not here. Calm down." While I was trying to calm down Oshizu, I signaled Utsu to run home as fast as possible, but he narrowed his eyes while looking at me. He wanted to judge if I got horny by hugging Oshizu or not. He didn''t n to leave until that was clear. I once again signaled him with my head to go home, but he was adamant about judging me. He even walked around Oshizu and me a few times to see the situation from every angle. After he was satisfied, he left unhappy, not being able to bonk anyone. Phew, crisis averted. I let go of Oshizu. Ryoto: "Do you feel better?" Shizu: "Y-yes, thank you." She took a few steps back while I used the web dissolving substance and freed myself. To lighten the atmosphere, I decided to start a conversation. Ryoto: "Long time no see Oshizu. Do you work as a nurse now?" Shizu: "Y-yes, but aren''t you surprised by my body. I was a ghost thest time you met me." Ryoto: "Mikado-sensei probably made it for you, am I right?" Shizu: "...You are exactly right. Is it not that impressive in modern times?" Ryoto: "No, it''s impressive, alright. I''m just numbed to surprises at this point. Yesterday I was working on a manga, and the next moment I was spanking the sister of my friend and co-worker. Life is unpredictable." Oshizu didn''t know how toment on what I just said, so she just guided me inside the testing room. It was a huge room filled with many machines, many of which I didn''t know the functions of, in short, alien tech. Ryouko: "I see that you''ve already met Shizu in her new body. Can you look at her with your eyes and tell me what you see?" I did what I was asked and opened my eyes to use their ability. Shizu''s aura was fascinating. It was obviously a human, but the color was darker. It also didn''t move too much, unlike any other aura. The more it moves, the more ''alive'' someone is, or in other words, it represents someone''s life force, so seeing an almost unmoving aura was interesting. Moving onto her body, it looked authentic in almost every aspect except a few minor details, but if I didn''t focus on finding them, I wouldn''t have noticed. In short, it was an amazing job done. Oshizu looked alive in every aspect except her aura. Ryoto: "I''m impressed. No one would be able to notice that the body was artificially made." Ryouko: "But...?" Ryoto: "Her aura doesn''t change, so if anyone is able to see it, they would know." Mikado wrote something down. Ryouko: "I count that as a sess. Your eyes are very powerful, so I doubt many people would be able to see what you do." Mikado then took out a syringe from her coat and readied herself to begin the examination. To be honest, the look in her eyes was a bit scary. I sat on the chair that Oshizu prepared and rolled up my sleeve so she could take some of my blood. The needle dissolved as soon as it touched my blood, and when Mikado took it out, the small hole in my skin closed up. Ryouko: "Huh, you weren''t kidding with the potency of your blood. I couldn''t even draw a bit before the needle dissolved. Luckily I was prepared for that." She said with a smile and took out another syringe. Ryokou: "This little guy is made of the strongest metal in the gxy. If it is destroyed, then I will be really surprised." But the same thing happened again. Ryoto: "You won''t tell me to pay for these... right?" Ryouko: "If you allow me to study your blood in my own time and you''ll sometimes supply me with additional blood, then I won''t need anything more." Ryoto: "If you can somehow store it, I don''t have a problem but please, no cloning." I don''t want to have the same clone problem as Peter did. Ryokou: "... Sure. Strangely specific request but nothing I can''t do." She then asked Oshizu to bring a ss-looking container. Ryouko: "Since I can''t take the blood from you, how about you give it to me instead. Use this needle to prick in your finger and hold it over a vial." I did as she asked me and a few drops of blood dripped into the container. The vial was thick, so it would take more of my blood to dissolve it, but as soon as it touched the ss, it tried to devour it, but because of the small amount of blood, it melted only a bit of the bottom of the vial before the blood evaporated. Mikado had her eyes and mouth wide open. It was the first time she had witnessed something like that, even with her experience as an alien doctor. There, of course, are species with poisonous blood but never this potent. Ryouko: "I didn''t expect this to happen, but first, can you let your blood stay on your hand for a while so I can observe it?" I let my blood drip on the palm of my hand, and it behaved like regr blood, and after a while, it dried up. While dry, it lost its poisonous property. Shizu: "Did humans evolve this much during thest 400 years? Evolution is amazing!" Oshizu had stars in her eyes, very interested in what was happening. Ryouko: "Shizu, I would rmend you to notpare Ryoto to other people. Plus, evolution usually needs a lot more time to happen. While rapid evolution exists, it''s not verymon." Shizu: "Is that so? I have a lot to learn." Oshizu looked pumped up about learning more things. She is a naturally curious girl, after all. Meanwhile, Mikado got a big machine to extract blood from me. It used anti-gravity so my blood wouldn''t touch anything, and it worked. I was honestly surprised by it. Well, now I can only hope she''ll keep her part of the agreement. Because she couldn''t use any container to keep my blood at the optimal temperature, she used a whole room for that. Mikado looked like a real mad scientist finally able to get a hold of my blood, but I ignored it, and so did Shizu. Oshizu wasn''t even fazed by that and just smiled gently at me. Is every doctor''s visit like that? --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 109: Wise older brother Chapter 109: Wise older brother (Alme''s pov) I wanted to visit my brother and meet the famous Ryoto who helped him so much, and I did that, but I also got myself a fiance. I wasn''t expecting that, but I''m notining. From my fight with Ryoto, I know that he is a skilled warrior and his fist told me that he was honorable as well but what really caught my attention was his aura. Yes, I can see the aura of people around me. My eyes allow me to do that. It''s not the only thing they can do, but let''s focus on that. Thanks to that, I can somehow urately know what kind of person is in front of me. For example, a pink aura can represent love, inner peace, or approachability. White is usually present only in newborn babies as it represents purity or innocence, and so on and so forth. Color is, of course, not the only indicator of a person''s characteristics. There is also the shape and movement of the aura. Ryoto''s aura was like nothing I''ve seen before. First of all, it had two colors at the same time, which I''ve never seen before. I''ve witnessed aura changing its color, but it always ends with just one color. Second of all, his aura is constantly changing. It''s like it''s fighting with itself. One-color tries to devour the other and vice versa. Third of all, his aura is two times bigger than other humans I''ve seen so far. Fourth andst of all, he used his aura to defend himself against my attacks. What I wanted to do was evaluate Ryoto''s character as during the fight person shows his true self. I didn''t expect to be proposed to in the end, though, even if he announced it beforehand. What''s more, he also challenged me for the alpha spot. I would not mind marrying him but giving him an alpha spot is another story. I admit he is stronger than me, but I also have tricks up my sleeves. Ryoto said something about having tricks of his own like a string-thingy. I can''t wait to fight him again. It was so fun! But Ryoto, I will be the one on top in this rtionship, and I''ll teach you that. I licked my lips in anticipation. (Ryoto''s pov) Before I went home, Mikado wanted to observe how my blood behaved inside my body using an x-ray kind of machine, and she was surprised once again to see that everything looked ordinary. Nothing was out of ce, and it looked like regr blood from every angle. She wanted to test put one more thing. Mikado injected me with something, and I just waited for the result. Ryoto: "What did you inject me with?" Ryokou: "Nothing dangerous, just some weak poison." I turned quickly to Oshizu to see if she knew, but she didn''t even look fazed. Ryoto: "So why did you do it?" Ryokou: "I suspect that your blood will ''kill'' everything not being part of your body, and I was right. The poison disintegrates from your bloodstream seconds after it got into contact with your blood!" She sounded very excited. Ryoto: "And what if it didn''t work like you thought?" Ryokou: "Don''t you worry~ I have an antidote ready just in case. Besides that, poison isn''t life-threatening. At most, you would need to go to the toilet soon. But that little experiment confirms that you''re immune to all kinds of blood poisoning. I mean theoretically. I don''t know if there is a poison, toxin, or venom stronger than your blood. Maybe some kind of man-made poison would be able to do it..." Mikado started mumbling under her breath, but thanks to her experiment, I''ve got to know that poison doesn''t work on me, but it opens one question. Ryoto: "Mikado-sensei? I have one question. Since presumably everything foreign will be destroyed, then will medicine be effective on me?" Ryoto: "That''s a great question, but we can assume they are just as ineffective, but you wouldn''t need them anyway. Because most illnesses are caused by either bacteria or viruses. But I would need to do more tests with your blood. There are bacteria in your body that are helpful to you, and I don''t know how your blood categories everything. Do all bacteria are safe from your blood, or just helpful ones. Maybe there are other criteria that we don''t know about. My scientific mind trembles with excitement after a long time once again. I mean, your blood opens possibilities to so many things!" I''ll leave her be. I said my goodbyes to Oshizu and decided to go home. The first thing I did was water, Celine. I missed this ''little'' nt of mine during my mission. I even took a short nap under her. It reminds me of the time I eat under Susy during PE. She was my favorite tree there, but she can''t beat Celine. I was woken up by Mikan, who had finished making dinner. I didn''t get a chance to test- *cough* I mean, prepare food for Rito today, but there will be more chances in the future. We ate as usual, and everyone was cheerful except for Rito, who sighed a few times and was ying with food thinking about something. Mikan couldn''t take it anymore and just asked straight. Mikan: "What happened Rito?" Rito: "What do you mean?" Rito decided to y dumb, but it wasn''t very effective. Mikan: "Rito, everyone here except L has known you our whole lives. We know when something is on your mind." Ryoto: "I can guess it has something to do with Haruna. I mean, she is the only thing on his mind as ofte." Rito: "Nii-san!!!" Rito stood up, shocked by hearing what I had just said. Ryoto: "What? It''s not a secret that you like her, and you know it. I think only Haruna herself doesn''t know about it. Why not just tell your older brother what the problem is. I don''t want to brag, but I have some experience with girls." Karen: "Liar, you definitely want to brag." ''If I can brag while sounding sympathetic, then you can bet I''m going to do it!'' Rito was thinking if he should tell me or not, but he decided to do it in the end. Rito: "Nii-san, do you believe in destiny?" Ryoto: "You mean fate. That everything we do is meaningless as if it was destined to happen it would no matter what?" He nodded, and I rubbed my chin to look wiser. Ryoto: "It''s a difficult question. I myself don''t believe in fate, but maybe I''m just breaking it without realization." Karen: "You literally stole Rito''s fate to be a harem king! You don''t have any right to say something like that!!!" I ignored Karen''s screaming and continued sharing my wisdom. Ryoto: "Even if there was destiny, I would try to smash it to pieces." Karen: "You already did!!! Just not yours." Rito: "I knew you would say something like that, Nii-san. You are strong, confident, and smart, but-" Karen: "If only he knew..." ''Yeah, I wasn''t the most emotionally stable person around.'' Ryoto: "But you don''t need these things to seed in what you want to do, right? You want to confess to Haruna, but every time you try, something goes wrong." Rito: "...Yes." Ryoto: "If you want to seed, then you must try even more. The winners fail more times than losers even tried." Rito: "But..." Ryoto: "No buts. You either do it, or someone else will get her." Rito: "Haruna-chan with someone other... I don''t like it." Ryoto: "Then go get her. Try, try and try until it finally works. Maybe she''ll finally notice." Rito: "Thanks, Nii-san! I feel better now!" Rito returned to his room in a better mood. Mikan: "Huh, so you can be smart if you want." Mikan tried to taunt me. Ryoto: "I can also give you headpats." And that''s precisely what I did. Every time I do that, it takes a longer time to shake me off. It looks like my taming goes along well. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 110: Adventure in the city Chapter 110: Adventure in the city (Ryoto''s pov) People say that a new day is the beginning of a new adventure. I like to say that a new day is the end of a very pleasurable battle. Am I bragging? A bit. But can you me me? I am sleeping with one of the most beautiful girls in the gxy, if not the universe. And she loves me, and I love her. Never mind that after the typical school day, I decided to go for a walk alone. L also went with other girls to Karaoke to have some girl fun. Walking around a city, I was looking for a candy shop so I could have a supply of lollipops. I can predict even without my ability that Kotegawa won''t like it very much but do I care enough to stop my not-addiction? The answer is no. Karen: "Ryoto, I think you have a problem." ''Wrong, it''s not a problem. It''s a solution.'' As I was trying Karen to convert to lollipops, I noticed a girl surrounded by three guys. If I had a nickel for every time I saw a girl I knew surrounded by three guys, I would have 2 nickels which isn''t a lot, but it''s weird it happened twice. Yui Kotegawa was reprimanding these guys about how they shouldn''t smoke and should do something with their life. The guys didn''t like it very much but noticing Yui''s look, they tried to have some fun with her. Kotegawa, of course, refused, but the thugs tried to force her into epting. Seeing her like this, I thought that I could do one nice thing for her, plus I was in a good mood after buying lollipops just a few moments earlier. Who am I kidding? I just couldn''t look away when she was in trouble. No one deserves to be in this situation. I walked up to them without anyone noticing and put my arms around two of the guys scaring them in the process. Ryoto: "Hello guys, whatchadooooin?" Thug 1: "What the hell!!?" Thug 2: "Where did hee from!!?" Ryoto: "From behind, of course." Thug 1: "Do you think this is funny!!? Ryoto: A little." The third Thug seemed to be smarter than the other two and tried first negotiating with me. Thug 3: "Let''s calm down first. How about you go do your business as usual and let us have some fun with this girl over here, and everyone is happy." He put a hand on my shoulder and squeezed it a little. Is he trying to Intimidate me? I looked at Kotegawa, and she looked a little scared. I saw that she tried to hide it, though. It''s not that surprising, though, as the moment the third thug moved closer to me, they positioned themselves next to Yui from both of her sides. Well, asserting dominance over some thugs sounds like a fun idea, but how should I do it? There are so many ways. Hmm. ''Hey Karen, you are kind of an expert on humiliating people. What are you rmending? I could make them faint with Haoshoku Haki, but it would be boring. I could also put their pants on fire or other clothes, maybe their hair? I could also draw out their hidden desires. They definitely look like they have some embarrassing secrets. Using my math skills, I could also give them some bad luck after I''m done with them. The possibilities are endless!'''' Karen: "Tsk, tsk, tsk. That''s why you are still an amateur Ryoto. First of all, why choose when you could use multiple methods in session. If it were me, I would release a bit of killing intent. Enough for them to be scared but not enough for them to faint. You have the skills to avoid Kotegawa with your intent, as you would probably do. Then you web up their mouth but not nose." ''Why not nose? Wouldn''t it be better for them to be scared as they can''t breathe because of the webbing?'' Karen: "Actually, it''s better to not do that and scare them a little about what you can do. The imagination of people do wonders sometimes. In my opinion, using your eyes every time can get boring. You need to get creative. For example, you can use your web as a timer. Web, all of them, up and put one loose string on fire, and look how it slowly creeps up towards them. But the fun part is to discover these methods on your own." ''Keren... you are a genius!'' Karen: "Tell me something I don''t know." Karen was rightfully proud of her violence expertise. ''Pumpkins are not the first vegetables to be carved on Halloween. Celtic people in Irnd were carving turnips and lighting them with embers to ward off evil spirits.'' Karen: "..." ''...'' Karen: "Just because you have Inte doesn''t mean you should search up useless things." ''Actually, it was Koro-sensei who thought me that as a fun fact of a day. It was also on Halloween, and we even dressed up as famous monsters.'' Karen: "What kind of monster were you?" ''Kappa.'' Karen: "...Really?" ''I know, not the most original, but I scared Terasaka bying out of the river, so it was worth it. I even use water bending to create a bubble around my head and stay underwater as long as it was needed.'' Karen: "Now we''re talking!!!" As I was having a conversation with Karen, I stood there motionless. One of the thugs even waved his in front of my face. Thug 1: "Do you think he got so scared that he froze up?" Thug 2: "No, I think I got the power to freeze people. Yesterday I got a big brain freeze, and just like Spider-man, I got power." He looked at his hands, realizing how powerful he had be. Thug 2: "You mean that you ate radioactive ice cream? Dude!" Thug 1: "Dude!'' Thug 2: "Hey, test your power on boss next." Thug 1: "On it!" He tried with all his might to freeze his boss but with no effect. Ryoto: "Wow, these guys are idiots." While showing a visible disappointment, the third thug agreed. He also didn''t realize that I was fully focused once more. I decided to try out things Karma liked to do. Because of him, I started having some spices on me. I mostly use them to ''better'' the dishes when I''m eating at the cafeteria, but today, I''ll use them in another way. First, I let out some of my killing intent, snapping back all of the three thugs to reality. Now they looked at me, scared. I quickly webbed them up and hung them upside-down. Strangely enough, one of them called me Peter. They started screaming, but most of the people ignored us. Not even one informed the police about the ident. I''m starting to lose faith in humanity... Who am I kidding? I already lost it, but people around me don''t help in changing my mind on that topic. Back to the torture we go. I have three victims scared for their life, but thankfully they don''t need to fear for that. I mixed some spices and forced them into their mouth, nose, and eyes. I understood why Karma liked to do it that much. Done with now unconscious testing subjects, I turned to Kotegawa and gave her a lollipop. Ryoto: "I know that you can''t ignore when someone is misbehaving, but there are some people that aren''t as nice as me, so you need to be careful." I said that as I was putting back all my spices. Kotegawa, on the other hand, was looking at the lollipop in her hand in a daze. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 111: Another one down? Chapter 111: Another one down? (Yui''s pov) After a small fight with my brother about him walking around the house shirtless, I decided to walk around a city to cool down. He even said that I''ll never find a boyfriend with an attitude like mine. I don''t even need a boyfriend! That talk about a boyfriend led my thoughts to Ryoto Yuuki. A troublemaker that I''m working on fixing. His shameless behavior esctes every day. He even has a girlfriend, and from what I''ve heard, they are... close. Too close. Students'' duty is to study, and while I don''t think it''s wrong to have a rtionship outside of school, it''s only a distraction during school hours. ... But I can''t even call him out on that since his grades are above average to perfect, depending on the subject. Is my life a lie? No!!! I''ll correct his behavior. I won''t let him turn to someone like my brother! As I was walking around, I noticed three thugs smoking and disturbing everyone around by being too loud. I, of course, needed to stop them. Yui: "Hey, you people! You are disturbing everyone around!" Thug 1: "Huh? Are you talking to us?" Yui: "YES!" The thugs looked at each other for a moment and turned their attention to me again. Thug 2: "Hey, don''t you think she is pretty hot?" Thug: "I was thinking the same thing." They started surrounding me, and I realized that I may be in trouble. I looked around for anyone who could help me, but people just walked further while avoiding eye contact. As I was about to at least try to run away, Ryoto Yuuki appeared practically out of nowhere. He saved me from the thugs and tortured them while he was at it. Afterward, he gave me a lollipop. I looked at the candy in my hand in a daze. My brother used to give me candies when I was crying when we were younger. I smiled, recalling that good memory. I thanked Ryoto-kun for the help and decided to go back home for now, but the whole way, my mind was upied by Ryoto-kun. (Mikan''s pov) Today it''s Ryoto''s turn to make dinner. I should be scared of what will happen when I''ll eat it, but thest time it was so delicious I couldn''t stop eating. Because of that, I anticipate the food he''ll make. Besides, I really appreciate that he tries to help around the house. Thanks to him, I have more time for myself which is always good. I returned from school and had wanted to eat a popsicle. We always had some in the freezer, so I headed to the kitchen to witness Ryoto in his lollipops apron. It wasn''t strange in itself, but I could see that he didn''t have any clothes under it. I looked at him with my eyes deprived of emotions. Mikan: "What are you doing?" He looked at me, confused. Ryoto: "A meat-stuffed paprika... I wanted to try out something new..." I decided to ask straight since it didn''t look like he nned to answer otherwise. Mikan: "Why don''t you wear anything under your apron?" Ryoto: "Not true! I still have my underwear on!" He then turned away to look at the oven and showed off his back in the process. ... He lied. He was naked underneath. I''ll ignore it for now. It''s not the strangest thing that he did. Is it bad that it doesn''t even phase me anymore? I mean, we are bathing together from time to time, so seeing his naked back doesn''t embarrass me too much. I just took what I got here for and tried to go back to the living room, but I was stopped by Ryoto. Ryoto: "Don''t eat too much ice cream. Dinner will be ready soon." Mikan: "Yeah, don''t worry. Girls have another stomach for sweets." About 40 minutester, we ate dinner. It was, of course, delicious, and thankfully, my clothes didn''t fly off me this time. I looked at Ryoto, and he just smiled at me. I also noticed that he started walking around the house with his eyes open more often. Does it mean he is morefortable now? The reason is not important now, but they really look pretty. During dinner, we talked about some mundane things. L was the most excited as always. Now that I think about the house really got more lively since she moved in. Not only that. Ryoto is also happier and closer than he was before. I hope that it stays like this for a long time. I took another bite of the food Ryot made and swore to myself that I''ll improve my cooking in the future. (Ryoto''s pov) Well, the fun has ended. The contraceptive that Sophia gave me just finished, so I need to ask either Sophia or Mikado-sensei for more because I''m not ready to be a father. Maybe even a little scared of being one. Since I''m not sure if I would be a good one. Let''s just say I didn''t have the best example in both of my lives. Right now, I have a dad who works the whole time and doesn''t visit most of the year. He even let Mikan take care of the house. But part of it is my fault as well. That''s why I''m trying to help her more as ofte. In my previous life, my father was a lot worse. Just thinking about him makes me wanna vomit. He was destroying my mom with his behavior. Not caring about anything, doing whatever he wanted, killing himself by doing drugs, and bing more and more aggressive. I''m still regretting that I couldn''t stand up to him. But enough of this depressing stuff. I need these pills, or I can''t snu-snu with L, and that''s bad. The question is, who am I going to ask for the pills? Sophia or Mikado? Wait. Would they even work? Mikado said that my blood destroys everything foreign. I started panicking a little inside, but I calmed down fast. I have had this blood for some time already, and I''m doing it with L practically every day, so I think she would already be pregnant by now, but I''ll ask Mikado-sensei about it today and if she finds out something new about my blood. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 112: Answers to some questions and last hope Chapter 112: Answers to some questions andst hope (Yui''s pov) I was monitoring the hallway as I do it every day. I was still thinking about what happened yesterday. Maybe Ryoto isn''t as bad as I thought he was. As that thought went through my head, I saw Ryoto-kun walking down the hallway, smoking a cigarette. I practically turned red from anger. Just when I was starting to think he was not so bad, he does something like that. I walked up to him in quick steps. Yui: "Ryoto Yuuki! What is the meaning of this!? Why are you smoking in school!?" Ryoto stopped walking and looked at me with his closed eyes. Ryoto: "I''m not smoking." Yui: "Stop telling me such an obvious lie! I can see smokeing from it!" Why am I so angry? Usually, I would just send a student to the teacher and let them handle the situation. Do I feel betrayed? Because I know that he isn''t so bad deep down. Ryoto: "I''m just licking it so fast it creates fire on the end of the stick. Look." To my surprise, he took out a lollipop from his mouth, showing me the candy. Ryoto: "See, just a candy. I''m not dumb enough to destroy my life with cigarettes. That''s for other people to do. I prefer harmless lollipops over them." A lollipop? Just lollipop? I felt so stupid, but candies in school are also forbidden, so I took them from him. He looked heartbroken because of my action. Ryoto: "Kotegawa-san, are you a monster?" Yui: "Huh?" Ryoto: "You can''t just take away man''s candy. It''s against the rules!" Yui: "So is being in possession of candies on the school campus." Hearing that, Ryoto-kun grabbed me by the wrist and dragged me somewhere. I didn''t know where I stared at his hand holding my wrist. I could swear a cloud of smoke wasing from my ears. His hand was big and could circle around my wrist without any problem. Ryoto-Kun''s voice woke me up from my daydreaming. Ryoto: "Principal!!! What is the meaning of this!!?" The principal was sitting in his office reading some i-indecent magazines. I''ll need to confiscate themter. Principal: "Hmm? What is the problem here." He said seriously as he put down the magazine. Ryoto: "I just heard that candies are forbidden inside a school campus!" Principal: "Yes, that''s one of the rules. Is something wrong with it?" Ryoto: "The problem is with the rule itself. What kind of monster created it!? Change it now!" Principal: "Now, now, calm down. I can''t just change the rules on the spot. There are certain steps I need to follow and..." It''s the first time I''ve seen our principal act like a principal. Ryoto-kun walked up to the principal and whispered something to him. I couldn''t hear what he said to him, but the principal paled and looked with fear at Ryoto through his ck sunsses. Principal: "I''ll allow it!!! I''ll even build a candy shop inside the school!!! Just don''t let him near me!!! I just freed myself from him!!!" He then hid under his desk and stayed there. Ryoto, on the other hand, looked at me with a smug expression. Ryoto: "Looks like candies are legal now." He patted my head as he left. It was a very nice feeling, and the top of my head felt as if it was missing something when he took his hand back. Wait, did he just legalize sweets in school? (Ryoto''s pov) Well, I fixed one of the school problems, so it''s time to do what I wanted to do from the beginning before Kotegawa-san interrupted me. I headed to the nurse''s office to find Mikado-sensei. I stormed inside because my question is crucial. Ryoto: "Mikado-sensei!!! I have a question!" Mikado was currently drinking a cup of coffee and was reading a newspaper. Probably not Earth''s newspaper, though. She looked at me curiously. Ryouko: "No need for screaming. Calm down, take a seat and tell me what''s on your mind." Yeah, I''m kind of on edge since I thought about the possibility of L being pregnant. I sat down, took a deep breath, and started talking. Ryoto: "I was thinking yesterday about the effectiveness of the contraceptive pills since we already established that my blood destroys anything foreign, so I''m starting to panic thinking that I got L pregnant and I don''t know what should I do and, and..." Ryouko: "Calm down, calm down. Take a deep breath." I once again took deep breaths. Ryoto: "Sorry. It''s just this situation is beyond me. It''s not that I don''t want to create a family with L, but I feel like it''s too early for that." At this moment, a cup of tea was put in front of me on the table. It was Oshizu in a nurse uniform. She still didn''t go to school here but helped Mikado in her job as her assistant. She, however, ns to enroll starting the next school year. Ryoto: "Thanks Oshizu. Sorry I didn''t say hello. I didn''t notice you." Shizu: "Don''t worry about it. I''m used to it." It''s not something you should get used to, but she was a ghost, so it makes sense. Ryouko: This tea will help you calm down, and while you drink it, I''ll exin some things I discovered and concluded." I did what she advised me to. Ryouko: "The first thing I tested was how your blood reacts to nutrients. Surprisingly it destroyed them. I can''t say without further examination, but we can assume that something happens in your body that change ''the foreign'' substance into a ''friendly'' one. I say that because you are not dead or severely weakened. If your blood was destroying anything ites into contact with, no matter how much you ate, you wouldn''t get any value from it. But that''s not the case here, as we can see. There wasn''t anything wrong with your blood." Hearing that, I started sweating a bit. Isn''t it bad that there wasn''t anything wrong? I took the pill a night before, and its effects should work for 24 hours, ording to Mikado-sensei. Ryoto: "Mikado-sensei, isn''t it bad, though. I took a pill night before, so shouldn''t there be some kind of evidence of it in my blood?" Mikado stopped drinking her coffee and started thinking. Ryouko: "...Well, yes. While there wouldn''t be a big difference, I would certainly notice it. We can then assume that they don''t work anymore." She said it calmly, but I, on the other hand, was internally panicking again, but I calmed down after I drank some tea. Ryoto: "So does that mean that the possibility of L being pregnant is high, isn''t it?" Ryouko: "Not exactly. Devilukean females are not a very fertile species. Ironically, males are very fertile. Not only that, but L is a hybrid. She is part Devilukean and part Charmian another very infertile species, so getting L pregnant is not an easy feat. You would need to have sex with her every day while finishing inside every time to even get a chance." She made a joke, but I wasn''tughing and just hung my head low. Seeing that, she widened her eyes while Shizu''s face turned red. Ryouko: "Really? You were doing it every day?" I nodded. Mikado scratched the back of her head. Ryouko: "That makes the chances slightly higher, but I still would say it''s 80-90% for L not being pregnant, but we can''t be sure without doing a pregnancy test. Besides bing a father, you wouldn''t need to worry about pregnancy in itself. Charmian''s pregnancy isn''t noticeable until thest month, and I suspect that would be the case for L as well, so there wouldn''t be a problem with school during this period. Remember, that''s just if she is pregnant. We don''t know for sure right now." She tried to reassure me, but I didn''t like my chances. Wait! I got my blood in another world when my and L''s bodies were technically younger, and when we got back, we returned to normal. Would L stay pregnant when she got back? That is myst hope because only four days have passed since we got back. Ryoto: "Thanks for everything, Mikado-sensei, and thanks for the tea Shizu. I''ll see youter." I need to find Sophia. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 113: Talk with Sophia Chapter 113: Talk with Sophia (Ryoto''s pov) Finding Sophia was harder to find than I initially thought it would be. The problem was that she wasn''t in the faculty office, so she could be anywhere in the school. I asked around, and I learned that she was in ss 2-D right now. Why didn''t I check that ss from the beginning? I don''t know. Why should I think of this ss as the first to check out? I walked inside, and I didn''t know that it was the ss of the Ojou-sama and her two followers. Or did I know and I forgot? It''s not important, so I''ll ignore that thought. In the ssroom, I saw Sohpia talking with Saki. Sophia: "...Don''t worry, as long as you are honest with your feeling, you can get any man. Trust Onee-San on this!" Saki: "I see, but my loved one is currently in a rtionship, so I don''t think it would work..." I don''t have a whole day as the break will soon end. Ryoto: "Sophia, I need to have a word with you." Sophia: "Can you wait a moment? I''m talking to Saki-chan." She then resumed talking with Saki. While waiting till the next break is an option, I want to get my answers as soon as possible. Otherwise, I''ll be a bundle of nerves for the next hour or so. I decided to use my secret weapon to get Sophia''s attention. Ryoto: "Sophia-nee, I need to talk with you about something." Hearing the magical ''Sophia-nee'', Sophia immediately reacted. Sophia: "Why didn''t you say so!? Let''s go!!!" She then turned to Saki. Sophia: "Sorry, Saki-chan, I have to go now!" She then picked me up under her armpit before I even noticed and exited the ssroom leaving the whole ss dumbfounded. Secondster, I found myself in the teacher''s office. I looked around, and the room was empty. No people insight. Sophia: "No one will disturb us here. So tell your Onee-San, what she can help you with?" She was delighted being called ''Sophia-nee'', and it showed. I, on the other hand, am still nervous about the answers I''ll get. Ryoto: "I have a question regarding some things..." Sophia: "This Onee-San will answer them to the best of her ability!" Ryoto: "...OK. You know how L and I were aged down in another world, right...?" She nodded. Ryoto: "...And you gave me the contraceptive pills, the same kind Mikado-sensei gave me before..." Sophia: "Yes, I prepared exactly the same you were using until that point. There is not any difference." She sounded proud of herself. Ryoto: "The problem is because they were the same. I discovered that for some reason, they don''t work on me anymore, so I need to know what would technically happen if I got L pregnant there. Would she stay pregnant after she returned, or... something different would happen?" Sophia started thinking. Sophia: "I''m a bit sure as I''m not an expert in that field, but I know exactly the guy that will answer to all of your questions." She took out her phone and dialed a number. Sophia: "Hello, Truck-kun? Remember Ryoto? He has some questions about..." She then exined the whole situation to Truck-kun over the phone. Sophia: "Aha... aha... really...? But what about...?" It went for a few minutes until Sophia finally disconnected. Sophia: "From what Truck-kun told me, if L got pregnant and was, for example, 3 months pregnant, she would still be 3 months pregnant when she returned. The baby would also be safe. Good to know." Ryoto: "Wait, so you didn''t know what would happen?" Sophia: "I only wanted to send L back to her original world while aging her up to the current L, so I didn''t know how it would affect the baby." She then widened her eyes, realizing something, and from her smile, I could tell it was something she was very happy about. Sophia: "Wait, does that mean L is pregnant!!? Yay!!! I bet your children will be either very cute or very handsome, depending on gender! I''ll also be their friendly neighborhood, Onee-San!" Seeing me not having any reaction, she stopped her rumbling and hugged me. My face was buried in her cleavage. The aura around changedpletely. Right now, it was gentle. I felt safe just by being around her and felt like everything is going to be fine. Sophia: "You are scared, aren''t you? This situation overwhelms you, and you don''t know what the future holds. But don''t forget, you are not alone. You can get all the help you need." Her voice was even more soothing than usual, and for the first time, I was the one being patted on the head. We stayed like this for a while until I decided to free myself from suffocation. Sophia: "Are you feeling better?" Ryoto: "Yeah, thanks. But I want to correct you. It''s not 100% sure that she is pregnant, but the possibility exists." Sophia: "Do you want me to check it?" Ryoto: "No, I need to talk with L first. W need to decide how do we want to proceed with this information. If she is pregnant, I''ll do everything I can to be a good father and partner, and if she''s not, I''ll be more careful to not do anything like this by ident in the future." Sophia, on the other hand, gave me a knowing smile. Ryoto: "Don''t tell me you looked into the future right now..." She instantly looked away and whistled. Sophia: "...Not true." She can''t lie, can she." Ryoto: "Can you at least tell me why you were so hyped about me having children?" Sophia: "As I said before, I would be a cool older sister to them! We would y together, have fun, and more!!!" Ryoto: "Wouldn''t you be more of an auntie than Onee-San, though? Since you pretended to be my sister." As these words left my mouth, I felt incredible danger like nothing before. All my hair on both of my arms, legs, and neck. My spider-sense went into overdrive like never before, and all of my instincts screamed at me to run away as far as possible. I instinctively jumped onto the ceiling as soon as it happened. My reaction time was fast as all that happened in no more than 0.5 seconds. Karen: "Shouldn''t have said that. You should not have said that. Sophia hates when someone calls her aunt or auntie. I once did that, and I didn''t want to see glitter for at least the next 20 years." Ryoto: "Couldn''t you warn me before?" Karen: "I didn''t expect you to say it, but I don''t think you need to worry this time." Ryoto: "Why?" Before I noticed it, I was standing in front of Sophia, who looked... surprisingly calm. Sophia: "Because right now you are very stressed because of this situation, I''ll let that slide, but..." She got closer so she could whisper in my ear. Sophia: The next time you call me auntie, Onee-san will teach you why she is Onee-san." Note to myself, don''t piss off Sophia. --- END (Question for all readers. Why do people dislike when there is someone other than MC that is reincarnated in a fanfic? I think that more characters that know the plot would make it more interesting at times. Imagine that MC reincarnates in anime/manga that he knows but some things are off. Characters that he doesn''t recognize are all around, the plot isn''t the same as he remembers all that can be exined by it being an AU and being a real world. So the story would be about discovering what changed, why, and by who while also trying to be stronger. Does it sound like a good story or Nah? I''m just curious because I''ve seen hate for these kinds of stories. I''m not nning on writing it.) Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 114: The answer Chapter 114: The answer (A/N Thanks for all of your answers to my question in the previous chapter. You don''t need to worry about me adding another reincarnator to this story. I was just curious.) (Ryoto''s pov) It was the evening of the same day, and I was lying in bed together with L. We were cuddling with each other. I decided to talk with L right now. Ryoto: "Hey L, I have something important to tell you." I sounded uncharacteristically serious, and L took notice of it. I decided to sit with my back resting against the headboard. L sat between my legs and leaned against my chest. I put my arms around her in that position and pit my chin on top of her head. L: "What is it, Ryoto? Did something bad happen?" Ryoto: "I don''t know... I just wanted to inform you what I learned today." L nodded slowly. Ryoto: "You know that my blood became very poisonous/corrosive some time ago. Because of it, the pills I took so you wouldn''t get pregnant weren''t effective anymore, so there is a possibility of you being pregnant..." I waited for L to say anything because silence would be unbearable, but that''s precisely what happened. L didn''t say anything, but she put her hands on her stomach. L: "Am I pregnant?" Ryoto: "I don''t know. We would need to go to Mikado-sensei to do a pregnancy test, but there is a possibility since we have sex every night. What are your thoughts on that?" L turned her head to me and looked straight into my eyes. L: "I don''t mind being pregnant with our child, but why are you so scared?" Seen right through me, huh? Am I that easy to read? Ryoto: "It just feels like it''s too early for us being parents. It''s not like I don''t want to, but I don''t like it being outside my control. However, if we are expecting a child, then I''ll do everything to make them and you happy." L suddenly changed her position and hugged me while rubbing her face on my chest. L: "And I''ll do everything to make our baby and you happy as well! But don''t forget Kaede and Rio too!" I felt a little embarrassed as I wanted to keep them away for at least some time, but she was right. I''ll need to tell them as well, but right now, I''ll focus on L. After all, we are in it together after all, and we''ll support each other even if everyone else is against us. I think it''s the first time I''m counting on someone else in a long time, but that''s fine. I''ll try to be a better version of myself than I was yesterday. Isn''t that right, Koro-sensei? --- Today is Sunday, and together with L, we decided to visit Mikado-sensei to finally find out the truth about me being a father or not. The whole way there, I felt pretty nervous. I mean, I am ready (I think) for whatever ising, but my emotions aren''t synchronized with my thoughts. L calmed me down by holding my hand. She didn''t say anything, just looked at me and smiled, and I felt like all my worries had disappeared. I sometimes feel that I don''t deserve her. We didn''t say anything until we got to Mikado''s house. Apparently, Mikado was awaiting our visit and had everything ready. She took L to a different room to do some tests. Not only to check if she''s pregnant, but also Mikado needs to see if everything is in order. L is a hybrid of two species, so our child would be part human, part Devilukean and part Charmian. Not to mention my ''mutations''. I was waiting outside theb, awaiting the news. My heart was beating hard and fast. I tapped my foot and tried to focus my thoughts on anything other than the pregnancy. Shizu was helping Mikado, so I was alone with my thoughts, and in this type of situation, it''s not always a good thing. After I don''t know how long the three girls came back. L had a warm smile and had her hands on her stomach. I didn''t need anyone to tell me what that meant. L: "Ryoto, we''ll be parents." She said in a quiet voice. She doesn''t speak that way often, seldom even. I was stunned for a moment. I''ll be a parent, a father. I''ll have a real family, a family of my own. Without thinking, I ran up to L, lifted her up, spun around, and kissed her. After I let her down, we had our arms around each other, and our foreheads were touching. Ryouko: "*Cough*." Mikado-sensei got our attention. Ryouko: "It''s nice to be young, but we need to go over a few things first..." I learned a few new things about Devilukean/Charmian pregnancy. I already knew that the pregnancy of a Charmian species was not visible until thest month. That''s because they evolved to be as beautiful as possible, so even during the pregnancy, they look the same for as long as possible. L is 4 weeks pregnant, and the pregnancy will take about 9 months, so about the same as Earthlings. Everything is in order, but L will need to go through regr checkups. There will also be some ''side effects'' because of pregnancy. There are normal ones like morning sickness, mood swings, and the like. Still, there will also be more... unusual ones like not being able to control strength, losing strength to the level of being an ordinary human, randomly firing off theser from the tail, and more. Hearing that, I know that there will be many problems ahead of me, but strangely, I feel like everything will be alright. After Mikado exined most of the things I needed to know, she said. Ryouko: "...But I''m surprised that you take this news so well." Ryoto: "I had some time to think and realized that I''m not alone in it, and I can always count on others to help. Yes, it will be challenging to take care of a baby while going to school. I''ll do everything in my power to make them happy." Ryouko: "That''s good, but I was thinking, how are you going to tell this news to your and L''s family. While yours isn''t a problem, I imagine the king of Deviluke won''t sit quietly hearing about his oldest daughter being pregnant at the age of 16." ... I take it back. Nothing will be alright. This is doomed. Knowing this L''s father, he will destroy me and this if he doesn''t like me in the slightest. As I was thinking of a n to prevent a ''bad end'', L hugged me tighter. L: "Don''t worry! If I exin to papa everything properly, then it will be fine!" She tried to reassure me, but it didn''t help, or at least in a way she meant. Her words only strengthen my resolution about protecting my family, and I think I know exactly how to do that, thanks to a little small fact about Gid. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 115: Sharing the news Chapter 115: Sharing the news (Ryoto''s pov) The next day L got her first morning sickness. It waster than usual, but every person is different. I held L''s hair the entire time. It was heard in the entire house as Mikan came to the bathroom, worried. Mikan: "Hey, is everything alright. I heard a vomiting sound from downstairs." Ryoto: "It''s nothing. L just had her morning sickness-." I stopped talking as I realized what I had just said. Let''s just say it wasn''t the best way to share the news with Mikan. I felt a hand on my shoulder that tried to squeeze it enough to hurt me. An angry little sister was behind me as my fianc was throwing out yesterday''s dinner. Not the best situation to be in. Mikan: "Ryoto, what is the meaning of this?" It was the calmest voice I heard from Mikan, and when someone angry looks calm, then it''s bad. Ryoto: "Mikan, my dear little sister. Can we talk about it a littleter?" She agreed that it was not a good time as L''s stomach decided that it didn''t like my cooking anymore. Shortly after we exited the bathroom and went downstairs to eat breakfast before school, I needed to inform Mikan and Rito about L''s status. They are also a family, and we live under the same roof. It was Mikan''s turn to make breakfast, so I waited patiently with L next to me. We were visible closer, and it was noticed by Mikan and Utsu as well. Penguins didn''t notice anything, but it was because one was a science freak, the other was an explosive maniac, another one was paranoid, and thest one was watching anime. Rito was in a group that didn''t notice anything. He was too sleepy for that. I saw that Utsu was considering something, and after he decided on something, he walked up to L and put his paw on her stomach. Utsu: "Woof!" (So you''ll be born unhorny.)" ... I don''t know what to say to that, so I''ll ignore it. As we were enjoying breakfast, I was thinking about how I should break the news, but after some more thinking, I decided to be as blunt as possible. Ryoto: "Rito, Mikan, I have something to tell both of you." I gathered Rito''s attention as Mikan already had hers on me. Ryoto: "I, together with L, are expecting a child." There was a silence, but Private hearing the news was happy, and in this silence, there was the sound of joy filling the air. It was a bit awkward. Private: "Yay! A house filled with children is a happy house!" *SLAP* He was pped by Skipper. Skipper: "Calm down, Private!" He said as he was shaking him by the wings. It looks like he wasn''t calm himself. Skipper: "I''ll be an uncle. I''ll be an uncle." He was speaking quietly, but I could still hear him. Rico: "Kaboom?" Skipper: "No Rico, we are not exploding the child. These years are over." Wait, what? Did he just say that they used to explode children? Is that what happened in Danmark? On the other hand, Rito was surprisingly calm. At first, he was shocked, but it turned into being calm. Rito: "Nii-san,e on. I almost believed you." Heughed it off. Mikan, on the other hand, was judging me heavily. I could feel it, but she didn''t seem angry. Mikan: "What are you nning to do now?" Ryoto: "As I''ve said to L many times before, I''ll do everything in my power to make them happy." I said, full of conviction seen in my eyes. Mikan seeing it looked me starlight into them to look for any lies, but then she sighed. Mikan: "*Sigh* I see that you are telling the truth. I think that it''s too early for you to be a parent, but I''ll help as much as I can." I smiled gently as I felt fortunate to have a responsible little sister like her. Ryoto: "Thanks, Mikan, it really means a lot to me." Mikan: "Don''t mention it. We are family, and we are meant to help each other in difficult times." Rito looked between Mikan and me, confused. Rito: "Why are you so serious, Mikan? Nii-san is just joking." Mikan looked at Rito as if he was brain dead. I also did the same. Ryoto: "Rito, I''m not joking. We went to the doctor yesterday, and L is 100% pregnant with my child." Rito became red as his brain could handle his vast imagination, even though he was aware that L and I were having sex. He learned about it when L announced after our first night that we had made a baby. Now that I think about it, did she foreshadow it happening? I''m just joking, of course, but it''s funny how she said that we made a baby, and for everyone else, one and half monthster, we find out that L is pregnant. Comedy gold that only I understand. Mikan: "But didn''t you take some kind of pull that prevent pregnancy? What happened to it? Don''t tell me you forgot to take it." Ryoto: "Because of something, they stopped working on me. I didn''t even know about it until two days ago. Trust me, if I could choose, I would wait for L and I to graduate first, but I can''t change something that already happened. That''s why I''ll do my best." Mikan raised her eyebrow, a little confused. Mikan: "It stopped working? Why?" Already used to showing off my blood, I took the knife and pricked my finger, making a hole in the table. Rito''s and Mikan''s eyes went wide open. Ryoto: "I don''t know why but my blood be like this. I''m currently doing some tests about it, but we found out that the pills aren''t effective. We don''t know why it''s like this, but we theorized that medicine would have little to no effect on me. I''m not in any danger as the blood behaves like normal inside my body, but I need to be careful about my surroundings from now on." Mikan: "How long is that a thing?" Ryoto: "I don''t know since I don''t hurt myself all that often, but we can assume that it was over a month ago that it turned like this. L is 4 weeks pregnant after all." For the remaining free time, we talked more about the future and how we n on taking care of a kid since we all will still be going to school. To be honest, I was also thinking about it, but for now, it''s not my priority. I have a lot of time for that. First, I need somehow break the news to my father-inw, which will be catastrophic no matter how I do it, so I''ll prepare for that. I''ll train like crazy and have n B ready. I depend on n B a lot as the first n has a low sess chance. Other than these two ns, I have nothing. If they fail, then it''s the end, but I have high hopes for the second one. It will be hard to pull off, but I have time. The following 8 months will be interesting, to say the least. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 116: Utsu in school Chapter 116: Utsu in school (A/N Bonus chapter becasue not only I had some time but also you guys gave me a lot of stones this week ;) (Ryoto''s pov) On the way to school, I decided to tell L that she shouldn''t say anything about being pregnant for now. Especially Zastin. If Zastin knows about it, he will tell Gid 10 out of 10 times, and I don''t want that to happen just yet. For now, we will also keep in the dark our ssmates as well. There is also good news. If everything goes as it should, the kid will be born in August, during summer vacation. I also took Utsu to school. He wanted to bonk some people, and I didn''t mind it. In ss, we were talking as usual. Risa: "Hey, isn''t L-chii behaving a little strange?" Ryoto: "Strange? What do you mean?" Risa: "I don''t know. The aura around her is kind of... different." Ryoto: "...I don''t know what you mean. She seems normal to me." She tried to uncover what I know, but she couldn''t, so she just shrugged it off. Utsu wasn''t in the ssroom right now and went around the school looking for his next ''victim''. (Utsu''s pov) I asked my master to take me to school to purge it from horny as there is a lot of horny energy around this school. He will be a father soon, and I''ll do everything in my power to create an unhorny world for the child. That doesn''t mean that I won''t bonk my master when he''s horny. My bat doesn''t care if you are a girl, man, old, young, king, or beggar. It just cares if you''re horny. And there are plenty of horny people here, and the most horny one is the short fat one known as the principal. I know that I only slow him down in his horny journey, but I''ll do what I can for now. I chose the time of our duel during ss hours so I won''t disturb unhorny students. I walked up to the principal office, ready to battle, and he was waiting there, reading unholy text. Utsu: "Woof!" (Prepare for battle!) Principal: "Huh?" I swung my bat at him and struck him in the head. He felt unconscious, but I knew as soon as he wakes up, he''ll be back to his horny self. I weep at my own weakness. Can''t even reform a single person. What kind of Bonk Doge am I if I can''t even do this. But I won''t give up. I''ll train until I am able to do it! Now that I look at theying body of my mortal enemy, the battle ended very anticlimactically. I expected more from my enemy. I say that, but I know his resistance against bonk is higher than anyone else in this school. I walked away from the office disappointed in myself and walked around looking for other targets. I didn''t find anyone as everyone was still in sses, so I decided to walk to the nurse''s office. I know that this specific room is often a source of horny. Inside I found two people. One adult in ab coat and a student dressed up as a nurse. If I remember correctly, she was scared of dogs... I''m screwed. Thest time I wasn''t scared because not only my master was there, but also I was in my bonk mode but now... Noticing me, the older woman walked up to the nurse and injected something into her with a syringe. It made the nurse fall asleep quickly, so the adult helped hery on one of the beds. After that, she turned to me. Ryouko: "Hello, little fellow. You are Ryoto''s dog, aren''t you? You shouldn''t wander around the school while Shizu is working here. I don''t want to rece any equipment here as of yet." Everything she said and did sound flirty. From the way she talked to the way she walked. She is a dangerous enemy, so I decided to bonk her just in case. As I swung my bat, itnded between her breast. My eyes went wide open. She countered my bonk with paizuri. She is more dangerous than I imagined. Ryouko: "You wanted to y? Sorry but I have some things to do right now, but you can stay here as long as you want." I decide to stay here and observe her for now. --- Nothing happened. Absolutely nothing happened. Was I wrong? Is this woman not horny after all? I need to apologize if that''s the case. Utsu: "Woof!" (I apologize for my earlier behavior.) I said as I lowered my head slightly. She looked away from her papers and smiled gently. Ryouko: "What, you want me to scratch behind your ear?" She then started scratching the best ce behind my ear. It was veryfortable and pleasant, and I lost myself in pleasure. I quickly returned to my senses and ran away. I was right. She was dangerous. I run away so I won''t submit myself to the dark side. --- It was a break between sses, but I didn''t return to my master. First, I bonked the principal one more time because I felt frustrated about what had happened before. After that, I looked through other ssrooms. Rin: "Saki-sama, isn''t it Ryoto''s dog?" Someone recognized me. It was a girl with long ck hair tied in a ponytail. She also had a sword with her. Is she one of my people? Saki: "You''re right, Rin. Ryoto-sama is not only charming but also kind to take care of an animal. And from the looks of it, he takes exceptional care of him." Said the blonde girl. Aya: "Saki-sama, maybe you should try to make this dog like you. If you do that, Yuuki-kun will look at you in a more positive light." A ck-haired with sses said. Saki: "Great idea Aya." The blond girl rang someone with her home, and momentster, a butler came to the ssroom with many different snacks. Saki: "Nowe here. You can eat whatever you want." She seems horny, but maybe she isn''t so bad. Everything I tasted was delicious. It was not on the level of my master''s cooking, but it was still delicious. Utsu: "Woof!" (I''ll spare you this time.) My quest to destroy horny continues. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 117: Ambush Chapter 117: Ambush (A/N Bonus bonus chapter. Praise me.) (Ryoto''s pov) The school had ended, and L was dragged away by the girls once again. Is it the famous woman''s instinct that lets them know that something is different? Who knows. Bit, it''s good that L has friends she can spend time with. Now that I think about it, do I have to make friends? Rito is my brother, so he doesn''t count. Kenichi is too perverted, so no. Zastin thinks of me as a higher-up since I''m L''s fianc. I think I can only think of Jugemu as a friend. I''m not counting Karma since he is in another world and all. But now that I have some free time, I probably should use it to train. I decided, however, to take a short walk to rx. I noticed a trail of lollipops near the river. Thest time it happened, I mat Truck-kun, so I did what every sensible person would and picked up every candy that I found. As I picked up thest lollipop that was very one to the water, someone jumped out of the river. Alme: "Got ya!" To my surprise, she used the water around her to attack me. She used something simr to water bending. A giant water attack wasing my way, but I was calm. The most fundamental element of water bending is using your enemy''s strength against him. I used the iing stream of water and redirected it so it would fly back at her. Alme: "What!!?" She barely avoided it. Alme: "You can control water!!?" Ryoto: "No." Alme squinted her eyes, knowing very well that I was lying. Ryoto: "OK, so I know that you are here because you either want to cancel the engagement or want to be on top in this rtionship, but I didn''t know about your custom when I spanked you, so can we forget about it? We can start off as friends, and maybeter, if you still want to, we can get together, but you should know that I already have a fianc, so you need to meet her first." Alme didn''t say anything but was looking at me, thinking about something, and then she sighed. Alme: "*Sigh* I guessed as much, but I still need to follow traditions and all. Besides, I know that you''re engaged to L Satalin Deviluke, the first princess of Deviluke. You are famous throughout the whole gxy, and I don''t mind it. It just shows how capable of a man you are, but I still want to be the dominant one in the rtionship, so I''ll defeat you." She then showed a fearless smile. The one she was showing the whole time during ourst confrontation. Alme: "I observed you for thest few days to look for some kind of weakness in you, but the only thing I got was that you like lollipops for some reason, so if you let me win, I''ll give you this lollipop." She took out a big lollipop that looked incredible. My eyes went wide, but I won''t be bought with just one lollipop. Ryoto: Do you really think that I would be bought with just one lollipop?" Alme: "No, that''s why I have two." She took out a second one. ... Karen: "You don''t consider it, right?" ''But it''s two lollipops.'' Karen: "Ryoto!!!" ''I know, I know. I''m just joking.'' Ryoto: "Well, how about a bet. We''ll use our water manipting powers and see who will win. I don''t want to be ambushed like today, and from Jugemu, I know that you would do it nine more times. I have more important things to worry about at the moment." Alme was thinking about it for a moment and agreed. Alme: "Sure, why not. I''m pretty confident in my water maniption." Ryoto: "Ready or not, Start!" I used the water from the river to attack Alme from behind. It was a big wave attack, and she noticed it and smirked. Alme: "You think that just a lot of water will be enough to defeat me!?" She split the wave in half. An impressive feat, I must say, but it''s not enough. As the water hit the ground, I reused it to attack her from both sides, and the results were the same. It was halved once again. Seeing that it didn''t work, I surrounded her entirely with water, but as I did before, she used this water against me as she did quick and small burst attacks at me, which I dodged wlessly. I didn''t abandon my original n and still tried to surround her. Slowly I reduced the circle, and Alme tried to break free from it by running through the wall of water, and that''s what I was waiting for. I turned the area where she wanted to break through into ice. A thick wall of ice. As she didn''t expect it, she didn''t use enough strength to break through the ice even if she could. This one moment of surprise stunned her for a very short moment. Using this moment, the water around her started to flow towards her at high speed, and as it covered her whole body except her head, I turned the water into ice, making Alme unable to move her body. She tried to struggle, but the ice was thick and hard. Ryoto: "It looks like I win again. I would advise you to give up." Alme: "Ha... Haha... Hahahaha! It was great! You are even stronger than I thought. Not only you have all powers of Spider-man and can use your aura to defend yourself, but you can also manipte water! You are the perfect husband candidate!" Ryoto: "Really?" Alme: "Yes, and I can see that you are more focused on something than before. A focused man is very attractive, even more now that you won against me!" Ryoto: "I see. Good for you, I guess." Alme: "I would kiss you, but you need to free me from ice." Where us Utsu when you need him. Ryoto: "I''ll free you, but no kissing for now. You need to meet L first." Alme: "Sure, no problem." It looks like it''s the day when my fianc meets my fianc. Should I call Jugemu just in case? --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 118: My shark-girl fiance at my home Chapter 118: My shark-girl fiance at my home (A/N I''m tired of rewriting this chapter!!!! It just keeps deleting itself! Three times!!! But it''s not enough to stop me from posting! Enjoy!!!!) (Ryoto''s pov) I was walking home together with Alme in silence, so I decided to start a conversation. As I wanted to start, I heard Karen sobbing. ''Karen, are you alright?'' Karen: "*Sob* Yes, everything is great. It''s just... you grew so much. You even start conversations now. What a big difference looking back at your past." ... I''m not sure if she is insulting or praising me. Ryoto: "Hey Alme, earlier in the fight, you said that I have all Spider-man''s powers. Does it mean that you read the manga?" Alme: "Of course I did. I thought that I would learn about you if I read it. Besides, Nii-san is also working on this manga, so it was one more reason to check it out." Ryoto: "So what do you think?" Alme: "I really enjoyed it. The only w is that it''s too short. Do you have more stories like this?" Ryoto: "Not right now, but I can lend you manga from other authors if you want." Alme: "That would be great. Thanks!" She smiled widely at me. ... She''s cute. --- We finally arrived at my home. The funny thing is that I didn''t need to lead the way. Ryoto: "How did you know the way home, Alme?" Alme: "I mentioned that I observed you for a few days, right?" Ryoto: "So you stalked me, yeah?" Alme: "Yeah, lucky you." ... Nevermind that. I entered the house. Ryoto: "I''m home!" Mikan: "Wee home." Mikan walked up to the entrance and saw me with a new girl. She looked at me, waiting for some exnation, eating her blue popsicle as usual. Ryoto: "This is Alme, and she is Jugemu''s little sister." Alme looked at Mikan for a while and smiled. Alme: "Hello, you must be Ryoto''s little sister. As both of us are younger siblings, I hope we get along!" She then turned to me and grabbed me by the arm. Alme: "But you forgot to tell her that I''m also your fianc!" Mikan''s eyes turned cold when she mentioned it. Ryoto: Mikan my sister. You shouldn''t look at your brother like that." Mikan: "Aha, and does L know about it?" Ryoto: "She was the first to know." Mikan: "If she is fine with that, who am I to tell you otherwise but is it really a good time for increasing the numbers of your lovers?" Alme: "What do you mean by that?" Mikan: "It would be for L to tell you, and while we''re on the topic, where is she?" Ryoto: "She was dragged by the girls, and while I was taking a walk, I noticed a trail of lollipops, so I followed it, and then I was ambushed by the person here." Alme: "That was me!" She raised her hand with great energy and a smile. Ryoto: "So I defeated her, and now she wants to marry me." Mikan: "I don''t know if I should be impressed or disappointed by your ability to get yourself in these situations." Ryoto: "I also noticed that it happens only when I''m taking a walk." Mikan: "..." Until L returned, I decided to use my time to train as I had initially nned. (Alme''s pov) I was finally invited to Ryoto''s home, and I met his little sister. Her aura was a lot more mature than her age would show, but I hope we''ll get along. Now I only need to fight L for the position of the first wife. Our battle will be legendary! Is what I would normally say. I know that I probably won''t stand a chance against her, but it doesn''t mean I won''t try! Until shees through, I''ll observe Ryoto''s training in the garden as he said he would. There I met a big nt named Celine. She looked happy when Ryoto approached her. It means that he is good with not only nts but also children because from what I can see from her aura, she is very young. Ryoto really is a good candidate for my husband. --- I watched Ryoto train, but he didn''t practice any of his powers. He only did some forms and moves. Now that I take a closer look, he moves simrly to when he was using water maniption. Maybe u could use that in my own fighting style. Mikan: "Here you go." Mikan handed me a ss of juice and some snacks. Alme: "Thanks!" I took a bite of the offered food, and I was blown away by the taste. Alme: "MHMM!!! It''s delicious!" Mikan: "I''m d that you like it. I wasn''t sure if you can eat the same thing as humans, but I''m happy that you do." She sat next to me and observed Ryoto as well. Mikan: "Can you tell me why you want to marry Ryoto even though he already has a fianc?" The question came out of nowhere. Alme: "Mostly, it was the tradition, but the more I''m with him, the more I''m sure he is the right person." Mikan: "And what about him having a fianc?" Alme: "What about it? It shows that he is a capable man of attracting another woman. Isn''t that kind of person the best candidate for a husband? Ryoto is powerful, kind, and still growing stronger." Mikan: "When you say it that way..." Alme: "But enough about me. As your future sister, I want to know about you more as well. Tell me, when are you going to join?" Mikan choked on her neverending popsicle. Mikan: "*Cough* *Cough* Qhat did you say?" Did I say something wrong? Alme: "You obviously love your brother, so when are you going to join the harem?" Mikan turned red. Is she embarrassed? Mikan: "Onii-cha- I mean, Ryoto is my brother, so of course, I love him but not romantically!" But her aura is telling differently. Am I wrong? No, but why would she deny it so much then? I need to learn about humans more! I looked at Ryoto, who was so focused on his training that he didn''t notice anything. Strange. L: "I''m home!" It looks like L got home and just on time. I am ready to fight for my position. I smiled widely, showing off my teeth. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 119: Wrong move... or was it? Chapter 119: Wrong move... or was it? (3rd pov) As the girls'' shenanigans were going on, they thought that Ryoto was too focused to notice what they were talking about. They were wrong. Ryoto heard everything but decided to ignore it for now. He was using prediction calction for about 15 minutes already, hoping to find some kind of new usage for it. He felt regretful that he didn''t use it in the fight against Alme as it was a perfect opportunity, but the chance isn''t gone, so he''ll ask her for a spar another time. Ryoto looked as if he was doing martial arts, but in reality, he was trying to manipte air with his movement creating some kind of butterfly effect. To exin a butterfly effect, the easiest way would be to say that there is a theory that when a butterfly flies, the p of its wings can create a hurricane on the other side of the world. In other words, a small action can have a significant effect given enough time. It''s most often used in time travel stories. In reality, Ryoto''s prediction calction can create an artificial butterfly effect given enough information, but there is one drawback to this power. The numbers can overwhelm Ryoto if he tries to predict too much. To put it into perspective, when Ryoto tries to predict something and the probability isn''t 100%, it splits into more pathways that Ryoto needs to calcte all of them. With the next decision, it happens again and again and again. In the end, there will be too much calction to handle or, rather, too much information. This example doesn''t ount if Ryoto crosses out ''paths'' as one of them bes true. This example only works if he stays in one ce and starts predicting without doing anything. In short, the farther into the future Ryoto tries to predict, the harder it gets. Right now, he was testing this ability in a new way, but he would be able to do it for much longer as L was at the entrance of the house. L: "I''m home!" Hearing her voice, Ryoto stopped his training and turned to the girls. He noticed a strange wide grin that Alme had on her face. He had a bad feeling about it, so he had an eye on her in case she did something stupid. Not only that, he also activated his calction prediction and focused it on her. L is pregnant with their child, so of course, he wouldn''t take any chances, and he was right to do as the moment L walked into the garden... L: "So that''s where everyone is! What are you doing here-" She couldn''t finish the sentence as Alme was about to attack, and training as an assassin for over half a year wasn''t for nothing, and she switched intobat mode almost immediately. L''sbat mode isn''t what it sounds, though. Ryoto just likes to call it so since L is focused on fighting, but she just has fun. Nothing more, nothing less. Her skills, however, are a lot higher than they would normally be. Assassination techniques plus superhuman physique really do wonders. The fight, however, couldn''t even start as Alme felt invisible pressure crushing down or, more urately, dominating her. She could feel that it was affecting her soul. Sweat started dripping down her face. It was the first time she was so terrified. She looked in the direction from where the pressure wasing from, and she witnessed Ryoto with his eyes opened. His eyes shone a light blue light, and he was ready to defend his family. In the heat of the moment, Ryoto possibly forgot that not many things can endanger L. She is, after all, the daughter of one, if not the most powerful person in the gxy. With her scream, she could blow away a typhoon. From her tail, she could shoot out a powerfulser. Her strength is greater than Ryoto, who has spider strength. Not to mention that she is a genius. But a man who is about to be a father, especially one who longed for a family even though he hasn''t realized it yet, doesn''t think when their family is in danger. He acts. And that''s precisely what Ryoto did. Ryoto: "Alme, whatever you want to do, I greatly advise you against it. If you move even one finger wrong..." The air around Ryoto turned cold. Ryoto: "...I won''t hesitate to end you." L: "Alme? The girl who became your fianc?" Ryoto: "That''s the one." Ryoto answered, but he didn''t turn his eyes away from Alme. L walked up to Ryoto until she was almost the only thing in his field of vision. She was pouting. L: "Ryoto! You can''t treat your fianc like this, and we were about to y with each other!" She was the only one who thought that. Ryoto: "But-" L: "No buts!" L grabbed Ryoto''s face by both of his cheeks with a lot of force. L: "Ryoto, do you trust me?" Ryoto: "Yeph." (Yes) L: "So you know that I wouldn''t do anything to put the baby in danger, right?" Ryoto: "Yes, but-" L didn''t listen and turned to Alme, who didn''t move a single finger as she was told not to. L: "Alme-chan, punch me in the stomach with all your strength." Ryoto protested, but L wanted to prove something. Alme looked at Ryoto, who was staring daggers at her, but she decided to do what L asked her of. Her guts told her that it would be alright. She punched while still holding back a little, but to her surprise, it felt like punching tough material. Ryoto was looking as if he was ready to kill someone... because he was, but he decided to trust L but was also prepared to act if anything happened. His eyes were working at their fullest, making them overheat a lot faster. He was calcting as much as possible to be prepared for every possibility. Still, when Alme''s fist hit L, it stopped as if it hit the concrete, steel, or other durable materials. L looked proud of her achievement. She showed off her stomach under the uniform, and there was some kind of cloth? Material? It was there to protect her. L: "Yesterday, when we found out that I''m pregnant, I thought about it very carefully about how to protect it, so I used the metal I nned on using on something else to create this Bum-bum protector-kun. The metal acts as an ordinary cloth until it meets a great impact, then it hardens. It, of course, has its limits, but it''s the best solution for now!" L may be an airhead, but she''s not an idiot and can distinguish when she should be serious and when not. Of course, a serious moment from L is very serious for others, but the point still stands. (Mikan''s pov) Ryoto looked furious at what Alme wanted to do. I don''t me him, but I never saw him so angry. Thankfully L defused the situation skillfully. She is just that type of person. Whenever she goes, the tension vanishes, but deep inside my mind, I was thinking if I could do the same. I have known Ryoto longer than she, but she seems closer to him than me or Rito, his family. I can''t me her, though, since thanks to L, Ryoto has be closer to us once more. (Alme''s pov) The whole situation was terrifying. I never was so scared. It made me want to jump on Ryoto and create the next generation right away, but I couldn''t. He was the alpha. I couldn''t even be the first wife since L apparently was already pregnant with his child. That means that she is automatically the first wife. I''ll need to be satisfied with the position of a second wife. But Ryoto was very handsome today. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 120: Calm before the storm Chapter 120: Calm before the storm (3rd pov) After Ryoto''s little outburst, Alme became very obedient, but Ryoto was still annoyed at her attempt to fight L. The girl in the question, of course, didn''t mind and even encouraged Alme to fight with her after she gives birth since it wouldn''t be fair with her wearing the Bum-bum protector-kun, and she didn''t n to take it off unless she was in bed or bath. Ryoto decided to cool down for a while byying down under Celine. Alme and L stayed in the garden observing him. Both girls were smiling the entire time. Mikan went back to the kitchen to start preparing dinner. (Rito''s pov) Nii-san gave me the advice to act on my feeling before someone else would take Haruna-chan from me, so I asked my friend Saruyama what he thought. It''s always better to have others'' opinions. It''s not like I''m avoiding confessing as long as possible. Definitely not true. As ofte, I''m trying to avoid being at home as much as possible. I''m not feelingfortable with L-san being at home. It''s not like she is not a good person, but I''m not good with girls overall. I always stutter and get easily embarrassed near them. I should probably ovee this if I want to confess to Haruna-chan sessfully. Today was one of the days I spent with Saruyama, but it was time to return home. In thest few days, Nii-san has changed slightly. He even started cooking. Was it to help Mikan at home? While Nii-san tries to help at home, Iment over myself. Maybe I, too, should try to find something to help with. I sometimes forget because she is so mature, but Mikan is an elementary school student. --- I returned home to meet someone new. Her name was Alme, and she was apparently Nii-san''s second fianc. She looked more like an alien than L-san, though but is it okay to have two fiancs? But I shouldn''t put my nose into it. If they are happy, that''s all that matters. Alme and L got along really well, but sadly for them, Alme needed to return home. She lives with her brother here on Earth. Maybe it''s because of Nii-san since she wants to be close to him. Seeing Nii-san be in a rtionship gave me the courage once again to try and confess to Haruna-chan. Tomorrow for sure, I''ll confess, and this time I''ll be sessful! (Alme''s pov) Since Ryoto threatened me, I got this strange feeling above my crotch. Is this feeling a feeling of love? It''s the first time I''m feeling it. I don''t know what this feeling is, but I''m sure it''s something good since it was because of Ryoto. Before, I wouldn''t mind marrying Ryoto, but now I''m sure that my decision was correct. The way he looked at me, ready to defend his partner, was amazing and how he looked at me afterward was equally fantastic. That, however, raises another question. How do I make him like me? I already gave up the spot for a first wife, and I don''t n on giving up my position as a second wife. I''m sure that Ryoto will have more partners in the future, so I need to fight for my position to stay where it is. And how do I do that? Make him like me! The problem is I don''t understand Earth culture well enough to know how to do it. On my home, all I would need to do was to hunt delicious food for him or let him win a fight against me, but I doubt it would work on him. Besides, I don''t even know what is delicious here and what''s not, that''s why I''ll ask someone who has ready been here for a while. My brother! (3rd pov) The day was as ordinary as it could get. Mikan went to her school, and Ryoto, Rito, and L went to theirs. However, it won''t end as an ordinary for at least one of them. Why? Because someone decided to test out some things. Skipper: "Boys, today is the day we''ll start some of our tests. As we know, Boss is not an ordinary person but is that true for the rest of his family?" The shortest of the penguins raised his wing. Private: "Why are we doing it, Skipper?" Skipper: "Excellent question, Private! Basically, we want to know what they can do..." Kowalski: "For science, of course!" Answered the most enthusiastic of the group. Skipper, obviously not so keen on the idea, continued his exnation. Skipper: "Kowalski wants to test if Boss''s abilities are gic or not. While we could get their blood to do some tests but it''s more fun- *Cough* I mean, we want to test the abilities in action, and ording to Kowalski''s scientific mumbo jumbo, it''s better this way. We''ll start with a weak-looking one! I''m betting he hides some kind of secret!" Private: "But why would he do it?" Skipper: "For a reason, every man and penguin hides things. To use it against others or to hide the weaknesses so they can''t be used against him." Private: "But if everyone could tell each other feelings, the world would be a better ce." Skipper: "..." Skipper, while ustomed to Private''s positivity, still was stunned from time to time by so-called naivety (stupidity). Skipper: "Rico..." *SLAP* Rico pped Private whileughing maniacally. Skipper: "Thank you, Rico." Skipper then turned to Private once again. Skipper: "Remember it, Private, feelings are only for women and weak men, and we are neither women, weak or men!" Utsu: "Woof!" Skipper: "Don''t you start that again, you furball! I know that you went to school a few times already, and you know itsyout best of all of us here, so I would appreciate help from you." Utsu: "Woof!" Skipper: "That''s too much for a guide-type job, don''t you think?" Utsu: "Woof!" Skipper: "That could be arranged. You''ve got yourself a deal!" They shook their paw/wing to finalize the deal they had just created. Rico: "Kaboom?" Skipper: "...Possibly." --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 121: Jugemus advice and tests begin! Chapter 121: Jugemu''s advice and tests begin! (A/N I apologize for not being able to upload yesterday. I''llmit sudoku.) . . . | 1 . . | 5 6 . . 7 . | . . . | . . . . . 2 | 3 . 6 | . 4 . -----|------|------- . . 9 | . . 4 | 7 2 6 2 . . | 7 . . | . 5 . . . . | . 1 . | . . 9 -----|------|------- . . 5 | . 7 . | 9 . . . . . | 9 6 . | . 1 2 . . . | . . 1 | . . . (Jugemu''s pov) I was currently working a part-time job to earn extra money. I was working in a so-called ''supermarket'' as a cashier. The bossdy hired me on the spot, which I''m grateful for. She said that my look would scare away trouble, whatever that means. She was often smoking, which was not good for her health, so every time, I tried to make her stop, but it wasn''t working, and I think it made her condition worse. She was turning red and very quiet every time I did that. Because of that, I was making her a homemade bento so she would be full of energy. The job is very quiet and not difficult at all. People are also nice. Earthlings aren''t as scary as I''ve heard before, and all these interactions prove that. As I was having a break, my little sister rushed into the break room. Alme: "Nii-san! You need to help me!" I was genuinely happy. While Alme is and always was very close to me, I never could help her too much. She is stronger, so she can solve her problems by herself. If I could somehow help her, I would! Jugemu: "What can I help you with?" Alme: "How do I make Ryoto like me? I thought since you lived on Earth for a while now, you would know how Earthlings think and act." Jugemu: "Did something happen to make you want to do it?" Alme looked a little embarrassed and scratched the back of her head. Alme: "I kind of wanted to fight L, Ryoto''s fianc, but I was stopped by Ryoto because L is pregnant." Jugemu: "What!!? Ryoto will be a father, and he didn''t tell me!!?" We are like brothers, and soon we''ll be real brothers, and he didn''t even tell me about something so important. Jugemu: "I''m going to meet him. He has some exining to do." Alme, however, stopped me. She always was more intelligent than me, so I''ll listen to her and then go to hear out his exnation. If I don''t like what he''ll say, I won''t give him the fishes I got and n to let him use them for his dinner. Alme: "I think they are hiding it because of L''s father..." She then gave me a long and thorough exnation of why he would do it. In fact, it took so long that I needed to finish my work earlier, but the bossdy allowed it as she understands how important family is. I would need to do something called ''cosy'' to repay her, however. I don''t know what it is, but I''ll do it. The Bossdy helps me a lot after all. She even introduced me to other part-time jobs. Now with more time, I could help my sister to the best of my abilities. Jugemu: "I may have lived here longer than you, but the Earth''s culture is still a big mystery to me..." She looked down, disappointed. Jugemu: "...But I know how to learn it. Zastin-San once told me that manga contains Earth''s knowledge, so by reading it, you could learn a lot about the Earth. I would rmend reading manga with romance since that''s what you want to know." Alme jumped at me and put her arms around my neck. Alme: "Thank you, Nii-san!!! I knew I could count on you!!!" I hugged her back. Jugemu: "Everything for my little sister." The next time we''ll be working on the manga, I''ll ask Ryoto about him being a father. But Uncle Jugemu no Kokogi Suikeru Kajiregami ni Rojiku Furaimatsu ga Baibo Baibo Baibo no Garingan Garingan no Sheringan Sheringan no Bonbopoki no Bonbokona no Chokyumi no Chosuke sounds good and is easy on the tongue. Can''t wait to hear it from his children one day. On this day, I swore to be the best uncle in the entire gxy. (3rd pov) In ss 1-A, where Ryoto, L, and the rest were currently, nothing unusual was happening at the moment, but it wouldn''tst for long as the penguins and Utsu, with his helping paw, were nning on testing Rito. Skipper: "Kowalski, it was your idea. What are we doing here exactly?" Kowalski: "First, we''ll test his reaction speed using a banana peel." Kowalski took out his abacus. Kowalski: "ording to my calctions and Utsu''s intel, the best time to do it is during the lunch break. At that time, Boss is often on the roof with L, so we won''t need to worry about bothering him." Skipper: "Excellent thinking solider. We don''t want to anger Boss too much." Skipper shuddered, remembering the shot he had got before. The summons waited patiently for the break to start, and when it did, and Ryoto, together with L, left the ssroom, it was their time to act. The first part of the n was a distraction, and the specialist in that field was Private. Using his cuteness, most of the ss 1-A didn''t even notice three other penguins putting down banana peel. Risa: "A penguin? How did he get here?" Rito noticing him, shuddered, remembering what happened thest time he was near penguins, and he started to reconsider if he should confess today after all. Still, he was determined, and he would ovee all the challenges. His brother didn''t get where he is without trying, so he wouldn''t give up either. Random girl 1: "But he is so cute!" One girl started hugging Private. Random girl 2: "Hey, don''t hag him to yourself! Give him to me too!" The girls started to fight over Private. In that chaos, Rico threw up a smoke bomb, and using their cover, the penguins took back Private and hid inside the ssroom to observe. The students were confused, but they didn''t think about it too much. They were, after all, ustomed to the weirdness, but some girls were still sad to see a cute penguin disappear. Using this chance, Rito decided to tell Haruna to wait behind the school after sses so he would confess. As he turned towards her, he slipped on the banana peel. Trying to recover his bnce, he grabbed the closest thing that his hand could reach. Unfortunately, he couldn''t find anything, and hended on Haruna. In this minor ident, he somehow was able to not only grab her breast but also take off her bra. Said branded on his head, making him look like a pervert. Seeing this, Kowalski couldn''t believe it. Kowalski: "How is it possible...?" --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 122: Ritos bad day Chapter 122: Rito''s bad day (3rd pov) Skipper: "Kowalski analysis! What do you mean ''impossible''?" Kowalski: "What he did shouldn''t be possible. I didn''t even notice how he did it. Skipper, do you know what that means!?" Kowalski clearly exited and shook Skipper. Skipper: "That this little guy is a pervert that doesn''t know how to treat a woman?" Kowalski: "No! It means that Rito must possess some kind of ability that lets him do that! Just like Boss Rito for sure have power, and I''ll study it to the limit!" Skipper looked at Rito and then at Kowalski again. Skipper: "...Are you sure that he isn''t just a pervert?" Kowalski: "Positive." Rico: "Kaboom?" Kowalski: "Soon, my explosive loving friend, very soon." Private: "Skipper, what is a pervert?" Skipper: "I''ll tell you when you''re older." Private: "But..." Skipper: "When you are older!!!" Utsu: "Woof!" Skipper: "It''s the first time we agree on something-." He then realized that Ustu was hidden together with them. Skipper: "How did you get here!?" Utsu: "Woof!" Skipper: "That doesn''t answer my question! My god, I didn''t expect to miss the lemurs, but here we are..." As the penguins were discussing the next step, Rito felt disoriented after his fall. He didn''t know where he was, but he felt something in his hand, so he squeezed it. It felt very nice in his hand, so he squeezed it again. He finally decided to open his eyes and look up to see what he had in the palm of his hand. When he saw what it was, he quickly reddened, and before he could get up, he was pped away by Haruna''s monstrous strength as she also realized what had just happened. Haruna: "Kyaa!!!" Rito was very durable, but he still felt pain. After he was thrown across the ssroom, he looked at Haruna, who had tears in the corner of her eyes, and ran away almost instantly. Rito: "Sairenji-san!" Rito''s will, however, didn''t waver as he promised himself that today was a day. He clenched his fist and prepared for the next chance to ask her to wait after school. Risa: "Rito, are you nning on keeping it to yourself, or will you return it?" Risa pointed to his head. Rito, confused, grabbed whatever was on his head and looked at it. His eyes widened, and he looked away while still holding to it. Rito: "Momioka-san, can you return it instead of me?" Risa thought about it and showed a yful smile. Risa: "Since you are the one who ''stole'' it, then you should be the one to return it." It''s not like Risa didn''t want to help, but she thought it would be more fun that way. --- Meanwhile, on the roof, Ryoto opened his eyes suddenly. He was currently napping on L''sp while she was caressing his head. Ryoto: ''I feel like I''m missing something fun!'' --- Rito was currently running around the hallway looking for Haruna. He, of course, hid the bra he nned to return inside his bag. Unfortunately for him, today wasn''t his lucky day, and he was stopped by literally the worst person at this exact moment. Yui: "Stop! You are... Rito Yuuki, right? You ran in the hallway, which is against the rules. Since it''s your first offense, I''ll let you go with just a warning, but since you''re his brother, I''ll need to search your bag." Rito was screaming inside his mind. Rito: "W-Why do you need to do that?" Yui: "Your brother started smuggling lollipops as ofte, and as long as it''s still illegal, I''m not letting him do that." Rito: ''What are you doing, Nii-san!'' --- Ryoto once again opened his eyes abruptly. Ryoto: ''I feel like someone is breaking lollipopsw!'' --- Yui: "I''m pretty busy at the moment because of your brother since the principal is pushing the legalization of candies in school, and I''m trying to slow it down until I can stop this, so let me see what''s inside your bag, and we can go our separate ways." Rito instinctively pulled his bag closer to him, making him look even more suspicious. Rito: "I-is that really necessary?" Kotegawa frowned and looked at Rito with her cold gaze. She just stood there... menacingly. Rito, under the pressure of the beautiful girl, handed his bag while shaking because he knew what wasing to him, but he remembered his brother''s words at this moment that could help him. Ryoto: "Rito, I think it''s time to teach you a secret technique of mine." Rito''s eyes shone brightly at the idea of learning some kind of power. Ryoto: "This technique allows you to escape any threat as long your legs work, and this technique is..." Rito turned away from Kotegawa as she looked inside his bag and started running away. At the same time, Yui saw what Rito was hiding, and her face turned red. Not from embarrassment as usual in the presence of Ryoto but from anger. Yui: "Both of you brothers are shameless perverts!!!" Rito: ''Just as Nii-san said, this technique worked perfectly as her screaming at me gave me some time to escape.'' Unfortunately for Rito, he needed to abandon Haruna''s bra, but at the moment, it was the least of his problems. At the same time, penguins left the ssroom thanks to ''sacrificing'' Private to the girls. They left Utsu there as well so he would protect the little penguin in case something happened. They (Kowalski) did that because they wanted to test his powers even more. Right now, Rico could be in heaven as he was nting plenty of bombs on the floor to make a hole in the floor. Rico: "HaUhAeHuE!" Skipper: "Kowalski, are you sure it''s necessary? I don''t want to have Denmark v.2 happening here." Kowalski: "Positive. We need to examine all the possibilities, and if it''s something dangerous, we will report to Boss." Skipper would believe Kowalski if he didn''t have apparent stars in his eyes that told him that he was excited to see the results and didn''t care about consequences, but he didn''t like leaving things unfinished even more, so he allowed it. Rico didn''t care either way as he was happy to get his Kaboom. Rico was like an artist when it came to explosives. He created a beautiful hole that Rito fell into while he was running away from Yui. Rito dropped one floor down. He fell on someone as he felt once again in his palm a familiar feeling. At this moment, Rito had only one thing in his mind. Rito: ''Oh no...'' --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 123: Ritos bad day continues Chapter 123: Rito''s bad day continues (3rd pov) Rito isn''t having the best of his life. First, he slipped on a banana peel andnded on Haruna stealing her bra in the process. While wanting to give it back, he met Yui Kotegawa, that wanted to search up his bag, and there, of course, she found said bra. Rito was forced to use his secret technique of running away, but then he fell into a hole. When or how this hole was made was unknown to many people, but it didn''t matter to Rito. Right now, he was squeezing something familiar but different at the same time. Rito was cursing his luck as he realized that he was fondling Haruna''s butt cheek. Haruna: "Noooo!!!" Rito was kicked away by her, and just like before, she ran away. The bestparison was to say that Rito was like a trainer looking for one of the legendary dogs in Johto, and every time, they escape you as soon as you encounter them, but Rito, just like these trainers, doesn''t n to give up! On the other hand, the penguins were dumbfounded by this development. They were also d that they left Private behind. His eyes are too young for this. Skipper: "Kowalski, if we keep going, will he strip this poor girlpletely." Kowalski thought for a while. Kowalski: "Possibly, but to know that we need..." Skipper practically rolled his eyes. Skipper: "More tests-" Kowalski: "More tests!!!" (Ryoto''s pov) Spending time on the roof alone with L was fantastic as always, and using herp as a pillow is amazing, but I had this feeling that I was missing out on something entertaining. As I was walking to the ssroom together with L, we met Rito, who was walking with white panties on his head. My eyes went wide open, but shortly after, they returned to their usual, closed state. Ryoto: "Rito... do you feel... OK?" Rito looked at me strangely, but I noticed that he was dejected as well. Rito: "Wht do you mean Nii-san?" I pointed at his head without saying anything. He then had a look in his eyes that said ''not this again'', but he still grabbed the piece of cloth, and as soon as he saw what it was, he instinctively threw it. I caught it and looked at it. 100% cotton, huh? It was S as well. By the looks of it''s... Ryoto: "Why do you have Haruna''s panties?" Rito: "How do you know it''s Sairenji-san''s?" I knew it because I was fucking around with my very powerful eyes and my even more powerful prediction calction to look at every girl''s three sizes. I did that only to see if I can. I swear! By the way, Haruna''s three sizes are B79-W56-H82. Just a little-known fact. Ryoto: "Nevermind that, but what are you going to" I was interrupted by someone. Yui: "Ryoto Yuuki!" Ryoto: "Yui Kotegawa!" Yui: "Why are you saying my full name?" Ryoto: "I don''t know? Why do you?" I left Yui speechless as she does that thing unconsciously, but she returned to her senses quickly. Yui: "Don''t distract me! First, your brother was walking with a bra inside his bag, and now you are holding someone''s panties in your hand! We''re going to the teacher''s office!" I pointed to the panties. Ryoto: "These? These aren''t panties. It''s a modern style hat." She looked at me as if I was crazy and crossed her arms under her breasts. Yui: "A hat? So you don''t mind wearing it?" A challenge? So innocent. She thinks that I won''t do that. I raised the panties dramatically up and put them down on my head. I then crossed my arms the same way Yui did. Ryoto: "See? Just a hat." Yui didn''t know how to respond to it, so she just stood there with her mouth open. ... Did I break her? I took off the panties and passed them to Rito, who reluctantly took them with a red face. Ryoto: "Kotegawa-san, our talk, while short, was still nice, but soon the sses will start, so we need to go on our way. See you soon." Yui: "Ah yes!" She went away. I think I broke her a little. I probably should let her win one. Otherwise, I''m afraid she''ll breakpletely. Karen: "You sound like a parent who ns on letting win his kid." ''What can I say. I''m a dad in training. By the way, when can we start the n?'' Karen: "You ask that too often. I said already that we''ll start in a few months and not earlier. I know that you''re impatient, but I can''t speed it up no matter what." ''Sorry, you are right. I shouldn''t ask you that much, but I would want to ask Koro-sensei to be my child''s godparent. I feel that without him, I wouldn''t be able to handle it.'' Karen: "You''ll get him back. I know it." ''Thanks, Karen.'' OK, back to Rito. I don''t want to have suddenly depressing thoughts. Ryoto: "Before we were interrupted, you didn''t answer. Why did you have Haruna''s panties on your head?" Rito started exining his story avoiding some detail because I know that ''lucky pervert'' is a lot more powerful than what he described. Wait, does it mean that Haruna is goingmando around the school? Ryoto: "You need to give back this underwear to her as soon as possible." Rito: "I know it Nii-san, but how!?" L: "You want to return this to Haruna-chan?" L joined the conversation. Rito: "Obviously. If I had some kind of machine or device to do it for me." Rito answered dejectedly. L: "Why didn''t you say so!?" L took out her D-Dial that she upgraded to look like a smartphone instead of a flip phone, and took out a device that looked like a ma. L: "It''s Find-find Owner-kun. It will make panties return to the owner!" Rito: "Wait, wai-!!!" Rito didn''t have time to refuse as L turned the device on, and the panties the Rito was holding flew somewhere together with Rito, who apparently didn''t n on letting go of them. I put my hands together to pray for my brother as his luck today wasn''t the best. But he is a big boy, so he''ll need to solve his problems alone unless he is in real danger. I only give advice. I''m not Doraemon. Wait, is L a Doraemon? She has a lot of machines that could solve a lot of problems, but there is often a catch. With these thoughts, L and I returned to the ssroom. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 124: The end of Ritos bad day Chapter 124: The end of Rito''s bad day (3rd pov) Rito was currently flying across the hallway while holding onto the panties as if his life depended on them. He was also asionally bumping other students. Be it female or male, his ''lucky pervert'' didn''t discriminate and stole clothes from them all just to get to Haruna as fast as possible. That day the legend of cloth stealer was born. Fortunately for Rito was that no one saw his face, but his legend would leave on terrorizing the students for many years toe. Back to Rito, he was flying now covered in the uniforms and underwear of many students. He was unrecognizable at this point, so when he got to Haruna, she wasn''t able to recognize him. To be honest, it was the first lucky instance for Rito today, and he was thankful for that even when he was mmed against the floor by Haruna. At least she now had her panties, so the only thing to return was a bra unless something unexpected would happen, of course. On one of the breaks, Rito somehow was able to ask Haruna to wait after school behind the building. He, however, couldn''t bring himself to return the bra. If only he knew that he could leave this piece of underwear on Haruna''s desk, but he was too busy being embarrassed by the fact that he was in possession of said bra to even think about it. Ryoto, however, found it strange that practically nothing fun happened while he was in the ssroom. The feeling was simr to the kid that was sick one day, and suddenly the school turned into a carnival. Even though he wanted to witness Rito''s confession, he decided against it. Privacy was important in moments like these, after all. What Ryoto didn''t know was that the penguins and Utsu didn''t want to do anything unnecessary around him as the experiments they performed were kept secret from him. Today he didn''t go straight home. Instead, he went to karaoke with others. On Rito''s end, he was preparing to confess. He was rightfully nervous but also hopeful. The only problem that Rito was aware of was that he still had Haruna''s bra. There was also a problem of penguins that he wasn''t aware of. In one way or another, the confession will be... memorable for Rito and Haruna. --- Behind the school building, one could see Rito waiting for Haruna. He still had her bra in his bag. Rito was tense the whole time and went over what he nned to say multiple times already so he wouldn''t fail. He finally heard the sound of footsteps getting louder. With every iing footstep, his heartbeat increased, and when his crush stopped in front of him, he could feel his heart trying to break free from his chest. There she stood, his crush. He has been waiting for this moment for a long time, and today, he''ll finally confess. Haruna''s face was flushed because of missing underwear, but who knows, maybe this experience will awaken something in her. Rito: "S-Sairenji-san!" Haruna was startled by Rito. Haruna: "Y-yes!?" Rito: "I-I wanted to tell you something." She nodded. Rito: "S-since a long time, I wanted to tell you something. Sometimes I couldn''t find the courage to do that. Other times I was interrupted by something..." As he kept going, Rito was bing gradually more confident in what he was saying. He closed his eyes for a moment, and when he opened them, you could see confidence in his eyes. Rito: "Sairenji-san, I-" He couldn''t finish as a fish with human legs and arms was running towards him, grabbed him, and kept running without stopping. Rito: "Not you again!!!!" This fish was one of L''s and Kowalski''s experiments. It''s not the first time this fish interrupted Rito''s confession. It happened one time in the past and after that, no one was able to track it down. It became somewhat of an urban legend. It could also apparently drive a car and a truck. Skipper: "Not again, you sly bastard! Rico, Private, get him! Kowalski,e up with a n!" As the fish was getting away, the penguins nned on catching it. It wouldn''t be an easy task, but it doesn''t matter. Skipper: "You too, furball!" Utsu: "Woof!" Skipper: "Don''t talk back to me! We need to stop this fish!" Just like that, Haruna was left alone behind the school building, confused at what had just happened. (Ryoto''s pov) Singing ''Cindere'' is fun no matter how many times I''ve done it, and this time I did a flip. Every time I''m just more into it than the time before. I also sang a duet with L, and she, not surprisingly, has a beautiful voice. When we returned home, Mikan was making dinner, and Rito was sitting on the sofa in a depressing mood. It looks like the confession didn''t go as nned. Like a good big brother, I should help him feel better about it, so I sat next to him. Ryoto: "...So what happened?" Rito: "...Am I cursed?" Well, that came out of nowhere. Ryoto: "Not cursed. Maybe unlucky, but not cursed." Rito: "...I couldn''t confess today just like before. First, it was banana peel, then Kotegawa-San,ter a hole in the floor and, atst, the fish." He looked like he had lost all hope. Ryoto: "...Are you stupid?" Rito: "Huh?" Rito didn''t expect to hear this. Ryoto: "Did you try everything in your power?" Rito: "No..." Ryoto: "Then what did I tell you before? Was one bad day enough to keep you down?" Rito: "No..." Ryoto: "And don''t you forget it because the next time I see you depressed because of something stupid, I''ll confess to Haruna first!" Rito: "Nii-san!" Mikan looked at us from the kitchen and smiled while L was watching ''Magical girl Kyouko''." --- Right now, I was in the studio discussing manga with Zastin about the next chapter, but suddenly Jugemu walked in. Jugemu: "Ryoto, why didn''t you tell me that L is pregnant!?" Zastin: "What!!!?" Oh shit... --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 125: Stopping Zastin Chapter 125: Stopping Zastin (Ryoto''s pov) My mind went nk, thinking about how to get out of this situation. Zastin is loyal to Gid, so he''ll tell him what he heard now. Jugemu didn''t help me with that as he grabbed me by the shoulder and shook me. I didn''t change my expression the whole time, so I bet it looked ridiculous. Jugemu: "Why didn''t you tell me!!? I''ll be a good uncle! I even brought a fresh fish for dinner. The olddy in the fish market said it''ll be delicious!" Zastin, on the other hand, was so shocked that he was just muttering some things. Zastin: "L-sama is... pregnant...? But... but she is just a child..." Maybe I''ll distract him. I opened my eyes and let Zastin meet Mil-tan, but... it didn''t work. I mean, it worked, but Zastin just ignored the illusion. He was so deep in his thoughts that his mind didn''t even register what he saw. Huh. Good to know that it can happen. No! Focus, Ryoto. If he registers what he just heard, I''ll be dead. I''m not even close to being ready for Gid. Not at all. Should I knock him out? Karen: "Yes!!!" ''Someone sounds excited.'' Karen: "As ofte, there wasn''t a lot of violence. Sure, you fought Alme and all, but mindless violence is always the best and most fun. Though I must say watching Rito fail his confession was entertaining as hell." ''Wait, you watched the whole thing?'' Karen: "How could I miss it. I even recorded it." ''...Send me the recordingter.'' Karen: "Sure." Zastin: "Ryoto-dono..." Shit! Karen distracted me long enough for Zastin to recover. Karen: "I didn''t distract you..." Zastin: "Is it true? Is L-sama really pregnant?" I wanted to deny but his eyes begged for truth, and something inside me couldn''t lie to him. Ryoto: "Yes... She is one month pregnant." Zastin: "..." There was silence as Zastin was digesting the news. Zastin: "...I''m reporting this to Gid-sama." Ryoto: "Stop!!!" I shot webs at him to stop him from moving, but he was stronger than me and kept moving to the exit. Zastin: "I... must... report... to... Gid-sama..." Ryoto: Goddammit, Zastin! Listen to me! If you report, he''ll kill me!" He was dragging me across the room, and I was destroying the floor, trying to stick to it in the hopes it would slow him down. I looked at Jugemu, who was waiting quietly for us to finish. Ryoto: "Jugemu, don''t just stand there. Help me!!!" Jugemu: "But if I''ll help you, Zastin-san will get in trouble." Ryoto: "And if you don''t help me, L''s dad will destroy either only me or this entire!!! So hurry up!!!" Jugemu, in the end, helped me in stopping Zastin, but even with our strengthbined, we couldn''t stop him. That''s the Devilukean strength for you. But that''s not time to admire his strength! I was progressively using more webs to stop him, but the problem was that the building wasn''t durable enough to withstand this kind of force, so I gave up on this idea, but a new one was born inside my head. Before, my illusions didn''t work because he was too shocked, but now he is back to ''normal'', so I tried my luck. Zastin: "What!!?" It worked! There was a chance, but he quickly closed his eyes so he wouldn''t be distracted by anything. Why is he so determined right now!? Zastin was walking slowly but surely while Jugemu and I tried to stop him, but none of us noticed that Zastin was walking onto the train tracks. *BEEEEB* The train was iing, so I jumped away, dragging Jugemu with me using my webs. I intentionally left Zastin behind, and he was, of course, hit by a fast-moving train. He flew a few meters by the sheer force of the hit. Jugemu looked worried. Jugemu: "Is he okay?" Ryoto: "I don''t know, but if he didn''t get amnesia, the next train ising in half an hour." Jugemu looked at me, disappointed. Why does his look hurt more than any de? He can''t even see onnd! As Jugemu not so secretively was judging me, Zastin got up in the blood. He doesn''t have his armor at the moment, so his durability dropped, but I don''t think the armor would help against a train. They are his kryptonite, after all. Zastin: "Must... report... back..." For Rob''s sake... Ryoto: "Zastin!!! Can you listen to me for a minute!?" It made him stop, so hopefully, he''ll listen. Ryoto: "I''m not asking you to not report to him. Just give me some time. At least until January. At that time, I''ll be ready for whatever ising from God. I don''t ask you to betray him." Please, please, please! Whoever is listening, just make him agree. I don''t care if you are God, an angel, or a devil. I can''t deal with Gid right now. OK, I could, but it would be incredibly difficult, and it would create more destruction than I would like to. Karen: "Noooo!!! She''ll use it!!!" ''Who are you talking abo-?'' Truck-san: "Your wish is granted..." Zastin: "*Sigh* Can I talk with L-sama first before I make that decision?" Ryoto: "I don''t see why not?" Truck-san: "...Although I didn''t do anything, teehee. But I''ll take the reward regardless. I''ll tell you what I want at ater date. Bye." Karen: "We are doomed." ''Oh,e on, Karen. What''s the worst that can happen?'' Karen: "And the g has been raised..." Hearing that, I realized what I had just done and paled instantly. But thankfully, I had a solution nearby. I walked towards the train tracks and sat in the middle. Karen: "What are you doing?" ''Waiting for the next train.'' (Alme''s pov) I was currently learning from manga in a manga cafe. As Nii-san said, there is a lot of knowledge in these books, but I won''t act immediately. There were a few events that I often saw in these mangas. Running into someone with a piece of toast in your mouth, kabedon, festival date, watching sakura leaves falling, and more. Maybe I should ask Nii-san to act overprotective? Or maybe I should act more like so-called yandere. They are apparently very popr. But first I''ll try something at Christmas, which is soon. Christmas events are significant in these books, but what if Ibine almost everything in one day? Would the effect multiply? I can''t wait to try it! --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 126: Christmas party Chapter 126: Christmas party (A/N Sorry for no chapter yesterday. I had a big headache so I went to sleep earlier.) (Ryoto''s pov) It was a day as usual, and I was sitting on the sofa in the living room watching TV with L. It was one of the few days I wasn''t training and just rxed. I took this one day off for two reasons. First of all, I had a breakthrough in one of my abilities, and I''m celebrating. Second of all, tomorrow I. going to a Christmas party. I, like many others, was invited by Saki. It feels like a big event, and that''s why there will be trouble. I also had a slight, almost not noticeable, tingle in the back of my head. I could also imagine it, but that''s beside the point. I just know something will happen. I don''t know what, but it will. If my word isn''t enough, then nothing significant has happened as ofte, and as we all know, the longer the quiet time is, the bigger the trouble. While on the topic of troubles, Zastin agreed to keep quiet till the end of January at most. I needed to beg this man and bribe him with not only lollipops but also share some of my other manga ideas, and when he heard what I had in store, the roles reversed, and he was the one begging me. I even needed to remind him that if L''s father killed me, the ideas would die with me. I don''t know if I should be happy or sad that it worked... I was also worrying that L didn''t experience any side effects yet, so we went to Mikado-sensei to ask if everything was alright, and thankfully it was. The principal also went missing for a week. Later I found out that the penguins were helping Ustu with punishing the principal. He was literally sent to horny jail. Thankfully they were still feeding him, but he went a bit crazy inside there, and it''s not like he had it bad there. The bed wasfortable, the food was fresh and edible, and he even had a TV. The downside was that there wasn''t any porn in there, and the TV was programmed with only non-stimnt shows. After the principal broke out, he went on the street to look up the skirts of every girl near him. Police needed to be involved. I didn''t even know they existed here. That says a lot about our society. I lied. It doesn''t. This world just works on strange rules which I don''tpletely understand. What''s even stranger was that they let him go a few dayster. Is he secretly a very important person with many connections? After remembering how he looked, I erased this thought and deemed it impossible. Now that I think about it, I can take with me one additional person. Ryoto: "Hey Mikan, do you want to go to the Christmas party?" From the kitchen, Mikan answered. Mikan: "No, I''ll help dad and his assistants. I bet they would just work the whole day if I don''t visit. But thanks for asking." Who is the real child in this family, but maybe it''s better this way? After all, I don''t know what is going to happen. --- We were going to the party which was held in Saki''s house/mansion. Who am I kidding? It''s definitely a mansion. I looked at L, who was walking next to me, looking gorgeous. She had a purple dress with long striped stockings, and she also had a new hairstyle. Ryoto: "Did I tell you that you look fantastic?" L: "Yes, but it makes me happy hearing it every time!" She then hugged my arm, and we continued to walk to the party that way. --- Inside, Saki did a speech about Christmas and all. After that, we started to music, but the ominous feeling didn''t leave yet, so I was prepared, but it didn''t stop me from having fun. I danced with L at first but then Risa asked me for a dance as well so I didn''t refuse and danced with her as well. Rito was considering if he should ask Haruna or not to dance, but he was gathering the courage to do it. Good for him. It was happening as I was leaning on the wall and observing as L was with her friends, so I didn''t have anything to do, so I became more vignt. Now that I think about it, I should invite Jugemu. Suddenly my spider-sense went into overdrive. Alme: "Ryoto!!!" Alme was jumping towards me at high speed, but I avoided it. Alme''s arm went through the wall and looked up at me as I was sticking to the wall above her. Alme: "Why did you dodge?" Ryoto: "Why shouldn''t I? You were charging at me." Alme: "It''s not like you would ideas from it. Besides, I was aiming at the wall, not you!" I looked at her weirdly. Alme, when she took the arm out, had a sudden realization. Alme: "I forgot the toast!!! My n is ruined!!!" I jumped down and looked at Alme, who was muttering strange things. She was also crouching while holding her head. Ryoto: "Alme, what are you doing?" Alme: "I nned a surprise for you, but I ruined it. I''m supposed to run into you with a toast in my mouth, then do kabedon just to invite you for a summer festival and watch sakura leaves fall!" Ryoto: "...Hate to break it to you, but sakura season is in March, so we couldn''t watch it during the summer festival." Alme: "What!!!? The truth devasted Alme. Ryoto: "Alme, what were you trying to aplish?" Alme stood up. Alme: Well, you kind of got angry at mest time we saw each other, so I nned on making you like me since you are my fianc." She looked embarrassed while saying that. She looked cute. Is it a gap moe? I scratched the back of my head. Ryoto: "*Sigh* It''s not that I don''t like you. You just did something that made me angry at the moment. I know I shouldn''t me you as you didn''t know L''s state, but my emotions git better of me. I''m still working on it." Alme: "So you forgive me?" Ryoto: "There is nothing to forgive, so let''s get along from now on." Alme: "Yay!" She jumped at me and hugged me like a ko. It didn''t seem that she nned to let me go. Maybe I was wrong about the troubles. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 127: Raised flag showing its power Chapter 127: Raised g showing its power (Ryoto''s pov) So I made up with Alme, but our confrontation got everyone''s attention. Risa: "Hey Ryoto, who is this girl?" She pointed at Alme. Ryoto: "This is Alme, an alien just like L..." Alme: "...And Ryoto''s fianc! Nice to meet you!" Risa blinked a few times, not expecting this answer." Risa: "Fianc? Is L-chii okay with that?" L: "Why wouldn''t it be? Ryoto will make us happy, and we will make him happy. Everyone ends up happy!!!" As L was talking to Risa, Alme was looking at Risa, and I think she saw something because she smirked. Ryoto: "What did you see?" Alme: "Nothing important, but you sure are popr." Ryoto: "Well, I do have two fiancs and two girlfriends that you still haven''t met, so yeah, I''m popr." Alme didn''t say anything, but she added something strange. Alme: "By the way, we should probably move away from this ce." Ryoto: "Why?" Alme didn''t need to answer as I heard cracking above my head, so I quickly webbed the part of the roof that was about to fall. It wouldst an hour or two, but I''ll need to apologize to Saki as I''m sure that it was Alme''s doing. Even if I didn''t know, not making eye contact and trying to whistle gave it away. She couldn''t whistle. Ryoto: "What did you do?" Alme: "I kind of wanted to re-create the suspension bridge effect since I heard that it makes the other person like you. I knew that you wouldn''t be scared while being on a bridge, so maybe a fear of a roof falling down on you would do the trick." Ryoto: "We''ll talk about itter." I walked up to Saki''s usual group. Ryoto: "Saki-senpai, someone destroyed the roof. For now, it''s holding up, but it''s better to evacuate everyone before it goes down." Saki: "Don''t worry about it, Ryoto-sama." Ryoto-sama? I couldn''t think about it as Saki took out a phone and, after a short call, a small group of men repaired the roof in a record time. Saki: "Done. Anything else." She said with a smile, but someone next to her wasn''t as happy seeing me. Ryoto: "Hey Rin, do you like nature?" Clearly not expecting this kind of question Rin was confused. Rin: "No... Why do you ask?" Ryoto: "Huh, strange. Since you climb trees almost every day, I thought that you were a fan." Hearing that, she stiffened. Rin: "I-I don''t know what you are talking about." Well, I had my fun so I''ll leave her for now. Ryoto: "Since I''ve said what I want, I''ll go back to L and Alme. Sorry for the trouble." Saki: "Don''t worry about it, Ryoto-sama. It was barely an inconvenience. Ohohoho!" She did an Ojou-sama''sugh. After she was doneughing, she said. Saki: "Oh, by the way, I have a big surpriseing, so don''t go home just yet! I''m sure you''ll enjoy it." I was pretty curious about the surprise, and I didn''t n on going home just yet anyway, so I obliged. (Saki''s pov) I had a big surprise which was explicitly made for Ryoto-sama, and it was time to announce it, so I went up on a stage. Saki: "I would like to announce today''s main event!" As I said that, I snapped her fingers and the curtains behind me revealed a lot of exotic animals. Lions, tigers, alligators, snakes, wolves, and more. Some of the guests got kind of scared, but I assured everyone that the animals were behind very durable ss. A fish-like girl looked very curious, but I didn''t focus on that. She was hugging Ryoto-sama. I''m so jealous! With the stars in her eyes, she walked up to the ss and knocked on it. I was shocked when the ss broke down, freeing the animals. Rin: "Saki-sama, get behind me!" Rin got in front of me to protect me from the iing animals, but strangely enough, they didn''t move from the spot. I looked around and saw Ryoto-sama walking up to them. He looked majestic, like a king or emperor. Ryoto: "Alme, did you really need to destroy it?" Alme: "But how else was I supposed to get to them?" Ryoto: "You weren''t but never mind. Now that we can pet them, let''s do it." Ryoto-sama walked up to a tiger and lion without any fear. Ryoto: "So what do you n to do?" Hearing the question, both of the animalsid down on their backs showing off their bellies. Ryoto-sama showed a confident smile. Saki: "Aya!" Aya: "Already on it." Aya was already taking pictures of everything Ryoto-sama did. She truly is a great friend. Ryoto: "Good choice." He then proceeded to rub the bellies of two big cats. Afterward, Ryoto sat down with these two on both of his sides. The girl called Alme was, on the other hand sitting on an alligator, riding him like a horse. Alme: "Hey, Ryoto, are all animals that sensitive to what you just did?" Ryoto: "I think so. Most animals are great survival instincts, so they recognize when someone is stronger and what I just did makes it a lot easier for them to see it." L also yed around with a lot of different animals, but in the end, she sat down next to Ryoto and enjoyed hispany while ying with the tiger. The alligator that Alme was riding walked up to Ryoto as well, so now the three of them were rxing surrounded by many animals. Ryoto: "Hey, Risa, do you want to pet anything?" Risa: "Can I?" She asked, but she was already walking up to him. The rest followed suit, and thanks to Ryoto-sama, everyone could get close to an animal of their choosing, and even a noble me was included in that group. All in all, it was a great Christmas party. (Ryoto''s pov) The party was fun, but it was time to get n B ready. The B is, of course, to get L''s mom on my side because she is the only one able to stop rampaging Gid. I would preferably do it earlier, but I prepared everything I should tell her in what way, manner and tone so she would help me because I''m not sure how she''ll react to the news, but she is still better than Gid. I was now talking to L about how she should now call her mother so we could talk to her. I felt ready, but I felt my spider-sense go into overdrive like never before. It''s like I could die at any moment, and then I heard from behind a voice a deep voice. Gid: "Ryoto Yuuki, finally we meet face to face." _________ *PING* *NEW QUEST* Mission: "Angry father-inw" Objective 1: Survive a set amount of time. Reward: "10 000 SP, 2 gacha tickets. Failure: ??? Duration of punishment: ??? __________ If I survive, Zastin will go on a date with Mil-tan. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 128: Gid Lucione Deviluke 1 Chapter 128: Gid Lucione Deviluke 1 (Ryoto''s pov) Shit shit shit! He is too early! Hopefully, it''s only a spontaneous visit, but my spider-sense says otherwise. I turned around to see Gid in his child form. He looked harmless, but I knew otherwise. Ryoto: "Ah, if it isn''t Gid Lucione Deviluke. How should I call you? Father? Your highness? Papa?" Gid: "Stop wasting time! You know why I''m here, don''t you?" Karen: "Ryoto, it was nice knowing you." ''Same, but I don''t n on dying.'' It''s the worst possible situation. That''s why I did a few hand signals behind my back to L so he wouldn''t notice. I did it in a way that it looked natural. Thankfully L saw my signs but was hesitant to leave me alone with her dad. Who knew that the hand signals that we learned to kill Koro-sensei would be useful in that kind of way. Once more, he helped me more than he realized. I did a few signals again, saying that I would be alright so she''ll believe me, but I didn''t like my chances. On the other hand, I n on being there when my child is growing, so dying isn''t an option. It''s almost funny that I, who didn''t care if he would die the next day, would hold onto life using everything he could. Gid: "L, leave us alone." Gid unknowingly helped me by giving L an excuse to go. She left us alone but not before looking at us for thest time. She then used her anti-gravity wings toplete her part of the n. Now I was standing before Gid. I was obviously taller than him but the pressure he emitted dwarfed mine. To battle this pressure, I released Haoshoku Haki, but it did nothing to him even though he felt that. Gid: "Hoo~ It seems that you aren''t a pushover. That''s good. But do you really think that''s enough to beat me?" He increased the pressure, but I didn''t n on kneeling before him. The problem with fighting Gid is not only is he stronger, not only he is faster, not only he is more experienced, but he has aoe attacks as well. That''s why I can''t use my eyes too much to scare or confuse him. Otherwise, he''ll destroy the entire city, maybe even the. I''ll need to use them only in crucial moments. I don''t want to win. I just want to survive long enough, and my maximum limit is 20 minutes, and that''s saying very optimistic. I opened my eyes. Just because I can''t overuse my illusions, it doesn''t mean I can''t use them whatsoever. Minor time perception is still beneficial in a fight. At the same time, I activated my prediction calction. Together with my spider-sense and my eyes, I may have some chance. Unless he goes full nuke mode, of course. In that case, I''m fucked. Seeing my eyes, Gid raised his eyebrow. He still stood with his arms crossed. He didn''t see me as a threat at all. Gid: "So these are the famous eyes that I read in Zastin''s report. Are you nning on hypnotizing me?" Ryoto: "Of course not. You would just destroy everything around in that case. I''m not suicidal." Gid: "I would say otherwise." There was silence for a short moment. It was a tense atmosphere between us. Okay, I was the only one being nervous. Gid was starting to look bored and started yawning. Gid: "Are you going to move first or..." I used this chance to shoot out my fire at him, but it was cut in half by his tail. He didn''t even move. Gid: "Interesting. Are you mian by any chance?" Ryoto: "As far as I know, I''m Earthling." Seeing that ranged attacks won''t work, and I can''t use water bending as there is no water nearby, I am forced to fight him in closebat. The good thing is it looks like he is testing me so I can see if it''s better to fight at a distance or close because I''m sure he can fight either way, and I don''t want to meet his tail beam. Using my eyes and prediction calction, I observed every little movement he made. I could even see his intent by seeing his muscles tense. I used Busoshoku Haki to cover the arm that I was using to punch Gid, but he dodged it by tilting his head. Being in his range, he used his tail to sweep my legs but seeing this, I jumped and kicked him while moving my Haki from arm to leg. It was strange trying to fight Gid. It was as if I was fighting a child. A child that can kill me at any moment he wants. He blocked the kick with ease and knowing that bit would happen, I was ready to use my other leg tounch myself out of his reach. He looked at his arm for a moment. Gid: "Nice reflex, but you''ll need to work on speed and power. You''ll have trouble tickling anyone with punches and kicks like these." Ryoto: "Thanks for the evaluation." Internally I was, however, a mess. His tail would be enough to break my legs with that sweep. If I covered one of them with Haki, I would have a chance to save it, but it would probably still hurt like hell. Gid: "How about your defenses then?" He pointed his tail at me. If I dodge, then he''ll destroy houses behind me. God dammit! Analyzing the energy output on his tail in milliseconds, I decided that I''ll be able to stop it. I focused energy in my hand, creating a big blue hand. Ryoto: "God hand!" A beam made contact with my hand. Let''s just say that it was a new experience feeling aser on the projection of your hand. It was challenging, but I managed to stop theser even though I was pushed back a bit. Afterward, the hand disappeared. Everything goes ording to calctions. If I had sses, I would push them while they would reflect the light making my eyes not visible. Gid: "So you could protect not only yourself but the houses behind you as well. But what if..." I didn''t let him finish as I noticed the energy gathering once more but more, which is bad. I quickly shot a web at his face, and he used his tail that was gathering energy to cut it. Using this short moment, I started gathering lightning. Usually, it would take too long to gather enough energy to fire it out but knowing Gid, he would allow me to do it, and I was right. With a confident smile, he said. Gid: "Ryoto Yuuki, let''s see what more you''ve got!" --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 129: Gid Lucione Deviluke 2 Chapter 129: Gid Lucione Deviluke 2 (Ryoto''s pov) I shot out the lighting after a charge-up, but I was aware that it wouldn''t be able to do anything, so I used my fire to create smoke dense enough to block Gid''s vision. Gid, annoyed by it, used his tail to blow the smoke away, but it was toote. I already used my eyes to let Gid see me attacking from the side. He reacted to the illusion by turning his eyes to it. At the same time, I attacked from the front. I synchronized my footstep with illusions footsteps so Gid wouldn''t realize that he was seeing an illusion. When I was in his range, however, I noticed that only his eyes were focused on the fake me. The rest of his body was ready to attack me. There were minimal signs of that, but I caught them all before he did anything, so I quickly used both of my hands to shoot fire at him and repel myself from him. After the smoke disappeared, I saw unharmed Gid with a few burn marks on his clothes. He looked more pissed off, and this is not good. I could practically see the vein on his forehead. Gid: "It looks like I allowed you to y for too long. Your illusions are impressive, unrecognizable from reality, but I couldn''t hear you moving from one ce to another, so it was too obvious that I was seeing your illusion. But enough of this, let''s end this." It was his turn to attack. I could follow him with my eyes, but my body was another story... is what I would say if I didn''t have prediction calction. Thanks to this ability, I could still somehow dodge it as my body had time to react, but I could feel my eyes getting warmer. The whole time he was attacking, I was in defense as he didn''t let me do anything. I was carefully considering the punches and kicks I should dodge and which one I should defend against. As I have suspected, every one of his punches and kicks hurt like a bitch, but I could still use them afterward, so I count it as a win. I found it a little strange, but I didn''t have time to question it as I was using most of my brain functions to calcte and trying not to die, of course. As I crossed my arms and strategically covered them in Haki around the area, he''ll hit, but it was my mistake as this time, the punch was more powerful than the ones before. It broke my guard, leaving my arms raised and my face unguarded. Seeing this, he smirked, and I knew what wasing if I didn''t do something. My face will have a close meeting with his small but not delicate fist. I did three things in that instant. First, I covered my face in Haki in case the other two things failed and hoped for the best. Second I shifted my wrist enough to point my web-shooters at him so I could web him at least a little bit. Even if I did the best it could do was weaken his punch a bit which would be weed. Third I used my eyes again to change the world around him. I did not use any of his daughter or wife in these illusions as it would only piss him off even more. I even make two fake me at both of his sides, trying to attack him. Unfortunately for me, it didn''t stop him in the slightest. He ignored the illusion and didn''t change his fist trajectory, and while I was able to shoot out the web and hit his fist, but the only thing it managed to do was to cover it with the web. Hopefully, it will soften the impact. I greeted my teeth, and then it hit me. I flew several meters before hitting a car, and even then, it was pushed back a bit. I''m suddenly missing getting hit by a truck. ''Karen, am I still alive?'' Karen: "You are, but are you sure that you can survive long enough for help to arrive?" She sounded worried. ''It''s not that, I''m sure. I must do it. I have a kid on the way, and I don''t n on making L a single high-school mother. And I didn''t even get to resurrect Koro-sensei back from the dead. I need to see Rio and Kaede again, too, so I can''t allow myself to die. Trust me.'' Karen: "...If you lie to me, I''ll get your soul either back to this body or to a new one. I''ll hunt you down even if you''ll reincarnate in fucking Bocu no pico, and I''ll make your new life living hell for lying to me." ''If that makes you feel better... Any advice?'' Karen: "Dodge punches, hit hard, and don''t die." ''I hate that your advice is technically correct.'' Gid showed in front of me in an instant. He looked at his fist with my blood on it that had already destroyed the web and was trying its luck on his hand, but he used his energy to vaporize it immediately. Gid: "Quite the blood you''ve got here." Ryoto: "Sometimes it feels like a bane of my existence and the reason for my bad luck." I got up, wiped the blooding from my nose, and cast it away, making a few new holes in the road. Gid: "But I must say you are more durable than I gave you credit for, but it looks like you can still bleed when you stop dodging like an annoying mosquito." Ryoto: "Sad that I can''t say the same about you." It seems that I would need to use more blood to even harm him, but that''s not efficient in any way. Worst of all, it was only about two minutes since we started. I''m literally and figuratively fucked. As I was in a staring contest with Gid, a concentrated stream of water flew at Gid that he, as usual, cut in half with his tail. Jugemu: "I suppose the appropriate thing to say in this situation is, am Ite to the party, is it not?" Jugemu came to my help with a smile. I suddenly see hope in surviving a bit longer. --- END (A/N Any thoughts about the fight? Is it good? Is it bad? Happy to hear your opinions.) Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 130: Gid Lucione Deviluke 3 Chapter 130: Gid Lucione Deviluke 3 (Ryoto''s pov) Ryoto: "Jugemu, what are you doing here?" Jugemu: "I''ve felt a big vibration in this area, so I came to check what''s happening, and I found you fighting. Who is this?" Ryoto: "My father-inw..." Jugemu: "Is it bad?" Ryoto: "Very. Don''t you know who it is?" Jugemu: "He is the king of Deviluke and emperor of the whole Milky Way Gxy, right? Alme told me some things but is he strong?" I looked at him as if he was an idiot. Ryoto: "Are you aware that he stopped the constant conflict in the gxy?" Jugemu shook his head. Did he live under the rock? Ryoto: "Nevermind then. All you need to know is that he outsses us in every possible way." Jugemu: "I see. Do you have a n?" Ryoto: "Try not to die." I then covered my mouth with my hand and moved it without making any sound so only Jugemu would understand me. Ryoto: "Try to survive as long as possible. Help ising." Jugemu nodded. Gid: "Are you done with your talk?" Ryoto: "Yes, thanks for the wait." Jugemu shot the water out from his swords, and finally, I could use my water bending. Not to the full extent as it wasn''t a full moon, but as it was already evening, I could see the moon in the sky. It didn''t make any difference for Gid, but it was still worth mentioning. The two streams of water that were flying straight at Gid suddenly changed their trajectory to fly at him from both sides. Gid simply blocked it with both of his hands, but as soon as the water touched him, it started freezing. Gid looked curiously at his freezing hands. Gid: "Ho~ First fire, now water. What''s next? Earth? Air?" Ryoto: "Who knows? I''m full of surprises." He clenched his fists, breaking the ice. Ryoto: "Jugemu, more water!" Jugemu started shooting more rapidly, and I used some of his shots to gather water above Gid while Jugemu was keeping him busy. My fighting style changed slightly as I was using water bending. My movement became more fluid, but Gid adjusted incredibly quickly. I was nning on using arge amount of water to create scalding steam by shooting fire at it, but Gid lost his patience and destroyed the ball of water with his energy. Electricity started flowing around him, and one bolt even flew at me, which I redirected it at him. That lighting was hit by another one and canceled each other. Ryoto: "Jugemu, cover me!" I rushed at Gid, but I knew that I won''t be able to damage him at all. All we need is to buy time. I tried to blind him with the web at first, but I knew that he would dodge or cut it with a tail, so I was ready for a follow-up attack. Jugemu, on the other side, used his swords to attack as well with his water. Gid either blocked or dodged our every attack. He also counterattacked, and while I could follow his movements, it was starting to strain my everything. Too much information flows into my brain at all times in a short amount of time. Not to mention my focus on my own actions and my own spider-sense screaming at me ''danger'' at all times while near him. I used Jugemu''s water at times to increase my firepower. Can this count as a pun? No time to think about it, but why is he holding back? I couldn''t continue this thought as a fist wasing my way. I barely dodged it, but that ''impasse'' was already at 5 minutes mark, and with each minute, Gid was losing his patience, so I decided to do something stupid from all the exhaustion and hit him in the face with all my strength. Looking him straight into the eyes, I said. Ryoto: "Tell me, what do you truly desire." This ability works best when you make eye contact with the victim, and even someone as powerful as Gid wasn''t immune to it. He may resist telling me what he desired, but the moment when he tried to resist was all I needed to punch him with all my might while my fist was covered with Haki. He flew a few meters backward, and after he nded,'' he didn''t get up immediately. My eyes went wide, realizing what I had just done. I punched him. I... punched him. Jugemu: "Good job, Ryoto!" Jugemu looked happy, but not me. That''s bad. I just pissed him off more than I should. I turned to Jugemu. Ryoto: "Jugemu, we are fucked." He looked confused, but after sensing something, he nodded. Ryoto: "By the way, where is Alme?" Jugemu: "She tired herself out after the party and is probably sleeping." Is she a kid? My spider-sense was triggered, and I felt as if my head was going to crack open, which usually is a bad sign. Yep, he is pissed. I should y safe, but noooo. I needed to punch him in the face. It''s my first time fighting so hard using everything I''ve got. Almost every single ability was used to survive, and in the state where my entire focus was on fighting, I punched him. If I did that normally without this ''cheap trick'', he probably wouldn''t be as mad, but I did that, and now he is pissed, and I''m fucked. I could see the energy iling around him, and he was focusing most of it on his tail. It''s already stronger than the God hand would be able to stop. Gid: "Ryoto Yuuki!" I could only do one thing now. Ryoto: "Jugemu, stand behind me!'' Jugemu nodded I twisted my body, turning my back on Gid, which angered him even more, but it was required. While I was turned, I grabbed where my heart was with my right hand and started gathering energy with my eyes closed. It will be the first time I''ll do this in action, but beggars can''t be choosers. It''s the only way, ording to my calctions, and they haven''t been wrong just yet. A blue aura started covering me in a spiraling way, just like a small tornado. Just a little bit... Now! I opened my eyes, turned back while raising my right hand, and a giant semi-transparent blue devil appeared behind me. It was just a torso, but it was muscr and would be intimidating for most people. Ryoto: "Majin the hand!!!" The avatar of a devil imitated my motion of putting my hand in front of me to stop the beam that Gid had already fired. You could feel the power from both of us. It was bigger and more powerful than before. It would hit both Jugemu and me, but the devil was on my side. On contact, I felt the tremendous impact, and it pushed my hand back a bit. Come on,e on! I can''t lose now! I pushed back with all my strength. All of the muscles in my arm were straining to their absolute limit, but somehow I was able to hold it back. Unfortunately, my right arm was unusable after that. What''s even worse, we are not finished. Gid looked at me and smiled. Gid: "So you can stop even that much power. I''m impressed, but-" He didn''t finish as both of us heard a very beautiful and charming voice that old probably charm anyone who heard it. ???: "Gid, what are you doing?" Hearing this, Gid froze. He turned his head slowly to the source of the voice. Gid: "Sephie..." --- END (A/N I''ve bamboozled everyone. You thought that the reward was just God hand, but in reality, it was all Mark Evans/Endou Mamoru goalkeepers technique, but he needs to train to obtain them.) Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 131: Sephie Michaela Deviluke Chapter 131: Sephie Micha Deviluke (Gid''s pov) I was sitting on my throne, bored as always. I would much prefer flip skirts of some girls or mess with someone, but Sephie would get mad if I left for no reason. At least soon, I''ll be able to fly to Earth, so I''ll finally ept Ryoto as L''s fianc, and after their marriage, I''ll be free to do what I wish. Even Sephie won''t be able toin to me about not doing my duty because I won''t have any longer. I''ll even look like a good father who grants his daughter her wishes. Thinking about it makes me happy and impatient at the same time. I regrly get reports about him from Zastin. From what I read and hear, he isn''t half bad. He may be weaker than a Devilukean, but for an Earthling, he is exceptional. My only worry is that from what I heard, his eyes are very unusual, and from my experience, things like these attract trouble, and if he isn''t strong enough, he''ll lose them. But that''s a problem for the future. For now, I''ll block any information about his eyes. Meaning I''ll tell someone to do this for me. Thankfully I won''t be bored for long as today the next report ising. As ofte, there wasn''t much in reports. I understood one such report, even two or three, but after a month of such reports, it began being very suspicious. Zastin is hiding something. I know it. That''s why I called him to the Pce. I''ll force the truth out of him. The only ones who could force him to hide something from me would be L, Momo, Nana, or Sephie. And if it''s any of them, then I am even more curious about what they are trying to hide. Right now, he was standing in front of me, clearly nervous. I was nning to press him a little bit before I could even say something Zastin confessed everything. Zastin: "Please forgive me!!! I didn''t want to hide this information from you!!! L-sama is pregnant with Ryoto-dono''s child!" I was so shocked that I didn''t even react for a moment. Zastin: "Whew! I feel a lot better having this lifted out of my chest." He then paled as my energy literally exploded. So L is pregnant. It''s not that I was mad that L is pregnant, but itplicates some stuff. I nned to let Ryoto grow a bit before it happened. Let him learn how to be kind and emperor while he grows his influence and power. While I ended the war, it doesn''t mean that there aren''t any people wanting to get even with me. The wounds created by war aren''t fully healed just yet. Not even 10 years have passed since the conflict has ended after all, and if some of my enemies hear about this, I''m sure that they''ll try everything in their power to harm my grandchild. Thinking about what should I do, I got the idea of testing him. See how he reacts to danger, see his limits, and judge his character in person. What''s even better, it gives me an excuse to go out! --- The fight was interesting. Ryoto seems to have many abilities, and his instinct was phenomenal. What''s more, he could defend from my tail attacks and even follow my movements. Not to mention his eyes. He even managed to get a hit on me, which pissed me off, but it was still impressive. I admit, I lost myposure a little and used more power than I should have, but everything turned out fine. He blocked it with yet again another technique. I nned to see how he would go on with his aquatic friend with his arm unusable, but we were interrupted by Sephie. How did she get here so fast? (Ryoto''s pov) Finally, she came. It was even faster than I expected, and thank god for that. I don''t know how much longer I would be able to continue. My eyes began to generate smoke from overheating. It wasn''t much, but it was a sign that I couldn''t continue using them to the fullest soon, and that would make it harder to fight. I would say that I would be able to survive for 5 more minutes at most. Telling L that I could fight Gid for 20 minutes was wishful thinking. I also didn''t know my eyes limits became I''ve never used them so much in a fight before. I said 20 minutes earlier because that''s how long I could use prediction calction, and without it, my chances of surviving would lower significantly. Sephie: "Gid, what are you doing?" Sephie, L''s mother and Gid''s wife, had her face covered with a veil to hide her beauty. Apparently, her beauty was so overwhelming that she could turn the biggest gentlemen into perverts. Gid: "...I was just testing Ryoto to see if he is suitable for L." Sephie took a look at me, at which I waved with a smile with my left hand as I could lift my right. Sephie: "He looks like a nice kid. So why are you attacking him?" She was talking calmly, but both Gid and I knew that she was angry. Not at me, which was good. As I was thinking if I should screw over Gid more or not, I felt someone jump at me and hug me. L: "Ryoto!" Ryoto: "Hey, L. Please don''t hug me so hard. My arm hurts." L: "Ah, sorry." While still hugging me but not as hard as before, she looked at Gid with some resentment in her eyes. Gid: "What? I did that for you. We can''t have a spinless brat be a king of Deviluke. Besides, I approve of your engagement. Aren''t I a great father?" Ryoto: "You just did that to step down from the throne so you can fool around doing perverted things to other women." Gid: "How do you-" He stopped as he realized what I was going for. I just gave him a smug smile. Serves you right. Sephie: "I see, so that was your n. Then you''ll be happy to hear that when our grandchild is born, I''ll move here on Earth to help them raise it so your responsibilities as a ruler will increase." She said with a smile, but her words weren''t kind at all. Gid: "What!? You can''t do this! Sephie: "Why?" Gid didn''t have an answer for that and just gave me a deadly stare, but I wasn''t scared of him now. Not when he was in the presence of his wife. We decided to return home before we discuss anything further. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 132: The weakness of every husband is his wife Chapter 132: The weakness of every husband is his wife (Ryoto''s pov) Before we left, I said my goodbyes to Jugemu and thanked him for the help. I really appreciate it. We were walking in silence as everything we wanted to say at home. There Sephie knocked on the door and waited until Mikan opened the door. Seeing some unfamiliar faces, she looked at L and me, and seeing that I was injured, she widened her eyes. Mikan: "Ryoto, what happened!?" She quickly got next to me and examined me. Sephie, on the other hand, was the one who answered her question. Sephie: "It would be my husband''s fault, and that is why we would like to apologize." She bowed her head and forced Gid to do the same by pushing his head downwards. Gid didn''t like it but didn''t refute it in any way besides an angry grunt. Mikan: "And who are you?" Ryoto: "L''s parents. We''ll discuss everything inside." Mikan then let everyone inside, and while she prepared some snacks, the rest of us seated ourselves in the living room. There we talked about how Sephie already knew about everything as Zastin reported to her as well as soon as Gid flew to Earth. That''s why she got here so fast. Also, my engagement to L became official, but I''ve been warned that it won''t stop some people from attacking me since if I die, L won''t be engaged anymore. I also won''t be the ruler of Deviluke until I at least graduate high school. I could feel that bit was just to punish Gid even more, and he knew that as well. He was fuming with anger, but one look from Sephie made him harmless as a puppy. Gid tried to exin that he only did what he did to test me out once again, but he was quickly shut down by Sephie. They also earned me about the side effects of Devilukean pregnancy, but I''ve got that already covered. Sephie: "Now that we are here, I should also apologize to your parents for putting you in danger." Ryoto: "Don''t worry about it. They aren''t home most of the time. My dad works as a mangaka and is rarely home because of his deadlines, and mom works overseas." Karen: "Wow, it sounds sad when you say it out loud." ''Does it? I don''t even notice anymore.'' Hearing this, Sephie hugged my head and put it on her breast. I wasn''t even feeling lustful at the moment. I was too shocked to react in any way. Sephie: "You poor thing. You can call me mom if you want. After all, we are family now." Ryoto: "..." I didn''t know what to say, but I''ve got a genius idea to annoy Gid. Is it petty? Yes. Do I care? No. Ryoto: "Can I call Gid papa then?" Sephie: "Of course, you can!" Gid: "What!!?" Gid wanted to protest, but one re from Sephie shut him up. I turned to Gid. Ryoto: "Let''s get along from now on, papa." I put out my left hand, waiting for a handshake. I covered it in Haki, just in case. I noticed that only I and maybe Alme could see Haki. To others, it''s invisible, so they won''t catch me doing this. Gid: "...You''ve got balls, kid. Let''s hope that you won''t regret it." He grabbed my hand, and while we both smiled at each other, trying to crush our hands during this handshake. He was stronger than me, so I even tried to make my hand hot with fire bending, but it wasn''t working on him. I mean, if my blood didn''t work immediately on him, why would fire? --- For now, they decided to leave, but as she said before, Sephie will be stay-home grandma once the child is born, leaving Gid with all responsibilities of a ruler. I think she wants to make up for not being the best mother to her daughters by being the best possible grandma. Now that we were done with the discussion, I decided to excuse myself to go to Mikado-sensei to fix my arm. It still hurts, and I should probably go to the doctor right away. So that''s exactly what I did, hoping that she was at home. I knocked on the door of her house, and Oshizu opened the door. Ryoto: "Hey, Oshizu. Is Mikado-sensei inside? I want her to check up on my arm and maybe other things as well." She weed me inside and guided me to where Mikado was. Ryoto: "Mikado-sensei, sorry foring unannounced on Christmas, but I need your help." Right now, I was wearing a long sleeve jacket, so I took it off, revealing my right arm, which was a bit swelled and red because of muscle straining. Ryouko: "What did you do? It looks like you have torn the muscles in your arm. For you to do that, you wouldn''t need to try lift I don''t know how many tons." She was calm. As a doctor, she probably witnessed more severe injuries. As she examined my arm to see if anything more was wrong and what kind of treatment I needed, I dropped a bomb. Ryoto: "I fought Gid." Hearing this, she stopped all her actions a d looked at me. Ryouko: "What did you just say?" Ryoto: "L''s father found out that she is pregnant, and he came to Earth to test me out, but I managed to piss him off during our fight by punching him in the face. Not my most brilliant move, but damn, it was satisfying. I was forced to defend myself from his tailser, which ended up with my arm in this state. And while being on the topic, I would also like if you checked if he didn''t hit me too hard anywhere. I don''t feel much pain beside my right arm, but better safe than sorry." She just pinched the bridge of her nose, hearing what I had to say. Ryouko: "Can''t you get out of the troubles?" Ryoto: "Not my fault, really." Ryouko: "Says the guy who punched the emperor of the Milky Way Gxy." Ryoto: "Touche." After the examination, she started treatment, but I should refrain from any excessive movements. I was apparently lucky that my muscles were only partially torn, so it will heal in a few weeks. There also wasn''t anything wrong with anything else, so that''s good. There were only small bruises on my face that would disappear after a few days. I will need to wear an stic bandage for that time as well and periodically apply ice on my arm. After I returned home, I decided to get the rewards I rightfully earned. __________ *PING* *QUEST COMPLETED* Reward: 10 000 SP, 2 gacha tickets. __________ As soon as I heard the notifications, I used the first gacha ticket, and as always, the wheel started spinning. Itnded on ''Zanpakuto - Zangetsu'' I''m not a swordsman, but it''s still a powerful sword. The question is, which version is it? To find out, I summoned my new weapon, and to my surprise, it looked like an ordinary Asauchi, a nameless sword. I''m lost. There wasn''t a time when Zangetsu looked like this, even at the beginning of the story. Maybe I need tomunicate with it to gain some kind of shape, but that''s for the future. Now I have gacha to y. For the second time, the wheel spun, and this time itnded 10x random item. Huh? By ying the gacha, I got more gacha? Karen: "Let me exin. If you get an item from the gacha, it will be automatically transferred to you and won''t be in a safe space until you decide to use it. The only exception is if the item you get is too big for the space you are currently on, so don''t be scared and do a ten roll!" I decided to draw the items and the wheel, now slightly different than the one before, appeared. Most of the items were useless as one would expect, like a pack of screws, a wheel, piece of cloth, but there were also some interesting ones. The most interesting but most dangerous was a green, ancient-looking mask simply called ''The Mask''. I didn''t n on putting it on, so I hid it in my room and went on with my evening. --- END (A/N Do you guys want to read Jugemu''s side story, or should I skip it. Vote below. Write it, now!!! Nah. Yami will soon appear :) Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 133: A blonde haired assassin Chapter 133: A blonde haired assassin (Karen''s pov) I was currently in a mixed mood. On one hand, I was happy that Ryoto managed to survive, and I''m d that he cherishes his life now, but on the other hand, I''m not happy that he got injured. Why does he need to worry me so much? Truck-san: "Karen! I came to y!" Karen: "!@*#!?#@!!!!" I let out an iprehensible scream. Jesus fucking Christ! What is she doing here!? And why does she change her look again? She was wearing a beautiful kimono with a flower pattern on it and brown hair reaching the floor. She also had a Japanese sword that she wore at her waist. She looked graceful. Shame that her personality didn''t reflect that. Karen: "What do you want?" Truck-san: "As I''ve said, I came to y. The word came around that Ryoto got in a fight with his father-inw and got injured, so I came to cheer you up." Karen: "I''m notmenting!'' Truck-san: "Who said you were?" She had the smirk that said that she got me. I hate when she does that. Karen: "Nevermind that. What do you want from Ryoto?" I looked at her suspiciously. If I know anything about Truck-san is that she loves entertainment and most of the things she does ends up with her having fun. Truck-san: "Oooo~ Scary." She just smiled at me. God, I hate it when she does it. Karen: "We both know why I don''t trust that your motives are pure." Truck: "You don''t need to worry. I just want to send him to one of the worlds I am managing. Nothing more." Karen: "Are you mad!!!?" Truck-san: "What? You don''t even know which world I n on sending him to." Karen: "I can guess from your look!" She pped her hands, looking happy that I guessed. Truck-san: "Good job!" Karen: "You know that he isn''t ready to go there! Depending on where you send him, he may even die!" She flicked my forehead. Karen: "Ow!" Truck-san: "Who do you take me for? Of course, I won''t send him now. I''ll let him grow stronger for a while and then transfer him. It won''t be for free either. I''ll give him a mission with great rewards." I thought, what was her end goal. Why use Ryoto and not someone other than him. Universe, multiverse, omniverse, and even #>@#verse is enormous. Karen: "Why?" Truck-san: "Hmm?" Karen: "Why use Ryoto for that, and why are you doing that?" Truck-san put the finger on her chin, thinking about the response, but in reality, she just tried to act cute. Truck-san: "Don''t you think that some characters deserve a better ending than they got or would get? Besides, there isn''t any reason for choosing Ryoto. I spun a wheel, and itnded in his name." I facepalmed. Of course, she used a wheel. She is that idiot''s wife, after all. I don''t know how she managed to raise Truck-kun to be a responsible adult. Karen: "*Sigh* Fine, but if something happens to Ryoto, I''ll end you." My re could kill at the moment, but Truck-san wasn''t scared at all. She maintained her smile. Truck-san: "Don''t worry, your boyfriend will be fine. A little treat in him would be nice." The tension between us vanished as I became embarrassed hearing that. Karen: "He is not my boyfriend!!!" Truck-san: "Yet." Karen: "You know what? I won''t argue with you. It never ends up in my favor." Truck-san: "But you seriously don''t need to worry. I can promise that even Gaia or anyone else won''t do anything to kill him unless he''ll go full nuts and try to destroy the or something simr. Otherwise, she won''t do anything." Karen: "What about the others?" Truck-san: "Depends if he tries to fight them for some reason." ... He''ll do it. I know that he''ll do it. I don''t know why but he''ll do it. Truck-san: "By the way, why won''t you send Ryoto to the next world already? I understand the first month I get it. You literally couldn''t, as there is a one-month cooldown between otherworld missions, but you told him that he wouldn''t be able to do it until at least April. What''s your deal?" She was curious, and that''s usually bad news. She''ll get the information she wants in any way she can, so I just told her. Karen: "I wanted for Ryoto to take a break. Thest time he kind of broke down, so I thought a normal life with his loved ones for a few months would help him in the long run. I know that he wants to get back Koro-sensei as soon as possible, but u won''t allow him to do that at the cost of his mental health." Truck-san: "I see, I see. If you want to get some rtionship advice, you know where to find me! Bye!" She disappeared just as quickly as she appeared. ... Did she get here just to tease me? (Ryoto''s pov) Today is the 2nd of January. During thest week, I was treating my arm and was pampered by L. Even though I didn''t need it still was nice. What wasn''t nice was that L limited our love-making sessions because she was worried about my arm too much. We still did it but not every day as we used to. Alme also visited me as soon as she heard about what happened, but after the first visit, she stopped for some reason. I also tried to talk with Zangetsu, but for now, he refuses to talk. I''ll continue my efforts, though. On the note of Zangetsu, I was thinking about training my swordsmanship. My first candidate was Zastin, as he was known as one of the best swordsmen in the gxy, but I dismissed this idea as he uses a western sword, and Asauchi is eastern in origin. Then I thought about my own little stalker and decided to ask her this favor as soon as my arm heals. I also warned all home residents about the mask so there won''t be idents. Just in case, I hid it in my room. Who am I kidding? Someone will definitely use it, but that''s my future self problem, not mine. I was currently taking a walk, and I was ready for trouble. I decided to buy some taiyaki as it was a bit cold, and I bought some extra for the rest as well. Will the penguins like it. It''s fish-shaped, after all. Thankfully I had a bag with me so I could carry and eat at the same time. Didn''t want to use my arm if not necessary. As soon as I bought the food, I saw a girl with long blonde hair and dark red eyes. She wore an all-ck Gothic-style leather outfit. Said outfit had a star-shaped gap at the chest of her clothing. On her legs, I could see five-leg belts. She was staring at me intensively, so I offered her my taiyaki. Ryoto: "Do you want this?" She didn''t say anything back but took the food and ate it. ???: "Earthling food is really strange..." Ryoto: "It is, but that''s why it''s fun to eat it." She got closer to me and put her hands on my shoulders. There was quite a height difference between us as she was shorter than L. With a nk expression, she looked me into the eyes (eyelids) and said. ???: "You''re Ryoto Yuuki... I''ve been looking for you..." Her hand turned into the de, and she attempted to cut me with it, but I dodged it by backstepping. I did it effortlessly and lookedpletely calm. ???: "Somone asked me to eliminate you. I have no grudge against you, but I must ask you to die." Once again, my walk turned into a disaster. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 134: Golden Darkness Chapter 134: Golden Darkness (Ryoto''s pov) To be honest, Ipletely forgot that Yami would go after my life. I was too busy nning other things. Like survive ing Gid''s wrath or being a father. The only downside is that my right arm is still injured. I can use it if the situation requires it, but I would rather not. Ryoto: "Golden Darkness, could you not try to kill me in the middle of the city?" Yami: "You know who I am?" Ryoto: "Of course I do. Golden Darkness is a legendary assassin who can transform any part of her body into a weapon. You came here to kill me because one of L''s fianc candidates hired you but never mind that. Can we fight somewhere else? We don''t want to disturb people here." Yami looked around and nodded. Ryoto: "Not a long way from here is the riverbank. There shouldn''t be any people there. Strangely enough, it''s not a popr spot." Yami: "Lead the way..." (L''s pov) I was in myboratory ying with some machines. I was still mad at papa for injuring Ryoto, but I think I understand why he did what he did. Together with Ryoto, we''ll soon be parents, and I would do everything to protect our child, even if it would end up hating me. It doesn''t mean that I''ll forgive papa easily. *Pirurururu* *Pirurururu* It was the sound of an iing call. Slowly an image started forming on the big screen. ???: "Yahoo, L-tan! It''s me. Of course, you remember me, right?'' L: "Geh! Lacospo!?" On the screen, there was one of my now ex-fianc candidates, but papa said to keep quiet about it for now as announcing the winner would make some people more desperate in their attempts, and Ryoto is strong enough to handle them. Lacospo: "Yes!!! The prince of Gaama, as well as your number one fianc candidate, Lacospo!!! L-tan, how have you been!?" He was sittingfortably on his bed, surrounded by four members of his harem. Lacospo: "I came to Earth to pick you up today, L-tan. So let''s quickly get married. I''ll prepare you a special seat next to me!" L: "Beh, no way! Don''t you know!? I''ve found someone great on Earth!!!" Lacospo: "...You mean Ryoto Yuuki? But he might not be in this world anymore. Bububu." ??? What did he mean by that? Seeing my confusion, he dly told me his n. Lacospo: "Have you ever heard of ''Golden Darkness''?" L: "Darkness?" Apparently, it was the best assassin in the gxy, and he sent her to kill Ryoto. ... I need to find him quickly! He still has a wounded arm! (Ryoto''s pov) I was walking with Yami next to me inplete silence, so I decided to start a small talk. God, I''m bad at this. Ryoto: "Hey, Golden Darkness is a bit long. Can I just call you Yami?" Yami looked at me while slightly tilting her head. Yami: "...Do as you wish. You''ll die soon either way." Charming, isn''t she? And there was once again silence. Ryoto: "..." Yami: "..." Ryoto: "Do you want some more Taiyaki?" I proposed more food to her, and she epted. Ryoto: "Do you want to ask me something before we start our fight?" She stopped earing and looked at me. Yami: "No..." After her short answer, she continued eating. I decided to stop talking as nothing more coulde out of this. --- We finally arrived at the riverbank, and I put down the bag at the side so all the food inside wouldn''t be destroyed. There was a distance between us, and we judged each other. I still had my eyes open and would use them only when needed. I could use this fight to train my fighting without an arm since there could be a situation where my arm will be unusable again. ... I think I have a problem. I''m using every possible situation as a teaching session unless I''m pissed off, or my opponent clearly outssed me. Wait, is Yami stronger than me? In her Darkness form, I would have problems, but right now, I should be alright. I even have the advantage of having water next to me. Also, if I remember correctly, she is scared of slimy things, so I could show her some illusions, but the problem is I don''t know what triggered her transformation. If it was fear, I''m screwed, and I don''t want to risk it. Eh, I''ll just wing it. I can also summon Zangetsu if necessary but is it stronger than my Haki in its Asauchi form? I''ll need to do some testing. Maybe I should drag out the battle as long as possible for that asshole who sent her to kill me toe and wait for him to dig his own grave or just drag out his desire. So many options but I can choose only one. What to do. What to do. As I was thinking, I dodged a de that targeted my head. Ryoto: "Have we started already?" I didn''t get any answer. She just continued attacking me. I deflected all of her attacks with my left hand covered in Haki. Seeing that her attacks didn''t work, she changed her tactic and transformed her hair into eight dragon heads, and as it was too much to defend myself at once, especially with one arm, so while backstepping, I controlled water and aimed it at her. Seeing this, she used some of her hair to create a shield to protect herself from water which in turn I turned into ice. She was slightly surprised by that, but she returned her focus quickly and smashed the ice into the ground, breaking it in the process. Yami: "It wasn''t mentioned by my client." Ryoto: "I like to think that I''m full of surprises. By the way, what else did your client mention." I need to know how to punish himter. Yami: "He said that you are a beast that would lust after everything that would be considered female. He said that you were ckmailing princess L to be your fianc so you could take Deviluke''s throne for yourself. Also, apparently, you can''t get up your brother... whatever that means." ... He is dead. Even Mil-tan won''t be enough to calm my rage. Should I let Mil-tan team up with Puri-Puri Prisoner or maybe multiply both of them. But first I would let him see them as beautiful girls and as he starts kissing one of them... Boom! They turn back to their true form, and they start having ''fun'' with him. Ryoto: "Thank you for telling me that, Yami, but you got fake info this time. Strange that you didn''t check it before you took the job." Yami looked at me with a nk expression, but I could see a faint embarrassment. Yami: "...I didn''t get a lot of jobs as ofte." Ryoto: "...I see." There was a silence, but it was destroyed by L. L: "Ryoto!!!" --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 135: Revenge Chapter 135: Revenge (Ryoto''s pov) Ryoto: "Hey, L! Fancy seeing you here." L rushed to me. L: "Are you alright, Ryoto!?" Ryoto: "Why wouldn''t I be?" L: "One of my ex-fianc sent an assassin after you." Ryoto: "I know. I was just having a small talk with said assassin." I pointed to Yami. L: "What!? That cute girl is an assassin!?" Yami: "Cute?" Yami got embarrassed by L''spliment. As we were talking, a spaceship arrived near us, and from the ship, a short green alien descended from there. Why does he look like Pf, though? Lacospo: "Tadaaaaahh!!! Lacospo is here to visit!!!" Yeah, I do not care for him. Lacospo: "I''vee to pick you up, L-tan! Let''s get married!" L: "In your dreams, Lacospo. You ordered an assassin to kill Ryoto. You''re the worst." Shockingly future victim of Mil-tan was shocked by her words. Lacospo: "The... the worst!!?" As this conversation was taking ce, I took out a lollipop, and I offered it to Yami as well. Ryoto: "Do you want it?" She took it without hesitation. Did I already tame her with food? Lacospo: "This is your fault, Ryoto Yuuki! You have been taking advantage of L-tan!" Ryoto: "True... Sleeping in herp at every possible time, I truly took advantage of her kindness, but can you me me?" I started exaggerating and used my acting skills to the fullest. Lacospo: "You did what!!?" Ryoto: "Or do you mean the time when she started feeding me food?" He started turning blue. Does this mean that he is angry, or did he stop breathing? It''s possible that his blood is blue after all. Ryoto: "Oh, I know. You are probably mad that we are sleeping in the same bed." Yami: "hi." Ryoto: "I don''t deny it." Lacospo: "Come on out!!! Gama-tan!!!" Lacospo, furious at what I said, summoned his pet. A giant frog-like alien. Peke: "That''s the rare irogaama!?" L: "You know about that, Peke?" Peke: "Yes... I saw it before in astrobiology reference book. If that''s the real thing, then it''s my natural enemy!!!" The little goblin went a little insane and attacked Yami for some reason. He ordered his pet to attack, and the frog spat out some kind of acid that could melt clothes. Seeing this, Yami turned a bit serious with aight blush on her face. Yami: "I do not approve... of that hi animal!" She tried to cut the frog, but she couldn''t because of something that covered its skin. The frog counterattacked with its tongue and sent Yami flying. As a gentleman that I was, I caught her, but because I only had one avable arm, my handnded on her butt. Feeling something on her butt Yami tried to punch me. Yami: "Nooo!!!" I, of course, dodged it and threw her gently so she couldnd on her own two feet. Lacospo: "I caught you off guard!!!" He tried once again to dissolve Yami''s clothes, but I saw L trying to protect her with her body, and I couldn''t let that creep see L naked, so I used my own body to protect her. I was left butt naked. First, he tries to destroy my reputation, and now he destroys my clothes. Thankfully I''ve got just the ability for situations like this. I snapped my fingers, and a ck suit with a ck shirt appeared on my body. *BGM "Drive That Funky Soul"* Everyone looked around, clearly confused. Lacospo: "Where does that musice from?" Ryoto: "From the depths of my soul." I started walking up to him and did finger pistols while I was at it. Full of confidence, I was decreasing the distance between me and whatever his name was. Lacospo: "Attack him, Gama-tan!!!" The frog tried to m me with its tongue, but I did a sideway slide and dodged it. After that, I spun and continued my dance. I pped my hands over my head and started thrusting my hips. L: Woo, Ryoto!!!" L cheered for me. Ryoto: "Thanks, L!" Yami, on the other hand, had a nk expression on her face, and the same could be said about L''s ex-fianc. Lacospo: "What?" I was finally in range, not that I needed to, but I did it anyway. I used the nearby water to cover the frog and most of his owner''s body and turned it into ice. I then jumped on the frozen pet as I stood in front of the goblin. Lacospo: "Free me!!!" Ryoto: "Look at little goblin junior. Gonna cry?" Lacospo: "Huh?" Ryoto: "Nevermind that. I heard that you were spreading some nasty rumors about me, so right now, it''s punishment time." (Lacospo''s pov) When Ryoto Yuuki opened his eyes, I was transferred somewhere else. I wasn''t frozen anymore, and I wasn''t even on Gama-tan either. I''ll get my revenge on him when I go back. I looked around and saw many beautiful girls. Am I in heaven? Who cares! Woohoo!!! I had the time of my life. I had dates with many girls at the same time. As I kissed one of them on the lips, something felt strange, so I opened my eyes to witness that a beautiful girl had turned into a masculine man, so I quickly backed away with horror in my eyes. Mil-tan: "Oh, why did you stop. We were having a great time~." Thus man had a strange outfit and did a cute pose that made me want to puke. I tried to run away, but I hit something hard, so I looked up and saw a man in a prisoner''s outfit. Puri-Puri: "An eager boy we have here~." He flexed his muscles, and all of his clothes exploded, leaving himpletely naked. My eyes burn!!! I attempted to run away again and hit someone once more. Hapsiel: "Not need to be shy little guy~." He winked at me. At that moment, I felt hands on both of my shoulders. Lacospo: "NOOOOOO!!!!!!!" (Ryoto''s pov) Well, that was fun. I turned to Yami. Ryoto: "Now that your contract is invalid, what do you want to do?" Yami looked between L and me. Yami: "No. Once I have epted a job, abandoning it midway through is against my principles. Ryoto Yuuki, until I have settled things with you, I will remain here on Earth." Seeing iting, I wasn''t shocked, so I gave her a confident smile. Ryoto: "Sure. Come at me whenever you want, but I''ll warn you. I''m strong." I borrowed someone''s else words that suited the situation. Oh, right. I need to punish Zastin as well. I''ll do it after he deals with that little goblin. --- END (A/N I revealed thest of Ryoto''s secret abilities, and it''s bully''s Maguire suit. It doesn''t have his Almighty power, but it makes music and forces Ryoto to dance and quote the great one at random. By the way, should I write hi as a pervert or leave it as it is?) Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 136: Meeting Zangetsu Chapter 136: Meeting Zangetsu (Ryoto''s pov) After I returned home together with L, I told my story to Rito and Mikan, and my little sister was amused that every time I took a walk, something strange happened. She even made a joke that I''ll cause a war on one of these walks. I think she raised a g but better not to think about it. For the next week, nothing unusual was happening, but my arm was fully healed. When I went to Mikado-sensei about it, she was not only confused but fascinated by how fast I recovered. Thank god for Spider-man''s regeneration power, even if it''s minor. I also punished Zastin. I only let him meet Mil-tan because I still need him to draw my manga, but I definitely scared him in some way. Before I go to my new swordsmanship teacher, I''ll try one more time to talk with Zangetsu. He didn''t answer before, but I have a good feeling about today. As always, I trained in the garden, and after I was done with my usual routine, I sat under Celine and started meditating. As I was reaching out to Zangetsu, there was finally a difference, so I opened my eyes and looked around. I didn''t like what I saw. Half of the world was cloudy with the suning out behind the clouds, and the other one was heavily raining. I could even see some lighting there. But that''s not what I didn''t like. I was inside the town. Some of the buildings were from this world, some were from the Assassination ssrooms world, but there were from my previous life. They all were mixed together. In the distance, I could also see a forest and even a mountain. Better not to think about it for now. Ryoto: "Zangetsu!?" I called out for my sword since I couldn''t see him nearby. ???: "Yo, you called?" From behind one of the buildings, a person looking exactly like me emerged. His voice was distorted, but you could still recognize it as mine. The only difference was that all his colors were inverted. All expect his teeth. That and his clothes. He was wearing a traditional shinigami outfit, but like everything going else, its colors were reversed. On the back, he was carrying a sword as big as he was that was wrapped in some kind of ck cloth. Ryoto: "Zangetsu?" Zangetsu: "No, Santa. Of course, it''s Zangetsu! Who else would be in your inner world?" Ryoto: "I don''t know. I was just expecting old man Zangetsu and not... me." Zangetsu: "Did you already forget who that old man was?" Right, he was the materialization of Ichigo''s other power. Ryoto: "Sooo, what now? Do we fight? Are you going to give me a Shikai?" Zangetsu: "Nah, don''t feel like it right now. Maybe you''ll convince me otherwise, Jacob." He said it with a big smile stered on his face, but my blood started boiling. Ryoto: "Don''t you ever call me that name again." My voice was calm, but you could feel the rage inside me building up, and so did Zangetsu, but he didn''t care. Zangetsu: "What? Pushed a wrong button?" No, calm down, Ryoto. He wants you to get mad. I took a deep breath to calm myself down and looked at Zangetsu once more. Ryoto: "My name is Ryoto." I practically hissed at him. Zangetsu: "Sure it is buddy, and I''m Ryujin Jakka. What other lies are we telling each other?" Ryoto: "Asshole." Zangetsu: "You are saying to the guy who not only has the exact same face as you but also knows everything that you know. You are practically calling yourself an asshole." Ryoto: "OK, I''m done for today." Zangetsu: "Oh, by the way. You can''t continue like this. Sooner orter, repressing your past will bite you in the ass." That was the first time that he looked serious. Ryoto: "If you know me that, you should also know that it''s not the option." With these words, I left my inner world. (Zangetsu''s pov) Well, that was productive. Pissing off Jacob was not my goal in itself, but he needs to face his inner demons. Hehe, inner demons. Zangestsu: "You cane out now!" I call out to mypanion in this world. It was a teenage girl with short brown hair and brown eyes. She wasn''t tall at all. Her clothes seemed normal for a girl her age to wear. ???: "How did it go?" Zangestsu: "Not the best. Sometimes he is too big of an idiot." The girl snickered at myment. ???: "Yes, that''s Jacob for you. Hey, maybe I should talk with him?" I shook my head. Zangestsu: "You know why we can''t do this. He isn''t ready to face you at the moment. He practically exploded hearing his name." She now looked sad. ???: "Why is that?" Zangestsu: "There are many reasons. He wants to have a fresh start. He is happier right now than he ever was before. He mes himself too much for what happened in the past and can''t ept that it was him or, to be more precise, that he is still that person." ???: "But achieving happiness by sealing the part of yourself isn''t true happiness!" Zangetsu: "I know, and that''s why we''ll try to help him, *****." I patted her head which she clearly enjoyed, but at the same time, I frowned. I couldn''t even call her name in this world because Jacob was rejecting her. ???: "Do you think that he''ll be happy seeing me?" Zangetsu: "He may be shocked, but I''m sure that he''ll be livid. But not now. We''ll wait for a better time." She agreed with me. Let''s see, Jacob, if you''ll reach your full potential or crumble like many others. I''m hoping that it''s not thetter. I was broken from my thoughts by *****. ???: "Hey Zangetsu, are you nning on letting Jacob wield you?" Zangetsu: "I hope that he''ll grow enough to do that, but if the situation demands it, I''ll help him. I don''t want him to die after all." Don''t make the same mistake twice, Jacob. History likes to repeat itself, so be careful. (Ryoto''s pov) I exited my inner world in a visibly worse mood than before, and Celine noticed it and tried to cheer me up. Ryoto: "It was nothing, Celine. Thanks for worrying." I patted her, which she enjoyed. Mikan: "Ryoto, breakfast is ready!" I was called for food. Right, I''m Ryoto. Jacob died already. I acknowledge that I was that person in the past, but right now, I''m Ryoto Yuuki. With these thoughts, I joined the breakfast. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 137: Swordsmanship teacher Chapter 137: Swordsmanship teacher (Ryoto''s pov) I headed to Saki''s mansion since there was my new swordsmanship teacher. It wasn''t a walk, so nothing out of the ordinary had happened. As you would expect, Saki''s estate was enormous. The main building was protected by a tall wall and a big gate. I rang a doorbell? Gatebell? And waited for someone to answer. I heard someone answering, but that person didn''t say anything. Ryoto: "Rin-senpai, I know that you are there." Rin: "Tsk." She clicked her tongue. Ryoto: "Good to see you too. Can you open the gate? I have something to talk about with you?" Rin: "Me?" Ryoto: "Yep." Rin: "Wait here. I''ll talk with Saki-sama." (Rin''s pov) What is he doing here? I hoped that he didn''t notice me answering, but he did. What does he want from me? I should reject his request right here and there, but Saki-sama is interested in this man... against her better judgment. The only thing I can do is try to open her eyes, and if it doesn''t work, I can try to better him as a person until he is worthy of being the partner of Saki-sama. Rin: "*Sigh*" Aya: "What is it, Rin? Something happened?" Rin: "Ryoto Yuuki is outside the gate. He really is a cause of my headache." Aya: "I see, but why is he here?" Rin: "Apparently, he wants something from me, so I go to Saki-sama to report it." Aya: "You know that she''ll be thrilled to hear about it." Rin: "*Sigh* I know." (Ryoto''s pov) I waited outside, and in my bored state, I started eating a lollipop. The words of Zangetsu were still fresh on my mind but I shook them off for now. Meanwhile, the gate finally opened, and Rin stood in front of me. Rin: "Come inside." Ryoto: "So cold, Rin-senpai. I thought we had something special with you stalking me and all." Rin: "I was not stalking you!" Ryoto: "Are you sure?" Rin: "Yes, I''m sure!" Ryoto: "Then, you were spying on me?" Rin: "Are you enjoying annoying people this much?" Ryoto: "It''s therapeutic, but I have a favor to ask you, so I''ll end it at that." I made her a little curious. Rin: "What favor?" Ryoto: "Can you teach me swordsmanship?" Rin: "Why would you want to learn it?" Ryoto: "Do you want a long version or a short version?" Rin thought about it for a while. Rin: "A short one." Ryoto: "I want to kill swallows." Rin: "Huh?" Ryoto: "I want to learn how to kill swallows just like my idol, savior of France, and maybe just like him, I''ll be deemed as a savior one day." I expanded on my answer. Rin: "I heard you the first time." She pinched the bridge of her nose. Rin: "You are joking, right?" She says that hoping that I was joking and she was in luck. I was... 40% of that was a joke. Maybe 30%. Ryoto: "You got me. Some time ago, I got my hands on a sword, so I n on learning how to use it properly." Rin: "I see..." She was trying to look through me to discover any lies if there were any. Rin: "Why me?" Ryoto: "Well, you smacking me with a sword gave me quite the impression, and you are the only one I know who knows, kendo. I would ask Zastin, but... he is upied with something else." He still has nightmares and is even scared of touching his sword. Only his sword. I still need him for the manga. Rin was thinking seriously about epting or rejecting me. Rin: "I ept you as my student, but you''ll do everything I say, understood?" I hugged myself and acted embarrassed. Ryoto: "E-everything?" Rin facepalmed, defeated before we even began. Rin: "We''ll need to fix that trait of yours." --- We arrived at the dojo where Rin regrly trains. Rin: "Now strip." I didn''t hesitate. Ryoto: "Saido chesto!!!" I grabbed the wrist with my hand and flexed all of my muscles. My clothes exploded, and one piece hit Rin''s forehead. I left my underwear on me... for now. Ryoto: "Is that enough?" Rin: "..." She silently put down the piece of cloth from her forehead, and then she suddenly swung at me with her wooden sword. Ryoto: "Hey, what was that for?" Rin: "That''s what I am asking you! I asked you to strip, not... THAT!!!" Ryoto: "You should be more specific then. You wanted to see me without clothes, and I showed you me without the clothes." Rin tried to calm herself down. Rin: "You know what, forget it. I''ll just do what I intended to do from the beginning." Ryoto: "Which is...?" Rin: "I need to see your muscle distribution and what kind of training you need first." She looked around my body and noticed three scars. One on my shoulder, one on my leg, and one on my stomach. Rin: "These are...?" Ryoto: "Kind of like medals of honor. While saving someone, I got these. I almost died that day." I subconsciously touched one of them and smiled while remembering the memories I have with Kaede and Rio. Ryoto: "But never mind that. What is your verdict? Maybe I should do more poses." Rin: "...It''s not necessary. From what I observed, you have great foundations. You must have trained a lot." I train daily now, but before, I would probably sweat nervously because most of these muscles were in package with Spider-man''s powers. Rin: "We''ll start with the basics as you are aplete amateur. First, do 1000 swings." She said with a small smile. I think she enjoys seeing me suffer. (3rd pov) Right now, in her room, Saki was trying to find a perfect outfit for herself. Aya: "Saki-sama, if you don''t hurry up, Yuuki-kun will go home." Aya was currently apanying Saki. Saki: "I know, but I can''t let Ryoto-sama see me when I''m not at my best. He deserves much more!" Aya: "But do you have any n when you meet him? The Christmas party could be considered a sess since Yuuki-kun seemed to enjoy himself, but what''s next?" Aya was curious about what Saki''s n involved. Saki: "That''s pretty simple. I''ll show how good of a wife I am. Instead of maids, I''ll be the one to bring the snacks, and after that..." Saki''s imagination went a little wild, and she needed to be brought back to Earth by Aya, but Saki would do everything in her power to bring her imagination into reality. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 138: Alme in trouble Chapter 138: Alme in trouble (A/N I almost didn''t write this chapter because I slept the whole day, lol.) (Saki''s pov) I was finally ready to meet Ryoto-sama, and the chefs had already prepared food. I heard from my maid that Ryoto is currently in the dojo with Rin. When I arrived there, I witnessed Ryoto-sama swinging a wooden sword. He looked handsome, even just in his underwear, but now I can''t interrupt him. He seemed very focused on his task and didn''t even notice Aya or me. Rin, on the other hand, saw us and walked up to us. Rin: "Saki-sama, forgive me that I couldn''t return to you sooner, but Ryoto Yuuki asked me to train him in swordsmanship." Saki: "Worry not, but why is he almost naked?" Not that I mind. Rin: "I needed to see his muscles, but... I didn''t expect that he would destroy his clothes. I am ashamed that I didn''t expect the unexpected." Saki: "I see..." Rin: "You do?" Rin asked in surprise. I looked once more at Ryoto-sama, and his movements were hypnotizing. I could watch him doing this a whole day. Saki: "Say Rin, how long is he doing to do this." Rin: "He is supposed to do 1000 swings." Saki: "Can he do more...?" (Ryoto''s pov) I was doing my swings still without my clothes. Before I began, though, Rin went to change her clothes to the kendo uniform that is made of two parts. Keiko-gi, or gi for short, that is a coat-like top and skirt-like divided pants called hakama. The first 600 counted swings were easy, but after that, I started slowing down. It didn''t help that every time Rin wasn''t satisfied with my swing, she wouldn''t count it, so it took more time than it should, but I came here to train and notin. I think in the end I did about 6 times the amount I was supposed to do so after I finished I fell down on my back. Rin: "Well, you hanged on longer than I expected." Ryoto: "If I set my mind on something... I''ll finish that... no matter what." I was so tired that I needed to take a break mid-sentence. I have great endurance. Ask L for that, but making the same motions for a prolonged amount of time is tasking for the body. On that note, during the whole training, I covered my hands in Haki just in case. I don''t want to have my blood dropping by ident. As I was taking a breath, Saki came inside with some snacks and water. Saki: "Ryoto-sama, I brought water! Ryoto: "Thanks, Saki-senpai. I appreciate it." I took a bottle of water, or as the British would say, wo-tah, and drank it like there was no tomorrow. Rin: "We''ll end for today since you look like you''re tired. Come here again tomorrow." Ryoto: "Give me a... few minutes and I''ll go... and give me some clothes... I don''t want... to be arrested..." --- After a short break, I said my goodbyes to the three of them and decided to return home for now. I made a small detour and went on a walk around the town. __________ *PING* *NEW QUEST* Mission: "Achieving Shikai" Objective 1: Achieve Shikai before the end of April Reward: 5000 SP, 2 gacha tickets Failure: You''ll talk with Gid about your sex life. __________ Well, that''s not good. I''ll need to convince Zangetsu to help me achieve Shikai, and I didn''t want to talk with him for a while, but it looks like I''ll need to. As I was looking around, I tilted my head slightly as a de went through where my head was moments ago. I didn''t need to look back to see who it was. Ryoto: "Hey, Yami. Nice to see you again." I turned back to see Yami with a bag of Taiyaki. Yami: "Ryoto Yuuki, I see that you are healed." Ryoto: "I''m as good as new. Thanks for noticing." Now that I think about she doesn''t have a job right now. Ryoto: "How is life going?" Yami: "...I''m spending most of my time reading. Earth has a lot of interesting books." Ryoto: "But because you aren''t taking any jobs, you can''t earn any money. Are you alright?" Yami: "...I have savings." Ryoto: "Well, if you are in need of money, I have a job proposition." Yami: "Job?" Ryoto: "Yes, how about being a maid?" A fist made of her hair flew at me, which I blocked this time with my arm infused with Haki. Yami: "hi." Ryoto: "Why?" Yami blushed a little. Ryoto: "Wait, is this because you read something?" She attacked me once more, probably ashamed that I found out. Ryoto: "You know maids are usually just for housework and not... relieving their master''s needs." I waited for her reaction but decided to bring the reaction out of her instead. Ryoto: "hi." I said with a big smile, but it earned me another attack. I didn''t run away but made a tactical retreat. It''s not like I couldn''t fight her, but it was more fun to tease her and run. Escaping Yami was fun. Somehow like a game of tag. Expect that she tried to kill me. Jugemu: "Ryoto!!!" Jugemu was running right at me and grabbed me like a sack of potatoes. I was so surprised that I didn''t move and allowed it to happen. That and also, Jugemu looked stressed out. Ryoto: "What''s going on, Jugemu?" Jugemu: "There is a problem with Alme, and only you can help her!" Ryoto: "Too little information, exin." Jugemu: No time, run fast." He then made some strange noises that I couldn''t understand. He probably said something in hisnguage, and it just showed how stressed out he was, so I decided to stay quiet. If I can help Alme, I will. I don''t hate the girl, and she can be cute at times, but I didn''t want to start any new rtionships at the moment while L was pregnant, but she is still technically my fianc, so I should treat her as such. After this whole ordeal, I''ll take her on a date. With these thoughts, I let myself be carried by Jugemu. --- Jugemu was living in an apartment. It wasn''t luxurious or anything, but it was cheap ording to him. Inside he threw me into one of the rooms. He then proceeded to lock the said room, and thest words I heard from him were ''good luck''. What did he mean- I felt a hand on my shoulder, and a significant force forced me into the floor. My back against the floor, Alme sitting on me, her hands on the floor next to my head from both sides, her face closing to mine. She looked like she couldn''t control herself. I could see the wildness in her eyes. Alme then pulled apart my shirt, destroying it in the process. Alme: "Mate!" Oooohh... I see where I''ming into this. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 139: Alme Chapter 139: Alme [NSFW warning] (Ryoto''s pov) Looks like Alme''s in heat, and seeing Jugemu so nervous means that only by having good sex with her. What is going on with this hentai-like development? But now that I''m in this situation, I''m not nning to let the situation escte. I''m the one doing escting and not the other way around. I reversed our position, and now I was the one on top. She didn''t like it and tried to be on top once more, but I stopped her by french kissing her. It worked, and I used this moment to start stripping her. She had a longer tongue than I expected, but it wasn''t so long so that she could wrap it around my penis. Shame. As I was distracted by my very important thought, Alme wrapped her tail around my neck and reversed our positions once more. This time she destroyed my pants and underwear. It''s the second time today that my clothes have been destroyed, but now we are both naked. Her skin was primarily light blue and was very different in touch from human skin, but it was still very pleasant. As she pinned me down, she licked my scar on the shoulder with her tongue, and that was my cue. I threw her off me and quickly jumped on her, and pinned her down from behind. She tried to shake me, but I held her firmly. Ryoto: "Easy girl..." I whispered into her ear, hoping that it would calm her down, but no. So I started thinking and remembered how she listened to me like a puppy when I used Haoshoku Haki before, so I tried it as well, and it... produced interesting results. Alme''s vagina started releasing a lot more fluids, clearly indicating that she was turned by this, but it worked, and she became a lot more submissive. I used the moment to take her to the bed that would probably be destroyed. I''ll need to apologize to Jugemu for that. In bed, Alme was lying on her back, and we started kissing. It was definitely different than making out with L. Alme right now is very wild and hungry for me, in a good way. She wrapped her arms around me, and I felt that she wanted to scratch me, so I stopped her with Haki. Alme won''t listen to me unless I do that, and I don''t want her to make me bleed, or it will be catastrophic. To avoid any more troubles like this, I turned her around and nned on starting with doggy style while pinning her down. I don''t want to her start biting me for some reason, and until she gains her reasoning again, I can''t guarantee that she won''t try it. Ryoto: "Greet your teeth. It may hurt a bit." I warned her even though I knew she wouldn''t understand. I positioned my penis ns against her vagina entrance and sho e it in one go. This obviously got a reaction out of her, quite a violent one at that. Because of that, I couldn''t appreciate the unique feeling of her insides... for now. At the moment, I tried to stay inside and on top of her, and she wasn''t making it easy with all that thrashing around and screaming. I don''t know where her strength wasing from, but she was clearly stronger than when I fought her. I was even hit by her tail a few times. Her tail is strong. Very strong. I needed to protect myself with Haki against it. I even activated probability calctions just to be safe, and let me tell you, it was an experience. I put her tail under my armpit to not let her wave it around. I didn''t move my hips at all for now as I was trying too hard not to injure her in any way, and I needed to be careful to not let her injure me. Why is sex so hard? After a short fight, Alme started to calm down. I could feel her tail limping down, so it was a good sign. It was the moment I decided to start moving. I started slowly pulling my penis out, but her hips followed suit, so her ass was up in the air. Then I mmed my hips with great strength forcing her hips back into the bed, but this time our bed''s legs broke down, but I didn''t care at the moment. I brought our bodies closer together and started biting yfully around her neck, which she seemed to enjoy. She still tried to be on top, but I didn''t let her. I was posting faster and faster, and I could feel her getting wetter and wetter, but I got a genius idea. I released Haoshoku Haki once again, and just like before, I could feel my dick almost drowning in her fluids. Alme: "Hmmmm~." After a while, her tail stopped trying to kill me and wrapped around me in an affectionate manner, so I felt I could finally rx a bit. I could focus solely on lovemaking, and now I could analyze her very unique insides. They were very slimy and closer than L''s but still very pleasant. But that was not the only difference. The way her insides wrapped around me was actually more sticky, but not in a way that would hurt when moving. It''s very difficult to exin. You would need to experience it to understand. The same could be said about her skin. It had that wet feeling to it without being wet. Also, between her fingers was a membrane for swimming. I could feel that Alme was close to orgasm, and so was I, so I started moving with more vigor, and when I was about to pull out because the contraceptive pills didn''t work on me anymore. She suddenly turned around with my penis still inside, and using momentum, she pushed me back on the bed while still rocking her hips. I tried to free myself, but I was too slow and finished inside to Alme''s delight. Her back arched. Alme: "Aaaahhh!!!~" ... I can only hope that Mikado has something like after pill, or else... --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 140: Mikado the saviour Chapter 140: Mikado the saviour (Alme''s pov) When I heard that Ryoto fought with Deviluke''s King, I rushed to him. Arriving and seeing him, I noticed that his arm was injured but knowing that he survived made me feel hot. It was a simr feeling when he showed his dominant side. After I returned home, I couldn''t calm down this feeling. I had a strong urge to mate, but ording to Earth culture, I can''t do that before marriage, so I''ll hold back for now. ... I don''t know how long I canst. I''m not even going out of my room anymore. I know that if I meet Ryoto, I''ll jump on him immediately, and I don''t want to not have control over my action. If I jump on Ryoto, it better be of my own volition! I should go to sleep. I can''t do anything wrong if I''m sleeping. --- Alme: "Aaaahhhh~!!!" I woke up because of the incredible pleasure. Wait, where am I? I looked down to see naked Ryoto. Alme: "Huh, Ryoto? What are you doing here?" Ryoto: "I was abducted by your brother, and here I am." Did Nii-san abduct him to help me? But I''m happy that I didn''t jump on Ryoto... or did I? Alme: "Ryoto, why are you naked..." I looked down. Alme: "...and why am I naked..." My eyes wandered even further down. Alme: "...and where is your penis?" Ryoto looked confused. Ryoto: "Really?" I don''t get it. I tilted my head, showing my confusion just like in the manga I read. Ryoto: "OK, Alme, we are both naked, right?" I nodded my head. Ryoto: "And you can''t see my penis even though you are sitting on my abdomen." Alme: "That''s right." Ryoto: "And you probably feel something inside your abdomen." Alem: "Now that you mention it..." Wait! I tried to stand up, but I almost tripped because my legs felt weak. I forced myself to stand, and I felt like something was going out of me. It was Ryoto''s penis. Realizing what happened, I started crying. (Ryoto''s pov) Alme started crying, and I don''t even know why. Is this something about her culture? Did I do something wrong? Ryoto: "Alme, what''s wrong?" I sounded concerned. I was never good with people crying. Alme: "Nooooo!!! Now you''ll hate meeeee!!!" Ryoto: "What? No, I won''t hate you. Why would you think that?" Alme was wiping away her tears but only more came out. Alme: "But we skipped a lot and... and we didn''t even see fireworks together or kiss. We aren''t even married!. I can only hope that we didn''t hold hands!" I could only stare at her, and after a while, I startedughing. What is this cute creature? Ryoto: "Hahahahaha!" I hugged her bringing our bodies closer together. Ryoto: "Of course, I wouldn''t hate for something so stupid." I started patting her head. Alme: "But... but..." Ryoto: "No buts. Tomorrow we will go on a date, and I''m not taking no for an answer. Understood?" Alme hugged me tightly. Alme: "Ryoto!!!" --- After that, we continued the wild sex until the sun started setting, but why did I feel like I was forgetting something... Right! I need to go to Mikado. Ryoto: "Alme, we need to go to Mikado-sensei right now." Alme tired after bing an adult tiredly answered me. Alme: "Mikado-sensei? The famous doctor?" Ryoto: "Yes." Alme: "Why?" Ryoto: "We need the pills against pregnancy." Alme: "You don''t want to have children with me?" Alme tried to sound cute, and her tail wrapped around my leg affectionately and pped it a few times. Ryoto: "That''s not it, but I''m not ready for more children at the moment. Not only L is pregnant right now, but there are more things on my head." Alme smiled at me. Alme: "Don''t worry, I''m joking, but when you''re ready, I want at least five children." Ryoto: "...That can be arranged." But now I didn''t have any clothes, so I suited myself using my power and Alme dressed up with her clothes. I looked around the room, and it was trashed. Destroyed bed some holes on the floor and walls. Alme is wild if nothing else, and it was an interesting experience. But I''ll still need to apologize to Jugemu and help him fix this room. As I opened the door to go to Mikado, Jugemu was about to open them as well. Ryoto: "Hey, Jugemu. Sorry but I''ll go out with Alme to see Mikado-sensei. I''ll get Alme back hometer." The earlier we got to meet Mikado, the better it was for my nerves. Jugemu: "Mikado-sensei? She was here earlier today." That caught me a little off guard. Ryoto: "Huh?" --- In the living room, we had a talk with Jugemu. To be more urate, I had a chat with Jugemu, and Alme was spacing around. She was still tired after all. She may be inhumanly strong, but it looks like L has better stamina in bed after all. Ryoto: "So you are telling me that you called in Mikado-sensei before because Alme closer herself in her room and asked the doctor for advice, and that''s why you kidnapped me like a maniac?" Jugemu: "Yes." Ryoto: "And she already made Alme take contraceptive pills before." Jugemu: "That''s correct." I think Mikado became my idol. Ryoto: "You need to say these things earlier. I almost got a heart attack before." Jugemu: "Sorry, I was very worried about Alme''s condition." Jugemu said with his head lowered. *Sigh* I can''t be mad at him. If there was something wrong with Mikan, I would also panic. Ryoto: "I can''t me you for that, but I''ll need to thank Mikado-sensei as well. Maybe I''ll cook something for her at ater date. And while we are on topic, sorry that I destroyed the room. I''ll help you fix it and if you need money, just say it." Jugemu: "Oh, you don''t need to worry about it. I was expecting the whole building to be destroyed, so I was surprised that it still was standing." I paused. Ryoto: "Wait, so you thought that the building would be destroyed, and you still threw me to the room without hesitation?" Jugemu: I believed in you!" ... OK, I''m done with this conversation. It was alreadyte, so after saying my goodbyes, I returned home. Why can''t I have my walks uninterrupted? --- END (A/N OK, so I have two things I kinda need advice on. First is if I should give Ryoto hollow powers together with Zangetsu since, in the original, Zangetsu was abination of shinigami and hollow powers, and Ryoto''s Zangetsu is based on it. Second is if Zangetsu in the inner world should have all of Ryoto''s powers. In my opinion, it would be cool if he had and used them in a more wild and unpredictable way, but I''m not sure if it would make sense since Zangetsu is part of Ryoto and his Zanpaktou, but he is still not Ryoto. It can work either way. So yeah, all advice are helpful.) Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 141: Zangetsu Chapter 141: Zangetsu (Ryoto''s pov) At home, I talked to L about what happened and what my ns for tomorrow were, and she was happy that I finally epted Alme. In my room, I nned out my day tomorrow in greater detail. First thing in the morning, I''ll talk with Zangetsu even though I don''t want to. Second, I''ll thank Mikado-sensei at school and let her know that I''ll cook for herter. Third, I''ll train with Rin my swordsmanship, which will be a daily thing unless something importantes up. Fourth, I''ll go on a date with Alme. It looks like a good n for the day. --- The first thing in the morning, I went to the garden, sat under Celine, summoned Zangetsu, and started meditating. After about a minute, I was pulled into my inner world. There Zangetsu was waiting for me with a big smirk. Zangetsu: "Yo, Jacob!" I don''t want to talk with him, but a man''s gotta do what a man''s gotta do. Ryoto: "You know why I''m here, Zangetsu." Zangetsu: "Sure I do. You want..." Zangetsu grabbed the sword, and the cloth covering it unraveled itself, showing the naked de. It has the appearance of a giant white cleaver without any hilt or hand guard. Zangetsu: "...This! But tell me, why should I give it to you?" Ryoto: "Because the stronger I am, the better our chance to survive, and if I die, you do as well." Still, with his signature smirk, he put a hand on his chin. Zangetsu: "Excellent argument. Yes, very good, but there is one problem with it." I furrowed my brows. Ryoto: "Which is...?" He suddenly rushed at me, which didn''t even activate my spider sense. It makes sense that he doesn''t trigger it since he is part of me. I still got time to react and block the de with Haki. Zangetsu: "I don''t care if we die or not!!!" He was strong enough to push me back, and I crushed into the wall of one of the buildings. Zangetsu: "Remember that what you want and what I want are totally different things. You want to get stronger to protect people around you, to not make the same mistake!" He started swinging the sword by the cloth. Getting out of the wall, I asked. Ryoto: "...So what do you want?" Zangetsu: "Not telling!" He threw the sword at me. I dodged it, and using this moment, I started running up to him, but halfway through, he pulled the cloth to bring back the sword. With this movement, the de almost cut me, but thanks to my reflex, I bend down in time. He then mmed the sword down at me and forced me to back down. There was a distance between us again. Ryoto: "Do we really need to fight?" Zangetsu put the giant sword on his shoulder. Zangetsu: "We don''t, but you piss me off." Ryoto: "Is it because of my past?" Zangetsu: "You can say that. By epting that you are Jacob, I''ll allow you to wield me." Ryoto: "*Sigh* Then I''ll force you to give me Shikai." Zangetsu smile widened. Zangetsu: "Good luck with that." I opened my eyes, and so did he. His eyes were gold, yellow, and ck in color in contrast to mine, which are all blue. They had the same pattern as mine, just a different color. That means that illusions are useless against him. No water here, so I''ll use mainly fire to fight him. I fired off a big stream of fire and used it to blind him and buy me some time. I started gathering up lighting, but unfortunately, I couldn''t see that his smirk widened seeing what I was nning. Zangetsu raised his sword/ himself? and called his attack. Zangetsu: "Getsuga... Tenshou!!!" Hearing what he just said, even without my spider-sense, my instincts were telling me to dodge it at all cost. I instantly abandoned my attack n and pushed myself away with mes from the trajectory of the attack, and just momentster, I saw a ck sh with red outlinesing right through my fire and wasing fast towards my location. I barely dodged it, and I instinctively looked at the damage that attack did, but as I shouldn''t doing it mid-fight, I returned my gaze at Zangetsu, but the only thing I could see was the palm of his hand as he grabbed my face and before I could try to free myself I felt heat gathering in his hand so as fast as I ould I covered my whole face in Haki before a burst of fire attacked me violently and shoot me backward. How...? Zangetsu: "Surprised? You shouldn''t be. I''m part of you so, of course, I can do everything you can, but I''m really disappointed. All this power, but you can''t use them to their fullest potential." I got up. Ryoto: "I''m well aware that I don''t use everything to its fullest potential, but I''m constantly working on it." Zangetsu: "And what? You want a medal for that? You should be very aware of this. The only things that matter are results! You can try, try and try but never seed, and no one bats an eye, but once you achieve sess, everyone around you notices you! Isn''t life beautiful!?" Zangetsu, the whole time was rxed as he wasn''t taking me seriously the entire time. He was waiting for me to move first so he could crush me throughly. I repelled myself with mes to shorten the distance between us, and to my surprise, he put back his sword to fight me in hand-to-handbat. He blocked all of my attacks with ease, and while he deflected one of my punches, he used his/mine power to attach his hand to my arm and threw me to the ground with great strength. To not be too hurt by that, I protected the back of my head and part of my back with Haki. Using that momentum, he supported his whole body on one arm and delivered a devastating knee to my stomach, and because I had protected myself before, I didn''t have time to save myself from his attack this time. Ryoto: "Guagh!!!" Zangetsu was looking down on me. Zangetsu: "See, even without using myself, I can easily win. So now tell me once more, why should I let myself be wielded by someone weaker than me?" He made a mocking gesture of listening by putting his hand to the ear. Ryoto: "Fuck you, that''s why." I said weakly but full of spite. Zangetsu smiled hearing my answer. Zangetsu: "Seems like you still have some fight left in you, but today''s session is over. Bye." (Zangetsu''s pov) I send away Jacob. To be honest, I''m proud and, at the same disappointed in him. Is it what being a parent feels like? ???: "Can Ie out now?" Zangetsu: "Sure." The girl came out behind the building. ???: "Did you need to be so cruel with Jacob?" Zangetsu: "We both know why I did that." ???: "Because you like to fight?" Zangetsu: "Exactly!" I showed her a smile and patted her head. I wouldn''t show this side of me to anyone else but her since she is- ???: "Hey, when do you think will be a good time for me to show up?" She disrupts my thoughts. Zangetsu: "That depends on Jacob. The faster he epts his past, the faster you''ll meet him." ???: Oh, I have one more question. Do you n on allowing Jacob to achieve Shikai?" Zangetsu: "Not at the moment, but who knows if he''ll change my mind. Maybe if he is strong enough..." ???: "But strength isn''t everything!" She countered. Zangetsu: "That''s the thing we''ll not agree on. For me, strength is everything. Be it physical, mental, or strength of heart, I respect all kinds of strength. If you want to protect someone, you need the power to do so. If you want to win an argument, you need to have the strength of mind to do so. And if you want to win someone else''s heart..." I pointed to my heart. Zangetsu: "You need to have this strength to do so. ???: "You don''t need strength to enjoy life!" Zangetsu: "Tell that to Jacob, and let''s see if he agrees." She pouted and turned her head. ???: "That''s not fair because he is in a situation where he needs strength." Zangestu: "I can''t hear you over the sound of you losing the argument." She became irritated because of my mocking. ???: "You...!!!" As she was hitting me without even hurting me, I could only wait and see what Jacob ns on doing. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 142: Yuis troubles Chapter 142: Yui''s troubles (Ryoto''s pov) I woke up from meditation while coughing up some blood on my shirt that started dissolving and looked down on Zangetsu with some resentment in my eyes. I grabbed the sword by the hilt and tried to strangle it. Ryoto: "Listen here, you little shit! I will make you give me Shikai even if it kills me! You hear me!!?" Zangetsu, by vibrating a bit, said, ''whatever''. As I was talking with Zangetsu, Mikan walked outside to call me for breakfast. Mikan: "Ryoto, the food is ready..." She then looked at me, who was at the moment trying to strangle my own sword. Mikan: "What are you doing?" Ryoto: "...Nothing." I said as I unsummoned Zangetsu. Mikan: "Is that blood on your shirt, and why does it dissolve your shirt?" Ryoto: "Yeah, I had an argument with my sword, and I lost. But I''ll get my revenge!!! I''ll change the clothes, and I''ll be ready for breakfast. And don''t worry about the holes." Mikan had the ''Did he finally go crazy'' look but didn''t ask for rification as she knows at this point that it''s either something stupid or nothing she should be worried about. She has trust in me even if she doesn''t say it. --- It was the first day of school after winter break. In ss, I greeted my ssmates. Ryoto: "Morning, Risa." Risa: "Hey Ryoto. How did winter break go for you?" Ryoto: "Not bad. Met L''s parents, her dad tried to kill me but not really, have a cute assassin after my life and started training kendo." Risa: "I''m not even surprised anymore..." Ryoto: "You should. L''s dad is one, if not the most powerful man in our gxy. If he wanted, he could destroy Earth singlehandedly." Risa''s eyes went wide. Risa: "Isn''t it bad?" Ryoto: "It is, but thankfully he can''t say no to his wife." Risa: "So you used your mother-inw to defeat father inw?" I nodded. Risa: "That''s genius!" Ryoto: "I know, right!? But I seriously was panicking while fighting him." We continued talking about nothing, but I enjoyed moments like these. --- At school, during the lunch break, I visited Mikado-sensei as intended and thanked her for the help before, which she teased me about. I also said that I''ll make her dinner tonight to show my appreciation since I had never paid her before for any tests we did, and she agreed since neither she nor Oshizu cook. Mikado because she feels like it''s a waste of time since she can use it for other things, and Oshizu... I don''t know, but I feel like she was very sheltered before she died. Now that I had done what I was supposed to do at school, I noticed Yui that be a shell of her former self. Maybe I really did break her too muchst time. To test it out, I took out a lollipop and started eating it in front of her, but she didn''t even react. Oh, right. It''s legal now to eat candies in school. I forgot that I ''convinced'' the principal to do it. Take #2. I changed my uniform into a suit and danced just like the day we first met. This time she looked up to see me thrusting hips, but she just shook her head and muttered under her nose. Yui: "What''s the point. He''ll just retort and escape justice like he always does. He even wore panties on his head, and I didn''t do anything..." __________ *PING* *NEW QUEST* Mission: "Shameless help" Objective 1: Help Yui Kotegawa go back to her usual self. Reward: 100 SP, 1 gacha ticket Punishment: You''ll be an enemy of anything ''shameless'' Duration of punishment: one week __________ --- I rushed to the ss, wrote ''Bringing back Yui Kotegawa'' on a ckboard with big letters, and pped said ckboard. Ryoto: "We need to fix Kotegawa!" Risa, enthusiastically raised her hand to ask a question. Ryoto: "Yes, Momioka-san?" I got into a role of a teacher. Risa: "But why. What happened to her?" Ryoto: "I may have identally broken her, and she doesn''t even have the will to stop my ''shameless'' behavior." Risa turnedpletely serious and rested her chin on her hands interlocked. Risa: "That''s... unfortunate. What''s the n?" Ryoto: "d that you asked. We''ll try to overload her even more until it makes a big circle and she goes back to her usual self. In short, we act as shamefully as possible until she does something about it." Saruyama, Rito''s friend, stood up and fixed his tie. As he raised his finger and opened his mouth to say something, he was interrupted by a girl destroying the wall of the school and flying towards me. Alme: "Ryoto!!!" She hugged me with her whole body while I didn''t even budge. Does she have some kind of resentment against walls? It''s the second one, as far as I know, that she destroyed. Wait, that''s it!!! I picked her by the armpits and looked at her while she was having fun hanging in the air. Ryoto: "Do you want to have fun?" Alme: "Yes!" She answered enthusiastically. --- (Yui''s pov) I was walking down the hallway, but I wasn''t patrolling as I always did. It was primarily out of habit, and I didn''t want to sit in the ssroom. I don''t know what to do anymore. If I can''t punish shameless behavior, what am I supposed to do... Was my whole life a lie? Ryoto: "Morning Kotegawa." I looked at the source of the voice to see Ryoto with L-san and someone unknown to me, but she was clearly not human. Both of the girls were clinging to him. Yui: "We''ve already seen each other, but good morning." I answered apathetically. I was about to continue my aimless walking, but I was stopped. Ryoto: "Aren''t you going to say something?" Yui: "...No." He then flexed his muscles and destroyed the clothes leaving him only in his underwear. Ryoto: "Then how about now?" Yui: "Yes, it''s quite hot today, but you should wear your uniform properly." I answered in the calmest voice possible. However, Ryoto was shocked. He even started muttering if he should use the mask, whatever that means. Not that it matters. Ryoto: "Well, I''ll apologizeter." Yui: "For what?" He didn''t answer and just snapped his fingers. At this signal, four penguins appeared. Ryoto: "Everything ready?" Skipper: "Ready!" --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 143: Plan A, B, C and D Chapter 143: n A, B, C and D (A/N There were a lot ofments that I couldn''t reply to them because webnovel decided not to show them and because most of them were simr, I''ll answer them here. As I wrote in otherments, I''m going for the ssic ''ept who you are, ept who you were'' kinda thing. In Assassination ssrooms, I took him away from his ''safe zone'' to fix some of his insecurities. Before that arc, he felt like he didn''t deserve what he had and, at the same time, was scared of losing it. A bit of hypocritical thinking, but most people are hypocritical. While away from his ''home'' at the moment, I wanted to show how much he needed his family, and L and I used it to help him ept his life as Ryoto, and while at it developed some small quirks to Ryoto''s character. Most noticeable is his love for lollipops but also less apparent by making him more yful. But while solving one problem, another is created. Because Ryoto''s current life is so much better than it was previously in his eyes, he just wants to forget about who he was before. In his words, ''Jacob is dead''. And by the way, I don''t want to make it look like Zangetsu is right and Ryoto is wrong kind of thing. There are people that can use their horrible experiences as a strength, but at the same time, there are people that are better off closing doors to their past and starting anew. There is no right or wrong, just different paths to choose. Hope that answers some questions.) (Ryoto''s pov) I gave a signal to the penguins to appear. It''s not like I summoned them. They were here for a while, and they just stopped hiding but flexing their skills is enjoyable. Shame that Yui doesn''t react to that. Yui: "Penguins? Let me guess, they are L-San''s cousins, so they don''t count as animals. That''s why they are allowed in school." Ryoto: "No, they are 100% animals. A bit smarter but animals nheless." Yui: "I see. Be careful not to dirty the school then." OK, I''m starting to get scared. Ryoto: "Risa, your turn!" I called out for Risa, who sneaked behind Yui at this point and grabbed her chest. You see, the penguins weren''t there to do anything... dor now. They were only there to distract Yui, and if everything else fails, they have something that''ll help. Risa: "You called!?" With her signature cheeky smile, she was feeling up Yui''s two mountains. Risa: "Wow! They are massive. What cup are they?" She gave them another squeeze, but Yui didn''t react. Yui: "They are E, but I feel like they got a bit bigger since I measured themst time... Can you let me go now?" Risa, shocked, let go of Yui''s breasts and slowly turned her head towards me. Risa: "It''s worse than I thought..." Ryoto: "I know, but I have n B. Rito! Haruna! Your turn!" Rito and Haruna were being shy. Rito: "Nii-san, do we have to?" Ryoto: "Yes!" n B is simple. Because Yui was used to me being... me, she probably won''t react to whatever I''ll do but Rito... he is not much better, but Haruna is an honor student. So I made them hold hands. And I noticed a slight reaction but nothing more. Rito and Haruna''s faces were red, but Rito was secretly happy. Unfortunately for him, he tripped, pulling Haruna together with him to the floor and activating his lucky pervert... things happened, but I don''t have time for this. Do I need to start n D? I would like to, but I have n C, so I''ll go with that one first. Ryoto: "Stand aside. It''s my turn now." I walked up to Yui and put my hand on the wall behind her. I lifted her chin a bit and gave her a beautiful smile. If shameless behavior of other people won''t work, then how about if I do it to her. Yui: "Do you have anything else to say...?" Ryoto: "Actually, yes. What color are your panties?" Rito: "Nii-san!" Risa: "No, No, No. He''s got the point." Risa was also curious and stopped Rito from stopping me. Yui: "White." Risa: "I feel it would have worked better if you still had your clothes on. Or does it work better because you are naked? It''s hard to say." OK, it''s getting strange. Something is not right. I mean, she can feel a little under the bridge, but it doesn''t exin... this. But I also have a n D, and I kinda want to see if it''ll work, so... I snapped my fingers, giving the signal to the penguins. n D is simple as all my ns are. Use L''s invention to cause shameless chaos. Kowalski had a machine ready. This machine would cause everyone''s clothes to explode without harming the people wearing them. Funnily enough, this invention was supposed to clean clothes, not destroy them. Before he started the machine, the other penguins knocked out every man except me. I am nice enough to do that. I didn''t need to be unconscious since I always have my eyes closed. Prove me wrong. I also saw that Rito, while fainting his hand dropped on Haruna''s ass. Good for you, Rito. Shame that you won''t remember it. Now back to the n. Kowalski then fired off the machine, which caused everyone to stand in their underwear. I still don''t understand how it works. It destroys clothes, but underwear is untouched. The strange world of To love-ru. Yui looked down to see her only in underwear, but she didn''t say anything even when I looked straight at her boobs. I wasn''t even hiding it. I just needed to see her reaction, but there wasn''t any. She is even more emotionless than she was at the beginning of the day. Something is not right. Ryoto: "Yui, what do you truly desire?" I tried to draw out Yui''s desire because if I''m right, she''ll say something unexpected. Yui: "I-I I want to destroy everything Ryoto holds dear." I instantly turned serious and immobilized ''Yui'' with Haoshoku Haki. Ryoto: "Who are you?" ''Yui'' stopped being emotionless and showed a disgusting smile with her tongue outside. Yui: "I would be careful if I were you, Ryoto Yuuki. One wrong move, and I kill this Earthling. I''m one of L''s fianc candidates, and I eliminate every single one of mypetitors, and you are first on my list." I quickly nced at ''Yui'' with my using the power of my eyes to see if that''s really Yui''s body or just someone imitating her, and it looked like usual it was Yui''s body, but I noticed a small aura inside her her mouth. Is it a parasite like alien? L: "I don''t remember anyone like that as my fianc candidate." Yui?: "Because we never met, but we''ll have a lot of time getting to know each other when I''ll live inside your body." He is creepy, and I hate how he talks to L. ''Karen, any advice? Some kind of weakness? Anything really.'' Karen: "Have you ever read Kiss x Death?" ''Are you telling me to..." Karen: "That''s exactly what I''m saying. Knock yourself out!" It looks like not only Rito has some kind of lucky pervert. Am I really adopted? Yui?: "You can''t do anything to me! It''s not even my body! You are powerless against me! I didn''t answer him and went for a deep kiss. I just hope that Karen didn''t joke about it... Risa taking the chance, took out her phone and took a few photos and recorded me, but I didn''t mind it as I was focusing on Yui. My tongue was exploring inside of her mouth, looking for a foreign body, so the kiss we shared was longer than the usual kiss should, but I finally got the alien out of her mouth. I think it tried to take control of me too, but couldn''t go through Haki. I spit him out to catch him in my hand, and without even looking, I crushed him. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 144: 1 month Chapter 144: 1 month (Yui''s pov) My mind feels nk. For a few days, I felt like nothing mattered anymore, but right now, I feel refreshed. It felt like I was dreaming, but it was a very shameful dream. Just thinking about it makes my face burn up. I wasn''t in my bed. It felt different, and I was being moved somewhere. I could tell from the swaying motion, but it was somehowfortable. I opened my eyes to see that Ryoto was carrying me. But why is he naked? And why am I only in underwear? I must still be dreaming. That''s it. But since it''s a dream, no one would balme me for taking advantage of this moment. I put my head down and closed my eyes to continue sleeping, but this time there was a small smile forming on my face. (Ryoto''s pov) I left Yui in the nurse''s office, where Mikado checked on her, and thankfully, everything was fine. Later the school continued as usual, but my whole ss was wearing PE clothes for obvious reasons, but there was also a guest. Alme who decided to wait until I end school so we can go on a date. She was happy seeing my dominant side again. Boys, on the other hand, were all jealous, and some tried to be my student. The good thing is that Ren became my shield and imed to be my only student. Is it a fetish? Not that I mind. After school, I went on a date with Alme, and we enjoyed our time together. She wanted to experience a normal Earth date, so we went around the time going through shops, stopping to eat and y around. I even bought her a ne in a shape of a shark tooth which she liked. Later I went to Mikado as promised and prepared food for her and Oshizu, and they were sted away by my cooking. Oshizu even left her body while eating, which I take as apliment. I didn''t make their cloth explode... for now. Then I went to train with Rin for a while. Strangely enough, I still was forced to train without a shirt. I, of course, teased Rin about that, and so my day ended but not before I epted the reward for the sessful mission. From the gacha ticket, I got ''switcheroo''. Thus is the ability to switch two objects'' ces. I can''t switcheroo if the two things have too big of a difference in sizes, so I can''t switcheroo a small pebble with a boulder, but I could change ces with Mikan if I wanted...maybe. I also can''t take out people''s organs and switch them with something else. It seems I''ll need to do a lot of testing and training. Also, there is a 10-meter range to use this ability, but I could probably increase the range with training. Also, the bigger the target of switcheroo and the bigger is the range, the bigger is my mental strain, so it''s not a good idea to use my eyes, prediction calction, and switcheroo for a long time while using them simultaneously. My brain could literally not take it. So much to do and so little time. --- 14th February. Valentine''s day. Some even call it the day of disappointment but not me. I have two loving fiances and two girlfriends that I should probably visit, and I nned on doing it, but Karen said that it was not possible for some reason. I was shocked by this revtion and stormed Sophia because of this, but she calmed me down and reassured me that nothing was wrong. Of course, saying that didn''t help me calm down, but when Karen said that, I was more inclined to believe it. I was promised that I would meet them in April, so maybe there is a cool down between the mission and going back to that world or something like that. There''s nothing I can''t do right now except wait. In moments like these, I would like to have Batman''s n for everything because that just shows that even if Sophia or even Karen lied to me, there''s nothing I can''t do. Wait. Could L build a machine to travel to other universes? Maybe, but her teleportation technology still needs work, so not now but maybe in the future. For thest month, I was training but also spent time with both L and Alme, but Rin is the close third ce since I didn''t count Mikan. With Rin, my swordsmanship became better but bing a swallow killer is still a far-away dream, but I won''t give up! I also visited my inner world every day to achieve Shikai. I have yet to seed, but my spirit never weavers. My showdowns with Zangetsu were also somehow helpful to me. While fighting him, I was learning how to use my powers a lot better. In the beginning, he was winning easily, but I''m beginning to hold my ground. I''m still losing, though. What surprised me was that he gave me Asauchi for our fights at times so I could train my swordsmanship during a real battle as well. Does he want me to get stronger? I may have been blinded before because we can''t see eye to eye, but he is, after all, part of me for better or worse, but I still don''t know what he wants. He won''t even talk about it and just kicks me out after he kicks my ass. I somehow got closer to him, and I was sometimes just chill in my inner world to think about my ns and other things since apparently, I can''t do that during my walks or else there will be the end of the world at some point. I also increased my switcheroo range to 50 meters, but of course, Zangetsu also got that power, so I couldn''t surprise him during our fights, and of course, he was better at using it than I am. I think I''m losing my self-confidence. But it still is Valentine''s day, so there''s nothing that will go wrong. Yes, I just raised the g. Don''t want to have Valentine''s day be boring after all. (Utsu''s pov) What should I do? I feel like I lost my purpose. I am too easily swayed and allowed horny in this world for too long. Not only the round short man but also others. I am too weak. How can I create an unhorny world for my master''s child? I was going around the home, looking for some unholy magazines or other horny things, but during my search, I found something strange. A green mask. What is that? --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 145: Valentines day Chapter 145: Valentine''s day *13th February* (Yui''s pov) I was sitting at my desk at home, and in front of me on the board was a pack of chocte. Tomorrow is Valentine''s day, and I have chocte ready. But why? It''s not like I n on giving it to Ryoto-kun. But he helped me a few times so I should give it to him as a thank you gift. But on the other hand... (Saki''s pov) Ohohohoho! I prepared the chocte fountain for Ryoto-sama to enjoy, but as I got to know he likes lollipops more, I hid some in the fountain itself. The chocte lollipops in the shape of hearts to express my love. I also wore edible underwear... just in case of Ryoto-sama wanted... I didn''t finish my thought as it was obvious where it was going, but I was smiling the entire time while holding both of my cheeks. (Risa''s pov) It''s my first time preparing handmade chocte. I hope he likes it. The only positive is that my family wasn''t able to witness the kitchen in its current state... but that''s the problem for my future self. I went to sleep after I didn''t clean the kitchen, and I slept like a baby. (Rin''s pov) Saki-sama prepared Valentine''s chocte for Ryoto, and I''m sure that he''ll love it, but he really has an unhealthy obsession with lollipops and killing birds, apparently. I don''t know what they did to him, but it must have been something horrible. But this is what I would say if it wasn''t Ryoto. One time I asked him to bring the sword, he mentioned when he asked me for training, and after that, he came with it every day. Sometimes he just sat with the sword meditating and, after he finished, started arguing with his sword. I know that sword for a swordsman is a partner and all, but I don''t think it should be on the level of talking with it. And why does he want to be the savior of France? The only famous person from France that I know is Jeanne d''Arc, but what does she have to do with Ryoto. No, I should stop usingmon sense when ites to Ryoto. He may as well just make fun of me. But that raises another question. Should I give him my chocte as well? (Ryoto''s pov) *14th February* Right now, I''m at school, and it''s math ss, but for me, it''s one of the more boring subjects since I''m gifted at mathematics, so I''m using this time to rx in my inner world. The teachers won''t bother me as they learned that I could answer all the questions they''ll ask. Inside my inner world, Zangetsu was already waiting for me with his sword ready. Zangetsu: "Back for another round?" Ryoto: "Not this time. It''s math outside." He clicked his tongue. Zangetsu: "Tsk, boring." Zangetsu always avoids talking, but maybe now I''ll be lucky to get some new information out of him. Ryoto: "Hey Zangetsu, can we talk?" Zangetsu: "We''ll talk only if one of two things happen. Either you finally beat me and be the ''king'' of your inner world, or you''ll ept that you are Jacob." I scratched the back of my head. Ryoto: "*Sigh* You know, for thest month, I was intensely thinking about what you were talking about when we first met. That repressing my past will bite me in the ass sooner orter. But I don''t agree with you on that. I admit that my past life is a kind of taboo topic for me and I may get unnecessarily angry when someone pushes that button, but I really can''t think about myself as Jacob anymore. Too much has changed. Not only my life is entirely different, but also I have changed a lot. Before, I didn''t care if I died or lived another day, but now I''m almost waiting for another day toe. I''ll even be a father. Can you imagine it? Me. A father. I''m a bit scared if I''ll be a good parent since, in both of my lives, I didn''t have the best examples. Not to mention that I have kind of a harem, so I don''t know how to operate it besides doing my best. As I''ve said before. Jacob died so I could live. I admit that I used to be someone like that even if I don''t like it, but I would like to leave it as a previous chapter of my life." Zangetsu didn''t say anything and just tried to digest what I just said. Zangetsu: "So, are you going to throw away your past life?" Ryoto: "Not entirely. Yes, I want to put it behind me and hopefully never look back on it, but I know it''s not possible. That''s why I''m still scared of ropes, and I even think about if I could be better in my previous life, but I want mostly to leave it behind." Zangetsu: "So that''s your choice. Pretty selfish one at that." Ryoto: "What do you mean by th-" I couldn''t finish my question as I was kicked out from my inner world. (Zangetsu''s pov) Zangetsu: "So what do you think *****? selfish, isn''t it?" I said to my onlypanion here. ???: "I wouldn''t call it selfish. I''m happy that he is happy. If leaving behind his past life will make him enjoy the current one, I won''t mind it even if it makes me slightly sad." Zangetsu: "But weren''t you the one who told me that obtained happiness by rejecting your past isn''t real happiness? Aren''t you contradicting yourself?" ???: "Let''s just say that Ryoto wasn''t the only one thinking about things." She gave me a small smile. ???: "We never could agree on anything but Jacob always helped me see things from other perspectives, and this time wasn''t any different. I still don''tpletely with his choice, but if that makes him happy, then so be it." Zangetsu: "...You are pretty mature for a shorty." ???: "I''m not a shorty! My bones are thin upwards! That''s all!" Iughed at her expense, but momentster, I returned to my serious self. Zangetsu: "But is it alright with you?" ???: "Of course not, but I know that he''ll face me at some point. It''s just that it''ll be a bitter than we thought initially." (Ryoto''s pov) During the whole ss, I was thinking about why Zangetsu called my path a selfish one. I don''t hurt anyone with my choice, so why? I''ll think about itter as the bell for break rang, and my instincts told me something was going to happen. Not my spider-sense but the senses I developed by training with Koro-sensei andter Zangetsu. I looked outside the window to see the principal running around only wearing underwear, but suddenly he was bonked to the ground. I wouldn''t think anything about it as I was aware of the Principal''s and Utsu''s rivalry, but Utsu''s face was green, and he was a lot more cartoony. It looks like Utsu n on bonking Valentine''s day away, and since I still didn''t get my chocte from anyone, I''ll stop him. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 146: vs Utsu Chapter 146: vs Utsu (Ryoto''s pov) I jumped out of the window tond in front of Utsu. __________ *PING* *NEW QUEST* Mission: "Doge on a rampage" Objective 1: Stop Utsu from destroying horny from the world Reward: 1000 SP, 2 gacha ticket Failure: You get Emiya''s luck Duration of punishment: Not specified __________ The first thing I did was activate prediction calction, and just like with Sophia, Utsu, at the moment, was a nk in a world filled with numbers and equations. That means that I can''t predict what he''ll do, but I left it activated as it would help me fight nheless. That''s the mask for you. Unpredictable and possibly dangerous. Ryoto: "Utsu, what are you nning to do, and how did you get that mask?" Utsu: "Woof!" Ryoto: "You n on bonking away all the horny in this world? A fine dream, but take that maks off first, then I won''t need to stop you." Utsu: "Woof!" Ryoto: "So you refuse, huh. Then are you ready to fight me?" I released Haoshoku Haki, trying to intimidate him since he was still my summon and he bore some kind of respect for me, but it didn''t work as Utsu prepared his bat to fight me. L: "Ryoto, do you need help!?" L yelled out of the ssroom. Ryoto: "No, thanks for asking, though!" L: "Have fun then!!!" She waved at me with a big smile, and as I waved back, Utsu rushed at me, trying to hit me with his bat. I defended myself with my arm covered in Haki. I counterattacked with a burst of mes at him, and Utsu turned to ashes with pair of eyes on it. The eyes looked around, confused, and in a tornado, he returned back to his original state. Utsu smirked at me. Ryoto: "You think that because the fire can''t do anything to you that you won?" I punched him, and he didn''t make an effort to dodge and took the punch, but his head became like rubber, and after it flew back a little by stretching his neck, it bounced back with more force at me. I defended myself but was pushed back a bit. After that, he started growing a bit and stood on two legs. He looked now more like a human and could grab his bat with his hands. He also got himself clothes that made him look like samurai. Especially the straw hat. Utsu: "Forgive me, master, but to create a better world for you and the future generation, I''ll need to defeat you." Oh, he talks now. Cool. Utsu leaned forward while holding his bat like a katana. There were lightning bolts dancing around him. Utsu: "No horny breathing: First bonk!" He moved at such speed that to a normal eye, he vanished, but my eyes are anything but normal. My eyes followed his movements, and I summoned Zangetsu. If it''s a sword fight he wants, the sword fight he''ll get! Surprisingly he didn''t try and attack me as I expected, but he rushed next to me and stopped behind me. As I tried to turn around, he swung his bat like a professional baseball yer. I barely blocked his attack, but he managed to send me flying a long distance. I was high in the air. If I didn''t do anything, I would be a pancake in the ground. I quickly unsummoned Zangetsu and tried to slow down my fall with fire bending, and it somehow worked, but I still was falling too fast. Thankfully Utsu sent me flying toward the river so I could create a slide with water and turn it into ice. Inded gracefully near the river to notice that Utsu was already waiting for me there. Utsu: "As expected of my master. You didn''t panic even high in the air." Ryoto: "And as expected of this mask. I don''t have any read on you." Utsu: "Your praise warms my heart, but I''ll defeat you for your own good!" Ryoto: "Good luck with that." I summoned Zangetsu and put my guard up in a way Rin taught me, and waited for Utsu to make a move. Utsu: "Forgive me, master, but I''ll need to go all out to defeat you. Bon-kai! Bonkujo Tengen Myo!" Behind Utsu, a giant started appearing, and just like him, he held a bat in his hand. The giant was also wearing armor. Seeing this, I was dumbfounded. I was expecting ridiculous stuff to happen, but a bonkai. Really? I looked at the Zangetsu in my hand, and then I looked back at Utsu''s bat. His is bigger, and I don''t like it. I think my sword won''t do anything to him anymore, so I won''t be using Zangetsu in this fight anymore. The giant swung his bat at me, and he wasn''t as fast as I thought he would, so I could dodge andnd on his hand. If I know something about fighting giants, there are two ways of fighting them. First, you are strong enough to match their strength, but this is not an option for me. I am strong but not this strong, so I''ll be using the second method. I''ll use his strength against him. I started running up his arm as he tried to crush me with his other hand. I jumped between his fingers while webbing them to his arm and shot web at his other arm, and pulled myself there. After a few times of this, I finally arrived at his head. Utsu was just too slow to hit me, but if he somehow managed to do it, he would need only one clean hit. Now his fist wasing towards me that was standing on his nose. Wait... Wait... Wait... Now!!! I jumped away and made a parachute pit of my web as he punched himself in the face. From up there, I could see that Utsu''s fave caved in because of the punch, but he just pulled it back to regain its original shape. Utsu: "If that''s not enough, then how about this!" The giant vanished in an outburst of light, and Utsu held his bat downwards just to let it fall down. Utsu: "Bonkai, Senbonzakura Kageyoshi!" Two rows of giant bats started growing out of the ground. The amount of them was enormous but what happened after was a lot more terrifying. The giant bats broke into smaller ones making the number of bats uncountable. As I thought about what I should do, I heard a familiar, cocky voice in my head. Zangetsu: "Yo, need a hand?" --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 147: Pierce through the heavens! Chapter 147: Pierce through the heavens! (Zangetsu''s pov) I''m currently watching Ryoto fighting. Jacob fighting a dog is not something I thought I would witness but seeing him being stronger than he was before is somehow heartwarming, but he is still too green. Jacob doesn''t have that fighting instinct or experience. Yes, he has fought before and even against someone a lot stronger than him, but he uses his brain to fight. I''m not saying that it''s wrong to fight this way, but it''s not suitable for Jacob. Jacob''s instincts are incredible, but he doesn''t use them to their fullest, which is frustrating. For now, it''s working, and he stays alive, but what if he''ll finally meet someone who is stronger than him and really try, really try and kill him. I can''t let him die before... Nevermind that. If that''ll happen, I''ll think about it when that happens. ???: "Hey, what are you doing?" The girl approved me from behind. Zangetsu: "Nothing much, just watching Jacob. I don''t know if it''s funny or sad what''s happening, but I''m entertained. Although I would like to go out and fight myself." ???: "Can I watch with you? There is not much to do here." Zangetsu: "You don''t need to ask. You should be able to do it yourself whenever you want." She sat next to me, and I offered her popcorn to watch Jacob on TV. After watching in silence for a while, ***** decided to break the silence. ???: "Do you think Jacob will win?" Zangetsu: "He''ll lose. Jacob isn''t a fighter." ???: "I don''t get it. Jacob is strong. He trains every day, and he fought many times before, so why are you saying that he isn''t a fighter?" Zangetsu: "When you fight, there must be a certain mindset that Jacob doesn''t have. When I fight, the only thing in my mind is to win, but Jacob thinks about how not to lose. These things aren''t the same. Right now, Jacob, while fighting, tries to find a way for Utsu to take off the mask because he believes that he can''t win otherwise without killing his precious pet (not that he could), and while he is right you can see that his end goal is not to win against Utsu but for Utsu to lose." ???: "That''s not fair. If he can''t win, then, of course, the only way is to try not to lose!" She tried to argue. Zangetsu: "True, the same thing happened when he fought Gid, but that gives no excuse to limit yourself. Every time he fights someone, he limits himself and calls it training, and it''s not the worst idea he ever had, but at some point, he can develop a nasty habit of holding back, which will bite him in the ass-" ???: "Language!" Zangestu: "*Sigh* It will bite him in the butt sooner orter. As far as I know, he didn''t hold back on two asions, not counting our ''sparrings''. The first one was against Takaoka, but his anger made him move sluggishly and dumb. The other time was against Gid, but he thought that he tried to kill him, so he used everything he knew and still wasn''t able to his powers to their fullest. He could try to increase the power of his kicks by bursting mes out of his foot or trie and melt asphalt under Gid and more. Would it work? No, but the problem is that he didn''t even try." ???: "Wait, what was the question again?" I looked at her like she was the idiot that she was. Zangetsu: "...We were talking about why I don''t call Jacob a warrior." ???: "Ah, right, but this is easy to answer." I raised my eyebrow, intrigued by what she had to say. Zangetsu: "And why would it be?" ???: "Because Jacob is too kind. He doesn''t want to hurt others unnecessarily." Zangetsu: "...Are we talking about the same person?" ???: "Are we not?" Zangetsu: "Every Mil-tan survivors, all L''s fianc candidates, and Takaoka would disagree. He even killed someone just a month ago, and let''s not forget that he crippled that white asshole.." ???: "...He is kind." Zangetsu: "But not to his enemies, which is smart." ???: "I don''t like this conversation anymore..." Zangetsu: "Never mind that, let''s go back to watching. Jacob will need to fight Senbonzakura Kageyoshi rip-off. I''m curious what he''ll do. I''ll bet it''ll be something stupid. I would change ces with Utsu at this point and y with that while trying to use water to slowly freeze him." ???: "Won''t you help him?" As I took a bite of some popcorn, I looked at her weirdly. Zangetsu: "Why...?" She didn''t answer me and just crossed her arms. Zangetsu: "*Sigh* Fine... I''ll do it. Maybe it''s a good time to do it any way but remember that I''m doing it only because of you." She gave me a big hug. ???: "Thank you. I just don''t want for Jacob to be hurt more than it''s necessary, and I appreciate that you deal with my selfishness." I returned the hug. Zangetsu: "Don''t worry about it. I''m used to dealing with your selfishness." ???: Hey!!!" I smirked and ruffled her hair. Zangetsu: "Well, I have an idiot to save." ???: "Have fun!" As she left me alone, she gave me thest big smile. (Ryoto''s pov) Zangetsu: "Yo, need a hand?" ''Zangetsu? Sure I would like a helping hand or a dozen. I''m not in a ce to choose my help right now. I would take help from anyone at the moment. Zangetsu: "Then you''re in luck. Call my name from the depths of your soul as my name is..." Ryoto: "Pierce through the heavens! Zangetsu!!!" As I called out Zangetsu, I swung the sword, and I released Getsuga Tenshou by instinct or just because of my first time using Shikai. Utsu defended himself with all the small bats that he could control with the movement of his hands. It''s time for round two! Ryoto: "Utsu, it''s yourst chance before you''ll regret your choice. Give up." Utsu: "I can''t master. Even if you''ll hate me, I''ll walk this path for your good." Stop sounding like the misunderstood protagonist, god dammit! Yami: "Ryoto Yuuki, what are you doing here?" Utsu and I turned toward the source of the voice, which was a blonde girl eating taiyaki. Ryoto: "Oh, hello, Yami. I''m quite busy right now. My dog decided to radiate all the horny from the world, and I couldn''t allow him as, in the process, he would destroy 60% of my happiness. The rest is teasing and making fun of people. I''m not counting spending time with family and lollipops, of course." Yami: "If I understand correctly, this creature..." She pointed at Utsu. Yami: "Want to destroy all the hi from the world. Yes?" Ryoto: "If you put it that way, then yes. That is his -" I couldn''t finish what I wanted to say as Yami attacked me. Yami: "I hate hi... That''s why I''ll help the humanoid pet to achieve his goal." It looks like the situation turned from bad to worse. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 148: vs Utsu and Yami Chapter 148: vs Utsu and Yami (Ryoto''s pov) I had trouble fighting against Utsu alone, and now I need to fight him and Yami at the same time. Yami was barraging me with her hair transformed into des, and Utsu was still using Senbonzakura Kageyoshi to cover all my escapes. Thankfully I had an ace up my sleeves, and as I was about to be sliced and bonked, I used switcheroo to switch ces with Utsu shocking both of them. Yami managed to stop her mention and not harm Utsu in any way, but I used this chance to fire off another Getsuga Tenshou. Ryoto: "Getsuga Tenshou!" I swung at them, sending a blue wave of energy. It was obviously weaker than when Zangetsu was sending them at me, but it was enough for the purpose I needed it for. After all, I don''t want to kill them. At most, I want to leave them unconscious. Utsu blocked my attack once again and, at the same time, used the small bats to send Yami flying over Getsuga so she could attack me from above. Yami spun in the air, and using this momentum, she attempted to do an axe kick while transforming her leg into the tip of a morning star. Not needing to hide this power anymore, I switched ces with Yami this time, but Utsu was ready for this and sent a big number of bats at me, so I switched ces with him. My head started hurting a little. I used switcheroo just three times, and I already have a slight headache. I''m not that surprised that I''m not used to the newest power in my arsenal. Still, I think it''s because I transported something human-sized, and from the testing I did, the bigger the object or, in this case, a person, the bigger the strain on my brain, and it doesn''t help that I''m still using prediction calction which requires a lot of my brain power. I can''t predict what Utsu will do, but Yami is a fair game. It looks like I''ll need to restrain myself from using switcheroo. I cause it in dire situations two, maybe three times. Four if I really push myself. I didn''t have time to think as Yamiunched another attack. I don''t know why but she transformed her hair into bats this time. I released bloodlust at her together with Haoshoku Haki to shock her and use the small opening she gave me to shoot a web at her and gain some distance between us, but she sliced through it with ease. I was, however, ready for that and secretly was moving water towards her. Thankfully I remember the biggest weakness of Yami. Slimy things and I could create a water tentacle and could even lower the temperature of the water for extra effect. As soon as Yami destroyed the web, she jolted, feeling a slimy feeling wrapping around her leg and going up. She gave me a deadly gaze. Yami: "Ryoto Yuuki, I knew that you were hi, but you outdid yourself." She said with a slight blush on her face. Ryoto: "Thank you. I''m trying my best." I showed her a smile. I let my guard down and felt a hand on my shoulder. Utsu: "No horny!!!" He swung a bat at me with incredible speed. I needed to choose between witching ces with him and blocking it with my arm covered in Haki because o held the sword in my other hand, and I wouldn''t have enough time to stop it with my sword. I decided to use switcheroo. I didn''t want to risk unnecessary injury. And while I was at it, I used Utsu''s back to lunch myself away from him. To do even more damage, I repelled myself with mesing from my feet. But because I needed to dodge, I couldn''t keep holding Yami, and she was pissed at me for doing hi as I may or may not go too deep into a role of a tentacle. But never mind that. Behind me was a river. I raised my arms, and the water followed suit, creating a big wave. As it wasing closer, I disappeared in the wave, but the water wasing closer to Yami and Utsu. Utsu created a single bat out of small ones and took a big breath. Utsu: "No horny breathing: Second bonk!" Utsu cut the wave in half so no water would be able to reach them, but I redirected the water back at them. The water wasing from all directions at the same time. Utsu didn''t panic. Utsu: "Bonkai, Tensa Zangetsu!" He then shed at hypersonic speed in all directions at once. He scattered all the watering at them. Utsu: "As expected of my master. You forced me to use Tensa Zangetsu. I didn''t want to use it out of respect for you, but I didn''t have a choice. But I don''t want to defeat you that way." He released his bonkai and returned to the previous once, and once again, small bats were flying around, ready to bonk anyone nearby. Well, that''s lucky. He won''t be even faster, but he still has an enormous arsenal of attacks. For the ten minutes, I danced around their attack, trying my best to counterattack as well, but we were at an impasse for now. I was dodging all of their attacks, but they also could defend themselves from mine. Zangetsu: "Ryoto, let me handle this. I can''t watch you anymore. You are like a big boss that doesn''t know how to chainbos." ''What do you mean by letting you handle this?'' Zangetsu: "Nothing much. I''ll just take control of your body. You''ll bepletely conscious and can watch everything I do from the insides of your inner world on TV." ''...I have a TV there?'' Zangetsu: "Yeah, it can get boring sometimes..." OK, I''ll ignore it, for now, and think about his offer and better ask some questions. ''Would the hollow mask start forming on my face?'' Zangetsu: "It shouldn''t." To be honest, I could learn a lot by watching him fight but would it be wise? I looked at Utsu and Yami. Both with the bats. ''Knock yourself out, Zangetsu. Just don''t leave any big wounds on them. Utsu should be fine as he is practically immortal, but I don''t want to give Yami any scars or big wounds.'' Zangetsu: "I''ll try." I could hear the anticipation in his voice. As my consciousness went into my inner world, Zangetsu got control of my body, and not only Utsu but also Yami instantly noticed the change in me. Zangetsu showed a big smile. Zangetsu: "Yo! Round three?" --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 149: Zangetsu vs Utsu and Yami Chapter 149: Zangetsu vs Utsu and Yami (Zangetsu''s pov) Utsu and Yami were observing me without making a move. They''ve noticed that I''m not Jacob. Yami: "You''re not Ryoto Yuuki. Who are you?" Zangetsu: "What gave it away?" Yami: "...The air around you is different, but you didn''t answer my question." Zangetsu: "Who I am isn''t important. All you need to know is that I''m not as weak and as soft as him." To make my point, I dashed at her and swung the sword at her, which she blocked with the des created from her hair. Yami: "It seems that you are equally strong." Zangetsu: "Physically maybe, but I know a few tricks that he doesn''t. For example..." I gently put my free hand on the sword and said quietly. Zangetsu: "Getsuga Tenshou." Without needing a swing, I released Getsuga Tenshou at Yami, but as it was milliseconds away from firing off, I switched her ces with Utsu shocking both of them. I then turned to Yami. Zangetsu: "See, just like that, you would be dead." Yami red at me as if she wanted to kill me. Zangetsu: "Nice eyes, but can you back it up?" Utsu didn''t wait for me and tried his luck attacking me, but it was expecting him and the cloth that usually wraps around me wrapped Utsu''s arm. Utsu: "What!!?" I didn''t let him think and immediately elbowed him sending him flying. Yami seeing that I had turned away from her, tried using my blind spot against me, but as was the case against Utsu, I was ready for that. If you don''t see your opponent, assume they are where you can''t see them. Spider-sense helps. I turned around with a low sweep, and as soon as she jumped, I swung at her using the sword. Most people can''t dodge in the air, but Yami isn''t most people. Angel-like wings grew out of her back, and she flew even higher. I grabbed the cloth, started spinning it, and threw it at her. She dodged it gracefully, but I just kept throwing it and pulling back using its cloth. It was fun, like shooting flying ducks, but my fun was disturbed by Utsu himself. He sent an uncountable (438) number of bats at me, which I countered with a simple Getsuga. This is fun! Fighting is fun! I repelled myself with mes to shorten the distance between Utsu and me. As the bats wereing at me, I was defending myself with the sword and Haki against them, and when he finally was within my reach, I just needed to touch him with my fingers, and so I did. My fingers touched his face, and using my sticky finger (joke intended) to attach them to him and threw him to the ground. At the same time, I tested if his mask could be taken off, and obviously, it was stuck to his face, so o did the second-best thing. I started gathering red energy in my hand while still keeping it on his face, and with a big grin, I said. Zangetsu: "Cero." A massive explosion of red energy appeared. I want more of that. I called inside my mind, but in a way, so Jacob wouldn''t hear it. ''Hey, pipsqueak.'' ???: "Don''t call me that!" ''Who said anything about you?'' ???: "You...!" ''But since you are here, can you distract Jacob for a while. I have so much fun! And it would be a shame not to fight even longer, and I would want to use some techniques that I don''t want to use while Jacob is watching. I want him to learn them by himself if possible.'' ???: "Can you promise me, though, that you won''t hurt Yami-chan too much?" ''Why? Is it because she is slightly shorter than you, and you feel some kind of kinship with her?'' ???: "..." ''It''s that, isn''t it?'' ???: "..." ''Fine, I''ll try. But no promises.'' ???: "Thank you. You are the best!" I could hear the happiness beaming from her. (Ryoto''s pov) I was watching the fight, and Zangetsu really knows how to fight. He even showed off swingless Getsuga. Not to mention his use of... himself. But can I be med? I just unlocked Shikai. But I''ll remember all his tricks. Like for example, using cloth in a fight. Ipletely forgot that I can use it that way since It unwraps itself with just thought I should be able to move it with my thoughts as well. Not to mention his Cero. I''ll make him teach him thatter. As I was making notes, I heard some noises, which was strange. There shouldn''t be anyone in here besides me at the moment, and I think it''s important to know what''s inside my inner world. I don''t want to leave because I want to watch Zangetsu fight so I can learn, but if I have some problems inside of me, then I need to investigate. (Zangetsu''s pov) Jacob is not watching right now. I can finny go all out! Zangetsu: "Hahahahaha!!!" Myugh scared them slightly because, for them, I just did it out of nowhere. I raised the sword, ready to fire off Getsuga, but it wasn''t an ordinary Getsuga but one mixed with Cero. It was also immensely more powerful than ordinary Getsuga as well. You could see that it was different from normal Getsuga by its red color. Maybe I should change its name? Thoughts forter. Seeing the danger, Utsu stood in front of Yami and mmed down his bat. Utsu: "Bonk of Camelot!!!" A castle started forming, protecting both of them, but it only motivated me more. Zangetsu: "Getsuga Tenshou!!!" The red Getsuga mmed against the walls of the castle, and they started crumbling, but they withstood my attacks. My grin widened. Utsu: "Bonkujo Tengen Myo!!!" A giant appeared. It was a stupid decision on his part, but on the other hand, fighting a giant will be fun, so I don''t mind. Zangetsu: "Majin the hand!!!" I used my own giant. It was still smaller than Utsu''s bonkai, but unlike Jacob, I could move the Majin as I wanted. Plus... The hands of the Majin became ck, but only I could see it. I covered its hands in Haki so I could fight against his bat. The impacts of our hits made the air trample, but during our confrontation, Yami didn''t just sit and watch. She is a trained assassin and waited for a perfect moment to neutralize me. Maybe kill me, but that just makes it more fun. Hahahahahaha!!! This is great!!! --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 150: Zangetsu vs Utsu and Yami 2 Chapter 150: Zangetsu vs Utsu and Yami 2 (Zangetsu''s pov) Utsu and I were exchanging punches. He used his bonkai and I with the Majin. At the same time, a small part of my attention was focused on Yami. She is not as strong as Utsu right now, but I just can''t wait for her to unlock her Darkness transformation. Utsu: "What have you done with Master?!!" Zangetsu: "I haven''t done anything to him~" I said with my signature smirk, which made him angrier. Utsu: "If you don''t n on telling me... I''ll make you!" He red at me with murderous intent. I can''t wait to see what he has in store! Unfortunately, my fun with the giant ended as Utsu unsummoned his Bonkai, but my smile grew wider when I saw what he nned on doing. He crossed his arms, and a golden armor materialized around him. Just after that, many golden ripples started popping up behind him. YES!!! (Ryoto''s pov) I was following the strange noises, and every time I got closer, they vanished and appeared further away from me. It felt like it was leading me somewhere. I was currently on the rainy side of my inner world. Most of the town was from my past life, and I didn''t bother walking around here. I had this feeling that the voice was very familiar, but I couldn''t put my finger on it. While ying this hide-and-seek and tag mixture, I walked past my old home and stopped there to look at it. A lot of feelings rushed to me. A little bit of happiness remembering some good memories. A lot of sadness knowing how much trouble I caused and, most of all, regret that I didn''t try better. I walked inside, and there was even an old family photo. I, my sister, dad, and mom. I had a small urge to destroy it, but I couldn''t bring myself to do it, so I left it there. Maybe I should take a family photo soon. I never liked being photographed, but memories are important. I stopped thinking about that and started following the noise again. (Zangetsu''s pov) Hahahahahahaha!!! This is great. I''m feeling alive. Utsu and Yami were teaming up against me, and it was fun. They, unfortunately, tried to only restrain me, but they were releasing bloodlust, and it was impressive. I didn''t use my illusions because of only one thing. I don''t know when will be the next time I could have a fight like that. I wouldn''t mind fighting with Jacob as a sword, but he is too green for it to be fun but maybe in the future... ???: "You should be done with your fun soon. Jacob ising back to the TV." Tsk. And so my fun has ended. But what can I do? I don''t want to go berserk when it''s not needed. I could have ended it a long time ago, but the fun was too good. I stopped moving, which made both of my opponents be on guard. Zangetsu: "Well, it was fun, but it''s time to end it." I put the de against my neck. Zangetsu: "Utsu, if you want the idiot back, take off your mask!" Utsu was ready to rush at me, as I cut a bit deeper, making my blood run down. It left a clear path in Jacob''s uniform as it dissolved anything in its path. Zangetsu: "One more step and the head will go flying." I warned them. Utsu didn''t like having his master at gunpoint or, to be more urately, at de point?... I don''t know, but the important part is that he is listening but doesn''t like it. Utsu: "And why would I believe you?!" I could hear the dislike towards me in his voice. Zangetsu: "You can''t, but if you don''t do what I say, Ryoto will be lighter by about 5 kg. What do you do? Take a risk that I won''t be honorable or try your luck to outspeed me!" Utsu looked conflicted, not knowing what he should do. He wanted to bonk Jacob, but he didn''t want to kill him, so you could say that he cares about him at least a little. Yami didn''t make any move, but I could see a very calcting look in her. Was she considering killing me now, or was she thinking about the blood? Utsu: "Very well, but before I do that, I have something to say to Yami-dono." He turned to Yami. Utsu: "As someone who walks a simr path to mine, I want to say it was an honor fighting alongside you." He smiled at her. Yami nodded and was ready for whatever was going to happen. She wasn''t precisely discrete with it as she prepared many weapons ready to attack me at any moment. Utsu looked like he was ready to die for his master, but I only wanted him to take off the mask. Fucking drama queen. Utsu slowly started returning to his original size. While still having the mask in his possession, he red at me for thest time before taking it off. It just fell off, and as I did what I was supposed to do, I said my goodbyes and left. Zangetsu: "Hopefully, see you soon. It was fun." I waved thest time and changed my ce with Jacob. (Ryoto''s pov) I opened my eyes to see Yami ready to fight and Utsu without the mask. Ryoto: "What did I miss?" Yami swung a de at me, but she didn''t put her heart into it. Yami: "Ryoto Yuuki, if you do something like this again, I''ll kill you!" But you are already trying to kill me. I didn''t say that as I was too tired to tease her now. I walked up to the mask and picked it up. Now the question remains. Should I keep it or destroy it? (E/D: Yes!) I was somehow tempted to keep it just because, but I won''t decide now. Now I want to question Utsu, who looked kinda sad. Ryoto: "Can you tell me, Utsu, why did you want to destroy the horny? You always had this goal in mind but not to this level." Utsu: "Woof!" Hearing what he had to say, I couldn''t bring myself to be mad at him. He just wanted to create a better world for my child... in his twisted way, but I was moved nheless. I turned to Yami next. Ryoto: "It was fun, Yami, but let''s not do that again." Yami: "If you were not an hi person, I would agree." Ryoto: "...Do you want a lollipop?" I offered her a peace offering, and she epted. Now that I was done with that, I was about to return to school and enjoy an ordinary Valentine''s day. --- END You thought it was Author but it was me Dio Za Editor. I am newly hired by the Author to fix grammar mistakes. So how did I do? PS: Your opinions are not required. By the way. Chapter 151: Valentines day 1 Chapter 151: Valentine''s day 1 (A/N I''m going to sleep...) (Ryoto''s pov) __________ *PING* *QUESTS COMPLETED* Reward: 6000 SP 4 gacha tickets __________ Looking at the rewards I got, I smiled. 6000 SP and 4 gacha tickets. I''m eating well today. (E/D: Gacha time. Hahahaha*drooling*) I immediately used the tickets. The first reward was a fun one. ''Lollipop healer''. This ability allowed me to give lollipops healing properties, but they would only work on illnesses and wouldn''t heal any wounds. The only requirement is that I would understand the illness I want to cure. The more information I possessed, the more effective the cure would be. ''Karen, do you know what this means?'' Karen was silent for a short moment until she realized where I was going with this. Karen: "...Don''t you fucking dare!" ''This means that I can cure cancer with lollipops! (Technically). Now be impressed and bow before the might of lollipops!'' Karen: "You''re an idiot!" ''An idiot who can cure cancer~'' I countered. I have three more tickets to use, can''t wait to see what I''ll get because the beginning was fantastic. (E/D: This is the part where Lancer luck kicks in. Who agrees with me.) The second ticket gave me a ''no pain pill''. It''s not terrible but not incredible either. The third ticket rewarded me with the ability to move my ears at will. Ryoto: "..." I don''t know what to say about that. The only thing I know is that I got another party trick. The fourth roll was second best as I got 10 item roll. From those 10 rolls, I got some interesting things. There were usual filler rewards like a pack of tic-tacs, but there were two items that were interesting. One was a pack of Dying Will Bullets. They may or may not be of help to me. I''m not sure how effective it would be on me since it was only used on ordinary people before, and besides, I fight with my head, so goingpletely bonkers isn''t ideal. Not like I could use them since I don''t have a pistol, is what I would say if I didn''t get one from the very same gacha. And not any gun. It''s one used to shoot Dying Will Bullets. It''s like ROB himself is telling me to use them. And maybe as the good brother that I am, I should use my newly required reward to help my little brother with his love problems. He needs a little push, and I will give it to him. That or he will be arrested, but since the principal wasn''t arrested so far, so... yeah. I returned to school, and during my walk back, I started feeling the fatigue that was masked by the adrenaline before. What the hell did Zangetsu do when I wasn''t watching to tire me out so much. --- I was back in school, and it looked like I was gone for about 20-30 minutes. I say ''about'' because I don''t know how much time has passed since I was following those noises in my inner world, but the lessons had already started again. As the good student that Yui wants me to be, I should get into the ss as fast as I can, so I climbed up to the ssroom and entered it through the window. Yui would be proud that I follow the rules as I should. Some of my ssmates were surprised to see mee through the window. Some weren''t even fazed. Sophia, the teacher, was in the second category, but she reprimanded me for beingte. The ss went as usual, and I was waiting for a break. I won''t use the bullet... for now. I''ll give him some time to gather the courage to confess. If he doesn''t try to confess, I''ll shoot him. I never thought that I would say that, but here we are. As I was thinking about stupid things, Risa approached my sit and put a nice packed Valentine''s chocte in front of me. They looked handmade. Ryoto: "Thanks, Risa." That''s exactly what I needed right now, so I opened it and ate it. It tasted fine. Nothing spectacr, but they were made specifically for me, so it already made them taste better. I noticed that Risa had a few sters on her fingers. She must have cut herself while making the chocte. Ryoto: "They taste great~" Hearing my praise, Risa tried to hide how happy it made her, but I noticed it. Sugar is fuel for my body, so I started eating. I think I got a little addicted to sugar, but no one can prove it. There are no witnesses. (E/D: Reminds me of the meme: No one will notice if there is no one to notice.) Need. More. Energy. L was preparing choctes for everybody. Isn''t she sweet? I hope that she doesn''t put aphrodisiac into it, but I don''t have the energy to stop her. If something is going to happen, let it happen. I don''t care right now, but I must say the more I eat these choctes, the more delicious they seem. I just couldn''t stop eating, but s, I finally ate all of them. Now I''m sad. I thought that I would get something from L, but it looked like she wanted to give me my present at home or at leastter so I went for a walk around the school, which isn''t my most brilliant move knowing my record, but it''s the risk I was willing to take. I decided to go to the nurse''s office in hopes that they have some sweets. My lollipops are limited at the moment, and most that I have on me are sugar-free. I regret my choices immensely. --- Good news. I got chocte from Oshizu. Bad news. It was dark chocte, so too little sugar for me. I didn''t spend too much time there and excused myself. In the hallways, I met Yui walking around, doing her duty as a member of the disciplinarymittee but noticing me. She walked up to me angrily. Yui: "Ryoto Yuuki! I''ve heard that you werete for ss! Exin yourself!" Is she stalking me? How does she even know it? Ryoto: "Fought my dog. He used an ancient artifact to gain amazing power. I was almost bonked." I said with a straight face. Yui looked at me strangely and noticed myck of energy. Yui: "You seem tired." Ryoto: "Probablyck of sugar." She became embarrassed, and I don''t know why. Yui: "T-then have some chocte!" She shoved the chocte in my hands and quickly ran away. Hmm. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 152: Valentines day 2 Chapter 152: Valentine''s day 2 (A/N My editor was kind enough to make the first official image of Ryoto *img* After 150 chapters we finally know how our mc looks. It brings a tear to my eye. But now the question is do you guys want to see how this version of Zangetsu looks like? Yes No The choice is yours.) (Ryoto''s pov) I got chocte from Yui which at the moment I needed the most. To thank her, I''ll restrain myself from breaking any rules for the next five minutes. My generosity is limitless. But in all seriousness, there is a possibility that Yui likes me, but that raises the question of what I should do. My dream was never to build a harem. It just happened. But I''m also not against the idea. As every anime fan, I had some ideas about having a harem of my own, but having it is an entirely different thing. I''m not experiencing the entirety of having a harem since most of the time, I was only with L, and when I got together with Kaede and Rio, I was forced to leave, and just about a month ago, I got together with Alme. The thing is that I doubt that Yui would be happy to be part of the harem. Her personality doesn''t allow it. She would call me shameful and maybe a bastard if she knew that I was in a rtionship with four girls. But it''s not important right now. I''m not greedy for girls, but... I started thinking about her boobs, and in size, she wasparable to L, but her thighs are what matter the most. She would look good in stockings, but she always wears short socks. At the same time, Kaede, in my imagination, was giving me a deadly re with an aura and a knife in her hand while muttering something in anguage I couldn''tprehend. Scary. Buting back to Yui, it''s a waste that she doesn''t utilize the weapon known as thighs, but I can''t force her. I mean, I can, but it''s more fun to make her do it of her own ord. I took a bite of the chocte I just got. Yep, it''s sweet. --- I returned to my ss, and L wasn''t there right now. She probably was still giving out choctes to all of her acquaintances. Surprisingly nothing wrong has happened as of yet, but just as I was thinking that a stone flew directly at my face that I caught with ease. Strangely it''s not the most dangerous thing that happened to me today. There was a note attached to the stone. It said ''look outside''. Even without this note, I would look and check out the source of this stone. Rito: "Nii-san, are you alright?" Rito asked in worry. Now that I think about it, he didn''t witness too many times using my power, so it''s reasonable for him to worry when I caught the stone out of nowhere. Ryoto: "This is nothingpared to L''s dad." Risa: "Looking cool, Ryoto!" She said teasingly. For now, I ignored it as I wanted to look outside the window, and I wasn''t the only one as everyone in the ssroom gathered near the windows. Outside, a big fountain full of chocte was ced. It was clearly for me not only because I could see lollipops sticking out of it, but also because big letters spelled out my name with a heart at the end. It didn''t say who it was from, but it wasn''t hard to guess. Only two people could prepare the fountain of chocte. It could be either L or Saki, but I am leaning more towards Saki since L would do something more over the top, like lollipops running towards me to be eaten, a never-ending Lolipop, or at the very least a gigantic chocte bar. Now that''s a beautiful thought, but a candy revolution is not what I would like to experience right now. Risa: "Lucky you. A literal fountain full of chocte." Ryoto: "I know that''s why I''m going to enjoy it right now." And that''s what I did. I''ll need to thank Sakiter today. --- After I had consumed most of the lollipops from the fountain, I was satisfied, so I returned to the ssroom. It must have taken some time since everybody was already inside, so the ss will probably start soon, but something was wrong, and I''m not talking about Risa molesting other girls. That''s an everyday urrence. I''m talking about some other guys making out with each other. I support all kinds of love and all, but I don''t think it''s a good ce to showcase it. I took some photos and videos of them just in case I''ll need to convince them sometime in the future with some... convincing proof. Ryoto: "L, did you give everyone here your chocte?" L: "I did! And they started acting strange. I don''t know what I did wrong. I even asked Mikado-sensei for help in making them." L answered. I think I know what happened, so I decided idea to find Mikado-sensei... again. On my way to her, I was attacked by women and men alike, but as soon as they approached me, they fainted for some reason. Truly a mystery. Ryokou: "Hey there. Seems you''re in quite a bit of trouble." [A wild Mikado has appeared.] Ryoto: "And I wonder whose fault it is." She smiled yfully. Ryokou: "I didn''t expect L to give chocte to everybody, and since you have two fiancs, I wanted to give a little bit of help." She winked. Ryoto: "My sex life is very alive and functional, thank you very much." She covered the mouth with her hand. Ryokou: "Oh my~." Ryoto: "Yeah, yeah, but what should I do with..." I was interrupted by Ren running up to me with hearts in his eyes. Ren: "Aniki!!! I want to hold you in my arms!!!" I didn''t turn around and just webbed him to the wall and covered his mouth as well, just in case. Ryoto: "...This. What are we going to do with this?" Ryokou: "Nothing. The effect of a medical herb that acts like an aphrodisiac should wear off soon." And just like she said, soon everyone returned to normal, and I got some ''convincing'' material. School life returned to normal and went on as usual until the end of the sses, but before I could go train, I was stopped by Haruna, but I wasn''t the only one called by her. Rito was as well. Well, well, well. Something interesting is going to happen, and maybe it''s the chance for Rito as well otherwise... a bullet to the head shall be required for the greater good. I took out a lollipop and followed both of them to the back of the school. --- END Discord server: Chapter 153: Valentines day 3 Chapter 153: Valentine''s day 3 (A/N Mr. Editor and I are very happy that all of you like the image of Ryoto that he created. But an image of Zangetsu won''t be free. We demand power stones! And if This week we''ll get 600 power stones, he''ll get to work. More stones are wee, though. Also, Mr.Editor is writing fanfic of his own called ''Jojo''s Bizzare Adventure in Fate'' and he needs 100 power stones to find some motivation. *Wink* *Wink*. That''s all.) (Ryoto''s pov) The back of the school was empty at this hour, and Haruna was clearly nervous. It was evident that she wanted to give both of us Valentine''s chocte. I understand why she would want to give something to Rito, but why me, though? Does she want to create a harem!? Funny thought, but probably untrue. This is Haruna we''re talking about. However, Haruna wasn''t the only one nervous. Rito was practically sweating, and his imagination was running wild. His face also was bing progressively redder. I, on the other hand, waspletely rxed and eating my lollipop. I was waiting for Haruna to make a move since I was a patient man, and my patience paid off became shortly after Haruna started speaking. Haruna: "R-Rito-kun, R-Ryoto-kun!" Rito: "Y-yes!?" Ryoto: "Yes?" Haruna: "I-I want to give both of you-" She couldn''t finish her sentence because the very same fish that is a failed L''s and Kowalski''s failed experiment started running like crazy and bumped into Haruna, pushing her into Rito, who, like usual, put his hands where he shouldn''t. How does this fish keep running away from the penguins, though? I know that they are trying to capture it, but they fail every time. I didn''t keep thinking about the fish who had already escaped as I had something far more interesting before my eyes, Rito''s lucky pervert. This phenomenon is as always interesting to observe but what caught my eye was Haruna, who was goingmando. Because of that, Igged a bit, but when I think about it, it''s logical. She is the sister of that pervert, so of course, she has some secret fetishes. Strange that I didn''t notice it sooner, though. Haruna seeing that I was looking at her butt that was now visible thanks to Rito, became very embarrassed and pped Rito at full strength, sending him flying. She ran away quickly from the crime scene but left two neatly packed choctes. I took the one with my name and left the one with Rito''s near him. Because of his bad luck, I''ll spare Rito from being shot at since I''m not in a hurry, and I''ll let him be happy about the chocte he received. (E/D: So no segs. *Sad Editor noises*) Now since I don''t have any other ns, I''ll go to Saki''s ce to train with Rin, and while I''m there, I''ll thank Saki for the fountain. That sound like a good n. --- My training with Rin went as usual, and I feel like I''m slowly improving. And I also feel like I could enjoy swordsmanship in itself. I don''t have many hobbies so it would be good to find one. Besides, I didn''t give up on my dream of being the savior of France. I''m trying to learn his technique, but ''surprisingly,'' it''s not easy to do. Who would have thought? As I was wiping away the sweat from the training, I approached Rin. Ryoto: "Hey Rin, can I talk with Saki?" She was surprised by my question. Rin: "Huh, why?!" Ryoto: "I wanted to thank her for the chocte fountain." Rin looked hesitant to ask. Rin: "...You weren''t hurt by the rock, were you?" Ryoto: "You mean the one that was aimed at my face? No, you would need a bigger rock to harm me. Besides, you should know that. Remember when you swung at me with the sword?" Rin: "It''s hard to forget. I needed to buy a new sword after that, so I wasn''t worried, but after I identally threw that stone at you, Saki-sama panicked and ran away." Ryoto: "Well, either way, I would like to thank her." Saki: "I heard someone calling me!" Saki made a big entrance as usual. Ryoto: "Great, you are here. Saki-senpai. I just want to thank you for your Valentine''s gift today. It was delicious." I said with a smile. My smile seemed to stun Saki as she didn''t say anything or move for a while. I waved in front of her face to gain some kind of reaction from her. Ryoto: "Rin, I think I broke Saki-senpai." Rin: "Don''t worry. She is just happy." Run turned to Aya. Rin: "Aya, can you get Saki-sama to her room? I don''t think she''ll wake up soon." Aya: "On it!" Ryoto: "Does that happen often?" I pointed at Saki, who had a blissful expression. Rin: "As ofte, it happens more often, but ording to doctors, it''s nothing dangerous. She''ll wake up soon." I see. Rin looked hesitant once more and fidgeted a bit, but in a short time, she resolved herself. Rin: "Hey, Ryoto, catch!" She tossed something at me, and as I caught it, I realized that it was Valentine''s chocte. Rin: "For good work during today''s training." She showed a small smile and left. I feel that I got closer to Rin during our training. She even stopped spying on me during school since I''m spending a lot of time at Saki''s ce. That does not mean that I''ll stop calling her a stalker~. --- At home, I was sitting in the living room together with L. We were enjoying our presence while watching TV. L''s favorite show is ''Magical Girl Kyouko'', and we are watching it at the moment. While L was sitting between my legs, she excitedly was wriggling around. It wasn''t anything sexual about that since L was focused entirely on the show, but it didn''t mean that I didn''t feel anything. I didn''t mind since if L is happy, I''m as well. Mikan was making dinner, and Rito was in his room, probably looking at the chocte he got from Haruna. The peace was disturbed by the bell of the door. Hearing the sound, it was L who went to check the door. L: "I''ll take it!" She practically jumped out of the sofa and when she returned she wasn''t alone anymore. Alme: "Ryoto!" I turned to see Alme, who was only wearing a ribbon to cover herself. Alme: "I''m your present!" She jumped at me to hug me, and I caught her. At the same time, L using Peke, transformed her clothes into some kind of chocte outfit. It seems that my night will be fun. Ryoto: "Mikan, I''m going to my room. I won''t need dinner tonight!" And so I withdrew to my room with two loving fiances. --- END (A/N Don''t expect lemon next chapter. Utsu bonked me.) (E/D: 28 votes, 27 yes. You guys just wanna cut down my sleep, don''t you?) Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 154: Mikans adventure Chapter 154: Mikan''s adventure (A/N: As of now, I received 1/3 of the stones needed. Keep up the good work. UMU!) (E/D: As of now, I received 1/10 of the stones needed. Keep up the good work. UMU!) (Mikan''s pov) Ryoto left to his room with both L and Alme, and I knew exactly what was going to happen, but Ryoto is not a child, and he can take care of himself. I''ll just put his portion of the dinner in the fridge so that he can take it to school tomorrow. But do they need to do it every day? They think that I don''t know about it, but I do. Thankfully I can''t hear anything. Otherwise, it would be difficult for me to act as usual around them. Mikan: "Rito, dinner''s ready!" I called out to Rito, who was in his room. From what I''ve heard from Ryoto and what I observed, Rito is in seventh heaven because he got Valentine''s chocte from Sairenji. Good for him. --- After dinner, I spent time talking to Sachie on the phone, and she was teasing me about being a brocon. I''m not, by the way, and just because I rejected all those confessions doesn''t mean that I am one. Shortly after, I went to sleep, but I woke up in the middle of the night because I was thirsty, so I went to the kitchen to drink some water, but on my way back, I heard some noises from Ryoto''s room. I knew what the sources of those noises were, and I shouldn''t eavesdrop, but curiosity got better of me. This is the first time any sound escaped that room, after all. (A/N Small NSFW. Thank the guy who bribed me with lollipops.) [NSFW Warning] L: "Aah~! Don''t lick my tail so rough!" Alme: "But you''ve taken Ryoto, and if you cum faster, my turn wille sooner!" Ryoto: "Is that so? Thene here." I couldn''t see anything that was happening inside, and it frustrated me for some reason, but luckily the door to Ryoto''s room was slightly open, so I widened the gap so I could see what was happening. Inside, Ryoto was lying on the bed while Alme was sitting on his face and L was sitting on his stomach and... I quickly turned away from this scene. Seeing something like that with my own eyes is entirely different than seeing that in a magazine that Sachie showed me once. My heart is beating fast, incredibly fast. Was it because I just saw my brother having sex with his fiancs? Was it because I was eavesdropping? Or was it because... I shook away that thought, and as I was about to leave... Alme: "Noooo~ Forgive me, I don''t want to end it yet~!" Does it really feel that good? I slowly and hesitantly put my hand in my pajama pants to reach my important ce. I''ve never tried it before, and I don''t know what possessed me, but I was masturbating just outside my brother''s room while he was having sex. I started out slowly, and even the slightest of touches made me shiver. With time I was feeling more and more pleasure. I even started fondling my breast with my free hand. Mikan: "Ah ah~." Moans escaped my mouth unintentionally, and I needed to be quiet. I don''t want anyone to notice me right now. As I was continuing my shameless action, my hand was moving faster and faster, and something wasing. I could feel it. My breathing was bing faster and rougher as I wasing closer to cumming. It was somehow scary, but I couldn''t stop myself, and my hands were practically moving by themselves. As the pleasure was slowly increasing, it suddenly spiked, making me almost scream, but I bit the part of my pajama to silence myself. It felt like lighting went through my entire body all at once. My toes curled, thighs closed themselves, trapping my hand between my legs. The pleasure didn''t vanish immediately. It stayed for a while and slowly faded away. This... this was like nothing I felt before. Even now, I could feel the after-effects of an orgasm. It felt like I did some heavy exercises. It was hard to catch a breath. I just wanted toy here and rest for a while, but remembering where I was, I quickly stood up, which wasn''t the wisest as my legs felt wobbly after what I did, but I forced myself to walk away. [NSFW End] (Ryoto''s pov) After a night with my girls, I was satisfied. It didn''t mean that I couldn''t go for more. I have the stamina of a literal god of sex trapped in a body of a teenager or an ugly bastard, depending on the genre. (E/D: Don''t remind me of the horrors I have seen.) I was also proud of myself for satisfying both L and Alme. Alme was more tired of the two. Not because she was weak, but because L was a subus in bed and acted like the night before didn''t happen. Right now, L gave a sex smile that she only showed after our night of exercise. No one would expect innocent L to make this kind of expression, but it only makes it more attractive. Alme, on the other hand, was lying on her stomach without any intention of getting up. Alme: "As expected of the first wife. I still don''t stand a chance against you." L: "When ites to knowing Ryoto and his body, I won''t lose!" She answered enthusiastically. Ryoto: "By the way, Alme, why did you want to do it in my room. L''s bed is not only bigger but morefortable." Alme: "Because your smell is the strongest here!" Ryoto: "Is it why you bury your head in my pillow?" She didn''t answer and enjoyed my pillow. Whatever makes her happy. After some small talk and filtering mixed in between, we went downstairs for breakfast. We still had school afterward. Not Alme, though. She''ll go to a manga cafe and enjoy Earth culture. Her words, not mine. Mikan behaved strangely today. She avoided eye contact and looked... ashamed. Did something happen? She not only avoided me but also L and Alme. Could it be that she heard me having sex? It would certainly make things a bit awkward, but it wouldn''t exin the shame. I''ll think about it after school. (E/D: I see, so Ryoto wasn''t cultured in his previous life and now he is dense as an initial Harem Protag.) --- At school, during lunch break, I took Rito for a ''walk'' around the school since I had something to talk about with him. Ryoto: "So Rito, tell your Nii-san, how is your confession going?" Rito: "Nii-san, not so loud!" He tried to cover my mouth, so I couldn''t say anything more. Ryoto: "What? I just wanted to know since I got something that would help you to gather your courage." Rito''s eyes shone, and he grabbed my hand. Rito: "Really!!!" Ryoto: "Yep~!" I brought Rito into the part of the school that not many students go to. I may be crazy, but I don''t want anyone to witness what''s about to happen. Not because I care about the rumors, but most boys would ask me to do the same, seeing the effects. I took out the loaded gun and aimed it at Rito. Ryoto: "Please die." I said with a smile not matching my actions. *BANG* The bullet flew straight at Rito and hit him. Yui: "What was that noise?" Yui came out behind the corner to witness the ''murder''. Did it happen because I called it a walk? --- END Discord server: Chapter 155: REBORN!!! Chapter 155: REBORN!!! (A/N 344 stones right now. With this pace, we''ll reach the goal on time!!! And If we get 800, I''ll write an extra chapter this week.) (Ryoto''s pov) Yui: "I-I knew that you were shameless but to think you would kill your own brother!" She took out her phone with a shaking hand and tried to call the police, but I stopped her. Ryoto: "Calm down. I didn''t kill him." Yui: "How can you say that!? You have a gun in hand and a dead body on the floor!!!" She pointed at Rito, but she didn''t notice a small orange me forming on his forehead. Rito burst out of his clothes. Rito: "REBORN!!!" He was left only in his underwear. Rito: "I''M GOING TO CONFESS TO HARUNA-CHAN EVEN IF IT KILLS ME!!!" He started running somewhere. I think he is running towards our ssroom since that is where hest saw Haruna. Ryoto: "As you can see, I didn''t kill my brother, and he is very much alive. Now excuse me as I want to follow him. See you soon~!" Yui was left dumbfounded, but after that short pause, she erupted. Yui: "RYOTO YUUKI!!!" --- Following Rito wasn''t difficult but was interesting. His lucky pervert activated a few times, but Rito didn''t care and brute-forced his way through. At some point, he was running with a girl''s panties on his head while the girl was wearing them, hanging on him via her unbreakable plot feed panties. I was impressed by his feat. Shortly after, Rito arrived in the ssroom, but Haruna wasn''t in there, so Rito, still in his underwear, ran up to Saruyama and grabbed him by the cor of his shirt. Rito: "SARUYAMA, WHERE''S HARUNA-CHAN!!!???" Kenichi: "Huh, Rito? Why are you in your underwear?" Rito: "DOESN''T MATTER!!! ANSWER THE QUESTION!!!" Rito''s face was definitely too close to Kenichi''s, and noticing that I was there, he begged me for help. Kenichi: "Ryoto, what''s happening!? Help!" Ryoto: "Nah." It was far too entertaining. I was approached by Risa. Risa: "So what''s the deal with Rito?" She pointed at my brother, who was shaking Kenichi by his cor to get the answer to his question. Ryoto: "He looks normal to me." Risa looked at me, then at Rito again, and nodded. Risa: "Maybe you''re right." Rito then suddenly jumped out through the window. Rito: "HARUNA-CHAN IS AT THE TENNIS COURT!!!" Risa: "You know, I finally see the resemnce." Ryoto: "Uncanny, isn''t it. But enough of that, I''ll follow him." I just did that, and as I was about to jump out, Risa called me out. Risa: "Don''t forget to record the whole thing!" I gave her thumb up and proceeded to follow Rito, who was unharmed even after jumping outside the window. He was running at full speed, and when he arrived at the tennis court, he looked around to see Haruna together with L, both were talking with each other. Seeing his target, he ran straight at her and I started recording for the future generation to see uncle Rito seeding or failing. Rito: "HARUNA-CHAN!!!" He got the attention of not only Haruna but everyone else too, but he didn''t care and rushed toward his crush. Rito: "HARUNA-CHAN, I HAVE SOMETHING TO TELL YOU. I..." He couldn''t finish his sentence because, at this moment, L sneezed. L: "Achoo!" If that was the only thing it happened, it wouldn''t matter, but as she sneezed, aser shot out from her tail, going straight at Rito. Rito, however, wasn''t afriaf by that and dodged the first shot. Rito: "THIS LASER WON''T STOP ME!!!" Unfortunately for Rito, L sneezed a second time, and even more, unfortunately, was that his Dying Will Mode ended, and he was hit by theser. I forgot about the time limit. (E/D: Oh! Come on! No Segs. Why is the Author torturing me so much? Just let them have Segs.) He wasn''t seriously wounded by that as L didn''t fire off it at full power, so he was only pushed backward. Besides, Rito is very durable. Ask Haruna. She''s known for using him as a weapon. At the request of Risa, I filmed the entire thing. Wait... L shot out from her tail even if she didn''t mean to. Isn''t it bad? Now that I think about it, Mikado mentioned it as one of the side effects of pregnancy. I almost forgot about it since, for a few weeks, nothing had happened, and different people show different side effects, but it seems that we are starting with something difficult. L seemed to understand it as well. Before I went up to L, I checked on Rito just in case, and he was just unconscious. Don''t worry Rito, your older brother, will help you with your confession. On another note, I had a wild thought. Could L reproduce Dying Will Bullet? It was technically made by humans, so maybe... I''ll ask herter. She loves that kind of stuff. Now that I was done with Rito, I walked up to Haruna and L. Ryoto: "Sorry, Haruna-san, but I need to borrow L. To make the exchange fair, I offer you Rito. Bye." I became Rito''s wingman. Haruna won''t be able to leave him unconscious and at least stay with him until he wakes up. If he is lucky, he''ll get ap pillow. You''re wee, Rito. But I didn''t leave him there only because I''m a great brother, but I didn''t have time to waste. I dragged L along with me to the nurse''s office, where we''ll find Mikado-sensei. We didn''t know if L would shoot more powerfulsers or just weak ones or how often she would do it. I just hope that she won''t shoot at full power. I don''t have the confidence to block her shot at full power. Majin the Hand is a powerful blocking technique, and Getsuga Tenshou is a powerful attack, but L, at her strongest, could obliterate the city, and I can''t do that with either of them at the moment. But if I use the mask... Nah. It wouldn''t be the wisest. I would need to do more testing before I personally try it on, or I''ll dip it in my blood. I haven''t decided yet. --- Inside the nurse''s office, Mikado was doing some light examination on L. After she finished, she put down her stethoscope. Ryouko: "There''s nothing wrong with L. She may shoot theser from time to time, but it won''t be strong, but I would advise you to be careful nheless." Ryoto: "That goes without saying, but how long will it go on?" Ryokou: "I don''t know. It may be a few days or weeks, or it could end in a few hours." L: "Don''t worry, Ryoto! We''ll figure something out." She squeezed my hand and smiled. I suddenly feel reassured. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 156: Something strange but not bizzare... Chapter 156: Something strange but not bizzare... (3rd pov) Golden Darkness is the name that brings into anyone who meets her fear. She is one of the best assassins in the gxy, and her current target is Ryoto Yuuki. Right now, she is enjoying her time reading a book on the bench and asionally eating Taiyaki. After a month of living on Earth, every time she noticed Ryoto, she attacked him, but of course, she couldn''t hit him, not because she was too weak, but she stopped before any serious fighting urred. However, she was annoyed at his ever-present smile every time he dodged her. It felt like he was taunting her. Just thinking about it made her annoyed and made her aggressively eat Taiyaki until she felt a hand on her shoulder. Yami didn''t feel anyone''s presence, and it wasn''t often that someone could sneak up on her, so she immediately attacked that someone out of habit. One should know to not sneak up on an assassin. Not to mention one of the best assassins in the gxy, but that person was anything but ordinary. Ryoto Yuuki was his name, and annoying people was his game. Yami transformed part of her hair de to pierce the head of Ryoto but he only slightly tilted his head, avoiding the de. On his face, a yful smile was stered. Ryoto: "Nice to see you too, Yami." Yami red at Ryoto. Yami: "...How did you do it?" Yami stared at his hand, shocked. Ryoto: "How... did I put my hand on your shoulder? Truly I must be a master at controlling my body to aplish such a feat." This joke earned him a fist to the face, which he blocked with an arm infused with Haki. The smile didn''t leave Ryoto''s face. Yami: "You know what I mean..." Ryoto: "So basically, I was walking around, and I noticed you, so I decided to say hi." Ryoto obviously didn''t n to reveal anything, not because he had something to hide, but because it was fun teasing her. To make a seemingly emotionless girl show emotions is entertaining. Yami: "*Sigh* What do you want, Ryoto Yuuki. Don''t forget that you''re still my target." It looked like Yami gave up trying to get information out of Ryoto. She may not know Ryoto for a long time, but she learned at least one thing about him. He is annoying. Ryoto sat next to Yami and took out a lollipop. Ryoto: "I was shopping around. I noticed you, that''s all. You looked lonely, and I decided to apany you a bit." Yami: "Your concern is unnecessary. Please leave." Ryoto: "Cold as usual." But Ryoto didn''t leave her but didn''t annoy her any longer and just enjoyed his lollipop. Yami curiously took a short peek at Ryoto, but she didn''t do anything and returned to reading. Sometimes just having someone apanying you can change the mood of whatever you''re doing, be it for better or worse. Now I wonder in which group Yami is. (Ryoto''s pov) I spend some time with Yami. As ofte, many crazy things have happened to me, and they don''t n on stopping. Am I responsible for at least a few of them? Probably, but that doesn''t mean that I don''t enjoy quiet times. But the quiet times are over as I''m at home. I warned Mikan about L''s tail, for now, L won''t shoot randomly anymore until we find some kind of solution. I also gave L a few Dying Will Bullets so she can either reproduce them or use them for some of her others inventions. If L seeds, then Rito will have a lot more chances to confess to Haruna. Right now, we are eating a dinner that I made. We were enjoying the meal in silence until Mikan decided to speak. Mikan: "Ryoto, you need to hold back a little your... night activities." She surprised me with that question, and why was she saying that only to me? L was literally sitting next to me. She is my aplice, after all. L: "But it''s fun!" Rito choked on his food. Mikan cleared her throat, not expecting L to defend our love-making sessions. Mikan: "I understand that, but in about two months, we''ll have two new residents, and I believe that they would be extremely ufortable with you doing it every day." (E/D: The ufortable in this line was unconscious. Me lose brain cells.) (A/N Don''t me me, me my autocorrect.) L and I looked at each other confused. Two new residents? In about two months, it would be a beginning of a new school year, so it would mean that we would house two freshmen students since our school doesn''t have school dorms, so residents of Sainan High allow freshmen to live with them. Sometimes they do it for free. Other times they wantpensation in the form of money, but it''s still a lot cheaper than renting an apartment. But the strangest thing is that neither I, from what I can understand, nor L didn''t know about it. Ryoto: "What do you mean by that?" Mikan was caught off guard by my question. Mikan: "You already forgot about it? We agreed to help two girls that will start studying at Sainan High this April." I looked at Mikan strangely. Ryoto: "We agreed to let two girls live here while Mr. Lucky pervert is in the house." I turned to Rito. Ryoto: "No offense." Rito looked down, dejected. Rito: "...None taken." Mikan had a look of realization and widened her eyes. Mikan: "What have we done?" Ryoto: "What''s done can''t be undone, and we already promised, so it would be rude to reject them so close to the beginning of the school year, so we''ll need to house them at least until we find them a new ce to live." Mikan: "That would be for the best... Wait, are you saying that just because you want to continue what you do with L without intervention!?" I shrugged her suspicions off. Ryoto: "Of course not. This small obstacle wouldn''t stop me." I said proudly. Ryoto: "But never mind that, can you at least tell me their names?" Mikan opened her mouth to answer my question, but she stopped herself, realizing that she didn''t have the answer to that question. Mikan: "Strange...I can''t remember, but I was sure that I knew that." Something''s fishy, and it''s not penguins'' dinner. --- (E/D: The number of mistakes in this chapter made me confused. If I were to list them out then I would probably have about 40 words. Being an Editor is not easy. Give me some coffee.) (A/N Me tired, happy that I finish.) (E/D: Also I am standing on 30 power stones, and Mr. Kurit-kun is at 426 as of right now. Today is Wednesday and Sunday is thest day of the power stones collection. You better spend them power stones if you haven''t.) END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 157: Promise to answer Chapter 157: Promise to answer (A/N We reached one of the goals! *CLAP* *CLAP* *CLAP* but Editor-san still needs 60 Powers stones. Stone him like a witch!) (E/D: Sorry bro, I am not into that kinda shit.) Days went on, and I decided to talk to Zangetsu about something. These strange noises that I heard in my inner world are bothering me slightly, and who knows my inner world better than the resident of that world himself. I sat under Celine and summoned Zangetsu, only to realize that the sword had changed slightly. It grew in length and looked like a traditional nodachi. Was that because I unlocked Shikai, and the sword became more personalized to me? If I remember correctly, even Zanpakutos in their sealed forms varied in size and shape. Good examples are Gin with his Zanpakuto looking like ordinary wakizashi or Kenpachi with his nodachi-like de. So the possibility of this being normal is high. But there''s no point in thinking about it. Zangetsu probably has all the answers to my questions but will he give them is another question. I ced Zangetsu on myp and started meditating, and after a short while, I was sucked into my inner world. In front of me was standing someone familiar. White Shihakusho, pale skin practically white, eyes ck and yellow, cocky smile, and a big sword wrapped in some kind of cloth on his back. Zangetsu, my Zanpakuto. Zangetsu: "What is it this time? Another spar?" Ryoto: "Not this time. I have some questions for you." Zangetsu: "And it would be...?" Ryoto: "What were these noises that distracted me when I was herest time?" Zangetsu: "Noises? Maybe a wind." His words feigned ignorance, but his look was telling me that he was ying with me. He didn''t even bother trying to hide it. At this point, I doubt that he would hide something harmful to me. He had a lot more chances to kill me during our sparrings, so why would he do it in such a roundabout method. Besides, it''s not in his style. Ryoto: "Fine, I won''t push any further..." It seemed that my answer surprised Zangetsu as he was ready to taunt me a bit more. Ryoto: "...But can you at least tell me what you want. You told me before that what you want and what I want are twopletely different things, but you never said what it was." Zangetsu tried to understand why I asked this question as the only thing we did here was a fight and sit and enjoy the atmosphere without saying any words. Zangetsu: "... What''s your game?" Ryoto: "There''s no game. You are my Zanpakuto, and I should know you better than I do at the moment, and I n on fixing it. You should know that only because you know someone''s name doesn''t mean that you''re their friend." Zangetsu didn''t answer and just startedughing like a maniac. Zangetsu: "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! I can''t believe that it was just that!" Zangetsu wiped away a tear from too muchughing. Ryoto: "Why was it so hard to believe it?" Zangetsu: "Because I didn''t think you would be smart enough to do it." Ryoto: "I feel insulted." Zangetsu: "Not important right now. You wanted to know what I wanted, right? I''ll tell you when you achieve Bankai and not only that I''ll tell you about these noises as well. Great deal, isn''t it." Ryoto: "OK, give me Bankai." He looked at me as if I was an idiot. I think I saw a bit of disgust as well. Zangetsu: "Do I look like a charity to you?" Ryoto: "No, you look like me." Zangetsu: "..." Ryoto: "...I didn''t hear no." Zangetsu: "You''re fucking with me, aren''t you?" This time it was my turn to smile. Ryoto: "A little revenge for all those beatings." At that, Zangetsu smiled as well. Zangetsu: "Not bad, but if you want Bankai, master your Shikai first. Right now, you use me like a glorified knife that can shoot big waves of energy." Ryoto: "I''ll try my best." Zangetsu momentarily turned serious. Zangetsu: "Don''t try. Do it. You''ll either seed or fail, but you need to have your eyes on the sess the whole time and have a mindset of being able to do it. The failures that make you closer to your goal aren''t failures. They''re stepping stones to sess. You truly fail only when you give up." Ryoto: "...I''ll keep that in mind." But why is he telling me that right now? Maybe it''s some kind of hint or just a reminder of my previous failures and that I should avoid them. That goes, of course, without saying. I''m not nning on repeating my mistakes. With that I left my inner world. --- I forgot to ask about his changed appearance. (Zangetsu''s pov) Jacob left. ???: "I''m surprised that you promised him to tell him what he wanted." Zangetsu: "And I''m not surprised that he couldn''t find you with how short you are." I patted her head. ???: "Don''t call me short!!!" But she quickly calmed down. I think she is used to my teasing by now. ???: "So what changed? For you to give him a chance." Zangetsu: "Nothing changed, but I want to see his chosen path. Will he fail or seed in protecting his current happiness, but the moment he gives up, I''ll kill him myself." I said without any mercy in my voice. ???: "You know that I won''t allow it, right? No matter how many times he''ll give up, I''ll help him stand up once again!" She stood her ground against me. We are two sides of the same coin but still the same coin. (Run''s pov) Today is the day I''ll finally meet Ryoto in person. I can''t wait! Since the day we kissed, I couldn''t stop thinking about him. So what if he is L''s fiance candidate. I''ll just seduce him myself. (E/D: Wouldn''t that make you gay. But I am a Jojo fan so I am notining. Plus I am cultured to the point of having all the tastes.) As I was looking around the hallway, I finally found him. He was talking to one of our ssmates, but I didn''t mind them and rushed towards him, nning on jumping on him. L: "Achoo!" Someone sneezed, and I felt pain in my whole body the next moment. I recognized that as L''s tail beam. Damn L! Even now, she stands before my love, but I won''t give up! My next attempt was during the next break, and this time I was ready for any unexpected attacks, just in case, but maybe I should change my strategy. To get close to Ryoto, I should get close to his family first, and his brother goes to the same ss as us. During the next break, I decided to try out this idea. Right now, he was walking down the hallway. Run: "Hello, Rito-san!" I gave him my best fake smile, but he didn''t even stop to look at me. Now that I think about it, he seems more gloomy than usual, and there was a strange me on his forehead, but it didn''t discourage me. If that meant being with Ryoto, I''d ept this challenge! I walked in front of him again and repeated my actions from before, but this time I also did a gentle wave. How about this? Rito: "You''re... not... Haruna-chan..." He ignored me and walked over me without any remorse, dirtying my uniform in the process. He continued to walk like a zombie. I was about to explode with anger, but then Ryoto and L, who apparently were following him, arrived. Ryoto: "I think there''s something wrong with these Bullets. They give him strength, but his behavior is more of a zombie. He still wants to confess though, so you are going in a good direction." (E/D: Yup, this is brotherhood, using the younger as a guinea pig. Ah~ The nostalgia. Reminds me of childhood.) (A/N What do you mean. Ryoto is just trying to help his brother. His actions are altruistic in nature. I swear.) L: "Hmm, these Bullets are a lot moreplicated than I thought they would, but it''s so fun researching them! Thank you for giving them to me!" L hugged Ryoto. Argh!!! I''m not jealous. I''ll be the one in her ce soon! Wait, it''s my chance. I''ll y an injured, so he''ll take me to the nurse''s office and hopefully take care of me there! But as I was about to execute the n, I sneezed because of the dust that Rito created by walking over me. Run: "Noooooo!!!" --- END (A/N: Coffee... Coffee... Coffee... Coffee... Coffee... Coffee... Coffee... Coffee... Coffee... Coffee... Coffee...) (E/D: Coffee... Coffee... Coffee... Coffee... Coffee... Coffee... Coffee... Coffee... Coffee... Coffee... Coffee...) (A/N I don''t even drink coffee...) Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 158: Something interesting Chapter 158: Something interesting (A/N 2 chapters in 1. Show me some love.) (Ryoto''s pov) Usually, I spend my breaks alone, so that L can spend time with her friends, so I found a few ces where I can rx at. I could always go into my inner world if I was desperate but enjoying quiet times in school is fun in itself. There''s the rooftop, gym storage, nurse''s office, and some more. Sometimes I even nap on top of the tree because no one would be able to bother me up there. Of course, there are also times that I don''t have free time to myself, but that''s why I cherish these times. Soon I''ll be a father, and the number of times I could be rxing will be reduced for some time. Today I decided to nap in the library. I don''t know why I didn''t do it earlier. It''s the perfect napping spot. Inside I found a good ce without many people and was ready to rx, but a loud noise disturbed my peace. I checked out the source of that noise and found Yami with books surrounding her. Yami: "...Ryoto Yuuki." Seeing me, she was ready to attack, but before she could swing her hair now turned de at me, the transformation reverted, and she bumped into me without causing me any injury. Well, that''s not normal. I checked her temperature by touching her forehead, and she was burning. Ryoto: "I''m taking you to the doctor." I said with a serious tone. I couldn''t cure her with my lollipops because I didn''t understand what was wrong with her. She is a living weapon that was created by some organization, so I don''t know her biology. Is she the same as humans? Slightly different? I know nothing. At most, my lollipops could help her with the high temperature a bit, but it also isn''t an option because I n on taking Yami to Mikado-sensei. While running there, Yami could choke on a lollipop which would be counterproductive. I took Yami on a piggyback and started running. I knew that Mikado wasn''t at school today, so I ran to her house instead. Yami: "... Ryoto Yuuki... Put me down..." Ryoto: "I''ll put you down when I get you to the doctor!" She couldn''t argue anymore because she had fainted. Outside I swung across the city to reach Mikado''s home as fast as possible, and when I finally arrived, Oshizu opened the doors as usual. I exined the whole situation to her, and she let me in. I knew the insides of the house pretty well at this point, and while Oshizu was getting Mikado, I brought Yami to theb. When Mikado arrived, she recognized Yami straight away. I would think that they know each other since Mikado is an underground doctor and Yami is an assassin. I helped Mikado strip Yami, and we put her into some kind of tube with healing juice inside. Mikado could handle it on her own, so I went out to buy Yami some Taiyaki. (Yami''s pov) I woke up feeling a lot better, but I was in an unfamiliar environment. Ryokou: "Oh! You woke up. That''s good." Yami: "...Where am I?" I recognized the woman as Doctor Mikado, the best doctor in the gxy, but her being her didn''t help me understand where I was. Ryokou: "You are in my medical clinic on Earth. Seems you''ve been recklessly using your transformation powers. Your vital functions have dropped considerably but never mind that. You owe Ryoto-kun a big thank you. He carried you here on his back as fast as he could." Yami: "...I don''t understand. We are enemies." Ryouko: "Ryoto-kun doesn''t seem to think that." I still don''t understand. (Ryoto''s pov) I returned after giving all I nned to give Yami. I witnessed her dressing up. She was standing in her panties and was preparing to get in her usual outfit. As she realized what was happening, I brought my hands together. Ryoto: "Thank you for the meal." It wasn''t the right answer because Yami attacked me right afterward. It looks like she was feeling alright, so that''s good. --- March 6 is the day Rito was waiting for because that''s the date of Haruna''s birthday, but today is not that day. Today is March 5, and Rito was stressing out. I put a hand on his shoulder and gave him a reassuring smile. Ryoto: "Rito, you don''t need to be nervous. One bullet and all your problems will be solved." Rito: "But Nii-san... you shot me multiple times already." Ryoto: "I admit, there were some... let''s just say unforeseen obstacles, but you can''t deny that you were closer than ever before, and soon you''ll be the mafia boss!" Rito: "...Why mafia boss?" Ryoto: "Not important. What''s important is that tomorrow will be the perfect chance to confess." Rito: "But do you need to use these Bullets?" Ryoto: "Can you gather your courage without them?" Rito: "I... I''ll try." His eyes were telling me he was serious, although nervous but still serious. Well, I''ll respect his wish... this time. Ryoto: "Well, why not, but if you fail, I have some other Bullets that need testing, so good luck." At that thought, Rito shuddered, but at least he is motivated now. --- We were invited by Haruna to her apartment. Thankfully her sister wasn''t home, so at least I could rx. Besides me, there were L, Kenichi, Risa, Mio and of course Rito. The party itself wasn''t anything special. We ate a cake and gave our presents, but Kenichi brought with him a ''color twist'' or more known as a twister. Kenichi had a n to tangle himself with the girls at the party, but he was immediately shot down by L, who asked Haruna and me to y before he could propose it himself. The game for me wasn''t any challenge. I''m ''naturally'' flexible, but I noticed Haruna, who was slightly blushing. It''s probably because her face was near my crotch. On the other hand, L''s butt was near mine. (A/N If someone as much as mentions a human centipede, I''m going to send Mil-tan to all of you!) Risa: "Who would have guessed, but you''re pretty flexible, Ryoto." Ryoto: "I''m full of surprises. Plus, I''m training every day." Risa took a look at my abs that were revealed because of my position. Risa: "I can see that." She walked up to me with curiosity in her eyes and ran her finger across my abs. Risa: "Wow! They are really hard!" L: "Right!?" L sounded strangely proud of it. Before the conversation could escte, the door to the room burst open, and a demon arrived. Akiho: "Ryo-chan!!!" The party became chaotic, and because of that, Rito didn''t get a chance to confess once more... My phone was also destroyed in the process. It''ll take some time to repair. L could do it faster, but I would like a normal phone this time. (Kaede''s pov) We were on the train to our new home. Rio and I would live in the same ce while Nagisa and Karma would live together in another. We decided to first visit Nagisa''s and Karma''s new home, and they would borrow rooms from a nice old couple. Nothing unusual there, but they warned us about some pervert running around the city. We didn''t take it seriously because people tend to exaggerate, and I think we can defend against one pervert, especially when we are in a group of four. Before we went to look at mine and Rio''s new home, we went to look around the city. It''s our first time in Sainan Town, and we want to explore a bit. Our first destination would be the shopping district. We would eat something before reaching our destination. I don''t know why but I feel nervous thinking about meeting the people that will house us. Rio: "Feeling nervous?" Rio noticed my state. Kaede: "A little. I just hope that they will be nice." Rio: "Don''t worry! We survived the world end, so we can survive anything!" Rio reassured me. Karma, on the other hand, was looking bored. Karma: "I just hope that something interesting will happen." Nagisaughed awkwardly at his statement. Nagisa: "But isn''t it good? After the bizarre but fun year, we''ll have a break from all the weirdness." As soon as he said that, we saw an emotionless young blonde girl wearing ck goth-style clothes reading some book. Everything was normal until a short, round person wearing round sunsses got naked, leaving only his underwear and sunsses, and started running towards the girl. Was it the pervert that the olddy warned us about? Principal: "Yami-chan!!!" We were about to rush and help but the hair of the girl transformed into a fist knocking the pervert out. The girl didn''t even turn to look at him. It''s as if it was a daily urrence, but I feel like we, out of all people, shouldn''t be surprised by strange things anymore but... what just happened? Karma: "You know what? I think I''ll like it here after all." He smiled, but we all knew that it was not a good signing from Karma. Karma: "By the way, what''s the surname of the family you''ll be living with?" Rio: "Wait, let me check..." Rio looked at her phone, looking up the information. Rio: "It''s the Yuuki family..." Hearing that, we all stopped for a moment. Nagisa: "Just like..." Kaede: "...Ryoto, but it could be a coincidence." Karma: "Let''s ask the expert then. Ritsu, can you connect Ryoto''s phone?" Since Ryoto had disappeared, Ritsu couldn''t find his or L''s phone anymore. It''s like they vanished from this world. Ritsu: "Please wait a moment." Ritsu tried to connect to his phone, and we waited in anticipation. Ritsu: "I found him..." Our eyes went wide, but Ritsu didn''t finish yet. Ritsu: "...kinda. The data is saying that it''s the same phone, but it''s slightly different. I can''t exin it properly." Rio: "So what are the chances that it''s him?" Ritsu: "90%." There was a silence which Karma broke. Karma: "There''s no use thinking about it. We''ll know when we visit, and if he''s there, we''ll kick his ass for vanishing on us." Rio: "Yeah, I''m on board! He didn''t even take us on a single date!" And so we went to the Yuuki household. Even from far away, we could see a big nt with a mouth full of teeth. Nagisa: "Are you sure that we are going in the right direction?" Rio: "Apparently..." What''s stranger was that we even asked some neighbors about it, but they didn''t see anything worrying about it. They said that it''s some kind of exotic nt and it doesn''t harm anyone. The more we are in this town, the stranger it gets. After arriving at Rio''s and mine new home, we immediately noticed the nt was living in its garden. It looks like even here, we draw trouble. We rang the bell at the front door and waited for an answer. After a short wait, the door was opened by a girl younger than us. Mikan: "Yes? How can I help you?" Kaede: "I-is it Yuuki household? My name is Kaede Kayano, and this is Rio Nakamura. We are supposed to live here starting today." I was feeling nervous. It was possible that it was Ryoto''s house, and if that''s the case, the girl in front of me was someone close to him. Maybe his little sister. Mikan: "Ah, was it today? Sorry, it must have slipped my mind, but wasn''t there supposed to be only two of you?" She looked at Karma and Nagisa. Karma: "Don''t worry about us. We are just apanying them." Makin: "I see. By the way I''m Mikan Yuuki. Forgot to introduce myself earlier." She invited us inside. Mikan: "You are lucky that no one is home right now." That came out of nowhere. Rio: "Why?" Mikan seemed to hesitate if she should say what she meant or not. Mikan: "You see, my brothers aren''t exactly what you would consider normal..." Rio: "You don''t need to worry about it. We are used to weirdness." Mikan: "One of my brothers could slip and strip any girl in front of him in mere seconds." She said without changing her expression. Karma: "Our teacher could change someone''s clothes 20 times in one minute just to photograph them in every each of them." Karma seemed to take it as a challenge. Mikan didn''t know how to respond to that. Mikan: "...Good for you?" She said with uncertainty. Karma: "Hey, I have a question. What are the names of your brothers if you don''t mind sharing." Mikan: "Sure, Rito and Ryoto. Why do you ask?" Hearing the name that we wanted to hear, Karma smiled the way he does when he ns to mess with someone. Karma: "Just to be sure. Is he slightly taller than me, muscr but lean, brown hair, and has his eyes closed the whole time?" Mikan: "...Yes, do you know him?" She started sounding a bit suspicious, and rightfully so. Karma looked and sounded very suspicious, and it did not help that his smile widened even more. Karma took out his phone. Karma: "Let me show you some videos." --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 159: Reunion Chapter 159: Reunion (A/N There won''t be more chapters this week. Sorry.) (Ryoto''s pov) Finally, I can take my phone from the repair shop. It took longer than I thought it would, but they said it was because it was difficult to get some of the parts. The strange thing is that I had the feeling in the back of my mind. It wasn''t spider-sense, but my instincts were telling me that trouble was iing. Not danger, but trouble. Never mind that. I have my phone back and now I am going home. I''m not taking the risk of taking a walk right after I got a newly repaired phone. I may have quite a sum of money saved up, but it''s annoying to wait. The next time I would probably just buy a new phone since Spider-man manga is starting to sell more and more and so the money keepsing. --- Shortly after, I returned home. L was at Haruna''s ce, and Rito was at school ying football with his friends. Before I announced my return, I noticed several pairs of shoes at the entrance. Mikan''s friends? Maybe. Ryoto: "Mikan, I''m home." I walked into the living room as I heard noises from there. Karma: "Here Ryoto was kissing Bitch-sensei. She really tried here to make him unconscious with pleasure, but he was too experienced, so he counterattacked." I recognized the voice instantly, and my instinct was to rush into the room and shoot the web at the phone to get it away from Karma. Ryoto: "What the hell are you showing to my sister!?" I quickly looked at the phone to see me having tongue wrestling with Irina. Karma, not discouraged by theck of a phone, didn''t stop his antics. Karma: "Since the mean Mister took my phone, let''s switch to photos since I have a few good ones too." He took out photos from his uniform. Does he have them there all the time? Karma: "In this one, Ryoto is wearing a dress as a punishment for sleeping in ss. Koro-sensei took a lot of effort and not a lot of time to change him into it." Ryoto: "How do you have these!!? I got out of them almost instantly!" Karma: "Don''t underestimate me." Ryoto: "And give me these photos!" I grabbed all the photos he had in his hands, and looking through them, they were indiscriminating. I didn''t even know how he got some of them. The stranger thing was that he didn''t resist and just smiled. Karma: "Don''t worry, I have copies." ...Of course, he does. Wait, what are they doing here? Seeing my confusion, Rio decided to tease me a bit. Rio: "Surprised to see us?" Ryoto: "Honestly, yeah. What are you doing here?" Kaede: "Rio and I are going to live here since we are going to start our first year at Sainan High." To the people around me, I looked like my brain had stopped working, but in truth, it worked overtime. Rio, Kaede, Karma, and Nagisa are here. They don''t look older, and they are starting their first year in high school. Wait!!! I took out my phone. Ryoto: "Ritsu, are you here?" Ritsu: "Yes, long time no see Ryoto. What can I do for you?" Ryoto: "Call Irina." After a short moment of waiting she picked up the phone. Irina: "Hello?" Ryoto: " . (Missed me?) There was silence. Probably I was thest person she expected to hear. Irina: "What do you want?" Ryoto: "What? I can''t call my favorite teacher without any reason?" Irina: "You''re talking like I don''t know you." Ryoto: "...You know me well. Just because you couldn''t find me doesn''t excuse you from not delivering my promised lollipops. I expect them to be ready in a week." Irina"...Are you serious? You can''t be..." Ryoto: "I wouldn''t joke around about something so serious. See you soon~." I ended the call knowing that she''ll deliver them. I was pretty satisfied that I''ll have a stable supply of lollipop ie again. I was so happy, in fact, that I forgot what situation I was in. All the eyes were on me. Mikan was rightfully confused, while the others had a nostalgic look on their faces. Mikan: "It seems that you have a lot to talk about, so I''ll leave you alone, but..." She turned to me. Mikan: "...We''ll talkter." Are you my mother? Karma: "Is she your mother?" Karma said out loud what I was thinking, and Mikan didn''t know what to do. On the one hand, she should be respectful to her seniors, but on the other hand, Karma is annoying, but in the end, she ignored it and left. Rio: "So, any exnation? You vanished about a month ago, and even Ritsu couldn''t find you. Now that we finally met, you look older." Now the question is how much should I tell them. I had already told Karasuma and Koro-sensei about my origin before, but I wasn''t in my best state at the time. I just wanted to vent to someone. And if I tell them, their worldview will be destroyed entirely, but since they''ll live here in this town, their lives will already be weird, so what''s there to lose. I exined the basics about multiple worlds, what happened before when I went to middle school with them and why I am older right now. I may have some ideas for that, but why did it happen? I have no answers for why it happened. I left, of course, my system out of this, and how I traveled At that, everyone stayed quiet. No one knew what to say, and they all tried to digest the newly acquired information. Karma: "Does it affect us in any way?" Ryoto: "It shouldn''t. You may, however, meet some aliens. Some are more dangerous than others, and hopefully, you won''t meet L''s dad. I''m speaking from experience." Karma: "Then I didn''t know what we were thinking about so hard." It seems that Karma''s words helped the rest ept their situation. Shortly after, Karma and Nagisa returned to their new home, and Rio and Kaede stayed. It looks like we won''t need to search for a new ce to stay for them. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 160: Catching up Chapter 160: Catching up (A/N I''m back... again!!! I just want to tell you that I''m never gonna give you up. I''m never gonna let you down. Never gonna run around and desert you. ... I''m not sorry.) (Ryoto''s pov) I caught up with Rio and Kaede after Karma and Nagisa went home. To be honest, I missed them, and I''m genuinely happy to have them here. Rio: "So you will be our senpai now?" Ryoto: "Pretty much." Rio: "It will take some time to get used to it." Ryoto: "Tell me about it. Just a year ago, or should I say two years ago, I was a normal guy, and now I''m sessor to the gctic empire." L: "I''m home!" We heard L entering the home, and soon we all saw her walking into the living room. L, however, wasn''t alone. Seeing Rio and Kaede, L''s smile bloomed more than usual. L: "Rio! Kaede!" She jumped at them and hugged them tightly. At the same time, I was jumped on by someone else. Alme: "Ryoto!" Alme started snuggling with me. Alme: "Why are we jumping on people?" She titled her head, and I gave her a headpat without answering her question as I was focused on the happy reunion. Rio: "L, I missed you too." Kaede: "Did your boobs grow?" They both returned the hug with a gentle smile, but Kaede was still unhappy, feeling that L''s boobs had gotten bigger while hers didn''t change even a little. They stayed in the hug for a while, and Alme seeing the situation, didn''t say anything. She could understand that the unknown girls were important to L. That or she was in bliss because of the headpats. Knowing her, it could be either. After L broke the hug, she started talking like crazy, trying to catch up with them. L: "So much has happened since thest time we saw you. I need to tell you everything! I met new people and-" Rio stopped L. Rio: "OK, calm down, L. We aren''t going anywhere. We are, after all, going to live here." L: "You are?" Rio: "Yes, and while we are on the topic..." She turned to me, who still was pacifying Alme. Rio: "...Do you want to introduce your friend to us, Ryoto?" She was smiling. At least part of her found it amusing, but her eyes were telling me that one wrong word and I could say my balls goodbye, which is strange since we haven''t even slept together. The day that my fianc met my girlfriends came earlier than I thought, but I''m not afraid, so while still caressing Alme''s head, I answered. Ryoto: "Kaede, Rio, meet Alme. She is the sister of my friend, an alien, and also my fianc." I took my hand back from Alme''s, waking her up from the bliss, and she looked around to see what was happening. Alme: "No headpats?" She looked heartbroken by the absence of my hand, but I needed to be strong. Ryoto: "Alme, I want you to meet someone." I pointed toward the two girls. Ryoto: "This is Rio and Kaede, my girlfriends." No one said anything as Alme Kaede and Rio were observing each other. The tension was rising, and I noticed that Rio and Kaede were ready to grab something from their back pockets. Probably the knife that was made out of Koro-sensei material. Old habits die hard, after all. On the other hand, Alme was rxed, but I could notice that she was anticipating a fight, but she held back and gave an approving nod. Alme: "Not bad. I''ll teach you how to be a good girlfriend. First, you need a piece of toast..." I started patting her again, and she stopped talking. It allowed me to exin the situation. Ryoto: "Alme is still learning Earth culture and is a bit of a battle maniac. That is also the reason why we are engaged." Rio: "You got yourself a new fianc in just two weeks?" Ryoto: "It was six months after L and me." Rio: "I would like to say that it makes more sense, but this whole situation is too weird for that. But I see that you tamed her with your hand." She smiled mischievously. Ryoto: "Yep, magic hands and all. Just ask L and Alme." I smirked at her as well, and at the same time, Alme said something. Alme: "Hehe~ Hands feel good." Cute. Rio: "*Sigh* I can''t even be mad at you for that since different universes and all, and you couldn''t contact us. Besides, Kaede and I are your first girlfriend..." Ryoto: "Technically, you are. L started off as a fianc." L: "That''s true." L agreed with what I said, recalling how we got engaged. L: "Then both of you are Ryoto''s first girlfriend!" I don''t think that it is how it works. L: "Achoo!" Suddenly, L sneezed and shot aser out of her tail, destroying the wall. We really need to do something with that. It doesn''t often happen as ofte, but when it does, the destruction of property follows. Thankfully L didn''t hit anyone this time. Mikan, who was in her room, was already ustomed to L''sser outbursts, just shouted. Mikan: "Is everyone okay!!!?" Ryoto: "Don''t worry, everyone is unharmed!!!" I answered, and receiving my answer was all she needed. Rio: "...What was that?" Kaede: "I think I''m seeing things." Now that I think about it, they never saw L using her tail in that way. L: "Sorry about that. This sometimes happens because of my pregnancy." Sheughed it off and scratched the back of her head, but the news was broken in such a casual way that it took a moment to register inside Rio''s and Kaede''s minds. Rio: "I see, I see. It''s because you''re pregnant..." She nodded her head a few times with her arms crossed until the message finally kicked in. Rio: "WHAT!!!?" She rushed up to me and grabbed me by the cor. Alme wasn''t disturbed by this as sheid on myp like a cat. Rio: "I knew that you two were having sex but don''t you know what contraception is!!!? Can''t you use protection!!!? Both of you are only in high school!!!" Kaede didn''t say anything, but her cold eyes said enough for me to understand. It looks like I have some exining to do. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J (E/D: 1069 words Noice!) (A/N I destroyed it ( ) ) Chapter 161: And the next world is... Chapter 161: And the next world is... (Ryoto''s pov) Exining to Rio and Kaede about L''s pregnancy was challenging but necessary. They were part of the family, after all. I also introduced both of the girls as my girlfriends to Mikan and Rito, and Mikan wasn''t amused by it. That night the four of us, L, Rio, Kaede, and I were talking in my room the whole time about our time together, what happened to L and me, and so on. We had a great time together. The next few days, nothing unusual happened except for me taking on Rio and Kaede on separate dates. With Rio, I went on a shopping spree, while with Kaede, I showed her some good cafs with pudding since she enjoyed it so much. Both of them met my pets as well. Utsu and Private were their favorites. Utsu, however, bonked Rio, and Iughed at it. (E/D: Utsu over here was written as Ustu. The author''s high is on coffee.) (A/N I''m just dyslexic and I don''t drink coffee.) --- Today was the first day of our second year of high school and the first year for Kaede and Rio. Everyone was excited, but only I was in a solemn mood because today was also the day I''ll begin my mission, and from what I knew, it would be longer than thest time. Possibly many years will pass before I can return. I didn''t say anything to anyone about that, but I think some of them noticed my strange behavior. L: "Ryoto, are you alright?" L looked concerned, and it hurt me seeing her like that, but I steeled my heart and smiled at her while patting her head. Ryoto: "Of course, everything is fine. You''re here with me." I wasn''t asked the same question the second time, so I think I didn''t get rusty with hiding my emotions, and I don''t know if that''s a good or a bad thing. In school, I went through the first lesson, and Yui is in our ss now, so I guess she''ll be pretty annoyed at me. During the first break, I went to the roof, and there, I nned to ept the mission. I don''t know where I''ll be going just yet. Karen gave me some hints earlier but now will be the first time I''ll see what''s the mission about. ''Karen, give me the mission.'' __________ *PING* *NEW QUEST* Mission: Getting back what you lost Objective 1: Survive until thest boss is defeated by you or someone else Note: Reward for this mission depends on the difficulty the user (Ryoto) chooses. There are three difficulties: Easy, Normal, and Hard. Easy difficulty allows you toplete the mission with all your powers and abilities. Normal difficulty seals some of your abilities while others you are free to use. Hard difficulty seal all of your abilities, and the enemies be more powerful. Reward (Easy): 50 000 SP, 1 gacha ticket, Earth''s Dragon balls (1 wish) Reward (Normal): 100 000 SP, 1 gacha ticket with a powerful ability, 1 ability upgrade (random), Namekian''s Dragon balls (3 wishes) Reward (Hard): 1 000 000 SP, 5 gacha tickets(with Rate up for powerful abilities), 2 ability upgrades (random), Super Dragon balls (3 wishes), 3 summoning scrolls, 1 item that allows you to connect two worlds with a door-like portal Failure: Your wish isn''t fulfilled Duration of punishment: Until you find another way to attain your wish Description: Ryoto wants to get Koro-sensei back, but there aren''t easy ways to do it. That''s why this mission was created. During the mission, time will be stopped in Ryoto''s home world. There''s no need to be de-aged this time, and just likest time, all scars obtained during the mission will be present after returning. Ryoto can''t take any item to the new world. This mission also seals all of the system functions during its duration. __________ This time I have a choice in difficulty, which is new for me. Easy is with the most negligible risks, but it also has the least amount of rewards. I also don''t n on choosing Hard. I don''t want to lose all of my power while I don''t know where I''m going, so the most logical choice would be Easy, but my mind wandered to Kaede, and I chose Normal. ''Karen, choose Normal.'' Karen: "Are you sure?" She sounded concerned. ''Yes, I''m sure.'' __________ *PING* *DIFFICULTY CHOSEN* *NORMAL* All seeing eyes of God - The eyes overheat a lot easier and are almost unusable, but illusion immunity is at its full power. Spider-man powers - Spider-sense,pletely sealed. Spider physique, no change. Prediction calction - Can be used 30 minutes per week. What do you desire (Lucifer) - Completely sealed. Haki - All unlocked Haki,pletely sealed. Imitating singing voice - No change. Fluency in 5nguages - No change. Water and fire bending - Completely sealed. Ripping off clothes by flexing muscles - No changes. Hentai protagonist stamina B - No changes. Jormungandr''s blood - Completely sealed. All of Mark Evans''s blocking techniques - Completely sealed. Creating Bully Maguire''s suit out of nothing - No changes. Zangetsu: - No changes. Moving ears - No changes. Lollipop Healer - No changes. Switcheroo - Completely sealed. __________ ... ''Are you sure that you didn''t choose Hard difficulty by ident, Karen? Most of my powerful abilities are sealed.'' Karen: "That''s how it is. I''m not the one deciding which of your powers are sealed and which are not. Sorry..." *Sigh* ''I''m not ming you, Karen, but it seems that we will not hear from each other for a long time. And you don''t need to worry. I''ll have Zangetsu with me, and he''ll help me in a pinch.'' Hopefully. Karen: "So it would seem..." Karen seemed to want to say something but was hesitating. ''Karen, we''ll hear from each other soon.'' I said softly. Karen: "Yes, we will unless you''ll do something stupid that you usually do." She said jokingly, and I smiled at that. ''Let''s start it then. The longer we wait, the harder it gets to do it.'' At the exact moment I was about to be sent away, I felt a hand on my shoulder, and before I could say anything, I saw only light before my vision returned. I was in what seemed to be feudal Japan. Rin: "Ryoto, what happened!?" Next to me was Rin. Shit. (E/D: Wow! Wow! Wow! Wow! Shit just went from 0 to 100 real fucking quick.) --- (E/D: Notice, for all the readers, the picture of Zangetsu will not arrive because I was underpaid and I am unhappy.) (A/N Less talking, more working (_) ) (E/D: Just joking, the picture is in progress but because I got a very important project to work on, the thing will probably note out for at least 2 weeks or so. Please be patient, your favorite Editor-kun will run on 3 kg of coffee to get that shit ready.) END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 162: A new world but not alone this time... Chapter 162: A new world but not alone this time... (Ryoto''s pov) This is bad, this is bad, this is bad, this is really, really bad! Next to me was Rin wearing old clothing that suited this world, and my clothes were also changed. The only difference was that I had a sword in a scabbard attached to my waist. I couldn''t make it disappear, so it looks like I''m stuck with Zangetsu being out the whole time, but it''s not that bad. It''s better to have a weapon out in case of unknown danger since I don''t have spider sense at the moment. But that''s not important. I need to focus on Rin, who was panicking. Rin: "What is happening!? Where are we!? Why did our clothes change!? And-" I grabbed Rin by both of her cheeks, forcing her to look at me. Ryoto: "Calm down, Rin. Breath in, breath out." As I instructed her, Rin followed my words and started breathing slowly. Now that she was calm, I could talk with her and try to exin the situation. But how should I do it? Ryoto: "Panicking right now won''t help us. We are in unknown locations, so let''s ask someone here." I said only the truth to her. I really don''t know where we are. I may have some ideas, and it''s best to confirm them. Rin: "Y-yes, you''re right." The whole situation was a lot for Rin to handle, and I understand that. I feel kind of responsible for her being here, so I''ll do what I can to keep her safe here. We walked up to some man who didn''t look busy to ask him some questions. Ryoto: "Excuse me, I think we are a little lost, so could you tell us where we are?" Man: "Hmm? So you just got here." He looked at Rin, who was not looking good. Man: "It''s understandable that you are confused then. Right now, you''re in Soul Society, Rukongai District 78, Inuzuri. You died and were sent here. All you can do is live your life from now on. Good luck. And be careful about that sword of yours. It can bring you trouble, and that''s thest thing you want here." With that, he left to do his things. Just like I thought, it''s the Bleach world. The biggest clue was Zangetsu being out the whole time. I turned to Rin, who was pale. No wonder. She thinks that she died, and it''s not something easy to ept. I put my hand on Rin''s shoulder, making her flinch in the process. Ryoto: "Rin... don''t worry I-" Rin: "Don''t worry? Don''t worry!!!? Ryoto, we are dead!!! We don''t even know how we died or if we are the only ones who died!!! And... and..." I pulled her into a hug. I know what she feels at the moment. Being brought into a new world and not knowing what you should do. First, when I became Ryoto, then when I got into Assassins ssroom world. The only difference was that I had information about my situation. Information that Rin doesn''t have, and I don''t think telling her the whole truth would be good for her either. Ryoto: "Rin, listen, everything is going to be fine. WE are going to be fine. And who knows, maybe there is some way to get back to life." Rin: "How do you know?" I wiped away the tear from her eye and smiled. Ryoto: "I don''t, but neither do you. We don''t know, and that''s why we can have hope." What I said doesn''t make a lot of sense, but Rin needs some kind of attachment, a hope of some sort to not go crazy. And I''m not even lying. We are going back eventually. I just don''t know when. Depending on when we are, we would need to wait either a few years or a few hundred years, if not thousands of years. But the first thing we need to do is survive, so we need to find shelter. Ryoto: "Since we don''t have anything on us right now, we should start with finding somece to live. I don''t think it''s safe to sleep outside. After that, we can start gathering information about our situation more thoroughly." Rin looked at me with a nk expression. Ryoto: "Did I say something wrong?" Rin: "No... You just seem reallyposed...pared to me." She looked down. Now I feel bad. I can only beposed because I know what''s going on. Ryoto: "Don''t feel down. I''m not the most normal person around, so don''tpare yourself to me. Come on! We have a home to find!" --- We walked around for a while, observing the district. There wasn''t a big difference between Soul Society and the living world. People worked, got paid, and kept living. The only difference is that they didn''t need to eat unless they had high spiritual power. Otherwise, they only need to drink water, and it, of course, costs money. We, on the other hand, have no job and no money. I can expect to have a need to eat since I have Zangetsu and can use Getsuga Tenshou. I don''t know about Rin, though. It can go either way. Before it got dark, we found an abandoned building that we could use. Ryoto: "It may be in slightly worse condition than we are used to, but at least it has a roof." Rin seemed to be in a better mood, but she was still down. *Sigh* I don''t know what more I can do. I just hope that she''ll get better. Ryoto: "It was a difficult day so let''s go to sleep, and tomorrow we''ll think about what to do." Rin: "Will we be safe, though? I overheard someone talking about how dangerous it became as ofte." Ryoto: "Don''t worry, I''ll keep you safe." I ruffled her hair a bit with a smile. I was confident in protecting her from ordinary thieves, but I hope it''s not some strong hollow or rogue Shinigami. It could also be one of Aizen''s experiments depending on the timeline. I''m not even starting to talk about crazy strong criminals like Yachiru. If Yachiru is still a criminal, then we may be screwed. I don''t know when Seireitei was built. I think that it existed before Gotei 13 did, so it''s not an indication of the timeline. Better go to sleep as well. Tomorrow I''ll hopefully get some of the answers, but before I go to sleep, I need to do onest thing. ''Zangetsu, can you keep the watch for me?'' Zangetsu: "...Fine." It''s going to be a difficult mission. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 163: The most important thing... MONEY! Chapter 163: The most important thing... MONEY! (A/N In the previous chapter I noticed that Ipletely forgot to include switcheroo in the powers and I already fixed my mistake. Just so everyone knows it''s alsopletely sealed.) (Ryoto''s pov) I woke up in the middle of the night with a sword leaning on my shoulder. I didn''t wake up because Zangetsu warned me about something or even because of my own instincts but because I heard sobbing nearby. I could still see fine in the dark, thanks to my eyes. It seems it wasn''t sealed since I could do it without activating its powers, but that''s not important right now. Rin was crying in her sleep. We weren''t sleeping next to each other, but we weren''t in separate rooms either. I was close enough just to get to her fast in case of an emergency. To calm her down, Iy next to her and put my arm around her. She stopped sobbing and snuggled with me seeking out the warmth of another person. --- The following day we woke up as soon as the sun got up. I was the first one to get up, and I went outside to look around. The empty house that we found was in the woods in the middle of nowhere, and I know it''s not the safest ce, but it''s better than nothing. I was making sure that everything was alright before I got back inside and started my daily training with Zangetsu. I would rather train outside with my actual body, but I don''t want to leave Rin while her condition is still unstable. After Rin woke up, we went around the district once more. I got to know that Gotei 13 exists, so it''s at most 1000 years before canon. Unfortunately, I couldn''t get any information about who the captains were. The folk in Rukongai, or more specifically this district, don''t get a lot of info about Shinigami since it''s one of the lowest districts, but at least we are not in District 80. After some time, I started feeling hungry. Ryoto: "Hey Rin, are you feeling hungry?" Rin: "Now that you mention it, I am." Hearing that, I nced at her for a moment. Being hungry means that she has the potential to be Shinigami which also means that she won''t be as powerless as I thought she would be. If she trains, of course. Right now, we don''t have any money, so I''ll need to steal some food at first, andter on, I''ll find a job until I hear something about Shinigami academy recruiting. The job will also help me gather the necessary information. But firstes stealing. Getting some food wasn''t all that difficult for me. I also tested out how long I could use illusions, and after 2 seconds, my eyes started to hurt. That''s a big nerf but knowing my new limits is essential. Unfortunately, I didn''t have my web shooters with me, so I couldn''t just yoink it from far away. I needed to get a little more creative. I teamed up with some kids so they could distract the food seller, andter we shared the profits. I could do it by myself, but the kids need to eat too, maybe. I''m not really sure, but they can still enjoy eating. --- A month has passed, and we are still living in the abandoned house in the woods. I found a job, and so did Rin, but we didn''t get paid enough as we didn''t work every day. The biggest issue was that I refused to part with Zangetsu, and it harmed my ability to get a job. Thankfully I was stronger than an ordinary soul, so my help was appreciated at times. Rin also started training since I got her a wooden sword to train with. I think she uses training as a distraction because she stills cry at night, and we began sleeping next to each other. There is also some bad news. I still don''t know at what time in canon we are. There are no indications. None at all. We are in the 78th district, which is the same district Rukia and Renji lived in, but I didn''t see them at all, so it could be before or after they went to the academy. I also asked around about Noble houses, but most of the people didn''t know about them as they all lived inside Seireitei. What I got, however, was that there are Five Great Noble Houses, so that''s something. At least I know that it''s before Kaien Shiba died. It''s something. I also learned that Shinigami academy is starting recruiting in 6 months, so we just missed it as they recruit every 6 months, but we''ll need some funds to travel to the 1st district where recruiting urs, and with our money, it won''t be possible. Apparently, to get to the ''better'' districts, you need to pay a fee, and it isn''t a small one...pared to our funds, of course. We are poor. Let''s not dance around the topic. There are always ways to earn money pretty fast, but they are either dangerous or illegal. There are very few jobs about killing or defeating something or someone since most of these jobs are done by Shinigami. What''s left are assassinations jobs. I normally wouldn''t take them, but I''m responsible for Rin, and I''ll keep her safe as long as possible and I''ll do whatever is necessary. --- After our daily training, I prepared dinner and broke the news to Rin. Ryoto: "Rin, in about 3 months, I have a job that will force me to travel for a bit. I think a week or two at max. It will, however, earn us enough to travel to the 1st district." Rin: "I see. I''ll miss this little house of ours, but at least we won''t leave for long." I knew that she would interpret it that way and was a little afraid of that. Ryoto: "I think you misunderstood me. Only I will go on that job. You''re strong enough to protect yourself from normal people around here, but just in case, we''ll ask someone we trust to shelter you for that time. It''s always safer around more people." Rin: "A-are you leaving me!? I-I don''t want to be alone! What if you die!?" She almost had a breakdown, but I quickly got to her and hugged her. It looks like she still needs more time to heal, and I''ll help her. I just don''t know how. I assume that she needs friends, but she doesn''t even try to get close to anyone here, and I am her only connection to her old life. It isn''t healthy, but I can''t do anything about it for now. After some more talking about that and calming Rin down, I somehow was able to convince her. It also helped that I will go take a job three months from now on. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 164: First job begin Chapter 164: First job begin (Ryoto''s pov) In thest 3 months, a lot has happened. First, I had a lot of progress with my training. Zangetsu helped me learn how to control Reiatsu so I wouldn''t rm anyone during my mission. In this world, I need to be careful about releasing my energy, so I was thankful to him for doing that. It wasn''t hard since it was a simr feeling to what I did while shooting Getsuga Tenshou, just backwards... kinda. I tried to be with Rin as often as possible, but obviously, we couldn''t be near each other the whole time because of our jobs, but I think it''s getting better with her. I asked around her job, and it seemed that she was opening up a little. Before, she didn''t want to talk with anyone unless really necessary, but now she was participating in small talks at times. It''s still far away from beingpletely fine, but it''s progress. I was also creating contacts in the underworld. Nothing too deep, but enough to get me at least one mission. Today I''ll get the info on the target. Before I went on my way, I said my goodbyes to Rin, which wasn''t easy. She has be more attached to me as ofte. We''ll need to fix that after Ie back. Currently, I''m hugging Rin. Ryoto: "Don''t worry, I''ll be fine. It''s only a week or two, and I''ll be back, and in another 3 months, we''ll start a new chapter in our lives, and who knows, maybe inside Seireitei, there will be answers to some of our questions." Rin didn''t say anything and hugged me tighter, and I started patting her head. Ryoto: "Come on. You know me. I''m strong, and I''ll have Zangetsu with me." Rin: "You mean the sword that you talk with at times?" She joked a bit. Ryoto: "That''s right, so don''t worry and stay with your friends from work." There was silence as we hugged each other. Rin: "I''ll miss you. Come back fast." Ryoto: "I''ll do my best." Afterward, I got her to the ce where she would be staying and just as it was agreed upon before. I gave them some extra money to take care of Rin and her food. A little motivation so they won''t throw her away before Ie back. I also may have threatened them a bit so they won''t try to cheat me of my money. How did I get this money? I managed to save up from the jobs I took legally and illegally. Today''s mission wouldn''t be the first I willplete. Before, I was forced to finish some of the minor tasks. Mostly stealing to test my capabilities, and after 3 months of doing that and getting underpaid, I finally got my first serious and solo job that I''ll get paid well for. I walked into the old building that was seemingly absolutely to meet an old man that I had met more than a few times in thest 3 months. His name was Genji Oshima. No one in this ce knows my face as I always am wearing a cloth over my face l. Only my eyes are visible, but since I have them always closed... you get it. Genji: "If it isn''t Yuuki-kun. Would you like water, maybe some tea?" He sounded polite, but I didn''t want to waste more time than necessary, and I knew that he wasn''t as nice as he wanted me to think. No one in this type of work cares about your well-being. They only care about the results and money, and as long as I provide both of them, they''ll y nice. Ryoto: "Drop your act, Oshima. Give me the target''s info so I can start working as fast as I can." Genji: "Eager youngster, aren''t you. I''ve seen many like you. Most of them died on their first mission, but as you wish." He took out some papers, which I started reading while he began to exin. Genji: "You are to kill Yan Fon. She is the wife of the Corps Commander of Executive Militia. The client has a grudge against him and wants him to suffer as much as possible that''s why you are targeting his wife. He would also like to take care of his children, but he wasn''t wealthy enough for that, so he will need to be satisfied with just that. Yan Fon, thanks to her husband, isn''t associated with Stealth Force, but their children are. They have 6 children, with the youngest being a girl who is 29 years old. As you are still young, I''ll remind you that means that she looks like 5 years old in the world of the living, but that''s not important." Listening to him, I heard some familiar terms. Yan Fon, the name is familiar. Ryoto: "Is one of her daughters named Soi Fon by any chance?" Genji: "Not as far as I know. Any more questions?" Ryoto: "Yes, are you trying to kill me?" I red at him and released some of my Reiatsu. Ryoto: "Are you really expecting me to assassinate the wife of the Corps Commander? She is probably heavily guarded." My voice was cold. Once I show weakness, they''ll use it. Oshima started sweating, feeling the pressure I emitted and started exining himself in a hurry. Genji: "Of course, I wouldn''t send you to your death. Yan Fon is currently living in the 3rd district with her youngest child. The security is minimal as it is a secret that she is staying there. The daughter will start her training next year, so they wanted to make herst year as fun as possible before her training begins." I lowered the pressure allowing Oshima to breathe more easily. Ryoto: "The pay isn''t worth the risk, you know that?" Genji: "I apologize for that. The client wasn''t the clearest about the target when he got here the first time. We, of course, demanded an increase of payment which we got, and that''s why you''ll also get a bonus for sessfully finishing the job." Ryoto: "Have money ready when I return." With all the information needed, I left. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 165: The choice that changes everything Chapter 165: The choice that changes everything (Ryoto''s pov) Getting to the 3rd district took me four days. Longer than expected, but what can I do? For the next three days, I n to observe my target. I need to know the best time to do the deed. I would assume that it would be at night, but I expect that the Corps Commander won''t leave his wife unguarded even if no one should know that she is here. My eyes, while significantly weakened, are still powerful, and I hope I''ll be able to find all the guards unless they can hide better than I think they are, which is possible. I still can see fast movements without any problem, but I noticed that ''zooming in'' takes a lot of effort. I can still see pretty far away, though. 3rd district was a lot cleaner than 78th if that makes sense. Poverty was at lower levels, not that it didn''t exist. It will always exist. Yan Fon lived normally as far as I could tell. She looked happy with her daughter, but soon the tragedy will hit their family and it will be brought about by me. Seeing her with the small child, somehow reminded me about L and our child as well. What would happen if L was killed by someone? Probably there would be carnage, war, or both at the same time. The point is that I''m going to do something that I would kill someone over, but I need to do it. I steeled my heart, buried all my emotions deep inside, and readied myself toplete my mission. I will do it. I need to do it! I couldn''t use poisons as not only would I need to buy it myself and it''s expensive, but also Yan Fon is always together with a helper, and I noticed that that helper is always tasting the food before both Yan Fon and her daughter. I suspect she is someone from Stealth Force who is supposed to protect them. The guard is with them most of the day and doesn''t leave their side. It leaves only night to take action. I also found five other guards around their house. I assume that they are all elites, so I don''t want to fight them if possible. I used these three days to learn how Yan Fon lived. Where she went, what she did, and her daily routine overall. I would like to observe her for a longer time, but I promised Rin that I would return in max two weeks, so I can''t take my time. Thankfully their days were pretty monotonous. That also meant that their guards were monotonous as well. They be predictable the same way the one they are supposed to protect. Unless they are really good, of course. In that case, my n doesn''t change much. I go in, kill Yan Fon painlessly and escape. --- Today was the night that I kill Yan Fon. I was ready, and while not proud about what I was going to do, I didn''t have a lot of options. The other option would be to wait while earning earnestly, but it would take too long. Stealing is also an option, but it''s less profitable. I could steal many valuables, but selling them would be the problem. I don''t have time to establish contacts with high established people because only they would buy valuable things. Besides, there aren''t as many of them as one would think. However, if I started stealing less valuable items, I wouldn''t earn as much as I would like. If I was by myself I would choose that way but... I want to take Rin away from Rukongai as fast as I can. In Seireitei, she would not only gain strength to protect herself but also a better lifestyle and maybe friends as well. With heavy thoughts, I started my mission. I sneaked into the mansion. It was an easy part. While there weren''t any blind spots in security, I could create one. I used my eyes to create the illusion for one of the guards and used three seconds to get inside. Luckily for me, Yan Fon left some of the windows open. She needs to be more careful being the wife of the Corps Commander and all. Not that she''ll get the chance. *Sigh* I hate that. In the house, the only people I needed to be careful about were the nanny helper and daughter of my target, as everyone else was protected from outside. They were pretty confident in not having any blind spots in their defenses. I was moving through the house inplete silence. Everyone in the house was sleeping, but I bet that if I made even the slightest noise or if I let my Reiatsu out even a bit, the nanny would wake up and attack me immediately. I made my way to Yan Fon''s bedroom, where she was sleeping. I entered the room without making any noise. I could see Yan Fon sleeping in bed. I wanted to finish it quickly, but I first made sure that there weren''t any traps in the room. She may not be associated with Stealth Force, but it doesn''t mean that she didn''t learn a trick or two from her husband. Yan Fon: "Don''t worry, there aren''t any traps in the room." I heard a calm voiceing from the bed as she was getting up. What I witnessed was someone who was scarily simr looking to Soi Fon. I already knew that she was, of course, Yan Fon. Knowing that I was busted, I rushed towards her with Zangetsu, and in just a moment. My de was touching her neck, but her expression didn''t change. She even smiled at me. I tried to push to the de, but something stopped me. I could see L''s silhouette in her. Yan Fon: "It seems that my killer this time isn''t as cold-blooded as I would assume." I didn''t say anything or even move. I was waiting for her to do something. It was stupid, I know, but I needed some kind of push. Yan Fon: "Why the scary look?" She said, still calm even though I could kill her with just a tiny movement. The longer I waited, the harder it was to finish her off. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 166: The hardest choices... Chapter 166: The hardest choices... (Ryoto''s pov) What is wrong with her? She doesn''t even flinch with a de at her throat. It''s almost like she doesn''t fear death. Just like me before I reincarnated. Ryoto: "What''s wrong with you?" Yan Fon seemed to be happy to get any kind of reply from me. Yan Fon: "Oh, so you''re not mute. My name is Yan Fon, but you probably already know it. Could I get the name of my killer?" I, of course, didn''t answer her but put my sword away from her neck. Ryoto: "*Sigh* Why are you so calm?" Yan Fon: "Well, you are the first that made it so far, so you must be skilled enough to either kill all the guards or sneak inside without anyone noticing. Either way, you can kill me any time you want, so why should I waste my time being scared? I knew that this day woulde sooner orter. It''s just a shame that it happened sooner than I would have liked." She said with a sad look. Yan Fon: "I would like you to ask only one thing, Killer-san. You can kill me, but please, could you spare my daughter." Ryoto: "Why won''t you try to bribe me or even scream for help?" I can''t understand. A parent should want to be with their children for as long as possible. So why is she giving up this life? Yan Fon only smiled sadly once again, but she didn''t answer. I don''t want to kill her, that''s a fact, but I need to think about Rin. If that makes me a monster... Scrap that. I''ll be the monster if it keeps her safe. I opened my eyes to show my sincerity and also to look at my first innocent victim with my own eyes and not through my eyelids. Seeing my eyes, she flinched slightly, but that''s the usual response to seeing them. L was an unusual one in that regard. Ryoto: "I don''t know how much it could mean from someone like me to you, but I promise that I won''t harm your daughter as long as I live." I almost never promise anything because, for me, promises are very important. Usually, I answer things like that with ''I''ll try or ''I''ll do my best but never ''I promise''. If I promise something, I''ll keep my promise to the best of my ability. Hearing my answer, Yan Fon smiled softly. Yan Fon: "To say that I don''t have any regrets would be a lie but do your job, Killer-san." She became entirely defenseless, which doesn''t mean much since her guard wasn''t the best from the start, but it meant that she will let me kill herself without any resistance. Ryoto: "Turn around. I''ll make it as painless as possible." I said as emotionlessly as possible because I knew that if I showed even a hint of empathy, I wouldn''t be able to do it. Once again, Yan Fon smiled at me. Yan Fon: "Thank you, Killer-san." Ryoto: "Ryoto." Yan Fon: "Hm?" Ryoto: "My name is Ryoto. Not Killer-san." She deserved to know my name. At least she could curse me after she died if she wanted, but from what I learned about her, she wouldn''t do it. Yan Fon: "Then thank you, Ryoto-san." She turned around, showing me her back. To make it as painless as possible, I needed to sever her spinal cord above the scap, and to make sure she was dead, I''ll slice the insides of the knees to cut the femoral artery. She won''t feel the cut whatsoever. I slowly walked up to her, and before I put the de inside her, I whispered. Ryoto: "Sorry." Before she could answer, I executed my movements with incredible precision and speed. At the same time, I heard the door opening to this room. Girl: "Mom? I can''t sleep. Can I sleep with you tonight?" A little girl entered the room while wiping her eye with one of her tiny hands, but as soon as she opened her eyes, she saw a figure dressed in ck with their face hidden behind some kind of cloth. The only recognizable feature was the pair of blue glowing in the dark eyes. The figure held a blooded sword in its hand, and not far away from this figurey the body of her mom, that was slowly dying. That figure was me. Girl: "Mom?" The girl asked, confused. It was still dark, so she couldn''t see the blood that was dripping out of her mother, but she could feel something wrong. Girl: "MOM!!!" She screamed and ran up to her. I, on the other hand, needed to escape as fast as I could because this ce would be surrounded soon. The window to this room was opened, so I slipped outside until I saw everyone stepping inside, and then I made my escape from the district using the dark as my cover. I exited the district and rushed in the direction of the 78th district. I tried to return as fast as possible, and at that pace, I could meet Rin in two days. The first day I was cautious and slept with one eye open even though I knew Zangetsu would wake me up, but I had sleep problems, and it''s easy to guess why. After the first day, I thought I was safe, but I felt in danger at some point. I tilted my head only to see a sword where my head was just a moment ago. I quickly created distance between myself and the mysterious assant. I quickly observed around me only to see that I was surrounded by six humans. An exact number that was guarding Yan Fon. They probably followed me. They didn''t say anything and just wanted to execute the order. I need to kill them. Otherwise, they''ll kill me. Easy as it can be. The only problem with fighting them is their fast movement technique, Shunpo. I can''t use it, but they can. Besides, it''s 6 against 1. I''m at a big disadvantage. Three of my enemies threw at me small knives that I deflected with Zangetsu. Using their chance, the other three got close to me and tried to stab me, but thanks to my nimble nature. I dodged them without any big injury, even though two of them scratched me. I don''t stand a chance as I am right now. --- The following 10 minutes were terrible for me. Slowly but surely, they were wearing me down. The minor wounds were multiplying, but I fought back. There were few instances that I was able to grab their wrists and break them, so two of them have only one usable arm. The bad news is that they are also learning as we fight and are more careful. Not only that, but I also were able to wound them in other ways, but nothing worth mentioning. I still didn''t release my Shikai. I''m not good enough at using it. I''m morefortable with a normal sword for now as I have more practice with using it. After a long stalemate, I finally pierced the heart of one of my enemies, but it was a trap. They used the death of theirrades to sh in five different ces. The shes differed from each other in length and depth, but all of them were incredibly dangerous to me. I used this chance to grab one of them by the wrist once more, and as I was about to swing, all of them except one that I held retreated. This swing, however, was different. Ryoto: "Pierce through the heavens, ZANGETSU!!!" As I used the energy of my release to shoot out Getsuga Tenshou, and instead of one, I killed three people. I noticed that they can''t use Shunpo one after another. It''s possible that it''s a high-level technique, but I don''t have time to think about it. I''m bleeding badly and have two more to kill. --- I don''t even remember how I managed to kill thest two. Was it thanks to adrenaline? Zangetsu? I don''t know. The oyster thing on my mind is to return. I can''t leave Rin alone in this world. I don''t even know if she''ll return if I die. Can''t... let it happen. I was incredibly weak. I could barely move my legs, but I pushed forward. I somehow got to the abandoned house where Rin and I lived for about four months. Seeing that I had achieved my goal, I lost consciousness. --- (E/D: Ryoto be like: I give up my humanity Yan Fon.*Proceeds to wear a mask and smear her blood on it while the daughter is watching.) END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 167: Rins time to shine Chapter 167: Rin''s time to shine (Rin''s pov) It''s already been over a week since Ryoto went to work. I don''t know what kind of job he got, but he promised me that we won''t need to worry about going to the 1st district after he returns. During that time, I was living with someone I was working with. Apparently, people here in the afterlife seldom meet their family from when they lived, so they create groups and call it families, and right now, I''m living with one of these families. Some of them acted strange around me, almost scared, but it didn''t matter much as I didn''t interact with any of them that much. I didn''t even spend that much time there. I felt the safest in the abandoned house that I, together with Ryoto, called home for thest four months. I started remembering those four months. I had a difficult time epting my situation, but slowly I got to understand that there is probably no way back. Ryoto was telling me that there may be some way to return, but I think he was telling me that to give me hope. In just three months, we''ll go to the 1st district and apply to the Shinigami academy. Our lives will be better, ording to Ryoto and what I''ve heard while working as a waitress. I was also aware that he was stealing food at times and was sharing it with some kids. I really like that side of him. He helped others while he could do it by himself. I also can''t understand how he can be so calm. I don''t know what I would do here without him. Right now, I am cleaning the house. It was small but ours, kinda. It''s a shame that we will have to leave soon. As I was finished with the house inside, I wanted to go for a little stroll in the forest. Ryoto said it''s dangerous, but I enjoy these little strolls. I don''t know why he said to never call them a walk, though. As I went outside and decided what way I was to go, I saw a bloodied body lying on its back. No... It''s impossible... He said he would be fine... He is strong... I began slowly walking towards the body, but with every step, I sped up to get closer. I was sure that it was Ryoto. There wasn''t a chance I would mistake him, but he was terribly injured. Even from far away, I recognized the wounds as sword wounds. The worst wounds were two across his chest. They went from shoulders downwards, but it didn''t mean that they were the only serious ones. There were also two holes made by what I assume swords. One was located in his thigh and the other in his upper arm. I''m not even mentioning the smaller cuts that he was covered in. I was panicking... I didn''t know what to do... If Ryoto dies, I''ll be alone... No! I can''t think only about myself. I need to help him! Before I moved him inside the house, I needed to check if he is still... breathing. Please, please, please, be alive. I needed to hold my tears in. I can''t cry. I tried to feel his pulse, and while weak, it was still there. Thank god. I carefully got him on my back and slowly brought him inside the house. The whole time he was holding on to his sword as if his life depended on it. I put him in bed and got rid of his torn clothes. I cleaned him up carefully and bandaged him as well as I could. I used some old clothes that we cleaned and hoped to use in some other ways, but I didn''t think they''ll be used as a bandage. He wasn''t bleeding anymore, but he was still unconscious and weak. His body wasn''t as warm as it used to be as well. If only Aya or Saki-sama was here. They would have been able to help. But they weren''t here, and now that Ryoto was in that state, I was the only one able to help him. I got next to him to warm him up for the night. --- The next day Ryoto didn''t wake up. I was expecting that, but it still made me sad. I moved my hand through his hair. Now that I think about it, I never saw Ryoto open his eyes. I''m not going to lie, I was tempted to peek, but I stopped myself. When he wakes up and if he wants to show them to me, then and only then I''ll know why he keeps them closed. (Shaoling''s pov) I woke up at night and couldn''t fall asleep because it was too dark. I wasn''t scared of the dark, definitely not that, but I was worried that mom would be, so I went to her room. I opened the door to my mom''s room, but mom wasn''t alone. Inside there was a figure with ck clothes, a sword, and glowing blue eyes. He was scary, but mom wasn''t moving, and that scared me even more. Sholing: "Mom?" But she didn''t answer. Shaoling: "MOM!!!" I started running to mom as the figure jumped out of the window. I rushed to mom and tried to wake her up, but I felt something under my hand, and when I looked, I saw something red, blood. No, No, No, No, No, this can''t be happening. Why did it happen to me? Is it because of dad? Mom said that dad has a lot of bad people after him, and he is working for Yoruichi-sama, and I will be as well. That bad person had scary eyes. Momentster, six people rushed inside the room. They checked on mom and instantly dered her dead. They asked me some questions about that person and rushed after him. I didn''t tell them about his eyes, and I don''t know why. I wanted to be stronger. Stronger than the one who killed mom. I want to kill him myself. That day, for the first time in my life, I felt bloodlust. (A/N Remember that she is Corps Commander''s daughter. She may not be trained, but she could inherit some traits of his.) --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 168: Meeting someone important? Chapter 168: Meeting someone important? (Rin''s pov) It has been a week and a half since I found Ryoto, and he hasn''t woken up since then. On the first day, I went to my co-worker and apologized for noting back that night, I also said that Ryoto was back, so I''ll be living back at our home. Since Ryoto can''t work and I won''t be able to earn enough. I would need to steal the same way Ryoto did. I noticed the kids that helped Ryoto from time to time, and they recognized me as Ryoto''s friend. They taught me some tricks. While learning from kids may be a bit humiliating, I needed to learn as fast as possible. Ryoto was healing slowly, and his condition was stable. I helped him drink while he was unconscious, but I don''t think that he could eat in that state. I also changed his ''bandages'' a few times. Today I was walking around looking around after I finished my work for today. I saw a rich-looking girl with dark skin and purple hair. We need some extra money, and it''s better to steal from the rich. I bet she is carrying some ''pocket money.'' She was curious about everything around her. Probably her first time around here. Sorry, but your first visit won''t be the most pleasant. I walked casually towards her and bumped into her by ''ident'' and took some change that I could find since there wasn''t any purse that I could find. I didn''t expect her not to have one, so I got less than I thought. Rin: "Sorry, I wasn''t looking where I was going." I apologized for bumping into her and tried to walk away, but I was stopped by the girl. Now that I looked closer, she seemed to be around our age. ???: "Don''t worry, don''t worry. I was also spacing out, but I should probably introduce myself. My name is Yoruichi Shihoin." I feel like I have heard this name before, but I can''t put my finger on it. Rin: "Rin Kujou." Yoruichi: "Now that we know each other, I''ll tell you that you suck at pickpocketing. While you took my money, I took it back and got yours as well, and I could do it five times over." I quickly checked where the money should be, and it wasn''t there. I was robbed. I then looked at Shihoin-San, and she held a small sack full of money with a big smile as if she was proud of herself. For thest week and a half, I learned something important. If you get caught, you run fast, and that''s what I did. I used some backstreets and shortcuts to lose her. The most important is my safety. I can get moneyter, but if they take me or break some bones, I won''t be able to take care of Ryoto, and he may die. Not looking back at her, I ran around for a bit until I left the crowded area and could return to Ryoto. Shame that I was caught in the act. I''ll need to steal a little extra tomorrow. As I was about to return home, I felt a hand on my shoulder. Yoruichi: "Is it your first time running away? You didn''t even look back to check if I was following you or not." She said with a cheeky grin. What should I do? Apologize? Try to run away again? Ask for forgiveness? She was clearly stronger and faster than me. As my mind was going into overload toe up with some kind of solution, Yoruichi reassured me. Yoruichi: "Don''t be so scared. I excepted something like that to happening to lower districts. I was just curious why a cute girl like you would need to dirty her hands." Cute? Me? No, this is not what I should be focusing on. Should I tell her? She doesn''t look mad at me, but what if she wants to use me to get to Ryoto? No, it''s a stupid thought. How would Shihoin-san know about Ryoto? I''m just being paranoid. Maybe all that stuff that happened affected me more than I thought. Perhaps I just need someone to talk to about my problems. Even back home, I didn''t talk about my issues with anyone. I didn''t even share my fear of heights with either Aya or Saki-sama. Rin: "*Sigh* It''s nothing interesting. A few months ago me and Ryoto, my friend, probably died. We somehow lived a normal life here, but we noticed that, unlike most people here, we had a need for food. We learned it meant that we had the potential to be Shinigami, but to get to the Shinigami academy, we needed money which we didn''t have. Ryoto found some well-paying job outside this district, and he left for over a week. When he returned, he was in critical condition, and he didn''t wake up since." Talking about your problems really helps. It feels like a weight was dropped off my shoulders. Listening to me, Shihoin-san nodded a few times. Yoruichi: "Yosh, bring me to him!" Rin: "Excuse me?" Yoruichi: "Let me see him. Nowe on, we don''t have a whole day to waste!" She started walking. Rin: "Wait, you are going the wrong way!" --- We arrived at the abandoned house. Rin: "Pleasee inside." I weed her in. There wasn''t much inside. Some furniture that either Ryoto built in his free time or he got from the garbage and cleaned up as it was in usable condition. The most noticeable was the bed with Ryoto lying in it. He still didn''t wake up. *Sigh* At least he is still alive. Yoruichi: "Is it him?" She pointed at Ryoto, to which I nodded. She threw away his nket and looked at his body covered in different kinds of clothes that substituted the bandages. She tried to open his eyes, but I stopped her by grabbing her wrist. Rin: "Please don''t open his eyes. For some reason, he always keeps them closed." Yoruichi: "But aren''t you curious?" Rin: "I don''t deny it, but I''ll respect him and wait until he wants to share his secret with me." Shihoin-san seemed to respect my decision. Yoruichi: "Since I can''t peek into his eyes, that leaves one question. Why is he holding a Zanpakuto?" Rin: "Zanpakuto?" But he calls this sword Zangetsu. Yoruichi: "The sword he is holding is a Zanpakuto, and by the looks of it, he seems to already know the name of it. The question is how he got it." Rin: "I don''t know. He had it the whole time we were here." Yoruichi: "But he isn''t Shinigami, right?" I shook my head. Yoruichi: "Hmm." She tried to take away the sword from Ryoto, but his hand wouldn''t let go of the hilt no matter how hard she pulled. As she was trying to get him to let go of the sword, a wave of energy came from Ryoto. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 169: Guess who woke up Chapter 169: Guess who woke up (Ryoto''s pov) I was in my inner world... I think. Thest thing I remember was me returning to 78th district and then... nk. The world around me changed. While before it was half sunny with some clouds and the other half was constantly under heavy rain. Now though the sunny one was nowhere to be seen. It was snowing, and it wasn''t as beautiful as one would think. It was dark, with the only source of light being the moon that was hiding behind the clouds at times. Zangetsu: "So it''s snowing now, huh." Behind me stood Zangetsu looking around. Ryoto: "So it seems..." We stayed quiet for a while. Zangetsu: "What are you scared of?" He surprised me with that question. Ryoto: "What do you mean?" Zangetsu: "For how long do you n on staying unconscious? Are you scared to meet Rin? Maybe scared of what you did or what you''ll be? I just don''t understand why you are regretting what you did. You did what you thought was needed, that''s all." He talked nonchntly about killing a person. I shouldn''t have been surprised, but I got mad. Ryoto: "But couldn''t I do things differently!? Wasn''t there another way!? I killed a little girl''s mother!" Zangetsu: "So what? Did you forget why you did that?" Right, it''s because of Yan Fon''s eyes. She was ready to die to fulfill some kind of purpose. I don''t know why she would want to die, but she was prepared to do it, and she couldn''t do it by herself. If she could, she would have already been dead. I was close to just leaving, but she looked at me with a sad and begging expression. Like it was herst chance. Mixed with my need for money, I did what I did. I will need to live with that till the day I die. But still... Ryoto: "Say, Zangetsu, do you think I could have done things better?" Zangetsu: "Obviously." Ouch. Zangetsu: "But you made your decision. You may be paranoid about the iing danger, and hey, I get it. Rin is here with you, and you panicked. You want her safe as soon as possible. You feel like you''re on a timer, and when you saw the path to it and you took it." I felt a little better. Zangetsu: "However you can''t forget what you did. It wasn''t correct in your morality now, was it? That blood is on your hands and always will be." Ryoto: "I know..." He didn''t need to remind me. I doubt I''ll ever forget it, but I''ll need more time to ept what I did. I also doubt it will be thest time I would be killing someone. I just hope that I won''t need to do it the way I did it this time. The weather in my inner world didn''t change yet and it''s not strange. It would be bizarre for me to get over it so fast after all. Ryoto: "So what now?" Zangetsu: "I don''t know, but in your ce, I would wake up. Someone is trying to take me from your hand." What!? Hearing what Zangetsu was telling me means probably bad news, and I instantly exited my inner world. (Rin''s pov) Ryoto pulled his sword back to him and quickly got between Shihoin-San and me. He didn''t have any strength to stand. He went down on one of his knees, but he didn''t take away his gaze from Shihoin-San. At the same time, I could feel again some kind of energying from Ryoto. Shihoin-San didn''t seem to bother by it. On the contrary, she looked impressed. Yoruichi: "Before worrying about others, you should worry about yourself." Just after she finished her sentence, I could hear something dropping on the floor. By the sound of it, it was fluid. I looked down to see it was Ryoto''s blood. His wounds must have opened, but he didn''t step down. Rin: "Ryoto, calm down. She doesn''t want to harm us." I put the hand on his shoulder, and he gave me a brief look. Ryoto: "What does the princess of Tenshiheisoban want from us?" (Ryoto''s pov) When I woke up, I didn''t see anything besides silhouettes, but my vision cleared after a few seconds. The question is, why is Yoruichi Shihoin doing in front of me? Is she here after my head? I am a criminal, after all. But why didn''t she kill me then? I was unconscious, and it was very easy to finish me off. Rin seems to be fine as well. When she reassured me that she wasn''t here to harm anyone, I stepped away to sit on the bed. Rin helped me with that since I felt incredibly weak. I didn''t drop my guard, though. I''ll sacrifice my eyes if I need to, but I''ll keep Rin safe. Now that I look closer, Yoruichi looks a lot younger than I remember her. Ryoto: "I still didn''t get an answer. Why is someone as important as you in the 78th district in an abandoned house?" Yoruichi: "I was bored and noticed someone trying to rob me, so I thought I would y along. Some stuff was said, and here I am in all my glory, but you make me curious. What kind of job did you get to get injured so much." Her eyes were sharp, trying to see through me. She may be younger, but she is still Yoruichi. I also assume that she heard about my job from Rin. Ryoto: "Nothing unusual. I was recruited to steal some valuables, but the information I got was incorrect, and I paid for it." Rin: "You did something so dangerous!!?" Rin was upset. Ryoto: "You can reprimand meter. In any case, I won''t be needing to do it for a while so you can calm down." Rin: "For a while!? So you n on doing it again in the future!?" Ryoto: "Only if we need money, and I doubt we will be in need for a while." Yoruichi: "That''s a new experience getting ignored like that, but you must be either stupid or brave admitting to a crime in front of ady from Noble house." Ryoto: "It''s not like you''ll arrest me. Or you want to tell me that you care so much about who knows who that you''ll bring me to justice right here and now?" Yoruichi: "Nah. I only care if something happens to me or my underlings. For example, one of my Corps Commanders'' spouse was murdered. You wouldn''t know anything about it, would you?" She was on my tail. I could feel it, but I didn''t flinch, didn''t move in any way. Even my breathing didn''t change, and in the most natural manner, I answered her. Ryoto: "Sorry, but I didn''t hear anything about this ident. It''s possible that it happened while I was unconscious or even during my job." She was judging me but not sensing any lies, and her smile returned. Yoruichi: "I see, then I''ll see you in three months!" With that, she left. Wait, three months? Is she not even a student at the academy? --- END Discord server: Chapter 170: Second time is always easier than the first Chapter 170: Second time is always easier than the first (Shaoling''s pov) After the ident, I returned back home to Seireitei. I lived there for a while before I moved outside. Now, I''ll train until I can''t move anymore if that''s what it takes. I asked dad to train me, but at first, he refused me. I didn''t give up, though. I tried for a few weeks, and during that time, I tried my own training method, but finally, my efforts bore fruit, and my dad agreed to train me. He said that it would be better to oversee my training than let me put myself in danger. Now that I was officially part of Stealth Force, I got a codename. I inherited it after my grandmother, Soi Fon. (Yoruichi''s pov) I left the abandoned house, and instantly next to me appeared my bodyguard. They are always near me even if I don''t know it. It''s annoying, but what can I do? Bodyguard: "Yoruichi-sama, is it wise to leave them like that? Even if he is not responsible for Yan Fon-sama''s death, he is still a criminal, though a petty one." Yoruichi: "You talk like we don''tmit crimes." I dismissed his question. Bodyguard: "We are doing whatever is needed to preserve order in Soul Society." Yoruichi: "That''s just what the old farts are saying to themselves so they can sleep better at night after they preserved their high positions. No one in Stealth Force has clean hands." I reminded him. We are murderers. We just are telling ourselves that we are doing it for the greater good, but it doesn''t change the fact that we kill and even imprison many innocents just because there is suspicion of them going rogue in the future. Yoruichi: "Besides, the remaining Reiatsu in the ce where the fight happened between the killer and Yan Fon''s bodyguards feels more hollow than Shinigami''s or ordinary soul''s, and while this boy''s Reiatsu is wilder than the norm, he isn''t the only one. Captain Commander''s Reiatsu also isn''t textbook-like as it possesses fire attributes. The same could be said about Ryoto. Maybe." Hearing what I said at the end, the bodyguard broke his stoic form for a second. It''s fun making them lose cool while they still try to keep being respectful. Bodyguard: "Maybe?" Yoruichi: "I''ve known him for how long? 5, 10 minutes? Who knows. For all I know, he could be someone from other branches spying on us." Bodyguard: "Then shouldn''t we observe him in that case?" God, why is everyone so serious around me? I mean, I know why but it doesn''t mean that I like it. At least Kisuke and Tessai arex around me. Yoruichi: "Nah. Either way, we''ll meet both Ryoto and Rin. The girl didn''t seem like a liar to me. She was stressed out and honest. Ryoto, on the other hand, is a liar and a good one at that." Bodyguard: "How do you know that Yoruichi-sama? Did you catch him in a lie?" Yoruichi: "No, I just don''t know if he is telling the truth or not. He reminds me of Kisuke but in a weird way. Kisuke is hiding his sharp mind behind his stupid smile and carefree attitude." Bodyguard: "And in what way does that boy reminds you of Urahara-dono?" Yoruichi: "I don''t know. It''s just a feeling, and my instincts have yet to fail me." And once again, my bodyguard became speechless. Ah, I love doing that. (Ryoto''s pov) After a month of recovering, I could finally move around without opening my wounds at random. I wasn''t at my full strength, but I would say I''m at 60-70%. I wanted to go to work earlier, but Rin didn''t let me. I knew that she must have been stealing while I was bedridden. I didn''t want her to do it and I confronted her about it, but she gave me a scary look. In the end, as long as she is careful, there shouldn''t be any problems and she has yet to return injured, so I assume she can handle herself. I''m still worried, though. I know, however, that the kids were helping her. I do not doubt Rin''s resourcefulness, but I doubt that she could steal without any problems right away. I''ll need to give them some rewards. Maybe I''ll get some extra candies for them before Rin and I will go to the 1st district. But all of that is not important right now. Today I''ll finish something that shouldn''t be left unchecked. I could have sneaked out earlier, but I would like to be in a condition that allowed me to fight. Yes, today I''ll get my money for the jobpleted. I covered myself once again in a ck cloth and went to the old building where Oshima usually is. It was some kind of base for him. Inside, Oshima seemed to be surprised to see me. Genji: "Yuuki-kun? Is that you?!" Ryoto: "I came to get money." I don''t want to be here longer than I need to. Genji: "You aren''t dead?" Ryoto: "Money. Now." I sounded annoyed and impatient since I was not here to answer questions. Genji hearing me understood that I was not in a great mood andplied with my demands. Genji: "Yes, yes, of course. Since you didn''te back, I assumed that you met your end like many others, but I''m happy to see that you''re doing well. From the first day we met, I knew that you weren''t like others." When he went to get the money, Oshima tried to make small talk, but I ignored him. When he came back with the money, I asked him something. Ryoto: "Say, Oshima, what is your job again?" Genji: "I''m a middle man and information broker at times, but you should know that already. I exined it to you when you first wandered here, so I don''t know why you are asking me that again." Not answering him, I went on while counting the money I got. Ryoto: "So you are selling any information if your client has enough money, right?" Oshima seemed to be getting nervous as the question was insinuating something dangerous. Genji: "Well, yes, that''s what I do." I finished counting and was happy that the amount wasrger than we agreed upon. It must have been the bonus he promised me before. At the same time, Oshima was slowly backing off, ready to run at any moment. I put the money inside my cloth and drew Zangetsu. Seeing that Oshima started running away, I was ready and released my Shikai. Ryoto: "Pierce through the heavens, Zangetsu!" I grabbed Zangetsu by the cloth and threw it at the old man piercing him through the chest. Oshima dropped down and started bleeding out. To be fair, he was more athletic than he let''s it on and even attempted to dodge, but my de flew fast through the air. I walked up to him slowly and pulled my Zanpakuto out of his body. Ryoto: "Sorry, Oshima, but I want my information to be as exclusive as possible." Killing him would mean no more information about me killing Yan Fon unless he already shared this info with someone, but even then, he would say that I was dead since he was genuinely shocked at my appearance. I also shared only my surname with Oshima, so finding me would be challenging unless he got information on me which is possible, and that''s why I can''t let him live. Genji: "I guess I got toofortable with my position... It has been a long time since someone tried to kill me." Yeah, I was expecting him to be more slippery, which made me more suspicious. Genji: "You don''t need to be so on guard. I have just be older than I thought. These old bones aren''t as good as they used to be." He said while coughing out some blood. Ryoto: "Don''t you know that you should be aware of old people in professions where people die young?" Oshima smiled. Genji: "Wise words, but they are wasted on me. I suppose I''m just tired of this life and ept my fate. I always knew that I would die like that but who knew that I would live so long." Ryoto: "So why were you trying to escape then?" Genji: "Just like everyone else, I''m scared of dying. Funnily enough, now that I''m lying here down, I feel at peace. Maybe I''ll meet my daughter after... so... long..." With these words, he stopped breathing. I observed him for a while longer and cut his head off just to be sure. He was a sly fox during his life, and I needed to be sure of his death. Before I returned, I looked around and found some secret escape routes, and I made sure that they were unused for some time. If even one of them was freshly used, I would have a problem, but thankfully they weren''t. I can say with certainty that Oshima is dead. I left the body in that building and returned home. *Sigh* I hate killing. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 171: Planning the next century or so... no biggie Chapter 171: nning the next century or so... no biggie (Ryoto''s pov) Another 2 months had passed, and we were about to leave and start our travel to the 1st district. Right now, we were packing our things. We didn''t have much, so we mostly packed food that we bought for our journey. We also had some clothes but nothing more except the ones we will be needing. As we were about to leave the house and say our goodbyes to everyone we knew in the 78th district, we took thest look at our home. Rin: "I will miss this ce." I put my arm around her and pulled her closer as she rested her head on my shoulder. Ryoto: "Me too, but a new chapter will start this very moment." Rin: "I know." We stayed like this for a while. It was kind of hard to leave a ce you called home for over half a year, but I know we will be safer inside Seireitei... for a while. If I''m correct, then we have around 300-400 years until canon. Maybe 200 years. The timeline isn''t that clear. Yoruichi seems to be in Shinigami academy, and I know that she was captain 110 years before canon and Tessai Urahara''s friend and shop helper, mentioned that the name Quincy was familiar to him. I know that Quincy''s extermination happened approximately 200 years before canon, so they must be over 200 years old, and since Urahara, Tessai and Yoruichi are childhood friends, they must be around the same age. Aizen started his n about 150-200 years ago. It''s difficult to tell, but it''s my best guess. That means that unless I''m wrong about the timeline, I have at least a century for me to grow stronger as fast as possible. After that, I need to be careful about Aizen. I''m not scared about his illusions as I would be immune to them, but even without them, Aizen is a terrifying opponent. What''s worse, I can''t even remove him from the picture because he is essential in the future. Without him, there''s a chance that Ichigo won''t even be born, and he is needed against the Quincy boss. My quest is to survive until thest boss is defeated by me or someone else. Thest boss is probably referring to Yhwach. I''ll try to kill him before he ultimately resurrects, but it''s not possible for me for a long time. First, I would need to find him, which is already a problem. I am aware that all of Yhwach and his allies are hiding in the shadow of Seireitei, but what does that mean? Is that some kind of Quincy technique? Machine maybe? I don''t know, and I''ll need to research it but I would rather dump it on someone who knows what he is doing, but it would be difficult to exin to them how I know what I know. I would need to nt some hints here and there so they would figure it out by themselves, but how? The other option is to get stronger than Yamamoto, Kenpachi, Aizen, or Ichibe. ... nning it is. I''m not delusional enough to believe that I could be stronger or even equally strong to at least one of them. The problem is that I also don''t think that I''m smart enough to n out everything as I want. Not to mention that there are geniuses here that could see through me. Aizen, Urahara, and Unohana have scary instincts, and Yamamoto is wise but stubborn, just to name a few. In summary, the n is not thatplicated. Get stronger, figure out how to hint about Quincies, don''t be suspicious or dangerous, so Central 46 tries to kill or imprison me, and don''t get fucked by Aizen. It''s not going to be easy, is it? *Sigh* Before we started traveling, Rin and I said our goodbyes to residents of the 78th district. Those we know, at least. This included our co-workers, some clients, and the kids that were our aplices in stealing. I gave them some candies as lollipops weren''t invented yet. Sad. It was my coping mechanism as well. At least I can still make delicious food to make my mood better. Not to mention if Rin is safe, then it''s enough for me. The family that lived with Rin was still scared of me and avoided me, not that I cared. We lived here for about 7 months. A pretty long time, but it will be short in retrospect. Since we have 2 weeks before recruiting begins, we can save some money by going on foot to the 1st district. It can also double as a fun trip for Rin as long as I''m careful. --- On our trip, I made sure that Rin enjoyed herself. We went through many beautiful forests, stopped near some rivers, saw a fewkes and surprisingly a lot of animals. We also stopped at a few districts to refill our food supplies, but we slept under the naked sky. Even if we didn''t want to save money and stay at an Inn, we could ask some people to use their stable or empty room, but it didn''t matter since I didn''t n to drop my guard either way. Just like I used to do in the abandoned house, I had Zangetsu near me to wake me up in case of trouble. Why did I choose to sleep in nature away from people then if there''s no difference? Because camping could be fun and I could save money on food as well. I fished, I hunted, and I cooked. It was an enjoyable time, and looking at Rin, I knew that she had fun as well. At that time, a small thought crept inside my head. What if Rin and I just kept living like that? In the wild, I mean. Far away from all the trouble, people and danger. I quickly dismissed this thought. It would not only be not healthy for Rin in the long run and it would mean that I killed Yan Fon for nothing. In that case, her death would weigh me even more than it already is. --- Finally, after two weeks, we arrived at the 1st district. The fee was hefty, and since Shinigami academy was recruiting at the moment, they increased it. It looks like corruption is high in more luxurious districts. It also seems counterproductive. There are some powerful Shinigami whoe from poor backgrounds, and that way, Soul Society loses a lot of potential strength. It''s possible they''ll fix it in the future since otherwise, Rukia and Renji wouldn''t be able toe and take a test unless they sneaked in. Maybe it was Kenpachi who became captain, or after getting Mayuri out of Nest of Maggots, they started understanding the importance of people with poor backgrounds but great potential. The other exnation has to do with Quincy''s extermination. It''s possible that there were a lot of casualties, and they needed to fill empty ces. I will just need to see. But enough theories. Rin and I are standing in a line to start a test to see if we can be Shinigami. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 172: The test Chapter 172: The test (A/N Fun fact, currency in Soul Society is called Kan, and a 4th Division Nurse Outfit is sold for 5980 Kan. It''s meant for cosy, by the way;) (Ryoto''s pov) The line was long, and so was our wait. Most of the people around us were either from the 1st district or were some kind of noble. You could see that in their attitude. I can see that a lot of them didn''t have a lot of trouble in life... afterlife... whatever. The point is that it''s very strange. Is everyone like this before their training begins, or the strength of ordinary Shinigami is just low? I know that the Captains are the main strength of Seireitei, but I... I don''t know. I think I expected more, but I shouldn''t judge before we start learning. I don''t even know if they''ll be recruited. After an hour of waiting and observing, I noticed that these nobles that I thought were there just for fame or money were not allowed inside. There were a few who needed ''assistance'' with leaving. It was entertaining. They are not even from the Five Great Noble Houses, and they acted high and mighty, so seeing a Shinigami throwing them away and not caring was therapeutic. I couldn''t see what the test was as it was inside Seireitei behind the big gate that had a small door in it. Kinda funny. The only thing we could do was wait. --- Another 3 hours had passed, and it was our turn soon to take the test. Rin was rightfully nervous as she didn''t know what to expect and was probably scared to be separated from me. I would, of course, never attend here without her, and I have assured her of that, but it only made her sadder. Only after that, did I realize my mistake. Rin feels that she is just a burden to me and that without her I would have had it much easier, so to correct my error, I pulled her into a hug. Ryoto: "Listen, Rin, I believe that you''ll pass this test. You are, after all, the one who taught and still teaches me swordsmanship." Rin always felt safer when I held her close to me. She hugged me back. Rin: "Stop joking. I know that you''re already almost as good as I am. If you stopped training this stupid move of yours, you would be already better." Ryoto: "But that would mean betraying my idol!" I joked around, but I''m still not nning on abandoning this technique. I''m going to learn it someday. After our hug, it was our turn for the test. We are going to be taking it at the same time in different locations. Not far away but we couldn''t see each other. When we went through the gate, we were separated into different tents. Inside there were 3 Shinigami. One who was a girl was constantly writing on paper, while the one in the middle had a goofy smile on his face. The third was just observing, but he seemed angry for some reason. The one in the middle weed me. Shinigami 1: "Hello, is it your first time applying?" I nodded, and he smiled. Shinigami 1: "Then let me exin how it works. In front of you is a crystal that allows us to measure your Reiryoku level. Depending know how much Reiryoku you possess, it changes colors, and there are six colors in total. To pass this test, you only need to touch the crystal ball, and if the color changes, you are wee in the academy. Of course, if you aren''t satisfied with the results, you can take an alternative test that would force you to defeat one of us inbat to pass it, but since only seated Shinigami and higher oversee the recruiting, it''s seldom anyone passes that way. Any questions?" Ryoto: "How urate is this thing? Is there a chance that it can misfunction?" Hearing my question, he cheerfully pped his hands. Shinigami 1: "Great questions! Yes, it isn''t a perfect method, but we don''t have anything better to measure the potential of our potentialrades. That''s also why we have the second test. Its uracy, on the other hand, is quite good. If it works, we know it works well." Ryoto: "...So you''re telling me that if this crystal decided to not work and even though I could have potential, I could fail because the second test is almost impossible to pass, so I would be forced to take the test next time which is in 6 months from now and hope that the crystal here works fine this time. Did I get it right?" Shinigami 1: "Yes!" He smiled at me. ... Is he mocking me? It feels like a scam. Is it the way to get as much money as possible from the people here? Shinigami 1: "But don''t worry. This kind of situation happens rarely." Ryoto: "How do you know?" Shinigami 1: "Any more questions?" He just ignored me. I feel incredibly annoyed. Ryoto: "Tell me, does this crystal have a limit to the level of Reiryoku it can measure?" Shinigami 1: "It does actually. Anything around Captain level and the crystal ball would break." Ryoto: "And what would happen if it broke?" Shinigami 1: "Then, of course, you would automatically pass since anyone with that much Reiryoku-" He didn''t finish his sentence as I punched and broke the crystal ball. Ryoto: "It looks like the ball broke. Where is my passing certificate?" The man who was just standing and observing before spoke for the first time, and he was angry. Shinigami 2: "Are you mocking us!? We all went through this, and you think that you''ll be a funny man and make a joke of the test!?" Wow, this guy exploded. I even saw him ready to draw the sword but was stopped by, I assume, the leader. Shinigami 1: "Let''s calm down, everyone. Bakudo #1 Sai!" He pointed his index and middle finger at the aggressive Shinigami, or Shinigami 2 as I call him. The Bakudo caused his target''s arms to lock behind his back. I looked at the girl who was writing the whole time. Ryoto: "Are you dealing with them often?" Shinigami 3: "More than I should, but thankfully I''m not in the same division as these idiots, but since the idiot that got too hot-headed is in the 11th Division, he constantly gets hurt andes to the 4th Division headquarters." Shinigami 1: "Haha, you can''t me him for exploding like that. He didn''t pass the test for 5 years straight, so when someone makes a joke about it, he got angry." I don''t even want to ask. I just looked at the angry Shinigami that tried to free himself. Yup, I don''t care. Ryoto: "So what now." ???: "Let me answer that for you." Behind me, there was suddenly a presence that I could feel until now, and it made a shiver run down my spine. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 173: A new school life begins Chapter 173: A new school life begins (Ryoto''s pov) Behind me, I heard a voice and felt danger even though the voice was soothing and motherly. It reminded me of someone who I shouldn''t be messing with. I turned around to see a woman who was 159 cm in height, which meant that she was shorter than me, but to be fair, I haven''t met many people who are taller. She had a unique hairstyle. Instead of the usual ponytail, she had styled a loose ponytail in front of her body. She was smiling gently at me, but my body was screaming to run away. While I don''t have my spider sense anymore, I still have good instincts. She also wore a white haori over her usual ck Shinigami clothes meaning that she was a captain. Retsu Unohana or Yachiru Unohana as she was known before. I don''t know if I''m lucky or not to meet a captain so early. Retsu: "Let me exin that to you. You pass." Ryoto: "Excuse me?" Retsu: "You pass." She repeated with a smile. I looked around to see if anyone had startedughing or something. Ryoto: "Are you serious?" Retsu: "Yes, while it didn''t happen before, as no one was hot-headed enough to try and destroy the crystal, people with high Reiryoku tend to be physically stronger, and since you were able to break it with your bare hands, we can assume that you have a high amount of Reiryoku." Ryoto: "So why are you not making all the participants test their strength instead of using this defective device." I pointed at the broken ball. Retsu: "Oh, this thing? It works perfectly fine. Some people just like to mess with others." She looked at the leader of the group. Shinigami 3: "I would like to apologize for the behavior of my friend, captain." Right, she was from the 4th Division. The girl apologized while the guy wasughing embarrassingly while scratching the back of his head. Shinigami 2: "You what!!!?" The other Shinigami that was still bound by a speel was furious at this information. I guess he never knew. Shinigami 2: "I did this test 10 times, and you were making fun of me!!!?" Shinigami 1: "I couldn''t help myself. Seeing you trying so hard and not seeding was so fun." I see, a sadist. It makes some sense now. Shinigami 2: "You son of a bitch!!!" He started struggling to free himself but without any luck. Shinigami 1: "Haha, but at least you finally passed and got into 11th Division. Though it was only because you sucked at Kido." The leader was making fun of the guy on the floor and was enjoying it. Seeing that they won''t be stopping any time soon with their shinanigans, Unohana exined where I should go now that I had passed the test. Retsu: "When you exit the tent, please enter the big building on the right." She instructed me, and I did as I was told, not only because I wanted to see if Rin passed her test as well but also because Zangetsu was starting to release some of our Reiatsu. (Retsu''s pov) What an interesting young man. Shinigami 3: "Captain, was it wise to let him in just like that? I am aware that having higher physical strength means high Reiryoku, but just that isn''t enough of a reason to let him in. Not to mention he broke the machine." A young girl from my Division asked about my decision. If I remember correctly, her name was Izuna. Retsu: "That wasn''t, of course, the only reason. When he touched the ball, just for a minuscule moment, it started to shine red. Meaning he has Reiryoku equal to average lieutenant." Not to mention his Zanpakuto. He already possesses Shikai. His de also tasted blood before. I could practically feel his Zanpakuto''s desire for battle, and it was reflected in his Reiatsu. While he was keeping his Reiatsu at a low level, I could still feel its violent nature. It somehow reminded me of my past. I just hope that he won''t end up like me as well. It''s not often that someone applying to Spiritual Arts Academy, as it is now called, already possesses Zanpakuto, but it tends to happen from time to time. Many young and inexperienced or too confident Shinigami die on the missions leaving their Asauchi to be picked up by someone. (Ryoto''s pov) ''Zangetsu, why the hell are you picking up the fight with Captain?! Do you want to kill us?!'' Zangetsu: "Sorry, I was subconsciously doing it. Seeing someone so strong, I couldn''t stop myself. I just wanted to fight her." ''We would die instantly." Zangetsu: "Get stronger then." ''Then why didn''t you do something simr to when we met Yami for the first time?" Zangetsu: "I did. You just couldn''t feel it at that time." ''I sometimes forget that you''re a battle junkie.'' Zangetsu: "And I forget that you are crazy enough to not be one." --- Rin passed the test as well, and she was already waiting for me in that building I was guided to by Unohana. I knew that she could do it. I felt proud of her, and out of habit, I patted her head. She enjoyed it. Yoruichi: "Yo!" Someone familiar greeted us, but she wasn''t alone. Ryoto: "So it will be your first year here as well." I was genuinely surprised. I expected her to be at least second year by the way she spoke, but apparently, she was starting at the same time as us. Yoruichi: "Yep, so we will be seeing each other quite often from now on." Remembering that she still didn''t introduce her friends, she acquainted us with each other. Yoruichi: "By the way, the one on my right is Kisuke Urahara and on my left is Tessai Tsukabishi." Kisuke: "Plesure to meet you." Tessai: "Nice to meet you." Rin and I returned the greetings, but we didn''t talk for a long time longer as soon after, we were called out in groups of two. Rin was together with Yoruichi, and I was with Urahara. Later we learned it meant that we would live in the same room for the next six years. And so my new school life started. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 174: First day at school Chapter 174: First day at school (Ryoto''s pov) After the announcement of the groups, we went to check out our new rooms. At some point, Urahara, Tessai, and I separated from Yoruichi and Rin as the girls'' dorms were in another direction from the boys'' dorm. These two dorms were on two different sides of the main building. Walking inside, I could see an ordinary room for two. Nothing much. Two beds on both sides of the room and a garderobe for our clothes. I will be sharing a room with arguably the smartest person in this world. Not only that. The man named Kisuke Urahara is also cautious. He alwayses expecting 1000 what-if scenarios just so he is never caught unprepared. The good thing is that he only became like this after Aizen outsmarted him. Right now, he is younger and hopefully less mature and cunning but let''s not forget that he probably still is highly intelligent, and because of his scientific mind, I assume he is a very curious individual. It could either be bad or good for me. As an enemy, he would be my worst nightmare, but he isn''t an enemy. The bonus is that in the future, he will be a candy shop owner, and I''ll be hoping for a friend discount. Kisuke: "Now that we''ll be living, let''s introduce ourselves once more. My name is Kisuke Urahara, as you have heard from Yoruichi before." He stuck out his hand for a handshake. Now that I think about it, I didn''t introduce myself before. Ryoto: "Ryoto Yuuki. Nice to meet you." We greeted each other with a handshake, but after that, there was an awkward silence. Kisuke: "So... you know Yoruichi?" --- We talked for a while about some things. He asked me about my life before, and I talked about how I lived in the 78th district. I didn''t mention stealing, but it was apparent to anyone that I was forced to steal since, unlike most souls there, Rin and I needed food. Urahara on, just like me, talked about his life. Before, he lived at Shihoin Mansion together with Yoruichi and Tessai, but he wasn''t born there. Even earlier, he was a resident of the 75th district. There he was living by building useful objects and machines. It was noticed by the Shihoin n or, more specifically, Yoruichi, and from that point onwards, he lived there. Unfortunately for him, I wasn''t that interested in machines in themselves, but I was incredibly good at math. Even without using my ability, I''m very proficient at it, so I may help him in the future with some things. After some socializing, we went to sleep. --- The following day I was forced to wear the academy''s uniform. The clothes were a lot better than all of the things I have possessed in this world, so I''m notining. After that, we all gathered in ss. Now that I think about it, it''s the third school I''ll be attending and the third time''s the charm, as they say. In ss, there was Yoruichi, Urahara, Tessai, and surprisingly Rin. I''m not saying that she is weak, but I didn''t expect her to be in the first ss, which is reserved only for the best of the best. The ssroom looked more like a college ssroom than a high-school one. In my original world, I am in high school. In Assassination ssrooms, I was a middle school student, and right now, I''m kind of in college. Does that mean I''ll be a functional adult in the next world? Better not to jinx it, but one could hope. I don''t want to be in a school every time I have a mission. I was sitting at the front, and Rin followed suit. The known trio also sat near us. We were all waiting for ss to begin as the teacher didn''t arrive just yet. Then everyone could feel an incredibly strong presence. Most of the people here started sweating, and a few of them almost fainted. Except for a teacher, an old man entered the ssroom. Who would expect that I would meet the famous Head Captain so soon? First Unohana and then Yamamoto. At this rate, I''ll meet Yhwach tomorrow. (E/D: The g has been raised. My men, the council needs your presence. To discuss the fate of Ryoto Yuuki.) But right now, I''m focusing on what''s going on right now. Looking at Rin, I can see that she is struggling. She doesn''t know how to release her Reiatsu, so it''s probably suffocating for her. I released my Reiatsu to protect her even slightly. I am very aware that I''m like a bug to Yamamoto at this point, but he doesn''t want to kill or even make anyone unconscious. He probably just wants to show the difference between himself and the students. Maybe even to motivate them a bit, showing how strong they can be, but messing with Rin is off-limits. My own Reiatsu was able to ease some pressure from Rin, but it was immediately noticed by the teacher, Yamamoto, and some of the students. There would probably be some whispering if not for Yamamoto''s pressure, as no one was stupid enough to release their Reiatsu against the Head Captain himself. Not to mention most of them can''t do it even if they wanted to. The teacher wanted to step in but was stopped by Yamamoto. The old man opened his eyes slightly and increased pressure but only around me. As I was continuously releasing Reiatsu to protect myself, Yamamoto was slowly increasing his as well. Unlike me, his control over Reiatsu was masterful. Mine was spreading evenly but violently around me while he was focused on me. At the same time, I could feel Zangetsu''s desire to battle. At some point, I couldn''t increase my Reiatsu anymore, and Yamamoto''s Reiatsu didn''t stop until I felt like I couldn''t breathe anymore, and then the pressure suddenly vanished, and I was left panting. Rin: "Ryoto, are you alright?" Rin asked, worried about me, but I reassured her that I was okay. Ryoto: "Don''t worry, I''m fine. The pressure was just a lot stronger than I expected." Yamamoto mmed his cane against the floor, gathering all of the students'' attention. Yamamoto: "Right now, all of you are weak." He stated brutally. Yamamoto: "But by the end of your time here, I''m hoping to see you be a real Shinigami. However, I want you to remember something. Seek not aesthetics in war. Seek not a virtue in death. Think not of thine own life should thee seek to protect thy king and the Five dukes. y all foe as indifferently as shadows of leaves. That''s all from me." With these words, he left, but he gave me ast nce at me before exiting the ssroom. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 175: Old habits die hard Chapter 175: Old habits die hard (Ryoto''s pov) Teacher: "Now, as it''s your first day, you''ll receive your very own Zanpakuto. Remember that all of the Zanpakuto here are Asauchi, meaning they don''t possess any spirits inside of them, but with time this will change. In the future, you''ll all learn how to enter your inner world andmunicate with your Zanpakuto spirit, but for now, you should get acustomed to having a sword around." The teacher called someone inside who brought a lot of swords inside. Everyone created a line and took the Zanpakuto for themselves. I didn''t need one, so I stayed in my seat. The teacher didn''tment on it. I guess every teacher knows that I have my own Zanpakuto. After everyone got their new future partner, the lesson began. As it was the first lesson of the first day, we went over the general rules of the Academy. Nothing noteworthy. At the break, Yoruichi turned to me. Yoruichi: "Are you nuts?" Rin: "He is." Rin answered instead of me. Ryoto: "Hey!" I mean, I am, but I won''t admit it so easily. Yoruichi: "Did you really release your Reiatsu against Head Captain?" Ryoto: "I want awyer." Kisuke: "What''s awyer?" Right, we are technically in the past. I don''t know exactly whenwyer as a job started appearing, but it was around 18-19th century. In Japan, at least. Ryoto: "Someone to help stupid people write documents for them and apany them to the ce where their fate will be decided." Rin wanted to say something, but she couldn''t. I wasn''t wrong after all. Yoruichi: "So why do you need this wyer'' right now?" Ryoto: "Don''t worry, you''ll understand when you''re older." I treated her like a little girl, and I think she didn''t like it. Yoruichi: "So you think that you''re an adult surrounded by children now, aren''t you?" Ryoto: "No, of course not..." I still had the high ground, and I''m not surrendering it. Seeing that her tactics didn''t work, she changed and started trying to fluster me. Yoruichi: "An adult, are you~? So, you won''t be bothered by a child showing some skin, right~?" She showed off her thigh that was hidden under the uniform, which really should be a crime. They were fantastic but jokes on her. I''m almost immune to being seduced, or should I say L made me immune. But others weren''t, and she gathered some attention. She, however, wasn''t bothered by some extra eyes. But on the other hand, I got a great idea. I showed my legs but didn''t pull up hakama, which confused Yoruichi, but Rin had a look of realization, but she was a bit toote. Rin: "Wait!!! Don''t do-" The blue hakama around my right leg burst, exposing my leg in the process as a piece of clothing struck her forehead. If she wants to challenge me, then she is very wee. I looked incredibly proud of what I did while everyone around me was shocked or didn''t process what just happened. The only exceptions were Rin and Urahara. Rin face palmed, disappointed that she couldn''t stop me but also slightly happy that I didn''t destroy all of my clothes this time. Urahara, on the other hand, was trying to understand how I did that and probably even more. Rin: "...Ryoto, you really should stop doing that." Ryoto: "You can''t take away one of the few joys I have in the afterlife. There aren''t any lollipops here either, and I don''t think we''re in hell." I turned to Urahara. Ryoto: "We aren''t, are we?" He shook his head while still thinking about the mysterious phenomenon. I''m envious of his multitasking. I need the ability to do that while he can do it naturally. But now, a new problem has arisen. Half of my hakama is torn up. I will need to tell the teacher about it. I''m hoping that I won''t need to pay for it. Maybe I can shift the me to lousy material or sewing fault, but I have many witnesses around me... The good news is it''s easier to find a job inside Seireitei, so I''ll be able to pay for it soon. Either way, I''ll find a job for some ie. We get small pocket money in the Academy, so we don''t starve, but it''s always better to have some extra cash lying around. --- As I was walking through the Academy to the training ground, I noticed that a lot of people were looking at me weirdly. Probably because of the destroyed hakama, but it doesn''t bother me anymore. I''m used to people staring at me. But there''s also a reason why I''m behaving like that. If everyone thinks I''m some kind of weirdo, then they won''t bother me in the future. They''ll try to avoid me. And if all people will try to avoid me, then no one will try to see through me or whatever I am hiding, and even if I do something suspicious in the future, everyone will think that it''s just my usual weird self. I''m not trying to cover my actions with a logical exnation after I did something in the spur of the moment. Really. Wait, who am I trying to convince? Maybe myself? Not important right now. The whole ss is currently in the dojo. We''ll be training Zanjutsu, also known as the Art of the sword. Most of the people here know the basics already, and Rin and I weren''t the exceptions, but we still went over the basics. After the ss had ended, I was called by the teacher. Teacher: "Yuuki-kun, do you know why I stopped you now?" Looking at my bare leg, I could guess. Ryoto: "Whoever said that I destroyed that tree is lying!" Teacher: "Yes, it''s about the un-. What?" I didn''t destroy any trees today. The teacher was thrown out of his loop, so he decided to ignore what I had just said. Teacher: "Forget it. What happened to your uniform?" I didn''t answer it immediately as I showed off my other leg, and before the confused teacher could ask what I was doing, the hakama around my other leg burst, leaving my lower body parts open for view. Maybe I should have destroyed my sleeves. Ryoto: "Do you by any chance have any reserve uniform?" --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 176: Typical day Chapter 176: Typical day (Teacher''s pov) I was lucky and unlucky at the same time. Teaching the first ss is the dream of every teacher at the academy, and it was mine as well. It would be my first time teaching elites, so I was rightfully nervous. I was also going to have a troublemaker in ss. His name is Ryoto Yuuki, and he broke the device we are using to measure Reiryoku. Not only that, he challenged Head Captain himself in the Reiatsu battle, and I was sweating the entire time. If he isn''t scared of a man known as the strongest Shinigami, then why would he be respectful to me? What''s worse, he is not my only concern. In my ss is the princess of the Shihoin n. Am I going to survive? What if she executes me because she doesn''t like me? At least I only need to survive one year. After that, they change teachers to be more specialized, but right now, I''m going to teach them every subject. Zanjutsu is the first lesson and Yuuki-kun, the troublemaker, is training with half of his hakama destroyed. Is he bullied, but who would be brave enough to bully him? Is it the heir to the Shihoin n? I can''t think of anyone else. I called Yuuki-kun to ask about the hakama, and he demonstrated how his clothes burst open. Is his Reiatsu so powerful it can destroy clothes!? I need help with this ss! (Ryoto''s pov) I got myself a free uniform, and I''ll try to restrain myself from destroying more until I have more money. Rin was waiting for me outside the dojo. Rin: "Do you really need to cause trouble everywhere you go?" Ryoto: "Trust me, I want to have a quiet and simple life, but the moment I got engaged to L, it was thrown outside the window, but I don''t regret having her by my side even a bit." My words were full of happiness. Talking about L always makes my mood slightly better. Her ever-so-happy way of living is contagious even in another world. Rin: "Do you still love her?" Rin asked a bit shyly but to answer this question, I didn''t hesitate to answer. Ryoto: "Of course I love her. I also love Alme, Kaede, and Rio." Rin looked dejected, but she picked up thest two names she wasn''t familiar with. Rin: "Kaede and Rio?" Ryoto: "My girlfriends from middle school that started high school the day of the ident." Rin: "So you had a harem?" Ryoto: "It just happened. I couldn''t give up on L, but I had feelings for other girls, so L said to date all of them at the same time." Rin: "I see..." She then turned away from me so I couldn''t see her face, but if I could, I would see a small smile, and under her breath, she muttered so quietly that even I wasn''t able to hear it. Rin: "So that means I have a chance." (E/D: Nothing to see here everyone, just a typical harem plotline.) We then went to start the next ss. --- The next ss was history, and it was boring. We talked about Five Great Noble Houses, but I didn''t learn anything new. Afterward, we had Kido lessons, but it was only theory for now, but it was still interesting. Kido are spells produced with strong Reiryoku and fall into two categories. Hado (Way of destruction) for direct attacks and Bakudo (Way of binding) for battle support. To use them, you need an incantation. An experienced user could use them without any incantations, but the effectiveness of the spell would be reduced. The spells are graded from 1 to 99, and the higher the number of the spell, the more powerful it is. There are, however, instances where an expert spell with a lower number is more potent than a novice spell with a bigger number. What I want to say is that it alles to proficiency. The best example of that is Aizen. I want to learn as many of these spells as I can. It will be handy in the future. Even if I''m not proficient in them and know only some of them, it''s still a few more I would be able to use if I learn them. Later we had Hakudo ss again in a dojo. The teacher demonstrated some basic techniques, and we tested them out on the person we paired up with. I was already trained in some hand-to-handbat by Karasuma. Even though most of the time I was rxing under the tree, there were times when I trained, and now that I''m without spider-sense, I need martial arts more than ever. --- The school ended for the day, and now I had a choice to make. Should I go to the library to start learning about Kido as much as I can, go to the dojo and train my swordsmanship even further or go around the shopping area and look for a job? I decided to look for a job first. What I need is a job that I won''t need to go to every day as I want to train as well. I''m not in need of cash right now, but having some extra cash lying around would be nice, just in case. --- I got the job. It was easier than I thought. So that''s one thing out of the list. It didn''t even take that long, so I still had some time to do something different. I decided to use that time to train my swordsmanship. The students at the academy are free to use the dojo whenever they please. There were multiple dojos, by the way, so it wasn''t crowded as one would think. It was empty right now, in fact. Perfect. Today I nned to train with Zangetsu in his released state. I''m training with it mostly in my inner world, but I should get some practice in the real world as well. I won''t be able to fire off Getsuga Tenshou, but techniques with the bigger sword are different than an ordinary katana. Ryoto: "Pierce through the heavens! Zangetsu!" As I released Zangetsu, I heard a voice behind me. ???: "So you already know your Zanpakuto''s name." --- END Discord server: Chapter 177: *Spoiler* Chapter 177: *Spoiler* (Ryoto''s pov) I was surprised by the voice behind me. It happened two times in two days. I will need to work on my instincts, but for now, I turned back to discover who snuck up to me. ... I see. Of course, it would be a Captain. But of course, it couldn''t be an ordinary Captain. No, it needs to be a Yamamoto fucking Genryusai. He won''t hesitate to kill me if he thinks I''m a threat to Soul Society. On the other hand, he allowed Zaraki to be Captain and even wanted to teach him kendo, so maybe it won''t be so bad. I should probably answer, though, but I only nodded. Yamamoto: "A talented youngster but a bit too bold." Ryoto: "I won''t deny it." I acknowledged what he had just said, but the question remained. What was he doing here? Ryoto: "So how can I help the Head Captain himself, although I doubt I would be of any assistance to someone of your status and strength." Yamamoto: "I need to move these old bones of mine from time to time, and seeing you in the dojo, I decided to ask you for a spar." I looked at him as if he got senile. Ryoto: "Do I look like I stand a chance against you?" Yamamoto: "Youngsters shouldn''t think about small details like these, and I certainly didn''t take you for someone who hesitates in front of a challenge." Well, I don''t lose anything here. Fighting against someone stronger is always the fastest way to improve. Ryoto: "Well, I don''t mind. Let''s fight using wooden swords. The one who gives up first(me) loses." We took the swords and got into our positions, and the first thing I did was observe. He looked rxed, but there weren''t any openings I could use to my advantage. I was expecting it but seeing it reminded me of the time I faced Gid. The difference is that this time I don''t need to worry about being killed, but the feeling of helplessness is still the same. Yamamoto was waiting for me to make a move, but I knew if I didn''t do something soon, he woulde at me, and being in a defensive position against him wasn''t ideal. I rushed at him with a basic swing from above the head to see his reaction. Yamamoto, as expected, dodged it by side-stepping. I was prepared for it. I didn''t stop my swing in midair but struck the ground and used the sword to hold myself in the air, and attempted to kick Yamamoto in the head. He caught my foot firmly and effortlessly. I wouldn''t be able to break free if he were to hold me with all his strength, so I didn''t try it right now. Pushing the sword against the ground, Iunched myself up and used the momentum to swing at his head, but once again, he blocked it with his sword. I was about to kick using my free leg but seeing my intention Yamamoto threw me to the ground. I recovered without any issue, and now I was standing on the other side while Yamamoto didn''t move from his position. I don''t know why but it pisses me off. Yamamoto: "You''re very agile for someone so young. Your way of fighting is unorthodox, but you use it well." Ryoto: "Thanks for thepliment." I was thinking. What can I do? It''s not very often I get the chance to test everything I can and on the living opponent no less. I grinned. Not because I enjoyed fighting, but because I enjoyed improving a lot. --- We''ve been sparring for a while now. I have lost track of time. During that time, I didn''t manage tond even one hit. I was already tired, but I had onest thing I wanted to test. I evened my breathing, focused entirely on what I was going to do, and got into a different stance. I don''t know why but I feel like I am near a breakthrough with this technique. Seeing that something was different, Yamamoto opened his eyes slightly and was ready to take whatever attack I was about to send. The curve of my de was going downwards while I held the sword at the level of my head. The handle was next to my head while I had my back turned towards Yamamoto, and my sword wasn''t even facing him. (A/N You all know where this is going, right?) (E/D: Tsubame Gaeshi!) Shortly after, there was a silence. I was about to use the technique while Yamamoto was awaiting it. With incredible speed, I shed once horizontally and once vertically, but it seemed like I did these two swings at the same time. Or was it at the same time? I''m not really sure, but I couldn''t do the third swing. It was beyond me right now. Yamamoto, for the first time, seemed surprised, and before I could strike him, I was thrown to the floor before I couldprehend what had happened. I practically didn''t feel my fall, and while I was lying on the ground, I startedughing like an idiot. Ryoto: "Hahahahaha!" Finally progress! It''s still iplete, but I''m one step closer to obtaining this technique. On the other hand, Yamamoto looked at me and was deciding something that I wasn''t aware of at that moment. I was too busy being happy about my progress. Yamamoto: "Boy, what was that?" Ryoto: "Huh?" Yamamoto: "That technique." He rified. Ryoto: "Nothing much. I worked on this for about a year and have finally seen some improvements. It''s the first time I was able to do two swings." Yamamoto: "So you''re saying that it''s notplete." Ryoto: "Pretty much. I don''t know how long it will be before I finish it, but I''m not going to give up until I can kill a swallow with this attack." Not expecting this answer, Yamamoto was a little confused. Yamamoto: "You mean hollow?" Ryoto: "Hollows are just bigger swallows." Yamamoto: "...We will need to work on your education." Ryoto: "We?" Yamamoto: "Yes, since you''ll be my student." (E/D: It was fun while itsted. Ryoto Yuuki, the protagonist of this story... I didn''t like him much and his uncultured behavior pissed me off a lot of times... but still having read and edited this story for... how many chapters was it again? 26 chapters yes! I have grown close to him and now that he has be the student of Yamamoto............... I pray for him to rest in peace. Amen.) (E/D: Did you I worked as a part-time priest?) --- END Title: Bing a student Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 178: Is Rin the only normal person there? Chapter 178: Is Rin the only normal person there? (Yamamoto''s pov) How many years has it been since I decided to teach someone? There wasn''t anyone since Shunsui and Juushirou. These two boys truly were geniuses, and here I found another one. He is very young for a soul, but he already can use Shikai but isn''t solely dependent on it. But the thing that made me take him as my student was hisst technique. It wasn''t just two fast swings that looked like they were made at the same time. They were made at the same time, and he said it took him one year to create this technique. We''ll see how it goes, but I have high hopes. I''ll need to fix his short temper, though. I don''t have high hopes since Shunsui didn''t change in all these years. *Sigh* (Ryoto''s pov) I got myself a teacher, and it''s the best teacher I could ask for. Not only that, I can use iplete Tsubame Gaeshi. Today was a very great day, but when I exited the dojo it was alreadyte, so I went straight to the boys'' dorm. Surprisingly Urahara wasn''t in the room either. Is he building a secret base somewhere? I remember him having this kind of hobby, but he probably is studying or inventing. Having nothing to do, I went to sleep. --- The next day when I woke up, Urahara still wasn''t in the room. Did he pull an all-nighter? Well, I''ll see him in ss. As I was near the entrance to the main building, I saw Rin waiting for me. Ryoto: "Sup Rin." I greeted her normally, but I was excited to share the news with her. Ryoto: "Rin, do you remember that ''stupid'' technique?" Rin: "Yes... What about it?" Ryoto: "Yesterday, I became one step closer topleting it." I was thrilled because of that, and it was showing. Rin: "What? I don''t believe you!" Ryoto: "Believe me or not, it happened, and I can show it to you." Rin: "Sure, show me, but right now, we should hurry so we won''t bete." She doesn''t believe me, but it only makes it better when she witnesses the power of a swallow killer. We went to the ssroom, and I noticed that Urahara still wasn''t there, so I decided to ask Yoruichi about it. Ryoto: "Hey Yoruichi, what happened to Urahara? I haven''t seen him since yesterday, and he didn''t even return to the room for a night." Yoruichi: "Don''t worry, don''t worry. He does that sometimes. When he gets interested in something, he forgets about everything else. If you''re not careful, he may even starve to death." Sounds serious, but who am I to judge? As we were discussing about Urahara, he entered the ssroom with big circles under his eyes. It looks like he didn''t sleep and was clearly tired. While yawning, he greeted us. Kisuke: "Good morning..." Ryoto: "Found something interesting?" He grinned at this question as if he was waiting for it. Kisuke: "Yep~ Your yesterday''s demonstration gave me a fantastic idea." Rin: "Which is?" Rin seemed to be suspicious of Urahara, and I don''t deny that he looks sketchy butpared to what he''ll end up looking right now is his most honest look. Urahara: "Why talk when I can show it!" He excitedly took out a small machine and gave it to Rin. Urahara: "I advise you to keep it in your hand as far away from the center of your body as possible and push the small button~." Rin, however, didn''t follow his instructions. Rin: "Why are you talking like it''s dangerous?" Urahara: "It''s a prototype, so of course, it could have some unwanted effects, but I assure you that your life isn''t in any danger." Rin: "So why won''t YOU showcase this invention of yours?" I got closer to Urahara and showed him a piece of paper with a message written on it. ''Does this device have any corrtion with what I did yesterday?'' Was written on the paper, and Urahara nodded. Before I could say anything, the small machine started working even when it wasn''t turned on. Rin seeing it quickly, tried to throw it away, but before it left her hand, it was able to destroy her sleeve. Yep, Urahara truly is a genius, but the question is, did he create it out of curiosity, perverted fantasies, or did he see useful uses in this ability? Not that it''s important, but I''m slightly curious. Rin wasn''t as curious as me and hit him with the scabbard of her Zanpakuto on the head. She basically bonked him. Utsu would be proud. (E/D: Utsu right now: Rin! Oh! How you have grown up! I am so proud of you!*starts crying like an anime dad*) Urahara: "Ow ow ow, Kujo-san. Why did you hit me." Hemented as he massaged his hurt head. Rin: "What do you mean by why did I hit you!? You tried to get me naked by using this perverted invention!!!" We got the attention of the entire ss once again, but no one in our group minded it as we were busy with our stuff. Ryoto: "Rin, don''t you see the genius of this invention!" Rin: "You don''t get any voice in it. You destroy your own clothes for fun!" Ryoto: "I do that, but it doesn''t make my opinion any less important." Rin ignored me. Rin: "Shihoin-San, please say something." Rin knew that Yoruichi was kind of a leader figure in their group and was hoping for her to reprimand Urahara, but... Yoruichi: "Kisuke, you are a genius!" Yoruichi loves teasing and pranking others, so she would enjoy using these machines on others. Ryoto: "Told you so, Rin." Yoruichi: "By the way, call me Yoruichi." Rin: "Huh?" Yoruichi: "You call me Shihoin-San, but I would prefer calling me just by my name." Yoruichi: "I''ll call you Rin as well. Deal?" Rin: "Then Yoruichi-San." Ryoto: "By the way, you can call me Ryoto too." I never cared for honorifics anyway. And so my school life continues. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 179: One year Chapter 179: One year (Ryoto''s pov) Months went on, and I was learning a lot but also found myself enjoying my time there. I was helping Urahara with some of his inventions using my mathematical expertise, but I was also using this opportunity to learn about machines. This may not be my talent but knowing something is better than knowing nothing, in this case at least. With Yoruichi, I was pranking others which was therapeutic. I didn''t get close to Tessai, but he really was talented in Kido (who would have guessed), and our group, Rin, Yoruichi, Urahara, and I, were using Tessai''s help with Kido whenever we had time. Rin was also getting closer, or rather was getting drugged to be friends with Yoruichi. She also smiles more often, which makes me happy, but I suspect that it''s because she finally epted her fate which I don''t know how to feel about it. I have, however, a n to make her realize that we are in another world without telling her. In the future, we will have a mission in the living world, and when she sees that Japan here is different from the one wee from, some gears will hopefully start turning and give her hope for returning to our original world. (E/D: Or... She can just have another mental breakdown. Great thinking genius. p! p! p! p!) (A/N It will happen either way _()_/ ) Speaking of Rin, I couldn''t show her Tsubame Gaeshi. I couldn''t replicate what I did before. Was it because I wasn''t in ''the zone'' or something like that? I don''t know, but I have a long way before I can kill a swallow but know this, I''m never going to give up trying, and now that I tasted sess, I''m even more motivated! My training with Yamamoto-sensei was going well as well. He is pretty strict with my training, and we did nothing more than Zanjutsu training. I repeat, only Zanjutsu training and lots of meditating. I mean, I improved a lot, but my young and impatient side wants to learn more and faster. Hopefully, soon we''ll move on with different lessons. By the way, remember when I was doing 1000 swings during my training with Rin? I''m starting to miss it. Yamamoto-sensei made me once swing until I literally couldn''t anymore and then forced me to spar him. At this point, I want tond at least one hit. I still have my trump card, but I''m going to use it when I''m stronger for an extra surprise. Today I am free to do whatever I want. I sneaked out of school just for today as it''s the 12th of April, a day when Rin and I were transported to this world. I decided to be alone for most of the day. I went outside Seireitei and found a small and cozy forest on a hill. It wasn''t that far off from the gates. Exactly one year has passed, and many more wille. I will probably change a lot. You could say I already changed. I don''t like killing, I''m not a psychopath, but I wouldn''t hesitate to kill if needed. I certainly didn''t hesitate while killing Oshima. I also know that it won''t be thest time I will kill someone. What I''m getting at is that I won''t be getting back home the same. Will I be able to look L or Mikan in the eyes without any problem? Will returning to everyday life be easy? I don''t know, and I won''t know until it happens, but I didn''t take this day off toment over myself even. No, it''s to remind me why I needed to change. That day I promised myself to keep Rin safe because I was responsible for her ending up in this world. I didn''t want to allow anyone to get hurt because of me again. I was ready to do whatever was necessary, and I did precisely that. I still regret not making a better choice back then, but I must live with the choices I made. However, I''m also aware that I won''t be able to protect Rin from everything, but that doesn''t mean I''m not going to try! Rin will grow stronger, but she will also be forced to kill or, at the very least, experience war and the dark side of humanity. We will live through Quincy''s extermination and,ter on, Quincy''s invasion. All I can do is rmend her to the safest squad. 11th and 12th are out of options. At the moment 12th squad is safe, butter she would be safer with Aizen than with Mayuri. But if I''m going by this logic, then I can cross out 5th, 7th, 3rd, Kido''s Corps, and 13th. The first four are because they were in the incident that created Visored. 5th and 3rd are extra bad becauseter on, Aizen and Gin became the Captians there. 13th, on the other hand, became a yground for Aizen''s experiments but let''s be honest, the whole Seireitei is his yground. The 4th, 6th, 8th, 9th, and 10th Divisions are rtively safe. As safe as military institutions can be, at least. *Sigh* I went off topic again. I should stop overthinking, but it''s hard to do that when one mistake can cause Rin to die. What was I talking about? Right! I made a promise to myself that I would keep her safe whatever the cost, but it doesn''t make my sins go away. That''s why on this hill where seldom anyonees, I made a grave. It wasn''t for anyone specific, but if I was to say it would be for old me. Cringe, I know. Karen wouldugh at me for making it, but I don''t want to be an emotionless killer. I''ll be a monster for the sake of Rin, but I want to remember that every single person I killed was... a person. That''s why I made two small strokes on the grave with Zangetsu. Is this what Gid felt when he was conquering the Gxy? Maybe something different. He doesn''t have a simr personality to mine, so who knows, but I know that his hands aren''t clean either. I would like to hear what he has to say, but it''s not possible for now. Afterward, I sat under the tree and just sat there. Not doing anything particr, just enjoying the weather and going through my memoryne. I sat there until the sun started setting. It looks like it''s time to return. I feel a little better. I''ll make it a yearly tradition. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 180: Hearing that voice for the first time Chapter 180: Hearing that voice for the first time (Rin''s pov) That''s strange. Ryoto didn''te to ss today, and it doesn''t seem like him to do that. As far as I know, Ryoto is very diligent when ites to training. Shame that he focuses on stupid things at times. I smiled subconsciously at the thought of Ryoto''s shenanigans. I think I like him. I''m not sure since I have never liked anyone before. But even if that''s the case, I''m not nning on confessing any time soon. I want to get stronger first and more independent. After Ryoto returned injured after hepleted his job, I realized that I was too dependent on him. I may have helped when he was injured, but I''m aware that he would do a much better job than me. I want to stand by his side, not behind him. I''m even more talented in Kido than him, so that''s one step closer to my goal. On this topic, I am envious of Yoruichi''s self-confidence. We became somehow friends, or should I say I was forced to be one by her because she wouldn''t leave me alone, but overall it was a good thing. I needed someone to break the walls I created around myself and allowed only Ryoto near me. Tessai is also very nice, but I can''t stand Urahara for some reason, and I can''t say why. He is somehow simr to Ryoto, but as I said, I don''t like him. He is shady, and his inventions are strange but what pisses me off even more, is that he is more talented than me! Even at Kido, which I excel at. I wouldn''t mind if it was only that, but he is also excellent in Zanjutsu and Hakuda. We didn''t start learning Hoho yet, but I can guess that he will be great at it as well. In short, he is a genius, but I think what makes me angry is that I must work myself to death while he learns everything at least two times as fast as me and has time to rx. I''ve seen him sleeping in sses multiple times and cking during Zanjutsu lessons, so why is he still better than me!? But it''s not important right now. I may not like him, but he is Ryoto''s roommate, so he should have some idea where he is. Rin: "Urahara-San." I called Urahara-San, who was sleeping in his seat. Kisuke: "Huh?" He woke up but still was sleepy. Kisuke: "Oh, if it isn''t Kujo-san. How can I help you today~." Rin: "Have you seen Ryoto today? He isn''t in ss today, and he doesn''t tend to skip school." Yoruichi: "I''m curious as well!" Yoruichi-San joined the conversation. Kisuke: "I don''t know the details. He only mentioned that he would be skipping school for the entire day. Something to do with anniversary." Anniversary? Rin: "What''s today''s date?" Kisuke: "12th of April." 12th of April... My eyes went wide open, realizing what today''s date meant. I sometimes forget that Ryoto can be affected by our situation. He tends to beposed and is joking around, but who knows what''s going on inside his head. I am worried, but I should probably leave him to himself. He rarely has time to himself nowadays. He is either hanging out with us, learning at Academy, or training. It''s like he is short on time. Yoruichi: "So what happened? Knowing him, he ns a new prank or trains like crazy." Rin: "It''s the day... Ryoto and I arrived at Soul Society." It became awkward. ???: "See, you killed the mood!" Rin: "What did you say!?" I mean, it was true but did Yoruichi-San really need to say it? But Yoruichi-San looked confused at my outburst. Yoruichi: "I didn''t say anything." What? But before I could question her any further to get to the bottom of whatever was happening teacher entered the ssroom. Teacher: "Settle down, everyone. Today you all be trying tomunicate with your Zanpakuto. It has been a few months since you got your partner, and while I''m not expecting anyone to seed, I''ll be teaching you the method to learn your Zanpakuto''s name." We went to the dojo and started meditating to attempt to speak with our swords. Going to this Academy helped me understand what Ryoto meant by saying that he has Zangetsu with him. It was his Zanpakuto''s name. I should ask him for some pointers since he already achieved Shikai. As I had my Zanpakuto on myp, I felt as if my consciousness was getting pulled somewhere. I didn''t resist it since it felt... right. When I opened my eyes, I was inside the dojo, but it wasn''t the same one that I was just meditating in. It was a dojo where I trained since I was a little girl. Dojo near Saki-sama''s mansion. So this is my inner world. Very suiting, I like it. ???: "Well, well, well, if it isn''t Rin-chan herself. I thought you would never be able to hear my voice!" A very cheerful voice in nature came behind me, and as I turned around, I saw a high school gyaru girl. She had long blond hair, a stylized school uniform, long nails, and some make-up. She was also slightly tanned, but not to ridiculous effect. To top it all off, she had bigger breasts than me. ???: "Jealous? Don''t be. With some make-up and better clothes, we will turn you into seducing machine!" She covered her smile with her hand. Rin: "I''m not jealous!" Is she really my Zanpakuto looking? She seems too...x. Wait, that voice. Rin: "Was that you that spoke to me before about killing the mood?" ???: "It was totally me. You need to learn to keep the room light. No one wants to hear your sad story, and neither should you focus on it. Just have fun!" She did a spin. How is she part of me? I put a hand on my face. I''m disappointed in myself. Rin: " Can we skip all that talking? I just want to know your name." ???: "Should I or should I not tell you? You are pretty mean to me. I would cry, but it would ruin my make-up." She faked her sadness. It was obvious she was acting. Rin: "Please?" I had nothing to lose in trying this. ???: "Hmm... Since you asked so nicely, why not!" She smiled. Was it that easy, or is she making fun of me again? Can she even tell me a fake name? How would that even work? I stopped all my thoughts so I could focus solely on hearing her name. ???: "Listen closely because I won''t be repeating! The name of your beautiful, powerful, and most importantly humble Zanpakuto is *****!" She moved her lips, but no sound wasing out. Rin: "What did you say?" ???: "Sorry, nor repeats! Good luck next time!" And just like that, I was kicked out of my inner world. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 181: A little lesson about Zanpakuto Chapter 181: A little lesson about Zanpakuto I was about to leave, but I heard a voice behind me. At this point, I was ustomed to it since Yamamoto-sensei was doing it regrly. Does he enjoy sneaking up on people? I turn around to face him. Ryoto: "Out for a walk?" Yamamoto: "To find a brat who skipped today''s training." Ryoto: "Sorry, I needed to do something." Sensei was looking at me while releasing some Reiatsu, but it quickly died down. Yamamoto: "Are you done with your business here?" Ryoto: "For today, but I''ll being next year." I then pped my hands. Ryoto: "Enough with this sad mood. You came here to train me, so let''s get going with that!" That day''s training session was a lot harder than usual. I shouldn''t skip training if possible. Angry Yamamoto equals unhappy Ryoto. --- The next day I was going to the ssroom, and Rin was waiting for me. I was expecting her to be angry for not telling her about skipping sses, but she was looking... annoyed? The strange thing was her annoyance wasn''t directed at me. Ryoto: "Did something happen?" Rin didn''t notice me and was startled by me but quickly recovered herposure. Rin: "Good morning, Ryoto. It''s nothing. Yesterday I got to meet my Zanpakuto spirit, and it didn''t go too well." She sighed. Ryoto: "Did it try to kill you?" Rin: "What? No!" Ryoto: "Then I would call it a sess. When I got inside my inner world for the first time, Zangetsu beat me up." Zangetsu: ''And I would do it again!'' He said inside my head. ''Not now.'' Rin: "Why...?" I shrugged my shoulders. Ryoto: "He still didn''t tell me. I like to think that he has a nasty personality. But you know what, even if I''m saying that I trust him with my life." After all, he helped me more often than not. Ryoto: "There is also something important to remember. While a Zanpakuto is part of you and it knows everything about you. You should think of it as its own person. It has its own likes, dislike, and most importantly, it doesn''t necessarily share your desires." Rin was in deep thought because of what I said. Rin: "What is your Zanpakuto spirit like?" She surprised me with that question, but I smiled as I was thinking about the answer. Ryoto: "Zangetsu is a battle junkie. He loves to battle, and he doesn''t care if you''re a man, woman, young or old. If you are strong, he''ll want to fight. At the recruitment test, I met Captain of the 4th Division, and Zangetsu released Reiatsu at her." I decided to release my Shikai. Ryoto: "Pierce through the heavens, Zangetsu." The sword transformed into something that resembles an oversized khyber knife. In this state, the Reiatau it''s releasing is more violent than when it is dormant. Ryoto: "As you can see Zangetsu is a violent Zanpakuto. His desire to battle floods out and wees any challenges. It is reflected in his battle style as well. He is a genius when ites to fighting and what I do is just imitation of what he has shown me even though he wants me to learn by myself as much as possible." Rin: "Does that mean that technique that you are practicing..." Ryoto: "No, it was my own idea to do that." She looked at me with an expression of utter defeat and disappointment. I returned Zangetsu to its former form. I didn''t want to carry him in his Shikai form. He is, after all, almost as long as me. But to think that Rin can alreadymunicate with her Zanpakuto, and from what I heard from her, her sword isn''t as difficult as mine, but she didn''t want to tell me anything about what kind of spirit she has. She seemed embarrassing when I asked her about it, so my curiosity is at an all-time high, but I won''t pry too much... for now. We went inside the ssroom, and as I was about to sit down, Yamamoto-sensei entered the room. Yamamoto: "Brat, you are going with me today." It looks like I''ll be going with him today. I turned to Rin. Ryoto: "It looks like I''ll be absent today as well I''ll see youter." I then turned to Urahara. Ryoto: "And when I return, I want to talk to you about something. It''s important." He nodded, hearing my serious tone. After that exchange, I went together with Sensei. --- Ryoto: "So where are we going? It must be important if you took me out of the Academy just before the sses." Yamamoto: "You''ll know when we get there." He vanished using Shunpo. I just learned how to do it, and I''m not the most proficient at it at the moment, and he already expects me to follow his speed. I know he slow downs considerably, so I could follow but still. I haven''t mastered the technique. Yoruichi is better at it than me, but it''s not fair topare myself with her for two reasons. First, in the future, she will be known as sh Goddess, the fastest Shunpo user in the whole Soul Society, and second, She already could do it before she started Academy. She must have been taught by someone from her family, and going to Academy is just a check on her checklist before she bes a real Shinigami. After some time, I caught up to Sensei, who was waiting for me with his stern look. It didn''t mean that he was annoyed or impatient. It''s his standard look. Yamamoto: "You took your time getting here. I had time to prepare and drink my tea before you arrived." Right, he had this kind of hobby. I looked around, and we were at the 8th Division''s barracks. If I remember correctly, It''s Shunsui Kyoraku''s Division. He is one of only two, now three, people that were personally trained by Yamamoto-sensei. We walked inside, and the first thing that one would notice was a sleeping man in the middle of the room with a straw hat covering his eyes. I could practically hear annoyanceing from Sensei. He walked up to the man and smacked him with his staff, that is, in reality, his Zanpakuto to wake up the man. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 182: Meeting Shunsui Chapter 182: Meeting Shunsui (A/N Fun fact. If Ryoto had a persona, it would be Jekyll & Hyde. This is a small hint to future, important reveal. Have fun figuring it out~.) (Ryoto''s pov) The man that was woken up by Sensei was Shunsui Kyoraku, the Captain of the 8th Division. Shunsui: "Aw! Lisa-chan, don''t hit me just because I''m sleeping. We all need some time to rx, and I still have a hungover after yesterday." Shunsui looked around, still half asleep. Shunsui: "Oh, if it isn''t Yama-jii. What brings you to my Division''s humble dojo~." Thisment earned him another smack on the head. Yamamoto: "Did you already forget what I talked about a few days ago!?" Shunsui tried to recall what his teacher meant. Shunsui: "...You told me that... I should take my duty as Captain more seriously?" He answered unsurely, but with every word, he became more confident that he was correct. Yamamoto: "Do I need to remind you what discipline means." Yamamoto-sensei said with a stern manner. Seeing that, Shunsui panicked. Shunsui: "I''m joking, I''m joking. You said that you wanted me to meet your new student. Even if you didn''t tell me, he is all the talk around Seireitei. It''s not often that you take someone as your student. Everyone is wondering what kind of a monster forced you to reach someone again after such a long time." He turned to me. Shunsui: "Speaking of which. Nice to meet you. I''m Shunsui Kyoraku, and I''m Captain of the 8th Division. At some point, I was also Yama-jii''s student, so it would make me your senpai." He introduced himself, so it was only natural to do the same. Ryoto: "Ryoto Yuuki, first year at the Academy. I''ll call you senpai from now on." I turned to Sensei. Ryoto: "So why did you bring me here? It wasn''t just to meet your old student, I presume." Yamamoto: "You two will have a sparring fight." Ryoto: "Did you finally go senile?" Thisment earned me a smack on the head before I even noticed. Yamamoto: "Learn to respect your elders and, more importantly, your teacher!" He cleared his throat. Yamamoto: "For thest five months, you were training Zanjutsu exclusively with me, not counting your lessons at Academy..." And my training sessions with Zangetsu. Yamamoto: "...But fighting only with one person for a long time can create habits that can be exploited by experienced opponents. In addition, we didn''t train your Shikai in any way to focus on your foundation, but today you are allowed to go all out. Shunsui, you, on the other hand, are not allowed to release your Shikai, and if Ryoto manages to even scratch you, I''ll send you even more paperwork." Shunsui hearing this didn''t change his expression. He was either very confident, or he wasn''t scared of the punishment. Yamamoto: "And ill make sure to tell your lieutenant to watch over you the entire time until you finish your work." Hearing that, Shunsui''s face paled. Shunsui: "Please, everything but that! What about my rxing time!? Lisa-chan won''t let me rest!" (E/D: Is he my long lost brother or something. Why am I feeling his pain. PAIN!!!!) He probably nned to give all that work to his lieutenant. Ryoto: "Then do I get a reward if I win this little challenge?" The attention shifted once more to me. Yamamoto: "If you scratch Shunsui, I''ll hear out one of your requests. If they are within reason, of course." My brain started thinking about the possibilities. I could ask Yamamoto-sensei for a lot of things, but maybe the best thing would be to hold this privilege until I''ll need it. But first, I''ll need to win this little bet. Before I forget, though... Ryoto: "What happens if this ce is destroyed? Who will be paying for that?" I''m not nning on going into debt. Yamamoto: "All the damage will be taken care of by me, so go all out." I smiled hearing it and released Zangetsu instantly. Ryoto: "Pierce through the heavens, Zangetsu!" I then turned to Shunsui. Ryoto: "What are we waiting for then? Let''s start it!" Drawing both of his swords, he waited for me to make a move, and I decided to start big. I made a wide horizontal swing. Ryoto: "Getsuga Tenshou!!!" Both of their eyes went wide as an arc of Reiatsu shot out from my Zanpakuto. Shunsui: "Phew, what a scary attack." His voice wasing from behind me. I swear, the moment I can Shunpo as fast as they can, I''m going to teleport behind others left and right. I swung my sword just to make him create distance between us. I then grabbed Zangetsu by the cloth and started spinning it. As I was doing it, I was quietly reciting incantation for Bakudo. I covered my mouth with the fabric from the sword. Shunsui was effortlessly deflecting my attacks with a smile on his face. I was fine with that because I was just done with the incantation. Ryoto: "Bakudo #1 Sai!" I tried to band him. I knew it would be able to stop him, but if I created even a fraction of a second for me to make a move, it would be worthy, but Shunsui broke through my spell quicker than I expected. Shunsui: "Nice try~. But covering your mouth was a big giveaway." It was either that or reciting it out loud. I need to learn to use chantless Kido. I am once againpletely outssed. I spun Zangetsu over my head and tried to m it on Shunsui. I was hoping for him to block my strike, and that''s what he did. Ryoto: "Getsuga Tenshou!!!" I used Getsuga Tenshou at medium range and made Shunsui dodge it. At that exact moment, I activated probability calctions to predict where he''ll appear. I used my own Shunpo before my attack hit, and after that, I turned back Zangetsu to his sealed form to execute the finisher. Ryoto: "Tsubame Gaeshi!" I swung Zangetsu two times at the ce where Shunsui appeared, and surprised by the iing attack, he blocked both of my strikes with his own two swords. If I could do one more swing, I would be able to hit him, but I should be happy that I could use Tsubame Gaeshi again. I don''t know why I could use it again, but I had a strange feeling inside me. I can''t put my finger on what it is, but I feel like I should know it. I''ll think about itter. Maybe Zangetsu knows something about it as well. Ryoto: "Well, it seems that I''m out of tricks. As expected of Captain. I couldn''t hit you even once." I put my hand out for a handshake, and Shunsui grabbed my hand. Shunsui: "Don''t be so down. You are pretty strong for your age. In another 50 years, I''m sure you''ll be able to wound me." He tried to encourage me, but I used this chance to scratch him with my nail. Feeling that his hand was scratched by me, he was puzzled until he paled at the realization. Ryoto: "I never said that I gave up~." As I secured my victory I grinned at Shunsui. (E/D: Ok. That was Big Brain.) --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 183: Judgment of character Chapter 183: Judgment of character (Ryoto''s pov) I was pretty proud of myself. I obviously couldn''tnd a hit on Shunsui, but because he was underestimating me, I could trick him. I did something simr to Koro-sensei if I recall correctly. Though that time, I ''borrowed'' the idea of Karma from the original work. I turned to Sensei, who wasn''t amused by my victory. Ryoto: "Something wrong, Sensei?" Yamamoto: "Ryoto, don''t you know how to respect property!?" He was angry. I looked around, and the whole dojo had a newly created view of the stars and Seireitei. Yeah, I wasn''t paying attention to property damage, but that''s why I asked who was paying. ... I think he got angry because the cost exceeded what he expected. After all, I had never shown him Getsuga Tenshou before. He must be so proud of me, seeing me so strong. Ryoto: "Before you yell at me, I have a few things to say." I raised my finger and stopped Yamamoto-sensei from saying anything. Ryoto: "First, I don''t regret anything, and second, don''t hate the yer, hate the game. I followed the rules, and I expect the reward." Shunsui, hearing thatughed. Shunsui: "Haha, I can''t believe that someone is brave enough to say that to Yama-jii''s face, but you must admit, Sensei, he won fair and square under the set rules." Yamamoto-sensei didn''t say anything but both Shunsui, and I could feel the temperature rising. He then looked at Shunsui with him turning to me. Yamamoto: "I''m doubling the amount of work I was supposed to give you, and you Ryoto will get the reward, but first do 1000 Shunpo before sunset. Otherwise, I''m doubling the amount tomorrow. Start!!!" I quickly began doing Shunpo as fast as I could. (Yamamoto''s pov) Maybe it was a bad idea to let Ryoto go all out. I didn''t expect him to have a devastating attack like this. It isn''t anything tooplicated as it''s just releasing highly condensed Reiatsu at his opponent. I feel conflicted. On the one hand, I am impressed by Ryoto''s fighting style. It''s ever so changing. While most Shinigami, after learning their Shikai depend on it too much and are defenseless without it. Ryoto, however, uses both of his Zanpakuto''s forms situationally. His Shikai lets him fight more wildly, while a sealed state makes him use more standard techniques. But that was not what I was most impressed by that. Yamamoto: "What do you think, Shunsui?" Shunsui: "The boy''s a monster. His fighting style is very flexible, but the scariest thing is that he could predict my movements." Just as I thought. Shunsui: "And hisst attack was scary. I blocked two swings at the same time,ing from one de. Could it be the ability of his Shikai? While it''s very rare, there are some Zanpakuto''s that remain in their sealed state while using its Shikai ability. Just like Ryujin Jakka stays the same and only releases mes, to say very simply." Yamamoto: "What do you think of him?" There''s no one better than Shunsui in seeing the true character of anyone he meets. It was one of the reasons I decided to let them meet. At my question, Shunsui started thinking. Shunsui: "Ryoto-kun has what it takes to be one of the strongest Shinigami in Sereitei. From what I''ve seen, he is a cunning little fe that will use every little trick and loophole to win. It''s not to say that he is obsessed with winning. He seems like someone I would enjoypany while drinking." Hmm. Shunsui: "But I feel like his loyalty doesn''t lie with Soul Society. He looks like he hides some secrets, but as long as the benefits outweigh the negatives, he will be a great ally." Yamamoto: "Are you saying that he is a danger to the Sereitei?" Shunsui: "Not exactly. What I want to say is that Ryoto-kun has something that he wants to protect at all costs. Even if he bes an enemy to the whole world. That''s how I felt in the past at some point, but my view of the world has changed. If I was enemy of the world, I couldn''t chase thedies afterall~." He joked at the end, which made me sigh. But he makes a great point. Ryoto is still young, and his views can be changed. He can also mellow down with age. It looks like my student will be full of trouble. I''m too old for this. (Ryoto''s pov) I was walking around the Academy in a great mood. I think it was one of the best days since I got here. Right now, in my mouth was a lollipop. Yes, a lollipop! I team tagged with Kisuke to create the first prototype. It wasn''t difficult as it was basically candy on a stick. Screw you, George Smith! I''m the creator of lollipops now! That was the important thing I needed to talk about with Urahara. I will share the joy of lollipops with people in Soul Society. Together with Kisuke, we opened a candy shop, but as we were the students at Academy and after graduation, we will be part of the squad. In short, we won''t have time to manage it, so we hired someone. How did we have money to open up the shop? Yoruichi. Yoruichi is the answer. She has more money than she could spend on herself, so we loaned a small amount of money. We were forced to give her free samples but jokes on her. I don''t care about the money. I just wanted to have a supply of lollipops, and finally, after one year, I can taste happiness once more. I was thinking about the request I could ask of Sensei. I could save it forter, but if I cross him for some reason, this request will mean nothing. Maybe I could use it to protect Rin somehow. I don''t want to be too controlling, but if I had the word from Head Captain that Rin would be safe, I would feel a lot better, but it may be too big of a request. What to do, what to do. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 184: Arriving in the living world. The name of the city is... Chapter 184: Arriving in the living world. The name of the city is... (Ryoto''s pov) Business is booming, and I''m happy about it. I be known as someone who has a lollipop with him at all times. There were even a few students who were buying them from me directly as the shop was constantly out of stock because of the lollipops'' sess. Urahara and I were forced to open more candy shops, and since it was too time-consuming to run all that business, we decided to dumb it on someone else. To be honest, I don''t care about the business all that much. My only goal was to create lollipops, and money was just a bonus. The same could be said about Kisuke. He found the idea interesting and was somehow drawn to the idea of owning a candy shop. In the end, we run only one store sometimes, and the rest is just there run by other people, and we get to keep precentor of the money. We earned enough money to pay back Yoruichi, so I call it a sess. The strange thing is that besides training, Yamamoto-sensei was inviting me to tea parties. I call them parties but it was only me, him, and sometimes his lieutenant. We were just rxing. He looked at me strangely, though, when I drank tea with a lollipop on the side. In my opinion, it had a nice synergy, but Yama-jii was a traditionalist and didn''t appreciate my invention. His loss. But tomorrow is a big day, and I''m nervous. Tomorrow is a day when we go to the living world to practice Konso or Soul Burial. In short, we are going to learn how to send souls in the living world to Soul Society or Hell. I''m not nervous about the training in itself, but it will be a day when Rin will realize that we are in another world. I didn''t tell her about it for two reasons. First, it''s better for her to discover it on her own. She could either not believe me and think that I just want to give her hope or hold onto that hope in an unhealthy obsession and would not try to reach out to other people other than me. Since we are going to stay here for a long time, it wouldn''t be good for her. Second, I was worried about her mental state at the beginning. She wasn''t in the right state of mind for the first few months, but she stabilized as ofte. Yoruichi, Kisuke, and Tessai helped a lot with that. But before that, I didn''t know how she would react. I could specte (which I did), but better safe than sorry. Now I can only wait. --- The next day our whole ss gathered before the gate to the living world. The students from ss 6, our senpai. They exined the basics of how they would be guarding us, showed us how to perform Konso, and then let us do it in practice. We shouldn''t encounter any Hollows, but it just sounds like they set up a g even though Aizen isn''t plotting anything at the moment. I don''t even know if he is already born or not, but I wouldn''t be surprised if he started his n before he was even born. I''m joking, but at least part of me would believe it if he said that to me. Rin looked nervous about the whole ordeal. Understandably so, but I was here to calm her down. I put my hand on her shoulder, and she flinched, showing how tense she was. Ryoto: "Nervous?" Rin: "You aren''t? We are going to the living world after over a year. What if we meet someone we know? What if we weren''t the only ones that died that day? Aren''t you scared of the possibilities?" I flicked her head which surprised her. She didn''t know how to respond. She held her forehead with both of her hands. Ryoto: "You are overthinking. We don''t even know where we are going. It can be Tokyo. It could be Kyoto. Maybe we are going to Osaka. We may even learn something about how we got into Soul Society. I have my suspicions, but I''ll be sure when we''ll arrive there." Telling someone to not overthink things may seem hypocritical for me to do, but I don''t care. Ryoto: "In any case, I''ll be there for you." I gave her some headpats. She forgot about her forehead and enjoyed the moment with closed eyes until she remembered where she was and embarrassingly escaped my hand. Yoruichi noticed what happened and started teasing both of us but I wasn''t bothered by it. (Rin''s pov) I was very nervous and didn''t know what to do. Thankfully Ryoto calmed me down. I know that I said it before, but I don''t know what I would do without him. He even patted my head, and he is surprisingly good at it. Or should I say it was expected? Nevermind that. Yoruichi-San seeing this, tried to tease us. Yoruichi: "Hoh~. Is it romance I am seeing?" She was speaking with a grin. I was clearly embarrassed, but Ryoto stayed calm and teased her back. Ryoto: "You don''t need to be jealous. Here I''ll give you headpats as well." He did exactly what he said. I was surprised that Yoruichi-san just let him do it. All of us knew that she could escape before Ryoto could even touch her, but Yoruichi-san was very proud as well, so maybe she didn''t want to run away from the challenge. Ryoto was basically the only one who was brave enough to tease her back. (E/D: I would rather headpat a Loli or a Youkai. Loli Youkai is thebo for headpatting by the way but unfortunately we live in 3D so... I am just lewd my cat.) As the hand reached her head and the patting began. At first, there wasn''t any reaction from Yoruichi-san, but the longer the hand stayed on her head, I could start to see it having an effect. Before it could turn into something dangerous, she stepped back in a hurry like a scared cat. This made Ryoto smirk. Ryoto: "Hoh~. Shihoin n''s princess is scared of little skin contact?" Yoruichi-san was annoyed at being teased, and Shunpo herself behind Ryoto. At the same time, Ryoto used the same movement technique to get away from her. They messed around for a little while until our senpai called them out for disturbing the exnation. After that everyone got their hell butterfly that allowed us to travel to the living world safely. On the other side, I saw a city that looked like it belonged to feudal Japan. What''s going on? Senpai: "We are currently in a city called Edo, and we''ll start our lesson immediately!" --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 185: My name is... Chapter 185: My name is... (Rin''s pov) Did he just say, Edo? But it would mean that we are in the past. The city of Edo became the capital of Japan and was renamed Tokyo in 1868, but that would mean we are at least in the 19th century. Did we travel back in time or something different entirely? I don''t know. I should be shocked, nervous, panicked, or all these things at the same time, but I was happy. That revtion meant that I could see Saki-sama and Aya at some point in the future. I partially gave up on this but knowing that there was a chance, I smiled. Now that I think about it, Ryoto mentioned something like this before. That he has his suspicions, he even said something about going back to life when we first got to Soul Society. I looked at Ryoto, who smiled at me gently. I think we''ll talk about it when we return, but I couldn''t hide my smile. I feel like for the first time since I got here, I genuinely smiled. It didn''t mean that I didn''t enjoy spending time with the small group that we created, but I always felt that something was holding me back. --- To be honest, I enjoyed walking around Edo. While we were still here to train, we could still enjoy our time here. Ryoto''s words, not mine. But still, seeing the past was an experience I didn''t think I would... experience. Ordinary people couldn''t see us, which was something new for me. I don''t like to brag, but Saki-sama was often a target of male stares. As expected of Saki-sama. Unfortunately, we couldn''t try any food... Until Ryoto and Yoruichi decided to steal some. I couldn''t let food go to waste, so I ate it. Together with Ryoto, I lived in poverty for some time, so I understand how valuable even a little amount of food is. We wereter reprimanded by our senpai. I think Ryoto is starting to have a bad influence on me. I need to show more restraint. But it''s not like I don''t enjoy these moments. We were walking around the city, and our senpai helped everyone to perform Konso. It wasn''t difficult as we learned theory about Konso in the ssroom before. The only thing we need to do is to touch a forehead of a soul with Zanpakuto''s Kashira (buttcap). The problem is that not all souls are cooperative. There are two ways to calm them down. Either intimidate them or calm them down with kindness. --- After the training which felt more like a field trip, we were about to return, so our group went to the forest near the city, but everyone heard a terrifying scream. It was like nothing I had ever heard before. Most of the students panicked. Even Yoruichi-San Tessai and Urahara flinched at that sound, but unlike the others, theyposed themselves fast. The only one who was calm, at least from what I could see, was Ryoto. Rin: "Ryoto, how can you be so calm? Didn''t you hear that scream?" Ryoto: "I heard it alright. It''s just I faced someone a lot stronger than whatever ising. The pressureing from that person was enough to make me want to run away. Just being in front of him, I felt that I could die at any moment." Is the training with Head Captain Yamamoto so strict? Ryoto: "L''s father is really scary." ... Was he talking about L''s father the whole time? Hisment made me rx a bit, but just momentster, a massive monster-like creature with a huge hole in his chest appeared seemingly out of nowhere. Hollow: "GGGRRRAAAGGHHH!!!!!" (A/N I don''t know how to write Hollow scream/screech. Help would be appreciated. Editor didn''t read Bleach and can''t help me :( So that''s a Hollow. I''ve seen pictures before but seeing them in real life ispletely different. Senpai: "Everyone, stand behind me!!!" Our senpai prepared himself to fight, but before the fight even started, I heard Ryoto scream. Ryoto: "Pierce through the heavens, Zangetsu!" And the next moment, a big sword flew next to our senpai and pierced the Hollow through its mask and killed it in the process. Ryoto then pulled back his Zanpakuto by its cloth. Ryoto: "Sorry, senpai. Zangetsu would be grumpy if he didn''t see some action against a real opponent. Even though it''s a weak one." The senpai looked back, shocked by what just happened, but he didn''t have time to ask any questions as we all heard multiple screeches again. Much louder than the one before. Hollows: "GGGRRAAAGGGGHHH!!!!!!" Ryoto turned serious hearing it, and from what I know about him, he only turns serious when something is wrong. Before, he was rxed even though he heard the scream as well. Ryoto looked around fast, looking for something. He looked at everyone in our group and he saw something. I tried to see whatever he was seeing but without sess but whatever he saw made him angry. The air around Ryoto changed instantly. I''ve never seen him like that. Without saying anything, he walked up to one of our ssmates and stabbed his leg. Rin: "Ryoto!!!" Senpai: "Yuuki-kun!!!" Everyone else was shocked. Yoruichi-San and Urahara waited to see why he did that. Tessai, on the other hand, was ready to step ahead in case something happened. Ryoto: "Why did you use the bait?" He wasn''t speaking loudly, but everyone was able to hear him clearly. The only ones to have a reaction to his words, however, were Urahara and our senpai. Kisuke: "What did you say!?" Yoruichi didn''t know anything about it and tried to get an exnation from Urahara. Yoruichi: "What does that mean, Kisuke?" Kisuke: "As ofte, the ck market circtes a Hollow bait. By using it, you can gather arge number of Hollows to your location. It''s mostly used on suicide missions when you want to kill a target that you normally wouldn''t be able to. But that would mean..." He turned to the student that used the bait, ording to Ryoto, but he just startedughing. Student?: "Hahahahahahaha!!! Now everyone will die. But most importantly, the princess of the Shihoin n will die here! Hahahahahahaha!!!" Ryoto stabbed his second leg, making him wince in pain, but his expression was grim as he sensed iing Hollows. We were surrounded by monsters. Ryoto: "I''ll take care of you afterward." He said to the assassin. Ryoto then stood in the way that he would protect me just in case. I bit my lips. I didn''t like it one bit. Did I train so hard for the past few months just to be protected again? No, I refuse! ???: "Yes, finally! You go, girl!" A familiar voice rang in my head. It was my Zanpakuto speaking to me again. ???: "I totes believe that you''ll be able to hear my name this time. Prepare yourself for my amazing name. Call me..." Rin: "Open and close all the doors before me, Tsunagari!" My sword didn''t change its shape, but there was a pattern resembling a key with a skull on the handle. The color of the de also changed to be slightly darker. Tsunagari: "Now, let''s party!!!" --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 186: vs Hollows Chapter 186: vs Hollows (Rin''s pov) I just called out the name of my Zanpakuto, Tsunagari. I would be happier if we weren''t surrounded by Hollows, but I can fight now. The only thing I know about Tsunagari is that it can connect and disconnect, whatever it means. I could get it from her name (Tsunagari means Connection), but how do I use this power? Tsunagari: "Hey girl, want some pointers?" ''It would be appreciated. I would prefer to train first, but I don''t think we have time for that.'' I said as I looked around. Tsunagari: "Don''t worry, don''t worry~ I am powerful, but for now, you''ll need to be satisfied with the basics. You can connect two things with each other, but you need to sh them first. It''s not on the level of fusing two objects. You can''t fuse anything, just connect." I see. Tsunagari: "If you sh a leg and an arm of your opponent, you can make them move both of the limbs at the same time due to the nerves being connected, so, even if they wanted to move just one they will move two. It''s great for confusing your opponents." She sounds so proud talking about her abilities. I would find it cute if not for the situation we are in. Tsunagari: "Of course, you can disconnect the connection you created, but it''s not the true power of that ability, but it would need to wait forter. Sorry girl." ''You don''t need to apologize. You are already helping me enough. If wee back from this alive, we are going to train!'' Tsunagari: "He''ll yeah, baby girl! And I doubt your Prince in shining armor will let you die here~ Just imagine him abandoning everyone here and running away with you to save you." Great, even my Zanpakuto is teasing me. I already got used to it because of Yoruichi-San, but it doesn''t mean that I like it. ''I doubt that Ryoto would do something like that.'' (Ryoto''s pov) Now, should I or should I not grab Rin and run? I''m tempted, but I can''t leave Kisuke, Tessai, and Yoruichi. As of now, I can still see the way out, but I noticed students panicking. Panicking allies are more dangerous thanpetent enemies, so I need to get them in line. I released my Reiatsu to stop them from doing anything stupid. Ryoto: "Listen, everybody! We are in big trouble! Some of you may die, but that''s the life of Shinigami. We fight Hollows to purify them, and what do we have around us? A group of Hollows. I don''t know about all of you, but I n on returning alive. You either help me or end up as Hollow''s food!" I turned around to shoot our Getsuga Tenshou. Ryoto: "Getsuga Tenshou!!!" I killed at least a few Hollows with this attack, and by doing it, I raised the morale of everyone around me. I don''t know why but the Hollows waited until we finished talking. At least they have manners. The problem is that fighting weak opponents in big numbers isn''t as easy as it may seem. At the moment, I could kill most of the Hollows by myself, but there would be moreing, and not all of these Hollows would be weak, I assume. There could be some smarter ones that are hiding among other, weaker Hollows. --- The fight was a brutal one. Some of the students were injured, and all we could do was wait for backup. Our very important senpai that I don''t know the name of, called Sereitei about our problem, but we don''t know when the help ising. It should be fast since an important person is in this group. It should normally be the case, but it seems our little assassin did something to jam ourmunication, so all we can do is either kill all Hollows, which isn''t possible when if you kill one another takes its ce. It only leaves waiting for someone on the other side to realize that something is wrong. On the other hand, Rin could take care of herself, which I was happy for. She even has a Shikai now. I tried to save as much energy as possible during this fight. If everything went wrong for some reason, I could just grab Rin and escape by brute forcing my way out. Would I be deemed as a traitor for running away? Maybe but I promised myself that I''ll keep her safe, and I''m not nning on breaking this promise. I will feel guilty for leaving Yoruichi, Kisuke, and Tessai, but Rin is my priority for now. Strangely enough, I know Rin is not so much stronger than anyone in this group. Just funny thought that doesn''t change anything. But for now, I''m killing Hollows left and right and keeping an eye on Rin all the time. When I''m going back, I''m training for Bankai. This situation shows that I need to get a lot stronger, a lot faster. This is not even Aizen''s era, for fuck sake! I punched a Hollow just for it to be reced again. We are slowly starting to get overwhelmed by their numbers, so I decided to thin them out a bit. Ryoto: "Everyone duck down!" Everyone followed my order, and I sent Getsuga Tenshou above everyone''s heads, killing a lot of Hollows in the process. As soon as I killed all these Hollows, even more, starteding just like before. This whole situation reminds me of early Bleach, but in that case, Menos Grande would appear, but fortunately, it shouldn''t be the case today. Hollow: "GGGGGGRRRAAAAAAAGGGGHHH!!!" A screech louder than the ones before could be heard by everyone. This scream made all the Hollows stop their attacks. I hate myself. I couldn''t just cut the Hollows like a good boy. I just needed toment how this situation is familiar, and I raised a god damn g! A big hand appeared to grab the sky like a curtain just to show a gigantic appearance of a Gillian, the weakest type of Menos Grande. It''s still a Hollow of great strength that is a challenge to an ordinary lieutenant. I may be strong for the first year, but I don''t think I will be able to kill this Hollow. What''s worse there is possible for it to call allies. I would happily try my strength against it if I was alone, but I''m not now. The Hollow was about 5 stories tall and seeing thisrge Hollow, everyone''s morale dropped instantly. I, on the other hand, was ready to run as fast as I could. My decision was cemented by seeing a red energy gathering near the mouth of the Hollow. I was about to turn around and take Rin by force if I needed to, but Zangetsu stopped me. Zangetsu: "Is this really what you want?" ''What do you mean?'' Zangetsu: "Do you really want to abandon everyone here?" ''Of course, I don''t, but do I have a choice?'' Zangetsu: "Yes, just kill or at least scare away the Hollow here. Did you forget that you aren''t fighting alone? I''m Zangetsu (ying moon), and my attack is Getsuga Tenshou (Moon Fang Heaven Piercer). I''m made to pierce through the heavens, and this tall asshole is in our way. So let''s do it!" I was still hesitant to listen to Zangetsu. Zangetsu: "Do you trust me?" ''...Against my better judgment.'' I decided to trust Zangetsu and face Menos Grande. As he was gathering his Cero, I did the same with my Getsuga Tenshou. As the Cero was fired, so I shot out my attack to cancel out Hollow''s attack. Ryoto: "Getsuga Tenshou!!!" This time the wave of Reiatsu changed its color from the usual blue to blue with some red in it. The Reiatsu was also a lot more violent in nature. Two attacks collided with each other, stopping mid-air to fight for dominance. They were about equal in strength. Seeing it, I realized another Getsuga to overwhelm Cero. I put all of my strength into these attacks, and more so, I was happy seeing that it not only overwhelmed Hollow''s Cero but also hit it. It left a big mark on its body. The Gillian receiving my attack went back from where he came from. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 187: Aftermatch Chapter 187: Aftermatch (Ryoto''s pov) I was starting to get tired after firing off these two Getsugas, but I can''t rx just yet. I released, even more, Reiatsu, and right now, it was mixed with Zangetsu''s, which made it extra violent. I looked around at all the Hollows, which took a step backward. Ryoto: "Who is next?" My voice was carried through the battlefield, and it made the Hollows rush at me. They solely focused on me. That''s fine by me. --- Making myself a big target for Hollows was a good choice in the long run. By far, I have the best stamina of all people here. It also made my ssmates killing weaker Hollows much easier. I got slightly wounded in this fight, but my ever-so-growing collection of scars didn''t expand today. Besides the ones given to me by Kaede, I had some from my fight with Yan Fon''s bodyguards. I will have a lot of exining to do when I return home. Hopefully, I won''t look like Yama-jii at that point. For now, at least, I could still wear shorts and T-shirts without exposing my scars, and I would leave it at that. (A/N If someone gets a reference, he gets a lollipop!) (E/D: I got it.) (A/N No, you don''t.) The point is it was finally over. There weren''t any more Hollowsing, and the effects of the bait vanished. Three students died because of this attack, and all were injured. For most of the people here, it was the first time seeing death up close. I was annoyed that Rin got injured, but I''m not delusional enough to believe that I could do even more. I did everything I could, and Rin is alive and not seriously wounded. She has cuts here and there, but her limbs are still connected to her body. I can''t ask for more, but as I''ve said, I''m annoyed that I didn''t find that assassin earlier. I rxed too much. I should have expected that there would be an assassination attempt on Yoruichi. Still, little old me thought that school for training Shinigami with many nobles attending would be better guarded. I will speak with the manager. ... It''s not funny if Karen is not annoyed at myments. Zangetsu: "If that makes you better, you annoy me plenty, and I am more than happy to speak out myints about you." ''It''s not the same. You just want to beat me up. Karen would threaten me with some stupid mission, but you at most would ban my Shikai for a week. By the way, please don''t do it. I need it to survive.'' Zangetsu: "I will consider it." ''I also want Bankai. Where do I ce an order?'' Zangetsu: "The joke I was about to do is bellow me, but it has something to do with Joe." ''Is he rted to Candice?'' Zangetsu: "You know the answer to that question." ''But you still didn''t answer my first question. How do I get Bankai!?'' Suddenly Zangestu got serious. Zangetsu: "You are not ready for it. At this point, you will never be. Because if you try to achieve it, you''ll face something that you try to avoid." ''Do you really think that at this point I care about facing my past more than about protecting Rin?'' Zangetsu: "Fair enough. How about the test, then? If you can hear what I say, then we''ll start training it. Sounds fair?" ''Too fair. What''s the catch?'' Zangetsu: "There isn''t one. I''ll be satisfied if you''ll be able to hear what I''ll say, that''s all." ''Then out with it already.'' I waited for Zangetsu to say anything, but there was no answer for him. Zangetsu: "Looks like you failed today. Better luck next time." I don''t know why but I feel like he just didn''t say anything. The next time I''ll need to be inside the inner world to see him speaking. --- As I was talking with Zangetsu, I was lying under the tree waiting for the Academy to send someone as we can''tmunicate with anyone. Without hell butterfly, we can''t return to Soul Society unless we want to go through Dangai, and with injured in our group, we don''t want to risk running into Kototsu there. (Rin''s pov) Ryoto was lying under the tree. He said he likes doing it because it reminds him of a nt back home. All we could do right now was to wait. Our senpai was still trying to contact the Academy, but we all knew that we would need to wait for them to notice something wrong. At the moment, we were trying to take care of our injuries. To be honest, this whole situation didn''t fully sink in. We all just fought for our lives. We''ve seen our ssmates die, and their bodies lie on the ground not so far away from here, and I don''t feel too much about their deaths. Am I strange? It was my first fight to the death, and I killed multiple Hollows. They were honestly terrifying, but I fought and yed them. But it was still nothingpared to what Ryoto did. To borrow Aya''s words, ''he aggroes all the Hollows''. Not to mention his fight with Menos. I need to train like crazy. Tsunagari: "And we''ll get stronger together. Don''t worry, girl, we''ll catch up to him in no time. Oh, I get the idea! Why don''t we, when you get stronger, stab Ryoto through his chest and then through yours so he could feel how you feel about him!? Ain''t I a genius!?" ''Won''t he die because of it, and won''t I die as well?'' Tsunagari: "As romantic as double suicide is, you both won''t die if you target emotions to be connected, but that''s for another time. You just unlocked your Shikai, and what I said is pretty advanced, but I''m proud of you, girl! Remember that no matter what you''ll decide to do, I''ll be here to support you." Thest sentence was said more seriously than the rest. Her voice also changed to be much more gentle and warmer. I couldn''t help but smile at her words. Yoruichi: "What are you smiling about~?" Yoruichi-san approached me. Rin: "Nothing much. I was talking with Tsunagari. It''s my Zanpakuto''s name, by the way." Yoruichi: "Right, you unlocked your Shikai! Congrattions are in order since you were the first in our group besides the badass over there that unlocked it. We''ll need to have a party because of that! I hope we''ll have grilled fish!" Yoruichi started to talk about the food like it was already decided that we were going to party. But it''s not a bad idea. It will take some thoughts out of my mind. Tsunagari: "Did I mention before that I am a great therapist? I may not have any clients until now, but that means that I got noints until now!" I ignored Tsunagari''sment. Ryoto: "Then how about I''ll cook for that party?" Ryoto got up and joined the talk. Hearing that he''ll make the food instantly made my mood better. I haven''t eaten Ryoto''s food in ages, and just mention of it makes me salivate. Yoruichi: "Rin, why are you salivating?" I quickly wiped out my salvia. I can''t allow Yoruichi-san to eat his food. He would basically tame her, and I can''t allow it. I''ll sacrifice myself and eat her portion as well. --- END Discord server: Chapter 188: Talk with Rin Chapter 188: Talk with Rin (Ryoto''s pov) After some waiting, someone finally appeared to take us back. We were currently surrounded by members of a Stealth Force. It seems that as soon as they got the notice that something strange had urred, they deployed the unit to ensure Yoruichi''s safety. After some questioning and taking the assassin back with them, they left us in the hands of teachers. I''m going to milk the Shihoin nter. Having the n owe me something maye in handy in the future. After we returned, we were immediately sent to the Squad 4 barracks to heal up. We also took the three bodies of our ssmates. The mood wasn''t the greatest as we lost these people today, but that''s the life of Shinigami. In the barracks, we were being treated by the members of the squad. I was being treated by a nurse. She just bandaged me a bit since all I had were some cuts here and there. Other students have it worse than me, and currently, more experienced members of squad 4 were focusing on them. As I was getting my arm wrapped in bandages, the door to the room suddenly opened, and a Captain and lieutenant entered. Am I in trouble? I don''t think I did anything wrong, but it feels like when a teacher ising to you, and you start going over everything to think about any possible trouble you caused so you can think up an excuse in time. Joking aside, I could probably guess why they are here. Retsu: "Ryoto Yuuki-kun, it seems you can''t stay out of trouble." She said with a gentle smile. Next to our very gentle, kind, and definitely not murderous Captain stood a tall silver-haired woman. The lieutenant of the 4th Division. She is still shorter than me, though. I love being taller since, in my previous life, I was rtively short. I wasn''t a dwarf, but I still developed insecurities. Thankfully they didn''t transfer to this life, and I can look down on people now. If I wasn''t tall, I would probably have a habit of sleeping on the trees and not under them. My thoughts drifted away a bit too much. Better focus on the Captain in front of me. Ryoto: "That''s not true, Captain. I was trying to have a peaceful day with my ssmates, and an assassination attempt happened. Thankfully I wasn''t on one of my famous walks. Otherwise, the results would be grimmer." I said with empty eyes. They didn''t know how to react to myment and decided to ignore it. I think people tend to do it more often as ofte. It may be that more experienced people don''t want to humor my stupidity. Retsu: "We came here to ask some questions because of the unusual circumstances, and since you were in the centrum of this event and are practically unharmed, you are the first to be questioned." Ryoto: "And why are you the one doing that? I would assume that it would be the Stealth Force that would interrogate me since the target was Yoruichi and all." Retsu: "That would certainly be the case if I didn''t stop them. Members of Stealth Force aren''t known to be delicate with hospital patients, so after I asked them nicely, they allowed me to do it in their stead as they take their time taking care of the assassin." She threatened them, didn''t she, and she said it without breaking a smile. Retsu: "So I would like you to exin to me what happened." Ryoto: "Well, in short, the assassin used Hollow bait and gathered a big number of Hollows to our location. We were forced to fight them, but the situation didn''t look good for us. The appearance of Menos Grande didn''t help. Thankfully I managed to drive it off, and after that, we killed all the Hollows. They were all weak, but their numbers were the problem." Retsu: "You are awfully calm for someone who just escaped death, Yuuki-kun." Her gaze pierced through me, trying to uncover my secrets. That''s scary. Ryoto: "Not the first time near death, as you probably noticed." I pointed at my currently visible scars. I was without a shirt, and not everything was covered in bandages, and they could still see some of my old wounds. Retsu: "An experienced young man, I see. But what was that about Menos Grande?" It seems that I''ll get some kind of reaction out of her. Her lieutenant was already making a tter of expressions which I enjoyed greatly. --- After answering all of their questions, they let me go since I didn''t need medical attention. As I was leaving the building, I met Rin, who was waiting for me. We walked around in silence. I was looking for a good ce for us to rx, and I finally found a great tree that we could sit under. Ryoto: "You probably have a lot of questions since you saw the world of the living but let me exin a few things first. The first thing is that it may not be our world. Something simr happened to me before, and I was able toe back after some time. Interestingly no time passed back home. This situation reminds me of that time. I had my suspicions before, but I didn''t tell you for a few reasons. You have the right to be mad at me for making you think that we can''t return, so hit me if you want to. I won''t defend myself." I was waiting for at least a p toe to my face, but the only thing Rin did was put her hand on mine. Rin: "Were you expecting me to p you or something? Don''t you know me by now? I''m sure you had your reasons for doing that. I would want to say to believe in me, but we both know that I wasn''t in the best of mind. I will work hard so you can put your trust in me but for now, just know that I believe in you full heartily. At least now I know that we will be able to return someday, and for now, it''s enough for me." Her words were warm and something I wasn''t expecting to hear but also something I needed to hear at the same time. I could also feel her warmth through the hand that I was holding. Being trusted like that by someone other than L is strange. I think Rin deserves to know a little bit about myself that I''m reserving to only my family and doctor. People from the Assassination ssroom world are an exception since there I went a little bananas. After living with her for a few months, I think I could count her as family. Ryoto: "Rin, do you know why I have my eyes always closed?" Rin: "Huh?" She was surprised by my question, but I continued speaking without waiting for her answer. Ryoto: "My eyes look pretty unusual, so I keep them closed most of the time. Especially now since who knows who is marking in the shadows... nning. However, I think that you deserve to see them." I turned towards Rin to look her in the eyes, and she did the same. Then I slowly opened my eyes, revealing my crystal blue eyes. Rin: "Beautiful." That was the only word that she said, at which I smiled. We spent the rest of the evening under the tree as Rin was using my shoulder to take a nap. I enjoy these quiet moments. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 189: Party Chapter 189: Party (Ryoto''s pov) A week has passed since the ident in the living world, and today is the date we set for a celebration party. Not all our ssmates wereing since not everyone wanted to party after witnessing their friends'' death. In my opinion,ing back alive is enough of a reason to celebrate. We were partying in some restaurant that I didn''t know the name of. Unfortunately, I couldn''t show off my cooking skills. ... Who am I kidding? I decided to hijack the kitchen and cook whatever I could. I left some lollipops to the sulking cooks who tasted my food. Their confidence was shattered at that moment. After I had made the food, I returned to my group. Rin: "Are you done?" Ryoto: "Yep~ The food should be great." Kisuke: "So you went to cook our food? But why?" Ryoto: "We are celebratinging back home alive so I made sure that the food was top-notch." Shortly after, the food arrived, and I was awaiting the surprise toe. Since it''s a party, we should y a fun game, right? A Russian roulette, to be exact. One of the dishes was made to strip someone of clothes. Even I don''t know which one it is, but that''s the fun of this game. Everyone was hungry, so they started eating right away, and so did I, but I was observing everyone. Then I heard clothes ripping off, and the one who got the best food was Tessai. He didn''t change his expression and was continuing eating as if nothing had happened, but right now, he was without his shirt. Most of the students didn''t even notice as they were busy eating their food, but the ones who witnessed it couldn''t get their eyes away as it''s not every day that something like this happens. I also couldn''t stop smiling at this event, and it was noticed by the trio of my friends. Rin: "What did you do?" Ryoto: "I just made the food. Whatever do you mean~." Her gaze pierced me, but I was enjoying myself nheless. Shunsui: "Oh my, oh my, I did not expect a group of students today~." Shunsui-senpai entered the restaurant and he wasn''t alone. With him, there was a man with long white hair. Jushiro: "Kyoraku, I said that it looked busy from the outside. Why were you so stubborn toe here..." Shunsui: "But they have the best sake in the whole Seireitei." Shunsui-senpai looked around to find an empty seat, but then he noticed me. Seeing me, he waved his hand at me. Shunsui: "Ryoto-kun~, I didn''t expect you here of all ces. Knowing you, you would be training like crazy with Yama-jii." What kind of opinion does he have of me? Ryoto: "I''m not a training junkie, Senpai." At my words, people closest to me looked at me strangely. At that, I looked back at them. Ryoto: "What?" Rin: "Ryoto, are you not aware of that?" Ryoto: "Of what? I don''t deny that I like improving myself, but I''m not a maniac." Yoruichi: "You know that the only one that can rival you in the craziness of your training would be Kisuke." Hearing that, Kisuke scratched the back of his head awkwardly whileughing sheepishly. Kisuke: "I don''t think that I''m doing something out of ordinary though..." Yoruichi: "That you don''t see any problems is a problem in itself. If I didn''t check up on you, I could bet that you would die of hunger or thirst. Maybe both." Ryoto: "OK! So we agree that Kisuke is overfocused on certain things, but how does this trante to me?" I pointed at myself. Rin: "I''ve seen you meditating with your Zanpakuto on yourps for hours at times. Sometimes you would even throw up blood when you wake up." Zangetsu can be violent at times, and when we are training, he roughs me up too much sometimes. Ryoto: "It''s not like I''m doing it every day..." Yoruichi: "What about the times you train your so-called secret technique?" I may have trained some extra to master Tsubame Gaeshi. I feel like I''m so close, but I''m missing something. The problem is that I don''t know what that something is, so I tried a little this and that to figure it out. I didn''t figure it out, but there was something strange with it. Zangetsu always knew all of my techniques and used them to the maximum of their potential, like using that cloth of his to attack, or the stickiness of our bodies(Spider Stickiness). The only thing he didn''t show to know is Tsubame Gaeshi. He never used it against me, and knowing him, he would do it at least once. Something fishy is going on here. Ryoto: "Noment." My mind returned to the conversation. Jushiro: "Oh, so you must be Yuuki-kun that I heard about. Nice to finally meet you. My name is Jushiro Ukitake, and just like Kyoraku here, I was Genryusai-sensei''s student." Ryoto: "Nice to meet you, Ukitake-San." Jushiro: "Now that we introduced ourselves, let''s not keep bothering the children as they are having fun *Cough* *Cough*." He coughed a few times. Jushiro: "Excuse me." Ryoto: "Why don''t you join us? After all, we are celebrating." I decided to invite them but not before asking others about it. Ryoto: "Is that okay, everyone?" Even though I asked, everyone was very tense. Maybe being in the presence of two Captains is making them nervous. Shunsui: "And what are you celebrating?" Ryoto: "Being alive. Do you know about the ident in the living world one week ago?" Jushiro-senpai widened his eyes. Jushiro: "So it was your ss!?" Ryoto: "Yep." Shunsui: "Then it''s really a bug reason to celebrate~." Shunsui-senpai sat at the nearest free table and ordered sake. Seeing this, Jushiro-senpai just sighed and joined him. He seems used to Shunsui-senpai''s antics. Shunsui: "Since you got back alive then you need to drink!" Hearing that, Rin butted in. Rin: "Excuse me, but we are minors." Shunsui-senpai smiled gently at her. Shunshui: "Young or adult, it doesn''t really matter. Once you are dead, it''s the end of your time here, so why not enjoy a drink before something bad happens." He tried to argue, he just probably wanted to have a drink with me. But surprisingly, Rin was being swayed by him, and it did not help that Yoruichi was also encouraging this. Yoruichi: "Come on Rin, lossen up a little. Even a Captain is telling us that it''s not a big deal." She wrapped her hand around Rin, and under this pressure, she gave up. Rin: "Well, one time wouldn''t hurt... I guess." Yoruichi: "That''s what I''m talking about!" Soon the alcohol arrived. (E/D: I have read enough hentai to know where this is going.) --- END Discord server: Chapter 190: Party continues Chapter 190: Party continues (Ryoto''s pov) The alcohol arrived, and it seems like Shunsui-senpai ordered enough for everyone to enjoy. I was never a drinker even as Jacob. I could probably count the times I drank alcohol with one hand. I was against it for a few reasons. Mainly because I already had many problems and didn''t want to add a new one, but since I''m Ryoto, I don''t need to feel much reserve against it anymore, and I''ve never drunk sake before. It could be an interesting experience. That''s if I can get drunk, of course. My metabolism is a lot stronger than ordinary people. I would need to drink a lot more to get drunk. If I still had my poisonous blood, I wouldn''t get drunk no matter what, though. I don''t know if it''s a good thing or not. Ryoto: "Well then, cheers!" Everyone: "CHEERS!!!" Everyone followed my suit and downed their drinks. Drinking it made my body feel a bit warmer, but nothing much. Shunsui: "Whew, is this really your first time drinking? Most of the people would react like the girl next to you." Shunsui-senpai seemed surprised at how early I downed the drink, and I looked at Rin, who had trouble emptying her ss. It appears that she isn''t the biggest fan of this particr vor of sake. Ryoto: "Shunsui-senpai, do we have any sweet-tasting sake?" Shunsui: "Well, of course, we have it. I just enjoy seeing young people have a taste of alcohol for the first time~." He immediately ordered sake more fitting for the first-timers while I had my second cup. Yep, I still don''t feel any changes. Shunsui: "But it looks like you can handle the liquor. Want to have a smallpetition?" Jushiro: "Kyoraku, stop encouraging young people in this behavior. *Cough* *Cough*." He coughed out some blood, but it didn''t seem to bother him. He looks used to it. Rin: "Excuse me, are you alright?" Rin was concerned because of the blood that Jushiro-senpai coughed out. Jushiro smiled at her disy of kindness as most of the people in our ss didn''t want to interact with the Captains as they didn''t want to show any disrespect and get into trouble, but Rin didn''t care about any of it. Me being friendly with him also helped. Jushiro: "You don''t need to worry. I''m already used to it." He answered with a gentle smile. As of now, I can''t do anything significant with his sickness, but at least I could ease his symptoms a bit, so why not treat my senpai with something nice? I took out one of many well-hidden lollipops and used my power to give this sweet healing property. Since I don''t know anything about Jushiro-senpai sickness as I would need to study it thoroughly. Maybe in the future. Ryoto: "Jushiro-senpai, here have a treat." I handed him a lollipop, and he epted it with a smile. He is very nice and kind to everyone. I''ll help him if I can. Jushiro: "Oh, is it one of those famous lollipops? It''s challenging to get a hand on one because they are so popr." Ryoto: "Kisuke and I were the ones who created that whole business, so we have an unlimited amount of lollipops. If you want any, just ask. As my senpai, you have special privileges." Shunsui: "How about me? Do I also have these privileges~?" Ryoto: "Maybe if you win in the drinking contest." Shunsui smiled at myment. Shunsui: "Now you''re talking!" We started drinking cup after cup, and it seemed like we weren''t stopping anytime soon. Our contest gathered an audience. I gave a slight nod to Kisuke, who immediately understood what I meant and started making bets. Kisuke didn''t drink too much, and his mind was working as well as always. I mean, why wouldn''t I try to earn money from others if I could? It has also been some time since I swind- Ahem! I mean, I made a bet with someone. At this point, both of us drank a lot more than it should be humanly possible. I was beginning to feel pretty tipsy, but my mind was still clear... I think. What I was surprised about was that Shunsui-senpai was keeping up with me. He was about in the same state as me, which was strange in itself. Shunsui: "Ryoto-kun, you sure are a monster~. I don''t even remember when was thest time someone could keep up with me~ Hehehe~. Jushiro! Isn''t he a great kid?" Never mind, he was clearly drunk. At that moment someone entered a restaurant. She seemed familiar, so she is probably someone from the story. Her hair was ck and keeps it in two braided pigtails. She was wearing red sses. She also wore an armband, meaning she was a lieutenant. She didn''t say anything and just hit Shunsui-senpai in the head, making him unconscious. She then turned to everyone and bowed to us. Lisa: "I apologize to everyone, but my Captain has some documents to control." It looks like Shunsui-senpai avoided his work and came here without finishing his work first, but I am apparently drunker than I realized since I got angry at the whole situation. Ryoto: "Hey! We are not finished here. I was about to win!" Yoruichi: "Yeah, tell her, Ryoto!" Yoruichi also drank quite a bit, and Rin wasn''t any different, but she was quiet with her ss near her mouth. The lieutenant that was dragging Shunsui-senpai away was shocked by my outburst. Lisa: "Excuse me?" (E/D: I started hearing the *noises* Lisa from Genshin Impact makes when she is climbing.) Ryoto: "Listen here,dy. I was having a friendly, littlepetition with Shunsui-senpai here. I don''t care if you are his lieutenant or even his mother. You can''t take him away before we settle who''s the winner!" Lisa: "But-" Ryoto: "No buts! You drop him down, and I''m going to finish this match. Understood?" Lisa: "But-" I didn''t say anything, just stared at her with some of my Reiatsu leaking out subconsciously. She then dropped Shunsui-senpai, and by the looks of it, it was painful, but I didn''t notice it at the moment, so I took another cup of sake and looked at the unconscious Shunsui-senpai. He didn''t take a shot, so that means I won. I wobbly walked up to him and put my foot on his body. I raised my fist in victory. Ryoto: "I won!!!" The cheers and cries erupted. Cheers were from those that won the bet and cries from these that lost. After that moment, I don''t remember what happened. (E/D: You got dragged into *****''s sex dungeon.) --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 191: The hangover 1 Chapter 191: The hangover 1 (Ryoto''s pov) God damnit. My head is killing me. I drank an inhuman amount of alcohol. After beating Shunsui-senpai in the drinking contest, I don''t remember anything. Kinda impressive that I even got drunk in the first ce. My eyes were still not ''open'', but I could feel that I was lying on a bed. There was also some weight on my chest, but not enough for it to be human. I also could feel someone next to me, and that person was probably naked, as I could feel the skin and warmth of their body. Scratch that. I could feel the warmth of two bodies. One from each side. The strange thing was that I could feel something metallic on my wrists. I also noticed that it wasn''t my bed that I was lying in as it wouldn''t be big enough for three people to sleep in. I finally activated my eyes to see what was going on. I was right. I wasn''t in my dorm room. This bed alone would take at least half of my and Kisuke''s room. Speaking of which it''s time to take a look at the people next to me. At my right, Rin was clinging to my arm, who was, for some reason, naked. She had a blissful expression on her face, so she must be having a good dream right now. I paled instantly. It''s not a problem that we slept together. The problem is that I don''t remember anything. It''s not a good situation to be in, and I don''t like not being in control of my actions. If I must fuck up, I should do it by my own choice. Before I panic, though, I should check who is on my left. Probably Yoruichi, but better be sure. ... It wasn''t Yoruichi. Now tell me, why the hell is the lieutenant of Squad 4 in bed next to me, naked to add? (A/N She is underrated as hell. Fight me.) (E/D: I am not caught by the disease name Simpus. I after all practice Simpus Deletus.) How and why did this happen? Not only Rin but also... Isane, yes, Isane Kotetsu is here? I almost forgot her name. It would be awkward if she woke up, and I would need to ask for her name. She was also hugging my arm just like Rin. The situation can''t get much worse from now on. Who am I kidding? Of course, it will. Better check what is with that weight in my chest. I looked down to see a ck cat sleeping on my chest. So Yoruichi is also here. I doubt it''s just a random ck cat that I found on my drunk adventure. I can only hope that I didn''t turn into Shane Dawson at night, or else I won''t be able to look at myself in the mirror anymore. There''s still hope though. They are all naked, but we still could just be cuddling in bed. *Sigh* I don''t believe even in my own words. Now, why are my hands so close to each other? They are cuffed of course because why not? They also seem sturdy and are not the kinky kind of handcuffs. Wait. I returned my eyes to my right arm, and there was a tattoo there. A Japanese dragon wrapping around my arm. It was mainly on the upper part of my arm, and it didn''t go near the forearm, but I doubt the T-shirt will be able to hide it. It will also probably be on my body when I return home. Even now, I can imagine Yui nagging me about bing a delinquent or a Yakuza member. I hope I don''t have any more tattoos on me... But seriously what the fuck happened yesterday? At this point, I''m not even sure if only one day passed and where the hell am I!? This ce looks like it belongs to someone rich. Maybe Zangetsu has some idea because no matter how hard I try to recall anything, I am met only with the emptiness of my mind. ''Zangetsu, do you know what happened? Any clue would help.'' Zangetsu: "I don''t have a hobby of watching your sex life, but the rest was very, very entertaining." ''You are not helping...'' Zangetsu: "And I don''t need to. As long as it''s not a fight, I don''t really care, and we already had some fun yesterday." ... I smirked. What a tsundere. He said he didn''t want to help, but he still gave me a clue. I now know that I fought yesterday, using Zangetsu nheless. It''s not a good sign. OK, I should probably get up, but I''m currently trapped between three naked girls and handcuffs. I could probably break the handcuffs, but I would wake up the girls, and from experience, it''s not a good idea so it looks like I''ll just wait for them to wake up and see if they remember anything. --- I didn''t need to wait too long for someone to wake up. The first one to open her eyes was Rin. Her eyes blinked a few times, getting used to the brightness of the room. She looked around the room and her eyes finallynded on me. Ryoto: "Good morning." Rin looked at me without saying anything for a few moments, only to keep hugging my arm and went to sleep again. Rin: "Five more minutes..." As much as I would like to let her sleep more, we have a problem at hand. Ryoto: "Rin, wake up. I think we have a problem." I moved my right arm a bit to make her more awake. Rin: "What is it...?" Still not fully awake, she asked. Ryoto: "Do you remember anything fromst night?" Rin: "Of course I do. We were having a party to celebrate being alive. Someone you were calling senpai came to the restaurant and you had a drinking contest and then... and then..." Rin got up, realizing that she has no memories of yesterday after I won my drinking contest. She then for the first time looked around the room and looked at my state and the other girl next to me. Rin: "What the hell happened!!!?" Her yell woke up the other two. Isane: "Huh!? What!?" Yoruichi, on the other hand, just stretched her cat''s body. Yoruichi: "Morning." Her voice was of a distinguished male, which would make my dick confused if she wasn''t a cat at the moment. She examined her body for a moment. Yoruichi: "Why am I in my cat form?" All of them now had their attention on me. Now, how to get out of this situation with my dick intact? The only good thing is that Unohana isn''t among them. Otherwise, I would be really scared. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 192: The Hangover 2 Chapter 192: The Hangover 2 (Ryoto''s pov) I should try to defuse the situation, but since we were all wasted(I don''t know about Isane) and we are all reasonable people here, it''s obviously no one''s fault. Ryoto: "Before anyone asks me what''s going on, I want to rify that I don''t have any idea what happened. I don''t even know where I am." Yoruichi: "So I''m not the only one. I remember what happened at the end, though." I started sweating. Rin: "I also remember..." Rin raised her hand shyly with a small blush, and after her, Isane did the same. Isane: "Me too..." Now that I look at her, Isane is hiding quite a pair of weapons under her Shinigami uniform. No! Focus on important things, Ryoto. Pleasureester. But the deed was done, and all of the girls were looking at me... judging me. I didn''t feel ashamed of what I did, but I felt that it was a little unfair that I was the only one who didn''t remember the night. And it was my first foursome too! I feel like I want tomit 174289 page 28. Joking aside, I don''t think it''s so strange that my memory was wiped the hardest. I was, after all, the one who drank the most. It doesn''t make me disappointed in lost memory. Ryoto: "I see. Before we begin talking, though, can you give me some space? I want to take off this thing, and while I''m at it, you all can get dressed unless you fancy talking without clothes." I made some noises with the handcuffs on my hands. All of the girls looked at my hands and nodded. Yoruichi, though didn''t n on dressing up and stayed in her cat form. She jumped on my head and made herselffortable. Before I do anything, I need to make sure of something. Ryoto: "Yoruichi, we didn''t do it while you were in this form, right?" She seemed to smirk at my question, finding it amusing. Yoruichi: "Who knows~? You could say we were fucking like animals. Take it as you like." She wanted to tease and annoy me, and she seeded. I doubt that I would do it with a cat, but a drunk person isn''t rational, and that scares me. I broke the chain, but I still had handcuffs on my wrists. At least I could move my arms around now. We''ll need to find a key to it or ask Kisuke to somehow break them. I got my clothes that were lying on the floor and got dressed up as well. Now that I looked at my clothes, they are pretty damaged. It''s not strange since Zangetsu mentioned something about a fight. Why is my body uninjured? I don''t have any new wounds. I heal pretty fast, but not that fast. After that, we went to the 4th Division''s barracks. It would exin why Isane is here. Better to try to know the timeline. All of us sat at the table that was in the room. Yoruichi was still on my head, though. I don''t know why the table is in the bedroom, but we are going to use it. Ryoto: "Now that we are somehow presentable, let''s get some things straight." Rin: "It would be a good idea." Yoruichi: "Is it really that important? Things happened, and that''s all to it. We had some fun as well." She scratched her ear with her paw. Ryoto: "Let''s start with something simple then. What do you think about our ''fun''?" No one wanted to say anything and tensed a bit. Yoruichi, as usual, was the only one who rxed, but she also stayed quiet. Ryoto: "Before you say anything, I am ready to take responsibility for anything I have done. I wasn''t myself, but I still did what I did." Yoruichi: "Why are you saying like it was only your fault? All of us hold responsibility for our actions. Should we also apologize to you for taking advantage of your state? We were, after all, soberer than you and still decided to do it. Doesn''t it tell you anything?" She... makes great points, actually, but... Ryoto: "It exins You and Rin, but I met Isane only one time before, and I doubt it was love at first sight." I turned to Isane, who was hiding her face behind her hands, but I could see the blush. Ryoto: "You know what? We''ll get to it soon. First thing firsts, where are we? I don''t recognize this room at all." Isane: "It looks like one of Captain Unohana''s rooms." I turned to Isane like a rusted robot. Ryoto: "Are you trying to tell me that we had sex in a Captain''s house?" And not any Captain but the one who was known as the most diabolical criminal in Soul Society. I know that she has changed, but she is still scary and powerful. Seeing my nervousness Isane panicked a bit and tried to exin the situation better. Isone: "It technically is Captain Unohana''s house, but she rarely uses it and mostly lends it to me to live here since it''s near the barracks." I see it could be worse, but that answers the first question. We are at Isane''s ce. Ryoto: "That''s good. At least we aren''t in some strange ce. Now I would ask all of you if you notice any changes." I may not be the only one with a new tattoo or maybe something different. Yoruichi: "My legs are wobbly." Yoruichi said without any shame. The other two girls didn''t need to say anything for me to know that they were in the same state, so I needed to rify myself. Ryoto: "Look at my arm. I''ve got a tattoo that wasn''t here before. I''m asking if anyone has something simr?" They examined their bodies but didn''t find anything. The only good thing is that this tattoo is cool. Otherwise, I would be sulking right now. Ryoto: "Does anyone know how I got it?" They shook their heads. Ryoto: "Let''s start from the beginning then. What is thest thing you remember?" Rin: "For me, it was you arguing with some lieutenant." Yoruichi: "I cked out around your victory in the contest." Ryoto: "So I am the one who remembers the most then. What about you, Isane? When did we meet?" Isane: "It was in the restaurant where I presume you were having a party. Seeing me, Yuuki-kun..." Ryoto: "Call me Ryoto. I think we are far beyond honorifics." She nodded shyly. Isane: "Seeing me, R-Ryoto-kun walked up to me ufortably close without saying a word or even moving for a few seconds and dragged me to the party. He forced me to participate in the drinking contest, and after that, I don''t remember much. I''m not good with alcohol. I''m sorry." Ryoto: "You don''t need to apologize. We''ll just need to go back to that restaurant and ask what happened there. Maybe we''ll discover something new." Yoruichi: "Sounds like a n. Let''s go." With a n, we went to discover what had happened the day before. It''s good that we don''t have any lessons today. (E/D: For those who have parents or those who arezy to search up the code 174289 in nh*ntai. Then basically, "Snek Waifu" and "Same Face disease" got pregnant, and now "the one who lives after killing himself" wants to kill himself... again.) --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 193: The Hangover 3 Chapter 193: The Hangover 3 (Ryoto''s pov) We were heading to the restaurant we were partying. I want to know what happened, and maybe they know where we went afterward. I doubt I got the tattoo there. Rin: "Hey, Yoruichi. I was meaning to ask. I know that you can turn into a cat for some reason because you scared me that one time when I tried to feed you, and you started talking out of nowhere, but why are you still in that form?" Yoruichi: "You would be surprised howfortable Ryoto''s head is. Besides, I''m toozy to walk right now. You should know why, don''t you, Ryoto~." Ryoto: "Keep me out of this conversation, please, or I won''t make you fish anymore." Yoruichi stopped her teasing as she loves to eat fish almost as much as teasing people. Yoruichi: "You''re lucky that you can cook great." She said under her breath, but since she was still sitting on my head, I could hear everything perfectly. Ryoto: "Also, please keep your ws hidden. I don''t want to have a new haircut just yet." During our conversation, Isane seemed out of ce. She is the only one new to our group. She is also the oldest one here. I decided to attempt small talk. Ryoto: "Did you sleep well, Isane-san?" She was startled by my attempt to ease the mood. I would joke about me having this effect on women, but as someone who has a harem and a guy who literally had a foursome with three girls, I feel it wouldn''t be funny. Isane: "Now that you mention it, I slept really well. I didn''t even have a nightmare about kamaboko that I had for a few nights in a row." (A/N It''s a type of fishcake.) She had nightmares about what now? Rin: "You don''t like kamaboko?" Isane: "Yes, I can''t stand them..." Ryoto: "Then what would be your favorite food?" Isane: "It''s porridge! I could eat it 3 times a day without getting bored of it!" It looks like she is very passionate about it, but at least she is not shy about it. It also helps that the conversation keeps going. My job here is done. --- After an enjoyable walk to the restaurant, we finally entered the building, but in our sight, the owner screamed like a high-school girl that witnessed a boy entering a changing room while she was fully naked. Owner: "Get out right now!!!" He tried to throw us out almost immediately, but after a short persuasion and a few lollipops, he was willing to talk. Lollipops haven''t let me down as of yet, and I doubt that day wille anytime in the future. Ryoto: "So, can you tell us what happened after I won the drinking contest." I asked the owner. Owner: "After you put your foot on the unconscious man, that girlie over there." He pointed at Isane. Owner: "Came inside. Seeing her, you walked up to her and challenged her. To my surprise, you won, but it looked like she just couldn''t handle alcohol. After that, she fell to the floor. I thought that it was the end of it, but first, you looked at the floor for a few moments, I think. Hard to say with your eyes always closed. How do you even see?" Ryoto: "You are going off-topic." Owner: "Right, right. You looked at the floor and yelled, ''Stop mocking me!!!''. After that, youughed at yourself and looked pretty proud of yourself. I don''t know what this was about." I hid my face behind my hands. I was embarrassed at my drunken self. It''s not about the fact that I did the reference, but I was proud of it. I didn''t even destroy something big. I just punched the wooden floor. I could even see the hole I made from here. I''m disappointed in myself. To my embarrassment, the girls looked weirdly at me. They think it''s normal drunken behavior because they don''t understand the reference I was trying to make. Owner: "After that, I threw you away from my restaurant and banned you for the next 100 years." He looked at his lollipop. Owner: "Until today, of course." Another satisfied customer, but right now, I should ask him about where we went afterward. Ryoto: "Do you know where we went afterward?" Owner: "I think you went with the white-haired man. You are lucky that he paid for the damages and food." It looks like we have found our next destination. I''ll also need to thank Jushiro-senpai for his help. --- We are walking to the barracks of Squad 13 this time. Usually, we wouldn''t be able to do that since we are still just students, but since Isane was with us, we got a pass. Me being Yama-jii''s student helped a bit. As we walked to Jushiro-senpai, I had something on my mind. Since we had sex and I always have my eyes open during it, I wonder if they saw them. Ryoto: "Hey, I have a question. Did all of you see my eyes? It''s not that I mind, but..." Yoruichi: "I saw them, but you should probably keep them closed and never show them to anyone." She sounded serious, not that I disagreed with her. If, for example, some crazy scientist saw my eyes, he would probably try to examine them... thoroughly. And that''s only because of their appearance. If anyone knew of their power, Central 46 would be on my ass. Ryoto: "I know, but what about you, Isane?" Isane: "I also saw them but don''t worry, I won''t tell anyone. I think they are pretty, though." As soon as she said it, she hid her face behind Rin, which looked incredibly adorable because of her height. If someone told me that tall girls can''t be cute, I would punch him in the face because I have a fantastic example in front of me. On our way there, we met Isane''s younger sister. Kiyone Kotetsu was her name, and she wasn''t even a seated officer at the moment. She looks familiar, but I don''t remember her. Kiyone: "Isane, you look different. I don''t know what it is, but you seem... more feminine. Did you finally find a boyfriend?" She asked in a joking manner, but she was pretty close to the truth. Now that I think about it, what are we? Friends? Friends with benefits? A couple? We''ll need to figure it outter but firstes this mystery. Ryoto: "Kiyone-san, do you know where Jushiro-senpai is?" By asking that I changed the subject before she asked too much. I don''t even know how I would answer it. Kiyone: "Captain Ukitake? He is in the dojo. I heard from others that he is acting strange today." We all looked at each other. Ryoto: "Strange?" --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 194: The Hangover 4 Chapter 194: The Hangover 4 (E/D: This chapter was a pain to edit. I almost thought our dear Author got posses by a ghost or some Chinese hacker got into his ount and wrote this chapter. To give you an example, Jushiro became Juahiro. So there might be some mistake, don''t mind it.) (Ryoto''s pov) What we heard from Kiyone was bizarre, to say the least. Apparently, Jushiro-senpai was training in the dojo. It wouldn''t be strange for anyone other than him to train as Jushiro-senpai has a very sickly body. If he strains himself too much, he will cough out blood, so most of the time, he is resting. That way, he saves his strength for the time it is needed. I remember giving him a lollipop to ease his condition a little, but I doubt it would be strong enough to allow him to train without any worries. At most, it would ease his symptoms so he wouldn''t cough out blood as often as before for a short amount of time. We entered the dojo to see Jushiro-senpai swinging his sword with a lollipop in his mouth. He noticed using inside right away and seeing me, he smiled, walked up to me, and lifted me up by my armpits. Jushiro: "Haha, if it isn''t Yuuki-kun. I don''t know how you did it, but I can''t thank you enough!" I''m starting to get a picture of what I did here, but there are still a lot of nks that hopefully Jushiro-senpai has answers for. Yoruichi: "Don''t shake him too much, Ukitake! You are destroying thefortable ce I found!" Jushiro: "Oh, excuse me." He put me down. Ryoto: "You know that I''m a lot more than just afortable ce toy down on, right?" Yoruichi: "You''re right. You are also a food provider." I feel objectified, but if she allows me to pet her, then I don''t mind. I thought I was a dog person until a cat allowed me to pet it. That was one of the best feelings I had ever experienced. Now I know that I just like animals in general. They don''t judge you like people do. (E/D: So he is being drawn to the Darkside.) Ryoto: "Let''s stay on topic." I said as I started scratching behind Yoruichi''s ears which she enjoyed. I noticed that girls enjoy my headpats, and they lose to the pleasure for a short few moments. Not that it''s important. Ryoto: "We came here to know what happened yesterday. None of us here remember what happened after the party, but we heard from the owner of the restaurant, and he said that we went with you." Jushiro: "That''s correct. I didn''t want to leave all of you in that state. Four of you were very drunk and I wanted for you to sober up in my Squad''s barracks, but you were a lot more lively and talkative than I expected you to be. Yuuki-kun especially. Everything you said was very interesting." Ryoto: "Just to be sure, what did I talk about?" I just hope I didn''t say any of my secrets. I may(read; definitely) say something stupid, but even in a drunken state, I shouldn''t reveal my secrets. Jushiro: "There were a lot of interesting stories. There was one about an alien fianc, a brother who is unlucky and can''t confess to his crush, a superhero with a power of a spider, and a teacher who teaches his ss how to kill him. You started to cry at thest one. You have a real talent for storytelling. I would like to hear more in the future if you have time. You should also write something for Sereitei Communications. They would appreciate your wild imagination." At least he thinks that they were all stories that I made up. I mean, they kinda are just stories that someone made up, but not really. This thought opens up a whole can of thoughts. Do these fantasy universes exist because there are stories of them in other worlds or do they exist beforehand and the author wrote about them by ident? Is this the power of human imagination that creates new worlds, or are there an uncountable amount of universes? I''m going off topic again. Ryoto: "How about the lollipop you have? I gave you only one." Jushiro: "After listening to you for a while, you called me the nicest person here and gave me more lollipops. You also exined their effects which I still can''t believe. I''m not cured, but I can move more freely. You also promised to cure me in the future." He said with a smallugh at the end. Because my stupidity is often ignored when someone listened to me, I may have thought of that person as the nicest one in this world. Jushiro: "But I must say that mysterious power of yours to cure is incredible. I was just testing the limits and how far can I push myself without consequences. It was a long time since I moved my body that much. I had fun, and it''s all thanks to you. Haha!" At least he is happy. Rin: "What happened afterward? This doesn''t answer a few things. Why does Ryoto have a tattoo, and why was he handcuffed?" Jushiro-senpai put his hand on his chin and started thinking. Jushiro: "That I don''t know, but maybe Captain Unohana knows. She was the one who took youter that night. I called since her lieutenant was with you." That means that we need to talk with Unohana. We all thanked Jushiro-senpai for his time and help, but before we exited the dojo, he stopped me. Jushiro: "Wait, Yuuki-kun. I want to ask you something, alone." I was forced to put Yoruichi on Rin''s head so we could be left alone. Yoruichi: "Ryoto''s head was morefortable..." Rin: "Do you really not want to walk on your own legs that much?" Yoruichi: "Nah~." The only one who bowed as she left was Isane. She is probably ustomed to showing respect to Captains. Or the three of us are the strange ones here. As we were left alone, Jushiro-senpai dropped a bomb I didn''t expect. Jushiro: "Yuuki-kun, do you want to join my Division?" That came out of nowhere. Ryoto: "Jushiro-senpai, I''m ttered that you want me in your Squad, but I''m still only a first year, so I would like to ask why." Jushiro: "There''s no real reason. I am aware of your strength, and as Genryusai-sensei''s student, you must have a lot of potential, so why not give you a ce on my Squad? Of course, I would like you to learn at the Academy for at least a year or two." It''s not a bad idea. Being under Jushiro-senpai has some benefits. The 13th Division is rtively safe. Until about 50 years before Canon. That''s when the Hollow that Aizen created attacked. The only problem would be leaving Rin alone in another Squad, unless... Ryoto: "I appreciate this offer, and I hate to ask you this but would it be possible to get Rin in this Squad as well? I can assure you that she has the necessary ability. She even unlocked her Shikai." Jushiro: "I don''t see a problem with it. Rin, is it that girl from before? But why are you asking for this?" Ryoto: "I promised myself that I won''t allow Rin to get hurt, so until she gets stronger, I n to keep protecting her. That''s all there is to it." I said everything honestly. I didn''t see any reason to lie to Jushiro-senpai. Jushiro: "I see. Oh, Youth." He smiled gently. I think he misunderstood something or is it the truth right now? I''m still confused about our rtionship. We need to talk it outter. Ryoto: "If you agree to that, then I don''t see any reason to refuse your offer." I agreed. To be honest, I don''t exactly know how powerful Jushiro-senpai is, but he must be one of the most powerful ones if not for his sickness. I learned a lot from him on the side while Yama-jii was teaching me. More the merrier, as they say. Who says that? I don''t know. What I know is that I secured a safe Squad for myself and Rin, and that''s a good thing. Jushiro: "Now, I don''t want to take too much of your time. You have something people waiting for you." I don''t do it often, but since Jushiro-senpai is doing me a huge favor by listening to my selfish request, I bowed down to show how grateful I am. Ryoto: "Jushiro-senpai, thank you very much!" He seemed surprised by my actions, and he quickly asked me to raise my head. Jushiro: "Raise your head. I didn''t do anything worth thanking for." He says that, but it really means a lot to me. For that, I''ll try my best to heal him to the best of my abilities. I was about to exit, but Jushiro-senpai stopped me for thest word. Jushiro: "Before you go, I would like to give you one piece of advice. Don''t try to carry more than you can. Otherwise, you''ll break under all that weight." Ryoto: "What do you mean by that." I feigned ignorance. It''s not that I don''t trust Jushiro-senpai, but trusting someone and talking about your problems to someone are two different things, at least for me. Jushiro-senpai didn''t seem offended by my answer and just smiled gently. With that, I left. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 195: The Hangover 5 Chapter 195: The Hangover 5 (Ryoto''s pov) As soon as I went outside a familiar ck cat found its ce on my head. Is it why Urahara always wears his hat or is it just a fashion sense? The world will never know. I wasn''t questioned why I was stopped as everyone was respecting my privacy. We now have a new destination, and that is the 4th Division''s barracks. Unohana knows more about what happened, but to be honest, I''m less and less sure if I should find out about yesterday''s events. Zangetsu said something about having fun, and in hisnguage, it means fighting. He hasn''t fought so far in the known timeline, and I''m hoping he was not talking about Unohana. I doubt she would go all out against a drunk student, but on the other hand, I''m not an ordinary drunk student. Let''s think positively. At least I''m alive. That''s a good sign, but why do I have a feeling that my handcuffs have something to do with her? Ryoto: "Do you have any guesses as to what happened yesterday?" Rin: "Knowing you, you got naked." Yoruichi: "Yeah, I can see that." Ryoto: "I would also think that, but my clothes were in one piece in the morning." Yoruichi: "Do you think you got out of your clothes without destroying them?" Ryoto: "Yoruichi, I was drunk, not out of my mind." Isane was lost in our conversation. Isane: "Excuse me, but what are you talking about?" My eyes shone brightly behind my eyelids at the thought of showing her my favorite trick, and before Rin could stop me, my sleeve burst open, showing off my muscr arm. I had the biggest smile on my face. Ryoto: "I tend to do that from time to time." Isane couldn''tprehend what I had just done and her mouth was agape. Another mind was blown. I shouldn''t be so proud of doing that, but I am. --- Inside 4th Squad''s barracks Isane was the one guiding us and was showing off her workce as well. As she was leading us to Unohana, people who we passed by showed Isane respect, but they all looked weirdly at me. Probably because of the shattered sleeve. After walking for a while, we found Unohana in her office, taking care of some paperwork. She didn''t raise her head but weed us all. Retsu: "Wee back, Isane, Ryoto-kun, Kujo-san, Yoruichi-san. I see you found your way back. I also assume that you have some questions about yesterday." Well, it saves us some time. Wait, Ryoto-kun? Rin: "How did you know?" That is what I would say if Rin didn''t ask that question. Unohana stopped writing something on the paper and raised her head with a gentle smile. Retsu: "It wasn''t that hard to guess. From what I heard and from what I witnessed, you consumed an incredible amount of alcohol, and I doubt that especially Yuuki-kun would be able to remember what happened." Why me specifically? Retsu: "Let me exin what happened. It all began with a strange message from Ukitake-San..." (Retsu''s pov) *Yesterday night* I just got a very interesting message. A hell butterfly flew to me to pass me a message. Apparently, Isane and her friends got very drunk, and he asked me to get them home. I was surprised by two things. Isane got drunk, and I''m well aware of how bad she is with alcohol. Not that she doesn''t drink, but she knows her limits very well. The second is that she is with her friends. It may be rude of me to say, but Isane''s social life isn''t big. She has acquaintances, of course, but except for her sister, she doesn''t have anyone who she could name a friend. Well, I''ll know who these friends are when I get to see them. --- Ryoto Yuuki-kun, Yoruichi Shihoin-san, and one unknown girl were together with Isane. That unknown girl must be a student of the Academy. Retsu: "Ara ara, what an unexpected gathering of people. Two troublemakers, maybe three and a lieutenant." Jushiro: "Thanks foring on such short notice." Ukitake-san looked healthier than usual. Most people wouldn''t notice any difference, but since I was one of the many doctors that were looking at his condition to try and cure him. I can''t deny that I''m curious about what kind of thing or medication had this big of an effect on his illness. Retsu: "It looks like you are feeling good today, Ukitake-san. Was there any new breakthrough in a medicine that I''m not aware of?" Ukitake-San smiled as he tended to do it. Jushiro: "If there was, I''m not aware of it either. The one who did it was Yuuki-kun here." He put his hand on Yuuki-Kun''s shoulder. Yuuki-kun looked at Ukitake with an unfocused gaze. Ryoto: "Wait, Jushiro-senpai. Don''t tell her. It''s a secret~." He then turned to me. Ryoto: "You also don''t tell anyone. Especially Unohana. She would be soooooo jealous of me. Hehehehe." Ukitake had an awkward smile. Jushiro: "Don''t mind him. He drank too much. Just like all of them but Yuuki-kun especially." Ryoto: "Hey, Jushiro-senpai! I''m not that drunk. I can even walk on my hands! Look!" He then proceeded to show off how well he walked on his hands. Rin: "Woo! Show her Ryoto!" Isane: "Captain Unohana! You can''t let him beat you. Show him how gracefully you walk on your hands!" Isane seems to be more outspoken than she usually is, and it''s refreshing seeing her like that. Yoruichi-san, on the other, seemed to be mostly quiet and looked incredibly shy, unlike her usual self. Retsu: "Isnae,e. I''ll be taking you home." Isnae: "No, I don''t want to!!!" It looked cute how she tried to protest, but she wasn''t the only one who opposed it. Ryoto: "Hey! You can''t take her! We were having so much fun!" He tried to show the amount of fun they had with his arms. Ryoto: "If you take her, I''ming too. I''ll even give you a lollipop." He took out a lollipop. Where did thate from? His clothes shouldn''t have any pockets. Yuuki-kun put his elbow on my shoulder and was swinging the lollipop in front of my face. Retsu: "Unfortunately, my subordinate is worth more than any candy." He looked shocked by my statement. Did he really believe that it would work? Seeing that I wouldn''t be swayed, he walked up to Isane and hugged her. Ryoto: "Now you can''t take her!" At that, the other girl hugged Yuuki-kun as well. Rin: "No, Ryoto is mine!" Seeing this, Yoruichi-san was conflicted with herself. Yoruichi: "Can I get a hug too?" She asked shyly. Ryoto: "Of course, you can." He opened one of his arms, which Yoruichi-San happily hopped into. After talking with Ukitake-San for a while, he told me that it was thanks to lollipops that he seemed healthier and asked him to let me study one of them, to which he happily agreed. Afterward, I took the whole group to the house I let Isane stay in. I was never a mother, so I don''t know if I''m correct, but the entire time I was talking with Ukitake-San I felt like a parent waiting for their children while they were ying. I would say that it makes me feel old, but I''m still young, and anyone who disagrees quickly admits to their mistake. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 196: The Hangover 6 Chapter 196: The Hangover 6 (Retsu''s pov) *Yesterday night* Returning home wasn''t as problematic as I thought it would be. They all behaved. Maybe because they were in a group. Inside, Yuuki-kun talked with Isane, who, as usual, was insecure about her charm. Ryoto: "Listen here, I don''t care what you think, but you''re both cute and sexy. Do you get me!?" Isane: "You''re lying! You are just saying so to make me feel better!" Ryoto: "I''m not, and I''m going to prove it to you!" Isane: "How?" Yuuki-kun looked between Isane and me. I wonder what he is nning. Ryoto: "I''m going to defeat Unohana!" Ara ara, I didn''t expect such a bold statement from him. Maybe I should humor him for a while, he''ll tire himself out and go to sleep. (E/D: Stop it, Author. Every time I hear Ara Ara I get shbacks.) Isane: "You would do it for me?" Isane said with some tears in the corners of her eyes. Ryoto: "Of course! I would do it for anyone I care about! You are underrated, you are cute, and you need love! Besides, I''m going to be the very best like no one ever was, and to do that, I need to beat Unohana. If I''m the strongest, no one will be able to hurt people closest to me." It seems some hidden thoughts slipped at the end as his expression turned slightly more serious. I suppose I''ll see how strong he is. The amount of Reiryoku in his body is immense for a soul this young. He must have been in a lot of dangerous situations because the best method to increase Reiryoku in one''s body is to be in life and death situations. --- We went to the dojo, and it looks like we''ll have an audience, not that I mind. We both took our swords as it is a custom to do in a dojo. We are going to fight with our Zanpakutos. While I don''t n on using my Bankai and my Shikai isn''t suitable for battle. It doesn''t mean that it can''t be used, though. When Yuuki-kun and I first met, I could feel his sword''s intent to battle. I doubt that he would be able to fight in this state. From what I heard from Ukitake-san, he outdrank Kyoraku-san, which isn''t an easy feat. It''s impressive that he is still conscious and somehow functioning. I was rxed, waiting for him to make a move, the smile never leaving my face. Ryoto used his Shunpo to get closer to me. For his age, it was impressive, but as soon as he got in range, he started falling down. He is drunk, so his sense of bnce isn''t as great as it is when he is sober. As he was about to hit the floor with his face, Yuuki-kun put his hand on the floor, stopping the fall, and tried to sweep my legs using his own. I jumped up, and Yuuki-kun used this chance to try and stab me. I didn''t expect him to force me to defend myself, at least in this state. Is he pretending to be drunk? Ryoto: "Oh man, you blocked it. I thought I had you, but you aren''t a Captain for nothing, but I''m not giving up!" No, he is drunk. He threw his Zanpakuto in the air and kicked its pommel (End of the handle) right at my face. I tilted my head slightly, expecting Zanpakuto to fly further, but it stopped next to my head. It looked like it was tied to his feet. Yuuki-kun swung his Zanpakuto at me, which I dodged but was positively surprised. He is not fast enough for me to be serious against him, but there is potential. I can see why the Head Captain took him as a student. What he did next was... strange. He stabbed his sword in the nks and stood on it using one foot. Ryoto: "Fear my Excalibur...! What do you mean it''s not stuck in a stone, so it doesn''t count!?" Did he argue with his Zanpakuto during battle and without the need to meditate? He must be more connected to his Zanpakuto than I thought. Ryoto: "I''ll prove you wrong then!" He jumped down from the sword, pulled it out, and pointed at me. Ryoto: "Pierce through the heavens, Zangetsu!" So that''s the name of his Zanpakuto, Zangetsu. Yuuki-kun didn''t give me time to think as he used his attack immediately after releasing his Zanpakuto. Ryoto: "Ex-" He started gathering Reiryoku at a dangerous rate. He nned to use something very destructive here. What a troublemaker. Ryoto: "-CALIBUR!!!" Retsu: "Bakudo #81, Danku." An invisible barrier appeared in front of me, and momentster, Yuuki-kun''s attack hit it. It was a Kido-type attack, but I have a feeling that it''s not his Zanpakuto''s main trick. So this attack''s name is Excalibur. Powerful name, but it doesn''t suit it for some reason. After the smoke created by the impact of an attack settled, Ryoto looked surprised and then hit his forehead with the palm of his hand. Ryoto: "Kido, of course, I forgot about it. Wait, if she can use it, so can I!" He pointed his index finger at me. Ryoto: "Hado #1, Sho!" The most basic of the spells, but he did not need any incantations. I blocked it with my sword. Although he could use it, the power is low even for this Hado. Ryoto: "Bakudo #4, Hainawa!" He created a crackling yellow energy rope. This time I allowed him to bind me. Call it curiosity. I wanted to know what he had nned. Ryoto: "It worked! Hahahahaha! Using this rope..." He looked at his hands, realizing something. Ryoto: "Rope? I mean, if I look at it this way, it looks like a rope..." (E/D: Ah~ Yes the rope PTSD he got when L was corrupted by Vitch-sensei and the others..) (A/N The rope PTSD isn''t even exined yet. It was introduced there.) He instantly deactivated his Kido and started breathing more heavily. He shows apparent symptoms of fear due to trauma. It looks like he forgot what this spell created to bind his opponent. Ryoto: "You think that you would do a better job than me!? Then why not prove your point!? Call me when you''re done ying! I''m going to look at the fish in the river, and I don''t care that there isn''t any." He was again talking to himself. His Zanpakuto must be very close to him. After he ended up arguing with his Zangetsu, something changed in him. The air around him waspletely different. It was almost as if he was a different person... almost. Retsu: "Are you Ryoto, or..." He grinned. It seems that this little spar will go on a little longer. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 197: The Hangover 7 Chapter 197: The Hangover 7 (Retsu''s pov) Yuuki-kun put his Zanpakuto on his shoulder, looking a lot more rxed and not drunk at all. Zangetsu: "I''m never letting him drink again. The body feels all weird. It''ll take some time to get used to it." He talks like this body doesn''t belong to him. How strange. He then looked at me and grinned. Zangetsu: "It seems that introductions are in order. I''m Zangetsu, and I''m Zanpakuto of, the guy you call Ryoto." Retsu: "It''s the first time I have seen a Zanpakuto spirit possess his wielder." Zangetsu: "I''m full of surprises, and Ryoto-" He didn''t seem to enjoy saying his name. Zangetsu: "is even more full of them." Retsu: "You have a pretty high opinion of him." Zangetsu: "Huh? High opinion? Where? I''m just stating facts." Not so honest, Zanpakuto spirit. Retsu: "So what do you n on doing now? Zangetsu: "Well, since I got this chance literally on a silver te, I''m going to use it." He pointed his sword. Himself? At me. Zangetsu: "I''m going to fight you until I''m satisfied!" I put my hand on my cheek. Retsu: "Ara ara, you think that I can satisfy you? I''m honored~." Zangetsu: "Tsk, perverted woman." This is the first time someone called or even dared to call me that. I''m not sure how to react. He then rushed at me, and I could immediately feel that he was stronger than before, and his crazed smile showed me that he enjoyed fighting a lot. I blocked his swing with my own Zanpakuto. Zangetsu: "Nice reflex, but how about-." His smile widened as he put his hand on the de. Zangetsu: "Getsuga Tenshou." My eye widened as he used the previous attack. I decided to dodge it this time using Shunpo. Zangetsu: "I love using this attack. Something about it makes it very satisfying when I surprise my opponent with my swingless attack." Retsu: "Wasn''t the name of this attack Excalibur?" I said from behind him. He then turned to me. Zangetsu: "He was drunk and made a reference. You can''t take everything he says seriously." He grabbed the cloth and started swinging Zanpakuto by it. Zangetsu: "But right now, less talking, more fighting." He threw the weapon at me, which I deflected but just soon after, he pulled it back just to throw it again. I see, so it is a medium to the short-range weapon. Interesting. Yuuki-kun, or should I say Zangetsu tried to keep me at a distance which I didn''t understand why. We both know that I could shorten the distance between us in an instant. To see what he was nning, I used Shunpo to appear in front of him the moment he attacked. As soon as I used Shunpo before I even finished my movement, I could see his grin as if he had gotten me into a trap. My instincts told me to block the attack that wasing at my back, and I put Minazuki to stop the deing at me, but at the same time, Zangetsu rushed at me to attack me with a kick. I used my own leg to stop his momentum, but he just pointed his index finger at me. Zangetsu: "Hado #4, Byakurai!" To cancel out his attack I used the same Kido as him and lowered my power not to overpower him too much. Retsu: "Hado #4, Byakurai." Both spells shed and canceled each other out. It looks like my control is as good as ever, but my sparring partner wasn''t too happy. Zangetsu: "Are you looking down at me?" It seems that he isn''t happy that I''m holding back, but until I find someone able to give me the best fight to end my life, I''m not nning on fighting seriously. Retsu: "I apologize if it looks like I''m making fun of you, but you are too young and weak to fight me seriously. Besides, we''re having a sparring match, not a fight to the death." Zangetsu: "Then I''ll just force you to fight me seriously!" He attacked me with a big swing. It was strange. He turned his back on me just to create bigger momentum, but it''s not practical. It seems that it''s time to finish this spar. As I was about to strike him down with the back of my sword Isane appeared in front of me, making me hesitate for a moment, but the next moment I blocked the attack from the left. I quickly checked where the girls were sitting, and they were still there. Illusions? My eyes turned slightly sharper as Zangetsu jumped doing an overhead flip, and he vanished. I could still feel his Reiatsu in the same ce though so I blocked his attack just like before. Looking at him, I noticed smokeing from his eyes. Smoke? He still had a big smile on his face, though. Zangetsu: "Looks like I forced you to be a little bit serious." Realizing that, I rxed. He made me a little angry. I''ll need to punish himter. Zangetsu: "How about I''ll show you onest trick? I could fight you all day long, but it''s not fun when you''re not fighting back." He then turned his de into its sealed state and got into a weird stance, but one without any openings. Zangetsu: "Shortie, we are doing it!" I feel like he is not saying that to me but then who? The next moment he swung from three directions at the same time. They weren''t just three high-speed attacks. They existed at the same time, so blocking only one would result in getting shed by the two others. I quickly used Shunpo to jump backward. What a dangerous attack. Zangetsu: "Tsk, it seems that if the opponent''s strength and speed are a lot above the user, this attack won''t work. He will need to work on that in the future." He returned his sword to his scabbard. Zangetsu: "I hope the next time we fight, I''ll force the old you out." What he said shocked me. He implies that he knows about me from the past. In the present not many know about it but before I could ask him for answers... Retsu: "Wait, what do you mean by-" Ryoto: "Huh, where am I? Did I lose?" It looks like Yuuki-kun returned, and my questions will be put on hold for now. But I must say, I''m anticipating the moment he really forces my old me out but that will be the day I''ll die. Yuuki-kun, maybe I should call him Ryoto-kun from now on. Just to mess with him when he meets me the next time. Ryoto-kun stood up, walked up to Isane, and did a dogeza. Ryoto: "Forgive me for my failure!!! To atone for my failure, I''ll tattoo a dragon on my arm to both remind me of my failure and as a promise to be as strong as one!!! Also, because it looks cool!" Isane: "Y-you''ll do it for me? Ryoto: "Of course!" He turned then to me. Ryoto: "Unohana, where can I get a tattoo!?" (Ryoto''s pov) *Present day* Retsu: "Afterwards, you got the tattoo, stole handcuffs for some reason, and went to the bedroom with all the girls here to ''rest''" She then smiled at me, notifying me that she knew what we did there. Retsu: "I hope that you''re a responsible young man." Yep, she knows more than she should. I put a lollipop on her desk in silence. Retsu: "My subordinate is still worth more." I was forced to give up ten lollipops to her while a single tear ran down my cheek. --- END (A/N The Hangover mini-arc has ended. It was fun while itsted, but it will probably be thest time Ryoto gets drunk willingly. Can''t me the guy, really.) (E/D: Me who knows Author is Zelretch''s reincarnation and will probably turn him into a Magic Girl in front of everyone: ()) Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 198: You dont choose harem life, harem life chooses you Chapter 198: You don''t choose harem life, harem life chooses you (Ryoto''s pov) As soon as Unohana finished exining what happened, I felt incredibly embarrassed. Never in my life have I felt so embarrassed, and this is saying something. Luckily I wasn''t the only one feeling like that. All the girls were as well. Even Yoruichi. It seems that hearing about her meek self hit her harder than I thought. Retsu: "Maybe remembering it with your own mind would be more effective." The what now? She then touched everyone''s forehead with two of her fingers using some kind of spell. The moment she finished chanting, memories that I didn''t remember but where mine flew into me. The same happened to the girls. As soon as we sorted our memories, we all looked at Isane, who was incredibly embarrassed and tried to hide her face with her hands. Ryoto: "The saying is true. The quiet ones are really the lewdest." Rin: "I really didn''t expect something like that from you. Not that I have anything against it." Rin tried to correct herself at the end. Yoruichi: "Wow... just wow..." Isane: "No, it wasn''t me!!!" I put my hand on her shoulder and gave her the most understanding look. Ryoto: "Don''t worry. Everyone has a thing or two they enjoy. I may not be a bottom, but I don''t mind handcuffs y. Just not too often if they are on me." Isane: "Noooo!!!" --- Unohana got interested in my miracle lollipops, and I was as well, so I promised her to allow her to study them in the near future. On the way back, our group talked about our rtionship and how we n to proceed with it. Now that I remember what I did (and I did a lot *wink* *wink*) I feel somehow responsible for my actions even more. It doesn''t help that I may have had a small crush on Yoruichi when I was younger, for obvious reasons (mostly thighs), Isane was cute and underrated, as my drunk self has said, and Rin is someone like a family after spending my time with her for about a year. It''s about as long as I know L, and if someone would make her cry, then as some scumbug once said, ''Fishes in Tokyo bay will eat well that day.''. We decided that we''ll try out this strange rtionship. How did I manage to convince them? Secret (Because I don''t know either). (E/D: Sasuga Ryoto-sama.) I may have experience with dating multiple women at the same time, but I don''t think it will help me in this rtionship. L was just too sweet and pure (not anymore, hehe), and she was the one who helped me steel my resolve. While I technically had Kaede and Rio as my girlfriends. We were living literally worlds apart. Alme, on the other hand, didn''t care that much or rather encouraged me to have more as it shows how capable of a male I am. Her words, not mine. Now that I have three more girlfriends, my life will be busier than ever. To be honest, I feel like there will be problems with the Shihoin nter on as I''m not from a noble family, but if I be a Captain, I doubt they will have anything to say to me then. They even owe me a favor, so I like my chances. The problem is Zangetsu. He still does that stupid test about hearing a word that I can''t hear. I need to be patient about Kisuke''s invention. Then, we''ll see how cooperative he will be. I predict that he won''t be much more agreeable, but I''ll at least get a chance. Isane went to her home for now, and the rest of us were nning to return to the dorms for now, but we were stopped but clearly exited Kisuke. Kisuke: "I finally finished it!!!" Rin: "What did you finish?" Rin, while not the biggest fan of Kisuke, was still curious. Kisuke: "I''m d you asked~ But first, I should probably congratte Ryoto on finally getting a girlfriend. So which one is the lucky one~?" He asked teasingly. He was probably expecting to be Rin, and he wanted to annoy her a bit. But I must say he really is perceptive to notice small changes in our behavior or the way we walk. Yoruichi: "I''m the lucky one! Ryoto couldn''t control himself after finally noticing my charms. Even turning into a cat didn''t help." She faked her sadness. I may be many things, but a cat fucker is not one of them. Ryoto: "No fish for a month." That was the only thing I said, but Yoruichi didn''t seem fazed. Yoruichi: "Do you think I can get fish only from you? People give fish to cats all the time." Ryoto: "Cooked by me." She hesitated this time and gritted her teeth. Yoruichi: "You''re lucky that your food is amazing." I positioned my arm in a way it was evident for her to know what I wanted. She reluctantly jumped on my arm, and I started petting her. After a few moments, she was enjoying it against her will. Yoruichi: "Why are you so good at petting!!!" Ryoto: "Practice." I think I enjoyed it even more than she did. Kisuke: "Ohya, ohya Rin-san. If you are feeling jealous, all you need to do is ask~ Our very generous friend has a heart of gold and would spare a few seconds to give you headpats~." Thisment earned him a bonk on the head with the sheath of my Zanpakuto. And so the spirit of Utsu lives on. After I was satisfied with Yoruichi''s body (yes, I know how it sounds), I put her on my head again and gave some head pats to Rin. She was happy with that, and so was I. Kisuke: "I see what''s going on, but I''m not going to ask any questions. However, I''m going to show you what I nned to before you got distracted." He guided us through the undergroundbyrinth in which we would easily get lost. Rin: "Is all this really necessary? Why create abyrinth?" Kisuke: "A man''s romance." (E/D: Urahara being a poet. I love this guy, even though I have not watched or read bleach.) She looked at him like he was stupid. Incredibly hrious because Kisuke is anything but stupid. Ryoto: "I hope there''s a bunch of traps here that we avoided, thanks to you." Kisuke: "But of course. I have everything hidden pits, poisoned but not fatal arrows, and let''s not forget about a giant boulder rolling through the hallway." I just gave him silent thumbs up. He did a great job. After walking for a while, we could see the light at the end of the tunnel reveling... --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 199: Things has changed Chapter 199: Things has changed (Ryoto''s pov) We were weed by a bright blue sky... underground. I recognized this ce because Kisuke loved this design so much that he is going to reuse it two more times in the future. Kisuke: "Wee to Study Chamber! After some light work, I was able to finish it!" To be honest, seeing it in person was a lot more impressive. This ce is enormous. You could literally build a city inside. Rin: "Is this ce really underground?" Kisuke: "But of course, dear Rin-san, this whole ce is under Sokyoku hill. It was quite difficult to create this whole ce without anyone noticing, but as you have noticed, it was not impossible." Rin: "You idiot! What would you have done if you got caught!?" Kisuke: "Then I would say that I got lost, of course!" Rin: "You...!" Ryoto: "Now, now, let''s calm down, everyone." I mainly meant Rin. Ryoto: "Kisuke created a ce practically perfect for training that we can use. Isn''t that a good thing? I know that you can''t train freely with your Zanpakuto without worrying about your surroundings. Rin: "It would be nice..." She tried not to sound happy. It was cute, and I couldn''t help but push my cheek against her causing her a lot of embarrassment, but she didn''t fight back. Rin: "Ryoto... not here." Kisuke decided to ignore the show of affection and started exining this ce. Kisuke: "I''m d that you like it, Ryoto, but there is one more thing making this a perfect training ce. Nearby there are some hot springs. They have healing properties so you can train without worrying about injuries." It will be useful in the future. I don''t know why but I expected something more impressive. Not like it was not, but it''s Kisuke we''re talki-. Kisuke: "And if you look carefully you can even find prizes lying around such as..." He picked the rock to reveal a lollipop hidden underneath. Kisuke: "Candies!" I knew Kisuke was my best friend from the moment I saw him, and I would never be disappointed in anything he did. (E/D: I wish I could be a friend like him. Then I would actually have friends.) Rin: "Can you at least exin why the sky is blue and it''s daytime while the outside the sun is already setting." Kisuke looked like he was thinking of an answer until it seemed he hade up with something he was satisfied with. Kisuke: "Science!" Rin: "I''m going to beat him up." And she was ready to back up her words with actions, but I got an idea. Ryoto: "Hey, why don''t we fight each other? Not now, I would say in about five years, let''s get here to create a tournament arc!" Rin: "Tournament what?" Ryoto: "Nevermind. Just know that after these five years, we''ll get here and see the results of our training against real opponents." Yoruichi: "I like that idea! I''m in!" Kisuke: "How about spice up this littlepetition we have? Why not make a winner be able to ask one thing from the person he chooses." Ryoto: "Confident, aren''t we." Kisuke: "Not really. Think of it as a motivation to not lose." And so we decided to fight after five years. --- In the blink of an eye, three and half years had passed, and I was out of Academy. (E/D: That''s huge. Huge timeskip. But understandable. Have a Great day.) I graduated early, but I was still training under Yama-jii. Compared to him, I was still weak, but most people are if I think about it. That doesn''t mean that I don''t n on surpassing him. It won''t be easy, but where is a will, there''s a way. (E/D: This reminds me of a line and it''s rted to traps.) Currently, I was walking through the Squad''s 13th barracks, the Squad I belonged to. My Captain is Jushiro-senpai, or I should call him Captain Ukitake, but old habits die hard, I guess. Rin, however, doesn''t have this difficulty. She even makes fun of me because of that, calling me by my new title. I was currently called by my Captain for something. As I was walking, some of the members bowed to me with nervousness. God, I hate formalities. I walked into the office and greeted Jushiro-senpai. He was looking healthier than before. He wasn''t cured, far from it, but he is still feeling healthy enough to enjoy his life unless he doesn''t take a daily dose of lollipops or strain himself too much for too long. Jushiro: "Good morning, Yuuki-kun." Ryoto: "Morning, Captain. So what did you call me for? You know how I enjoy sleeping in the morning." Jushiro-senpai smiled apologetically. Jushiro: "I apologize, Yuuki-kun, but I have an important mission for you." He is too kind-hearted. I''m starting to feel bad for what I said. Ryoto: "Don''t be sorry. I was just joking. I didn''t get enough sleep yesterday, and I''m grumpy." I don''t get tired anymore, but I still enjoy sleeping. Jushiro: "I see that a honeymoon faze didn''t end yet." He smiled kindly. I know that he didn''t mean anything bad, but it kinda annoyed me for some reason. Too many trolls around me. Ryoto: "Thanks for worrying about my love life, Captain, but please focus on the mission." He cleared his throat by coughing a few times as he became embarrassed by myment. Jushiro: "Yes, I called you because our Squad was assigned to negotiate with Quincy. As ofte, they are killing too many Hollows and disturbing the bnce of the souls. As you should know, when Shinigami kills a Hollow, it cleanses the sinsmitted while in that form and sends the soul to Soul Society. On the other hand, when Quincy kills a Hollow, the soul ispletely destroyed. The cycle of souls became unstable, which is catastrophic for all of the worlds. We are hoping to convince them to let the job of hunting Hollows be left to Shinigami." He turned incredibly serious all of a sudden. Jushiro: "Ryoto Yuuki, Lieutenant of Squad 13. Do you ept the mission to follow me to the world of the living to negotiate with the Quinces?!" Ryoto: "I ept!" Knowing how the negotiations would end, I sighed inwardly. I just know that it will end in a bloodbath. Even if necessary, I don''t like it. *Sigh* --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 200: ??? and an important information Chapter 200: ??? and an important information (A/N Well, some things happened while I was at work. Apparently, Webnovel higher-ups are a bunch of masochistic since they just decided to shoot themselves in the foot. But I''m not here to remind you about it. After this chapter, I''m going to take a break. A week or two to n out some things, and in the meantime, I''m going to upload my chapters at ScribbleHub. I won''t stop writing here either, so don''t worry for anyone who doesn''t want to migrate. It is just many of the readers don''t even speak English, so I want to give them the chance to enjoy the story till the end. It will have the same name there, so it should be easy to find. That''s all from me for now.) (E/D: Help me! UID: 865576205.) (Ryoto''s pov) I ''opened'' my eyes which was strange since I don''t remember falling asleep. What''s stranger was that I wasn''t in my room. Well, I was but not my room that I''m supposed to have right now. It was the room in my home world. How the heck am I back in my world? I''m sure as hell I didn''t survive thest boss, aka Yhwach unless he had a heart attack while I was not looking, which would be hrious since he still shouldn''t have a heartbeat!!! OK, calm down. I got pretty heated. I also don''t know what happened to Rin and why I was transported back to my room and not the rooftop. Thest time I returned to the ce, I wasst standing before transfer. Was there some kind of glitch in the system? Is Truck-kun cking off? I''m notining. I''m just worried about the consequences. L not being next to me in bed is a red g in itself. Wait! I looked at my right arm, and I was surprised to not see my tattoo. I just started to like it too... If the tattoo didn''t transfer back with me, then how about... I looked down at my chest. Even my scars are gone, not the ones from Kaede, though. ''Hey Karen, do you hear me?'' I called Karen just like I used to do. It feels like years have passed since we talked... oh, right. But there was no answer. This is not a good sign. ''Zangetsu, are you there?'' Zangetsu: "Against my will." ''Great, you are still there. Do you know what the hell happened to us?'' Zangetsu: "We got the mission from Mr. Captain, and then... then we got here." He said, unsure of what to say. Just like me, he has a nk space in his memory. That''s worrying. If I witness something, but I forget it, Zangetsu usually remembers it. If he doesn''t, then either I didn''t I witness anything or... Better not to think about it for now. I didn''t get any reward forpleting the quest, and my scars got healed. The first thing I should do in this unknown situation is to gather information. I searched the room for any differences, but everything was as it was before. I may have missed some things, as it has been a while since I''ve seen it, but it looks the same. I decided to go downstairs, and I was met with an alluring smell. It was probably Mikan''s cooking. She may not be at my level, but I certainly missed it. Ryoto: "Morning." Mikan: "It looks like without L, you can''t wake up early. I was about to go upstairs to wake you up." So L is here. Good to know. Ryoto: "Mikan, I know it may sound strange, but where is L?" Mikan seemed to be perplexed by my question. Mikan: "Are you still asleep? L was called by her father for some kind of important party. She will be gone for a few days." I see. I don''t remember it at all, and time shouldn''t have passed while I was on the mission. Something is really wrong, and I needed to check on Rin as fast as possible, but before I went to Saki''s mansion, I heard a feminine voice that didn''t belong to anyone I knew. ???: "Good morning." She had slightly long straight orange hair and golden eyes. Her bust was a littlerger than Rin''s but was still smaller than L''s, but it was still impressive. I recognized her instantly, but she shouldn''t be here. It shouldn''t be a thing. Ryoto: "...Rito?" Rito: "I go by Riko now. Did you forget?" (E/D: Chippu to Potatochu! Do you copy!? Are seeing you this!? This is for you. Over!) She sat next to me and put her hand on my leg. She was clearly being seductive, but it only gave me a shudder down my spine. He is a guy, but she is a girl, but he is a guy... I''m confused. What the hell happened here!!? I chose to escape from this problematic situation by going to school. Ryoto: "Thanks for breakfast Mikan. I''ll be on my way to school." I was unfortunately stopped. Mikan: "What do you mean school? It''s Sunday, and you promised Riko a date today." I did what now? Mikan then took out her phone and showed me a video of me promising Riko a date. As much as I don''t want to, I promise even if I don''t remember it, and when I promise something, I fulfill it. That''s why I don''t promise as much as possible. *Sigh* I''m practically being forced to have a date with my brother... sister... Let''s just say rtive for now. I don''t want to be confused. But right after the date, I''m checking on Rin, and nothing''s going to stop me! (E/D: I need an "Are you sure about that" chain in the above paragraph.) --- On the date with Riko, we went around the town. She tried on many different clothes and behavedpletely like a girl, which was disturbing to me. Just imagine your brother of 16 years transformed into a girl and apparently has feelings for me. She tries to be subtle with it, but she isn''t. I''m not a teenager anymore. I mean, I''m kinda am, but I have a lot more life experience. Halfway through our date, I started enjoying myself, so I took her hand, and we walked around like that. I bought her some earrings that I thought suited her, and she seemed to like them since I saw some tears in the corner of her eyes, but these were tears of happiness as she showed a wide smile. As thest location, I decided to walk down the river bank. The sun was already setting down. When you''re having fun, the time sure files. With the sun on our side, we looked into each other''s eyes. I was drawn to them. They were simply beautiful. I put my hand on her chin, and she instantly understood what was going to happen, she closed her eyes, waiting for me to move. And so I did, slowly my lips getting closer to hers until... (Truck-san''s pov) Truck-san: "Like that''s ever gonna happen." I said as I closed a book I was reading. It''s totally unrealistic for Ryoto to not check up on Rin immediately after getting back. But who knows what''s going to happen in the future~. Teasing readers is fun, and so is quoting Shrek! --- END (A/N Non-canon 200th chapter special. Hope you enjoyed it.) Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 201: Spending time with Rin until... Chapter 201: Spending time with Rin until... (A/N I''m back!!!!! And I''ll be returning to my usual posting schedule starting today. During my ''vacation'' I tried to research some information about Bleach world to be more urate, but while starting this arc, I was unaware that the Bleach wiki doesn''t have information from the light novels, which is a pretty big deal. First is that Isane wasn''t lieutenant even 110 years before canon. Hanataro''s brother was. Funny enough, he appeared in the manga in the background once, andter, he was revealed in data books which I also didn''t read... Also, apparently, Kiyone was sent to the 13th Division to help with Ukitake condition and originally was in Squad 4. So yeah, I made some characters older than they should, but since it already happened, I''m going to utilize it to the best of my ability. I even have an idea for Isane''s backstory. Sorry for the rant. I''m still a little pissed that I missed these details.) (E/D: I got a baby parrot, now I can be a pirate. I got a baby parrot. I got a baby parrot. I got a baby parrot. I got a baby parrot...) (Ryoto''s pov) Together with Jushiro-senpai, I will be departing to the living in about two hours. It leaves me with some free time for myself. I decided to spend some time with Rin. Since Yoruichi and Kisuke are busy with some things in Squad 2. Isane is also upied with her responsibilities as a lieutenant of Squad 4, so that leaves Rin. What happened to my responsibilities as a lieutenant? We don''t talk about it. I don''t have a lot of them since my Captain is very responsible, but... I avoid it if I can. I was currently looking for Rin around the barracks. If I remember correctly, she is on cleaning duty today. Rin is surprisingly strong herself and is already a seated officer. She is 6th seat, to be exact. It may not seem impressive, but not many Shinigamis climb ranks as fast as her. I am also an exception since, in the same amount of time, I became a lieutenant, but since I''m Head Captain''s student, then I''m expected to be a genius. I am, after all, one of three people that learned under him, and he is known as the strongest Shinigami. What I''m trying to say is that Rin is strong. She is even better at Kido than I am, and I''m not terrible. I had some problems because my Reiatsu is violent and hard to control, but hard work doesn''t betray a man. I''m not even talking about her Zanpakuto. I feel like it has a huge potential to be powerful. From what I know, its ability is to connect. The question is how much can she connect. I saw her shing the limbs of the Hollows, and that forced it to move the limbs at the same time but is it possible for her to connect the limbs of two people at the same time or maybe connect two people in general, so if one was wounded, the other would be as well. Possibilities are endless, really, but I can only specte since I don''t know the limits of her power. While I was deep in my thoughts, I finally found my lovely girlfriend. I decided to surprise her. I used Shunpo to appear behind her, but as soon as I got close to her, I noticed a brooming to my face. Catching it wasn''t a challenge for me, but I was really impressed by Rin''s reaction. "It''s not very nice to attack your boyfriend like that." I said teasingly as I was still holding the broomstick near my face that almost managed to hit me. "It''s not very nice to scare your girlfriend like that as well." She tried to sound angry, but a small smile that formed had on her face betrayed her. "Especiallying from behind." I smirked at herment. "Really? I thought you enjoyed it from behind~." Rin turned red and tried to hit me with her broom, but I avoided every attack with a grin until I disarmed her and hugged her by her waist, getting our faces close. "Still so shy after everything we''ve done?" "That doesn''t mean that it''s not embarrassing when you talk about it out loud." She turned meek real quick. Ha, it even rhymes. "But I must say, you didn''t change that much in thest four and a half years." Hearing me, I could see some mncholy in Rin''s eyes. "It''s almost five years since we got here. It''s a long time, but it feels like it passed so fast... You know, I should be 22 years old this year. At this point, I should be in college together with Saki-sama and Aya, but I didn''t even age a bit in thest four years." True, it went by fast, but a lot has changed. "But I must disagree with you, Ryoto. I have changed." "And how is that?" She gave me a quick peck on the lips. "I fell in love." I am not easily stunned, but Rin rarely shows her affection like that but hearing that always feels nice. "I love you too." Both of us enjoyed our hug until some passing Shinigami faked a cough to gain our attention. Rin quickly let go of me to see who it was, and I did the same. It was some random Shinigami that I didn''t recognize. As annoyed as I am, I''ll at least hear him out. I''m lieutenant, after all, and one of my responsibilities is to hear out my subordinates. Before I could try to be friendly, he rudely started talking to both Rin and me. "I didn''t expect members of one of the 13 Court Squad to behave in such a way during their working hours!" Yeah, I don''t like him already, and he said just one sentence. It''s not a good sign. But I''m surprised that he doesn''t recognize me. Unless he is new, he should know who his lieutenant is. I usually don''t wear my lieutenant armband around my Squad''s barracks unless I have a formal meeting. "What was your name again?" He looked proud hearing my question. "Listen and listen well. My name is Soda Nabuyuki, and I''m a newly assigned 20th-seat officer. Thanks to my genius, I finished Academy one year earlier, and I was given a seated position right away! Now that I introduced myself, I''ll take your names so I can report it to the Captain." ... He is delusional... or stupid. Everyone knows that snitches get stitches, and he just says to our faces that he is going to snitch. But that gives me an idea. I must have grinned because Rin whispered to my ear, "Careful, your sadist is showing." I wasn''t aware that I''m a sadist, maybe a troll but not a sadist. At least, I don''t think so. "Don''t worry, I just want to mess with this guy that thinks that he is hot stuff." "That''s what I''m worried about." We were talking quietly as the guy whose name I already forgot was ranting about something, not noticing that we didn''t pay any attention to him. "You''re right. I should be ashamed of myself. Let''s go together to Captain Ukitake and exin to him what has urred. I''m sure he''ll reward you exceptionally for upholding order in our Division." Hearing my fake sadness and mention of a reward made him happy. Too easy. "Let''s go, Rin. We need to receive our punishment." Rin rolled her eyes but followed nheless. --- "Captain Ukitake, I have something to report!" With great enthusiasm, the 20th seat announced to our Captain, who raised his head from his paperwork. Rin and I were standing behind the guy who tried to get us punished, so I decided to wave at Jushiro-senpai with a smile, and I think he immediately understood what happened. "Yuuki-kun, please don''t mess with your subordinates too much." The Shinigami became confused and looked between Jushiro-senpai and me. I probably had the biggest grin on my face, and since my Captain decided to spoil my fun, it was time to introduce myself. "I forgot to tell you my name. Ryoto Yuuki, Lieutenant of the 13th Division. Nice to meet you." It was at this moment that he knew he fucked up. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 202: My future sister-in law doesnt approve my relationship Chapter 202: My future sister-inw doesn''t approve my rtionship (Ryoto''s pov) Now that I''ve found someone to take care of Rin''s duty, I got some time to spend with her, and what''s a better thing to do than to rx under the tree with my head lying on herp? Rin was caressing my head, enjoying the feeling of my hair through her fingers. We didn''t need to talk about anything and just enjoyed each other''spany. I better treasure these moments because I don''t know when they''ll end. "Want to try our test now?" Zangetsu spoke inside my head. Every day he was ''saying'' something, and if I could hear it, he would let me train Bankai, which is essential since it would be a significant power boost. But I''m not stupid enough to bet everything on getting Bankai to get stronger. That''s why I''m training other things like Kido, Zanjutsu, Hoho, and Hakuda. I also didn''t stop training water and fire bending. Even though I can''t use them, it doesn''t mean that I can''t train the form. I can''t get rusty after all. There is also one thing that I''m trying to train with little results, and I have high hopes that I''ll seed even if it takes a long time, but for now, I''ll leave it as a secret. "Sure, why not." At this point, I believe he is just fucking with me, so I don''t mind humoring him while I wait for Kisuke to invent the Tenshintai. Which allows forcibly materializing the Zanpakuto spirit to achieve Bankai in 3 days or less. I''m impressed that I remembered that name to be honest. "G**** ******" It was the first time I heard something. "What did you say? G-what?" Hearing my question, there was silence until Zangetsu burst outughing. "Hahahahahaha!!! I can''t believe it! Who knew that being patient would pay off? I lost the fucking bet, and I''m not even mad! Hahahahahaha!!!" It was bizarre hearing Zangetsu that''s happy outside of a fight. "Tell you what, I''m so happy that I''ll give you a reward. We''ll start training something new the next time you''ll visit me. I still can''t believe it..." That''s great... strange but great. Zangetsu teaching me is never a bad thing, but right now, I''ll rx before I need to go to the living world to meet the Quincies. I hope it doesn''t go too horribly. Before it happened, however, my rest was interrupted by someone who doesn''t like me too much because I have three girlfriends, including her sister. "Vice Captain, you shouldn''t waste your time flirting with girls while being on duty!" Kiyone wasn''t the biggest fan of mine, but I can''t me her too much. She is just worried that her sister is in a rtionship with a bad man. I can''t say that she isn''t wrong, but I''m not nning on making Isane unhappy. I may be a scumbag, but I''m a responsible one... or at least I''m trying to. "I''m not flirting with girls. I''m enjoying my free time with my girlfriend, who you know." "Are you cheating on my sister?" "We are not starting this conversation again. I already told, Isane already told you, and even Rin here tried to exin to you that I, Isane, Rin, and Yoruichi decided to be in this rtionship, and we all agreed to it. I''m not telling you to ept me immediately but at least respect Isane''s decision." I''m pretty proud of my speech. It turned out well. "...You would sound more convincing if you weren''tying on Kujo-san''sp." "But they are sofortable..." I started fondling them to showcase howfortable they were. I could practically feel the disgusting from Kiyone. "Ryoto, could you stop caressing them..." It was Rin the one who asked me this question even though she didn''t seem to n to move away from my hand. "No!" I needed to show Kiyone the greatness of Rin''s thighs. (E/D: Uh... the number of misunderstandings. Rin and thighs... Oh, my God*Joseph style.*) I don''t think she gets it. Maybe she is too young, which is funny because she is probably older than me. --- After spending some nice time with Rin, it was time to fulfill my duty as Vice Captain. Captain Ukitake, I, and some other Shinigami arrived in the living world. The other Shinigami were only there for show. Something about showing that we have people to spare even for a seemingly unimportant meeting, although Quincy probably don''t know that if things go wrong most of them will go extinct. It probably won''t end with only one meeting as Jushiro-senpai, just like me, doesn''t like unnecessary bloodshed, and he will try to solve this conflict peacefully. I just hope that they don''t have sticks too far up their asses. Right now, all of the Shinigami weren''t using gigai as it wasn''t required. Quincies are able to see ghosts, Hollows, and Shinigami alike, so being in gigai would only weaken our strength in a case of an ident. It''s important to know that while Jushiro-senpai is the main voice in negotiations, I am allowed to voice my opinion and contribute to the conversation. I don''t know why they allowed me since most people who know me are aware that I can be unpredictable, but I am also a lieutenant, and they expect me to be at least somehow responsible. It also could be Jushiro-senpai who spoke on my behalf, or it was only him who made this decision. The meeting is being held in some small vige. The funny thing is that Quincies, in the present time, were being paid for hunting Hollows. Unlike in the ''present day'', people widely believe in the supernatural. Yokai and other monsters may not exist, but people still try to exin the unknown in some way. Hollows can interact with the world of the living and even kill people, so some Quincy decided to mize on this. Some be Onmyoji, others traveling monks, and others try to live their life normally. The problem is that they kill Hollows. If they only defended themselves when they needed to, it wouldn''t have been a problem but they went out of their way to fight monsters. Soul Society believes that the living world should be left for the living, but just this is one of the expectations. When living people make stupid decisions Soul Society also needs to step in. Well, let''s see what''s in store. (E/D: I got a feeling that Ryoto will transform into CarryMinati and roast the s*it out of everyone.) --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 203: Meeting with Quinces Chapter 203: Meeting with Quinces (Ryoto''s pov) We decided to have a meeting in one of the buildings. Inside only four people were allowed. Jushiro-senpai, I and two Quincies. The rest would be outside. It is also worth mentioning that besides the seen Shinigami, we also had some of the Stealth Corps members. You know, just in case. I doubt that Yama-jii has a good opinion of Quincies after hisst encounter with them. The old Quincy, that seemed to be a leader and acted like one was apanied by someone who looked pretty young. The young man was nervous being there and probably felt out of ce. There was an awkward silence as we sat at the table and waited for the other side to start talking but seeing that the Quincies didn''t n to do it, Jushiro-senpai decided to open the conversation. "Well, how about we introduce ourselves before we start talking about business? I''ll start. My name is Jushiro Ukitake, and I hold the position of Captain of the 13th Division." "And I am Ryoto Yuuki, Vice-Captain of the same Division." Following our example, the younger of the two introduces himself as well. "M-my name is Isamu Ishida, the next vige chef." He didn''t sound like a future leader. Did heck... confidence? I''m not sure. He somehow reminded me of Rito from the manga. Someone who didn''t want to be part of this world, but the situation was forced upon him. The name also reminds me of someone, but I wasn''t surprised. I already read the report about who we will be meeting, but the first time I read this name, I was surprised. It could be a coincidence, but a Quincy named Ishida shouldn''t be toomon. As Isamu tried to be social and respectful, he got a re from the old man. I see. I''m not going to like him. "Hideo Ishida." To not look like a man without manners, he spoke his name, but he wasn''t happy about it. Not that most Quinces liked Shinigami, but he seemed to despise them. "I don''t understand why we need this meeting in the first ce." Yep, I''m going to hate his guts. "As it was exined in the messages we sent you, ording to our research, the way Quincies kill Hollows is dangerous for the world''s bnce..." Jushiro-senpai proceeded to exin everything they needed to know to understand the situation. Ukitake, while being from a low-ss aristocratic family, was still a noble of some kind, and he knew his ways with words. He tried to sound respectful but also meant to convey the seriousness of the situation. It worked on Isamu, who listened carefully to everything Jushiro-senpai was saying, but the old man was not moved by my Captain''s words. "So you''re telling me that we should just wait for you, Shinigami, while Hollows attack and kill people around us?" He mmed his fist on the table, enraged. "Are you making fun of me!!!?" I see a young master syndrome. Makes you a lot more arrogant and stupid. Funny that he is an old man, though, but I see that we won''t have any form of a meaningful conversation with him, so I gave up even attempting and change targets. (E/D: Young master who is a million years old: Junior you dare call this handsome and young me old. Have some manners! Who are you to ask ady for her age? Junior: But Master I thought you were a guy. Young master: *Show his pink panties* Junior: *Bleeds from his eyes* It was a trap.) I turned to Isamu, smiled gently, and said, "Since your rtive is clearly an idiot that can''t understand a simple exnation, I hope that you''ll trante it to himter into anguage he can understand since it''s clearly not Japanese." "You insolent...!" Before things could escte, Ukitake stepped in. "Now, now, Yuuki-kun probably didn''t mean what he said, and he is just tired and nervous. Let''s take a short break." I meant every single word, but I had already achieved my goal. It was to piss off the old man. I tried to see how calm he could act in the face of insult, and it turned out that he couldn''t. And because I hate people who don''t try to listen. Also, I noticed that he isn''t open to a conversation, so the question is why did he ept the meeting at all. I''m going to apologize to Jushiro-senpaiter for that, but I saved us some time, and I also wanted to establish Jushiro-senpai as someone level-headed. Me being foul-mouthed and not caring about others'' opinions but still listening to him makes him look authoritative and someone worth listening to. Basically, I was a bad cop. The interesting thing is that Isamu was willing to listen. It''s possible that he somehow convinced the stubborn old man to do it because he understands their sire situation. He seemed responsible. If only his grandpa had had an ident... I should stop these thoughts for now. I don''t n on killing anyone unless it''s absolutely necessary, so as long as Isamu somehow manages to convince his grandpa to listen to Jushiro-senpai, we are golden. But I''ll keep it as ast resort n just in case. I decided to rx under a tree, but I got a surprise guest. "I didn''t think Shinigami were so simr to living people. I expected most of you to be emotionless soldiers that can only follow orders." It was Isamu who approached me with a gentle smile. "And you don''t seem like a nerve bundle like you were before." He was noticeably less tense, which is good. "Yeah, it was my first time being in such an important meeting. I know that grandpa allowed me to be part of it because he doesn''t see this as something important, but I know that he is blinded by his pride and anger." So he also can think for himself. "Shinigami-San-." "Ryoto." I interrupted him. "My name is Ryoto Yuuki, so just call me Ryoto." "Then you can call me Isamu." There was silence, but I could see that Isamu wanted to ask me something. "What do you want to ask?" He scratched his cheek in embarrassment while smiling awkwardly. "Was it that obvious?" "Crystal clear, but I''m just used to people looking at me that way. I''m full of mysteries, and no one knows them all." Except for Zangetsu, but he doesn''t count. Isamu then proceeded to ask me about my life as a Shinigami and the afterlife, and I answered them all to the beat of my ability. He was very curious, and I didn''t mind answering his questions. He genuinely seemed like a good person without any hidden motives. I didn''t reveal any secrets. He didn''t even ask for any, but soon after, we were forced to return to the meeting. (E/D: Ah! Yes! Good old politics. Take an unreasonable amount of time for no reason at all.) --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 204: Spending time with Isane Chapter 204: Spending time with Isane (Ryoto''s pov) God dammit!!! That old man pisses me off more than he should. bLaH, bLaH, bLaH, my ancestors were killed by Shinigami. bLaH, bLaH, bLaH, and Shinigami don''t work fast enough, and that''s why they need to fight Hollows by themselves, bLaH, bLaH, bLaH. I had already returned to Soul Society with Jushiro-senpai, and I was calm on the outside, but on the inside, I was boiling. I may tolerate stupidity but stupidity that can cause genocide of his own people is something I can''t stand. I know, shocking. Does he really not expect the Shinigami to do anything? With how much he was talking about the war 800 years ago, I would expect him to at least suspect it, but no. His Quincy pride wouldn''t allow him to have such thoughts or what? My thoughts were broken by my Captain. "Thank you for your work Yuuki-kun." "I didn''t do anything worth thanking for. Instead, I should be apologizing for acting out of line." At my words, Jushiro-senpai smiled kindly. "You can''t fool your superior Yuuki-kun. I know exactly why you did what you did, but I would appreciate it if you would discuss your n with me beforehand." "Sorry, but this time it was kind of spontaneous. I didn''t expect the vige chef to be this ignorant about his and his people''s situation." "But not everyone is like that, am I right?" He was implying my talk with Isamu. "Of course, they aren''t all bad. One bad apple doesn''t mean that the whole tree is rotten, but it doesn''t make me any less annoyed." Hearing my answer Jushiro-senpai took out a notebook and started writing something in it. "You have ways with words Yuuki-kun. I''ll use this phrase in my next novel." He then continued. "But this meeting wasn''t without victories on our part. We agreed on a second meeting, so not all hope is lost, but we must hurry nheless. We don''t know what Central 46 will decide if Quincies refuse our request. I fear for the worst to happen in that case." As expected of Jushiro-senpai. He can see the whole picture perfectly, unlike some demented old man! "Wow, he really got under your skin." Zangetsu spoke to me. ''You should know. You''re an expert in that department.'' "Eh, it''s just easy to make you mad when you know which buttons you need to push. Right, Jacob~?" I could basically see him smirking in my inner world, and I got embarrassed remembering our first meeting. "How did it go? ''Don''t you ever call me that again?'' Good times." I wanted to find a big hole to bury myself in, and it was noticed by my Captain. "Are you alright, Yuuki-kun? You suddenly got quiet." "Nothing... Just my Zanpakuto reminding me of my dark past." "I... see." I decided to spend some time with Isane. She is the most distant of my girlfriends at the moment, even after three years, but I feel like I''m slowly destroying the walls that she built around herself. She just needs to be more confident. That''s all she really needs. --- I went to Isane''s house. Instead of surprising her in the barracks, I got the idea of surprising her in her own house. I''ll even make her favorite food. I got inside using the spare key that she hid under a flowerpot. Not the most original, but sometimes ssic is just what you need in life. Besides, what kind of madman would try to steal from a house of a lieutenant. What''s more, this house belongs to Unohana, so doing that would not only be stupid but also suicidal. I stopped thinking about useless things and focused more on cooking. I still enjoy doing that, but as ofte, I don''t cook as often as I used to. Rin took over my duties sometimes and was the one making food. Not that I don''t understand why she wants to make her loved ones eat her food happily, but apparently, it''s not the only reason. The girls agreed that my food is reserved only for special asions since it''s so delicious they are afraid that it would make them lousy eventually. "I''m home... not that anyone will answer." "Hey, that''s not true." I answered while walking out of the kitchen in an apron. It was made specifically for me. You could tell by the pattern on it. It was lollipops. I paid a lot for this apron. Money well spent if I could say so myself. "Ryoto-kun? What are you doing here?" "Do I need a reason to visit my girlfriend?" I walked up to her and gave her a hug and headpats. Although she says that she isn''t girly, which I disagree with, she enjoys being treated gently. Not in bed, though, but she is embarrassed afterward almost every time. I enjoy watching her face in the morning as she realizes what happened the previous night. (E/D: Yet there is no lemon! Lemon!!!!! Whitemail the Author and get me lemon!!!!!!!!!!!) Isnae melted in my arms and hugged me back with a small smile enjoying the warmth of my body. Most, if not all, of the men in her Squad, are shorter than her, which makes her insecure. She has aplex about her height, but I''m taller than her making her feel like a normal girl. "I''ve made some meals with porridge, so let''s start eating before it gets cold." Hearing her favorite food being mentioned, she instantly perked up but calmed down shortly after remembering the agreement. "But wasn''t your food reserved for special asions?" "Visiting my girlfriend is a special asion, though, but we can also treat it as a little secret between just the two of us. What do you think." I winked at her yfully. Around my girlfriends, when we are alone, I open my eyes. It''s the thing I always did, even back home. There''s no particr reason. It started when L asked me to do it because she liked how my eyes looked, and it just became a habit to do from then on. After breaking up the hug, we went to the dining room to have a great meal, and I attempted to start some small talk. "So, how was your day?" I didn''t get an answer as Isane''s mouth was full of food, and she just gave me a look like she tried to answer me telepathically. It was honestly cute, but I was happy seeing that she liked my food so much and waited patiently for her to finish eating. Afterward, she was embarrassed by her behavior, but I didn''t mind and was smiling the entire time, watching her eat. Moments like these are worth living for. "Ryoto-kun, can I ask you something?" "The secret ingredient is love." I answered instantly. "Not that. Did something happen to upset you?" Well, this is surprising. I wasn''t expecting Isane to notice anything. I thought that I was behaving as usual but talking about problems is also part of the rtionship. I learned that with L. "It''s nothing too bad for now. My Squad is responsible for negotiating with the Quincies, and I don''t like where this is going. The leader we are meeting is very closed-minded, and there is a big chance that the negotiations will fail. If that happens, knowing the higher-ups, war could break out, and it''s never a good thing." After I said what was on my mind Isane walked up to me and put my head on her breasts, and gave me a headpats. Huh, now that I think about it, thest person to give me a headpat was Koro-sensei. Otherwise, I''m the one giving it to people, but it feels nice. "You know, you don''t need to put on a bravado in front of any of us." Does it really look like that? "It''s not that I''m trying to put on a bravado. That''s how I''m normally behaving, and if it''s not something big, I usually won''t show or tell what''s on my mind, but I''m trying to be more open. If this was the old me, then I would keep my problems to myself no matter what, so I think there''s progress." Flipping the mood 180, I picked up Isane in my arms and went to the bedroom, and she knew exactly what was going to happen next... (E/D: Wow, I guess didn''t have to whitemail him with the gun in my pocket after all. Huh... Anyways, I''m touching myself tonight.) (A/N I don''t know how to tell you this...) --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 205: A day with Yoruichi Chapter 205: A day with Yoruichi (Ryoto''s pov) I woke up with Isane sleeping on my arm. From my experience, all girls love doing that. If I was a normal human, it would make my arm numb, but thankfully I''m not. Wonders of being strong, I guess. The next negotiation meeting will be in a few days, so I''m mostly free for now, and so I''ll need to find something to do. I''ll train with Zangetsu. After all, he said that he''ll teach me something, and he usually beats the shit out of me and expect me to learn... which I usually do, but that''s beside the point. The point is that about some things only he is aware of as he is my Zanpakuto. Maybe Zangetsu has an attack that wasn''t shown in the series or somethingpletely different. What I''m sure of, however, is that I''ll get stronger, and I won''t say no to that. "It seems that you have woken up." While deep in my thoughts, I heard a deep male voiceing from the window. There I saw a familiar ck cat. "Do you really need to sound like a man while in this form? It''s really unsettling." "I can''t change it even if I wanted, but if I could, I wouldn''t anyway. Don''t you know me?" She smirked. "Oh, I know you very well. That we can be sure of." This time I was the one who smirked, but unlike Rin or Isane, who would immediately blush and get embarrassed, Yoruichi didn''t show any reaction and jumped on the bed. Isane still hadn''t woken up because she was tired after our night together, and rightfully so. I was not one to be the first to fall in battle. Even before I got the skill allowing me to have practically unlimited stamina in bed, I didn''t let myself lose to L. I had my pride, after all. "So, do you need something from me?" I asked. "Do I need something from my boyfriend to meet him?" She jumped on my bare chest and started running her w on my skin without hurting me. She was avoiding my scars like it was some kind of game. "Not really-" "But I want you to go somewhere with me." I knew it. If she wanted to just spend time with me, she would wait until I was alone, and I wouldn''t even know how long she waited because, in her cat form, it''s almost impossible to feel her Reiatsu normally, and if she''s hiding than it''s literally impossible. I''m curious, though. Where does she want us to go? --- "And this is my boyfriend!" I was sitting next to Yoruichi in her human form as she disyed me with a smug smile to Kukaku Shiba. I can already guess what happened. "Color me surprised you were telling the truth." So she was bragging about having a boyfriend to her friend. I like the feeling of being the source of someone another bragging about something. "And what is that supposed to mean!? Are you really that surprised that I could get a boyfriend?" "No, I''m surprised that someone was able to tame you." Was the answer Kukaku gave. "I''m not tamed. I would even say that-" I didn''t let her finish as I started scratching behind her ear. Even if she is a human, it''s her weak point, and as soon as I touched her, she started purring like a cat because of the pleasure that melted her reasoning, but she quickly recovered and red at me. "Yeah, I see how you tamed him." The sarcasm was practically oozing from her, but then she turned to me. "So, how did you get together? I can''t imagine Miss wild cat getting together with someone." "I don''t know. Maybe it was my charm that did all the work." "Your charm, is it? Tell her what really happen, honey~." Does she really want to y this game? Really? With me of all people. "I fought Captain Unohana to prove my rtionship." Kukaku looked at me and tried to figure out how I was still sitting in front of her... alive. While Unohana''s past is not known to many people, she is still a respected Captain that held her position for a long time, but it was an unwritten rule to never piss her off. "Smart, but do you want to tell Kukaku what form I was when you woke up~." She doesn''t n on letting me go. I think she is trying to ruin my reputation together with hers. I respect this pettiness, but I''m not going down without a fight. "We both know that I''m too big to even try doing it in your car form, and you can''t tell me otherwise." We would ''argue'' longer, but a pair of a fist wereing from above tond on us, but both of us avoided it using Shunpo. "Save your flirting for when I''m not around!!!" "Now, now, you don''t need to be so angry because you''re still single." Yoruichi just added petrol to the fire that was burning inside Kukaku, and the table was thrown together with other furniture, but from the look on Yoruichi''s face, I could see that she was enjoying herself. It seems that she was a lot more mischievous in her younger phase, and while she won''t grow out of it, she''ll undoubtedly be calmer in the future. Otherwise, more furniture will suffer. --- After the whole room was remodeled singlehandedly by Kukaku, she calmed down. She didn''t manage to hit either Yoruichi or me, unsurprisingly. "Did you really need to annoy her so much? She looked really pissed." I asked. Not that I cared that much. "Eh." She shrugged her shoulders. "She tends to be explosive. Most of her family is like that, to be honest. Shiba''s blood or whatnot." "So, is this normal?" I pointed to Kukaku, who was about to break a piece of wood with her bare hands. "Yep~!" After some small talk, Yoruichi and I returned to Sereitei as Kukaku''s house was not inside the inner walls. But I must say, it wasn''t a bad day to have. Pretty rxing with a little bit of trolling on the side. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 206: Unexpected meeting Chapter 206: Unexpected meeting (Ryoto''s pov) It was the fifth meeting with the Quincies, and I''m not sure if we are progressing. The old man is stubborn like hell, but I think I noticed a slight improvement. It''s probably thanks to Jushiro-senpai''s negotiation skills and me being quiet. I was taking a break when Isamu approached me again. We kinda became friends. He is easy to get along with and reminds me of Rito somehow. "Good work out there, Ryoto." "I didn''t do anything..." "But you also didn''t anger my grandpa likest time, so I would call it an improvement, but I''m here to ask you one thing." He became shy all of a sudden, and my curiosity was raised. "What is it? If you want to know my three sizes are-" "NO!!!" He refused. "I was just wondering since you are Shinigami and you are probably older than you look, I hoped that you... you know... have some advice on women..." Before, he had my curiosity, but now he''s got my attention, and hopefully, with my help, the luckydy will get his erection. I''m a poet in the making, if you couldn''t tell. (E/D: Author give him Merlin''s Hero Creation skill so that he can make men and women "equal") "Hoho, you just hit the jackpot by asking me this question," I said with a smug. "Why? You have centuries of experience?" "Not even close, but I have a harem." Isamu looked at me like I was some kind of miracle worker. "How!?" He asked, awaiting my answer impatiently, but before I could answer, he added something that left me dumbfounded. "How do you avoid tripping into her and grabbing her butt!!!?" ... I didn''t expect to meet someone with a lucky pervert in this world. "What should I do?" He asked me. "Enjoy the view?" It wasn''t an answer he was expecting, and he quickly got red. "Don''t worry, I was joking," I said before Isamu could say anything about myment before. "You are in luck since I have experience with your condition." "Is it a sickness?" "No, it''s the will of the world, so I would advise you to get used to it." Isamu was waiting for me to say it was a joke, but I was serious. He was ready to despair about his luck, literally. "But I didn''t say that there wasn''t any way for you to confess." He looked at me as if I had be his savior. He doesn''t need to know that I didn''t seed yet, but I''m not willing to give up! (Zangetsu''s pov) I was walking through the empty town on the rainy side, but there was a difference. A subtle one but a difference nheless. The rain wasn''t as intense as before, and it''s undoubtedly why he could hear the first letter of her name, which I still can''t believe it. I was sure, I would bet my hand that Jacob would never go over it, but it looks like time heals all. The question is how big of a scar it''ll leave. It doesn''t matter, really, but bigger scars tend to reopen easily at least emotional ones. As I was taking a walk, I heard a beautiful voice singing. Since it wasn''t me who was singing, only one person left. *Sigh* I knew that song very well. You''ll never walk alone by Elvis Presley. It''s her favorite song. After I found her under a tree with her eyes closed, I sat quietly next to her and didn''t let her notice me. She always liked spots like that. When she wants to have some quiet or so, she can sing in peace, she tends to find some tree to sit under. She says nature calms her down. I like listening to her voice. It was soothing, and it made me feel like I wasn''t alone, which is pretty ironic since I''m never alone. I''m part of Jacob the same way he is part of me. Not to mention shortie next to me. While I enjoy fighting over anything else, moments like these are not terrible. (Rin''s pov) Today I''m free to do whatever I want, and since Ryoto is busy with his duties today, I''m going to walk around some lower Districts. I was ying with some kids and sharing candies. Seeing them be happy just because of a small treat made me smile. I wonder if I''m going to be a mother someday? Having a child wouldn''t be that bad, and I know Ryoto would be a wonderful parent. Maybe a little overprotective. I giggled at my own joke, imagining him as the father of our daughter. I can imagine him saying something like, "You can''t have my daughter unless you defeat me". I know that he would do it only to mess with that unlucky guy. But right now, my first priority is to get stronger. I want to stand next to Ryoto, not behind him after all. But someday... I was currently in some grassy area. While I was deep in my thoughts, I wondered here, but I noticed I wasn''t alone. Under a tree, sitting, was a figure that had his face hidden by cloth. He was also having his whole body covered in clothes in a way that didn''t show even a bit of his skin. I wondered what he was doing here, but I was not one to pry into others people''s business without any reason. I would leave him alone, but with a corner of my, I caught something red on his clothes. Blood. I didn''t panic knowing this. I already observed that he was breathing steadily and was just resting. Because I couldn''t feel his Reiatsu, he was either very weak and close to death, which I don''t think he was because of his steady breathing, or I won''t be able to heal him. I learned some healing Kaido from Isane so I could take care of some minor injuries. I was surprised by my own calmness to someone''s injury. It''s not my first time seeing blood, but it just reminds me that a lot has changed. It didn''t mean that I didn''t feel anything. I wanted to help if I could, but I could think clearly. Fighting for your life really changes people, but I should focus on the person in front of me. "Excuse me? Are you alright?" Hearing my voice, I noticed him flinching. He was on guard against me but seeing my Shinigami uniform, he rxed. It seems that he at least trusted Shinigami. "Yes, I''m fine." He said while trying to hide the area where the blood was. He wanted me to leave him alone. Maybe it''s a regr urrence that somebody is harming him. I could conclude it from his reactions. "I can see that you''re hurt. I know some healing spells, so let me heal you." "It won''t be necessary." Once again, with a deep voice, he refused, but I won''t take no for an answer. --- END (I''m pretty proud of this chapter. For people who pay attention, it will answer some questions about Ryoto''s behavior. Also, I wanted to show that Zangetsu, while different from Ryoto in almost every aspect, is still part of him. In some other chapters, I tried to show it by making Zangetsu care about the mysterious figure in Ryoto''s inner world, but this time I also revealed that he can enjoy quiet moments as well, just like Ryoto tends to savor them.) (E/D: That is all good and all but I still refuse the child and also. Genderbend Rito and add him to Harem.) (A/N You are just like a dad who tells he doesn''t want a dog but after the family gets it he loves it the most out of all of them. In another word, you are just a tsundere. _()_/) Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 207: Before the sparring matches Chapter 207: Before the sparring matches (Rin''s pov) What should I do? He clearly wants me to leave him alone, but I don''t want to leave him without at least healing him. Maybe I should ask what Ryoto would do...? I don''t think it''s a good idea. He would either heal him by force or annoy him until he would agree, but I don''t think it suits me, so I decided to sit next to him. "Do you mind if I''ll take a break here?" "...Do as you want." At least he didn''t refuse, but for some reason, I feel like I''m trying to get the trust of a wounded animal. "Does it happen often?" "Hmm?" I pointed to his bloodied clothes. "I''m used to it. It''ll heal soon." After a short silence, the mysterious man was finally the one to start a conversation. "Why do you care so much?" "What do you mean?" "Most people seeing me would leave me alone and go on with their life, not wanting to be dragged into my troubles, or they would try to steal from me in my weaken state, so why did you try and help me?" It''s not like I don''t understand his mindset. In the lower Districts of Rukongai, we needed to watch our backs. Ryoto and I were lucky we met some nice people that were willing to help, but even then, we needed to steal to survive. "Before I became a Shinigami, I was practically powerless. Because of my Spiritual pressure, I also needed food. It didn''t help that I felt very alone. I tried topletely shut myself close. If I was alone, I''m sure I would have died." I smiled gently. I continued. "Thankfully, I was sent to Soul Society with someone. He helped me a lot, never giving up on me..." I didn''t want to remember it, but it was important to prove what I was going for. "He even took the dangerous job to earn money needed to take the test to be Shinigami. He still has scars because of it. What I want to say is I''m alive because of his help, so I decided to not ignore others when I can help. I''m not as selfless as to help everyone, but I''m not going to turn a blind eye either." He stayed quiet, thinking about something. "...Can you tell me what justice is to you?" A strange question and a bit out of nowhere. "It''s a difficult question. Justice is different for everyone. I feel that as long someone thinks their actions are for a good cause, it''s just for them. Even something as horrible as killing a child could be justified by some people. For me, however, it is to do the right thing ording to my morals." He closed his eyes to think about my answer. "Don''t get scared." He didn''t say anything after that, but he opened up his clothes and showed me his wound. It wasn''t a severe injury, but I was surprised by how hairy he was. Maybe that''s why he hides his skin so much and why people are attacking him. Knowing that it''s probably the cause of his problems, I didn''tment on it and started healing him. --- It didn''t take a long time to close his wound, and soon he was all healthy again. "I''m done. The injury should be taken care of. I may not be part of the 4th Division, but I didn''t do a bad job if I say so myself." I was about to leave, but I was stopped by the now healed mysterious man. "Your name?" "Hmm?" "You haven''t told me your name." I smiled. "Rin Kujo, 6th seat of the 13th Division." "Sajin Komamura." (Ryoto''s pov) I was in the underground training room that Kisuke built. Only our group knows about it, so it''s safe for whatever training Zangetsu has for me. While the training in itself will take ce in my inner world, I will want to try out whatever I''ll learn while it''s still fresh in my mind. I got in meditating position, ced Zangetsu on myp, and went inside my inner world. I was immediately greeted by my Zanpakuto. "Yo, ready for training?" "That''s what I''m here for," I answered. "What are we training?" I still don''t know that, but whatever it is, it will be helpful to me. "For now, we''ll be training this!" He put his hand in front of him with its palm pointing at me. Red energy started gathering there until it shot towards my face. I tilted my head slightly, and the attack flew past me, hitting the building behind me. I''ve seen Zangetsu using this move before but only once. He used Cero while he was fighting against Utsu with the mask and Yami. He probably didn''t n on teaching me before. I know that I won''t be using this attack too often because having Central 46ing after me isn''t ideal, but it could be my trump card the same way my eyes are. The more I have in the arsenal, the more likely I''ll survive together with Rin until the end of this mission. I don''t need to protect Yoruichi as she is strong on her own, and Isane is with Unohana. Now thinking of Rin, she is getting stronger slowly but steadily. I have seen her progress in our sparring match in about a year. To be honest, I kind of can''t wait to see her progress, everyone''s progress. (One yearter) A year has passed in a blink of an eye. I feel like the more time passes, the faster it feels. A lot has happened, but not really. We are still negotiating with the Quincies. I''m kind of surprised that Central 46 didn''t order us to exterminate them. They are surprisingly patient with that. Maybe Jushiro-senpai had said that there is progress and he isn''t lying. We are slowly and surely getting close to some kind of agreement. There are many ideas that we have to think of. The easiest one to implement is to give all Quincies some device that functions simrly to hell butterfly. Amunication device is what we need. It would allow Shinigami to do a better job and make cities a lot safer. The other idea that I had was to create a device that allows Quincy to kill Hollows without destroying their whole existence. Something simr to Zanpakuto. The problem is that it''s not that easy to achieve something like that. I would propose for Oetsu Nimiya to create it, but I don''t really know about him. My next best bet would be to ask Kisuke, which I did, but it will take a long time to do it. Anyways, I can only wait. I also tried to help Isamu with his love problems, and I think we are making progress. But I must tell you, Isamu''s ''lucky pervert'' isn''t as powerful as Rito''s. It doesn''t mean, though, that it was weak. One time we were ready for almost everything. I was on the lookout so no person would disturb Isamu''s confession. I cleaned everything there so there won''t be any trash, dirt, or even a pebble to allow him to slip. I even killed all Hollows that I could find in the 10 km radius. I worked overtime for that man because I wanted to see him seed. ... The girl was the one who fell on Isamu this time. She stumbled on her own clothes falling on Isamu. It seems that my mission will never end, but right now, I have something not necessarily important, and it will be entertaining. Today is a day when Kisuke, Yoruichi, Rin, and I are going to have a sparring tournament. Tessai will be a judge, and in the case of us going too far, he''ll stop us with Bakudo. Since we are a four-person group, there will be two fights, and the winners of both of them will be fighting in the ''finals''. I greeted Tessai as we hadn''t seen each other in a long time since he was with Kido Corps. I wonder how everyone has grown in thest five years. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 208: Rin vs Kisuke 1 Chapter 208: Rin vs Kisuke 1 (Ryoto''s pov) "So, how are we doing this?" Yoruichi asked a reasonable question which I, of course, was ready to answer. ""I prepared sticks to draw!"" Kisuke and I said simultaneously as we took out four sticks, two longer and two shorter, to decide who would fight with who. Kisuke and I looked at each other. We had the same idea. Yoruichiughed at it, and Rin facepalmed herself in disappointment. "Do you want to, or should I?" I asked. "It was your idea, so you should do the honors." As I put the sticks in my hand so they would look the same length, I could hear Rin muttering, "Please let me fight Urahara, please let me fight Urahara..." Over and over. She really wants to smack him around, doesn''t she? Everyone took the stick. I was left with the long one. The one I would fight would be... Yoruichi. So Kisuke and Rin would be fighting against each other. Rin seeing this, smiled widely, finally having an excuse to beat him up. Yoruichi also couldn''t wait to fight me, and it showed. I don''t know what she was nning, but knowing her, she wanted to test out some new techniques on me, and I also was the same. I don''t want to spoil the surprise but let me tell you that I used my knowledge to grow stronger. I just hadn''t had time to test it before as I was busy with other things. (E/D: *Insert Knowledge and Big Brain memes*) We decided that Rin and Kisuke''s fight would be first. Let''s see if Rin can surprise me because Kisuke isn''t an easy opponent. ... Both Kisuke and Rin took their positions, ready to fight. Kisukeid some traps just before the fight started. I, of course, noticed it thanks to my eyes but didn''t say anything. It was their fight, after all, and not all battles are fair. We all promised each other to fight with the intention of winning, so tactics like that are also allowed. "Open and close all the doors before me, Tsunagari." Rin called out her Zanpakuto, going into Shikai right away. Urahara observed the process carefully, trying to analyze every little detail. Rin didn''t end with just that. She took her sword sheath and shed it slightly. She then took a two-sword-style stance. I never saw her using this style before. It looks like she trained it in secret. I wonder if it''s something simr to Ikkaku''s style when she switches between the sword and the sheath. (E/D: *Memories from Bakies back flooding* RAGE MODE!!!!!!!!!!!!) As they were in a staring contest waiting for the other to make a move, Yoruichi started talking to me. "So, who do you think is going to win?" Good question. "I would say Kisuke will win." Kisuke is, in my opinion, more experienced and smarter than Rin. He even put some traps before the fight started. He is also very analytical and cunning if needed. Rin just isn''t. "So little belief in your girlfriend?" "Not really. I just think that Kisuke is stronger." She smirked at myment. "Then you''ll be surprised." Does she know something that I don''t? I can''t say that I know all there is to know about Rin''s ability, but Kisuke is a genius in every meaning of that word. Without saying anything, our focus returned to Rin and Kisuke, that started fighting. Rin rushed Kisuke and swung at him. Kisuke parried her strike without releasing his Shikai just yet. Rin''s Zanpakuto hit the ground, but she made an attempt to strike him with the sheath of her sword. Kisuke''s sword was still down, and he wouldn''t have time to block the strike with it, so he tried to catch it with a hand which ended up being the wrong decision. As soon as Rin''s sword touched Kisuke''s palm, his eyes went wide open, and he retreated his hand as fast as possible and kicked Rin away from him. He looked at his hand and saw a wound from where blood started dripping. "Did you forget what my sword ability is?" A smile grew on Rin''s face. Not only did she look like a viin, but she also talked like one. "Of course not. You can connect two things with each other. Can I assume that you connected your Zanpakuto''s sharpness with your sheath?" As expected of Kisuke. He figured it out right away, but I''m equally impressed by Rin''s strength. I remember that when she first unlocked her Shikai, she couldn''t do something like that or just hadn''t thought about it at that time. In any case, I can see that she progressed in that time even though I haven''t seen much yet. What Rin did next surprised me as well, but I should have expected it retrospectively. Rin sliced her own palm. "At the moment, I can only connect two pairs if you will. Tsunagari and my sheath are one, and both of our palms are the other." "And why are you telling me that?" Kisuke questioned, but he seemed still calm even after that. "Because it doesn''t matter. You would notice it soon anyway when I would wound you next time." Hearing that, Kisuke''s yful personality surfaced again. "Pretty confident that you''ll strike me again, aren''t you~ Better keep you at a distance then." He then decided to show off his Shikai for the first time. "Awaken, Benihime!" Kisuke''s Zanpakuto transformed slightly. The hilt''s grip, which has gentle ck decorative wrapping, bends forward at the end with a pommel-shaped ovep three times and a crimson tassel dangling from its base. Instead of a tsuba, a U-shape guard is covering a small part of the de with a flower petal design. "My Zanpakuto, Benihime isn''t the nicest, so please be careful~." The next thing Rin and everyone heard was, "Sing, Benihime!" At hismand, crimson energy flew out of his de in an arc as he swung his sword. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 209: Rin vs Kisuke 2 Chapter 209: Rin vs Kisuke 2 (Rin''s pov) "Sing, Benihime!" Heunched the attack at me, and a wave of red energy flew at me at high speed. I quickly used Shunpo to dodge it as it would be dangerous to try and block it. As soon as I touched the ground, which I assumed was safe, started glowing. Shit, it''s a trap!!! When did he-? I couldn''t finish my thoughts as I started my counterattack. It was toote to escape it, and even if I had managed to use Shunpo, I wouldn''t be able to escape the explosion. That''s why I decided on the next best thing... Protect myself using my own attack. I remember Ryoto saying one time, ''one bomb plus another bomb equals no bombs'' which doesn''t make a lot of sense, but I don''t have other options. (E/D: "One nuke plus one nuke equals to a bigger and better nuke" the art of war by Leo.) (A/N You didn''t get threferencece. Insert power stone to try again.) "Hado #31 Shakkaho!" I aimed at the ground under my feet, and as I saw the ground crack because of the explosion, I got shot back because of thebined forces of the st and my own attack, but I was mostly fine. A little sore around my body but nothing I can''t deal with. I looked at my opponent, who had an annoying smile on his face. I walked right into his trap, and I don''t even know when he set it up. Was it before the fight even began? "Yo Girl! Let''s wipe this smile from his face!" I could hear the annoyance in her voice, but I agreed with her wholeheartedly. "It will be difficult to execute the n." She is right. I must do it directly and naturally if I want it to work. "Also, I want you to m me into his sword as hard as you can. She thinks she is so high and mighty because she can shoot outsers. I''ll show her who the superior de is! She isn''t even that pretty, to begin with. And what''s the deal with her name? Calling herself princess!" Thest part she said mockingly. It seems that she has some sort of grudge, but why would she? Not like they had met before. It is impossible, but for now, I''ll use her anger to my advantage. "Let''s do this!" I don''t know where the traps are or even how many there are, so I need to remodel our battlefield a little. Thankfully I know the exact Kido that will help me achieve that. "Hado #57, Daichi Ten''yo!" The ground around me started floating, and I could toss them with great uracy. I didn''t only aim at Urahara but also everywhere around as well just to activate the traps if there were more and knowing him there were. ... I was right as there were a few explosions from the rocks, but Urahara came from this unscathed as he used Shunpo to get out from the explosion range. Seeing the size of the explosion, I was speechless. It was gigantic. "Are you trying to kill me?" "Of course not~ I believed that you would ovee this ordeal. Also, unlike how it looks, there isn''t much power in it. At most, you would faint~." A vein popped on my forehead. "We''ll see who will faint." "Girl, I can''t believe that I''m saying this but calm down. He is trying to get inside your head." I know, I know. I kept taking deep breaths to calm myself down, but Urahara wasn''t done with pissing people off. His target seemed to change, though. "Maybe you should give up. Your Zanpakuto isn''t a match for my Benihime." "What did he just say? This son of a bitch will eat his own words!!!" He got to Tsunagari as well, but that helped me calm down. Surprisingly seeing someone else angry makes you calmer. Seeing me distracted, Urahara tried casting his Kido, but as he was gathering energy and was about to fire, I closed the distance, forcing him to stop charging his attack. The energy, not having anywhere to go, exploded inside his fist with great power. Seeing this, I grinned, but my smile faded away as I saw Urahara, who waspletely fine. His arm was slightly burned, but he was carefully observing it. He probably didn''t use a lot of energy just so he could experience the power of his own body. That''s what kind of a crazy bastard he is. "Our powers really are like water and oil." He muttered it, but I could still hear it clearly. My senses sharpened because of our fight, so I could catch it. I must admit that his words intrigued me. Is that the reason Tsunagari is so against his Zanpakuto? A thought for another day. Right now, I am focused on defeating Urahara. I somehow got in range for a sword fight, and we exchanged some blows. Urahara, at times, surprised me with a Kido or two as I was focused on his sword, but I was near him the whole time. The ground was full of sword marks from when Urahara either dodged or parried my strikes. I then backed away from Urahara to a nearby boulder. I shed the said boulder with Tsunagari. My next action was to blow up the boulder with Kido. "Hado #31, Shakkaho!" As the boulder was destroyed, the ground where one of the shes was present started cracking until it was destroyed the same way the boulder was. I lied to Urahara about my limit before so he wouldn''t suspect my n. It, however, still strains me slightly and takes a lot of stamina to connect three pairs. I was looking closely at the dust created by the explosion, so I would be ready to block whatever wasing because I''m sure it wasn''t enough to take him down, but as I was on my guard, I felt the coldness of metal against my neck. "That was dangerous, Kujo-san. It truly was. Who knew that you had it in you to trick me? I always thought of you as a rule follower, but it seems you have your wilder side as well." He sounded as carefree as ever. I would want to fight, but I know when I lose. "I give up." I really wanted to win, but I was outssed. Urahara was simply stronger than me. I wanted to show Ryoto how much I grew, but I don''t think I achieved my goa- I couldn''t finish mymenting as Ryoto ran up to me, lifted me up, and started spinning. All with a big smile on his face. After he ended spinning, he still didn''t let me go and hugged me firmly while patting my head and saying, "Great fight Rin. You became strong, and I''m proud of you." That''s all he said, but it was enough to make my loss not even matter and just enjoy both the hug and headpats. (E/D: Good news my parrot is sitting on my head and shoulders. Bad news he is bloodthirsty and almost ate away my ears and eyes.) --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 210: Ryoto vs Yoruichi 1 Chapter 210: Ryoto vs Yoruichi 1 (Ryoto''s pov) I can''t believe how much Rin has grown. She fought fantastically against Kisuke. Using Kido in the 50s without any incantation is impressive, but she also developed her Zanpakuto in a great way. While there was still a lot to improve, I couldn''t believe that the weak girl I promised to protect got so strong. While it doesn''t mean I''ll stop trying to keep her as safe as possible, it makes me happy to see her stand independently. I couldn''t help but run up to her, hug her, give her headpats, and praise her. "You are making me jealous, you know~." "You''re ruing the moment Yoruichi..." "Am I now? Then how about... this!" Yoruichi jumped on both Rin and me and hugged us both. "You can''t just leave me out of this!" --- Well, it was nice, but now it was my turn to fight against Yoruichi. We needed to move to another area as Kisuke and Rin''s battle was pretty destructive. Yoruichi, maybe my girlfriend whom I love, but that doesn''t mean I''ll let her win. "Ready for your ass to be kicked?" She asked with a confident smile. "Funny you say that since I''m the one pping cheeks in this rtionship." I shot back. (E/D: For some reason, I heard these two lines in Jotaro and Dio''s voices. Am I reading too much Jojo or is this a Jojo reference? It is up to your imagination on who was voiced as whom. The winner gets to know my three sizes.) We ignored each otherments and turned serious. It may be a spar, but I don''t n on losing, and neither is she. We decided not to use our Zanpakutos and nned to fight using Hakuda. It''s one of the few chances when I can practice hand-to-handbat, and I''m not going to waste it. Yoruichi vanished from her ce and appeared behind me, already in the middle of making a kick to my head. I countered her with my own kick spinning at incredible speed. As soon as I blocked her attack, I used Shunpo to get behind Yoruichi and attempted to punch her, but she immediately jumped andnded on my arm using her own arms to support her body, she again aimed at my head with her legs. I couldn''t use Shunpo to escape this time, as she was holding my arm. She grinned, thinking that she got me, but I blocked her kick with my other arm and tilted my head to avoid the hidden des that she threw during a kick. It was a double attack, but I saw iting. It''s one of the basic assassination techniques, and she is part of the Stealth corps, so of course, she learned it. I drew back my arm, but Yoruichi jumped off it, so I couldn''t follow up with any attack. She knew that I was stronger than her, but she was faster. That''s why she was probably trying to wear me out, which is strange since she should assume that I have more stamina than her, ording to her experience. Hehe. My thoughts distracted me for a moment, and Yoruichi took advantage of my carelessness. Of course, I wasn''t entirely out of focus as my body reacted automatically. It''s not spider sense, as this ability is blocked until Iplete this mission, but a battle experience and the results of my training with Zangetsu. I grabbed her by the arm and held it tight. I got her. I dragged her over my head and nned to m her on the ground, but with her reflexes and flexibility, she went into a flying armbar position. At the same time, as she was nearing the ground, she touched it with her free hand and simrly threw me as I threw her moments ago. (E/D: For those confused just imagine it like Musashi throwing Baki to the ground after he grabbed Baki by the ankle.) (A/N Just imagine Hulk smashing Loki...) I didn''t hit the ground but managed to support myself with my legs in what would be a pretty ufortable position if I was not flexible. Bless Spider-man''s physique. Iunched myself up again while still holding Yoruichi''s arm, so it looked like she was lifting me up. Then I used a lot of strength to pull myself down with my legs rushing towards her from above. She dodged it and freed herself from my grasp by kicking my hand. I probably could bare with pain and still hold her, but I wasn''t sure if she had more hidden knives (She definitely has), so better safe than sorry. "You really are fast," Iplimented her. "That''s what she said." "..." Did she really make that joke? "We both know that it''s not true." "Doesn''t make it any less funny, but it looks like you are proficient in hakuda as well." "I''m a man with many talents, after all." "And you have a girlfriend with many talents. A girlfriend that got a new technique to test out and a wonderful target right in front of her eyes~." "And what would that technique be?" At that, Yoruichi stretched out her arm to the side, and after a short concentration, energy burst out of her. She was wearing the keisen uniform, so no clothes were ripped. The ground around her also started cracking, and the energy was behaving simrly to lighting. Wow, just wow. I didn''t expect Yoruichi to develop this technique so early on. Looking at her, I could tell that she was feeling very proud because she had the advantage now since we were not using Zanpakutos. Or that''s what she thought. "Nice technique you have there. Would be a shame if..." I copied her moments, and my energy, just like hers, burst out, but unlike her lighting-like energy, mine was swirling like mes, but it still was affecting my surroundings. Also, unlike her, my upper body was left naked, revealing most of my scars and a tattoo on my right arm. Now with a grin stered on my face, I finished the previous sentence, "someone was to copy it." Yoruichi, for the first time during our fight, was surprised, and her eyes went wide open. "How...?" "Combing two things and making something new is something that I, as a cook, do pretty often, and so I did exactly that. Ibined Hakuda and Kido to create this technique. Ready for a round 2?" --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 211: Ryoto vs Yoruichi 2 Chapter 211: Ryoto vs Yoruichi 2 (Ryoto''s pov) At first, Yoruichi was surprised, but momentster, a grin returned to her face. "It looks like we had the same idea, and it turned into the same technique. I just invented it not long ago, and I made these special clothes because Shunko, as I call it, ripping my clothes off, just like yours." I was curious when she got those clothes because I remembered that the clothes that Yoruichi was currently wearing were made explicitly for the use of Shunko. Leaving the back and sides open and without any sleeves makes Shunko safe for clothes. Otherwise, it destroys upper body garments. In short, it''s the perfect technique for me, and it evenes with a cool effect. Speaking of which, it looks like I have fire-type Shunko, which is fitting since I was always more talented in fire bending than water bending, even though I learned water bending first fire was always easier to learn, and it can''t be because of my personality as I''m as calm as a millpond. Never in my life have I been angered. I thought as I remembered my time on my first otherworldly quest. Yep, I was calm the whole time and never lost control over my emotions. Joking aside, I deliberately used fire-type Kido for my Shunko for mainly two reasons. First is firepower. Expect Getsuga Tenshou. I don''t have a finishing attack. While I could use Kido by itself, Shunko has more power. I also could use it as abo while using Zangetsu. Yoruichi chose to prioritize speed, and Soi Fon used the wind to have both but not as powerful as either of the two. Now focusing on Yoruichi once again, I wonder what will win. Unimaginable speed or Unimaginable power? An obvious answer would be neither, but as power can''t hit the target and speed doesn''t have enough power. Shunko, however, isn''t the only trick in our sleeves (which we don''t have at the moment). In a fight, we are using our hand-to-handbat experience and tactics. There''s also the fact that our technique isn''tplete, so it doesn''t have the power it could possess, but that''s what training is for. Yoruichi, even faster than before, rushed at me and attempted to kick me. At the same time, I did a low sliding kick to make her fall which I seeded at doing, but Yoruichi wasn''t one to just take a beating, and while in the air, she kicked me in the chest with all her might. It didn''t help as I was halfway through a spinning kick which made me wide open. I flew into a giant boulder leaving a mark on it, the shape of my body. Even iplete Shunko still packs a punch, and if I didn''t focus my own Shunko where Yoruichi had kicked me, it would have hurt even more. Who am I kidding? I would be lying on the ground if I didn''t do anything. I pushed myself from the hole with small pebbles falling off as I grabbed the ledges to pull myself out. (E/D: Baki vs Oliva. Baki acquires his Demon back.) "You don''t hold back, do you?" I asked Yoruichi while dusting off myself. There were rocks everywhere on my body. Just like sand, it''s rough and gets everywhere. "I was holding back, but I used more force than I wanted. It is still hard to control. I''m happy that you are still in one piece though~." ...I''m going to rock her tonight. "Since it''s like that, I''ll show you something interesting. I''ll give you max 5 minutes." She was confused by my words, but I didn''t wait for her and activated ''prediction calction''. I''m not nning on using it longer than 5 minutes, as I have only 30 minutes a week, but I''ll probably need to use it against Kisuke. I rushed at Yoruichi with a kick to the head which she dodged exactly as I predicted, and I was ready for a follow-up attack. My kick changed direction midway to go down on now crouched Yoruichi. She wanted to use this chance to attack me in a simr manner as she did before, but she was forced to use Shunpo to escape. I knew exactly the location she would appear, so even before she got there, I was all ready to stand behind her. For everyone else, it looked like my speed or reaction speed increased, but it was just the effects of knowing your opponent''s moves before they even make them, which is also not entirely urate as it''s a little moreplicated. As my fist was going down Yoruichi, she looked surprised. As I was about to hit her, she tried to redirect my fist, but as my attack was about to make contact with her, I opened my hand to grab her by the wrist, and with the quick movement, Yoruichi ended up disarmed,ying on the ground, with her arms behind her back and me on top of her. Yoruichi tried to free herself using a burst of Shunko to get me off of her but I used my own Shunko using the exact amount of force to cancel out hers. Seeing this, she stopped struggling and gave up. "...I give up." She finally admitted reluctantly. I deactivated my ability. It ended much faster than I anticipated. I didn''t use this ability for some time since my time with it is very limited, and I wanted to have it as a trump card, but I feel like I''ve gotten a lot stronger in these five years, so I allowed myself to use it. I also figured out something interesting about it. The calmer I am, the better I can use ''prediction calction''. It''s not like it''s more powerful in my calm state, but I can notice more details. I''m still working on it, but this was my test drive if you will. I got up and helped Yoruichi as well, who was sulking. "What was that?" She asked. "One of my trump cards." "That much, I guessed, but you seemed... emotionless. Like a machine ready to finish your mission." "You don''t need to worry about it. It''s just I focused too much and practically ignored my emotions just so I could defeat you... and I did." I said proudly. "You are going to rub this to my face, aren''t you?" "Without any remorse, and you would do the same in ce," I said with a grin. "...I hate that you are right." (E/D: Just like Dr. House. He is always right and it is sickening, even for him.) --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 212: Ryoto vs Kisuke Chapter 212: Ryoto vs Kisuke (Ryoto''s pov) I won against Yoruichi, and I''m going to rub it in her face for at least a decade, which isn''t a lot in retrospect. I''m merciful, after all. After a short break, Kisuke and I went into our positions but before that. "Kisuke, could you please noty down traps so obviously in front of me? I didn''t say anything when you did this with Rin, but I''m not going to stay quiet now." "Can''t me a guy for trying." He shrugged his shoulder and disabled the Kido heid beforehand. In the background, I could hear Rin screaming. "What did he say!!!" but I ignored it for now. I was ready in my position and activated my Shikai immediately. "Pierce through the heavens, Zangetsu!" Now how should I approach this? I won''t use ''prediction calction'' for now because I don''t want to be too reliant on it since its timer is too short to use it in every fight and/or training, and I want to have at least some of its time left in case of emergency. Kisuke, from what I noticed, is already very versatile with his fighting style. Short and medium range is his forte, but he could fight at longer distances. The same as me, so I don''t have an advantage here. How about Kido? That he outssed me in. I have confidence in my Hakuda and Zanjutsu. I also have Shunko to work with. We''ll need to see how it goes. Before I rushed to Kisuke I wrapped the end of the cloth to my wrist so I could use it in a more creative and flexible way. Then I ran up to Kisuke while being careful about any traps that I may have overlooked. While the possibility is low, it''s Kisuke we''re talking about, so we never know. Without setting off any traps, I shed swords with him. I could probably beat him in a pure strength contest, but winning won''t be easy. As the sparks were flying because of the sh, both of us let go of our Zanpakutos with one of our hands and used Kido. ""Hado #31 Shakkaho!"" The red energy of our attack collided and exploded, pushing both of us in the process. Not wanting to give Kisuke any time to n, I threw Zangetsu at him, which was deflected, but I suspected that much so I was already running to him with Shunko activated, increasing my speed. After pulling Zangetsu back, I threw him back in the air above me and used Shunpo to appear behind Kisuke. Without missing my chance, my fist was about to hit his body, but it was blocked by his Zanpakuto. I then pulled back Zangetsu again. Kisuke jumped over the iing sword and, at the same time, pointed at me with two of his fingers. "Hado #4 Byakurai!" Thankfully Zangetsu came back in time, and I could use him as a shield, but Kisuke wasn''t finished. "Bakudo #21 Sekienton!" Kisuke created a burst of red smoke which obstructed my vision. He even hid his Reiatsu so I couldn''t sense him. It would be a problem if I didn''t have a solution to this problem. I deactivated my Shikai. "Hado #58 Tehran!" As I put Zangetsu levitating in front of me, I hit it gently to start it spinning like a fan. When I stopped it, I created a widening tornado-like st blowing all the smoke away, but Kisuke wasn''t in front of me anymore. I blocked a shing from behind and immediately did a spinning kick to kick him away. It was blocked by Benihime and Urahara was pushed back a few meters. Fighting him was exhausting me mentally. Kisuke is someone who has a n for his failed n, which was n Z for his n Z. That''s the kind of guy Kisuke is. Maybe not now because he became like this because of Aizen''s betrayal, but he is still very calcting. That''s why I can''t give him time to think. (E/D: I would love to see Kisuke do the "Keikaku dori~" or even Ryoto doing it and in the future, Aizen does it to him again. Double Emotion damage!) I rushed again, but with the first step, the ground started glowing, and I already knew what had happened. I don''t even know when he used Kido toy this trap, but I quickly Shunpoed my way out to avoid the explosion. "*Whistle* I thought that one got you." "You need to work on the activation speed." "I know, I''m still trying to figure out how to do it without losing the power of the explosion, but for now, it''s the best I have." "Then it would be only fair of me to do my best as well." With this, I activated ''prediction calction''. --- It''s the first time I''ve been in this situation. While ''prediction calction'' works, it never shows one solution. In the beginning, it did, but after a few exchanges, somehow, Kisuke made moves that always had at least two oues. I don''t know how but he does it. --- My ''prediction calction'' is already activated for five minutes, but there still isn''t a winner. We managed to injure each other, but nothing major, just minor cuts or burns. It''s the first time it happened with an opponent of simr strength. Yoruichi and I are also at a simr level, but I ended our spar quickly. Kisuke, on the other hand, adapted and somehow countered it. Not entirely, mind you but still. I couldn''t lose this opportunity to train this ability to the limits. --- Ten minutes had already passed, and I opened my eyes to use them to their fullest. I didn''t n on doing it, but it was the optimal thing to do ording to my ability, and I was in the zone. The only thing on my mind was to defeat my opponent. Not kill, but defeat. I still was somehow conscious, after all. --- Twenty minutes have passed. We have already used most of our cards. We fought using both Bakudo and Hado, Hakuda, Zanjutsu, and Hoho, and on my side, my Spider-man physique. Everything was used, and both of us were already tired, but neither of us nned on giving up. I didn''t take Kisuke for a stubborn type. Maybe he is just curious about my abilities. I even used illusions in this sparring match, but at most, it distracted him slightly as I couldn''t use them too much because of my restrictions. We are currently in a standoff. "Hey, Kisuke... How about we end this with one final attack? Otherwise... I feel like we''ll be stuck here for a while." I was breathing heavily. "Sure... I don''t mind." And Kisuke was the same. I already deactivated ''prediction calction'' and raised Zangetsu in his Shikai form, and started gathering Reiatsu. Kisuke, on the other hand, was ready to sh from below. "Getsuga..." "Sing..." (E/D: Excalibur... Both of us said the first part of our attack quietly and calmly just to yell at the top of our lungs with everything we got. "...TENSHOU!!!" "...BENIHIMIE!!!" (MORGAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) We released our attacks. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 213: And the winner is... Chapter 213: And the winner is... (A/N Forgot to write it yesterday, but I watched the first episode of the new Bleach anime, and words could not describe how happy I was. I almost teared up, seeing these characters on the screen after 10 years, but finally, the wait is over as Bleach has returned, better than ever.) (E/D: I have never watched Bleach so... I don''t care.) (Rin''s pov) I''ve never seen Ryoto so in a trance during a spar. It was like he became a machine with the only goal of defeating his opponent. "Shouldn''t we stop them?" I asked Yoruichi and Tessai. I believe in Ryoto, but their spar bes more and more fierce. "Not yet." That''s the only thing Tessai said. He doesn''t talk much, but I can believe in his decision. I can see that he is ready to step at any moment, and I''m no different. Yoruichi seemed more rxed. "Aren''t you worried?" "No, there isn''t anything to worry about... for now. Ryoto looks like he is trying to push himself to his limits. He doesn''t have this opportunity too often." That''s true. Ryoto doesn''t spar with anyone too often, and even if he does, he doesn''t use everything. I don''t know if he is doing it now, but he uses it more than ever I have witnessed. Suddenly I felt a big gathering of Reiatsu, and it was Ryoto and Urahara preparing these to fire off their attacks. ...It can''t end well, and I rightfully panicked. "Tessai!!!" Tessai was already prepared and used a powerful Bakudo. "Bakudo #75 Gokchutekkan!" He pped his hands together and mmed them on the ground summoning five tall, thick pirs from the sky to block their attacks. Typically it''s used to immobilize the target, but it can be used like this, apparently. Not that I can use it at the moment, but Tessai wasn''t finished, and to added another Kido. "Bakudo #81 Danku!" Two high-level Kido, one after another, but it wasn''t enough to stop the attacks. At most, it weakened the st of energy, but even that wasn''t enough because as soon as both Getsuga Tenshou and Benihime''s sh of energy went through both of the Kido and shed with each other creating an explosion. The three of us on the side were safe, but Ryoto and Kisuke were sted away. (A/N Before anyone says it, I''m aware that two sts of equal power can cancel each other in the Bleach world, but this time they weren''t equal in power, and there is also Vasto Lorde Ichigo, whose Cero exploded against Uluqiora, so I don''t know and decided for it to explode this time unless it''s calcted or in other words on purpose.) Memories of the day Ryoto returned full of wounds resurfaced, making me freeze for a small moment, but I''m not weak like I used to be, and I can help now. I shook off my deep fear and used Shunpo to get closer to Ryoto. Yoruichi did the same to check on Urahara. Ryoto''s chest was burned slightly, but he was mostly alright. He was even conscious. "...Did... did I win?" ...I want to smack him, but I shouldn''t hit him. I''ll need to ask Captain Unohana to reprimand him. For some reason, he tries not to annoy her as much as others, so maybe he''ll listen to her. Plus, for making me worry, he''ll need to suffer a bit. I thought jokingly. "How is Urahara!!?" I asked Yoruichi, who was checking Urahara''s condition. "Not bad!! He must have blocked the st with Kido or something!! Maybe this ident will fix his head, but I doubt it!! How''s Ryoto!!?" "He asked if he won, so fine... I think!!" I did some first aid to both Ryoto and Urahara, but we still sent them to the 4th Division to heal them up. (Ryoto''s pov) "So let me rify this. You got these injuries in a spar?" Unohana was ''kindly'' smiling at me while asking this question. I was sweating bullets because whenever she smiles like that, she is either slightly annoyed or trying to be intimidating. Sometimes both. "It was... a very realistic spar?" I answered uncertainly. Thisment, however, earned tightly-wrapped bandages on my body. "Ouch, ouch, ouch! I give up, I give up!" At this, Unohana sighed. "*Sigh* Please refrain from doing idiotic things like that. Some patients are more in need of my attention which you take from them." "So why are you here? You could send anyone else." At this, she showed me an even ''kinder'' smile and pushed her fingers against my forehead, which isn''t threatening in itself buting from her, it absolutely is. "Because if something happened to you, Isane would be sad, and I won''t allow for it to happen. Also, if that ever happens, even the Captainmander won''t be able to protect you. Remember that." I felt like I could see traces of her past self returning, but unlike before, I didn''t feel scared. More like understanding. She seemed like a mother worried about her daughter... A very murderous mother who could kill me if she wanted, but it is not like I couldn''t understand her worry to some degree. Of note, for this quest, I would already be a father. I still don''t know if I would be a good one or even if I deserve to be one, but I would do everything for my children, and if anyone harmed them, then I wouldn''t sit and do nothing. That''s why I looked at her with my closed eyes and, withplete confidence and conviction, told her. (E/D: "I wouldn''t sit and do nothing" was written as "I would sit and do nothing". Yes I would do the same. I will walk with my child until he can walk on his own then I will do nothing. He is on his own and if he beats up a few guys or even better girls then, Attaboy!) "I don''t know if I''m not going to make Isane sad in the future. There may be situations that are out of my control. What I can promise, however, is that I''ll do my best to make her happy and that I''ll cherish her as long as I live." Unohana didn''t say anything and was staring at me. Without saying a word, she retracted her finger away from my forehead and smiled. It was not her scary ''kind'' smile but a genuine one. Not wanting it to be awkward, I tried to change the subject. "Before I forget, how do you know that what I did was stupid?" I, of course, had my suspicions, but I asked because it was better than her being silent. "Kujo-san told me everything I needed to know. She also told me to reprimand you, but instead, you''ll volunteer to help around the barracks here since you took some of my time, right?" "In truth, I nned to..." "Right?" She repeated herself, making her point more clearly. Suddenly my n changed. (E/D: I am hating this arc. I don''t want the baby. I want L''s baby first. Also, harem is too big. Author. Control bhai control.) (A/N Is this some kind of reverse psychology? Are you telling me to make the harem bigger and have more children? You got it!) --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 214: Time flies by Chapter 214: Time flies by (Ryoto''s pov) And another year has passed. Time really flies fast when you don''t age as much as you used to. That''s not to say that there weren''t any changes. There were plenty, in fact. The biggest one is that we are finally done negotiating with the Quincies. The good news is that there won''t be a genocide as, ording to our contract (which we have on paper just in case), Quincies are to refrain from hunting Hollows unless it''s indispensable. In short just in self-defense, but there will be exceptions depending on circumstances. The biggest problem, for now, ismunication. There aren''t any phones or anything like that in this time period, so we need to use human resources. Just like before, we are sending Shinigami to the human world to oversee Hollow activity and sending souls to Soul Society, but there will be new responsibilities added to the list, and that is to keep in contact and work with Quincies on behalf of Soul Society. It won''t be easy in the beginning, but there isn''t a better alternative for now, or at least we didn''t think of it. Another good news, Isamu was able to get the heart of the girl he likes. I can''t believe that it even happened. I feel proud. After so many failures, we somehow were able to aplish something seemingly impossible. It brought me to tears seeing them together. Maybe I''ll even be able to help Rito in the future. Isamu''s ''lucky pervert'' was a weaker version, so there can be some minor differences and the intensity of ''idents''. I feel like I beat mid-boss to prepare myself for the real deal. Don''t worry, Rito, your Nii-san didn''t forget about you and is still preparing to help you. Still, no Bankai though, but I started training my Hollow abilities. I couldn''t use Cero for now, but I learned how to use Hierro. I finally got Busoshoku Haki''s recement. For now, it isn''t as powerful as Haki, but it''s better than nothing. Also, just like Haki, it''s invisible to the naked eye, so I could use it without anyone noticing because, thanks to how fights work in this world, I could bullshit my way out. Without anyplicated exnations, beings with a higher Reiatsu can''t be harmed by someone with a lower amount. In fact, the weaker person would get damaged. I''m not sure exactly how much of a difference is needed for that effect, and it''s not automatic, at least not in every situation. The power system here isplicated, and I''ll need to test things out, but that''s for another day. Today I''m celebrating with Isamu. "Can you tell why we are drinking tonight?" Isamu asked me. "Because you are one step closer to bing a man. You are an adult, so you can drink, and I''m not missing your time being drunk." "Why would you assume that I would get drunk, and why would it be fun?" He asked uncertainly. "Let me tell you a story. The only time I got drunk, I fought my superior for a girl and had a foursome. Not to mention I got a tattoo." "You have a tattoo?" "That''s the part you''re focusing on?" "Let''s be honest, I got in weirder situations being sober." He answered with eyes deprived of emotions. Yeah, it was a rocky journey to get him together with his crush. I still remember ''the incident. I shiver, remembering it. Who would have guessed that a single slip could cause something like that? "Forget about what happened and focus on what is. You got a girlfriend, and that''s all that matters." Light returned to his eyes. "Yeah, you''re right!" He then proceeded to empty the entire bottle of sake. --- Another three years have passed, and Isamu is getting married. I''m happy for him, I truly am. Seeing him marry the love of his life was beautiful to witness. Together with my girlfriends, we went to gigai as normal guests. It was a big moment in his life, and I don''t n on ruining it. Isane and Rin teared up a bit, and even Yoruichi restrained herself from teasing the newlywed couple. Also, the rtionship between Shinigami and Quincies is slowly getting better. It will still take some time before it''s good, but I can''tin. --- Just a yearter, Isamu became a father, and of course, my girlfriends and I were there to witness this moment. Isane was the one who helped with the birth process as she was an experienced nurse. While she was a military healer, she had knowledge of other departments as well. Long life tends to get voting after a while, and you need to find something to do. Isane expanded her horizons, that''s all. Isamu was nervous and panicking the whole time, and I couldn''t me him, so I tried to calm him down the entire time. There shouldn''t be any danger to either his wife or his firstborn as Isane is a lieutenant of the 4th Division after all, and she learned from Unohana about healing Kido and medicine overall, but I could understand that in situations like that, not a lot of people could think straight. The procedure took some time, but Isamu''s wife delivered safely and was holding a healthy boy in her arms. Even though she was weak, she had a smile on her face while holding her child. Isamu almost burst into tears seeing both of them safe. His wife, after a short while, handed him his son to hold, and words couldn''t describe how happy he looked. This moment reminded me of L. I wonder how I will feel when I''ll be a father. Will I be happy or worried endlessly? There''s also the possibility that I''ll be a father in this world. I still avoided this topic as I don''t feel strong enough, but I know that if any of the girls ask, I''ll probablyply. I would feel bad refusing them because of my paranoia. In the worst-case scenario, I would just gain another reason to gain strength fast. (E/D: Or... You couldn''t be strong enough. Your paranoiaes true and... character development through death. But hey I am just saying after all family nning is important. I myself may or may not change the entire novel and do what everybody wants to do with Hitler...) --- 20 years flew by, and nothing major has happened, or rather it doesn''t feel like it. I finally grew a bit and looked like a 20-year-old. The same happened to Rin and Yoruichi. After about 30 years, I grew out of puberty. I somehow feel depressed, though, knowing that I''ll go back to being a teenager in the future. Speaking of Yoruichi, she became Captain of the 2nd Division. She achieved Bankai before me, and she bragged about it in front of me. She even says to call her Captain when we are alone. I, of course, rebutted how I won against her in the spar 25 years ago. I''m not letting go of that. Going back to Yoruichi''s Bankai, it''s baffling, really. I know that she doesn''t like using her Zanpakuto because, as she told me before, she is stronger without it. With Isane, there weren''t many changes. She didn''t grow taller or be more mature. She was the oldest out of all of us. She, however, became more honest and, in my opinion, cuter. Her sister still doesn''t like me, though. Rin also didn''t sit still and became 3rd seat of the 13th Division and became more beautiful. I heard she''s even got a Fanclub. She even changed her hairstyle. Instead of her iconic ponytail, she let her hair down, making her look more mature. (A/N I couldn''t find an image of adult Rin, sorry.) (E/D: Tamamo no Mae from Fate series or Yae Miko from Genshin. Also, no Gigachad enjoying both. Both of the Waifus will kill you if you do that.) Honestly, there are too many things to list them all, so I won''t. There are more important things at the moment. For example, Kisuke''s new invention, which from what he said, is what I was waiting for... --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 215: Kisukes new invention Chapter 215: Kisuke''s new invention (Ryoto''s pov) Everyone except Tessai was in the ''training room''. Tessai was busy with stuff. I don''t know what stuff, but we were never that close, to begin with, so I didn''t ask. "So why did you call us here?" I asked Kisuke, who was standing proudly in front of us. I was curious because Kisuke seldom does something without reason. If he does, then you are not seeing the whole picture. "Well, Ryoto, my dear friend. The news about your dream traveled across thend, and as the good friend that I am, I wanted to grant you this wish." His show-off side is showing. "OK, where''s the pony?" "Right here." He moved to the side, revealing a pony made of lollipops. ...I wasn''t expecting it, but I''m not going toin. "You truly know me well!" Even if Kisuke summoned us here for something stupid, I wouldn''t be mad. I have one week off and n to spend some time in the living world to see how Isamu and his family are doing. I didn''t visit them in some time. I wonder if I should buy some presents. As I was about to start licking the candy horse, Rin pulled me by the cor. "Don''t eat it. You don''t know where it was before. And don''t take candies from strangers." After all these years, she still doesn''t like him, but why is my happy time interrupted because of it? "Jokes aside, I called all of you here because of this!" He broke the candy pony to reveal a human-shaped object. At first, I felt despair at breaking the lollipop masterpiece, but as soon as I saw the object inside, my mood switched faster than Italy changing sides during a war. "How did you manage to fit that thing inside?" Rin asked, dumbfounded by the situation. I, on the other hand, ignored it because of the early Christmas present. "Scien-" Kisuke was about to answer, but Rin interrupted him. "And if you say science, I''m going to connect your face to a toilet seat." A powerful threat if I do say so myself. After that, Kisuke started pondering, and with a raised finger, he said. "Magic~" At that, Rin was ready to pull out her sword, but I stopped her. "Why don''t you exin what this... thing does?" I asked. It would be strange if I knew what it did after all. At this, Kisuke looked at me without saying anything as of he was judging my reaction, but soon he returned to his carefree self. "This little thing is called Tenshintai. This man-sized doll forcibly materializes the spirit of Zanpakuto into our world when stabbed by said Zanpakuto. In doing so, it facilitates the user in subjugating the spirit and attaining Bankai." Rin''s and Yoruichi''s eyes went wide. "Where was this thing when I trained for my Banaki!?" "In work" Was the only answer Yoruichi got. Kisuke then proceeded to exin more about his invention. "I haven''t tested it just yet, but ording to my research, it would be dangerous to train for more than 3 days. This method is literally subjugating the Zanpakuto spirit, and they wouldn''t let you do it so easily. It can depend on the spirit''s personality, but that''s the general rule. I assume that after 3 days, the Zanpakuto would rebel against its user, and that''s why if you''re not able to finish your training in time, someone is needed to use this button..." Kisuke showed a single button that he took out of his pocket. "...and forcefully stop materialization. That''s why training alone is not rmended." He finally ended his exnation only to add a fewst words. I think he did it on purpose. "I was nning on testing it myself first, but do you want to do the honors?" He asked me, and for some reason, it seemed like I was making a deal with the devil, which is ironic since I had the ability of Lucifer himself. Shame that I can''t use it for now. (E/D: What is it that you desire? Come tell me.) ''You hear that, Zangetsu? We are going to achieve Bankai!'' I probably sounded pretty smug. After over 20 years of asking for at least starting to train for Bankai and nothinging out of it, I need to use more drastic methods. "Jacob, don''t do it. You are not ready." Surprisingly he didn''t sound angry. He was talking as if he was stating a fact. ''You''re hiding something, Zangetsu. I knew it for a long, long time. I wasn''t forcing you to say what it was bing behind your tsundere act. I know that you try looking after me and won''t do anything too troublesome, but I need to gain strength as fast as possible before I meet Aizen. Otherwise, I will need to y around him and not the other way around.'' "..." There was silence. Zangetsu didn''t say anything, but after a short while, the only thing he said was, "Don''t regret it." Menacing. I don''t know what he meant, but at least I''ve got his consent. I opened my eyes and took out my sword. Nothing needed to be said as my actions were speaking for themselves. Kisuke understating this, held Tenshintai in ce so I could stab it. As my sword entered the strange doll, it vanished from my hand. I didn''t need to look around to know where Zangetsu was. For some reason, he likes to hide behind buildings, trees, boulders, and anything really. He loves his dramatic entrances. "You cane out, Zangetsu." From behind the boulder, Zangetsu came out, but his signature smirk was gone, and he looked extremely serious. It usually isn''t a good sign. "So this is your Zanpakuto spirit," Rinmented. "I don''t know what I expected but this was not it." Yoruichi added, but I was focused on something entirely different. Behind Zangetsu, I could see another silhouette. Shorter than Zangetsu, she was holding the hem of his cloth. She looked familiar with her medium-length chestnut/brown hair (I was never sure). As she walked from behind so everyone could see her better, my eyes went wide, and I couldn''t say anything. "...Hey." She greeted me awkwardly, but the only answer she heard from me was. "How..." (E/D: Epic drama iing.) --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 216: They meet at last Chapter 216: They meet atst (Ryoto''s pov) How... How is this possible... She died years ago... So how is she standing in front of me... Without any thought put into it, I slowly started making my steps toward her. "Ryoto?" Rin asked worryingly. She probably never saw me like that. On the other hand, Yoruichi decided to deliver a solid kick to my body, sending me flying. The whole mood was ruined, and the mysterious girl panicked a bit while Zangetsu let out a smallugh. "Ja- I mean Ryoto!" Yoruichi got in front of me and grabbed me by the cor. "You are making that face again." What face? "You always look like that on the 12th of April when you go on that hill." "When did you...?" "I followed you one day, curious about what you were doing every year. I didn''t expect you to visit the grave of someone, and you had a very simr look. A look was full of regret. Just this time, it was mixed with confusion. I don''t know why you have this look, but whatever it is, get over it, dammit! That''s not the face of a man I love! You have a problem? You face it! You regret something? Do better next time! That''s all there is to it!" (E/D: Yes if identally stab a patient with your knife and she pulls out then plug the hole with the knife.) I just stared at her eyes widened, not knowing what to say. Her face was too close to my mine, though. I thought about her words for a moment, and there was some truth in them, and I try to live by them. While I think living by these words would be better for my emotional state, it''s not always that easy. I have some regrets, and while remembering them, I try to not repeat them in the future. So in some way, I live by these words. "Yoruichi, as much as I love you, there are some things I can''t control, and seeing that girl brought some old memories, not all of them happy." I exined. "But thank you for waking me up a bit. Saved us some of the drama." I got behind her to hug her with my arms wrapped around her waist. "That''s what I''m here for. To-" She couldn''t finish her sentence as I mmed her head against the ground with a german suplex. I did it at great speed, and Yoruichi was so unprepared that she did not protect herself from impact. "And that was for the kick. Did you forget that I can be pretty revengeful and petty? Especially petty." "I will pay you back for this..." Ignoring her for a moment, I walked up to the girl that appeared together with Zangetsu. Shorter than I remember, but it''s natural since I''m taller than I was before, with medium brown/chestnut hair and bigger than average but not big breasts. She looks exactly like I remember. Even her clothes are the same as she used to wear. "Is that you... Emma?" Hearing her name, she smiled, and I could see from the corner of my eye that Zangetsu did as well. "Somehow, yes, but not entirely." I grabbed her by the cheeks and pulled them in the opposite direction, stretching them more than I thought was possible. "We didn''t see each other in about 40 years, and you try to be mysterious with me. And we''re you always in my inner world, and you didn''t even let me know that you were there." "I''m sowwy, I''m sowwy!" She couldn''t speak clearly because of the obvious reason, and in the corner of her eyes, tears started to gather, but I let her go soon after. "*Sigh* We''ll talk about everythingter, but... good to see you again." My voice softened considerably as I pulled her into a hug which she returned after the shock wore off she returned the hug. After we separated, I turned to Zangetsu. "Now that we have this out of the way, it''s your turn." The whole time Zangetsu was leaning on a nearby boulder with his arm crossed. Is he trying to look cool? "Bankai, right? But before we begin, I must say you surprised me. I was sure that you would break down seeing her again." "Maybe 20 years ago, I would do that, and maybe if Yoruichi didn''t kick me, it would happen. Who knows, but time really helps sort things out." "You''re wee..." Yoruichi, still recovering from a German suplex, said. I smiled at this. "During all these years, it wasn''t like I wasn''t thinking about my past at all. Thinking about if I could do things better, what things I did right, and just remembering in general. Not like it prepared me for today. But enough of that. We are here for Bankai. What kind of test do you have?" Zangetsu''s smile widened. "We are going to fight." "How original." "But using only our bare hands. No Kido or swords." "Daring today, aren''t we." Zangetsu looked at me with a deadpan expression. "Do you want a Bankai or not?" "Yes, please." As we were preparing ourselves for our fight, Emma climbed up on the boulder. "Sitting up so high doesn''t make you taller!" Zangetsu yelled to Emma. "I know that!" She answered, annoyed and with a pout. Zangetsu threw away his sword and prepared himself by taking a fighting stance, and I did the same. It is worth mentioning that our stances were different. Mine was more textbook-like but with my own re added to it since I change my fighting style depending on the situation. Zangetsu was more aggressive, giving the impression that I would get punched in the face if I came closer. (E/D: My fighting style is the "Total Fighting" from Baki. My favourite part is when I just jump them while they areughing at me.) "Hey, you girl who likes it from behind. Can you give us the signal to start?" "I don''t like it from behind!" It was Rin who answered. "And I didn''t say it was you, but since you are already talking, just do it." "He really is Ryoto''s Zanpakuto," Yoruichimented. "...Unfortunately." Both of us were waiting for some signal, and as we waited, the tension was rising. It was also worth mentioning that the tension wasing from me. Zangetsu had a big grin stered on his face. He likes fighting, after all. "3... 2... 1... GO!!!" And the fight began. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 217: First day Chapter 217: First day (Kisuke''s pov) Ryoto is an enigma to me. He is my friend, and I know that he thinks so too about me, but he is full of mysteries. I didn''t pry too much, but the more time I spent with him, the more questions I had. At times I feel like he knows more than he lets on. Even today, as soon as he saw Tenshintai, I noticed that he knew what it was before I exined its function and I didn''t share this with anyone before. I doubt that Ryoto spied on me because he isn''t that kind of person, so that leaves the question, how did he know about it? That is not the only interesting thing about the man named Ryoto. The other mystery is his eyes. They are like nothing I''ve seen before. I even thought that they were the eyes of that thing, but it''s not possible. They don''t look the same. The only simr thing is that both of them feel and look otherworldly. What''s more, he apparently has two Zanpakuto spirits inside of him even though he possesses a single de Zanpakuto. ording to my knowledge, in the whole Soul Society, only Captain Kyoraku and Captain Ukitake have dual Zanpakuto. In any way, I just know that Ryoto will be at the centre of a lot of troubles in the future. (E/D: Yes, and I am going to enjoy it in HD. Until the day that I get a genderbend in front of my eyes, I will not beat my beef. PS: I need support, since this is going to be difficult.) (Ryoto''s pov) We rushed at each other, and strangely enough, I managed to hit him in the chest, but it was me who got hurt. ... Asshole. He used Hierro, and seeing his smirk, he thinks he got me. If that''s how he wants to y, then so be it! I as well started using Hierro, and people around us could feel the power behind punches. We also weren''t holding back now anymore. --- Our fight was acrobatic and fast-paced. At times we were standing on each other''s arms or legs and preparing to attack until the one on the receiving end blocked it or, in my case, got hit sometimes. He enjoys fighting me and ns to use the whole three days to enjoy it to the fullest. (Emma''s/??? pov) I was ready to lurk inside Jacob''s inner world and let him live his life. Before, I thought that he needed to face his past to be happy, but the more time passed, the more unsure I became. Should I really force Jacob to do it just because I think it''s the right thing? Is it really for the better? My wish is for Jacob to be happy, and seeing him depressed is making me feel like I failed him. I know that it''s partially my fault for how he turned out, but since I''m here now, I would like to help him, and I can. But talking with Jacob after so many years was nice, even if we didn''t speak for long. He may look different, and unfortunately, he is taller now, but it''s still Jacob, or maybe I should call him Ryoto. I''ll ask him thatter. I know that he hated being called Jacob, but maybe it changed. I would rather call him Jacob, after all. (Ryoto''s pov) The first day ended with a punch in my face. He timed this perfectly and on purpose so I would fly as he was turning back into the device, and seeing his smirk, I knew that he counted it as a sess. I was pretty beat up, not to the point of needing to go to Isane or Unohana. The hot spring with healing properties, for now, was enough. The girls used this opportunity as well. Rin was in a swimsuit because she didn''t trust him enough, and Yoruichi turned into a cat before going for the swim. She, of course, tried to tease me before transforming. You know, the usual. "Do you want to talk about it?" Rin asked out of nowhere as I was rxing in the hot spring. "...Maybeter. I want to talk to Emma first. But you could say that she is someone I used to know, and she died." "I see..." The mood worsened, and I didn''t want to be the reason for that. That''s why I decided to change the subject to something more interesting. "By the way, Rin, why do you have a swimsuit ready to use? We didn''t know that we would be staying here for 3 days." At my words, Rin slowly started bing redder and redder. I see what she was nning, and I couldn''t help myself from forming a knowing smile. "N-no, it''s not what you think it is!!!" "I disagree. This is exactly what we think it is. Isane may be perverted in other ways, but unless her switch is flipped, she is almost as innocent as a child. You, on the other hand, are a closet pervert, and you grow more perverted with age. You just don''t want to admit it." Yoruichi added, and I felt that I should say something as well. "Don''t worry, Rin, no matter how much of a pervert you are, I''ll still love you. Also, I have a confession to make. I''m also a pervert, so at least you are not alone." I put my hand on her shoulder while giving her a look of understanding. Rin was feeling a deep shame, and it was fun teasing her. During our years together, I learned how much I can tease her until it''s too much and her limit is closing in, so I should stop now. Once again, I used my secret talent of changing the subject. "Rin, before you be a tomato, can you tell me if you n to train for Bankai using this method?" Rin calmed down a bit, thinking about my question. "I don''t think I''ll use it. I want to achieve Bankai using my own and Tsunagari''s strength." "...You just don''t want to use Kisuke''s device. Am I right?" Rin avoided my gaze. "*Cough* Either way, I''ll achieve Bankai by myself. Tsunagari said that it''s still too early for me since I haven''t mastered Shikai just yet, but I''m getting there." If that''s what she wants, then I''ll support her even though I would like her to get stronger faster. That''s why I''m here and getting stronger, but most importantly, I''m not alone anymore. Rin isn''t even that weak, Isane is a lieutenant, and Yoruichi is already a Captain. We are a strong little family. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 218: Second and third day Chapter 218: Second and third day (Ryoto''s pov) For the next two days, I was exclusively fighting Zangetsu. Without any breaks except for the night during which I slept to regain some of my stamina. Zangetsu was simply a better fighter than me, even in hand-to-handbat but thanks to that, I was slowly improving, adapting, and oveing my obstacles. During the second day, we were more evenly matched, although Zangetsu still had the upper hand thanks to his wild style. The third day went simrly, but I was in the zone in my fight with Zangetsu. The only thought on my mind was how to win. It was, after all, thest day, and my time was running out, so my fighting style was bing more and more reckless and risker, which Zangetsu liked. "Yes, good! Why need defence when you can just attack!? Hahahahaha!!!" (E/D: Just like the Orge himself said, "Forget about defence. Just concentrate on what is in front of you with the power in your fists and let everything else be white noise.") Freaking battle maniacs. I just don''t know how to deal with them without a fight. This was the first few hours, but as thest hour was approaching, something changed. I was once again being pushed back. I don''t know why it happened unless... The realization hit me. This bastard was holding back. "Since there isn''t that much time left, and I enjoyed myself enough, for now, time for a lesson." He grinned. ... I should have expected it. I really should have expected it. I mean, I kinda knew that he just wanted to fight but who would have expected that he had a lesson to teach? "You are weak, maybe not as weak as before, and you can even fight, but you arecking something. Can you guess what this is?" "...No." "I see that you know what I mean. You don''t know how long I have waited for this." His grin grew evenrger. "Do you know the difference between a king and a horse?" "...Do you really need to do it?" "I do because there is a point in this speech. You need your killer instinct, and I''m nning on dragging it out of you by force if necessary." At the same time as I, Zangetsu, was about to say you know what, Rin, Yoruichi, and Kisuke were having a conversation in the background. "Do you think Ryoto will achieve Bankai?" Rin asked. "Who knows, but he doesn''t have much left," Kisuke answered. "And what is this talk about the king and a horse, and why is Ryoto looking like he knows what he means?" Yoruichi questioned. "Knowing Ryoto, we don''t want to know." Their talk was interrupted by my body mming into the ground in front of them. ...It hurts but nothing I can''t handle. I could taste Iron in my mouth, though. So the kids'' gloves are off. Strangely enough, as Zangetsu was standing there, his smirk wasn''t present. "Better learn fast, or you''ll die." --- In the following 10 minutes, I got to learn that Zangetsu was entirely serious and seemed to try and kill me. Instead of punching me, he used fingers hardened with Hierro to pierce me at times. He wants me to show him my killer instinct. In other words, he wants me to try and kill him, not to defeat him like I tried to do. *Sigh* I really don''t like to attack to kill without a good reason, but it looks like I have no choice. Unless I do that, I doubt I''ll achieve Bankai. I closed my eyes and reopened them with a cold stareing from them. (Editor, Help) (E/D: I got you, bro.) (Changed version) An icy gaze greeted him as I opened my eyes. (E/D: Nice, edgy and cringy as I like it.) Seeing this, Zangetsu grinned. "So you can do it if you try." I rushed at Zangetsu, and we fought again. --- I was aiming at Zangetsu''s vitals if he had any with every attack, and if he didn''t, there was a n to get there in a few moves in the future. Fighting with the goal of killing is different from an ordinary fight. There is a lot more focus put into it and a lot less room for mistakes. I also lost track of time. Thinking about it won''t help me and only put pressure on me, so the only thought in my mind was to kill Zangetsu, even though it''s not possible this way. I know that Zangetsu is trying to help in his own way and tries to prepare me for situations where I''ll need it. As I was practically in a trance, Zangetsu stopped my punch. "Times up. Looks like you lost, so no Bankai for-" He couldn''t finish his sentence as his head dropped down, he was smacked from behind by Emma, no less. "Zen-chan, you can''t do it!" "Zen-chan? Phh- Hahahahaha. Zen-chan, what a great nickname. Maybe I''ll start calling you like that too." It was hrious, and for the first time, I''ve seen Zangetsu embarrassed. "I told you not to call me like that..." "You shouldn''t joke around too much, then. Ja-Ryoto fought you for three whole days, and he didn''t lose, so he deserves a reward." She said that while having her arms crossed. "Bu-" "Did you forget about our bet?" Is this a bet Zangetsu was talking about over 20 years ago? "*Sigh* Fine. Not that I didn''t n to, but you ruined my fun." And so I achieved my Bankai. (???''s pov) That''s strange, very strange. I feel like one of my babies achieved Bankai, but it doesn''t feel like my baby at all, and let me tell ya, it ain''t possible. I can''t even tell where it is, which is even more impossible. I''m curious, but I can''t leave this ce without any reason, but maybe I could somehow convince the others. I bet Ichi-chan will want to investigate it. ... This nickname needs some work. I-chan? Ichi-chan? Chan-I? Who would have thought that after so many years, I couldn''t find a perfect nickname for him? Ki-chan''s nickname was much easier toe up although I still think that Hiki-chan is better, but for some reason, it feels wrong. Where was I again? Righto, that strange Zanpakuto that I feel. I guess I''ll see how it turns out and then do something with it. How could someone create a Zanpakuto without being me is a mystery. Maybe Ki-chan could do it, but he promised me that he wouldn''t. I mmed my face in realization. I can''t call both of them Ki-chan. Maybe one of them will be Ki-Ki? It seems that Hiki-chan could still be used. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 219: Answers Chapter 219: Answers (Ryoto''s pov) Now that I finally got Bankai, I deserve some break and what''s better than a break under a tree is what I would say if I didn''t n on talking with Emma today. Of course, before that, I, together with Yoruichi and Rin, oversaw Kisuke''s Bankai training. It was only fair after all, but now that this is done time to talk heart to heart talk with an old friend. I went inside my inner world, and both Zangetsu and Emma were waiting for me there. "You two have a lot to talk about, so I''ll leave you alone." That was the only thing Zangetsu said before he left us alone. Who knew that he could be considerate? "Let''s go to some better ce to talk." I proposed, at which Emma nodded. I chose a nice tree to sit under. I got this habit because of Emma, consciously or not, and she enjoys it as well, so it''s the best ce we could talk at. To be honest, it was still strange seeing her... alive. Thest time was just before she lied to me, so maybe we should talk about itter. I know that she is Emma I knew and not someone who looks like her because she reacted to her name, but she also said that it''s not entirely the case. I''ll ask about it after that, but before I could say anything, Emma started talking. "You probably have a lot of questions, so I''ll try to answer them all, but before we start, I want to say... I''m sorry." Her voice started breaking at the end, and tears starteding from her eyes. I never med her for what she had done before. I was always ming myself, even if I didn''t show it. Even if I was happy seeing her, I had some deeply buried emotions and issues. Especially issues, but seeing her right now, apologizing to me, they vanished and I did the only thing I know would cheer up a crying girl. A hug. She didn''t stop talking through her tears, but she returned a hug though. "I knew that what I was doing wasn''t right, but at the moment, I couldn''t see another answer. I just wanted to... to... to escape." I can''t say that I don''t understand her. I had these thoughts many times in my previous life, but I just never went through them. Not because I was stronger or had a stronger will than Emma but because I didn''t have enough courage and motivation to do it. (E/D: You disappoint me Ryoto. Foolishness... Son... Foolishness.) I didn''t have a push that Emma''s got. I wonder who was the lucky one, me or Emma, but that''s not important. In the end, both of us died, but we were sitting next to each other. Funny or sad story, depending on how you look at it. "You know Emma? I never med you for what you did. I was mostly sad and depressed that you didn''t share your worries with me, but the worst thing was that I never noticed how much you were hurt. What if I was more observant? What if I was more worried? Would I have done things differently? What... what if you didn''t lie to me... Why did you say that you were alright?" I noticed that Emma was not as cheerful as usual in thest of her days, but every time I asked about it, she smiled and said everything was alright. Except for thest time when I didn''t even see her. She just answered behind the closed door. Emma was known for never lying, and I stupidly believed her. Today I can tell that her smile was forced, but back then, I wasn''t as good at reading people as I''m currently. Even my friends could fool me easily. I say friends, but I only had Emma. Hearing my genuine question, Emma didn''t know how to answer it, but I could feel her hold on me tightening. "I... I don''t know. I don''t think I was thinking clearly back then. The only thing on my mind was escaping. Also, I didn''t want to drag you into my problems. I know that you had many that you didn''t share with me. You were always like that. Keeping everything to yourself until you would eventually explode. Don''t get me wrong. I''m not justifying my actions. I know that what I did hurt you more than anything before, and I can''t ever apologize enough to you and don''t even expect you to forgive me for that, but I want to at least try to make amends. That''s why, once again, I''m sorry." She hid her face by pushing it against my chest, and I could tell it was getting wet, so I patted her head to calm her down. I knew. Knowing her, I could guess that it was a reason like that, but I was too caught up in being depressed I ignored my logical side in that regard. It doesn''t make my suffering unnecessary or without any reason, but I wish I was my future self in the past so I would know how to deal with loss. Is it a good thing? A bad thing? I would say it''s a good thing. Death is part of one''s life. It may be a sad thing, but not something terrible. It happens to everyone, whether you want it or not. I also can be considered more fortunate than most. I got a second chance at life and even got the benefits of having a system that allows me to do a lot more than should be possible. As we were hugging, I didn''t n on saying anything, but some words escaped my mouth. "I missed you... and wee back." --- We stayed in a hug for some time without talking just enjoying our presence was enough for now, but a sudden thought entered my mind. "Hey, Emma, how are you even here? I didn''t question it before, but it''s strange. Not only are you in my inner world, but you are also in a different world." Hearing that, Emma looked up at me while still wrapping her arms around me. At the same time, I looked down. "I forgot to tell you. Hehe~" ... I forgot that she could be a bit of an airhead, but thanks to that, the sad atmosphere disappeared. "But there isn''t that much to tell. After I died, I woke up in a dark ce. I didn''t know where I was, but I quickly figured out that I sessfully... ended my life." After thest part, she paused and looked at my reactions. She is as kind as always, and I couldn''t help but smile. Seeing that I was alright, she continued. "After some time floating without anybody, which was a strange experience, I saw the light in the darkness, and since there wasn''t anything other than that, I decided to walk towards it. The moment I was blinded by said light, I was inside your inner world, and I got a lot of new information, causing me a headache. I became your Zanpakuto Ja-Ryoto." My eyes went wide. Of all the possibilities, I didn''t think of the most obvious one. "Wait, how is this possible that I have two Zanpakutos? I mean, I got Zangetsu in not the most natural way, but the general rule is that one Zanpakuto for each Shinigami since they are a manifestation of their souls. You can see it in Zangetsu since he looks like me, even though he shouldn''t." I questioned. (E/D: Unless a gay priest put a disk inside you. (Context: Stands are a manifestation of the soul.)) "That''s quite easy to answer. Zan-chan is Ryoto''s Zanpakuto, while I''m Jacob''s. Your two souls are mixed into one, but they are separate enough to allow this loophole. You can imagine it as a mix of water and oil. You can still see both of them even if they are in one container together. They don''t mix, just like your two souls. It''s really a miracle. I have a theory that because you rejected your past so much that your souls couldn''t mix. You didn''t allow it." She looked so proud of her theory, and I couldn''t tell her that it didn''t make a lot of sense because some higher being reincarnated me, and he or she was the cause of it. But yeah, I wasn''t so keen on my past and wanted to leave it behind me, which I somehow did, but Emma''s presence doesn''t allow me to do it anymore, or at least part of it. After about 30 years of living as Ryoto, I''m not the same as I used to be but now, more easily than ever before, I can ept my past and my mistakes. May the past be past, but I can''t forget to learn from it as well. "Wait, let''s go back a little. You said you are my Zanpakuto. I understand why you didn''t want to show yourself in front of me before but now since we are already talking, can you tell me your name?" "I could try, but Zan-chan has been trying it for thest 20 years, and you never heard my full name. You could hear the first letter and some of the partster on, but that''s all." So that''s what Zangetsu was doing. I really thought he was fucking with me. I owe him an apology. Not that he knows. But hearing her reasoning, I smiled gently. "Try it now," I said as reassuringly as I could. For some reason, I could feel that I would be able to hear her name this time. "My name is Gyaku Hansha. Nice to meet you, I guess." (A/N It means "reverse reflection" for anyone wondering. And yes, it took me longer than I would like to admit toe up with this name.) (E/D: I need some names to name my "child". The name should have "Abbadon" in it. The best name gets a price of culture. Some of my favs.) "Gyaku Hansha, I''ll call you Gyaku for short, or do you prefer Hansha? Maybe even we''ll stay with Emma?" "Gyaku is alright. Just like you, I''ll use my new name because I got a new life." It took her a moment to realize what I had just said and when she did, her head turned at light speed in my direction. Her mouth went wide open with no sounding from it since she didn''t know what to say but tried anyway. At this, I smirked and gave her a rougher headpat messing her hair a bit. She didn''t enjoy fixing her hair back to how they were before, but I enjoyed seeing her try. "You know, you and Zan-chan are a lot more alike than you realize." I have her a deadpan look. "Of all the things you said to me today, this one is the most unbelievable." I paused. "By the way, you can call Jacob if you want. I don''t mind it that much as I used to." Hearing that, her mood got better as she visibly perked up. --- Talking with Emma, or should I say Gyaku helped me more than I realize. I feel like after talking with her, I can, more than ever before, leave my past behind, but from this point onwards, I won''t deny it as forcefully. ''That sounds right to me.'' I nodded to myself, satisfied with the conclusion I ended up with. Not only that, looking back on the rainy side of my inner world only strengthened my conclusion seeing that for the first time since this world was born, it wasn''t raining there. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 220: Big request Chapter 220: Big request (Ryoto''s pov) Just a yearter, I was walking to a very important meeting. It was being held in Squad''s 1 barracks, more specifically, the assembly hall. I was walking slowly but confidently. It didn''t mean that I had a lot of time, but I wouldn''t bete in any possible way for two fundamental reasons. I was fast, and I knew exactly how fast I needed to go toe on time. Perks of being good at math. Today there will be a significant announcement made by Yama-jii, Head Captain Commander, and if he talks, you listen. Otherwise, you are made into burned toast. I''m obviously joking, but everyone ones not to mess with someone who can kill you without effort unless they know that he won''t kill you. Meaning I can mess with Yama-jii if I want. I just choose not to do it too often. I was slowly approaching the big door to the assembly room, and many familiar and unfamiliar faces weed me, but everyone had one thing inmon. They all wore white haori except for the people standing behind them. Most of the Captains and lieutenants were present in this room. The missing ones were members of Squad 11, which was predictable, and Squad 10 because the Captain passed away not long ago, and there still isn''t a recement. I recognized most of them, but I have yet to meet them all. Hikifune was still the Captain of Squad 12, and the Captain of Squad 6 was Byakuya''s grandpa. The ones I didn''t know were the Captains of Squad 3, 5, and 9. Yama-jii struck his cane against the floor, gathering everyone''s attention. "It seems that everyone has assembled. So we shall nowmence the inauguration ceremony. I believe every Captain has heard by now that for some time, Captain positions for Squad 7 and 10 are empty. Based on that, the Captains of each Squad received a notice of the effects that elections for new Captian were to begin. Unfortunate no suitable candidate was found... until 3 days ago, I got rmendations from Captians of the 2nd and 13th Division concerning the same person. Yesterday, in the presence of myself as well as three other Captains his qualifications as a Captain were assessed by the way of the Captain proficiency examination. There were no objections to his ability or character, THUS, we appoint the former lieutenant of Squad 13, Ryoto Yuuki, as the new Captain of Squad 7!" --- I finally became a Captain and got to be Captain of Squad 7. With this new positiones a lot of responsibility. In other words, I get to decide about things, and my first decision is to choose my very own lieutenant, and thankfully, I know where to search for her. --- "Rin, I have a proposition that you can''t refuse!" I walked inside her room without knocking as I usually do. I knew that I coulde thanks to certain something I learned during my time in this world. Rin was currently reading some books, so as soon as she heard the door opening and my voice, she put it down to hear me out. I must have intrigued her by my proposition, but to my surprise, she stretched out her arm and made sure to make the focus of my sight her fingers, especially the ring finger. I started sweating. Does she want me to propose? Was this how she understood ''the proposition'' that she couldn''t refuse? What should I do? What should I do? I don''t have a ring ready. Should I say that Captain''s duty suddenly calls and search for one as fast as possible? Seeing my panic, Rin was undoubtedly amused and let out a small giggle. Hearing herugh, I realized what had just happened. She yed a small prank on me. (E/D: You got pranked, bro... PRANKED!) "Colour me, surprised Rin. I didn''t think that you had it in you. I expected something like this from Yoruichi but not you. Bravo." "I''m learning from the best." "I thought you hated Kisuke." She gave me a deadpan look, and it met with my smirk. Although I was joking with her, I was serious about Kisuke being a better prankster and troll. This guy is on another level if he wants to trick someone. "It''s not like I hate him. It''s just that, for some reason, his existence repels me. Even Tsunagari agrees with me on that." Ouch. Sorry, Kisuke, but it seems your charisma isn''t on the level of a handsome and sexy shopkeeper just yet. "But enough of the jokes. You said something about a proposition." Rin reminds me about the topic of our conversation. "Right. Since I became Captain, as you could see from my white haori and number 7 on my back, I need a lieutenant, and who would be better than someone I worked and more for over 2 decades." Rin''s eyes opened slightly more, shocked by what I said. "You want me to be your lieutenant?" "Yes. Your strength is enough for this position, and I trust your abilities. I also have experience working with you, which is a big plus." "...You just think that I''ll be doing your paperwork since you hate it." "Hehe, you got me." I scratched the back of my head. "Would you do it if I gave you a lollipop?" I took out one from my sleeve. I have specially made pockets there just for this reason. I didn''t get a positive answer, so I took out a second lollipop and slid it onto the table towards her. At this action, Rin raised her eyebrow. With a heavy heart, I took out three additional lollipops and gave them to her, at which she smiled. "You know that I do that because it''s funny to watch how hard it is for you to give up your lollipops." "...As long as it works." I''ll make her understand the greatness of this candy. Although I could see her taking one of them and starting to eat it with a smile on her face. "Hey Ryoto, I don''t mind being your lieutenant, but can you grant me one request? To be more precise, it''s a request from all three of us." From Yoruichi and Isane too? I''m suddenly intrigued. "We were talking for some time about this, but we didn''t want to bring it up until now, but I feel that for thest year, you have be... less closed? I don''t know what to call it but you changed for the better." For some time she was dancing around the topic. She doesn''t do that unless she is embarrassed or doesn''t know how to approach the issue. I started thinking about what she wanted to request, and during my brainstorming, I got the answer. I put my hand on hers. "Rin, don''t worry. I understand." "You do?" "Yes, but I''m surprised that all of you want to do butt stuff. I didn''t ask, but it doesn''t mean that I wasn''t curious." (E/D: Anal is great as long as you have gone to the toilet before having it. Speaking from experience here.) I got hit by a book that Rin threw at me with a red face. I could have dodged it, but it didn''t do any damage, so why bother but that also meant that I was sadly mistaken. Maybe next time. "Ryoto, you need to learn how a woman''s heart works," Gyaku said inside my mind. ''I''m a man with a harem. In the three worlds that I visited, I got at least two girlfriends. I believe that I''m pretty knowledgeable.'' "You forget that the denser the protagonist, the bigger his harem." ''And you forget that I''m not dense. I just like messing with girls. Yui had the best reactions from all of the girls I met to my antics. That''s why I was teasing her so much. Unfortunately, I won''t be able to burst my shirt in front of her when Ie back. I''ll need to be more creative.'' As I was thinking of a distant future, Rin finally gathered her courage to say her request. "I want to create a family with you!" (E/D: Herees my worst nightmare.) ... --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 221: Being honest Chapter 221: Being honest (Ryoto''s pov) ... ... ... I am speechless. I literally don''t know what to say. On the one hand, I''m happy as any man can be hearing that your partner of years wants to start a family. The difference is that we were in a rtionship for over 20 years. But on the other hand, I wonder if it''s the right time for it. Any time in this world, really. I don''t want to be delusional enough to think that since I''m Captain now, I''m strong enough. But I also feel that right now would be the best time to start a family before all the crazy stuff starts happening. (E/D: No it''s not. Because if it happens I am personally ripping the baby''s umbilical cord out and eating it in front of Ryoto to teach him a lesson and give him some character development.) "Don''t worry about it. You have us, right Zan-chan?" "Don''t call me Zan-chan!" Gyaku giggled at the embarrassed Zangetsu. I keep forgetting that I''m not alone. And I''m not talking only about my Zanpakutos. There''s Rin, Yoruichi, Isane, Kisuke, Yama-jii, and others that would help if I have a problem. Old habits die hard, I guess. There''s also a third hand in this idiom, and that''s L. She is pregnant with our child, and let''s be honest, I was not ready for parenthood at that time but now... I''m still not entirely sure, but I would be a better parent now than I would be 20 years ago. The real question is if this is enough reason to refuse Rin and the other girls their request. I could tell it wasn''t easy for them to make this decision, and I should answer her equally as seriously. "Rin, before I''ll tell you my answer, I think you need to know something first." Because of my serious tone, Rin got nervous but kept quiet and listened carefully to what I was about to say. "L is pregnant." I said it without dragging the topic too long, and I waited for Rin''s reaction, and as expected, it was explosive. "WHAT!!!?" She mmed the table she was sitting at, and because of the shock, she didn''t control her strength enough and destroyed it. "OK, calm down. I know how this sounds, but there''s an exnation for everything." Rin looked into my eyes, calmed down, and let me talk. She wasn''t unreasonable, after all. "It was an idental pregnancy..." Rin nodded at me sarcastically. "I bet so many other teenage pregnancies were all nned." I could practically feel sarcasm oozing from her. I raised my finger. "I know how it sounds, but I really am going with this somewhere." I cleared my throat. "As I was saying, it was idental in the most idental way possible. As you probably can guess, my stamina in bed is unmatched that with no problem, I can take care of all three of you and still rest and wake up without a problem." "It''s incredibly unfair if you ask me." "Don''t me me for having the ability to satisfy all my lovers and have the strength to spare." I smirked and winked at her. "But going back on topic, L also has a high libido, so as soon as we started having sex, we didn''t have a day without it except for a time my arms were injured. Let me tell you that I wasn''t irresponsible, so of course, I used contraception regrly, but no one was ready for the unexpected to happen." At that moment, I unsheathed my Zanpakuto and ran its de on the palm of my hand. I then allowed my blood to drop on the floor. Rin didn''t even flinch at the sight of my blood and observed me carefully. Seeing nothing happening, she raised her eyebrow. "You made the floor dirty with your blood. What''s your point?" As she was saying it, Rin stood up from her chair and went to get the bandages to take care of my wound. Unfortunately, I don''t possess Hollow''s regeneration ability. I wonder if it will be possible in the future. Rin could have healed me a lot faster using Kaido, but she enjoys taking care of my wounds in an old-fashioned way if it isn''t something serious. I could tell by her smile as she was treating the cut I made on my palm. As she was wrapping the bandage carefully, I continued my exnation. "Let me ask you this question then. Did you ever see me bleed before we came to Soul Society?" Rin took some time to think, but her hands didn''t stop moving. "I don''t think so, which is strange now that I think about it. We were training swordsmanship sometimes for hours, but your hands were always uninjured." "Bingo. I couldn''t let myself bleed because my blood was extremely poisonous. To the point, it would melt wood, stone, metal, or any other material in literally seconds. Because of that blood, the contraceptive pills that I was taking didn''t work on me as my blood destroys anything ''foreign''." Rin took my words very seriously, but she was stuck on one thing. "You took the pill?" "Alien contraceptive pills made for man. They work like a charm... unless you have blood like me. *Sigh*." "But that leaves the question, why is your blood normal now?" "Universal mumbo jumbo," I answered quickly without any hesitation. I wasn''t even lying this time. "...Aha... let''s stick with that then... but why are you telling me that right now?" She asked with curiosity. I smiled gently. "That''s easy to answer. If I want to start a family with you, then I need to be as honest as possible, and that''s kind of important information. That also opens an interesting question. If we will have a child, would it be an older or younger sibling to L''s child? You know, since our world is frozen in time." I started wondering, but my focus was brought back by Rin. "Stop asking stupid questions. It''s not that important. But I would need to apologize to L for doing all of this behind her back. You too." She gave me a look that said she would drag me to L and force me into dogeza if she needed to. "I know, and trust me, I''ll do it as soon as possible. Maybe after school since we would be back on our first day." Her expression softened. "Good then." Rin stayed quiet for a while, but I could see that she had more to say. "Rin, did you want to ask me for anything more? You know that I''ll at least consider your request." She inhaled and let out the air a few times to calm down her nerves. Is it a bugger request that asks for a child? I''m getting a little nervous here. "Can I call myself Rin Yuuki...?" She twirled her hair around her finger, and at the end of her sentence, she put her fingers together and pushed them gently. How is this creature so cute? I just couldn''t stop myself from hugging her and spinning around with her in my arms. This action surprised her. "Wait, Ryoto put me down. You didn''t answer my question." "Of course, you can. It was silly of you to even think that I would disagree." I put her down. "But won''t Yoruichi and Isane be jealous?" Yoruichi Yuuki and Isane Yuuki don''t sound as good as their current surnames. Maybe I''m just not used to it. Only time will tell. "Speaking of that, I was talking with them about that, and both of them won''t or can''t change their surname. In the case of Yoruichi, since she is from the Noble n so, you would be forced to marry into her family, and she doesn''t want her child to be part of it." Understandable. Being part of the Noble n is very stressful, and a lot of responsibilitiese with being born a Noble, whether you want it or not. "Isane just doesn''t want to change her name. She says it''s very important to her." Hmm. I sense some history. I can probably guess why she feels like that, but I''ll be waiting patiently until she wants to share this story with me. "But they still want to have children with me?" "Is it that hard to believe it?" "No, but I know what I will be doing today." I picked Rin up and put her on my shoulder and Shunpo out of this ce to do far more important things. (E/D: I hate this arc... I am having a Migraine from this.) --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 222: Before the night Chapter 222: Before the night (Ryoto''s pov) Apparently, you can''t kidnap your girlfriends from their workce even if you are Captain and even if you had a goddamn good reason for that. I mean, if a foursome with a goal of impregnating isn''t, then I don''t know what is. (E/D: He is starting to give Dr House vibes now... I wish he was as intelligent.) ...Shit, do I have an impregnation fetish or am I just a very patient milf lover? Maybe both. My thoughts started wandering, but I was brought back by the yell of the person in front of me. "Listen to me!!!" Right, I was currently sitting in dogeza in front of Yama-jii. I still can''t outrun this Oldman. "I had a very good reason for that. It was basically an emergency." Yamamoto raised his eyebrow. "And what was this emergency?" "Family meeting...?" I was hit by his cane on the head. "Ouch!" How the hell does it hurt this much!? It''s just a wooden cane. I know that he has his Zanpakuto inside, but the outeryer is wooden. "You''ve been Captain for less than a week, and you already disturb the peace in Sereitei because of... spending time with your girlfriends!? Do you know what your haori means!?" He mmed his cane on the floor, making a loud noise. "It means that I''m Captain." I got hit on the head again. I think he expected a more profound like it''s proof of my ability and responsibility, I don''t know. I was rubbing my head to ease the pain, and at the same time, Yama-jii raised his eyes to look at the people behind me, the girls I ''kidnapped''. "You three can return to your duties. I still need to educate my disciple. I thought we were behind those days, but he proved me wrong." My girlfriends left me there without a word of protest. I can''t really me them for doing that. I would do the same. I also could feel Yoruichi smirk. She probably wasn''t smirking in front of Captain Commander, but if she could, she would. I know her that much. As soon as they left, his focus returned to me. "Now, do you understand what you did wrong, or do I need to exin it too?" ...If I don''t escape, I won''t be able to move today. I''m sure of that. He''ll make me do one of his training sessions, and I have lived through them already. I know what''sing, but knowing him, he''ll make it more challenging because, as a Captain, I am supposed to be able to do it. "Now, now Yamamoto-sensei..." He raised his eyebrow once again, hearing me calling him sensei. I usually do it when I want to be extra respectful, and he probably suspects that I''m nning something. "I understand why you''re angry, but I was doing that for you." "...What do you mean by that?" The bait got taken. "You see, Yamamoto-sensei, I, together with my girlfriends, started talking about starting a family together. Just imagine how lively it would be here. Children running around ying as you sitfortably and drink your freshly brewed tea, and as you are rxing, you hear cheerful ''Oji-san!''ing in your direction. You, with a gentle smile on your face, look down to see three children with eyes full of curiosity asking you to tell them some stories, so you give them some of your freshly baked cookies and maybe some milk to drink. Just imagine those days." (E/D: My childhood fantasy.) (Genryusai''s pov) I started imagining what my disciple was telling me. The peaceful times that he was describing to me would be good. Ryoto would also be the first of my disciples to start a family. Would that make me a grandpa? I was distracted in my fantasy of spending time with my grandchildren, and when I opened my eyes, returning my focus to Ryoto, I couldn''t see him in front of me. On the ground, however, I could see a piece of paper. I walked up to it and picked it up to examine it. It was a letter, so I started reading it. "Sorry, Yama-jii, but I can''t allow you to punish me today. I''m a man on a mission, after all. You can find me tomorrow. I probably won''t have any regrets, then. P.S. You should rx more. You''ll get too many wrinkles in 100 years at this rate." I crushed the letter in my hand, and a big vein appeared on my forehead. "Ryoto!!!" Why does he need to be more simr to Shunsui than Jushiro? (Ryoto''s pov) I somehow escaped Yama-jii''s grasp. He will make my punishment more severe, but I don''t care right now. Tomorrow''s problems are for tomorrow''s me. Unfortunately, I don''t want anyone else to catch me, so I will need to wait until at least the evening before I''ll start doing my thing. The question is, what I''m going to do now? I could do some work as a Captain. ... Nah, that''s why I have people below me for. Ah, right. I should make it official that Rin became my lieutenant, and that''s exactly what I did. She was weed warmly, and she introduced herself as Rin Yuuki for the first time, which earned her and me a few looks but who cared? Not me, that''s who. --- Finally evening. I feel nervous even though I''m not new to nights like these. It''s also not the first time I''m going to have a foursome. After the drunken night, which I still don''t remember, we still did it at times. Not often, as every girl wanted to have one on one sessions. There were also a few threesomes at times. So I''m not nervous because of that. It will be the first time I''m trying for kids. What''s funny is that I''m also somehow excited. Strangely enough, we do not live together. The only one living with me is Rin. I understand Yoruichi since she can''t, but Isane didn''t want to move from Unohana''s house as well. Maybe we should change it. As I was thinking about some matters, the girls walked in, and I was speechless. Yoruichi had cat ears with a cat tail at her back. She also was making a ''Neko'' pose with full confidence. Isane was cosying as a nurse. She wasn''t usually wearing it even during her working hours as she was a lieutenant, so it was refreshing seeing her in these clothes. She was clearly embarrassed, but I knew the moment her switch was flipped, there won''t be a trace left of this side of hers. Last but not least is Rin, who also seem embarrassed by her clothes. She was wearing a school uniform that was simr to our school, but it looked like cosy, thanks to her mature look. She was standing in the middle, so she spoke for the group. "Ready for an unforgettable night?" I smiled. "Like every other night with all of you weren''t." (E/D: Segs... But I am not even excited.) --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 223: Foursome 1 18+ Chapter 223: Foursome 1 18+ (NSFW) (E/D: Seggs without a boner... Help me! HELP ME!) (Ryoto''s pov) I was already naked, so basically, I was the only one without clothes in this room, but that''s the point. Although I didn''t care about anything at the moment as my full attention was focused on the girls. It would be the first time we have cosy sex. Before even cosy, sex was the thing. We are practically making history today. Rin slowly walked up to me, sat on myp, wrapped her arms around my neck, and started kissing me. She started by being reserved, but with every second, we deepened the kiss. She pushed me down on the bed soon, but we didn''t stop kissing. Because of this stimtion, I was already rock hard, and my penis was standing proud. Not wanting to be left out, Yoruichi and Isane approached me as well. Yoruichi went straight for my penis as she licked her lips, and Isane, not knowing what to do as most of my body was upied, went after my fingers and started licking it erotically. My whole body was feeling pleasure. 3 against 1 isn''t fair... for them, but I''ll allow them to think that they have the upper hand for now. It went on for a while, and I could see that Isane was slowly getting into it and not only her but Rin as well. Yoruichi was into it from the start, as if she was in heat. Heavily breathing, Rin stopped kissing me to get some air. I used this moment to free her breasts from her clothes. They deserve to be free, after all. To my surprise, she wasn''t wearing a bra. While understandable, I still smirked at her and pinched her nipple, earning me a loud moan. "Mmm~!" I could feel something wet on my abdomen, and coincidently it was also where Rin was sitting. Of course, it wasn''t the only wet part of my body as my penis was being handled by Yoruichi, who was licking it as if it was the most delicious thing in the world. Not to mention my fingers which were being devoured by Isane, who had a hungry look in her eyes. It looks like forey won''t be needed today. Rin stood up from my abdomen to make a ce for Isane because all of us knew that she was near the limit and she would jump at me at any moment. No one was ming her, as we all knew that, for some reason, she couldn''t control her desires in bed, but she was getting better. 20 years ago, she wouldn''t be able to even wait. The funny thing is that Isane always tries to be dominant in bed, but she never seeds. "Let the nurse take care of you~." Isane said as she positioned herself on top of me and went ''for the kill,'' meaning her feminine hole devoured my member. Yoruichi went behind me and let my head rest on herp, and started nibbling at my ear. Rin did not have anything to do right now, so I got my hand under her skirt and started pleasuring her as well. I didn''t want her to be left out right now. Isane was moving up and down and in circr motion not only to pleasure herself but also me. After a while, she went after my corbone and bit it, leaving a mark. I think she just wants to mark me. Two can y this game, but before I could counterattack, my head went down, and it was not on Yoruichi''sp anymore but between her thighs. On another thought, a counterattack can wait a bit longer. It''s reallyfortable between Yoruichi''s legs. "We can''t let you do whatever you want~. We also want to have some fun as well~." Yoruichi said and immediately kissed me afterwards. An upside-down kiss, I enjoy those. Going back on topic, I can''t allow myself to justy down and do nothing... as tempting as it sounds. I attacked Yoruichi''s weak point with my free hand, which was behind her ears, and scratched it there. Yoruichi tried to moan, but she was silenced by my kiss, which I deepened. "Mmm!!!~ As I was kissing Yoruichi, I felt a stronger bite around my chest area. It was Isane being jealous and cute at the same time. I could see her pouting, but she didn''t stop moving. "Now, now, you can''t be selfish, Isane. You already are the first one in line." But I could see that she needed some attention, so I focused on her for a short while, but I did it my way. I reserved our position and pushed Isane on her back, and the top belonged rightfully to me. Then without any warning or mercy, I started pounding her. "Ah~ Ah~ Ah~ Mmmm~!" Even though she enjoyed it, she didn''t want to stay at the bottom, and she tried weakly, I may add, to reserve our positions once more, but she couldn''t. I got closer to her, keeping our bodies very close in a missionary position, and she bit my shoulder and drew some blood. She bit too hard because of all the pleasure she felt, so I didn''t me her for that. Besides, it didn''t hurt that much, anyway. I woulde soon, and from what I heard from Isane, she would as well. "I''ming~! I''ming~!" She hugged me tighter and wrapped her legs around me so I wouldn''t escape, not that I would want to. As our climaxes got closer and closer with every thrust and I finally released inside Isane as deep as possible and stayed inside until Ipletely emptied my load. After I was done, I exited Isane''s hole, letting some of my sperm spill out. It seems that I''ll need to fill her againter but first... I turned to Yoruichi. "A bad kitty needs some punishment." Yoruichiy on her back, and Rin got on top of her on four facing her, so I had two beauties in front of me. And the night continues. (E/D: I, sometime ago, watched a h*ntai where a fat guy has a foursome and the girls wanna get pregnant but they don''t and the rest is plot. The chance of pregnancy after Segs is only 80% if I remember correctly so Author you can still fix this.) --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 224: Foursome 2 +18 Chapter 224: Foursome 2 +18 (NSFW) (Ryoto''s pov) Isane was out for a while, so I decided to focus on Yoruichi, and she saw my gaze filled with lust and desire, got excited, and smirked at me, tempting me by going on all fours and wiggling her ass. This girl loves ying with fire, and I can''t say that I don''t like it. Also, it''s bad manners to refuse invitations, and I was raised better. Wait, was I? In both of my lives, my parents weren''t the best. In my first life, only my mom was trying with me, and even she had her problems. In my second life, I was barely raised by my parents. I should stop thinking about it. Right now, I should focus on Yoruichi, and that''s what I did. I approached her from behind and started eating her out. Starting from outside and slowly getting to her insides. "W-wait, I don''t need you to- Ah~." I managed to get her to climax, but that was just the start. I turned Yoruichi on the side and started the main dish. With one of her legs up, I started moving. It wasn''t anything unusual, but this position did its job. "Mmm~ Stop teasing me. Go deeper~." After some time, I decided to change positions because otherwise, we would be stuck to each other for a long time which isn''t a bad thing in itself. Contrary, in fact, I have Rin to take care of after Yoruichi, so as a responsible boyfriend, I nned on helping Yoruichi reach an orgasm as fast and strongly as possible, and the way to do it is from behind. We were currently making love in, ironically, doggy style, but that''s not all. At the same, I attacked her ears, and with one hand, I yed with her clitoris. "Ah~ ah~ ah~ AAAAH~!!!!" Yoruichi couldn''t control her reactions because the pleasure was overwhelming, so I pulled her with me backwards. So now I was lying on my back with Yoruichi lying on me with my penis inside her, and I didn''t stop moving until I unloaded inside of her just as we nned to do from the beginning. After I was done ejacting as deep as it was humanly possible, I took out my penis, and just like with Isane, sperms spilled out, but this time it was extra sexy because of the contrast of the whiteness of the sperms and Yoruichi''s darker skin. Two done, one left. I turned to Rin, who started masturbating on her own as she was observing Yoruichi and me. It seems that forey will be unnecessary, but today I have something special for her that we never did before. Riny on her stomach, and I got from behind her and entered her slowly until I poked her womb. After that, I put all my weight on her and did nothing besides eventually giving her womb entrance a ''kiss''. I could allow myself to go slowly this time as Isane and Yoruichi were still out. Rin''s breathing was starting to get ragged, and with every even minimalistic movement, she was giving a big reaction. Her sensitivity was at its highest as her entire focus was on my penis and nothing else. It was a new experience for Rin and me alike. Her vaginal walls behaved like nothing before getting used to the not-so-foreign objects inside. Rin tried to move by herself, but I pinned her down, not allowing for any movement to ur. "Now, now, Rin, be patient. Soon it will all be worth it." I whispered near her ear, and for Rin, my voice was like the Devil''s whisper, full of temptation with a promise of great pleasure. "Ryoto~... If you don''t stop~... I''m afraid that I won''t be able to be satisfied~... with normal sex~." She could barely talk anymore with all the heavy breathing she was doing, but that only made me more excited. "Then we''ll cross this road together. Let''s lose ourselves in pleasure together~. By the way, your costume is really sexy. Your mature look makes it extra erotic." Hearing myments, I could feel Rin''s pussy tightening. Does she have an embarrassing kink? Shame kink? Maybe I''ll do a little test. "I wonder what Saki and Aya would say seeing you like that. The ever so serious Rin having baby-making sex in a cosy." And just as I expected, she tried to deny everything I said, but her resistance wasn''t as serious as she was making it look, and also I could feel her true feeling. Her mind tells her no, but her body, her body tells her yes. It seems that Rin gets off on embarrassment. I''m surprised that it took me so long to figure it out, but it seems that it''s true that you can learn something new about your partner even yearster. But that''s a thought forter. I''m going toe soon, and Rin will climax again soon as well. I got closer to her ear once more and whispered. "Be ready. I''m going toe soon." Anticipating my ejaction Rin''s breathing got more ragged. I, ready to climax, pushed my penis against her cervix as much as I could, and as my penis pressed her womb entrance as far as I could, I couldn''t hold it in any longer, and it came with great intensity. I wasn''t alone in my pleasure as Rin''s eyes went wide open, and her back arched like never before. Her orgasm was strong and extended to the point that I was starting to get scared because Rin couldn''t breathe, but after a long time, she took her first breath in after a long pause. "That was... intense." "Yes..." That was the only I could answer because it was literally indescribable. The way she felt at that moment was... something different. I was ready to lie down, but both of my arms were pulled at the same time. The culprits were Yoruichi and Isane, who recovered their stamina and were ready for round two. Looks like I don''t have time to sleep, but it''s not like I wasn''t expecting it. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 225: Morning? More like noon Chapter 225: Morning? More like noon (Ryoto''s pov) I was lying in bed, fully awake, staring at the ceiling. On both of my sides, girls were hugging my arms, and one of them was sleeping on my chest. I didn''t sleep one bit as we had just finished our fun. I looked around the room, and it was a mess. The bed we are sleeping in? Destroyed. That''s just a mattress now on top of broken wood. The walls? Covered in bodily fluids and some parts ripped off. The ceiling? The same as the walls. The furniture in the room? Mostly destroyed. Our stamina? Depleted. I''m the exception. The clothes? Ripped in some ces. Time of the day? Noon... 3 dayster. That''s right, I haven''t slept in 3 days trying to impregnate my 3 girlfriends. To be honest, I''m impressed by my performance, but even I was starting to get tired by the end of day 3. Of course, we had small breaks to hydrate ourselves and eat some snacks to replenish our energy. This was a close battle, but I was the winner in the end. It was fun having sex on walls and ceilings but I think I''m going to sleep for now. I deserved at least that much. --- I woke up sometimeter, but this time a familiar warmth was missing around my body. The girls had already got up before me and sensing their presence, I could feel that they were in the kitchen. Looking at the room, I concluded that I didn''t wake up that muchter than they did as it was still a mess, and judging by the sun, only 4 hours had passed, but I already am feeling refreshed. I found a yukata that belonged to me and wore it. I''m starting to like more traditional clothes as ofte... not that I have a big choice, but now I''m presentable to the public. I was hungry, and the girls were probably as well since they were in the kitchen, as I stated before. So this is my next destination. Walking in, I could see Rin cooking with Isane''s help while Yoruichi was eating some snackszily. "Morning..." I said through my yawning, as I entered the room. "Morning or rather Good Afternoon, you can wait at the table. We are almost done cooking anyway." Rin greeted me. I could see that Isane, as usual, was embarrassed by her nightly behaviour but also was in an incredibly good mood. The same could be said about all of them, but I noticed that they all were limping a bit. I know that I shouldn''t, but I feel somehow proud because of this. I sat in front of Yoruichi, who waszy, biting something as she was waiting for a meal. "Sup, Yoruichi. Still tired?" "Like all of us, except you, I guess. How are you looking so energetic when I would argue you were the one who worked the hardest." "What can I say except that I just can? Aren''t you a happy girl because of that?~" "That I am. But maybe I should say that I''m a happy cat, nya~" She did the pose while saying that. She knows that I love it. "Changing the topic, I''m surprised that your n even allowed you to have my child. I know that you have your brother that can take your position as a Head of the n, but he is still too young." "Hm? I didn''t ask anyone for permission. Why should I need others about my life decisions?" ... I feel a headache iing, but what''s done is done. I could guilt trip the elders because of the assassination attempt during my academy, and I don''t want to brag, but I will. Without me, the assassin could be a sess in his action. Not to mention the Menos Grande that appeared, and I drove it away. Also, now as a Captian, my word has a lot more weight to it than before. Not on the level of a member of one of the five great noble families, but it still something. My thoughts were broken by Yoruichi''s feet that started touching my crotch. "You are doing this thing again." "This thing?" "You think how to solve a problem by yourself, and we are..." She moved her feet seductively. "...a team, and as such, we solve our problems together." "That''s right, so you better not forget it." Rin came from behind me, cing a te with my meal and kissing me on the cheek. Hearing this, I smiled. I already knew it but hearing it is always nice. Although it will take some time to change my way of thinking but I''ll get there eventually. "Also, just so you know, I did what I did because I want to have a family with you, all of you, but I don''t want my kid to be part of the Noble family. Trust me, it''s better that way." I guessed that much. Yoruichi may be a little prankster with the personality of a cat, but she isn''t stupid and doesn''t make rush decisions unless they are for fun which I rted to. She must have thought about it for a long time toe up with this conclusion, and as her partner, I''m going to support it unless she makes a stupid decision. Besides, Isane and Rin will support her too. We are in this together. I will need to visit the Shihoin n soon toe to some kind of agreement. Yoruichi doesn''t want to have our child grow up there, I assume, for a good reason. She grew up there, so she should know the pros and cons of being part of the n. That''s why I''m going to fight them for my future kid, figuratively and literally, if needed. But that''s for the future. A near future but a future nheless. Right now, I want to just rx and do nothing. "By the way, did you announce that all of us were going to be absent during thest 4 days?" ...Fuck. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 226: Rumors Chapter 226: Rumors (3rd pov) It was an unusual morning in the barracks of Squad 7. Many members of this Division needed to get used to the new Captain and lieutenant, which doesn''t usually happen. More often than not, only one of them is reced. Thest 4 days were very quiet, but not for a good reason. Both the Captain and lieutenant were missing, and no one knew what to do. The paperwork was starting to pile up, and even the 3rd seat couldn''t approve many of them without Captain''s approval. The 3rd seat took leadership in the Squad and informed Captain Commander via Hell''s butterfly about what they should do. Thankfully the answer arrived fast, but strangely enough, they were forbidden from helping with Captain''s work. Also, they were informed that he would return soon. That takes us to the next day, where members of the wonderful 7th Division could hear strange noises from the Captain''s office. It sounded as if someone was mming his head on a board, but since it wasing from Captain''s room, it was not possible. He is, after all, working hard there. "Hey, what do you think of the Captain?" One of the members of the Division said to his colleague, who, just like him, was cleaning the barracks. "The Captain? Hmm... He seems normal, which is strange. Like, I wouldn''t mind going drinking with him. I think it''s because he doesn''t seem like a superior. I heard that he is very young. Maybe that''s why I feel that way." "I think I know what you mean, but he still seems to be hard to approach. Do you know our new lieutenant, Rin Yuuki? It''s the samest name as Captain. She is Captain''s wife, but that''s not the part that''s intimidating. He was seen being intimate with not only Rin-san but also the lieutenant of Squad 4 and Captain of Squad 2." Hearing his colleague, the other Shinigami was surprised by the rumours surrounding his new Captain. "Was the lieutenant informed about it?" "Apparently, no one could bring themselves to bring it up. Lieutenant looked very happy with Captain." "...Captain Yuuki is a scum." "He really is." And so Ryoto''s reputation in his own Squad reached rock bottom, and it didn''t even take 2 weeks for Ryoto to achieve that. (Ryoto''s pov) I''m fucked. I never said anything about my absence to anyone. In my defense, I didn''t expect myself to be absent for a whole 4 days. The only saving grace is that I had one free day, but that still leaves 3 days of not being at work which in Yama-jii''s book means getting your ass roasted. How should I approach it? I said jokingly before that I''ll give him grandchildren, but I can''t tell him that''s the reason I didn''t do my job. What''s even worse is that I was summoned by Yama-jii today. I''m in trouble. I can feel it. As I walked inside, Yama-jii wasn''t alone. Inside was Unohana, Shunsui-senpai and Jushiro-senpai. I could see that Yama-jii''s mood wasn''t the greatest, so I refrained from making anyments that would make him even angrier. Slightly opening one of his eyes, he asked. "What do you have for your defense?" He didn''t need to specify what I needed my defense for because it was apparent to anyone knowing the situation, but I couldn''t tell them that I was lost in pleasure unless I wanted to be like a marshmallow during a campfire. I then looked at Shunsui-senpai, who was the only one in this room that would understand my situation because he was also adies'' man. Unsessfuldies'' man, but that''s not a point. I asked for permission to talk with Shunsui-senpai for a short while before I answered any questions, and surprisingly Yama-jii agreed. I walked up to my senpai, who hopefully will save me. I spoke in a voice so low no one would be able to overhear. I exined to him, not in detail, what happened, and he patted me on the shoulder and reassured me. I''ll invite him for a drinkter as a thank you. He became a hero in my eyes. I looked around now more confidently for some reason, and as I looked at Unohana, I got a bad feeling. Like she knew something, and I was too afraid to ask about it. Unohana just looked at me and smiled as usual, but something was off until it hit me. She knew. After all, it was her house, and she knew Isane lived there. Of course, she would check up on her. Why didn''t I think about it before? I started sweating. Not only is Yamamoto pissed, but Unohana may be as well. Two monsters stare me down, and I can only wait for judgment toe, but Shunsui-senpaies to my rescue. "Now, now, Yama-jii. Don''t be so angry. Ryoto-kun is still young and, just like all of us, makes mistakes. It''s not like he missed anything important. And let''s be honest. There are few Captains that don''t do their duty like the current Kenpachi. So be easy on him this time as this is his first-time." Everything Shunsui-senpai said was in azy tone, but I couldn''t be more thankful to him at the moment but... Yamamoto mmed his cane into the floor as he tends to do and spoke. "I don''t want to hear it from a cker like you! Unless you want to share his punishment, you shall remain quiet!" Hearing that, Shunsui-senpai turned to me. "Sorry, Ryoto-kun, I tried~." He said with a goofy smile on his face. It''s fascinating how fast can respect for a person disappear. It''s almost impressive. Since I''m already fucked anyway, why don''t I try digging my grave as deep as possible? Seeing the change around me, Yamamoto raised an eyebrow. "I just want to tell all people here that I don''t regret what I did, I only regret not informing anyone, but otherwise, I would do it again." I puffed out my chest, proud of my achievements. Not the smartest thing to do at the moment, but it didn''t make anyone angry, so I can count it as a win... I guess? Unohana broke the silence in the room. "How about letting Ryoto-kun finishes all the piled-up work until now as his punishment? Being young is to make mistakes, and Kyoraku-San is right. The current Captain of Squad 11 is not taking his Captain duties seriously, but we don''t reprimand him unless it''s very serious. I''m aware that you want your student to be better but let''s just write it off as a one-time mistake that won''t be repeated." She turned to me. "Right, Ryoto-kun?" --- I was banging my head against my desk as I was working in my office. Usually, I would just make others do that, but it was my punishment. I hate paperwork if it''s not obvious. At this point, I''m just trying to make myself faint by mming my head against my board. I know that it''s not probable, but miracles happen at times. I also don''t know if I''m lucky or not because Unohana wasn''t angry but reprimanded me about knowing the ce and time. Also, she warned me about hurting Isane and hoping for grandchildren soon, but I bet I would get smacked around if I called her grandma. I just don''t understand women. I''ll just try to finish the paperwork, but as I was going through the documents, my eyesnded on recruitment papers. I recognized a familiar name there. Interesting. (E/D: Hello darkness my old friend... I havee to see you again.) --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 227: Search begins Chapter 227: Search begins (Ryoto''s pov) Sajin Komamura was the name on the recruitment paper. It seems that he wants to be part of my Division. What an interesting turn of events. In about 150 years, he would be a Captain of this Division, but if nothing crazy happens in the future, he won''t be able to take my ce. Hope I didn''t jinx it but never mind that. I epted Komamura in my Squad because why not. --- I was finally done with my work. I swear I''m never going to touch it again in my life. That''s what I have subordinates for. But now that I was done with my punishment, I could focus on more important matters, that is, finding rings for the girls. I am aware that engagement rings aren''t exactlymon at the present time, but I wanted to give them something even if we won''t marry. I mean, Rin already uses myst name, but Yoruichi and Isane don''t want to change their names. Regardless of everything else, we are family, and that won''t change even if the world is going to end. What doesn''t change is that I n on giving my girls a present. For Rin and Isane, I''ll give rings as nned, but Yoruichi''s gift is a bit tricky. Every time she turns into a cat, she losses her clothes. In other words, she is naked when in her cat form. Meaning, the ring would fall off her if she would transform while wearing one. Maybe I should give her a cor that would change its size during transformation or be able to stretch a lot without being restrictive on the neck. Speaking of rings and essories, when I go back, I''ll need to give one to L as well. She would be happy to be given one, and it wouldn''t be fair to her otherwise. For Kaede and Rio, it''s too early, in my opinion. They are ordinary girls, after all. Maybe more deadly, but still normal. Alme is a mystery. I don''t even know if they have a tradition like this on her. I''ll talk with Jugemu about it. Now that I think about it, won''t I be technically an old man when I return? No, I should stop thinking about it. It''ll only make everything weirder. But now I should focus on Rin and Isane. I''ll ask Kisuke about the cor. Knowing him, he''ll find a solution to my problem in less than a week. I went outside my office to get out of the barracks to start my search. On my way out, I greeted the members of my Squad, but most of them gave me a look like I was a bad guy. At least they weren''t nervous in front of me. I wonder what''s that about. From what I remember, Kisuke, when he became Captain in the manga, got simr treatment from Hiyori, so maybe that''s that. They only need to warm up to me. --- I have no idea where I should get the rings. I mean, this tradition doesn''t exist in present-day Japan, so of course, there isn''t a shop that sells such rings. There are some rings here and there but no engagement rings, but maybe I''m thinking about it the wrong way. Perhaps I should just skip engagement rings and find wedding rings. I mean, we are more of husband and wives than boyfriend and girlfriends, even if we won''t marry. I was walking around, and deep in my thoughts, I bumped into someone. I was still standing, but the one who bumped into me fell. "Excuse me, I''m lost in thoughts..." The man on the ground said as he was massaging his head... even though he didn''t hit it. Why do people do it? "No, I''m to me as well." I offered a hand to help him get up. Now that I had taken a better look at this man, he looked familiar, but everything was telling me that it was not possible. Byakuya Kuchiki but something wasn''t right. He was far too... expressive. Now that I think about it, I have seen him before. Seeing me, the Byakuya-looking guy widened his eyes but smiled shortly after. He probably recognized me. "If it isn''t Captain Yuuki. It''s rare to see you around the barracks of Squad 6." I looked around, and I really was near Squad 6 barracks. It seems that I was deeper in my thoughts than I thought. I don''t even know why I''m thinking about it that much. I am aware that they would be happy with whatever I am going to give them, but that makes me want to gift them something incredible even more. "Ah, forgive me. I have yet to introduce myself to you formally. I''m Sojun Kuchiki, lieutenant of the 6th Division." I see. I don''t know this man. He probably is Byakuya''s father. He looks like him, after all, and by the rules of the anime world, if a character even remotely looks like another, they must be rted. Just look at Kaien and Ichigo. "Ryoto Yuuki, Captain of 7th Division, but you already know it by the way you called me. Sorry for walking in. I was thinking about some stuff, and my legs brought me here." "Don''t worry about it. I was also in deep thought. You see, my wife is pregnant, and I found out about it today. It makes me nervous thinking about bing a father." "Women problem? Tell me about it. My girlfriends and I are trying for children, but that''s not the problem... at the moment. I was thinking about giving them some essories to signify our rtionship. I heard that it''s a custom in the west and I liked the idea. The problem is that I don''t know anything about essories." Hearing me, he blinked a few times, not knowing how to answer. He probably got stuck on a ''girlfriends'' part. "You don''t need to worry about my small rant. It was nice meeting you and all, but I''ll keep going and see if I can figure out my problem." "If you want to, I can help you with it." And so the savior arrived. "You would do that?" Hearing my question, he smiled gently. "I don''t see why not." --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 228: Unexpected meeting... again Chapter 228: Unexpected meeting... again (Rin''s pov) I heard that Ryoto got chewed by Captain Commander because Isane, Yoruichi, Ryoto and I missed 4 days of duty. I feel kinda bad for him because it was mostly our fault. I was forbidden from helping Ryoto with his work because it was his punishment. I did it secretly anyway because I felt guilty. Even Ryoto didn''t notice. It was also easier than I thought. I just entered his office before anyone and ''borrowed'' some of his paperwork to finish them by myself. It wasn''t much but I know how much Ryoto hated paperwork. I don''t know why because he is very good and fast with it. Maybe he feels like it takes away his time that he could use in better ways. Who knows? After I was done, I sneaked those documents I finished into Ryoto''s office. Fortunately, he already left the office. Now that I had some free time to myself I wasn''t sure what I should do. I am a lieutenant now, so I have a different set of responsibilities. The problem I have is that I don''t know what those responsibilities are. I never was a lieutenant before and Ryoto didn''t exin anything to me. Maybe I should ask Isane about it. I doubt that Yoruichi would be able to teach me anything about being a lieutenant. At most, she would say ''Just do whatever you feel like. Not like anyone would have the balls to say anything to you.'' "She isn''t wrong though." Tsunagari said inside my mind. ''Don''t ever start that Tsunagari. We both know that if I won''t be the responsible one in this rtionship then only Isane can be and she can''t say no to Ryoto.'' "Chill out girl, chill out. There isn''t anything wrong with having some fun. You should know that~ Besides you are steadily getting stronger and in a decade or two, you''ll achieve Bankai. Everything is going fine." Is she implying my nightlife? Does she know about it!!? ''If I listened to you then nothing would be done on time... or nothing would at all.'' "Fine then. Hmph!" I could imagine Tsunagari pouting but I know that she means well. She is just tooid back. Where was I? Right, I was thinking about what should I do with my day. In the end, I decided to visit the Shinigami Academy. I felt nostalgic and helped out with Kido lessons sometimes. As I was walking towards Academy, I was stopped by members of my Squad, but for some reason, they didn''t have any reason to stop me, as if something got stuck in their throats. I could see pity in their eyes though which was strange. I ignored it as I witnessed many weird people during my life and I assigned these people to the weird category. --- I was done teaching the ss. I really enjoyed teaching others. That''s the one thing I discovered about myself. Sometimes I wonder if I would be a teacher back home. But if I ever return, maybe I''ll try to pursue that profession. Thinking of the principal though I started doubting my idea of bing a teacher. It was time to return home but I noticed someone familiar. I didn''t see him in many years but it was hard to forget someone like him. A man fully covered in clothes, hiding every bit of his skin. It was none other than Sajin Komamura and seeing him here in an Academy uniform I could only conclude that he is trying to be a Shinigami. I walked up to him. "Hello Komamura-San. Long time no see." He looked up at me and I could see some recognition in his eyes. "Kujo-dono?" I smiled hearing that he remembers me. We met only one time after all. "I go by Rin Yuuki now." "I see. Then Yuuki-dono, I''m d to see you doing well. Since west met I wanted to thank you for helping me that day. You helping me that day and gave me a spark of hope. I decided to be a Shinigami after our meeting. It took some time before I could enter the Academy, but I finally did it and now I am about to graduate. Unfortunately, I won''t be in your Squad since I applied to Squad 7." He was talking to me in a respectful manner the whole time. "Funny that you mention it. I became lieutenant of that Squad recently so it looks like we''re going to see each other more often. If anyone''s giving you a hard time there, just tell me. We can''t have bullying in our Squad now, can we?" I mmed my fist on my chest to show my confidence in doing so. It looked like he smiled. "It seems so." (Ryoto''s pov) Sajun is a great guy. He showed me some shops with essories for women and even helped me choose. For Isane I found a white ring made of tinum which I chose because her Zanpakuto name means ''Frozen Snow'' so I thought it would be appropriate. For Rin, I chose a ck ring also because of the color of her Zanpakuto. It wasn''t ck like my Bankai but was darker than normal Zanpakutos. Also, it was made of ck gold which was neat. Also, contrast. The contrasts are nice. Now into the hard part, Yoruichi. I couldn''t find anything for her and I was tempted to go to the pet shop to find some pet essories but I knew that I would get my ass kicked for it in the future so I stopped myself. After some searching and a lot of help from Sajun I finally found it. A small essory in the shape of a cat and it was golden to match Yoruichi''s eyes. I could attach it to a choker so she could wear it on both forms. I''ll still need to ask Kisuke for help but at least I''m done with this. As thanks for helping, I gave Sajun a few lollipops with healing properties since I noticed that he isn''tpletely healthy. He isn''t as sick as Jushiro-senpai but he his health could hinder him a bit. Thest thing to do was to go to Kisuke and then give the gifts to the girls. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 229: Meeting Yoruichis parents Chapter 229: Meeting Yoruichi''s parents (Ryoto''s pov) Kisuke is a genius, and I''m happy to be his friend. What I''m not happy about is that he enjoys teasing me about my rtionship with girls. Especially Yoruichi. Nheless, he made a ck chocker and attached the essory I bought to it. He even engraved my and Yoruichi''s name on the back of it. I asked him to do it also for the rings, just to be fair, and I liked the idea. Besides that, Kisuke made the rings more durable since they need to withstand future battles, and we don''t want them to break. After it was done and I got the presents ready, I gave them to the girls and... they were overjoyed, and I earned a big hug from the three of them at the same time and a wonderful night afterwards. --- A monthter, I got the news that not only Rin, not only Isane but also Yoruichi was pregnant. That''s right. All three of them at the same time. I wanted to avoid it a bit longer, but I''ll need to have a talk with Yoruichi''s parents, as her mother is still the head of the n at the moment, even if she acts otherwise. I suspect that walking up to them and saying, ''I''m doing your daughter'' wouldn''t be wise, so I''ll restrain from doing that. Now that I think about it, shouldn''t an old n like Shihoin have an elder council or something? "Hey Yoruichi, does your n have an elder council, and if yes, shouldn''t we have a meeting with them as well?" "We have elders, but they have no power in the n. They are basically glorified actors because we pay them to be elders just because other Noble Houses do have them." "I see, so the only ones I need to worry about are your parents." I tried to confirm. "I would say you need to worry about mom the most. She may seem all nice and approachable, but she is dangerous and will probably try to force you to marry into the n. Dad will just act scary in front of you and will try to make you angry and possibly beat you up, but otherwise, he is harmless." "This entire meeting will be bothersome, am I right?" "Pretty much, so just be yourself." "... That''s the worst advice that you could give me, but I''ll trust you." She smiled, hearing me, and took my hand as we walked towards the Shihoin n mansion. --- I was sitting in front of my kinda parents inw. Both of them had darker skin, the same cooler as Yoruichi, which was to be expected. Yoruichi''s father looked very stern with his arms crossed. He also had a scar on his face going through his eyes, making him blind in that eye. "So, you''re that punk our daughter told us about. You don''t look impressive with that fake haori you''re wearing. It just shows how weak you are! Just because Yoruichi became Captain, you don''t need to pretend to be one!" ... I don''t know what I was expecting, but it wasn''t that, and I think it showed on my face because Yoruichi''s mom looked a lot like her, just more... milf-like and gave off a big ara-ara energy which I shuddered at. Bad memories and all. Her distinctive feature was her closed eyes. It means that she is dangerous. I had never met anyone with eyes like these to be a metaphorical sheep. More like a wolf in sheep''s clothing. From Gin to Yama-jii and even Unohana at times. "Dear, Ryo-chan here isn''t pretending to be Captain. He is one." Ryo-chan? Even more bad memories surfaced. Is she doing this on purpose? I know it''s not possible, but still... Even after 30 years, I''m still haunted by her. I''m not scared, but the memories of her make me shudder. "Bah! He probably got lucky." I see. He doesn''t like me. Lucky for him the feeling is mutual. "Now honey, can you tell us why you suddenly brought your boyfriend to us? I doubt that it was only to introduce him, was it?" She opened her eyes slightly, revealing some of her cold-looking golden eyes. I could immediately tell that she killed a lot during her active years. She looked at both of us with her cold gaze. Neither Yoruichi nor I flinched at that, but I could feel little bloodlusting from the mother. "I can answer that question." I butted in, at which she raised her eyebrow in intrigue. "Oh, and what is it, Ryo-chan?" "*Cough* *Cough*" I cleared my throat. "We came here to congratte you." This raised more questions than answers for my parents-inw. They looked at each other and then at me. "What are you congratting us for?" "Bing grandparents, of course." The room became silent, and Yoruichi''s parents looked at me, then at each other, and then at Yoruichi, and this went on for a while. It was fun looking at it, and I smirked seeing their reaction and Yoruichi did the same. I guess she didn''t see them like this before. After they finally processed the news, the father exploded while the mother cupped her cheek in her hand. "WHAT!!!?"/"Oh my." The father was about to jump at me, but the mother stopped him with a single re. I can see who is wearing pants in this rtionship. "I can''t believe it''s happening. I was almost sure I would never live to see a day when I would be grandma from Yoruichi''s side." "And what is this supposed to mean." Hearing her mother, Yoruichi was annoyed. Maybe because everyone that knows her is surprised by the news of her having a boyfriend. "Nothing at all, but I wonder if it''s a boy or a girl. Should I start buying clothes now or after it''s born? What about his or her room? Have you decided on the name already? Can I choose it? Please, please, pleeeease!" Both of us were overwhelmed by questions and, overall, her. I should ask about their namester because I don''t think Yoruichi ever mentioned them. Now I think it is a good time to mention our ns. I looked up to Yoruichi, who understood my intent and nodded, saying that she agrees with my decision. "Before we start talking, we need to talk about our ns. We don''t want our child to be part of the Shihoin n." Hearing it, Yoruichi''s mom stopped acting cutesy and affectionately, and the air around her turned cold. "What?" --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 230: Demonstration Chapter 230: Demonstration (A/N Bonus chapter) (Ryoto''s pov) As soon as I ruined my rtionship with my parents-inw, I felt 12 presences enter the room seemingly unnoticed. One of them was smaller than the rest, and I could feel resentmenting from that presence. I wonder why. It''s not like I killed his/her parents or anything. But right now, I should focus on the angry milf in front of me. I threw away my carefree attitude and turned more serious. "As I said, Yoruichi and I decided to raise our child away from the Shihoin n and its responsibilities, as well as I, won''t be marrying into the n. You could say that I have an attachment to myst name and don''t n on changing it, and your 12 bodyguards/assassins won''t change my mind." "Twelve? I noticed only eleven?" Yoruichi was confused because she couldn''t feel thest person. Maybe that small presence is a child in training, and that''s why it''s hard to notice it''s Reiatsu. It''s just too small to notice if you don''t focus. "I see that you aren''t a Captain just for show." She moved her eyes to Yoruichi. "On the other hand, it seems that you need more training to do." Her eyes returned to me. "But do you really think that you could walk out from here unharmed after announcing something like that?" She is obviously threatening me, but I''m not one to be intimidated easily. Not only that, but she is releasing more bloodlust at me. It''s powerful but nothing I can''t handle, so I answered in kind and released mine as well. The father started sweating a bit as he saw his wife''s eyes bing more and more murderous. At the same time, I was bing more and more serious. The air around us started vibrating because as we had our standoff, we started releasing Reiatsu as well. Yoruichi''s mother is a lot stronger than I expected. That''s why I should let her taste her own medicine. ''Hey, Zangetsu, let''s unleash some of your battle bloodlust.'' "Finally, something to do!" As soon as Zangetsu added his own bloodlust to mine, I immediately overpowered my opponent. She probably saw an image of a Hollow mask behind my back, but it was just an illusion, as Zangetsu wouldn''t allow Reiatsu to materialize in a situation like this. If I was fighting Kenpachi, however... At the same time, I was surrounded by twelve people with their swords at different parts of my body. Three of them were around my neck, two at the back, two at the front, four around my legs, probably to sh them as soon as possible to hinder my ability to run away and fight, and thest one was directly in front of my throat. Fast reaction, but I could probably move before they could surround me if I wanted, but I let them. Why? Because I knew they won''t be able to harm me even if they wanted to and I needed an assistant for my demonstration. Also, I activated prediction calction just in case. Not showing wariness that I was centimeters or even millimeters from being killed, I picked up the cup of tea from the table in front of me to drink since I didn''t touch it since the beginning of the meeting. I took a quick nce at Yoruichi, who didn''t move at all, but I could see she was ready to jump in case something happened. I decided to joke around with her to show that I had the situation in control. "Your boyfriend is held at sword point, and you don''t even worry. I didn''t think I had such a heartless girlfriend~." Hearing me, Yoruichi rxed a bit but still was ready for the worst. "As if you would be in any danger." I turned my attention back to Yoruichi''s mother, who became wary of me. Also, my carefree attitude earned me a warning from the smallest assassin in the room, who had a sword at my throat, and she pushed it to touch my skin and red at me. The small presence was a small girl, and she really was just a child. She looks no older than 8. It''s possible that she just looks young, but ording to everything I see and observe, she is young, and I don''t like that. That''s one of the reasons I don''t want my child to be part of Noble House or at least the Shihoin n because I know that he/she would be trained as an assassin. It''s not like I won''t allow my children to train, but I would want them to have somewhat of a normal childhood. "Now, since everyone is visible in the room, let''s talk about the problem at hand. I don''t want my child to be part of this n, and you want the opposite so let''s meet in the middle." I proposed. "Which is?" "I know that as Yoruichi is pregnant, she won''t be able to fulfill her duties, so I volunteer to take her ce for the time being." "And you think you qualify? You may be strong, but this line of work is to be one with the shadow andplete the mission as cleanly as possible without any witnesses. Do you really think you have what it takes to be a member of the Stealth Force?" She asked in a very serious tone. "Not many people know this, but I''m a trained assassin, but actions speak louder than words, so allow me to demonstrate." I took the spoon and started observing it, but it was just for show as I waited for something to happen. As the ninjas around me were bing more annoyed... okay, only the small one was, but she was very responsive to everything I did. She also looks familiar for some reason, but I can''t put my finger on it. Back to the spoon, I was moving it around until the sun hit it, and it reflected light right into Yoruichi''s eye. Yoruichi kicked the table we were sitting at because of the temporary blindness in her eye. It distracted assassins around me for a minuscule moment, a moment that I used to Shunpo and appeared behind Yoruichi''s father. A few of the bodyguards noticed my attempt and tried to stab and sh me, but the only thing they hit was my Captain haori, that was left behind. Yama-jii will kill me. But back to Yoruichi''s dad. I made a motion of cutting his throat with my finger. "And just like that, dead." I returned to my seat after fixing the table and asked my lovely assassins to return to their position of threatening me with their weapons. They were a bit dumbfounded, but they did what I asked them anyway, which was funny to me. "Also, let''s be clear. It was just one of the ways I could do it. I didn''t even need to dodge and to demonstrate... you, the short one who would stab me at the first chance she would get. I''m giving you a chance." Without any hesitation, she pushed her sword at my throat, and it stopped before it cut in. And it''s not like she wasn''t trying. She was pushing with all her might, but she couldn''t cut through my skin because I was releasing Reiatsu at the ce sword made contact, and as everyone knows, if you have bigger Reiatsu, you are practically untouchable. Since she was just a child, her amount of Reiatsu wasn''t greatpared to mine, so it was fairly easy. I could also use Hierro, but at the moment, I refrained from using it since all the eyes were on me, and they would notice something strange. "As you can see. I wouldn''t be harmed even if everyone attacked me at the same time." I pushed away the sword with two fingers that the young girl still was trying to pierce me. "The point is that I''m more than qualified. I had, after all, a great teacher." --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 231: Agreement Chapter 231: Agreement (Ryoto''s pov) It was another standoff between Yoruichi''s mother and myself until she snapped her fingers. At her signal, all the ninjas around me scattered instantly. "In that case, I don''t mind~." Her whole mood did a 180 turn once more, and nothing was left of her serious side. I just can''t get a read on her. "I''ll be counting on you, and remember that just because Yoruichi is your lover, I won''t go easy on you with the missions that I''ll assign you~." I took a nce at Yoruichi, who was left speechless. She probably didn''t expect her mother to agree to, let''s be honest, demand. "Mom, are you serious?" "Of course I am, honey. I''m going to be honest, I don''t really care either way, but I needed to see what kind of man Ryo-chan is. If he backed down, I would''ve personally kicked him out as fast as possible, but I didn''t expect him to be so imposing for someone this young. If only I was 200 years younger..." Hearing that, her husband snapped his head to look at her with his eyes wide open, and then he red at me as if I was a threat to him. He feels threatened... by his daughter''s lover... because his wife joked that she would go after him if she was younger... He is beyond help. But at least we are done with this. I said my goodbyes, thanked them for the tea, said it was great but could be sweeter, and left with Yoruichi. (Yoshiho''s pov) My daughter wanted to meet her boyfriend to meet my husband and me, but I wasn''t expecting him to be a monster like that. When I heard that Yoruichi was pregnant and they didn''t n to marry, or rather they refused to marry each other so their child won''t be part of the n, and we couldn''t have that. I love my daughter, but there are things I can''t allow her to do. She is talented, and I''m sure her children will be as well. I was ready to force Ryoto by scaring him a bit, but I wasn''t ready for his counterattack. I was sure there was a monster behind him as he released his bloodlust. When he and Yoruichi left, I finally let out a breath that I didn''t even notice I held. I also was sweating. "Are you alright" My husband, Horito, asked me. "Yeah, don''t worry." "But was it wise to let them do whatever they want?" I looked at him as if he was an idiot. I love him, but... he isn''t the sharpest person I know. Scrap that. He is at the bottom of the list of people I would take advice from. It took a lot of convincing from me to allow him into the family. "Even if we somehow forced him to be part of our n, it would be like keeping a wild animal on a thin leash. Just in stupid and dangerous. He would destroy us from the inside sooner orter to protect what he wants to protect, and there''s nothing worse than father''s wrath. You should know that." "I know that... but I still don''t like him!" He folded his arms, pouting. How cute. (Ryoto''s pov) That was... productive... I think. I mean, the negotiation was sessful, so I canin. Once again, threatening someone solved my problems. Might over brains is it how this saying goes. If not, it should. As I was returning home with Yoruichi, we were stopped by someone. "Wait!!!" I turned back, and Yoruichi did the same to see the little girl who was a little too eager to kill me. She still looked like she wanted to stab me. "How can I help you?" I didn''t get an answer but only an angry stare. Should I burst my clothes? Nah, I''ll wait for what she wants first, but she really looks familiar. If not for the cloth around her face, I would probably recognize her. "I don''t like you." Those were the first words she ever said to me. How charming. "You disrespect the Shihoin n and her excellency, and for this offense, you should face death, but I''m not here for that. I want you to open your eyes." "And can I ask you why?" "...I''m searching for a man that I want to no, I will kill." I could feel hatred in her voice, and some gear started moving inside my head, and if I was right, then it was bad... mostly for my psyche. "It''s not polite to ask someone to show their eyes before you show your face first." I got red again, but she looked at Yoruichi, who just shrugged her shoulder and nodded. At this, the little girl pulled down the cloth that hid her face, and it clicked. It was Soi Fon. A lot younger than what I know of her, but I''m sure it was her, and if she was looking for people''s eyes together with her surname and her age, it could mean only one thing. One terrible thing. Yan Fon was Soi Fon''s mother, and Soi Fon was the little girl that I saw that night. And it looks like I gave Soi Fon a big reason to get stronger and probably a lot of issues. "A deal is a deal." I slowly opened my eyes, revealing... an ordinary pair of blue eyes. Soi Fon stared into my eyes, maybe trying to see something more than the eye can see but after she had enough, she pulled up her cloth, bowed to Yoruichi, but not me, and left. I''m d that I asked Kisuke for the eye contacts that hide my eyes, although it won''t hide them if I use their powers. It''s good enough for now. I still have my eyes closed, though. It became a habit, and undoing this habit could be dangerous in the future. "Are you alright?" Yoruichi asked me. "Hmm, what do you mean?" "You were shaken by this girl''s face. You would fool others but not your girlfriends. Something happened between you and her." I thought that I didn''t show any emotions seeing Soi Fon, but it seems that I''m an open book for my loved ones. Now the question is if I should tell Yoruichi about what I did. I probably should. I trust her with my life. 20 years isn''t a short time, and I know her well enough to know that if I shared this secret with her, it would stay with her if I asked her. "*Sigh* Let''s talk somewhere else." We went to a ce that is very important to me that I visit yearly since I felt it was appropriate. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 232: The reason Chapter 232: The reason (Ryoto''s pov) Together with Yoruichi, I went to the hill where I made a grave. It was made mostly because of that day when I killed Yan Fon, so it felt appropriate. Yoruichi already knew that I visited here every year, but she probably didn''t know why. It''s hard to guess without me explicitly telling anyone. At first, I stood in front of the grave without saying anything. There were more strokes on the grave than in the first year. I was forced to kill a few Quincies that attacked Isamu and me. Also, a few rouge Shinigami. *Sigh* What a brutal world we are living in. "Do you know whose grave it is?" I asked Yoruichi. She shook her head. "You never told anyone, and we never asked you since we guessed you would tell us someday." "I really appreciate it that you didn''t push me to share it, and I will exin it to you right now." "Shouldn''t you invite Rin and Isane then, too, to not exin it three separate times?" "That''s the thing. I want you to promise me that you won''t tell anyone, especially Rin. At least for a few more years." Hearing my serious tone, she stared at me, trying to understand why but she just nodded, knowing that she''ll know in a moment, but she didn''t like the idea too much. "This grave was made to bury my old self. After Rin and I got into Soul Society, I promised myself to do everything I could to protect her. Before I met you or Isane, I had a lot of issues, and I didn''t sort them out until about 20 years ago after achieving my Bankai. One of these things was letting my friend die because I wasn''t paying enough attention to her, so in a state of panic mixed with my guilt, I made a bad decision in haste and..." I didn''t get to finish my sentence. "Because you assassinated Yan Fon, am I right?" I widened my eyes. "You knew?" "I had a guess. There was never any evidence besides traces of Reiatsu, which were more Hollow like than any Shinigami should ever have. I found the same type of Reiatsu in the underground training room after your training." "..." I didn''t expect her to already know. "How long did you know?" "I started suspecting you a little bit before you trained for Bankai, but as I said, I never had any evidence. You were just the only one I knew with Reiatsu like that. You are lucky that your cute and sexy girlfriend is so understanding." She brought my head down to her boobs. "I never met a girlfriend that was okay with her boyfriend killing an innocent mother." "Who said that I''m okay with that! I''ll hear your whole reasoning out, and if I''m not satisfied, I''m kicking your ass!" I smiled upon hearing that. "Mostly, the reason for what I did was money to get to Shinigami academy as fast as possible. I needed strength to protect Rin, and Rin could get stronger as well. The strange thing was as if Yan Fon epted her fate and was friendly to me when I broke in and was ready to kill her. I was about to give up, but... she had that look that not only epted her death but as if it meant something like it had a purpose." Yoruichi started thinking about my words. "I''ll look into it and tell you what I find. Can you tell me from whom you got the job?" "...He is... no longer avable..." "Smart, but it makes it harder to find who made the assassination request, but it''s impressive that you killed six trained bodyguards before training in the academy." "Wait, killed?" I thought that I only injured them heavily and somehow escaped. "Yeah, all six of them. Their bodies were massacred. It wasn''t you?" I decided to ask Zangetsu. ''Zangetsu, did we kill them?'' "Yeah, at some point during the battle, you lost consciousness because of your injuries and mental exhaustion, and I took over your body. It was difficult even for me with your body wounded like that, but after I was done and started walking home, you regained consciousness, and I let you get control of your body." ...God dammit. I got closer to the grave and made additional six strokes on it. "Can you get me the names of these bodyguards?" I asked Yoruichi. I try to remember everyone I killed. It''s not like I will, but I''ll try. Even if I won''t remember their names, I''ll never forget their faces. "By the way, remember not to tell Rin about it. She''ll me herself for my bad decisions. She has a strong sense of responsibility, and I don''t want her to stress herself, especially during pregnancy." "Yeah, yeah, I got it, but you still didn''t exin how this little girl is connected to all that." "She is Yan Fon''s daughter, and she witnessed me after I killed her mother. She also saw my eyes. If you don''t know that, it means that she didn''t tell anyone about seeing me. She probably wants to kill me with her own hands." "Thatplicates some things." "It does, but I''ll worry about it in the future." --- Now that Yoruichi''s parents are done, it''s time for the big bosses, Unohana and Yamamoto. I could tell them separately, but I want to get it over with as fast as possible. Also, I don''t think they''ll get mad or anything. I didn''t do anything wrong after all. --- I was mistaken. I should have thought this through more. I''m currently sitting in dogeza in front of Yama-jii. Unohana was standing next to him. "So you''re telling me that a Captain and two lieutenants are currently pregnant at the same time and will need to have maternity leave in the future?" "When you say it like that, it sounds like it''s a bad thing..." "It is a bad thing!!! It will leave a big hole in our ranks!!!" "I already talked with the Shihoin n leader, and we came to an agreement with Yoruichi''s duty. Rin isn''t a problem as she is my lieutenant, and Isane has a verypetent Captain able to fulfill her duties without her lieutenant." "Ara~ You have such a high opinion of me, Captain Yuuki, but I won''t help you get out of this scolding. It will end when Head Captain decides it ends." ...Change of ns then. I turned to Yama-jii. "Yamamoto-sensei, just imagine-" "I''m not falling for that this time." Crap baskets. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 233: Trying to help Ukitake Chapter 233: Trying to help Ukitake (Ryoto''s pov) I am alive! That''s why I decided to celebrate in the living world with an old friend. We were drinking sake. Even though the first time I got to drink went a little wild, I didn''t repeat my mistake and learned my limits. "So you finally decided to start a family of your own. I didn''t expect it to happen during my lifetime. Be prepared for many sleepless nights. Also, get used to a terrible smell." Isamu said. "Is it really that strange? The stranger thing for me is that you will be grandpa soon. Time really flies by. One day you are getting married, and the other, you are bing a grandpa." "That''s just because you are going to live for a long time, unlike me. I''m getting jealous of your youthful look. I''m starting to find gray hair on my head, and you look just a few years older from our first meeting." "What can I say? The handsomeness just doesn''t want to get away." We continued to joke around, and catch up with our lives, and Isamu gave me some tips about raising children as well. I doubt they will help since my children won''t be normal... Oh no, my children won''t be normal! Probably. I don''t know how my gics works at this point, and I can''t ask Mikado for answers this time. Kisuke could help, but his expertise lies in souls, not biology. Will they inherit some of my powers? None? All of them? Can my sealed abilities be inherited by my children? What if one of them gets my poisonous blood? With that, it would be challenging but still manageable, but the real problem would be if any of them got my eyes. Aizen would probably get really interested in my or my children''s eyes in that case. If he ever does something to them, I don''t care how important he is for the plot. I''ll destroy him. --- After the more fun topics, Isamu turned more serious. "Ryoto, if I asked you to do something that you hate would you do it?" Strange question, but seeing how serious he is, he must have a reason to ask this. Probably wants me to do something troublesome. "That depends. Let''s hear what you have to say first, but knowing you, I''ll probably agree. You wouldn''t have asked me if you really didn''t need my help." "*Sigh* Yes, unfortunately, you are correct. There is a certain group among the Quincies that dislike the present status quo and is nning on destroying the peace we created when I''m gone..." "So you want me to ''dispose'' of that group after your death, am I right?" "...Sorry. My hands are tied as I don''t have any evidence, and they won''t do any harm to Quincies, at least directly. Me attacking them could lead to civil war with my side against theirs, which would lead to even more casualties. They are patient and will try to build up their influence, and when the day of my deathes, they''ll try to start the rebellion, destroying what we are trying to protect." I took a sip of sake, feeling pretty annoyed. Not at Isamu but at the idiots that want to repeat history. Isamu wanted to apologize again, but I stopped him. "If you try to apologize to me again, I''m going to tell your wife about one of our drunken adventures." He immediately stopped himself from saying anything. "Which one...?" "I don''t know. I''ll choose something random. Is it important? Anyway, I''ll do it." "Again, sorry..." "...I''m going for a talk with your wife." I stood up from the table and walked away as Isamu tried to stop me desperately. --- It was a day of moving to the new house with all of my girls together. New family, new house, new life, and new me. The girls'' bellies were starting to get bigger, and it was finally hitting that I would be a father. L didn''t change yet, thanks to her race biology, so I didn''t get that feeling from her just yet. On another note, I bonded with Sojun over bing fathers at a simr time. If we had more members, we could have a fathers club, but it seems it won''t be the case for now. It would be fun, though. Also, my research about Jushiro-senpai''s illness hit the wall. I just can''t find out what is the cause of the disease, and without it, I can''t cure him. I didn''t use my eyes to look into it, but Jushiro-senpai was nothing but nice to me, and I wanted to repay some of his kindness. Of course, I won''t show him my eyes. Even if I trust him, it''s never wrong to be extra careful. What if I''m forced to pull an Itachi in Soul Society? Without killing my family, of course, but the point is, what if I be the enemy of Soul Society? Then I''ll have one more trump card. I still hope that it won''t happen, though, but who knows with Aizen around? I would do it, though, if it would secure my family''s safety, but it would be thest resort. --- Jushiro-senpai was lying on the bed with a blindfold on his eyes. His back was uncovered, so I could see as much as I could. I can''t see through objects, but they may see something that no one can. I opened my eyes and enhanced my vision to the limit. While my eye powers are weakened, and they overheat a lot easier, I can still use them for a few seconds at full capacity, and I''ll use these seconds to my fullest. At first, everything was fine. I just saw his aura, and it was the oldest I ever saw, as I didn''t see the aura of Yama-jii or Unohana... Not that she is old... Hahaha... Back to the topic, I looked at anything strange around his aura, as sometimes it can show interesting things. Like darker ces shows the ''dying'' parts. Also, the less aura moves, the closer one is to death, and Jushiro-senpai''s aura is almost unmoving. It reminded me of Shizu''s aura, but I don''t know if that''s because he is a Shinigami or because of his illness. If I remember correctly, if not for Mihigami, Jushiro-senpai would have died at the age of 3, so who knows, but one thing I know is that I should focus on the area around lungs as that''s where his illness originated. After of few seconds of looking that felt a lot longer, I noticed a small ck dot in Jushiro-senpai''s aura. That in itself was strange, but then what''s weirder is that I didn''t notice it before. Nothing can hide from these eyes of mine, but this small dot somehow escaped my sight. That''s why I focused on it as I zoomed and zoomed more onto it to see what it was. After 5 seconds of looking at it, my eyes started overheating, but as I was about to give up and let my eyes cool down so I could continue looking at whatever it was, a small hand jumped at me at incredible speed. I tried to back away as fast as I could, but it reached and touched one of my eyes. Everything went ck. (E/D: Danzo learned the 2nd True Magic to travel here and get his eyes.) --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 234: Fear Chapter 234: Fear (Ryoto''s pov) I don''t know where I am, but it''s dark. I couldn''t see through darkness even while using my eyes. From the darkness, I saw the light that wasing closer to me. I couldn''t see who or what it was, but I could hear a voiceing from there. Curious... Why can''t I see you? The only way I could describe this voice was otherworldly, and I met 2 otherworldly beings. Maybe because they didn''t behave as such, I didn''t get that feeling, but I felt powerless in front of this being. It didn''t help that I couldn''t move. I could feel a hand around my eye, forcing it to open wider. And these eyes, they don''t belong to you, but at the same time, they do... Is it because of them? Its ''hand'' moved to my chest. This soul... why does it feel so familiar but foreign at the same time. I tried backing away, but I still couldn''t move, as if some unknown force was holding me in ce. Do not struggle. I wish you no harm and only desire to examine anomalies such as yourself. That was the only way to aplish this. I have a guess who this ''thing'' is, and I don''t like it one bit. Better ask some questions. Maybe he''ll answer some of them. "....." ...I can''t talk. That makesmunication more difficult. I don''t know what to do. I''m at his mercy. Even using my eyes doesn''t help in this situation. Maybe because I''m inside my mind, so they can''t work or something. Thest thing I remember was a small hand reaching my eye, so that''s possible. I see that you are trying to speak your thoughts. Forgive me, for I don''t have full control over my powers because of my circumstances. I would like to have a talk with you as well, and I am doubtful we will get the chance to repeat this meeting in the future. This is the first time for me, to not know what''sing... but I don''t hate it. Maybe you''ll change an oue set in stone. Will it be for better or worse is uncertain but allow me to gift you something for allowing me to experience something new. He touched my forehead with what seemed to be his finger. As soon as he did it, I felt an incredible headache spreading across my skull. It felt as if my head would split at any moment, but no matter how much I tried to thrash around and scream as much as I possibly could, nothing happened. which only made the pain worse as myplete focus was on it and couldn''t distract myself with anything. May your journey be a fruitful one, traveler. I wish you luck. (E/D: Genshin vibes. Maybe he will go there in the future. I want that. Who else wants that? Come join me and pressure the Author for that. Brothers we shall prevail.) --- My senses returned, but I was in the middle of backing away, and because of the sudden return, I lost control and mmed into the wall, breaking it a bit. I was breathing heavily and sweating a lot. I just got a reminder of why people fear the unknown. The Soul King or Mihigami somehow got inside my head, I assume. He could have done anything he wanted with me, and it made me feel anxious like never before. Even while facing Gid, I had a n. It was a risky one, but I knew that I had a chance to get out alive from that situation. This time though, I had nothing. Nothing I could do. No n to speak off. It''s the first time I felt this powerless in a long time, maybe even ever. I need to prepare myself better, and the only one who can help me right now is Kisuke, with his knowledge about the Soul King. The only thing I know is that he was sealed for a long time and maintains the three worlds. He is also the first being that wielded the powers of Shinigami, Quincy, and Fullbringer. "Ryoto-kun, are you alright!?" Jushiro-senpai ran up to me, and probably seeing my state, he was rightfully worried. "Y-yeah, I''m alright." He obviously didn''t believe me, and I don''t me him. "Sorry for that, but I think we''ll cut short this examination. I need some time for myself..." I never sounded weak right now, but meeting the Soul King left an impression on me and not a good one. As I was about to exit the room but Jushiro-senpai called me out. "Remember that if something bothers you, you can always talk with me. Not only because I''m your senpai but also your friend." I turned him and nodded my head. I appreciate his concern. I really do. --- ''Zangetsu, Gyaku, do any of you know what happened to me?'' "It annoys me to say it, but I have no idea." "I''m also lost. It felt like nothing had happened, but I can feel something had changed. What happened?" ''Soul King,'' I grimly answered. "That living but not really bastard!? How the hell could he do anything!? He is barely a corpse at this point!" ''I don''t know either, and that was a blunder on my part to not anticipate anything from him. I assumed that he couldn''t do anything as he allowed himself to be in even though he foresaw it. We''ll be focusing on figuring out what he did to me. You two look if anything changed in my inner world, and I''ll gather the necessary information. I''m not taking any chances if he is somehow an enemy.'' "...You''re scared." ''Of course, I am. Who wouldn''t be? He even knew that I was not from this world, but I won''t allow it to slow me down. It will only make me stronger as I''m not scared that he will do something to me but to others dear to me, and I''m not allowing anyone to do anything to harm them.'' ''...You''ve grown a bit, but you''re not thinking it straight. Remember what Koro-sensei was always saying. ''Before you start panicking, observe first and then find the answer.'' If you met Soul King as you said and he meant harm, you wouldn''t be able to talk with us as you do now. I''m not saying to not prepare for the possibility but don''t be paranoid. I know that you are stressed because you''ll soon be a father, but you need to calm down." ... Zangetsu is right. I was being restless, so I took a few deep breaths to calm down. The Soul King allowed himself to be sealed even though he probably knew what was going to happen to him. I also know that he must care for humans in some way, as he was ready to kill all Hollows, even knowing the consequences. The Hueco Mundo sand is literally the ashes of all the Hollows he killed. He also said that he wishes me luck but I won''t take his words at face value. It would be dumb to do that. Before panicking, I need information. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 235: Unknown future Chapter 235: Unknown future (Ryoto''s pov) I went to Kisuke as fast as I could to get some answers. I doubt that he knows much more than me, but he is my best bet. The other one would be Yama-jii and the people from Squad 0, and I''m not nning on telling either of them about what happened. --- "Kisuke, we need to talk!" I walked into his room which looked more like ab. "If it isn''t Ryoto. How can I help you?" "I need you to tell me everything you know about the Soul King." "Well, the Soul King, as you know, is a ruler of all Soul Society hut-" He started exining what we learned in the academy, but it was not what I needed to know. "Kisuke, I don''t want to know what they are feeding us in the academy. I want your unfiltered knowledge about Soul King." Kisuke narrowed his eyes. "And why would you need this knowledge?" "Soul King did something to me. I don''t know why, I don''t know how and I don''t know what he did to me, but he did." Hearing me, his eyes went wide open. It was the first time seeing him make a face like that. "But that shouldn''t be-" "Possible." I finished. "I know that''s why I need your help." "...Tell me everything that happened." --- "That is... worrying." Kisuke said with a grim expression. "That''s why I''m here. I don''t know what I should do and you are myst hope without making me a target of some kind." "As much as I appreciate your trust in my knowledge, I am as much in the dark as you are. The only thing I can do is do some tests on you and hope for something toe out. In the case of testsing out normal, we can conclude that whatever Soul King did to you is not activated. You could think of it as a time explosion, and it will activate some time in the future." "Very reassuring... But thanks anyway. Also, I don''t need to remind you to not say anything to the girls, right?" "That much is obvious~. You are, after all, very protective of them." "Hey, you should check it out." Suddenly Zangetsu spoke to me. --- Now, what the hell is that? I was currently in my inner world after I left Kisuke''s room and found a quiet ce where I could meditate. On both of my sides were standing Gyaku and Zangetsu and in front of us was a pole of some kind. "So you''re telling me that this pole appeared out of nowhere after you searched for anything suspicious?" "That''s right. It also is exactly between two parts of your inner world which makes it a lot more suspicious." Gyaku answered me. "Should we destroy it?" Zangetsu suggested, and it was tempting, but it wouldn''t be wise without knowing what it was. It could have a mechanism that would harm me if it was destroyed, but before I could say anything, Gyaku stepped in. "Zan-chan, you can''t solve all your problems with violence. Didn''t we talk about it?" "And I told you that if it couldn''t solve my problems, I didn''t use enough violence, to begin with." Before things escted, I stopped them. "We will continue this discussionter, maybe if we are sure that we don''t have a bomb inside of us." Anyway, I''ll have them observe this pole closely for any changes at all times. Otherwise, I''ll live as I did before. There could also be a trigger for it to activate, but it gives me 50/50 either way. Whatever it is, I know that it''s somehow connected to that pole. --- What should I do!? What should I do!? I''m panicking! I''m panicking! That''s the most panic I ever experienced, and it''s saying something when I met, the supposedly, Soul King and King of the Milky Way gxy, who also was my father-inw. I also experienced a few near deaths and met the literal God of death. And here I am, panicking more than in any of these moments. Why? Because all of my lovers are giving birth at the moment. At the same time. I wasn''t expecting my children to have the same birthday. (E/D: I am having a Cardiac Arrest, right now and I am going to be dead in 5 minutes.) I couldn''t be in the room where they were giving birth, so I was walking back and forth without stopping, and Sojun was apanying me as I was when his child was being born, and right now, our roles were reserved. We somehow became friends. "I know that it won''t help but calm down. Everything is going to be fine. Captain Unohana is with them after all." Sojun said, but as he predicted, it didn''t calm me down in the slightest. Without stopping walking, I replied. "Thanks for being here and supporting me, Sojun, but I don''t think I''ll be able to rx until I see everyone alright. Just let me walk like this for a bit longer." I didn''t need to wait much longer as Unohana walked out of the closed room. "Well, it was the first time for me to receive three child deliveries, but everything went alright. You can go inside Ryoto-kun but be careful, as the girls are still tired." I, however, didn''t hear what she said as I rushed inside. There I saw three beds not far away from each other and on them was three women holding a baby in their hand each. My heart melted and became strangely calm seeing them like this. "Look who is here. Daddy finally decided to show up." Yoruichi, even though tired, tried to tease me, knowing that I wasn''t allowed inside. Mostly because I wouldn''t be calm during the process. "So, who is the oldest one in this room? I''ll want to hold them in that order." "That would be our child." Rin answered. I carefully took the baby out of her arms to hold in my own. It was so... fragile and cute. I held it in my arms for no longer than a minute, and I would kill everyone that harmed it. The same goes for other of my children. After returning the baby to the mother, I went to Isane as our baby was the second oldest, and it looked like it will have the same hair color as Isane. Rin''s child, on the other hand, had traces of my hair color, but Rin already had dark brown hair, so it wasn''t that far from my ck. Last but not least was Yoruichi''s and mine baby, who inherited Shihoin''s dark skin. "Ironic isn''t it? that the fastest of all of us deliveredst." I smirked. "You have a problem?" "I would never~." The family just got bigger. I wonder how our future will turn out. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 236: Family got bigger Chapter 236: Family got bigger (3rd pov) Years have passed since Ryoto became a father and everything was peaceful. Ryoto was busy with his Captain duties and training but always had time for his three children, who were bing increasingly energetic and looking for trouble left and right. Fortunately, Ryoto wasn''t alone in a difficulty called parenthood. Rin, Isane, and Yoruichi were together with him, and they all thought about all of Ryoto''s children as their own. At the moment, Ryoto was sitting inside his office reading some documents rted to his Division. He was currently wearing sses. The only reason for that was because he thought it was funny and ironic that he would need them. Not only that, but because he always had his eyes closed, it made it even more amusing for him. Confusion of others was funnier when you are one of the few that is on the joke. "Captain, someone is here to see you." One of the Shinigami of the 7th Division walked into the office after he first knocked on the door, of course. Before Ryoto could say anything, a small silhouette ran into the room. "Dad!" A small girl with dark skin and purple hair jumped on Ryoto, and he caught her without a second thought. "Yukima, what happened?" His daughter with Yoruichi was called Yukima Yuuki, as Yoruichi didn''t want her to be connected with Shihoin in any way. Because of that, Ryoto was forced toplete many missions, some of which included but were not limited to hunting down people, dead and alive. He may not like this but seeing his children''s smiles, he knew it was worth it. "Bya-chan won''t y with me! He said that he was busy with training, but the only thing he does is swing his sword!" At that moment, two other of Ryoto''s children walked in. "Yukima, don''t bother dad with that. We already told you that it''s what training is." A boy with ck hair said to Yukima. "Buuuut Masaru-nii, Bya-chan is being cold to me." She pouted. "He is not cold, he is just busy, and you annoy him at the worst possible time." Answered the silver-haired boy, that tried to sound intelligent and mature. He always tries to be the adult one of the trio, but he loses to Masaru in that regard. "What did you say, Akio-nii!?" Yukima red at the boy. "Now, now calm down, everybody. It''s not a reason to argue about." Ryoto tried to stop the fight from happening. "Oh, I know! Why not let dad train us as well? Then I could kick Bya-chan''s butt!" She turned to her dad with puppy eyes. "Can we?" Ryoto wanted to refuse to allow them to have a fun childhood for a little longer, but on the other hand, it would be beneficial for them to get stronger, and they are already at the age when it''s suitable to start training. Little Byakuya(Bya-chan) began to not long ago as well. "*Sigh* Fine. I''ll call Rin since Isane and Yoruichi are busy." "What about your work, dad?" Masaru asked, at which Ryoto smiled and patted his head. "Don''t worry. I''ve got a perfect person to take care of it." He turned to the Shinigami, who brought him the news about his children visiting. "Tanaka!" "My name is Takeru... sir." Takeru answered weakly. He was, after all, new in the Squad and was intimidated by his Captain. It didn''t help that there were still rumors circting about him among members of his Squad. "Tanaka, I''ve got an important mission for you. I know that you''re new, but I see talent within you that is ready to bloom, but for that, you need experience. Are you epting this mission!?" For some reason, Ryoto sounded very inspirational for poor Takeru, who didn''t know that his Captain just used him to escape paperwork. He still didn''t get the memo from his senpai in Division to not agree to their Captain''s requests, but against his better judgment, he agreed. "Y-yes, sir!" "Good then, I''ll leave this document to you. If you don''t know something, you can ask Komamura. Good Bye." With that, Ryoto left the office with his children. --- Good to know that there are still suckers in my Squad. I didn''t think it would work, but here we are. Yukima was riding on my shoulder, and the boys were walking beside me. It looks like all of them have the intention of training. I''ll start out slow, but for the moment we are going to train with real swords, I''ll need to see their resolve. Children or not, I''ll need to make sure that fighting with swords is not fun and games. It''s also worth mentioning that non of my children inherited my eyes or spider powers, so that''s good news. At least I didn''t have to deal with a baby crawling on the ceiling. For now, at least. I don''t know about mine and L''s baby. It wasn''t hard to find Rin, but she gave me a look that said that I should be working right now, and she didn''t believe that it was taken care of. She really knows me well. But she decided to go with me for a little training session with the kids in the end. We went to the Underground training room for training as it''s the safest ce in Sereitei, as no one knows about it being there. I still don''t know how but I''m notining. But time really flies fast. It feels like it was only yesterday that we celebrated their first birthday, and today they''ll start their training. --- On the training ground, I was exining to my kids the basics. Reiatsu, Kido, Zanpakuto and etc. They may know some of the things already, but I want everybody to be on the same page. I know that Yukima is more of a practice person than a theory person. She just finds talking about it boring, repetitive too. ... I may have spoiled her too much since she is the only girl out of the kids and also the youngest. Masaru and Akio, on the other hand, listened to my exnation carefully, but I noticed that Akio was starting to get bored too and was only paying attention because Masaru was. He thinks of his older brother as a rival, after all. I decided to stop the lesson and ask a simple question. "Since you all want to start training, why not tell Rin and me why you want to? Everyone has a reason for wanting to get stronger. Some want to be able to defeat their enemies, others want to protect their closest family, and there are also those who want to stand on the top of the world." "Then why did you get stronger, dad?" Akio asked, and the other two nodded their head. I felt happy hearing my children curious about my past. It made me go back many years. "At first, it just happened. I gained strength and trained it because it felt right." I was pretty lost at that time. "Then it was because of survival. I realized that I needed to get stronger if I wanted to survive." I was explicitly thinking of fighting L''s fiancs and surviving Gid. "And in the end, it was because I wanted to protect my family, and that includes you three as well." It made my children think about their motivation for a bit. At the same time, Rin interlinked her fingers with mine and squeezed my hand. Moments like these make me all warm and fuzzy inside. "I... I want to protect everyone too!" Masaru said. "That''s why I''ll be like Captain Commander. He who is the strongest and won''t lose to anyone!" Is my son a protagonist? What''s worse, is he Shounen protagonist? Do I need to be even more careful than I already am? Am I going to die for his character development? Sorry son, but I''m not nning on dying. "I don''t want to be weaker than Masaru. That''s why I want to train." Akio added. So he decided to follow his older brother. It''s not bad, but I hope he''ll find the motivation of his own in the future. "I don''t get the hard stuff, but I just want to beat Byakuya in his own game for ignoring me!" So she wants to get stronger just because of spite. I guessed as much. That''s just like her. She has her mother''s personality, after all, for better or worse, but she is... simpler, for theck of better words. After hearing out all of them, I had to ask them one final question. "Are you ready for training?" """Yes!!!""" All of them answered at the same time. "I want the full answer!" """We are ready!""" I smiled. "Hi, Ready... I''m dad." (E/D: Dad jokes... hahahohoahauhohahhahaahohehehaha) --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 237: Training with kids Chapter 237: Training with kids (Ryoto''s pov) I made a dad joke, as I tend to do at times. Yukima had a deadpanned look on her face that told me that she wasn''t amused by my joke. Masaru clearly didn''t find it funny but smiled gently anyway, which did more damage than I think he expected. Akio, in contrast, was holding back hisughter, trying not tough out loud and keep hisposure. He was the only one of the siblings that found my jokes funny, but he didn''t want to admit it. "Ahem! How about we start our training session. You''ll mostly spar against your mothers or me. We''ll be using wooden swords and spar unarmed alike." I turned to Rin. "Bring back memories, doesn''t it?" I was obviously talking about the wooden swords part. Myment caught the attention of my children. "What do you mean, dad?" I was always happy to tell the stories of my youth to my children. It allows me to look back at happy times as well as connect with my children. "Long time ago, before you three were even born, before I even met Yukima''s or Akio''s moms, and even before Masaru''s mom or I became Shinigami, Rin was always seen with her wooden sword, and because of that, I asked her to train me." The kids had stars in their eyes and looked at Rin. "Does that mean that mom is stronger than dad?" Rin seemed amused by Masaru''s question. "Who knows? I would say that your dad is stronger than me, but fights are often unpredictable. Anything could happen. Not to mention that Ryoto has a lot of trump cards and is very flexible in his fighting style, but if I could cut him at some point, I would probably win." She says that now but I know that she is close to achieving Bankai, and my instincts are telling me that it will be a terrifying ability. "Is he really that strong? I only saw himzing around and escaping paperwork." I could feel an arrow piercing my heart, hearing my own daughter say that. I''m not hurt... I''m fine... "Before your father starts sulking, we better start your training," Rin said while smirking at me. To prepare the necessary equipment (read: wooden swords), I walked up to one of the boulders and opened its top, revealing a button hidden inside. Children, especially Akio, were smitten by the hidden mechanic, but I wasn''t done just yet. I didn''t forget to smirk back at Rin. I''m not petty, and anyone who says otherwise is wrong. After I pushed the red button, yet another revealed a hidden ce where wooden swords were stashed. "Urahara really needs to get a hobby..." "It is his hobby and a great one at that." I handed out swords to each of my children. "Let''s start with a simple spar, and to motivate you all a little more, the first one tond a hit on me will get their favorite dish prepared by me." Hearing the prize, I could see everyone starting to salivate. Even Rin, who looked serious the whole time, had a slight trace of salivating from her closed mouth. "That''s what I''m talking about! I''ll be the winner today! I''ll go first and win that price." Yukima raised her sword and pointed it at me. I gently smiled at her confidence. "You misunderstood me, Yukima. I want all three of you toe at me at the same time." I took a wooden sword as well and swung it a few times to familiarise myself with it. "Come at me!" --- "How... we couldn''t...nd even a single hit...?" Yukima and her brothers were lying on the ground, trying to catch their breath. "Dad.. is a lot... stronger than we imagined... I can''t wait to get as strong as... he is..." Masaru added. "It''s a shame though... that we... are not getting dad''s cooking..." Akiomented. I walked up to them. "Great spar, kids. Want to continue?" "...My lungs are killing me..." "I think that''s a no, but if that makes you happy, the reward is here to collect until someone gets it, so the three of you still have a chance." I noticed that they got exhausted already and were ready to fall asleep. I picked up Yukima and Akio and let Rin carry Masaru. This training was very fruitful. I get to know that my children have immense talent for fighting. Even without any training in their life before, in just that short sparring session, they improved dramatically without any advice from me. Especially Masaru, who got this look in his eyes that he was always observing and nning. He also adapted to his siblings'' uncoordinated fighting. Akio, on the other hand, seemed very calcting although very inexperienced, or he looked like that simr to his older brother. Yukima was very wild. Like a wild animal which is very fitting looking back at it, but for her to get stronger, she needs to tame that animal inside of her. --- Thest 2 months were dedicated to training my kids. Rin, Yoruichi, and Isane had their turn as well in training children. At the moment, I was sparring with them and giving them pointers at the same time. I tilted my head a bit, and momentster, a sword passed the space where it was. "Attacking from behind is smart, but always have a n following the failure of said n." I grabbed the sword and threw Akio, who was still holding it. "Sometimes it''s better to abandon your weapon to create a better opportunity to strike. Don''t hold your sword no matter what, and use other means to defeat your opponent." I raised my sword above my head to meet an attack from above. "Attacks from above are effective at times, but they are mostly easy to block, so avoid them if it''s possible." That''s how our sessions went, but there was something bothering me. Yukima was clearly not giving her all, but for some reason, I had a feeling that she was nning something. "Masaru-nii! Akio-nii! Now!!!" Both Masaru and Akio stopped their attacks and backed away. Yukima, on the other hand, stood in front of me with her arms crossed, full of confidence. I wonder what my little girl has in store for me. "It''s over, dad! Today is the day I win! Be prepared for what I''m about to do!" I smiled at her and waited for her to make a move. Yukima owed those "eyes", and I could feel her Reiatsu going wild. Her Reiatsu felt... violent. She slowly raised her hand near her head with all of her fingers bent for some reason. She then made a motion with her hand to cover her face with it, and the moment her hand uncovered her face, it revealed a hollow mask, and behind it, yellow eyes with a dark sclera surrounding the iris. My eyes went wide, but I couldn''t allow her to do anything before I confirmed that she was in control. That''s why I used Shunpo to get in front of her in an instant and tapped her mask with the back of the handle, destroying it without harming Yukima. With a serious tone I said. "It looks like we''ll need to have a talk." --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 238: Talk with kids Chapter 238: Talk with kids (Ryoto''s pov) "Hey! No fair, dad! You promised not to use Shunpo until we learn it in the future!" As Yukima wasining about my ''cheating'', Masaru and Akio walked up to us. "Sorry, Yukima, but you did something that I considered reckless, and I needed to stop you." I exined patiently to my daughter." "Is Yukima in trouble?" Masaru asked, worried that his sister had done something wrong. Seeing his worry, I couldn''t help but smile and patted his head. "Don''t worry. Yukima isn''t in trouble. I was just worried about something she was doing because I have experience with the mask she used." "You know about that, dad? I thought that I would surprise you..." Yukima pouted. "Did you tell him Akio-nii!?" "Why are you asking me!? It could be Nii-san!" "Masaru-nii wouldn''t tell anyone because he promised me!" They red at each other until Masaru pacified both of them. Seeing that everything was settled down, I decided to continue the conversation. "You surprised me, alright, but what you did could be very dangerous. More often than not, actually. That''s why I want you to tell me how you did it, when you first used it and how you felt using this power, alright?" I said all that as I went to her level with one of my knees touching the ground and looked her in the eyes. "Before that, can you tell me how you know about it, dad!?" "It''s easy. It''s because I can do the same thing." Yukima''s first reaction was to be happy, and the next was to be excited. "Can you show us? Please, please, please!" Yukima asked me enthusiastically. "Well, why not. But you need to promise me to keep it a secret from anyone other than our family." "I promise!" Yukima answered without thinking. I then looked at the boys, who nodded as well. "Ready yourself, kids. My Reiatsu will be a bit more violent." I stood up and made the same motion that Yukima did before, but it had more Reiatsu around my hand as I formed my mask. I also formed my mask a lot faster than she did. My mask was mostly white with a bit of red around my eyes which were white at the moment, or they looked like that from the outside perspective. I learned before that if I use my eye powers with the mask on, my eyes turn dark yellow. (img) My mask also didn''t have a mouth of any kind. No line to indicate or no teeth to see. "Wow, yours is so different from mine!" That''s true. Yukima''s mask looked a lot more animalistic. A lot of sharp teeth and even cat ears. Also, some marks that looked like scratches went from above her eyes to underneath. (img) I removed my mask. "Does that mean that we also can do what Yukima and you can?" "Maybe, but Yukima is obviously very talented in that department which reminds me that you promised me to tell everything about your mask." --- Apparently, all of my children trained in secret. So young and already keeping secrets from their parents. I''m just kidding, of course. But I learned that she was inplete control from the beginning, which is practically unheard of. Even I needed to fight Zangetsu because of his pride. He let me win... asshole. He just wanted a good fight, as always. She could be said to be the most natural Visard that will ever be. Even Ichigo became Visard in a pretty man-made manner. Now that I knew that Yukima was in control, I asked her to show me that, and she used her mask with full control, meaning she was conscious the whole time and didn''t seem to have any violent tendencies or anything like that. She seemed to have a time limit though, which was predictable. I then looked at the boys. "Are there any other secrets that I should know about?" ""..."" Masaru and Akio looked at each other in silence. I was half joking asking this question, but it seems that there were some other things that I should know about. "You see, dad..." Akio started. "Sometimes I can see numbers around, and I don''t know how but I can see the solution to these numbers, and they help me know what''s going to happen..." It could be worse. It''s one of the less noticeable powers, and sometimes I feel like Kisuke has it as well. "What about Masaru then?" I was ready for anything right now. It wouldn''t be worse than Yukima''s Hollow powers. Masaru looked embarrassed by my question and scratched his cheek. "I... don''t have anything like that..." Is it worse than having some kind of power? Maybe for Masaru''s self-confidence, but before I could try to cheer him up... "That''s why I will need to work harder, so I won''t be left behind!" That''s my boy! Not letting himself be held down by unfortunate circumstances, but with his motivation, I''m really starting to get worried about his well-being. (E/D: Foolishness Ryoto Foolishness. Motivation and Power are the most essential, you should know. Foolishness.) "Now that everything is clear, I want you to promise me to not tell anyone about your unusual abilities or use them for that matter, especially near people with sses. Never trust a person with sses." "What about you, dad? You also wear sses." "...I''m an exception." Yukima had the same smirk that her mother has when she ns to mess with someone. "I don''t know, dad~ You look pretty suspicious to me." Seeing her trying to tease me made me smile. I noticed that I have smiled more often since I became a father. Being a parent is really a new form of happiness and incredibly fulfilling. I went on my knee again and poked Yukima''s head with two fingers. I didn''t use any strength, but she still yelled "Ouch" and held her forehead. (E/D: Itachi reference. Ryoto is going to pull an Itachi, I can smell it!) "Why are you always doing it!?" "No reason. By the way, do you boys want to get poked on the forehead?" I grinned, and both of them knew what was going to happen, but it didn''t stop them from trying to escape. ... They couldn''t escape and met the same fate as their sister. "Now that we are done with jokes, let''s return to the topic we had before. I need you, Yukima, to promise me not to use your mask unless you or someone important to you is in danger." "I promise, but why doesn''t Akio-nii need to promise as well?" Yukima asked. "It''s simple." I turned to Akio. "Akio, use your power." "OK, dad." I turned back to Yukima. "Do you see anything?" "No..." "And that''s why." I smiled and patted her head. "Then you''re telling me that if no one notices, I can use it!" I poked her forehead again. "Don''t even think about it. We''ll train your usage of this power from now on, you too, Akio. Masaru will be training harder than usual since he wants to keep up without any additional powers." For now, at least. Who knows if he just hasn''t discovered it? "Let''s go home for today. I''ll make you all dinner." Hearing that, the children''s mood improved dramatically instantly. (E/D: The g has been raised, my brothers. Yukima is going to turn Ryoto into Itachi. Anyways, send Ryoto to Genshin, genderbend Aether to get the best Waifu and add "her" to the harem.) --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 239: Uncle Zangetsu Chapter 239: Uncle Zangetsu (Ryoto''s pov) After the kids went to sleep, I called for a meeting in the living room and exined the situation that urred today during the training. "It will bring a lot of problems..." Rin pondered. "True, and that''s why we need to prepare them for most of the trouble that wille. Especially Yukima. If, for example, Central 46 gets wind of that, they will likely want to either experiment on her, lock her down or execute her. Long story short, blood will be spilled if anyone tries anything with any of my children." I looked around, and I didn''t see any disagreement on their faces. I was expecting them to agree with me, but it''s still reassuring knowing that they''ll have my back in whatever I''m nning. And it would work the other way around as well. We trust each other a lot, after all. "But it''s good that we won''t have to repeat what we did with you," Yoruichi said, and she was right. I was aware of the risk of trying toplete Zangetsu''s Hollow partpletely. That''s why I asked Rin, Yoruichi, Isane, and Kisuke to help immobilize me. Before we began, Rin connected me to a small pebble and put it under a boulder without crushing it to make me feel like, said boulder was ced on my back. Then to make it even more difficult to move, Kisuke used some high-level Kido to bind me. It helped a lot to restrain me and bought a lot of time until I ''beat'' Zangetsu, although the group still needed to fight me and injured me. That''s why Isane was there to heal me up. Fun times. "But we still need to be careful with Akio and Masaru. It''s still possible for either or both of them to awaken this power." I added. "But enough of this serious talk. Let''s go have some time tomorrow." "What about the children? Komamura-san is busy tomorrow from what I heard, and I doubt Captain Commander has time for babysitting." Isane asked, at which I grinned. "I''ve got a perfect person in mind." (3rd pov) "So kids, behave and listen to uncle Zangetsu unless he does something stupid, which most likely will have something to do with fighting. In that case, listen to Masaru. Akio, don''t try to fight with Yukima, and Yukima, don''t antagonize Akio too much. That''s all, have fun!" With all that said, Ryoto and his lovers left home with a dumbfounded Zangetsu. Even though he was somehow expecting it to happen, he thought that Ryoto wouldn''t go with that n. In every way, Gyaku was a better choice. He was standing there until he felt someone pulling his clothes. It was Akio. "Are you dad''s twin? You look exactly like dad, but your skin and hair are white. Also, you don''t have sses." "He didn''t exin anything to you?" The children shook their heads, and the only thing inside Zangetsu''s head was annoyance at Ryoto at the moment. "Exining everything would be annoying, but the only thing you need to know is that I''m your dad''s Zanpakuto." "So you''re dad''s sword? What can you do? Are you strong? Is mom''s Zanpakuto stronger?" Yukima jumped at the opportunity to ask the question. Aggressive, one may add. Zangetsu was not really overwhelmed but didn''t feel like answering her question but hearing, if he was stronger than Yoruichi''s Zanpakuto, made him answer Yukima. "I''m obviously stronger! You can''t easily find a better Zanpakuto than myself unless they use strange abilities! And maybe Gyaku. She could be terrifying if she wasn''t so soft... but that''s what makes her... her." Thest part was said in a quiet voice and a small gentle smile formed on his face, but it quickly disappeared before anyone noticed it. "Okay... but what can you do? Can you use fire!? Ice!? Any other elements!? Some other power!?" She made different poses and movements to showcase what she was talking about. Zangetsu summoned himself in his hand, although the colours on the de were reversed. "That right here is me, and as you can see, I''m a big and powerful de. I also can shoot out Reiatsu with a swing of the de. Awesome, right!?" Zangetsu was saying all of that with a lot of pride in his voice, but unfortunately for him, some children couldn''t appreciate his simplicity and strength. "That''s all? Lame! You look like a big kitchen knife, haha!" Yukima said and ran off to do something entirely different as she got bored of this conversation already and searched for the next thing that would get her attention. At that time, on Zangetsu''s forehead, a vein popped out and he was ready to spank this annoying brat since it looked like her father didn''t do it enough... or at all since he knew that Ryoto wouldn''t raise his hand on his children in any situation unless they did something really unforgivable, but he was stopped. "Uncle Zangetsu, if that makes you feel better, I think you are really cool." Masaru tried to cheer up Zangetsu, but it only made him feel worse since it sounded like he was pitying him. Knowing, however, Masaru''s nature Zangetsu calmed down and took a deep breath. ''Don''t get mad at them. They are just stupid kids... stupid kids are what they are.'' Zangetsu was trying to tell himself that. Once again, Zangetsu felt a pull, and thus the time it was Akio. "Uncle Zangetsu, I''m hungry. Can you make us some food?" "...Fine, follow me. You all need to help. Call Yukima as well otherwise, she won''t get any food. The one who doesn''t work doesn''t eat." --- "No, it doesn''t work like this!" "Stop using this pan! It''s only for pancakes!" "Yukima, get down from there!" "How many times do I need to exin how to cut vegetables!? I could train a dog to do that, and it doesn''t have thumbs!" Zangetsu had a lot of difficulties with taking control of the kids, but he somehow managed to prepare a decent meal, although the kitchen suffered a fate worse than death. ''It''s Jacob''s problem now. My only job is to watch over these brats and not take care of this tragedy called kitchen!'' Zangetsu felt better knowing that he caused some trouble for Ryoto, as he was still annoyed that he left him with his kids. It wasn''t pettiness. It was justice. "Wow, Uncle Zangetsu! It''s almost as delicious as dad''s cooking!" Yukima praised the food that they helped make, but Zangetsu wasn''t happy with that praise. "Almost?" "Yeah, almost. Dad''s cooking is the best, after all!" "...Whatever." Zangetsu was silently sulking. It was his first actual loss against Ryoto, and it didn''t sit right with him. ''I''m never going to tell him that.'' "Uncle Zangetsu, can we go y outside?" Akio asked. "I have a better idea. Let''s go to Bya-chan''s ce! I''ll show him the results of my training!" As the kids tried to decide between themselves where they should go, as if it was already decided that they''ll go y outside, Zangetsu was considering getting a leash for at least Yukima. ''I''ll get Jacob for putting me in this situation. I don''t know how he can handle these brats." (Ryoto''s pov) The four-way date was fun, but we all decided to return earlier. I hope that at least my home isn''t destroyed, although Gyaku reassured me that everything will be fine and Zangetsu makes for a better babysitter than I think. I knew that everything was going to be alright, and with Zangetsu, children would be safe. I don''t know about the house, though, but at least it''s receable. --- We walked inside the house, and the living room was pretty messed up, we saw Zangetsu sleeping on the couch and all three children sleeping peacefully next to or on him. I would take a photo if I could. Unfortunately, cameras aren''t invented yet. Shame. But in any way, I could see that Zangetsu was, after all, a great babysitter. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 240: What makes Ryoto angry Chapter 240: What makes Ryoto angry (Ryoto''s pov) I was spending my time at the Kuchiki mansion. I was sitting down on the porch, rxing with some tea and lollipops. Next to me was sitting Sajun, and we were watching over our kids. Byakuya was trying to train in peace, but Yukima wasn''t letting him. She really takes after her mother. "Come on, Bya-chan! Or are you scared? Oh, I get it. You are just scared of losing to me." She looked saying really smug, trying to provoke him, and it worked. Byakuya looked very annoyed and epted her challenge. "You sound pretty cocky for someone who trained not nearly as long as me." "Cute and talented I am, aren''t I?" A vein popped on Byakuya''s forehead. "Fine then, get your sword and prepare to lose! And stop calling me Bya-chan!" "Maybe when you be a man." "And when will it be?" Yukima stayed quiet to build up suspense, and Byakuya was getting less and less patient. "...Who knows~." Byakuya rushed at Yukima, and the children started sparing. "Byakuya really needs to work on his temper. I worry for the time he will be head of the House." Sajun sighed as he watched the spar. "You don''t need to worry. He''ll grow out of it..." I looked at Byakuya, who was losing his cool more and more. If annoyance had a face, it would be Byakuya''s at the moment "...Probably." "But changing the topic, I really need to thank you." "Not this again. Apologize one more time, and I swear I will shove a lollipop up your-!" I stopped myself remembering that kids are nearby. "-Throat." Sajun had an apologetic smile. "I understand I won''t thank you again but remember that if you ever are in need, the Kuchiki family will have your back. What you did for my wife and me is priceless." He was probably talking about helping him and his wife with their sickness. I gave both of them lollipops, and they got better. Thankfully it wasn''t too difficult, unlike a certain Captain. "That goes both ways..." (Yukima''s pov) Annoying Bya-chan was fun, but the spar ended without a winner, and I was unsatisfied. As uncle Zangetsu thought me, ''If you didn''t win, you lost.'' Only if I could use my mask, but I already promised dad not to use it unless I''m in danger. At least he didn''t win, either. I''m not letting him! He wouldn''t shut up about it for years if he did. I also can''t let him be alone. He is too serious and grumpy without me around. I don''t know how he would manage without my cheerful personality. Without me, he wouldn''t have any friends. But now it was time to train with Masaru-nii and Akio-nii. It''s fun, but I would rather use my mask, but I can''t train it without dad''s supervision. Wait... "Masaru-nii, Akio-nii, I''ve got an idea!!!" Both of my brothers stooped their spar because of my outburst. "What is it, Yukima?" Masaru-nii asked with an ever-present gentle smile on his face. "Have you ever seen dad being angry?" "Where did thate from?" "I was sparring with Bya-chan today, and it was very easy to make him angry, and that made me realize that I never saw dad angry. I saw mom, Rin-kaasan, and even Isane-kaasan being angry but never dad." "I don''t like where this is going..." Akio-nii said. "No, but listen. Aren''t you curious about it? Does dad ever get angry? If he does, what are his limits? Don''t you want to know!?" "No." "Don''t be like that." "I agree with Akio this time. Why make dad mad?" "So we could avoid it in the future?" Also, I''m curious. Masaru started thinking about it. That''s why I love him. He probably knows that I just want to mess around, but he still humors me. Akio-nii, on the other hand... "I still think it''s a stupid idea." He says that, but he will follow us in the end. "How about we first try asking our moms and other people who know dad if they ever saw him angry? There must have been a time when he let go of his emotions." "Great idea! Let''s go start with Rin-kaasan since she knows dad the longest." We went to Rin-kaasan. --- "So you want to know if I ever saw Ryoto angry?" "Yes, dad said one time that he knew you the longest out of all our moms, so we were wondering if you know anything about it." Masaru answered and Rin-kaasan smiled hearing that. Rin-kaasan was working right now but still made time for us. Our question made her think for a while. "I saw your father be serious a few times during a fight, but now that you mention it, I never saw him angry, and I hope that I never will." "What do you mean, mom?" "Because knowing him only one thing will make him lose his cool. Annoyance is another thing entirely, though." "What will make him angry!" It''s here! The answer to my question is here! Although I thought it would take longer to uncover it. "I''ll keep it a secret~." She winked at us yfully. "Knowing Yukima, she will try to test this method, and I''m not allowing it" Nooooo!!! "But if you find another reason, please share it with me. I''m genuinely curious." --- "Well, that was a failure," Akio said, sounding happy. "No, it isn''t! We found out that dad can get angry!" "It was obvious." He rolled his eyes "Was it, though!? Was it!!!? Have you ever seen him angry!? No? Then you aren''t sure!" "OK, calm down, both of you. We still have people to ask." Masaru defused the situation as he tends to do. --- The next one on the list was mom, and I bet she has some juicy details that would be useful to me. After asking her the same question we did to Rin-kaasan, she pondered the same way she did. "I don''t think I ever saw him angry. One time though was very close." Do I hear progress!? "Can you tell us what that was!?" "Sure." She changed her sitting position to be morefortable. "Hey, Soi Fon, want to hear my story as well?" Who is she talking to? I wasn''t the only one surprised as Akio-nii was as well, but Masaru-nii was calm as if he was expecting her. My question was answered shortly after when a girl suddenly appeared behind us wearing ck clothes and her face covered, but she didn''t look that old. "Yoruichi-sama, I don''t think it''s appropriate-" "I see, so you want to listen. Fantastic. Sit next to Akio." Mom didn''t let her refuse. "Y-yes." The girl gave up. "Before I forget, this is Soi Fon. Be nice to her. She tries to be all serious and stoic, but she is cute and shy inside." "C-cute!?" Soi Fon got a bit red on her face. I wonder why. "Now that we are all here, let''s talk about what you want to hear. It happened funny enough the day I met Rin and Ryoto for the first time. As you know, theye from Rukongai District, and it isn''t known for the best living conditions. As I was walking around, someone tried to pickpocket me, so I stole some of her money. It was Rin." "Mom did that?" Masaru asked in surprise and no wonder. Rin-kaasan is very serious and responsible, so it''s hard to imagine her stealing from someone. "Yeah." Mom continued. "As soon as I showed her a sack of money, she tried to run away, but I caught up to her very easily." She smiled, recalling the old days. "I made her talk about her situation, and it turned out that she was taking care of someone, so I got curious and went with her to their house if you could call it that. There on the bed, bandaged over his whole body. It was your father." All of us had our eyes wide open. Even Soi Fon was surprised. "Dad was injured to the point where he needed mom to take care of him?" "Yeah, but even in this state, even while unconscious, he didn''t let go of his sword. Remember, it was before we were at the Academy, so I got curious and tried to see if it was a Zanpakuto or not, but that made him wake up, and the first thing he did was to get between Rin and me and was ready to fight till his death." "He did what!!?" Soi Fon yelled. "How dare he do it to Yoruichi-sama!" "Now, now, calm down, Soi Fon. It was also partially my fault." Mom calmed her down very easily, but I could see that she was still angry, but mom continued her story without paying her much attention. She probably gets angry a lot. "That was the only time I saw Ryoto this vulnerable and at the same time determined. So to answer your question, Ryoto will only get mad if someone close to him is in danger." ...Underwhelming answer. I wanted something better, but that also opened a question of why didn''t Rin-kaasan answer us since she probably knew about it as well. "Mom, if that''s the case, why didn''t Rin-kaasan tell us about it?" "She probably thought that if she told you that, you would try and test this on your father, which I hope I don''t need to tell you not to do that, right?" She gave a stern look at which we all instinctively nodded. Mom returned to her rxed self. "Great! Now that I told you the story about your father and me, it''s your turn now." She grinned. Huh? I looked at Akio-nii, who was already was already near the exit. "Sorry, but I''ve got some things to do today." I hoped Masaru-nii to help me, but he left me as well. "Sorry, Yukima, but think of it as a price for forbidden knowledge." He brought his hands together as an apology. That traitor!!! I looked at Soi Fon, who had also already disappeared. I quickly tried to get away, but I was grabbed by the neck and picked up. "Now, let me hear about you and little Byakuya." "I''m not talking!!! Let me go!!! Unhand me you demon!!!" "I''m a demon, huh? Then I should act like one too~." Unfortunately, I couldn''t escape. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 241: Death of a friend Chapter 241: Death of a friend (Ryoto''s pov) I knew this day woulde, but I hoped it would be further in the future. I was currently in the living world together with the whole family. It wasn''t the first time my children were in the living world. They visited uncle Isamu a few times before, but... these days are over. Isamu... has died. He wasn''t killed or anything like that. Old age caught up to him, that''s all. He also won''te to Soul Society. If the Soul is too strong during his life, then after its death, it won''te to Soul Society, but its Reishi will be absorbed into the world around it. During the whole ceremony, everyone was quiet, and it went smoothly. I held Yukima''s hand the entire time, and all my children behaved and didn''t talk at all the whole time. I''m not even sure if they understand what happened to Isamu. After it ended, we returned home. I will be busy tomorrow doing some cleaning, but Masaru, who was holding Rin''s hand, spoke up, surprising me. "We are not going to see uncle Isamu anymore, are we?" I noticed that he squeezed Rin''s hand in frustration. It looks like I need to have a talk with my children. --- The first thing I did after returning was gathering my children in the living room. "Kids, as Masaru has said before, uncle Isamu has left us, and you or I won''t be able to see him anymore. It happens to everyone, but as Isamu was a human, even though he was a Quincy, he couldn''t live as long as we can." I spoke very gently and tried to choose my words carefully. It''s not an easy topic to talk about. "Dad... have you ever lost anyone before?" Akio asked with tears in the corner of his eyes. I nodded. "Aren''t you sad?" "Of course I am. Every time I lose someone. It never gets easy, but that''s also part of life. People die, and sometimes it''s out of our control, but the time we spend with these people and the memories they left behind will never disappear, and no one will be able to take it away from you. That''s also why I try to cherish the time I spend with people as much as I can." I pulled all three of them into a hug. "Also, remember, crying isn''t a sign of weakness. You can cry if you want, whether you are happy or sad. Never be ashamed of your tears." As if it was the sign they were waiting for, they all started crying as I hugged them. They cried for a long time before they went to sleep in my arms. I put them to their beds and kissed their foreheads, and exited their rooms. Soon after, I talked with Rin, Yoruichi, and Isane and left the house to the very familiar hill with a grave on it. In my hand, I was holding a Quincy cross, the first cross Isamu ever used. He left it with me. I decided to bury it next to the old grave in a small container. I also protected it with some Kido, so that I would be notified if anyone ever tried to steal it. So from now on, there are two graves on that hill. Both of us were never drinkers, but I thought it was an appropriate moment to pour sake down on his grave. Then I poured the drink for myself as well. "Consider it ourst drink together, Isamu. It was great being your friend, goodbye." That evening I shed a tear first time in many years. First time since I killed Koro-sensei. Once again, I was reminded how fleeting one''s life can be. "Do you have a ce for three more?" I heard a familiar voice from behind me, and I didn''t need to turn around to know who it was. "Sure, you''re wee to take a seat anywhere on the ground." I answered. "Who is looking after the children?" All three of my lovers came to check up on me. "I asked Komamura to look after them. They are asleep, so there shouldn''t be any troubles with them." Rin answered me. "I see..." They sat down nearby me, and no one said a word. We didn''t need to. I understood that they just wanted to be there for me, and they understood that I needed some time to mourn Isamu''s death. I shared the drink that I had brought with the girls, and as I was about to leave, I turned to the grave onest time to look at it. I''ll keep my end of the promise Isamu. I won''t let anyone destroy the peace that we created. (Masaru''s pov) A year has passed since uncle Isamu died. It''s sad that he won''t go to Soul Society, and I want to cry because of it, but I need to be strong because I''m the oldest brother. I also know that dad is hurt the most. I could feel it. I don''t know how or why, but sometimes I feel what others feel or n to do. It''s strange, and I don''t have it under control. It happens randomly. Today I''m going together with Yukima and Akio outside Sereitei for the first time alone. Dad and mom were very worried about letting us go, but Yoruichi-kaasan convinced them, saying that we were strong enough to defend ourselves from the everyday bandits and other troubles. I don''t want to sound confident, but since we got our Zanpakutos a few months ago, we have made significant progress in our training. We even started learning Kido, although just a few easy ones. Now the question is where to go. As always, Yukima and Akio were arguing, but I knew that deep down, they cared about each other, but I still try to be a middleman as much as possible. "I''m telling you, it''s best to go somewhere where we didn''t go before! What''s the point of visiting a ce we already know!?" Yukima presented her argument. "It''s because we know that nothing dangerous is going to happen there. If wee across trouble, dad won''t let us go alone anymore. Do you want that!?" Akio responded. "How about we go somewhere close to the ce we know, but at the same, it would be a new ce, so we would be exploring a new area but within the safe zone." They agreed with me, but I feel it''s only because they don''t want the other person''s option. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 242: New friends Chapter 242: New friends (Masaru''s pov) We visited a nearby forest, but we found nothing interesting, which was good in some way, but Yukima was getting bored, and when she is bored, troublese towards her, or rather she finds them. (A/N: Violence.. Violence.. Violence! I don''t like it. I avoid... but violence likes me... I can''t aviod.) "Is there really nothing interesting in these woods?" "...It''s a forest. What did you expect?" Akio answered with a deadpan look. I sometimes worry that it will be his default look. "I don''t know! Some wolves here and there, maybe a weak Hollow that we could fight- Hey, what is that!?" She pointed in the direction of what seemed to be a shack. I wonder who lives there. I remember mom telling me how she and dad lived in the forest before they became Shinigami. We aren''t that far from that ce, but who knew that we would find someone living here? "Let''s go visit there!" Yukima proposed as she started pulling both Akio and me. "I don''t know if that''s a good idea. What of its a base for bandits?" Akio tried to stop our sister without any sess. I didn''t because I knew nothing dangerous was there. Just a person and I believe in what I''m sensing. "Masaru-nii, stop her!" "Let''s humour Yukima this time. Finding a shack in the woods is better than the other two options." As we got closer, we could see the shack more clearly, and it could barely be called a shack. There were traces of fire, and it was hazardously put together so there would be at least a roof to protect people living inside from the rain. Hearing noises, we heard running noises from the inside. "Gin, why are you always leaving without saying-" A girl with long blonde hair walked out of the shack. She seemed to be around our age but a bit more mature in her looks. It''s kinda hard to know since souls age at a different rate in Soul Society. But I left these thoughts toter as it was bing awkward without anyone saying anything. "Hi... Sorry foring unannounced." Just a momentter, I realized how dumb I sounded, but I''m in too deep right now, so I''ll just roll with it. As dad is always saying. Doesn''t matter if you''re right. If you''re confident, people will believe it. Hearing me, the girl stayed quiet. Thankfully our group had Yukima, who doesn''t know the meaning of the word ''awkward'' and can dismiss this atmosphere. "Hi! Sorry for bothering you. We noticed your ce while taking a walk and decided to check it out! By the way, I''m Yukima, and these two are my older brothers. The one with silver hair is Akio-nii, you can ignore him if you want, and the one with dark hair is Masaru-nii. Nice to meet you!" "Hey!" Akio red at Yukima. As their older brother, I should calm them down. "Calm down, you two. Don''t argue in front of someone you just met." I put my hands on their heads. I then returned my focus to the girl. "We will be going now. Once again, sorry for bothering you." "No, it''s not bothering me... I just was expecting my friend. He often leaves without telling me where he is going and when he is going to return. Otherwise, I don''t meet a lot of people..." She said her first words to us, and she did it shyly. Maybe it''s because of our Zanpakutos. Thankfully we didn''t cause her any problems. --- We spent some time talking with Rangiku. It was her name, by the way. She wanted to hear some stories from inside Sereitei when she heard that we came from there. Yukima, of course, was leading the whole conversation. Not much time has passed, but Rangiku was visibly morefortable around us and was even having a good time. She also talked about her friend Gin, who was very important to her from what we heard. Speaking of which, I felt someone near the shack. A single person and a child like us. "Rangiku, I''m back." A boy with silver hair, a bit simr to Akio''s, entered the room. His eyes were squinted to the point you couldn''t see his eyes, simr to dad. Noticing us, he was a bit surprised but seeing our Zanpakutos near us, he became vignt. He observed us very thoroughly without making it obvious, but I could tell. The first word that came to me seeing him act like that was ''snake''. But I also could tell that he cared about Rangiku a lot. The atmosphere didn''t get too heavy thanks to Rangiku, who exined the whole situation to Gin. We got acquaintanced, and Gin rxed slightly, but he was still observing us. He was cautious, but I can''t really me him. He doesn''t know us, and we have weapons, but I hope that we''ll be good friends. (Ryoto''s pov) I was reluctant to allow my kids to travel outside Sereitei on their own since I''m aware that it can be dangerous. They are strong for their age, but they don''t have any experience in a real fight. There''s also a problem with Aizen since I heard he joined the 5th Division. It means that he probably started his experiments which I need to be careful about. I warned Isane, Rin, and Yoruichi to be careful around him but without showing him that they knew something. I only said that I had a bad feeling about him which was enough for them since my instincts are pretty good, even without my spider sense. It''s really troublesome that I need Aizen for the future otherwise, winning against Yhwach is almost impossible because but not exclusively of the butterfly effect. In short, no Aizen, no Ichigo, and that will fuck up the world. Going back to my worries about children, I''m not stupid. I know that they can easily get in danger, especially Yukima. That girl is a trouble ma. I wonder from who she got that. That''s the main reason I sent some people from the Stealth Corps to follow them. I ordered them to protect them but, at the same time, sent one member to notify me about that as fast as possible. But from what I hear, everything is alright for now. They even made friends on their adventure, and I was surprised to hear their names. Rangiku and Gin. Who would have thought that they would befriend my children, but maybe it''s a good sign? I could help Gin before he is far gone. His fate is... sad. Also, we are very alike in some aspects. Both of us would do everything in order to protect the people we care about. The only difference is that Gin rejected his rtionship in order to protect his loved one, and I still didn''t meet the situation where I needed to do that, but I would probably do something simr if I was forced to. But enough of the sad stuff. I can fix his tragic future. Suddenly someone appeared in my office, and it was one of the bodyguards, who was nervous. I could feel it, and I didn''t like it in the slightest. "Captian Yuuki! Your children-!" I didn''t need to hear anything else and ran towards my children as fast as possible. At the time, a lot of people in Sereitei felt a sudden spike in my Reiatsu, which quickly disappeared only because I forcefully calmed my emotions. That didn''t mean, however, that I was not worried. Please let me be there on time! --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 243: First real fight experience Chapter 243: First real fight experience (Masaru''s pov) We had visited Rangiku and Gin a few times already, and I think we got closer, and Gin was starting to rx around us and even trust us. When you get to know him, he is really nice, although he can act cold at times. Today we visited Gin and Rangiku again, and we spent some time there, and we were ready to leave for today. We were saying our goodbyes and were returning home through the forest right now, but I felt a group of people with bad intentionsing towards us. It was a group of 5, and one of them was stronger than the rest. I instinctively knew that we didn''t stand a chance against that one person, even if I was just feeling him from a distance. "Everyone run!" I tried to warn everybody before the group arrived here but as soon as I said that, the five Shinigami appeared in front of the shack. "Now, now, where''s the hurry? Let''s stay, and we won''t hurt you... too much." The man in the front said with a sadistic grin. It''s bad. Really bad, but maybe I can talk them out of it. Dad is a Captain, and mom is his Vice-Captain, so I doubt many people would want to have trouble with them. Not to mention Yoruichi-kaasan. Sorry Isane-kaasan, but your reputation is not intimidating enough for you to help me here. "Hey, boss, don''t these kids look familiar to you?" One person from the group said to the boss. That''s my chance. "You probably know our dad, Ryoto Yuuki." Hearing the name of our dad, some of the men flinched, but the boss didn''t even blink. "Doesn''t matter who their dad is since they will die from a Hollow attack, am I right, boys." I see, so they n to make it seem like a Hollow attacked us. They didn''t n to let us live from the beginning. Even if we run now, we won''t be able to escape. No one in our group can use Shunpo without crushing or damaging our legs slightly, and as our enemy has demonstrated before, they can. Another problem is that even if I want to buy time for the rest to run, I won''tst 5 seconds against a group. We would need to fight together, but even then, our chances are meager. As they were slowly approaching us with sadistic smiles, 3 people stepped between the Shinigami and us. "I see, so the little kids had bodyguards. How cute. Sad that they won''t be able to help." Without saying anything, 2 of the bodyguards rushed at the enemies. The battle took ce, but the main boss didn''t make any moves. He had a confident smile stered on his face, which was a bad sign. The fight was even, which was impressive since each of the bodyguards was fighting 2 of the Shinigami but seeing it, the person who was left to protect us turned to us. "Masaru-sama, Akio-sama, Yukima-sama please follow me. We need to leave." The boss of the enemies seeing our attempt to escape finally made his move. He took out his Zanpakuto and released it. "Feast, Chimamire." (Blood licker) His de didn''t change in any way, which was strange from what I know about Zanpakuto. He moved fast and shed both of the bodyguards with his de. He didn''t cause any serious damage, just minor cuts, but momentster our protectors dropped to the ground. Seeing that thest person told us to run as he bought us time, but Yukima being Yukima, couldn''t ept it. "But if we leave, you''ll die!" (E/D: Now the children just got more annoying. But since this is thest chapter for the children, I will tolerate.. for now.) (A/N You have no power here, hahaha!) Yukima is a good girl, and she would care even for a stranger in a situation like this, but as much as it hurts me to say, this is not a situation where she can help. Hearing her worries, the man smiled. "You may not know this, but I was a ssmate of your father and mother during my days in the academy, and they saved my life during one of the trips to the living world. That day I decided to dedicate my life to them, and since Yoruichi-sama is from the noble House, it was easier to join Stealth Corps. Giving my life to save their children is an honour! Although I''m not sure if they even remember me." He smiled, reassuring Yukima. At the same time, I put my hand on Yukima''s shoulder. I knew better than anyone that this man was ready to die, and as much as it hurt me to leave him, I was not strong enough to help, and jumping in would only hinder him more than help. The man rushed at the enemies, and we started to run. "Ah, so that kid is that bitch''s child. She even looks like her, and it makes it even better! Always hated that bitch!" The leader said, probably talking about Yuikma. We couldn''t run too far because as soon as we attempted to escape, one of the enemy Shinigamis, used Shunpo to get in front of us. It looked like we don''t have any choice but to fight, but we needed to hurry, so we had to get serious from the start. "Yukima, use it as soon as I give you a signal. You have the most power from all of us. Akio and I will try to make an opening for you." I whispered to my sibling but still didn''t mention what ''it'' was in case the enemy could hear us. Dad said that in situations like these, I''m allowed to make decisions about it unless we are separated then Yukima can decide for herself. "Done talking? Sorry kids but nothing personal. I''m just doing my job." He went into a stance, ready for our attack, and we mimicked him. "How much can you predict him?" I asked Akio, still in a quiet voice. "The problem isn''t how much I can predict him. It''s how fast I can react to my predictions. I also still have a problem with coordination to my prediction, so I can''t see too far into the future." That''s true. I could see that sometimes during our training, but it made this fight even more difficult. Akio and I rushed at the enemy Shinigami. Akio hesitated for an instant, but I pped his back to encourage him, which worked. Unfortunately, our attacks were useless against him. He was just faster and stronger than us, although we started pushing him back a bit thanks to our coordination, Akio''s calction, and my prediction. The Shinigami was starting to get annoyed. Good. An annoyed person won''t make logical decisions and will be more straightforward, making him easier to predict. Slowly without him noticing, we made him turn his back on Yukima. "Yukima now!!!" I screamed. At my signal, Yukima summoned her mask, releasing her violent Reiatsu, at the same time surprising our opponent, and swung her sword with all her might at his back. She wounded him severely, but it wasn''t enough, so I shed his tendon when he turned back to attack Yukima to immobilize him and was ready to finish him off. "Stop, children~ Don''t do anything you''ll regret~." We heard a twisted voiceing from behind. There he was standing, the leader of the enemy Shinigami, with the man who tried to protect us on the ground and a sword, stabbed into his back. He was still alive... but barely. "Now, kids, how about we y a little game? You have a chance to save this poor, poor soul. He is still alive since my sword only produces paralyzing poison on its edge, but I can''t promise you that he will stay alive for much longer~." The man took out his sword from the body and put it close to his face to sniff it. "Ah, the smell of blood first thing in the morning. It''s great, isn''t it?" This man is dangerous. Every fibre of my being screamed at me to run from him. "Boss, it''s almost evening, and shouldn''t we be focusing on the girl here who seemingly has a Hollow mask." "I see, I see." The leader nodded thoughtfully. Then he sliced his own subordinate. Akio and Yukima were shaken, and so was I, but I needed to have a clear head... for them. "Does it look like evening to you now!? Ha!?" He is crazy. That''s the only exnation, and crazy people are the most dangerous. You can''t reason with them, and you don''t know what they think. "Wait! That''s not important right now. I was about to y with the kids. I''m great with children. They always scream for more." I could feel my sweat going down through my forehead to my nose until it dropped. What should I do? We can''t run away. We can''t win. We can''t reason with them, and if we do nothing, we''ll die. "ying games that you know you''ll win is always boring, so I''m going to give you a chance~. In one minute, I''m going to start trying to catch you all, so run as fast as you can. Tag is the name of this game... or hide and seek? Not that it''s important-" I didn''t stay long enough to hear him out. Knowing his type, he could already start counting the moment he introduced this ''game''. I grabbed Akio and Yukima by the wrists and got out of there as fast as I could. Seeing this, the man smiled sadistically. "Smart." Then he spoke loudly so we could hear. "One more thing! If you lose, then your bodyguard dies! Just so you know!" Deeper in the forest, we didn''t stop running, and I was thinking about our options. Yukima still had her mask on. "Yukima, stop using your mask. Save your energy forter." She followed my instruction. Akio seemed to be in deep thought, and so was Yukima. That''s why she followed my instruction practically automatically. This whole situation will leave a deep impression, not necessarily good, on them. "Don''t think too much. The only thing I want you to think about is how to get out of this situation alive." What I said, together with my calm, at least outside, demeanour, snapped something in Yukima. "How can I think about my safety when someone will probably die because of me!!? How can you be so calm, Masaru-nii!!?" That''s true. I was unnaturally calm, but I knew the reason for that. "It''s because, as the oldest sibling, I''m responsible for your safety. Trust me, I would like nothing more than to help that person, but we are too weak, and trying to avenge them would only make their sacrifice mean nothing since we would die. Think Yukima, why were these people here of all ces? That crazy guy called them bodyguards, and one of them said that he was part of the Stealth Force. It means dad ordered them to protect us while we were outside of Sereitei, and he was right to worry." "But-" "No buts. I wouldn''t forgive myself if something happened to you or Akio, so please think of your safety first, above mine as well." Yukima fell silent, and Akio looked at me like he wanted to say something but couldn''t find the right words, but I could feel a hint of jealousying from him, but I dismissed it at that moment since escaping was far more important. "One~ Two~ Three~ I''ming closer. Run away, but you are not getting away~." His voice is getting closer. I tried to think of any way out for what felt like the thousandth time, and at that time, I felt somethinging from my Zanpakuto. *Do you want power?* I heard a voice that I had never heard before, but it felt like I had known it for a long time. ''I want the power to protect my sibling.'' *Then say my name.* I stopped myself and turned towards where the voice wasing from earlier, which surprised Yukima and Akio. "Run without me. I''ll buy you some time. Don''t look back and get help from someone." I said. "You think that I''ll leave you, my own brother? Masaru-nii, either we fight together or run together but we are not splitting up! Whatever you decide we''re going to stick with you!" Yukima was practically screaming at me, and I smiled at her seeing how much she cared for me. It warms my heart, but it''s not a ce or time for that. I put my hand on her head and then hugged her. "Sorry..." "What do you-" I hit her neck, knocking her unconscious. I then handed her to Akio. "Run." Akio hesitated for a moment but listened to me in the end. He is smart and knows that I''m right. Especially now that Yukima is unconscious, someone needs to carry her. Now that Akio started running with the unconscious Yukima. Now that I was alone, I nned to give my everything. The crazy boss that was after us slowly walked from behind the tree. "What a surprise I found one! I thought that you would be running with the rest, but you are a brave little boy, aren''t you? Shame that your bravery won''t be worth anything." I didn''t answer him and focused on my Zanpakuto with my eyes closed. "Is this boy alright? He just closed his eyes in front of us, you know... people that are trying to kill him." The leader scratched his head. I was still focusing on my Zanpakuto to hear its name, and when it finally happened, my eyes shot open. "Devour, Tsukihi!" (Moon fire) A ck me enveloped my de and I instinctively knew that this fire would devour anything that it touched or at least try. I swung my weapon vertically at my opponents, unleashing my mes at them. It looked really simr to Getsuga Tenshou that dad showed us once because we begged him for it. It was, of course, less destructive than dad''s, but it did its job. It took out two of these guys so it left ''only'' three. "Wow, didn''t think that you still had a fire in you! Get it? Fire? Hahaha!" He wiped the tear from his eye. He then looked at my serious face. "Not funny enough for you? I thought it was a good one. Hard to satisfy children these days." I can''t take them head-on. That''s why I created fire between us and made the wall of fire as wide as I could. That way, the only way through would be over it or from the sides, but from the sides, it would take some of their time which was also eptable. What I didn''t expect was for the crazy bastard to run through the fire with a crazed smile, and as he rushed at me, he grabbed me by the face before I could react because of the surprise factor and threw me at the tree. He shook his hand a bit to rx it. "Not bad, kid. I expect nothing less from the child of a Captain or whatever, but it ends here." Breathing is hard... He threw me at the tree with great force, and I mmed it with my back. The man was slowly approaching me as I was trying to get up. Need... to... buy more time... I stabbed the ground with my Zanpakuto and released more mes making the man back away. "Woah Woah, don''t be a hot-head~." I''m not letting... him go any further. I slowly stood up, using my sword to support myself, but as I was ready to attack again, I felt a familiar Reiatsu next to me, and at the same time, I felt a warmth in my head. I looked up to see dad standing next to me and patting my head. "Good job hanging on, Masaru. You can leave the rest to me." It was the first time I felt this emotion from dad. Anger. "Masaru-nii!!!" I heard Akio calling me with worry and running up to me. He must have met up with dad earlier and Yukima was still unconscious. But now that dad is here, I know that everything will be alright. (Ryoto''s pov) As I was rushing through the forest following my children Reiatsu, I felt when they parted into two groups, or rather, one was left alone while the other two were running away. I sped up immediately above my, what I thought, maximum speed towards the group of two because they were closer. I used Shunpo to get in front of the two Reiatsu. It was Akio who was carrying the unconscious Yukima. Akio was looking very stressed and worried but seeing me the first thing he did was to ask me to help Masaru. "Dad!!! Masaru-nii... Masaru-nii is in danger! Please help him!!!" He grabbed my clothes and begged me to help his brother with tears in his eyes. I hate seeing my child in this state. Without saying anything, I grabbed both of my children and got closer to Masaru. I left them a little behind as I noticed a ck meing from where Masaru was. I''m confident in protecting them, but I want to have free hands just in case. Thankfully I didn''t need to since these mes came from Masaru''s Zanpakuto. When I got next to him, I patted his head and said that he could leave the rest to me. He tried to protect his sibling with everything he''s got and I couldn''t be more proud. It''s a shame that this pride is clouded by my rage at the ones who wounded him. I looked at the three of his scared opponents, except the guy in the middle who had a crazy smile. "Oh my, an angry papa has arrived. What was it? Captain Yeki? Yaki?" I didn''t n on humouring a dead man. "Ban-Kai!" Energy surrounded and with a swing of my now small back de, I shed through it revealing my Bankai. A change of clothes into a ck long-sleeved coat. "Tensa Zangetsu." I said with my voice devoid of any emotion. "Ooo, a Bankai. Scary." Not allowing him to talk too much, I Shunpo in front of him and stabbed him in the chest. Surprised at my speed, the only thing he did to react to my attack was cough out blood. I had known him for less than a minute, but I already hated him and didn''t want to listen to him any longer than necessary, so I decided to end him with one attack. "Getsuga Tenshou." I used Getsuga without any swing and destroyed his whole body and two of his aplices in one attack. Not to mention part of the forest. Not sensing their energy anymore, I deactivated my Bankai and went to my children to hug them. The only one who was hurt was Masaru, but his life was not in danger. "Thank god you are alright." I squeezed them a bit harder. I''m really d that I made it on time. After checking on them onest time, we started walking home. I probably will need to exin using my Bankai and killing 5 people since Masaru killed 2, but I''m not letting them know it. Suddenly I noticed something off. "Hado #4 Byakurai." I used Kido to destroy something, which caught the attention of my boys and now awake Yukima. "Did something happen, dad?" Yukima asked. "Nothing, it was just a fly..." (???''s pov) I smiled because of what I saw on my monitor. "Interesting." (E/D: I didn''t type it for a few days and so did no one else so, Genderbend Aether and add him to the harem.) --- END (A/N Well, here you go. A chapter that''s worth three chapters. It also marks the longest chapter I have ever written, so hooray, I guess. Unfortunately, I have bad news and good news. The bad news is that I''m going to take a break from this fanfic and it will be probably the longest break so far but worry not, as I will return better than ever. I originally nned to first at least finish the Bleach arc but ns changed. I''m slowly burning out but don''t get me wrong, I still enjoy writing it, but it takes a longer time, as you may have noticed from my slower updates. The good news is that I will start a new project that I promised some time ago but not right away. My older readers know what it''s going to be, so be ready.) Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter Ryotos powers and more vol 2 ch 98-? Chapter Ryoto''s powers and more vol 2 ch 98-? (A/N Only new powers from chapters 98-? will be described here.) Prediction calction - Ability to calcte the future by using mathematics. The more information the easier to and more urately the calctions are. Too much calction can cause headache because of amount of information and all possibilities. All of Mark Evans''s (Mamoru Endou) defensive techniques - Currently Ryoto can use God hand and Majin the Hand. Zangetsu - Zanpakuto, a sword that is a part of Ryoto. In its normal state it is an ordinary katana but invoking its name transforms it into big de with a cloth on its grip that can extend to certain extend and Ryoto can manipte its movement however it''s not very durable. In its Bankai state the de shrinks back to the size of ordinary katana but this time it''s entirely ck. Ryoto in this state is faster and stronger. *Getsuga Tenshou - A big st of energy in the shape of half-moon (Zangetu''s ability) *Bankai (Tensa Zangetsu) - Hepress his Reiatsu into a small ck de increasing his strength and speed tremendously. Bully Maguire suit - Ryoto can summon a ck suit that forces him to dance and quote Bully Maguire at random times. It also creates music. Switcheroo - This is the ability to switch two objects'' ces. Ryoto can''t switcheroo if the two things have too big of a difference in sizes, so he can''t switcheroo a small pebble with a boulder. He also can''t take out people''s organs and switch them with something else. There is there''s 50 meter radius for the use of this power but it can be increased with training just like the limit of not being able to switch objects with too much of a difference in size. Lollipop healer - This ability allows to give lollipops healing properties, but they would only work on illnesses and wouldn''t heal any wounds. The only requirement is a need to understand the illness the user wants to cure. The more information I possessed, the more effective the cure would be. Moving ears - self exnatory. Shunpo - Fast movement technique. Kido - Many different destruction and binding spells. Shunko (fire type) - A techiniqe thatbines hand to handbat and Kido. Hierro - A Hollow technique to harden users skin. Hollow mask - A Hollow mask that gives a boost to Reiatsu, speed and strength. Gyakku Hansha - Observation Haki - Allows Ryoto to sense strength, emotions and intent of an opponent and also feel hidden enemies. Chapter Characters vol 2 ch 98-? (Spoilers) Chapter Characters vol 2 ch 98-? (Spoilers) (A/N Only characters that appeared for the first time in chapters 98-? and these with big involvement or changes in their characters will be described here.) Utsu - A summon of Ryoto that is a shiba inu who holds a bat in his muzzle. He is against everything that is horny. Alme - Full name Alme no Kokgi Suikeru Kajiregami ni Gakasume Oraimatsu ga Baibo Baibo Baibo no Garingan Garingan no Shirengan Shirengan no Bonbopoki no Bonbokona no Chokyumi no Chosuke. Jugemu''s younger sister. She is stronger tha nJugemu on almost every level and is a battle junkie. Hates liars and can see aura of people juts like Ryoto. Ryoto''s fiance. Gid Lucione Deviluke - L''s father and emperor of the Milky Way Gxy. He is one of if not the most powerful person in the gxy. He wants to retire from his position as fast as possible to have free time to flirt with other girls. Sephie Micha Deviluke - L''s mother, Gid''s wife and descendant of an alien race called Charmians. She is probaly one of the few pure blooded Charmians left in the Gxy. Sephie is known as the most beautiful woman in the gxy. It is said that if a male sees her face he will turn into a sexual predator in an instance. Yoruichi Shihoin - Princess of Shihoin n and Ryoto''s lover. She is yful and likes to tease people. Yoruichi has an abillity to turn into a ck cat but her voice is very deep in that form. Kisuke Urahara - A genius inventor like no other. He is Ryoto''s friend thanks to their simr nature and fondness of sweets. Also a big troll and very humble shop owner. Yamamoto Shigekuni Genryusai - Headmander of 13 Court Guard Squads and Ryoto''s teacher. He is very traditional and sticks to the rules as much as possible but he cares about all of his 3 students nheless even if 2 of them are troublemakers. Isane Kotetsu - Vice-captain of the 4th Division and one of Ryoto''s lovers. She has aplex about her height and is generally shy with low self esteem. She turns intopletely different person in bed. Rin Kujo/Rin Yuuki - She was brought on the mission with Ryoto by ident and while at first she was in need of constant protecting she grew into a powerful Shinigami. Isamu Ishida - Ancestor of Uryu Ishida and friend of Ryoto. He is a Quincy with a "bad luck" that allows him experience happy idents. Sojun Kuchiki - Byakuya''s father. A soft spoken person with weak body but huge talent. He doesn''t enjoy fighting and is rather peaceful. Yukima Yuuki - Youngest of Ryoto''s children and the only daughter. Masaru Yuuki - The oldest of Ryoto''s children and most simr to Ryoto. Akio Yuuki - Second oldest of Ryoto''s children. Chapter 244: Captain meeting Chapter 244: Captain meeting (A/N It was about 4 months since I took a break from this fic and man, I missed it. It''s good to be back. To be honest I returned faster than I thought. I was nning on 1 year hiatus but I couldn''t stop myself from counting this story. With this note I bring you some news. Some worse than the others. First, don''t expect daily chapters. It could happen but I''ll probably stick with 3 chapters a week unless I got stuck more than usual but I don''t n on taking any longer breaks at the moment. Second, I started a P.a.T.r.E.o.N and not only you can read up to 10 chapters ahead but I will be posting some exclusive illustrations although the first will be only exclusive as long as the current arc is on going because it''s the future cover. So if you want to read ahead or just support me then go to /Kurit. Use o instead of . Also show me some love and give out some stones as a wee party. Have fun reading.) (Ryoto''s pov) I was feeling pretty angry and annoyed right now. My kids were attacked by a group of rouge Shinigamis. And the worst part is that I have an idea why it happened. They were probably Aizen''sckeys trying to feed hogyoku toplete it, so it''s even possible that they were active members of the Gotei 13, which slightlyplicates things. As a Captain, I have some credibility, and many people around me can confirm how much I hate killing, so I won''t be in trouble for killing these guys, but Aizen can use it to his advantage, and the worst part there''s a possibility that he saw Yukima''s mask. I swear if he even attempts to touch her in any way, I will break his arms without hesitation. "Dad, are you angry at us?" Masaru asked timidly as if he and his siblings had done something wrong. I stopped walking and put Yukima, who I was still carrying on my back, down. "Why would you say that? Did any of you do something that I should be angry about?" All of them shook their heads except Masaru. "You warned us about going alone outside Sereitei, telling us that we shouldn''t wander around, and if you didn''t send bodyguards, we would have died before you got here." Masaru was a very intelligent child. He was more mature than children his age usually are and has an incredible awareness of his surroundings, so I''m not surprised that he knows that I sent bodyguards. These guys that I killed could also mention it as he somehow recognized me, but he wasn''t right in the head. Maybe he was under the influence of some new experimental drugs. Thought for the future. "It was something outside your control. I can''t expect all of you to just sit inside Sereitei. You need to experience the world, and my role as a parent is to act as a safety. This opens up a question of what you are nning on doing, seeing how brutal the world can be. Before I started training all of you, I asked you about your reason for fighting, and to bepletely honest, I would train you no matter your reason, and having even basics at your disposal can save your life, as you probably experienced today. The question is if you still want to continue training, but I want you to know that this time, I''ll be giving my all to train you. Just remember that if you give up during the training, I''m not going to train you again. Having delusions that you can fight can be worse than not having the ability to fight at all. It won''t mean that I''ll love you any less. No matter what you all end up being, you all will always be my precious children." It is a lot to swallow, and I may get some kicks from Rin, Yoruichi, or Isane for making this decision alone, but I feel it''s now or never. They experienced an assassination attempt, so they either swim or sink and if they sink, I''m here to help find them something else to be. They shouldn''t be pressured to be Shinigami just because the whole family is, but if they are anything like me... "Dad... I want to get stronger. My dream didn''t change and is now stronger than before!" Masaru eximed. Son, I love you, but your protagonist''s aura is leaking. Yukima, on the other hand, was more hesitant, but I could see the resolve when she made eye contact with me. "I wanted to be stronger so I could tease Bya-chan, but I don''t want to be so weak that everyone around me needs to protect me! I want to be strong enough not to let anyone die!" I nodded as I was listening to her. That left only Akio to answer, and not to say that I don''t love him equally as much as other kids, but he is the least like me. Although he tries to be a rival to Masaru, he is far behind. "I-I want to train as well. I can''t let Masaru get a head start in me because I hesitated, and I don''t want to feel so weak again!" "That settled it! I''m taking you home, and we can start training soon. I would say tomorrow, but I don''t know how busy I will be." I don''t know if I should feel happy or sad that all of my children want to learn how to fight, but I understand the importance of power in this world. We''ll see how it goes... --- The next day, all of the Captains and Lieutenants were called to Captain''s Assembly Hall, which was unusual. Lieutenants had their own assembly hall, so why would they be together with their Captains this time. There were instances that Lieutenants would follow their Captian to the meeting unless they were prohibited. What''s even more surprising is that Kiganjo Kenpachi was participating in the meeting. I think it was the first time I saw him in one of these. He was the only one without the Lieutenant behind him, so either he didn''t take him, or... we were going to have a disagreement. I also spotted Aizen, but I already knew that he was under Shinji. *SLAM* Yama-jii mmed his wooden staff against the floor to gather everyone''s attention. He does that every time, and at this point, I suspect that he just likes doing it. "We gathered in this meeting today for the reason that was brought up to me recently. Apparently, some members of the Gotei 13 were caught trying to kill the children of Captian Yuuki, who is present here. After an investigation conducted by the 2nd Division, we found out that they were part of Squad 11. Anyments about that Kiganjo Kenpachi?" The 10th Kenpachi didn''t seem to be bothered by the usations and looked annoyed as if it wasn''t his problem. "I don''t have anything to say. Some guys from my Squad did something, that''s all. I''m not their nanny to look after them all the time." Hezily exined while scratching his big belly. "And what if they manage to kill someone. As a Captain, you are responsible for your subordinates." I butted in. I''m not letting him go away without any consequences. While I''m aware that he wasn''t entirely responsible, I don''t like his attitude. "If they managed to kill someone, the weaklings deserved to die." These words caused two people to release their killing intent, which surprisingly wasn''t me. It was Rin behind me and Isane, of all people. Tiger mamas are angry, but as a Captain, I need to reprimand my Lieutenant. "Rin!"/"Isane!" I called out Rin, and Unohana did the same to her Lieutenant. My outburst surprised Rin, but it wasn''t time to fight right now. Also, while she was the closest of all Lieutenants to being a Captain except Aizen, she is still below a Captain. There is also another reason that I can''t have her lose her cool now. "But R- Captain!" "Rin, you need to stay calm." "How can I be calm! How can you!?" Rin clearly was upset about the whole ordeal. She may me herself for letting them go as she was opposed to the idea, but she gave in. It''spletely understandable that she cares about our children that much. "I''m not calm, but I want you to be because if I''m about to do something stupid, I want you to stop me, which considering the asshole on the other side, could be any moment." How far have I gotten? I am utterly calm on the outside while trying to strangle another Captain on the inside, but he isn''t the enemy. I shifted my vision under my eyelids to look at Aizen. He is. "What did you say, you closed-eyes freak? You''ve got a lot of guts to keep talking like this when you killed my Lieutenant." It looks like Kiganjo was annoyed by myment. "I said exactly what you heard, fatso. And by your own words, he was too weak. Besides, I believe that if someone is ready to kill, he should be ready to die, and the only thing my children were ready for was to defend." "You...!" Kiganjo was ready to draw his Zanpakuto, and I started releasing my Reiatsu, prepared to fight. *SLAM* "Quiet! Both of you!" Yamamoto stopped the situation from escting. "Aren''t you lucky? Your precious teacher saved your sorry ass." Does he really think so highly of himself? I mean, he technically is a Kenpachi and all, but I''m not a pushover. There''s also the fact that I don''t showcase my strengths and justze around, spend time with my family, and I don''t like fighting in general. "Please, I just saved everyone''s time by not killing you. We would need to search for a new Kenpachi, but let''s be honest here. It wouldn''t be so hard to find someone better." I don''t like this Kenpachi, and it was clear to everyone in the room. --- After that short distraction, we went back to the discussion of the punishment. Just like I said before, as the Captain, Kiganjo is responsible for his subordinates, and that crazy guy that I is still the suspect was under the influence of some drugs was Kiganjo''s Lieutenant. For that, the captain of the 11th Division was punished, but as I had killed him(the vice-captain), even though, I had the chance of taking him alive, I was also punished. It wasn''t as severe as the fatso over there, but I still was forced to pay a little. In retrospect, I should take him alive for interrogations, and even if I didn''t believe he would say anything, we could get some information from his body, but I destroyed his bodypletely. Although I was discussing almost exclusively with Kiganjo, my eyes never left Aizen, even when I was not facing him. I did it in a way that was impossible to notice that I was doing it. For one, I was wary of him, but I was a bit curious if he was already using his ability. With all of that, the meeting ended. I doubt that Kiganjo will do anything against me. He is toozy to do it, and in about 60 years, he''ll die anyway. The problem, as always, is Aizen and when he''ll find my children interesting. The mind games will soon start. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 245: Family meeting Chapter 245: Family meeting (Ryoto''s pov) I was walking back to the barracks of my Division, and I was in a pretty sour mood. Rin, as the good lieutenant that she was, was walking next to me. "Was it smart to agitate another Captain like that?" she asked after a long silence. "You are talking like you weren''t ready to kill him if he said something wrong." Rin blushed hearing me. "But to be honest, I feel like he won''t be a problem. He is toozy for that. And even if he does... Just like I said in the meeting, we''ll need to find a new Kenpachi." And I wasn''t joking by saying that. I would kill him if he did something against my family. "Changing topics Rin. What do you think about adopting two more children?" "... Huh?" --- I''m going, to be honest, I mentioned adoption out of the blue on purpose. Confused Rin is really cute, but I try to restrain myself from doing it too often so she wouldn''t adapt to my weirdness too fast. Also, this was a conversation for the whole family. Rin and I shouldn''t make a decision like this alone that affects the entire family. That''s why we had our own meeting after the children went to sleep. Before we started the main topic of our gathering, Yoruichi jumped on Isane''s back and started poking her cheek while Isane was embarrassed. "I knew that you have your wild side, but who knew that our shy little lieutenant was a beast under all that fluff." Isane covered her face with her hands. "Please stop... Captain Unohana already teased me about it the whole day..." "Can''t me her. That killing intent was intense. It was even stronger than Rin''s, and she was standing behind me." I added. "Besides, it''s cute seeing this side of yours outside of the bedroom." "Nooo!!! Stop!!!" Isane screamed and nted her face on the table to avoid looking into anyone''s eyes. I enjoy times like these. Just goofing around and being a family. It gives me the strength to keep going. I''m not saying that without them, I would give up, but it is a lot easier to keep going, thanks to them. *CLAP* I pped my hands to gather attention. I think I understand why Yama-jii does that so much. It feels great! "I have two announcements to make. Rin heard about one of them already, so let''s start with this one. I was thinking about adopting two kids." Isane and Yoruichi''s eyes went wide open. They expected many things toe out of my mouth, but that wasn''t one of these things. "That was my exact reaction when Ryoto said that to me earlier today." Rin nodded a few times with her arms crossed, agreeing with their reaction. "Now, before you try dragging me into the bedroom and try for a pair of kids, please hear me out." Everyone turned their heads to Isane, who tried to curl into the smallest ball possible. "It''s about the two children Masaru, Akio, and Yukima were talking about. I didn''t meet them or anything like that, but after today''s incident, I don''t feel like it''s safe for them to stay in that forest." I exined my ns to my lovers, and all of them went deep into their thoughts. Even always so embarrassed, Isane raised her head from the table. "You are hiding something from us, aren''t you." Of course, it was Yoruichi who saw right through me. While Rin is the one who knows me best, Yoruichi is the best one to see through my facade. It''s probably abination of knowing me and her upbringing as a princess of the Shihoin n. "I admit that I''m not telling the whole truth, but I wholeheartedly believe that it would be for the best. The children already know them and also like them, so they can''t be bad. Tomorrow, I n on visiting them and asking if they would like that. From what I felt, they have enough Reiryoku and Reiatsu to be Shinigami, too, so it wouldn''t be a problem to get them inside Sereitei. Also, I''ll judge them myself when I meet them. I know that I said that they can''t be bad, but it''s better to be careful." I know that it doesn''t make much sense from the outside perspective. Why would we adopt two practically unknown children without any significant reason, but I just want to help Gin. He really reminds me of my younger self and my current self to some extent. Maybe I should start thinking about how to help him in other ways... "Okay, I''m in." Yoruichi answered as soon as I finished talking. I blinked a few times as it was my time to be surprised. "What?" "I said that I''m not against the idea. We all here know that you don''t do things without reason, at least things so major." All the girls nodded their heads. "We are already used to you keeping secrets." I felt something stabbing me... It was probably guilt. (E/D: Or maybe... the ghost behind you has awakened something.) In my defense, my secrets are difficult to share. What should I say? ''Hey, so I know the future, but I''m not going to tell you because I need certain events to happen, so an orange hair boy is born so that we can defeat Hitler Jesus.'' The more they know, the less I know. After Ichigo is born, though, I can move more freely. I''m still trying to figure out what to do with the Vizard incident. I don''t want Yoruichi to leave, and I don''t know if she would now that we have a daughter. Time is ticking, and I still don''t have a n. "Thanks for believing me..." "You don''t need to worry about it. We are family, but it doesn''t mean we share everything with each other. There are some secrets that you want to bury as deeply as possible. Maybe because they represent the past you that you don''t like, remind you of something unpleasant, or they are just difficult to share. You don''t need to force yourself to tell us what is troubling you or your every thought. We are happy that you opened yourself to this extentpared to a few decades ago. What I want to say is that if you are ready to share some of your secrets, we will be there for you to listen." Isane finished her speech, which left everyone speechless. Sometimes I forget that she is the oldest one of all of us and from age oftenes wisdom. "W-what? Did I say something wrong?" And she started panicking again. She really is cute, so I walked up to her and gave her a big hug, plus some headpats, which she shyly epted. These girls are too good for me. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J /Kurit (If you want to read up to 10 chapters ahead.) Chapter 246: Meeting Gin Chapter 246: Meeting Gin (Ryoto''s pov) The next day, I talked with my children about my n. I''m going to go with them to the forest where the incident urred, and they didn''t object for obvious reasons. This was also a fantastic excuse for a bit of doing today''s paperwork. Sorry Rin, but I''m dumping my work on you. I, given my position as a Captain, allow you to dump this work on someone else. I didn''t notice it before because I rushed as fast as I could towards my kids, but this ce is really close to the old home that Rin and I had, and if we are going the way I think we are going, then... I took the lead, surprising the kids. "Do you know where Gin and Rangiku live, or do you sense them?" Masaru questioned me. "Neither. I''m going to my old home." Their eyes went wide. "I knew that it was in the area, but I didn''t expect that it was the exact location." Akio added while Yukima seemed clueless. --- After a short walk, we finally arrived at the old wooden house. We didn''t even knock at the door, and a small blonde-haired girl that looked to be a simr age to my children opened said door enthusiastically with a big smile stered on her face. I assume it was Rangiku. She grew shy, noticing me, which wasn''t unusual as I was an unknown adult. "... Hello." She said timidly. "Hello there, youngdy. I''m Ryoto Yuuki, the dad of these little guys that you are friends with." I wanted to start exining why I was there, but the voice that came from a short boy with silver hair and eyes very narrowed to the point they looked closed interrupted me. I needed to stop myself from making a joke about calling him a son because I wanted our first meeting to be more... serious. Gin noticing me, positioned himself between Rangiku and myself, ready to attack me at any moment. He really reminds me of myself because I''m sure he knows that I''m much stronger than him, but he is still ready to fight. "It''s like looking in the mirror, isn''t it." Zangetsumented inside my mind, and he was correct. Without dropping my smile, I repeated my introduction and exined why I was there once again. I was invited inside, and while I was not given any snacks, it was understandable, and I wasn''t expecting it. After all, I lived in these conditions in the past. Nowes the tricky part, convincing Gin. Rangiku would be easy. Most people would be easy now that I think about it. A chance to live inside Sereitei doesn''te often, but Gin''s only worry is Rangiku''s safety, and my proposition was sketchy, to put it lightly. That''s why I asked everyone to leave me alone with Gin. It probably came out of nowhere as everyone was surprised, and Rangiku was against it, but Gin reassured her that he would be alright. --- After we were left alone, I kept being calm while Gin was on his toes. "I''m not going to dance around the topic. I want to adopt both you and Rangiku." What I said was so out of the blue dumbfounded Gin so much that he even dropped his guard for a moment. "... What did you just say?" "I want to adopt both you and Rangiku. You are my children''s friends, and this area here is bing gradually more dangerous, so I thought it would be safer for you two inside Sereitei." Gin''s mind went into overdrive, thinking and trying to see through my motives. "What''s there for you?" "Excuse me?" "I''m asking what your motivation is in doing that, and don''t repeat what you said earlier. You were lying." Gin ''warned'' me lightly. He probably couldn''t tell if I was lying or not. I''m too good at controlling my body, but the idea of wanting to help some stranger for no reason. "Now, now, you don''t need to be so nervous around me. I don''t bite. Yukima, on the other hand, would if you annoyed her too much. But if you want the truth..." I shed-stepped to the door and opened them quickly, letting a group of children drop on the floor because they lost something to lean on. "These troublemakers would need to leave for real this time." After we were left alone, it was time to be a bit more truthful, but before that... "Lollipop?" I offered, which he didn''t take. "Don''t worry, they are not poisonous. I wouldn''t need to use something underhanded like that to kill you." He took the lollipop from me but didn''t start eating it. Baby steps. "Going back to our topic. You want to know why I want to adopt seemingly unknown children. Certainly, I would need some kind of ulterior motivation, but I really just want to help both of you. If you want to know why, it''s because you are simr to me in some way." This piqued the curiosity in Gin. "What do you mean?" At his question, I smiled. "This girl, Rangiku, you promised to yourself to protect her, and don''t even deny it. You positioned yourself between her and me very naturally, but you can''t fool me. You were ready to attack me the moment I made a suspicious move, which is stupid but brave, and I don''t hate it. I did something simr in the past. You are also very revengeful." He opened his eyes, hearing something he didn''t expect me to know. "Don''t be so surprised. My teacher taught me to always research before making a move." "... How much do you know?" "More than you think. I know what you n, I know who you want to kill, and I know what lies at the end of the path if you continue on your path." I answered truthfully. "And what would be that end you speak of?" "You''ll make her cry." He flinched. That was something that only he knew. His promised to never let Rangiku cry. Because of that, he was more prone to believe what I said. "Listen, Gin, I''m aware how hard it is to trust someone you don''t know. What I''m proposing is something that will change your life forever, so it''s understandable why you are hesitant. I''m giving you a choice, and you don''t need to answer it today. Take your time, talk with Rangiku about it, and let Masaru or Akio know when you are ready. Yukima would probably forget to tell me. Just remember that my doors are always open." I was ready to leave, but Gin asked me thest question. "If I became your son, would you stop me from getting revenge?" "Your new mothers probably would. Maybe Yoruichi would agree on it, but if ites to me, I will make sure you are as prepared as one could be, which isn''t something a father should say, but knowing your target, I wouldn''t say no. Sooner orter, he will be the enemy of the Soul Society, and you could fight him entirely justified." "Wait, mothers?" --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J /Kurit (10+ chapters ahead) Chapter 247: More meetings Chapter 247: More meetings (Gin''s pov) Today, I met Masaru and the rest''s father. And from the moment my eyesnded on him, I could feel how dangerous he was, but he was hiding it exceptionally well. I knew that he could kill me at any moment, and he didn''t even hide it, but at the same time, he seemed to care about both Rangiku and me and even proposed a better life. I can''t get a read on him. I don''t know when he lies to me and when he tells the truth. Thest time was a lucky guess, but that''s all. I need to be careful with my choices. Living inside Seretei would be much safer, and even if he would abuse me to no end if it made me stronger and Rangiku would be treated well, it all would be worth it. Is it worth the risk, though? Observing Ryoto''s children, I could assume that he was at least a decent father. I could believe that Masaru or even Akio acted the whole time, but not Yukima. She was like an open book. It doesn''t automatically mean that he would treat Rangiku the same way. "Gin!!! Can you believe it!? We can live inside Sereitei!" Rangiku, on the other hand, was ecstatic about the idea of being adopted. She was innocent and didn''t even consider the possibility of it being some kind of trap. "So, what were you talking about with Yukima''s dad?" Seeing how happy my friend was, my decision was swayed slightly. "Nothing much; he just wanted to know my character better as he didn''t know much about me. He probably knew about you more, thanks to Yukima." But remember, Gin, whatever you decide, I''m sticking with you. You know how I hate it when you vanish without a word, and I wouldn''t want to leave you alone, either. We are in it together. We are in this together, huh? I decided that if something terrible happened to Rangiku, we could always run away and, in the future... kill Ryoto for lying to me and harming Rangiku, but maybe giving him a chance is what we need right now. (Ryoto''s pov) Today is not one of my favorite days. Today, I, together with Yoruichi, am taking my daughter Yukima to meet her grandparents. Normally, I would take the whole trio, but they have other things to do. While I''m grateful to Yoshiho and Horito (Yoruichi''s parents). They act as grandparents to all of my children. Without them, my children wouldn''t have grandparents, not counting Yama-jii, who also act like one. My and Rin''s parents aren''t in this world, and Isane is an orphan. Unohana could count as a parental figure to her, but... we can''t tell her that she is a grandmother to my children. The problem in this situation is that I simply don''t like either of my inws. Horito just wants to fight me because he hasn''t epted me, and Yoshiho just gives me the creeps. I am stronger than her, that I''m sure of, but I just don''t like her for some reason. It''s like my instincts are telling me to stay away from her. Maybe because she calls me Ryo-chan... but I doubt it. It was about 80 years since I even saw her. The only one in this family that I tolerated besides Yoruichi is Yushiro, Yoruichi''s younger brother, who I feel is the most sane in this whole family, which isn''t saying much. Yukima was currently riding on my shoulders. She really liked the view from up there, so she tried to do it at every opportunity, and she wasn''t the only one. I also enjoyed giving her a ride. Shame that she would grow out of it soon. Yoruichi was walking beside us as well, and she wasn''t thrilled about visiting her parents either. If not for Yukima here, she would startining. "Do we really need to go? Come on!" ... I stand corrected. Yoruichi doesn''t care who she is with. She''llin either way. "You know that having good rtionships with your family is a good thing, and it''s good for children to have grandparent figures, and you are the only one with parents in this family." I calmly exined, but this made Yukima question something that she didn''t think about before. "What happened to your, Rin-kaasan and Isane-kaasan''s parents?" Yukima asked as she was holding into me. "My and Rin''s parents are very far away, and we can''t meet them for a long time even if we wanted. Isane, on the other hand, is an orphan and only has her sister and Unohana, but don''t call her grandma." Yoruichi noticed the way I spoke about my and Rin''s parents but didn''tment for the moment. I n to tell her and Isane about my and Rin''s situation in the near future. I''m just trying to find the right moment. As I was deep in my thoughts, someone attempted a sneak attack on me. "You are wide open!" Horito tried to kick me with a flying kick, but I effortlessly dodged and kicked him without dropping Yukima. Horito then proceeded tond on the ground using his face. Bold move. "You know, after over 50 tries, I would assume you would give up. I''m clearly stronger than you." And it''s annoying at this point. Horatio stood up energetically. "I''m never going to give up. I still haven''t acknowledged you!" Or so he says, but it''s not like he has any say in it. After he noticed Yukima on my shoulders, he did an immediate 180 with a goofy smile on his face. "Yukimaaa, my favorite granddaughter!!! I missed you!!!" I allowed him to take and hug her. He was a doting grandpa, and he loved his grandchildren even if he hated my guts. As Horito was having the time of his life hugging Yukima, someone else tried to sneak up on me, but she did not try to attack me. More like testing me. "You know that sneaking on me doesn''t work, so why are you hiding your presence?" I asked my mother-inw who showed herself. "Oh, you know, we can''t let you get rusty, but I''m happy to see that you aren''t cking off. Opposite, in fact, you seem to only be getting stronger." Shemented on my strength as she cupped her cheek with her hand while smiling gently. "I''m happy that I wasn''t mistaken about you." She probably meant that she allowed Yukima to be outside of the family in exchange forpleting "a few" missions. I, of course,pleted them wlessly and without many difficulties, although all of them weren''t the nicest... But it''s not time to feel sorry for myself. I did what I thought was needed, and I''m going to need to live with my decision. Suddenly, a young boy that was more simr to Yoruichi than he had any right to be appeared. "Ryoto-san! It''s nice to see you in good health!" He immediately bowed to me to show respect. "Stop it, Yushiro. We are practically family. You don''t need to do that every time you see me." Yushiro is also liked by my children and is known as cool but not the coolest uncle. Above him are Zangetau and Komamura. While we are here, I''ll at least try to have an enjoyable time. Not that my inws help me with that, but the things I do for my cute daughter. --- After spending some ''quality'' time with the family, I excused myself for a moment and went to a secluded ce not far away from the Shihoin mansion. "Don''t you want to join, Soi Fon? You were observing me the whole time either way, so why hide when I''m aware of your presence." The short figure in all ck with her face hidden behind cloth appeared in front of me. "Tsk, so you''ve noticed." I think she doesn''t like me, but the reason is still unknown, at least to me. I know for a fact that it''s not because she knows that I killed her mom. Otherwise, she would try to kill me at every moment, so it must be something else. "I''m proud of my detection skills, so if I didn''t notice you, you would be on the level of a legendary Assassin who could control every part of his body, presence, and spirit perfectly, or you''ve caught me off-guard. I can say, however, that you are definitely getting better." Iplimented her, but she wasn''t happy with that, although I could see that she was proud of herself. "Of course I am. Yoruichi-sama trains me personally at times, and anything less would be a disgrace to her name." ... Right. "Anding back to your question, I must refuse. It would be disrespectful for a lowly member of the Stealth Corps to be in the presence of the Shihoin family without reason. Just like a certain someone..." She gave me a hateful look. "You know that I literally have a daughter with Yoruichi." "As much as I hate to admit it, it''s true. If only you would drop dead, everything woulde back to perfection." Well, it''s not nice to talk about someone''s death like that in front of said person. Suddenly I got the perfect idea. "So you are saying that it would basically be heresy to be in the presence of Yoruichi and the rest of the family, right?" I asked. "Of course! So now that you understand, please remove yourself from their life." She answered pretty smugly. "Then what would you do if you somehow broke that rule?" I continued my questioning. She started thinking. "This would never happen." "Humour me." She sighed and closed her eyes to try to imagine the situation in her head. "I would probably beg for forgiveness and try to correct my mistake." "Correct what mistakes?" Soi Fon basically froze up hearing her beloved Yoruichi''s voice in front of her. It shouldn''t be possible. Maybe she was imagining things, so she opened her eyes to confirm the source of the voice. How is it possible for Yoruichi to be in front of Soi Fon? I picked her up, and using Shunpo, I got her here before she realized. It wasn''t easy to do that, but it was definitely worth it, and I''ll be abusing this ability for the unforeseeable future. Realizing that all the eyes were on her, Soi Fon''s cheeks started to redden, knowing that I asked her these questions to break these ''rules.'' "Ryoto Yuuki!!!" Soi Fon tried to sh me with her sword, which I sometimes blocked and sometimes dodged, but in the end, she wasn''t able to wound me even once. She ended up with a lollipop in her mouth and a very frustrated expression. I think Koro-sensei had a bigger influence on me than I thought. (Masaru''s pov) About 2 weeks have passed since Dad''s meeting with Gin and Rangiku, and not much has happened during that time. Since Yukima is going to visit their grandparents and Grandma and Akio wanted to train alone today, I decided to visit Gin and Rangiku. Dad surprised everyone with the idea of adopting the duo in the wooden shack. I''m not against his idea. In fact, I think it would be cool for them to be part of our family, but I''ll try not to let my biased opinion blind me and try to force them into making their decisions. Thest thing I would want is for them to be unhappy because of me. Also, I should start training with my Shikai soon. Because of its destructive power, I can''t do it carelessly, and Dad forbids me from using it without him or his moms around unless my life is in danger. Maybe I should ask Grandpa Yamamoto for some tips about fire-type Zanpakuto. After all, he is an expert on them, being the owner of the most powerful of them all. --- After a walk through the woods, a familiar shack entered my vision, and I could already sense two presences inside of it. I walked up to the door, ready to knock on it, but the door suddenly opened, revealing a happy Rangiku. I lightly chuckled. "Do you have some kind of sixth sense? As ofte, you are always opening this door before anyone can announce their presence." Hearing me, Rangiku got shy. "You know that besides Gin, you, Akio, and Yukima are the only friends I have." That''s true. Unlike my siblings, who not only have each other but also Byakuya and me, Rangiku only has Gin. I smiled gently. "That''s good that we are here, although today I came alone." I spent the day with Rangiku as Gin was away as he tends to do ording to her. When I was ready to leave for today, I said the silver-haired boy returned with a very serious expression, and I could feel from his emotions that whatever he wanted to talk about with me was not something to be taken lightly. "Masaru, I have my answer." (Akio''s pov) I''m weak. In fact, I can be sure that I''m the weakest in my family. My parents are obviously stronger, but even among my siblings, I''m the weakest. Yukima has her mask, Masaru-nii recently unlocked his Shikai, and while I have this strange calction ability, I''m not good enough to use it in battle. That''s why I n on training in secret as much as I can to catch up to my sibling. Especially Masaru-nii. He was perfectly calm even when we were being attacked, and I''m not going to lie. I was envious of his abilities, about his calmness. I was also angry at myself. I was angry at my weakness, at my indecisiveness. As I was training, hoping to achieve Shikai like my brother when someone approached me. "Good evening, young man. What are you doing in a ce like this alone at this hour?" A lieutenant approached me, but why? --- (A/N Long chapter. Gimmie power stones.) END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 248: Another 30 years Chapter 248: Another 30 years (Ryoto''s pov) Another 30 years flew by, and that means that I am over a century old. To be more precise, I''m ~127 years old, not counting my years as Jacob. Jesus, I''m starting to get old, and I still have about a hundred years to go before returning to my home world. In these 30 years or so, my children entered the worst nightmare of every parent, their teenage years. Masaru didn''t change much, surprisingly. I was ready for his dad-hating phase since he acts like a protagonist, but it didn''te. He was as calm, friendly, and soft-spoken as always. Yukima... was Yukima, but more. She is as much a trouble ma as I am. How does she find Hollows to fight so often? I don''t know. Now, into the problem child, Akio. I don''t know what happened, but he was distancing himself from everyone. It''s not like he wasn''t talking with us or ran away, but it was noticeable, and he doesn''t want to talk to anyone about that or refuse to even admit that anything changed, and I can''t exactly force him to talk. Akio was a bit closer to Isane, so it wasn''tpletely hopeless, but it would indicate that I was at fault, and I don''t know what I did wrong. I tried to be a good and fair father to all my children. Maybe it''s the famous rebellious phase, or he is just embarrassed by his father for some reason. At least he still wants to train with me and the rest... sometimes. Why is being a parent so hard... "Hey Gin, do you know what''s up with Akio?" I asked my son, who refuses to call me a dad even after all these years. "For the 10th time, I don''t know anything. If you worry so much, you can follow him for a day, two or a week... Not like he''ll sense you." Gin answered me between his practice swings. Gin''s got a point. It''s certainly a possibility, but it doesn''t necessarily mean that I''ll find out what I''m looking for, but I''m hesitant to do it. "I know that much, but I don''t want to be an overbearing parent who controls everything their child does. It doesn''t even guarantee anything. If something wrong is going on, I''ll interfere, but otherwise, I''ll be holding out my hand until Akio decides to grab it. It also isn''t unusual for a child to get a bit distant from his parents, but it doesn''t make me any less saddened." I exined my reasoning. It was the way people around me helped me. L was around me, sharing her positivity until I opened up more. The same could be said about Rio and Kaede. Alme was a bit different, and so was Rin. With Rin, I was the one who was there for her, and Yoruichi, while knowing more than she let on, always waited for me to exin first before confronting me unless it was urgent. I don''t have a great example with Isane. Sorry Isane, but it doesn''t mean I love you any less. I can only think of one other reason besides the rebellious phase why Akio is distancing himself. He isn''t much of a fighter. It doesn''t mean that he is weak for someone his age, but hecks that something. I didn''t treat him differently because of that, and I trained him just as hard as the others to not make him feel like an outcast in the family. His talent lies not with fighting but with something else. Science. That''s why he spends more time with Kisuke than me. Well, as long as he is happy... As I was watching over Gin''s training, a Hell Butterfly flew towards me. I allowed it tond on my finger to get the message that was sent to me. ... ... ... That''s strange. I don''t remember doing anything troublesome as ofte, so why does Yama-jii want me toe to the Captain''s Assembly Hall... alone. And it''s not another Captain meeting, from what I understand. Something is going on. "Gin, I''m being called, so we need to cut the training short." I informed my son. "Yeah, yeah, I''ll keep practicing for a while longer. Have fun." Gin answered dismissively while jot stopping his sword for a moment. Well, let''s see what Yama-jii wants from me. --- What waited for me was a group of 5 people and Yamamoto himself, who, after ordering me to apany these individuals, left me alone. Hikifune was also with the group, but I didn''t pay attention to her at the moment. Why are they here? Should I be afraid? Even if I try to run away, I don''t have a chance of escaping with all of them here in this room. Maybe if there was only one of them, then I would see a chance, but against the group, I can''t see myself winning or even escaping. For now, I''ll be confident and pretend I don''t know anything. Scrap that; I really don''t know why they want to meet me. If this was about murder, then Squad 0 wouldn''t even blink about it. They just wouldn''t care, so it must be something different. The only thing I can think about was my meeting with the Soul King, but no one should know about it besides Kisuke. "Hahaha! Is this the famous Ryoto Yuuki?" A monk like Shinigami approached me with a big smile and a healthyugh. Ichibei Hyosube, the leader of Squad 0. I like his beard, but he terrifies me at the moment, even if he looks friendly. I remained calm on the outside, not showing my nervousness in any way. "That''s me. Now, can I know why I was called here to meet all of you? You seem to wear Captain''s haori, but I haven''t met any of you except Hifune... Squad 0, I presume?" I took a quick nce at Hikifune. I pretended to just figure out their identities. It would be strange to know them. While as a Captain with a few decades of experience, I have knowledge about Squad 0, I never met them. Hearing me, the monk grinned but didn''t say anything. Before I could ask again about their reason for calling me here, I felt someone using Shunpo to get behind me, so as a form of defense, I sidestepped as fast as I could to see who was trying to sneak up on me. I didn''t want to attack for obvious reasons. The whole exchange didn''t take even a second, but if I wasn''t careful from the moment I entered the Assembly Hall, I wouldn''t even notice. "So, the boy has a quick reaction. At least we know that he isn''t a pushover." A tall man with an old-style delinquent hairstyle said. Wait, this hairstyle isn''t old style by today''s means, and he could even be called a pioneer. The tall man didn''t say anything more as he was karate chopped on the head by Ichibei. "Don''t scare the young man! We talked about it already!" Ichibei turned to me. "Sorry about him. Now let me exin our reasons for being here." --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 249: Squad 0 Chapter 249: Squad 0 (Ryoto''s pov) Ichibei was about to exin to me their reason for calling me here. I was still on edge because of the sudden ''attack'', but I could do nothing but listen. "You see, Kirio Hifikune here was given a proposal to be a member of Squad 0, and she epted. Today, we came down to Soul Society to get her to Royal Pce, but we have a secondary objective." The monk pointed at me. "You, Ryoto Yuuki. You are an enigma." Hearing him saying that wasn''t good, but he was still acting happy-go-lucky, so maybe there''s still a chance. "In what way?" Better ask so I won''t share too much information. "Your Zanpakuto is very strange. It wasn''t created here, and I wasn''t the one to give it a name. Knowing that it is connected to you, I must ask you." He turned serious. "What are you?" Now, what should I do? I do something wrong, and he kills me or, if I''m lucky, just erases my name. "Would you believe me if I said that exining it would be difficult, but I can promise that it and by that also I am not a danger to Soul Society?" Ichibei nodded his head as his seriousness faded away in an instant. "Works for me." ... I''m confused, and it was probably showing as Ichibei started answering some of my questions. "When you live as long as I do, you learn a thing or two. You may be a great liar and control your body to the extent that it''s impossible to distinguish truth from a lie, but in front of a monk, who calls the real name, words reveal their true meaning." In short, he can tell when I lie, but he doesn''t care since I didn''t lie when I said I''m not a danger to Soul Society, so it gave me some credibility. It didn''t ease my nervousness, though. "So, what now?" "Now it''s my turn, Ryo-chan!" A dark-skinned man with thick ck hair and sunsses jumped in front of me, giving me a nickname that I despise at this point. Oetsu Nimaiya, the creator of Zanpakuto. "You see, Ryo-chan, your Zanpakuto is a mystery. As I-chan said before, your partner wasn''t created here, but for some strange reason, it feels like one of my creations. Do you know why that is?" I shrugged my shoulders. "To be honest, I''m not entirely sure myself." Which is true. I only know that I should get Zangetsu, but I got a Asauchi with Zangetsu''s spirit, and I got a bonus to boot. I don''t have any idea why Oetsu feels like it''s his own creation besides the idea that it''s a Zanpakuto and is a perfect copy of what he would create. Ichibei didn''t say anything, so he probably didn''t find any lies in my words. "I see..." Oetsu said as he rubbed his chin, trying to think of an exnation for this mystery. "Can I take a look at it?" He asked after thinking for a short while. I really didn''t want to part away with Zangetsu and Gyaku in case something went wrong, but I was more than aware that they don''t need to use underhanded tactics like that to defeat me, so I handed him my Zanpakuto, which he quickly took and started examining it. "Hmm... Interesting... It''s made exactly like I would make it, and I can even feel it, but I already knew that. What''s more interesting is that it has two spirits inside it, but they aren''t integrated with each other the way they should, not that I know how it should be since its never happened before. These are dual des, but there is always a single spirit... Hmm..." He was carefully analyzing my de. "That''s not right... Hey, Ryo-chan, care to demonstrate your Zanpakuto mastery?" I raised my eyebrow as I got my sword back. "What do you want me to do?" I asked. I wasn''t sure if he wanted to have a spar or a small demonstration. "Release you, Shikai, first." I did as he instructed and released Zangetsu, and he observed carefully. "Now, do your second Shikai." I sighed. So, he knew even that. I should expect it from the creator of Zanpakuto. I didn''t see any reason to pretend to be oblivious about it, so I did as I was told. I returned Zangetsu back to a simple sword and released Gyaku''s Shikai. "Reveal all truth and hide all lies, Gyaku Hansha." A single sword spilt into two almost identical ones. The only difference was that the one in my right hand had a reversed de. At the same time, the one in my left was an ordinary Zanpakuto without any unusual features if you don''t count some Kanji on the handle, which would trante to ''Attack'', ''Defend'', and ''Counterattack''. I rested one of the swords on my shoulder. "Here you go. I didn''t show Gyaku to anyone besides my lovers, and I would appreciate it if you didn''t share this knowledge with anyone outside this room for obvious reasons. I don''t want to have any more eyes on me than there already are." "No problemo, Ryo-chan." Oetsu finger-gunned at me. "Now, can you return it to Zangetsu?" Just like before, I returned my Zanpakuto to its base form and released Zangetsu. "I see, I see... I can see the problem, yo! I can just feel inspirationing into me!" Oetsu announced loudly. Problem? What kind of problem can he mean? I didn''t encounter any issues during my training. "You see, Ryo-chan, your Zanpakuto is indeed unique. It''s one of a kind, and I doubt I''ll see another like yours for the rest of my time, but there''s one issue with it. It''s too separated when it shouldn''t be. You don''t think of it as a Zanpakuto but two Zanpakutos, which isn''t the case. Just like you can go from the base form to Bankai by skipping Shikai, you can go from Zangetsu to Gyaku Hansha without reverting back." This gave me something to think about. Gyaku mentioned before to me that Zangetsu is more of Ryoto''s Zanpakuto, and she is Jacob''s. Still, both of them started existing before I epted myself as myself, so it was natural for my power to diversify into a set, but now it doesn''t make sense. I will need to look into itter. *CLAP* Ichibei pped his hands loudly to gather everyone''s attention. "We got what we wanted and satisfied our curiosity, and since Ryoto isn''t any danger to the Soul King, it''s time to return. We can''t leave our post for too long." He said with an authoritative tone while still sounding cheerful. I somehow survived this whole ordeal, and I don''t know why I am still alive. Thankfully, I was deemed not a danger. After all that, I congratted Hifikune for her promotion while she asked me to watch over Hiyori whenever I could. It''s not like we were close or anything like that. We had a cookingpetition or two, but that''s just that. I said that I would try to, and I felt terrible for lying to her, but it is what it is. I''ll look after her for the time she is in Soul Society. Now that it was time for their departure, Ichibei picked up the unconscious member who tried to spook me and still didn''t wake up until now. It seems Ichibei smacked him really hard. Well, I''m alive, and Squad 0 isn''t after my ass, so I count it as a win. After a stressful afternoon like that, I decided to take the rest of the day off, and I''m going to ignore that I was already skipping work before training with Gin as an excuse. (3rd''s pov) The Squad 0 returned to the Royal Pce with their new member, and before they returned to their own. It was also the moment that Tenjiro Kirinji ''woke up''. While he was unconscious, he was still aware of his surroundings. Even after waking up, he was mostly quiet, which was pretty unusual for him. "Was it really a good idea to let him go?" Tenjiro finally asked. It was a solid question to ask. Ryoto was a big unknown and possible danger to the Soul Society based on two Zanpakuto spirits alone. It was easy to deduct that if he had two Shikais, there was a possibility for him to possess two Bankais, which was unheard of. Even Yamamoto, while possessing four different abilities in his Bankai, still revolved around a fire, and even with this limitation, he could destroy Soul Society if he wished. This was a situation where one person could wield two different Bankais, which was unheard of. "We are not meddling with Sereitei. That''s not our job. This time, we decided to meet him mostly because of Nimaiya''s curiosity, but our only concern was to protect the Soul Society, Royal Pce, and the Soul King. If Ryoto ever tries to destroy either or all of these," There was a sudden change in seemingly gentle monk. "We''ll eliminate the threat." Tenjiro scratched the back of his head. "I know, I know, I''m just annoyed that the kid was able to avoid me before I made my move. During my time in Sereitei, I was known as Lightning-fast Tenjiro, and I''m sure as hell I didn''t lose my touch." "He wasn''t faster than you. He just reacted to you faster than you made a move." Senjumaru Shutara answered Tenjiro as she moved using her prosthetic limbs. "He was ready to fight the moment he saw us... He is an interesting boy." She finished with a yful smile. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 250: Deadline approaching Chapter 250: Deadline approaching (Ryoto''s pov) It was time to return to my Squad''s barracks. I need to rx for a while. I swear this whole meeting aged me a few decades, but at least I know they won''t try to rewrite me as long as I don''t try to fuck with them, which is one thing that I don''t need to worry about. I even got some insight into my Zanpakuto, so it was kind of good? I''m still not sure. I took out one of my many lollipops hidden inside my uniform and started enjoying it. I''ll need a drink tonight. Maybe I''ll ask Shunsui-senpai to drink together. It has been some time since I had a boys'' night. Why stop at Shunsui? I''ll get Sojun, Jushiro-senpai, and Kisuke. I would invite Yama-jii, but he would only reprimand me that if I have time for partying, I should instead train and work. As I was getting closer to the barracks, I could feel a certain presence that would tear off my ears off if she ever got a hold of it, but as soon as her eyesnded on me, her expression changed from angry to concerned. "What happened?" Rin asked, worried. "Nothing much. I experienced a small heart attack and felt like I was in front of L''s father again. Fortunately, it was just my paranoia talking the whole time. Thanks for worrying, Rin-Rin." I affectionately called Rin using a nickname I made some time ago. My dark brown-haired lover got embarrassed by this nickname. I usually refrain from using it, so when I do, it has a bigger impact each time. If I remember correctly, I first used it during our short vacation in the living world. We met Soji Okita, and he taught Rin his swordsmanship for a while. It was a fun but short vacation. I gave him some lollipops as a thank you. "Most importantly, though, I have one less worry on my mind, so even if it was almost a traumatizing meeting, I''m d that it''s over and-" Before I finished talking, a human missile flew at me, and while it didn''t do any damage, I was forced to catch it so she wouldn''t hurt herself falling, not like she would anyway. "Dad! Bya-chan ignored me again!" Yukimained to me. It wasn''t the first time it happened as Byakuya tried to act calm, collected, and dignified. "Did you try baiting him? He won''t say no if you say things like, ''Are you scared that you''ll lose'' or ''So the next head of the Noble Byakuya House won''t even ept a challenge from a small girl''. Things like that should work on him." I advised my daughter even if I was being stabbed by a cold stare from Rin, but my advice was met with a sad look from my cute daughter. "It didn''t work..." "..." There was silence. No one said anything. "I''m going to have a talk with him." I was ready to leave, but my shoulder was grabbed by Rin, stopping me. "You are not going to kill your friend''s son just because Yukima couldn''t annoy him." "Rin, Rin, Rin, do you really think that I would kill that brat just because he ignores my cute daughter?" She didn''t answer, but her expression answered me plenty. Does she really think so lowly about me? "I''m not going to do anything to Byakuya. I''ll just teach him a very valuable lesson." Rin raised her eyebrow. "Which is?" "Don''t make my little girl sad. Bye." I utilized the secret technique of running away andbined it with a sh step to vanish with a giggling Yukima, still clinging to me. Witnessing my escape, Rin sighed but smiled afterward, nheless. "Why did I fall for someone so stupid." She said quietly to herself while still maintaining a small smile. "Now that he vanished, I guess I will be the one who needs to finish his work. At this point, I''m more of a Captain than he is, at least when ites to managing this Squad." And so, she returned to the inside of the barracks to deal with mountains of paperwork that belonged to me. --- 10 years is a long time, but at this point, it flew by in an instant. Kisuke became Captain, established the Shinigami Research and Development Institute, and life went on, but no one knew what wasing beside me, and the nearer the Vizard incident came, the more stressed I was. I feel terrible. I feel like I''m betraying my friend by allowing him to be framed as a criminal together with a group of captains and lieutenants. What''s worse is that I need that to happen. I thought that I was prepared for it to happen, but it still hurts. At least I know that I didn''t be heartless or apathetic. What I didn''t be is smarter. I mean, I did gain wisdom with age and all, but I still don''t have a n about who to send with Kisuke. Yoruichi is an option, but I don''t want her to leave. Plus, she is a parent. I''m also an option but leaving my children for 100 years now when they are teenagers wouldn''t be ideal. If they were older, I would consider it. Why is my life soplicated? I don''t even take walks anymore, and somehow trouble still finds me. If only Ywhach wasn''t that strong, I would prevent this whole incident from happening, but as much as I hate relying on others, I need Ichigo. No, it''s not entirely true. I just need a safety for us, Ichigo, since there is a chance, we could somehow defeat Ywhach before he obtains Almighty because I sure as hell am not letting another one of my teachers die earlier than they should. Also, I need to prepare my children for war. I don''t like even thinking about it, but at least they''ll be adults at this point. I feel conflicted, and I don''t worry about my family, so the only other person who will listen to my worries is an old friend. And so, I visited Isamu''s grave that I made in Soul Society. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J /Kurit (Up to 10 chapters ahead.) Chapter 251: What to do... what to do... Chapter 251: What to do... what to do... (Ryoto''s pov) I sat in front of Isamu''s grave, which was next to the other grave on the hill that I made for all the people I killed. Usually, Ie here about once a year to remember all the ones I killed, why I''m doing what I''m doing, and just go down memoryne. Remembering happy times, sad times, my rtionships, and so on, but today was not that day. I just wanted to vent to an old friend. "Hey, Isamu. Long time no talk. I know that I visit seldom, but you don''t reach out to me either, so I feel it''s fair." I chuckled lightly at my own joke, but it died down quickly as I turned more solemn. "I don''t know what to do. There are so many choices, so many dead ends. I know the way to victory, but it''s filled with sacrifices and probably a broken family. I wonder what you would do in my ce..." He would probably do everything he could to help me. If he was alive, I would probably ask him for help, and it would solve a lot of my problems, and since I don''t have that much contact with his family and Quincy overall, my options are limited. "You know, when I made this grave, we ''drank'' together for thest time, but I hope you don''t mind if I drink a bit of sake." I''m not a drinker by any means, but I can appreciate a taste from time to time, although nothing beats lollipops to this day. As I was enjoying my time alone trying to find a solution to my problems, I noticed someone spying on me, and I recognized my stalker. "What is it, Soi Fon?" I called out to her without turning to her, and she came out of her hiding spot and stood behind me, not saying anything for a short while. "Yoruichi-sama asked me to ''beat the depression out of you'', but looking at you, I lost all motivation to do that." I chuckled at her. "Is it your rebellious phase? I can''t imagine you disobeying your precious Yoruichi-sama." "If you are trying to get yourself punched, then you''re doing a great job." She practically growled at me. Soi Fon took a few steps and stopped when she was next to me and again didn''t say anything for a few moments. "So, what''s going on?" "I must be dreaming. Soi Fon is asking me about my well-being." "One more word, and I''m pulling out Suzumebachi." It was an empty threat and not even a threat, to be honest. We both knew that even if she tried to, she wouldn''t be able to hurt me. It''s the kind of dynamic that we have. "So... that''s your friend''s grave?" She finally asked. "Not a real one. He is buried in the living world, but this grave here is just a memorial that I made." She turned to the other grave. "And this one?" "This one is moreplicated. Do you still want to hear about it?" I asked, at which Soi Fon took a moment before nodding her head. "You see, before I became a parent, before I became a Captain, and even before I was a Lieutenant, I was an ordinary guy... OK, maybe not so ordinary, but my point stands. What I''m trying to say is that I had a kind of normal life, so when I came to Soul Society with Rin, I knew that I needed to change to protect her. I knew that I would be forced to kill sooner orter, and unfortunately, I was right." I continued talking as Soi Fon carefully listened to me. "But you know what? I hate killing. Taking someone''s life away is not a pleasant experience, not just because it can be messy, but knowing that your actions end someone''s existence for any reason can be traumatizing. And it was at first, but it gets easier every time I do this, and this in itself is scary. I don''t want to be numb to the act of killing. If it happens, it means that I disregard the importance of life, and I''ll be changing beyond what I''mfortable with." I took a small pause to breathe. "And finally, we can talk about this grave. You see all the strokes on it?" She nodded. "Each stroke represents a person I killed since I got to Soul Society, and I even remember all of their faces while trying to remember as many of their names as possible. I don''t want myself to forget that they were alive, and because of me, their life has ended. In a way, it''s grave for an old me, and each stroke buries him even further underground." With this, I was finished and let Soi Fon digest all of what I said, but before she could say anything, I forced a lollipop into her mouth. She was confused by my action, so I began rifying. "You came here to beat the depression out of me, so what''s with that sad look. All of what I said is mostly in the past. Ie here mostly for sentimental value, so don''t you worry. You are too young to worry about me." Soi Fon was a part of the Stealth Corps, and her hands are not exactly the cleanest, but seeing the always happy-go-lucky guy who often annoys her be in a solemn mood for so long was unsettling, and she probably wanted to somehow cheer me up even if she didn''t know how. Although mystment bothered her. "We are of simr age..." "You look more like my kids, though. Anyments about that?" I smirked, and at the same time, Soi Fon''s Zanpakuto was centimeters away from my throat as I was taking a luxurious sip of my sake. She wouldn''t kill me, and she knew that I knew that, and that made her even more annoyed. She then sighed and sheathed her sword. "You are insufferable." "That''s my charm." I said, a smirk not leaving my face. "But thanks for worrying." Hearing my earnest thanks, Soi Fon got shy, and I could even see a tint of red on her cheeks. She''s easily embarrassed. "I-I wasn''t worried about you! Yoruichi-sama was the one who asked me to check on you! That''s all!" I didn''t tease her anymore and took another sip of my sake. Surprisingly, talking with Soi Fon cleared my mind, and while I still don''t know what I should do, maybe it''s fine. If Yoruichi decides to save Kisuke and Tessai, then I''ll respect her decision as much as it hurts me to separate from her for a long time, but it must have meant that Kisuke and Tessai are in her eyes important enough to risk that much. I''ll still confront her if she does that to rify some things. In the case that it doesn''t happen, I''ll bail them out myself in disguise while using Gyako. No one should suspect me that way, as everyone who''s seen me using my Zanpakuto knows that it''s Zangetsu. As I prepared what barely counted as a n, a Hell Butterfly flew to me andnded on my finger, rying a message. So, it begins... --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J /Kurit (Up to 10 chapters ahead.) Chapter 252: Turn back the pendulum Chapter 252: Turn back the pendulum (3rd''s pov) It was a day like many others in Soul Society for most Shinigamis, but at the moment, an emergency Captain meeting was being held. *SLAM* "This is urgent! ording to the report from Squad 9''s standby camp on the front line, the Reiatsu of both their Captain, Kensei Muguruma, and their lieutenant, Mashiro Kuna, who were on night watch, have vanished. The cause is unknown! This is one of the worst situations we can possibly imagine!" Yamamoto gathered all of the captains to discuss an important issue. For a few weeks, there was a mystery of the disappearance of souls in Rukongai districts, and Squad 9 was responsible for looking into it and now that both Captain and Vice-Captain were missing. The matter, which, up until yesterday, was merely one of the minor issues, has be something Gotei 13 must resolve as fast as possible. "Because of the circumstances, I will now hand-pick 5 members of Captain ss to head directly to the scene." *BAAM* The big entrance to the Assembly Hall opened, revealing a stressed Urahara. "You arete, Kisuke Urahara." Yamamoto said with his usual authoritative tone. Urahara didn''t pay him any mind and requested to allow him to go. "Please... Let me go..." He said between his breaths. Unfortunately, he was met with rejection. "I will not." Which rightfully distressed Kisuke even more. He sent his lieutenant with Squad 9 as a help just earlier, so if the situation is grave enough to send 5 Captain level, then Hiyori wouldn''t stand a chance. "My adjutant is heading there now! Urahara tried to argue but was stopped by someone he didn''t expect. "Kisuke!!! Yoruichi''s outburst surprised the newest captain. "Don''t lose yourposure! It''s pathetic! You yourself selected and sent her, right!? Don''t you understand that losing yourposure is an insult to her!?" Yoruichi isn''t as heartless as her actions may show at the moment. It''s true that as a leader, one must make difficult decisions, and she believes in that. Sending the right person to the right job is equally as important, but as a captain, one must keep one''s cool at all times, and Urahara was all but calm, and he would make a terrible mistake if she didn''t stop him. Also, waiting and having faith is also the captain''s duty, although not all would agree. "Moving on..." The old man said. "Squad 3 Captain, Roujuurou Outoribashi. Squad 5 Captian, Shinji Hirako. Squad 10 Captain, Love Aikawa. The aforementioned three will now head to the scene!" After a short discussion, it was also decided to send both Assistant Kido Chief, Hachigen Ushouda, and Vice-Captain of Squad 8, Lisa Yadomaru, together with the previously mentioned captains. --- Hiyori was running. It wasn''t because she was terrified, although she felt scared. It wasn''t because she knew she was outssed, although she was. It even wasn''t so she could find allies, although she would appreciate any help at the moment. She also didn''t draw her weapon. She couldn''t for obvious reasons because right now, the enemy was Kensei, Captain of Squad 9, and he wasn''t himself. Not only that, but he was also forcibly undergoing something called hollowfication. Hiyori didn''t stand a chance against Kensei as she was a lieutenant, and hollowfication boosted Kensei''s strength even more. As she was about to get cut by her former ally, Shinji sh stepped between the two and blocked Kensei''s attack. And so, the battle between a Captain, soon to be monster, and newly arrived began, but they weren''t the only ones who were in the area... (Aizen''s pov) This may very well be a turning point in my n. Ordinary souls can''t withstand hollowfication, but if they can''t, then I just need to use stronger souls. I was aware after the first experiment that normal souls, no matter how many times I would re-do this experiment, the oue wouldn''t change. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over, expecting different results, and while the line between madness and genius is a very thin one, I stand above both. The reason I needed to continue doing the same experiment was to draw attention to these incidents. If there were enough eyes on this issue that I manufactured, someone would be sent to investigate the cause of these disappearances. While I knew that the souls with low levels of Reiryoku would never go throughplete hollowfication without being destroyed as they couldn''t survive being injected with Hollow''s soul, it never hurt to have more data. And as usual, I was right, although it seems that I''m going to have moreb rats than I intended. It''s not an issue, and I''m not going toin about additional volunteers. As I mentioned before, more data is always weed. I wasn''t alone in this forest, observing the development of the battle. With me, there was Tosen Kaname, someone who could be considered a natural counter to my Zanpakuto''s ability. However, I suspect another person to be able to do precisely that, but I need to confirm my suspicions at ater date. My otherpanion is the newest addition to my n. He is perfect for getting a rise from the entric captain when the time to leave Soul Societyes, and an angry opponent is very simple to predict. It would be entertaining to see him angry again too, but that''s for another time. Without turning to mypanion, whose identity was hidden for a few reasons, mainly because his identity is very sensitive, and it would be beneficial to keep it concealed for a bit longer, I asked. "So, what do you think?" Asking simple questions like that can surprisingly get more information out of a person than one would imagine. "The power that Captain Muguruma got from the hollowfication is incredible, but it''s not worthwhile if it takes away all of the reasoning. It looks like another failure." I shook my head internally. So young and inexperienced. He is blinded by this breakthrough that we are witnessing. It''s the closest we got topletely hollowfing a soul, and every step forward is essential. We can''t expect to know how to run without being able to walk. He is too focused on aplishing his goals to notice the importance of every achievement. If not for his, let''s say, connections, then I wouldn''t even bother with him, but maybe with time and some ''help'' from me, it will change. At least he is easy to control, just like most of the others, but I''m surprised by how trustful he is. I am aware of his circumstances, and it answers some questions, but his naivety is more extensive than I ever imagined. Or is it the pursuit of his goal that makes him blind to everything else? Trust is really an interesting topic. Trust someone too much, and you risk being betrayed. Trust someone too little, and you risk missing something crucial about said person. On the surface, there isn''t any solution to this predicament, but there is one very simple answer that many disregard. Be strong enough to not need anyone, or alternatively be strong enough that even betraying you would aplish absolutely nothing. So simple yet so difficult to achieve for most, but I''m going off-topic. The important matter at hand is observing this fascinating phenomenon. Two captain-ss Shinigamis are straggling against a single captain-ss. His power is impressive inparison to his previous level of strength, but nothing much to what I expected. It''s a failure, then... Maybe I''m thinking about it the wrong way. If I can''t seed in breaking the boundaries between Shinigami and a Hollow by injecting a Hollow soul into the Shinigami, then I''ll try to transform Hollow into a Shinigami. It looks like we are done with this failure. It''s possible to study hollowfication further if I had a better specimen like that girl, I observed but getting her would be very detrimental to my ns as her father can be overprotective, but no matter. I''ll work with what I have and create more opportunities if needed. (3rd''s pov) As the group that was created to help the 9th Squad Captain was trying to restrain their friend to possibly get him help, their situation was getting worse and worse. Just as they were able to hind, Kensei Hiyori went out of control herself and a bone-white mask. Just like Kensei''s, it was Hollow-like. All of the remaining fighters were ready to rush to stop her from injuring Shinji any further, but they were ambushed. It was Aizen, Tosen, and a masked member. The masked man, boy, or teenager wasn''t saying anything but was observing keenly. Aizen, throughout the whole conversation with his captain, was taunting him the whole time to speed up the process of hollowfication, and he was seeding. And it didn''t help that Shinji was the only one conscious and able to fight even in his condition, but on the enemy''s side, there were three foes, and he was only one. As Aizen raised his Zanpakuto to deliver the final blow to his soon-to-be former captain, he himself was ambushed by the newly arrived guest. "And here we have yet another pair of interesting guests." Aizen started talking. "And what brings the two of you out here? Captain Urahara, Grand Kido Chief Tsukabishi." Noticing Kisuke, the masked figure visibly flinched. After a short confrontation and confirming his suspicions about Urahara, Aizen decided and ordered to retreat. The pair of Captain and Chief of Kido Division was not able to pursue the trio as they had a group of injured to take care of. Tessai, using two forbidden Kidos, transported the future Vizards back to the Squad 12 HQ so Kisuke could treat them as fast as possible. Without wasting any time, Urahara started working, and while it took the whole night, he was able to save everyone''s life, but they wouldn''t be able to return to being ordinary Shinigami. Being tired from all of the work and the stress he went through, he decided to go for a walk, but as soon as he stepped out of his headquarters, he was stopped and arrested... (Ryoto''s pov) Being in my office, I was deep in my thoughts. I just got information that Kisuke was just arrested, and that means that everything thing went as it should, for better or worse. Now I should also get going. I spread my awareness as far as I could, which was pretty impressive considering how bad I was at that, but knowing which direction I needed to focus on, and it looked like I won''t need to save Kisuke by myself... Yoruichi made her choice... What am I going to tell Yukima? As I was getting ready to leave, Rin burst into my office, clearly stressed out about something. "Ryoto!!! Kisuke just got arrested and is currently being sentenced by Central 46!!!" Rin was so upset about the whole situation that she called her ''mortal enemy'' by his first name while usually, she called him Urahara. At the same time, someone else approached the entente at my office. "Is it a bad time, dad?" It was Masaru who probably nned to ask me for a training session. "Sorry, Masaru, it looks like I''ll be busy today." I apologetically smiled as I answered my son, and then I got an idea. "How about you train with Rin? I''ll go fix whatever problem urred." I walked up to Masaru and made a mess of his hair. After I was done with my son, who didn''t even oppose my actions, I took a few steps to get closer to Rin and gave her a peck on the forehead without saying much. "I''ll be out for a while." "Don''t do anything stupid." Unfortunately, this time, it wasn''t me who would do something stupid. And so, I left, heading to the only ce where Yoruichi would bring Kisuke and Tessai. The Study Chamber. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 253: Goodbye, or rather see you later Chapter 253: Goodbye, or rather see youter (Yoruichi''s pov) I''m fucking pissed! I mean, like, I''m seriously angry! Kisuke just went and did something really stupid. For the smartest person I know, he makes some idiotic decisions at times, and what''s worse, I can''t even reprimand him for that because I''m doing the exact same thing! I''ll kick his asster. *Sigh* I didn''t want to drag my family into trouble, but at the same time, I couldn''t abandon Kisuke and Tessai, my two and only childhood friends. I owe them that much because they have stuck with me for a long time and have helped me on many asions. It was the hardest choice I have made in my life, but I went with it. I saved the two idiots and dragged them into the Study Chamber. I already moved the injured captains and lieutenants, so Kisuke and Tessai are the only ones left to rescue. After we arrive there, Kisuke will probably formte some ns. We''ll probably need to escape and hide in the living world, so we''ll need a couple of gigai. That''s why I brought the gigai he was working on until yesterday. I include myself because there aren''t many gorgeous dark-skinned women with my abilities in Soul Society, and I''ll find out sooner rather thanter. Even the thought of leaving what I called home for years was... painful, which was ironic for a cat like me who goes wherever I want. I didn''t even have a ce that I could call home. I had a ce where I slept, where my parents and brother lived, and so on, but after I got together with Ryoto, it changed. Finally, I had a ce I could call home. I turned from a stray cat on a leash to a house cat with a cor, and I didn''t even mind. I had a man that I loved, although with a few issues that he worked on throughout the years, two new friends that share the same man, and even kids. One of them is even mine, the only daughter at that! I smiled while thinking about her. I never could imagine myself as a mother, and I can''t even say if I was a good one, but I can''t say that I wasn''t having fun during these years. At least I know that when I''m gone that Yukima won''t be alone. With Ryoto as her father and Rin and Isane as her mothers, I know that she will have a family... a home. Without them, I don''t know if I would make the same decision I''m making right now. If Yukima was instead forced to live inside the Shihoin mansion, I would probably stay. --- Arriving in the study chamber, I took down the cloth that was covering my face. It wouldn''t do much, but at least it could buy some time, and that would allow Ryoto to find the letter that I left for him before anyone else. Otherwise, it would go into evidence, and I wanted to leave some kind of message for him. I went soft because of him... not that I hate it. "Yoruichi-San..." Kisuke called me, probably trying to thank me, but I was faster as always. "I don''t need your thanks, and I''ll kick your asster for not saying anything about this to me or anyone elsest night." If he had informed me or Ryoto or even Rin, then this whole situation would be different. I don''t know how, but it shouldn''t evolve into anything worse than this. "I carried all eight of them here." I continued. "I also brought the prototype for the ''new gigai'' you were researching. Hurry up and finish this up. Ever since the moment you first asked Hirako about this case, you''ve been thinking about the worst of the details and the best means for dealing with them. "... You foresaw all this. You are a creepy person." He gives me too much credit. I expected him to at least ask someone for help, but as soon as I noticed that he had vanished from his post, I made preparations for the escape, but before I could answer him by calling him a creep as well, Kisuke and I felt someone behind us. Fearing that someone somehow managed to follow me, we quickly drew our weapons and were ready to fight, but no one present was expecting Ryoto, leaning on the rock. I flinched, not expecting to face him right now. I feel like I betrayed him in some way. "Done talking?" He started walking up to Kisuke and stopped when they were facing each other. Ryoto took off his sses that he doesn''t need, opened his eyes, took out his contact lenses that Kisuke created to hide his eyes, and did something we didn''t expect. He bowed and started apologizing. "I''m sorry that I didn''t help." Kisuke''s eyes were wide open, and mine as well. "Come on, Ryoto. You don''t need to apologize for not solving my own problems. You couldn''t have known that it would happen." Hearing Kisuke, Ryoto had this look on his face that I was pretty familiar with. He was hiding something, which made him feel guilty, but unlike usual, I didn''t need to wait to know why he felt like that. ".. About that... I was aware of what Aizen nned..." That one name-drop let us know that not only did he know what happened, but he also was aware of the traitor. I only knew about him because he was the one Kisuke suspected during his trial, and while I wasn''t present there, I could still overhear some things over the sounds of the guards being beaten by me. I was ready to walk up to Ryoto and smack him, but I restrained myself as he already felt guilty enough, and knowing him, he probably had a good reason. Not to mention Kisuke was already questioning him. "I''ve known you long enough that you wouldn''t withhold vital information like that without any reason, and as you apologize, I can see that I was right, but I still would like to hear your reasoning." Ryoto looked troubled by this request. I feel like he was already nning to do it anyway, but it''s probably veryplicated or difficult to exin. Preparing himself to share one of his secrets, Ryoto took a few deep breaths. "Do you believe in destiny?" These were the words he started with, which left me utterly confused, but Kisuke decided to answer him honestly. "Not really. As a scientist, if I believed in something like fate, then I would need to admit that no matter what I do, it wouldn''t be thanks to my ability or wouldn''t even matter." Ryoto nodded. "I don''t believe in that either, but there are certain events that will happen whether we want it or not. For example, Quincies have a prophecy about their king. 900 years to regain his pulse, 90 years to regain his intellect, 9 years to regain his strength, and 9 days to reim the world. Do you know how long ago Captain Commander defeated Yhwach?" "It''s difficult to say exactly, but it happened about 900 years ago... Are you implying that this prophecy is more than just a prophecy?" Ryoto smiled. "Exactly." "But what does it have to do with you not telling us about Aizen?" I questioned. I still can''t tell where he is going with that story about Quincy King. "Let me ask you this, then. Do you think that we are ready for his return? Yama-jii defeated himst time, but he''s gotten old and isn''t even suspecting that he failed in killing Yhwach. And the Quincy King would probably want revenge after his return, and he would be prepared." Kisuke started connecting the dots and concluded something. "For some reason, you need Aizen to defeat Yhwach... but it would mean that you know what will happen in the future..." That''s true. That would be the only exnation. Otherwise, we would need to admit that Ryoto is capable of foreseeing events that will happen years in the future, and not even Kisuke is capable of doing it, at least not that far into the future with this kind of uracy. "I''m not that great... I am aware of only one possible set of events that has already changed. I don''t know if it''s for better or worse, but it was necessary for all three of you to be in the living world. That way, I can somehow know what Aizen is doing and create counter ns in case he oversteps the boundaries. That''s why I''m sorry... I know how to create a better future, but I couldn''t prevent you from being exiled. I am simply too weak to ce a bet on the uncertain." Ryoto bowed his head again and stayed in that position for a while. "Ryoto, raise your head. As I''ve said, I''ve known you for a long time, so I would like to think that I know you, so I know that this decision probably wasn''t easy to make." Kisuke was right. I''ve noticed that Ryoto has been very deep in his thoughts as ofte, and it was probably because of that. "If it makes you feel better with the information that you possess, I would''ve probably done the same." Kisuke tried tofort Ryoto. "But now we don''t have time for any more chit-chat. In the next 20 hours, I will make a total of 10 Reiatsu blocking gigai." He didn''t include me, as I could go under the radar with my abilities. With that said, Tessai created a barrier around us, and Kisuke started working. That left Ryoto and me alone, thanks to Tessai, knowing that we would want to have some time alone. Honestly, I don''t know what to think. Ryoto hid information about the traitor inside Sereitei, but now that I think about it, he mentioned sometimes not to trust a guy with sses. "Ryoto, if you knew all about that and still went with it, I can guess that this problem will be resolved eventually, right?" I asked atst. "You could say that... if you were to bebeled a criminal forever, I wouldn''t go with it, but it will take a long time. Until then, all three of you will need toy low." Ryoto answered solemnly, which annoyed me, so I kicked him in the ass. "Stop that depressing look! You made the decision, and I made mine. That''s all there is to it. If it was something that would put my life in danger, you would take my ce. Am I right?" I didn''t need an answer seeing him awkwardly scratching the back of his head. "As always, you''ve seen right through me..." Ryoto became silent, seemingly thinking about something. "We won''t be seeing each other for some time." He finally spoke. "But I want to tell you that no matter how long we will be separated, my feelings won''t change. The moment I gave you that small essory." I unconsciously touched the chocker I''m always wearing. "Was the moment you could be sure that I loved you, and you wouldn''t get rid of me even if you wanted." He smirked, and I rolled my eyes. Like I would ever want to leave him. "Just don''t chase any more skirts. I don''t want to get back and find a new lover and maybe even a kid." "It''s not like I am looking for new rtionships." He deadpanned. "All my rtionships were mostly idental. Rio and Kaede are surprisingly an exception." He muttered thest part. And so we spent our time together, cuddling and just enjoying our presence until it was time to say our goodbyes. I asked Ryoto not to tell our children that I left to save Kisuke and Tessai because I feared they would think that I didn''t think of them as important. At that, he asked about Soi Fon, and to be honest, I believe that it would be better for her to distance herself from me. She was borderline...pletely obsessed with me, and it was fun teasing her most of the time, but now that I''ll be gone, it would be better for her, but Ryoto only partially agreed. And so, I, together with Kisuke, Tessai, and the rest, left Soul Society for an unforeseeable future, but not before a passionate kiss between Ryoto and me. I''ll miss this feeling. (E/D: I miss L. Come on summon her once again. Make the conversation true. I want L!!!) --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J /Kurit (10 chapters ahead and some exclusive illustrations) Chapter 254: A sleep without a worry Chapter 254: A sleep without a worry (Ryoto''s pov) Yoruichi left, and I was standing alone in the same ce for about 15 minutes, looking at where the gate to the living world was. It could have gone better, but what happened won''t un-happen. I''ll need to live with the consequences of my decision like I always did. I hate the consequences of my own actions. Can''t I do something that won''t have an oue that will hurt me in the ass in the future? I miss times when most of my worries were only my emotional well-being, my grades, and maybe getting away alive from L''s dad that one time. Now, on the other hand, I need to think about events that will happen about a hundred years in the future while keeping an eye on Mr. n himself, so he doesn''t mess with someone wrong (my family) because I know that he already saw my children in action years ago, but still, he didn''t do anything. He didn''t even approach them, which is strange in itself. Either he is not as interested, or... he is doing something behind my back, which would be worrying. Do I need to have a talk with my children? After all, better safe than sorry, but it will need to wait a few days. If and only if my worries were justified, then our talk could turn into an argument as Aizen is very persuasive, charismatic, and knows how to turn people against each other. In that case... I''ll need to have a talk with Aizen instead. Better that he would have his eyes on me than my children. But now I should get back. I was gone for about 20 hours without telling anyone. --- Returning home, I was weed by Rin and Isane, and I exined the situation, which Rin didn''t take that well. "What the hell does she think she has done!? Does she realize what happens when she leaves!!?" Her words pierced right through me. Rin... it hurts. "Rin, I''m sorry..." My head lowered, which rmed my lover. "Why would you need to apologize? It''s not like you knew what she was up to." And yet another arrow pierced me, and so another exnation was in order. --- After I exined everything, this time more thoroughly this time, it was met with silence. No one knew what to say until Isane spoke up after walking up to me and forced my head to rest on her breasts and started caressing my hair. "It must have been hard for you." ... I wasn''t expecting this. To be honest, I was expecting a p or a punch, but not... this. Isane then signaled to Rin to go inside our home as she nned to take me somewhere. Rin understood that it would be for the better for Isane to talk with me. While all of my lovers were mothers, Isane was the most motherly. Probably because she is the oldest, not that I''ll ever tell her that. Rin mellowed down with age. While she was mostly expressionless and formal around people even before we transferred to this world, it was mostly a facade to not embarrass Saki in front of others. Rin was very easy to anger if you pushed her wrong buttons. Kinda like me, but what I want to say is that this situation pushed these buttons. Rin was very loyal to Saki. To a stupid degree, even. It reminded me of how Soi Fon was devoted to Yoruichi. It''s possible that she saw her younger self in her to some extent, and seeing Yoruichi ''betray'' her like that made her blood boil, not to mention ''abandoning'' our family. Of course, these thoughts were before I exined the details, but Rin still needed some time to digest everything I had said. It''s a lot to swallow. At the same time, I was being led to Isane. Where was she dragging me? I don''t know. --- We walked for a while in the direction of Squad 4. "We haven''t had much alone time as ofte, just the two of us, haven''t we, Ryoto." Isane suddenly spoke without slowing down even a bit, not that she was walking fast anyway. "Now that you mentioned it, you are right. I''m busy with avoiding my captain duties, training our kids, nning the future to some extent, and looking into Ukitake''s illness. In my free time, we spend time together as we, unfortunately, don''t have much of it. Should I skip more work, Isane?" At my question, Isane giggled. "If you do that, Rin will lecture you again. She hates like paperwork as much as you, so please, give her a break." "I disagree. Rin has masochistic tendencies. When she says no, she means yes. I think we discovered that together a long time ago." I was, of course, implying our night adventures, and I got the reaction that I was looking for. A face flushed red. How I enjoy teasing my partners. Isane didn''tment on what I said and cleared her throat a few times by coughing. "We are going off-topic. What I want to say is that you haven''t had much time to rx." That genuinely surprised me. I didn''t have time to rx? It''s true that I had a lot less free time than I used to for a few decades now, but it''s not like I was working 24/7. Also, my time with family and adult times with my lovers was rxing, so I didn''t know what she was talking about, and it showed on my face. Isane, seeing my confusion started exining. "Ryoto, how do you usually rx?" I started carefully thinking about the answer. When I have free time, I try to prepare myself for the future. Training, nning, and so on. Otherwise, I spent time with our kids, although it was thinned out as ofte, and it was reced with more training. Not by myself, but I was training my children more as they were constantly asking me to spar with them. Oh, I remember. I had something I used to do when I was bored. "I used to take enthusiastic walks, but I needed to stop doing that." "And why is that?" She asked, not being ready for what wasing next. "Whenever I took one, something terrible happened. A few times, someone tried to kill me. It was fun, but they are at pause until some of the other issues are solved." "I... see." Just as expected, she was bbergasted. "Don''t worry about small details. I enjoy life as it, is minus some... inconveniences." I reassured my lovely and practically personal nurse. As we were talking, we arrived at our destination. It was the 4th Squad barracks, but it was used exclusively by the captain and vice-captain. It had a veranda and a view of the garden. It was where Isane lived before moving with me. Isane sat down and patted her thighs a few times, and I was not going to look a gifted horse in the mouth, so without questioning her reasons, Iid my head and felt paradise. As I was enjoying the soft feeling under my head, I could feel Isane''s hand going through my hair as she softly spoke. "You know, you are really reliable. With you at my side I don''t need to worry about anything major, but I feel like I grew a bit dependent on you. Not only me, but Rin and Yoruichi as well, not to mention our children, and you want to live up to our expectations, at least to some extent. You aren''t perfect, and you make mistakes, but you don''t show this side of yourself too often. Today, it reminded me how much responsibility you are carrying." Each of Isane''s words was gentle, and with every sentence, I could feel my eyelids getting heavier. "That''s why just for today, rx. I can guess that you haven''t slept since yesterday, so just rest without worrying about anything. You earned at least that. For being a wonderful captain. For being a wonderful father. And for being a wonderful husband." With thesest words, Isane lowered her head, giving me a soft yet passionate kiss on the lips as my consciousness was slipping away into dreand, and for the first time in some time, I slept without any worries clouding my mind. (E/D: Isane is quite flexible, huh?) --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/S4eJyhj28 /Kurit (10 chapters ahead and exclusive illustrations.) Chapter 255: Resignation Chapter 255: Resignation (Ryoto''s pov) It has been a long time since I rested like that. It was... great. Really great. But now rxation time is over, and another Captain meeting, and I can feel the iing annoyance that I''ll experience there. Let''s just get over it. --- *SLAM* Yama-jii mmed his wooden staff against the floor as he always does at the beginning of all the meetings. "We are upholding this meeting as another update came up from the ongoing case of disappearances in the Rukongai districts. An anonymous informator left evidence that, after careful investigation, led us to believe that the culprit was none other than Kisuke Urahara, now ex-captain of Squad 12. It was discovered that he was conducting experiments on innocent souls with the help of Tessai Tsukabishi, now ex-Kido Corpsmander. They didn''t stop at them as three nights ago, they started using Soul Reapers as well, and some of his victims included the Captain of Squad 5, Shinji Hirako, Captain of Squad 3, Rojuro Otoribashi, Captain of Squad 10, Love Aikawa and Captain of Squad 9, Kensei Muguruma. Not to mention 3 Vice-Captains. After being confined and judged by Central 46, he was unfortunately rescued by an unknown individual who was recently identified as Yoruichi Shihoin, now ex-captain of Squad 2 and exmander of the Stealth Corps. We lost 6 captains, 3 lieutenants, and both Grand and Vice Kido Chief. It''s a crisis that hasn''t happened in a long time. As of today, I dere that all of these previously mentioned are criminals!" Yama-jii nced at me when he said that. "What about the victims? If they somehow survived the so-called hollowfication, what should we do about them?" One of the captains asked. "Before Kisuke Urahara was rescued, Central 46 dered that all of the individuals that went through hollowfication will be treated strictly as Hollows and dealt with as such." There was a solemn silence in the hall until the current Kenpachi decided to speak up. "As always, a bunch of weaklings can''t do anything right. If I was sent there, that whole incident wouldn''t even happen." He said as he was scratching his belly. "And speaking of all these weaklings, maybe we should dispose of another captain. For all we know, the closed eyes, sses-wearing freak could be a spy for Kisuke Urahara." Kiganjo continued talking as I allowed him... for now. "He was, after all, close with the three traitors. We don''t know what he is nning. For all we know, even his children could be-" His talking stopped as he felt my killing intent. Pure killing intent without raising my Reiatsu. I wanted him to know that he was walking on a thin line. I don''t care how much he tries to annoy me, but my children are off-limit, but my fun was interrupted. "Yuuki!" My teacher calmed me down by calling my surname. He only does that when I''m in trouble. "We already lost too many captains. Don''t make my job harder by killing another one." He threatened me, but in reality, it was a light wrist p. Not to mention, he believed that I could kill Kiganjo. "It was also directed at you, Kiganjo Kenpachi. Just because you are a Captain and the current Kenpachi doesn''t mean that you are the strongest. There wille a day when another Kenpachies to take your title just as it happened before you became one." At this, Kiganjo scoffed, but at least I won''t need to listen to his rumbling. "I have a proposition that will solve a small part of the problem." I voiced, and it earned me a raised eyebrow from Yamamoto. "Let''s hear it." --- The meeting was eventful, and I did what I nned to do from the beginning. I don''t want to spoil a surprise, but let''s just say that someone is getting a promotion. I returned home, where Rin was preparing dinner. Isane was out with her sister, and most of the kids were out training, spending time with friends... friend, or doing something they were not telling me. You know, teenage stuff. It sounds bad, but that was what I was doing when I was younger, plus some sexy time. I''m starting to think that my children are more responsible than I was at their age. "I''m home." I announced and unsurprisingly got a warm wee from not only Rin, who was wearing an apron at the moment but also Rangiku, who waszing around the house. Rin was a bit awkward at first, as thest time she saw me was when she was pretty angry at Yoruichi, but a quick kiss melted her down. "Not fair! I want a kiss too, Dad!" Rangikuined, and I gave her a kiss on the cheek. It left only Gin to call me Dad, and I''ll be a very happy man when he finally does. "So... how is the n going along?" I asked her ''secretly'', at which Rin rolled her eyes but smiled, knowing what was going on. "I think he''ll soon break, but he''ll never admit it even if he thinks of you as a parent." That''s right, Rangiku helps me with my issue and tries to get Gin to call me Dad. It''s just a fun side activity. "Can you leave Rin and me alone for now? I want to talk with her in private." I asked my adoptive daughter, and she pouted upon hearing my request. "Fine, but promise me that you will take me shoppingter on." She stretched out her pinkie finger, telling me to promise her with a pinkie promise, and so I did precisely that. After Rangiku left with a big smile on her face. "You spoil her too much." "Do I, though? Do I really?" I inquired to Rin. "Yes." I don''t want to be part of this conversation anymore. "Conveniently, I have another topic that needs to be addressed, Rin, so let''s not use someone of giving love to his daughter, and let''s focus on somethingpletely different." Am I shameless? Yes. Do I care? I wouldn''t be shameless if I did. "Sure, let''s go with that. So why did you want Rangiku-chan to leave?" Rin started preparing a coffee for both of us as I sat at the table. "I''m saving your motherly persona because what I''m going to tell you is going to make you lose it." Rin wasn''t even fazed by my statement. "After thest time, you shocked me about the wholeplicated n of yours and the traitor. I doubt that anything you say will be able to shock me." She was pretty confident of it. "I''m resigning from my position as a captain of Squad 7." "... What?" --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J /Kurit (10 chapters ahead and some exclusive illustrations.) Chapter 256: Changes Chapter 256: Changes (Rin''s pov) How did that happen? "Rin, you look great. You don''t need to worry about anything." Ryotoplimented me. "Yeah, mom. It really suits you." My son, Masaru, reassured me as I was checking out the white haori that I was currently wearing. "It just still feels unreal. I still feel like that young girl in Rukongai who couldn''t defend herself from any danger, but here I am, being a captain." "How time flies, doesn''t it? We started with the two of us, and now we have grown into a big family, speaking of which... family hug!" And so, Ryoto used his high speed to grab everyone and brought them near each other and squeezed them tightly, which was impressive as he did it so quickly. Only Yoruichi and Kisuke could rival him in speed in our group. Shame that she couldn''t be here, but she will be surprised when we meet again... Who am I trying to fool? She wouldn''t be. She was always telling me that I would soon join the ranks of captains. She was the one who helped with my Bankai training the most. I didn''t want to bother Ryoto too much. I was doing that too much when I was powerless, and I would rather bite my tongue than ask Kisuke for help, so the only option left was Yoruichi, who achieved Bankai by herself. Isane, unfortunately, wasn''t at that level yet, but the whole family learned she wasn''t one to be underestimated. She was the most experienced one here, and most importantly, she was the one who was most proficient in healing Kaido. Ryoto once put that in an appropriate way that only he and I could understand. Nobody fucks with the white mage. A small inside joke. Video games don''t even exist yet. To be honest, I only understood what he meant because of Aya. She was the one who forced me to y with her from time to time so that I could rx from all my training and duties. Ironically, I was more often frustrated after I yed than before. "Have you had enough? Can you let me go?" Akio asked with an annoyed expression. He doesn''t admire his father as he used to, and since Yoruichi left, he seems even more distant than before. It must have affected him more than we can imagine, but the most hurt besides Ryoto must be Yukima, who, despite looking cheerful and enjoying her father''s embrace, was feeling down. We all are trying to be there for her, but there''s only so much we can do. Masaru was happy, but when wasn''t he. I don''t know how he is our child with his calm personality. He truly is a miracle. Rangiku enjoyed skin contact of any kind, so having an excuse was as good as any. She is Daddy''s princess even more than Yukima. I nced at Gin, and I could see a small genuine smile on his face, and he probably didn''t expect anyone to see it because as soon as he noticed my stare, his face turned into the most neutral face I''ve ever seen. It wasn''t even his usual smile poker face, which would mean that he was embarrassed. How cute. Isane, the whole time, was smiling motherly, and so did I. Unfortunately, the hug couldn''tst any longer because the adults needed to go to work, and the kids could do what they wanted. How envious. I miss school life, but ording to Ryoto, we only need to wait for about 100 more years before we can return. --- I started doing my Captain duties, and after I was done with a few mountains of paperwork, I had time to rx, but then it hit me. "I''m just doing the same thing when I was a lieutenant!!!" That day, members of the 7th Division swore they heard demons scream from the captain''s office, and no one except Vice-Captain Komamura dared to approach the office. (Ryoto''s pov) Now that I have a new squad, I will need to appoint a new lieutenant and talk with my new subordinates. I sneaked into the barracks, where everyone was called to meet their new captain, and stood in front of my new squad members with no one noticing me. It was kind of disappointing seeing their level of awareness. I know that I''m not that easily detectable if I don''t want to be, but I''m constantly making it easier and easier, and still, no one noticed. Let''s change my approach, then. I suddenly released intense pressure using my Reiatsu. Not strong enough to make them faint, but they had difficulty breathing. "It took you over 5 minutes to notice me! If I was an enemy, you would all be dead! I don''t know what I was expecting, but the level you are all on is uneptable!" I could see that some of them were starting to get scared, which was unsurprising since I was leaking my killing intents as well, but it was disappointing, nheless. (E/D: Average Asian parent.) "Scared?" I asked. "Are you scared that I will kill you? That you will die? Even in your profession? Pathetic! Trying to perverse your life is natural, but all of us in this room don''t deserve to be scared of dying! The only ones who should kill are those who are prepared to be killed. Don''t be mistaken. I don''t want you to throw away your life but don''t be hypocritical enough to not expect karma to catch up to you. Here''s the thing. All of you are weak! And so am I, but there''s no shame in being weak. You should be ashamed of not trying to get stronger. From today onwards, I''m changing a few things around here. All of you here are allowed to try and assassinate me. I don''t care what method you are using. Try to be creative, and if anyone manages to make me bleed, they will get a reward. I''ll listen to that person''s request and try my best to grant your wish. Be it money, personal training, or even a question or advice that you are looking for, it doesn''t matter. Don''t worry, I won''t try to kill you back, but it doesn''t mean that I won''t defend myself or even attack back. After I''m done with you, you''ll wish that you were dead. My name is Ryoto Yuuki, and I''m the new Captain of Squad 2. The pleasure is all yours." (Yukima''s pov) I don''t want to think about mom. She left, and that''s that. She may have had a good reason, but I don''t know, and I don''t care. She left not only me and my siblings but also my dad. Masaru mentioned how Dad was feeling, and seeing how he doesn''t even show it makes me feel awful because I... we know that he does that for us. What''s worse is that Dad mentioned that Mom would be considered a criminal in Soul Society, and I wouldn''t even care for that if not for all the questioning Dad, Isane-kaasan, and Rin-kaasan went through, which was the source of their headaches. I need to blow off some steam, and what''s better than to annoy Bya-chan! --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 257: Recovery Chapter 257: Recovery (Ryoto''s pov) It has already been a week since I became captain of the 2nd division. During that time, there weren''t as many assassination attempts as I had hoped, but there were few challengers. Most tried to sneak up on me, which didn''t end well... for them, I mean. There were few that attempted to poison my food, but I could see through their efforts. Overall, it was fun, but I had one issue. I still haven''t found my new helper. Paperwork isn''t going to solve itself. Maybe I just dump it on someone random for a while until I find the right person. *Kncok* *Knock* I heard someone knocking on the door of my office. Although I don''t do most of the paperwork, I still need to look through more important documents, and it doesn''t help that Yoruichi hated paperwork just as much as I did, so she left a lot of work. "Come in." As the door opened, I got to see a guest I didn''t expect to visit to me. Soi Fon walked up to my desk and didn''t say a word for a long time, seemingly having trouble asking me something. She was very expressive, which meant that she is very easy to get a read on. It was also clear to me that she cried a lot in thest few days. Also, surprisingly, she didn''t try to kill me even once in thest week. I find it pretty strange since even before I dered my challenge to the whole 2nd division, she was attacking me as soon as I breathed the wrong way. "Can I ask you something?" She finally asked. I put the pen that I was using to sign some documents and focused entirely on the girl in front of me. "I don''t see why not. Although I don''t know how helpful I''ll be, but I''ll try my best to answer whatever question you are going to ask." I tried to sound as mature and wise as possible in hopes that it would soften the mood, but it didn''t work because Soi Fon started talking without acknowledging what I said. "Are you angry at Yoruichi-sama for leaving you?" ...Well, that is a heavy topic, but I didn''t even need to think about my answer for even a moment. "I''m not angry. Sad? Yes, but not angry." Soi Fon didn''t ept my answer. "How can you not be!? Without saying anything to anyone, she vanished!!! She left everyone! Me, you, her child! How can you be okay with that!?" In the corners of Soi Fon''s eyes, tears started to build up. She couldn''t hold her emotions inside of her anymore. She obviously felt betrayed. With just one word from Yoruichi, Soi Fon would''ve followed her even if it meant bing an enemy of the entire Soul Society. "Do you know why she didn''t want to drag anyone with her problem?" I asked patiently, trying to sound as gently as possible, at which she shook her head while wiping away her tears. "It doesn''t matter. No matter what, I would''ve have followed her." "I''m sure of that, and so is Yoruichi, but I can tell you one reason why she left you behind and one why you are not with her." "Aren''t these two the same thing?" She questioned. "Not exactly. Yoruichi left without telling you because she cared about you. She didn''t want to get you in trouble. Whatever she was doing was dangerous, and she went on a solo mission. On the other hand, you aren''t at her side because you are simply too weak." Soi Fon winced at myment, knowing that I was right but didn''t want to fully ept it. "So why not prove her otherwise and train like crazy so she would regret not taking you with her?" I smirked. Having some kind of goal will help her focus on something else, and with that, Soi Fon won''t be filled with anger and sadness for the next 100 years. Soi Fon went deep in her thoughts. "Are you asking me to try to kill you?" "That''s how my teacher trained me, and you can''t question his results. You can''t forget the reward too. You will be getting stronger, and when you are finally able to reach me, you''ll get whatever you want. Two birds with one stone." "If I''ll make you bleed, will you tell me who the killer of my mother is?" Her question made me pause for a moment, but it was unnoticeable for the girl in front of me. "If you manage to do it, I''ll tell you." Was what I ended up saying. Lord, help me... (E/D: Ryoto my homie... you f**ked up.) --- 20 years have passed again. I''m starting to get used to the time passing that fast. I was currently doing a check-up on Ukitake. "As always, thanks for doing these check-ups, Ryoto-kun." Ukitake thanked me just like he always did, at which I needed to actively stop myself from rolling my eyes. "And as I tell you every time, stop thanking me for something I want to do. I have the biggest chance to cure you and decided that I want to help my senpai. You thank me one more time, and I''m leaving you with Yukima for a whole day. Try keeping up with her without my lollipops to help you with your health." I didn''t stop examining him as I was talking. Every day, I could feel getting closer and closer to healing him. I learned a lot about medicine in these years. Mikado would be proud, but I''m still far from her in terms of medical abilities, but my knowledge of medicine was mostly mixed with an understanding of the soul. Now that I think about it, Mikado somehow managed to create gigai on her own. Are ghosts'' properties in my home world different than here or is she just that much of a genius. Maybe there are aliens that are very simr to ghosts, and Mikado encountered them in her past. Thought for another time. As I was thinking about Mikado, Ukitakeughed nervously. "I think you are the only doctor, except for Captain Unohana, that threatens his patients." "I''m not a doctor, so I don''t count." I opened my eyes and started using them to see even more details. Ukitake, as usual, turned away from me so he couldn''t see my eyes, and I even scanned my surroundings for any spies or anything simr. You can never be too careful. I feel like I''m missing something vital, but what? I was thinking that practically every time I''m doing the check-up. It''s not Mimihagi that is stopping me from healing Jushiro-senpai because he was feeling better thanks to my lollipops, so that is something different. ... ... ... Wait! I''m looking at itpletely in the wrong way. Something is wrong with Ukitake''s lungs. I''m aware of that. It must be an unknown illness. Or is it? What if it''s an illness I am aware of but couldn''t recognize under the ''telescope'' because everything in Soul Society, including people, is made of Reiryoku, and it''s entirely possible that because of that, it works slightly differently while having the same symptoms. I quickly put my theory into action and started examining it while looking at everything from different angles. --- Time passed in silence. As I was working hard to unveil the secrets of Ukitake''s sickness, Jushiro-senpai was patiently waiting for me to finish. I was almost there. I could almost see whatever I was looking for. I just needed to focus more, which wasn''t easy as my eyes were overheating too fast to do any work, and I needed to take short breaks every few seconds, but I was getting impatient, so I decided to push myself even further and was using my eyes until it hurt. I decided that today was the day I was going to heal Ukitake! --- "YEEESSS!!!" I screamed in joy, startling Jushiro-senpai. "What is it, Ryoto-kun?" "Wait a minute. I''m almost done." I took out one of the lollipops hidden in one of my many hidden pockets and focused my power on it. Analyzing and understanding the sickness was mandatory for my ability. The more I know, the more effective it is, and after a few decades of researching this illness, recent revtion, and thest 2 hours of examination, I would like to believe that I have a pretty good idea of what''s going on inside my senpai''s body. After a short while of trying to perfect the supposed cure, I finally gave the candy to the sick captain. "Jushiro-senpai, please try this lollipop." I asked him a bit nervously. I believe that it would work, but I could very well be mistaken, which would take me back to the start. And so, I was anticipating Jushiro-senpai to try the lollipop. He started licking it, and at first, nothing happened. It was normal. These bad boys aren''t omnipotent. It will take some time until they show their effects. --- Another half hour passed, and I couldn''t see any difference in Ukitake. I wasn''t using my eyes and just observed him traditionally, so I couldn''t be sure. As I was waiting for any signs, the white-haired senpai of mine suddenly stood up and used his Shunpo to go around the room a few times. After he stopped, he checked his body and turned his head toward me in disbelief. "I-I don''t feel any difort..." With his words, I could feel the weight dropping from my shoulders, and I fell down on my back, finally able to rx. I did it... I cured Ukitake. I finally fulfilled my promise to myself. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J /Kurit (10 chapters ahead and exclusive illustrations.) Chapter 258: Romance? Chapter 258: Romance? (Byakuya''s pov) The weather was eptable, so I decided to do something I wouldn''t usually do. I decided to go for a walk in the Rukongai district. One of the reasons I chose to do it was to avoid Yukima. As ofte, she bothered me more than usual. I suspect it has something to do with Yoruichi bing a traitor. I tried to tolerate her, but as patient and understanding as I am, I also have my limits. Not to mention that my family owes a lot to Captain Ryoto Yuuki, and while I can respect his strength, it doesn''t mean that this respect transfers to Yukima. I was alone, but it was possible that I was followed by some bodyguards since I was the next head of the Kuchiki n, not that I needed protection. As I was walking, it was easy to tell that I didn''t belong there. My clothes were worth more than anyone here could earn in many years, if even in their lifetime. My aura was that of a noble. Proud and dignified. Everyone made space for me to walk through. It felt natural for them to do it, but my father taught me not to think that I deserved this treatment because I was born a Kuchiki. I should instead earn it by my actions. Nobles don''t exist, so they can stand above peasants. They live so they can lead them in the right direction. To set an example for everyone. That was, in fact, one of the reasons why I despised Yoruichi despite her teaching me. She may have been a noble on the level equal to me, but she didn''t behave that way at all, but I shouldn''t think about it right now. I came here to take a break from annoyance, so that''s what I''m going to do. --- This walk calmed me down significantly. I can confidently return to my house where Yukima probably hides and tries to ambush me, and I can say that I can endure Yukima for some time now without losing my cool. As I was ready to return, someone bumped into me. Or was it I who bumped into that person? In any case, I should apologize, and so I offered a hand to help this person stand back up. "I apologize. I wasn''t paying... attention..." As soon as Inded my eyes on her, words couldn''t leave my mouth. For some reason, I had difficulty forming any thoughts. My heart was racing, but I did everything in my power not to show any of these on the outside. The woman seeing who assumed I was someone important, just like many others today, stood up quickly and bowed respectfully. "You don''t need to apologize, my lord. It was all my fault." She answered hurriedly, trying to convey her words quickly as she could. Was she... scared of me? For some reason, I didn''t like it, but I couldn''t think normally, so I just nodded and left. I felt stupid afterward. I don''t know why I reacted the way I did, and I need advice from someone. I don''t want to bother my Father and Mother, and I will never ask Yukima for help with anything. I could ask her father since he is known for his problem-solving ability, but I can''t stand him for simr reasons that I do Yoruichi. That leaves only two options... (3rd''s pov) Currently, three boys are sitting at the table. The silver-haired boy wasn''t happy by being called since he could do other things, but Byakuya was an old family friend, so he didn''t want to ignore it. Akio''s brother, on the other hand, was waiting patiently for the young Kuchiki to speak up. As they were waiting, they enjoyed the tea prepared by servants in the Kuchiki mansion. "I called you two because I am in need of advice." Byakuya stated. "Yesterday, when I was taking a break from your sister." "Understandable." Akio cut in, and Byakuya nodded. "Yes, and to do that, I chose to go somewhere where she wouldn''t find me, and so I went to Rukongai district. Inuzuri, to be exact." Both of the boys were nodding, following their friend''s story. "Nothing unusual happened for most of my time there, but at the end of it, I bumped into someone. It was a woman simr age to us, maybe a little younger or just looking young. She had short ck hair and purplish eyes and was petite and pale. The moment I met her, it was like my body didn''t belong to me. I couldn''t think straight. Words couldn''t leave my mouth. I don''t know why this happened. I suspect that I may have caught a sickness of some sort, but before checking myself with a doctor, I decided to ask an opinion for someone close to my age because I have suspicions that my health isn''t a problem at the moment." Hearing their friend Akio and Masaru look at each other and seeminglymunicate with each other without saying a single word. "Can we get a moment to discuss something in private?" Masaru asked after a short silence, and Byakuya agreed. Two brothers left the room, and after they made sure that no one was eavesdropping, they could discuss their problem. "Is he serious?" Akio started. "I think so... Byakuya isn''t one to joke about... this. He seemed confused about the whole situation." Masaru answered as he scratched the back of his head. "So, what should we do? If we help him, Yukima won''t be happy." Both of the boys knew about Yukima''s little crush on Byakuya, but they weren''t sure if she herself knew about that. "But it wouldn''t be fair to Byakuya if we hid the truth from him." "Do what you want. I don''t care either way. The faster we get it done, the faster I''m getting back to my research." Akio shrugged. He honestly didn''t care that much about the love life of his sister or his friend. "Akio, I know that you have your own life and goals, but I think that right now is as good as any to talk about. You are distancing yourself from the family. Mostly, Dad." Hearing his brother talk made Akio roll his eyes, and even without listening to him to the end, he interrupted him. "Don''t start this, Masaru-nii. Mom already talked about it, but she doesn''t understand anything. Neither can you. Besides, Dad doesn''t care." Masaru frowned. "That''s where you''re wrong, Akio. Just because Dad lets you do what you want, doesn''t mean that he doesn''t worry about you. He wants you to be happy even if he isn''t part of your life." Once again, Akio rolled his eyes. "Yeah, right. Mr. Perfect knows everything about me, everything about Dad, and what we should do to be happy. Listen, Masaru-nii, you don''t know as much as you think you do. Dad isn''t the nice guy who likes toze around. He doesn''t care about anything but himself, strength, and money. He would have killed for thetter." "Akio..." Masaru was, for the first time,pletely serious, and it showed on his face. The older of the brothers was ring intensely at his sibling. "Careful what you are saying. You can''t use someone of something this serious without any evidence." His tone was like nothing before, which made Akio smirk. "I almost can''t believe it. Masaru-nii, the boy who always smiled, nice to everyone, dropped his mask. You want evidence? Just ask Dad about Yan Fon. Knowing you, you''ll notice if he reacts even the slightest hearing this name. Just don''t tell him that you heard it from me or don''t. I don''t care. I n on moving out soon enough and enter 13 Court Guard Squads. I already have a rmendation. Bye Masaru-nii. Now that we are done here, I''m going back to my research and training. You can do whatever you want with Byakuya. I don''t care enough about that." "Akio, wait!" Masaru called out, but Akio didn''t stop walking and soon used Shunpo to leave the Kuchiki mansion. Masaru didn''t like how this conversation went, but it didn''t mean he wasn''t curious about what he heard from his little brother. After a short while, Masaru returned to Byakuya and exined to him that Akio needed to leave for something and exined carefully what he was going through, and to let him digest this information, he left thinking about this Yan Fon. Her name was familiar, so he decided to investigate before he asked his father anything. (E/D: Genderbend Rito and add him to harem.... I miss the old days. The children were a mistake. I mean, I might have been happy if it was with L first and in their home world but this... this doesn''t feel like it anymore. Potachu... it''s been as long day, without you my friend and I will tell you all about it when I see you again.) --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J /Kurit (10 chapters ahead and exclusive illustrations.) Chapter 259: A talk with dad Chapter 259: A talk with dad (Masaru''s pov) I''m a bit worried about what Akio was implying about Dad. What he said about Dad didn''t sound like him. I can vouch for it. Whenever we ask him for anything, he tries to grant us anything while still being reasonable. We wanted to train, and he started training us. We wanted to leave Sereitei to explore, and he let us. It doesn''t sound like he only cared for strength, money, or himself. If that was the case, he wouldn''t adopt Rangiku and Gin. He wouldn''t marry mom, Isane-kaasan, and Yoruichi-kaasan. He wouldn''t have children in the first ce. In the first ce, Dad doesn''t seem greedy for money. He respects it since he lived in the poor part of the Rukongai district, but that''s all. Not to mention that he regrly goes to the Captain of Squad 13 to examine him. I can''t stop worrying, though. What if there was some truth in what Akio said. I don''t believe it, but he gave me a name that I can investigate. Yan Fon and it''s eerily familiar to Soi Fon, and that would be my first lead. --- I went to the 2nd division barracks to look for Soi Fon, and the best way to find her was through my dad, as he became Captain there not a long time ago. I didn''t need to look around for long. I only needed to look around for a tree that would be good to nap under, and just like that, I found my parent rxing there. I walked up to him with the intention of waking him up, but before I could say or do anything, he spoke up. "What is it, Masaru?" It didn''t surprise me that he could sense me. He always was better at sensing others than I was, but I didn''t expect him to be awake. "I thought that you were sleeping." Dad stood up and started stretching. "I was, but it doesn''t mean that I''m not paying attention to my surroundings. Otherwise, someone could get a jump on me, but never mind me, you want to ask me for something, am I right?" "Yes, I wanted to ask where Soi Fon is. I have a matter with her to discuss." Dad perked up hearing it. "Is it finally a day!?" He seemed strangely energetic about it. "I was waiting for this day longer than I thought. Literal decades, I tell you, but I can finally have this man-to-man talk with you. First, the key to sess is confidence. Doesn''t matter if you don''t know what you are doing. It worked for me far more than it should..." ... I think he misunderstood something. "Dad... I don''t know what you are talking about it. I just wanted to ask Soi Fon about something." "Well... this is awkward. I already sent hell Butterflies to your mothers about celebrating you having an interest in the opposite sex. We were starting to worry that we won''t be grandparents at this rate." Only Dad could make me this speechless. "Dad, I barely became an adult. Also, I don''t know many girls my age. Besides Yukima, who is my sister, and Rangiku, who is my adoptive sister, I don''t know any other girls." Besides, I''m not looking for a rtionship at the moment. "Right... I sometimes forget that you age differently than I did. When I was sixteen, I was already preparing myself to be a father, and you are 80 years old and barely an adult. Strange world we are living in." True, Mom and Dad are literally from a different world. They both came to Soul Society and retained their memories of their lives, but I suspect there is something more to it. They always were very vague about their early life. "Yeah, Dad, I would love to talk about your life, but right now, I really need to talk with Soi Fon." I may be a bit hasty, but I would like to clear the uncertainties in my mind as fast as possible. "Before I do that, can you listen to my rambling for a bit?" Dad asked, which confused me, but I didn''t mind. "You see, Masaru, out of all of my children, you are the most simr to me... for better or worse. It means that I can read you better than your siblings because you think in a simr way, and right now, you say that you have a business with Soi Fon, but that''s not the whole truth, is it." My heartbeat quickened. I don''t understand why. I love my father, so why... am I scared? Am I scared that the person I love, and respect was just a lie, or I don''t want this lie to end... The whole time Dad was talking, he was calm, but it didn''t help calm my nerves. Maybe... maybe I should just face Dad. Without me even noticing, I let my hand rest on the hilt of my Zanpakuto, but Dad didn''t pay it any attention. Was it confidence in his strength? Possibly. He was much stronger than me, but there could be another reason that I would like to believe in. What if he believed that I wouldn''t harm him, and my actions were simply unreasonable. ... Akio got to my head more than I thought. I took a deep breath, let go of the hilt of my weapon, and, full of determination, looked at my father. "Dad... who is Yan Fon?" Dad didn''t answer, and everything second of silence was like an eternity to me, waiting patiently for his answer. "Let''s go somewhere else..." --- We went to our usual training spot, called the Study Chamber, and we didn''t exchange a single word between us. Not like it took that long with our speed to get there, but learning the truth will be nerve-wracking. Just like Akio said, that knows about Yan Fon. I don''t know what connection he does have with her, but whatever it is, it must be serious. After we finally stopped, Dad turned to me, took down his sses, removed his contacts, and looked at me with his real but, at the same time, unreal eyes. He only does that when he ispletely earnest. Dad ims that the eyes are the window of the soul, so by showing his eyes, he wants to show his sincerity. "Masaru, you know too much." In an instant, Dad got behind me, and I felt a prick on the back of my neck. "This poison will make air poisonous to you. In about a few thousand years, you will die." Before I could register what had happened, Dad did something to me. Am I going to... die? Wait... Then the realization hit me as I looked at Dad and saw his grin. The same grin that he has when he sessfully pranks someone. My reaction was to show a deadpan face to my old man. "Not funny? I thought it was good. When I was younger, there was this joke that air is poisonous and makes us die but very slowly... But never mind that. Feeling better?" What? He is right; I feel slightly more rxed. Did the joke losen all the tension inside me? Seeing that his n worked, he gently smiled, but it was a short-lived smile as soon after, his face turned... emotionless. "I''m going to be honest. When I woke up today, I wasn''t expecting to hear that name from my son''s mouth at that." Dad''s voice was calm, scarily so,cking his usual teasing or more vibrant tone that he usually has. It wascking emotions, as if he tried to distance himself from them. "I was sure that only Yoruichi knew about my connection to Yan Fon, but it seems that I was mistaken. Masaru, what I am about to tell you, you cannot share this with anyone. Not with your mothers, not with your sibling, not with anyone." --- What I heard from Dad was... heartbreaking for me. I know that the world is a cruel ce. That''s why I''m training so hard, but even though I knew that my parents didn''t have the easiest of life, I didn''t expect him to sacrifice his own morals for Mom. But by doing that, he destroyed someone else''s family. Soi Fon''s family. "So now you know why I asked you to keep this a secret. Rin would feel responsible for forcing me into doing what I did. Not to mention that I still have scars from when I fought Yan Fon''s bodyguards. That''s why I need you to tell me how you got information about her. Yoruichi buried all of the information about her as deeply as she possibly could, so my bad decision from my youth won''t bite me in the future." What Dad is saying makes sense, so I decided to share what I knew. "Akio told me." Dad narrowed his eyes. "Akio is a smart kid, but he wouldn''t find out this information by sheer ident. If that was so easy, Central 46 would bang on my doors ages ago. He either must have dug deep, real deep or... someone..." Dad trailed off, starting to think about something. Wait, someone... "Dad, I don''t know if that helps, but Akio mentioned something about wanting to join the Gotei 13 and moving out. He even has a rmendation from someone." That made Dad stop his quiet murmuring, and I could feel many emotions explode, confusion, anger, sadness, but one of them was something I didn''t feel from my father before, fear. "Do you know from whom he got the rmendation?" he finally asked me, at which I shook my head. "Then it looks like we will have a very awkward dinner tonight." --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J /Kurit (Up to 10 chapters ahead and exclusive illustrations) Chapter 260: Awkward dinner Chapter 260: Awkward dinner (3rd''s pov) In the Yuuki household, there was an unwritten rule that the family should eat together as often as possible. It didn''t mean, however, that everyone should drop what they were doing and rush home for dinner. There were times when Ryoto, Isane, Yoruichi, or Rin couldn''t make it because of work or missions. Thankfully, it wasn''t amon urrence, and today, just as it usually is, everyone was present except for Yoruichi for obvious reasons. Although usually, it''s a happy time, today, the atmosphere was tense and heavy. Even the person with the thickest skull in the room (Yukima) could see that something was wrong. The reason for it was a duo of father and son, Ryoto and Akio. While Akio was most often seen with a frown, he enjoyed his time at the daily dinners. He will miss them when he moves out, but if it helps him reach his goal, it will be worth it. He looked at his mother with an affectionate gaze. He loved his mother, and he hated that she needed to keep being with his father... but he''ll save her... soon. It was amazing how she could still smile at him while in the presence of this monster, but it only made his conviction even stronger. What made him sad was that he would have never noticed this if not for his mentor and friend. Then he shifted his eyes to his father, and he met with the blue, alien, and mechanical-like eyes of his other parent. He didn''t know why his father had unusual eyes. Are they artificial or not? It wasn''t that important, but his scientific mind couldn''t help but try to solve this mystery. Ryoto looked back at his son, but because of his worries and anger at himself, it was an intense stare that didn''t help with Akio''s image of his dad. Even the fantastic food prepared by Rin herself couldn''t salvage this mood in the room, so Rangiku, being the social butterfly that she is, tried to help with the tension. "So, Akio-nii, did you do something interesting recently?" Akio, without looking away from his dad, started speaking. "Now that you mentioned it, I have something to share with everyone. I n to join Gotei 13 tomorrow, in fact, and I already got a rmendation to be a vice-captain. I also decided to move out. I apologize for thete notice, but it''s not like I won''t be seeing you anymore." The whole time, Akio''s tone was nonchnt, but he could feel the increasing pressure of his father. It wasn''t like Ryoto was releasing his Spiritual pressure. He was too trained to make an amateur mistake like this. This mainly was Akio''s imagination. Sitting at the same table as his father, his very powerful father, doing something against him and at the same time staring at each other with aggression (ording to him). It wasn''t that strange that he was feeling tense. That didn''t mean, though, that Ryoto didn''t care. He was boiling inside, and if he was 150 years younger, he would''ve raged out, but he learned in his life that it''s better to focus your anger on using it at a better time, and he couldn''t wait for it to unleash it. As the staredown continued, Akio could feel the warmth on top of his hand. He turned his head to see the source of this feeling, and it was his mother with a concerned expression. He hated seeing her like that. "Akio, dear, are you sure about that? You don''t need to hurry to move out or even join the ranks of Sereitei." Akio''s decision wasn''t so easily swayed, and he stuck with his choice. "Sorry, Mom, but that''s what I want to do. I''ll visit as often as I can." It was the first time during the dinner that Akio sounded affectionately, but it was cut short. "Akio, can you tell me which Squad you are nning to join?" Ryoto asked calmly, hoping that maybe somehow, he was mistaken, and his worries were just that, worries. His question was met with another angry re. "And why do you want to know that?" "Because, as a father, I worry about you. You may be an adult who is capable of making his own decisions, but it doesn''t mean that you are not my child anymore." Again, calm, Ryoto answered, making Akio even angrier. (E/D: Ok let''s just kill this guy and then keep the rest, that sounds like a fair deal.) "If you want to know that much, why won''t you use your little spying squad to get that information." The son hissed back, but the father didn''t back down. "You know that as soon as you be a lieutenant, it bes public knowledge. If you wanted to hide which Division you are joining, you should, at the very least, stay a seated officer. If you don''t want to share this information, then so be it. I can''t force you." Seeing his father calm made Akio even angrier, but he didn''t start screaming at his parent but dismissively answered anyway, as even if he despised him, Akio could see the truth in his words. "I''ll be in Squad 5 under Captain Aizen. Now if you excuse me." Akio got up and left. Silence stayed in the room for a while, no one knowing how to get rid of this awkward atmosphere. "I''ll also be going. I have some work left to do." Ryoto stood up and gave goodbye kisses to Isane and Rin. "Don''t do anything stupid." Rin said as Ryoto was leaving the house. She knows him too well because what he''s nning to do is pretty stupid, but if that increases Akio''s safety, he''ll live with being stupid without any shame. --- The evening at the Squad''s 5 barracks was quiet, and not many were still working at this hour. The exception was the very hard-working and kind Captain Aizen. He was in his room doing thest check-ups on the rapports until he heard a knock on his door. Not expecting any guests, Aizen wasn''t sure who that may be, but he weed the freshly arrived individual, nheless. If he could help, he would. That''s what kind of captain he wants to be. After all, that''s part of his character. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J /Kurit (Up to 10 chapters ahead and exclusive illustrations.) Chapter 261: In the mind of genius Chapter 261: In the mind of genius (Ryoto''s pov) I was invited to Aizen''s room, and I kept stopping myself from strangling him but attacking him now won''t be wise. I sat at the small table, and Aizen did the same. "I must say, I wasn''t expecting you today, Captain Yuuki. How can I help you?" He gave me a kind and reassuring smile, and it made me sick. What''s worse, I can''t tell that he is lying, and I''m pretty good at recognizing liars. "I came here because of my son, Akio. I heard that he would be your lieutenant. As a father, I''m just worried about my child. I''m sure you understand." "I assure you that while Akio-kun will be under mymand, I will do everything in my power to create a safe environment. At least as safe as it''s possible in our line of work." He chuckled at the end at his own joke. "I think you are misunderstanding something, Aizen." I released my killing intent. "I came here to warn you. I don''t know what lies you are feeding my son. Most, if not all, of them, are probably mixed with the truth as much as possible, so it would be nigh impossible to untangle them. You are doing your thing, and I can see that you included Akio in your ns already, but I''m warning you. If you try to incorporate him more than he already is, don''t. If you are nning on using him, don''t. Stay the kind captain that you are role-ying until it''s time for you to kindly fuck off from Sereitei to continue your ns somewhere else. My family is off-limits, and if you don''t take my words to heart, I will break your arms and everything else as well." I didn''t stop releasing my killing intent at Aizen through our ''talk'', but after the initial flinch from the surprise, he didn''t change his expression even once, but when I was done talking, I felt like he slipped his mask for the first time and showed his true self with a smile that while looked normal, felt sinister. "You really are scary, Captain Yuuki." I tensed, ready to fight. His smile made me feel uneasy, and it didn''t help that I didn''t know what kind of emergency n he had for me. At the same time, I could feel something on my hands. I quickly nced just in case because you never know with Aizen, but I ignored that as there wasn''t anything there. Maybe it was just my instinct. "I see you stopped your act." "I don''t see any reason to continue it in front of you. Would you like some tea?" To my surprise, he offered me a drink. "Better not. The longer we stay in the same room, the higher the possibility of me losing my patience and slicing you in two." "Now, now, we shouldn''t resort to violence so quickly." The captain in front of me mockingly tried to calm me. "Usually, I would agree, but your voice makes me want to strangle someone. Can you help me ''scratch that itch''?" Aizen giggled, amused by my words. "You certainly are an interesting individual, but as much as I would love to help you, I must refuse you." This is getting old. "Listen, Aizen. I only came here to warn you. You, mess with my family, it will be the end of you and your whole little charade. I will push my body and spirit to their limits and beyond, but I will make sure that you won''t win." With these words, I left, not wanting to deal with this maniptor any longer. (Aizen''s pov) I sat down in my office in front of my desk. I took a seemingly random notebook and started writing in it. I was training in my calligraphy. It helps me concentrate, and it creates a beneficial secondary effect of making me look even more hard-working. Now into the subject of my thoughts. Ryoto Yuuki, current captain of Squad 2 and previous captain of Squad 7, as well as previous vice-captain of Squad 13. Among ordinary Shinigami, he is known as a yboy, but among his closest people, it''s very well known that the truth is much different. Even if he possesses multiple lovers, Captain Yuuki wasn''t seen flirting with any members of the opposite sex outside his lovers. There were instances of ''messing'' with some women, but they were mostly at least acquaintances like Kiyone Kotetsu, Isane Kotetsu''s younger sister, or Soi Fon, who he has a connection with via Yoruichi but in truth, he probably met her even before that. He is... interesting. The first time I started to have an interest in his person was through his children. I observed their fight against my not-so-stealthy friends that I used to try toplete Hogyoku. They did their job, and finding these children of Captain Yuuki was the most significant thing they''ve done. Without them, I would probably miss dangerous individuals such as Ryoto Yuuki and his children. Seeing Yukima Yuuki, daughter of Ryoto and Yoruichi, using her Hollow mask. It was where it all started. It was like a p to my face. It was something simr to what I was trying to achieve. Not for myself, but it would be a beginning. My first suspect was Kisuke Urahara. He was the man I acknowledged as an equal to my intelligence, so it wouldn''t be strange for him to have a simr n to mine, but I quickly threw away this thought. While I admit that he is capable of it, at the same time, I am aware of how foolish he is. But if it wasn''t him, which would make the most amount of sense with his connection to both Yoruichi Shihoin and Ryoto Yuuki, then it would mean that either there was someone else who conducted simr experiments or... there was a naturally hollowfied Shinigami, and seeing Yukima''s age, I would incline to say that it was the second option, and if that''s the case, then I am highly dubious that she was the first, which led me to Ryoto Yuuki. I did my research about him as much as I could, and I came across something very interesting. There was this mysterious case many years ago. Yan Fon, the mother of Soi Fon, then known as Shaolin, was murdered. The suspect was a highly intelligent Hollow as the only witness left was the little girl. All the others were killed. Not to mention Hollow-like Reiatsu, where the bodyguards fought. It only made me believe even more that Ryoto Yuuki was capable of the same thing his daughter was. The reason was simple, she wasn''t born yet, and the wounds to the bodies, from what I could gather, were made with a de, a Zanpakuto most likely, but the idea was thrown away when it was decided that it was a Hollow attack. What a surprise it was. I always knew that there was something more to him since he could sense the little camera that I used, but upon this discovery, he became even more interesting. It was a shame that I couldn''t do much with this information. Ryoto Yuuki was surrounded by many, let''s just say, troublesome individuals, but it didn''t mean that I couldn''t do anything. *Knock* *Kncok* Once again, I heard knocking on my doors, and I assumed it was Akio-kun. He probably had a dispute with his father. That was the reason Captain Yuuki came to me in the first ce. I was expecting him to know about me the moment Yoruichi Shihoin and Kisuke Urahara escaped from Soul Society. They were close, very close with each other, and in time during their escape, Ryoto vanished somewhere. I could easily deduct that he went to meet up with Yoruichi and Urahara before they left Soul Society. It was apparent that they both would warn him about me, and if I didn''t know any better, he would have fooled me, which was impressive, just like his act for thest few decades. I opened the doors, and just as I thought, it was Akio-kun. He looked embarrassed. He probably wants to ask for a free room to sleep in. It''s good that I anticipated this. "Aizen-san... Is there any free room that I can use? I am ashamed, but I left without much thought. I will need to return at ater date to get my stuff, but for now, I don''t want to return today." I nodded. Just as I thought. "Of course, I have. I already prepared a room for you, but it looks like it will be used earlier than I thought." I patted his head and showed a kind smile. While Akio-kun is aware of my other, my more calcting side, he believed that whatever I was doing was for the greater good. His train of thought was not entirely wrong, but I doubt that my greater good was the same as his. Akio-kun was an excellent piece. At first, I approached him because I believed that he was the most vulnerable of Ryoto''s children, and I was correct. I hoped that he had the same power as Yukima-kun and Ryoto, but I was left disappointed learning that it wasn''t the case. No matter, I worked with what I had and learned a lot of interesting information. He was my insider in the Yuuki family, and he provided a lot of data that I double-checked every time. One can never be too careful. One of such piece of information was about Captain Ryoto''s eyes. From what I''ve heard, they were unusual. I wasn''t aware of their abilities, if they had any to begin with, but I noticed that he is immune to my illusions but not to hypnosis. I confirmed my suspicions today while we were talking. I tried to make Ryoto see something behind me, but he didn''t react at all. I then made him believe that there was a big insect walking on his arm. It was brief, but he looked down and saw nothing. So, he could still feel. After that, I stopped talking but made him hear what I would say while still moving my mouth. Once again, it worked as intended. I could only conclude that Ryoto is somehow immune to optical illusions, which could be part of his eye''s abilities, or it could be the only one, but unless he talks more about it to Akio-kun, which is doubtful. Speaking of Akio-kun, it was incredibly easy to earn his trust. So many insecurities, so many fears, and so many opportunities to get him to my side. At first, I slowly was growing my influence over him by giving him some light guidance and advice, and when the time was right, a slight push in the right direction that was in the form of the illusion of his father abusing his mothers was enough for him to lean on my support more. After all, I was the only adult outside his family that he could depend on. Just like that, I achieved two of my objectives. I pushed away Akio-kun from his family and made him depend on me. Everything so far has gone as nned. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J /Kurit (Up to 10 chapters ahead and exclusive illustrations.) Chapter 262: Heart problems Chapter 262: Heart problems (Yukima''s pov) La... It was time for my weekly Bya-chan annoying. I skipped to the Kuchiki mansion, taking my time. As ofte, Bya-chan was happier, and who was the cause for that other than me. My efforts were finally paying off. Soon gone will be the frowny Bya-chan and will be reced by always smiling Bya-chan... At least on the inside. Bya-chan smiling is a terrifying image in my head. Maybe he needs to practice in front of the mirror. That would be funny if he did that. On the other hand, I''m worrying for him. With his personality, he will never get another friend or even a girlfriend. At this rate, I will need to get together with him... not that I mind. As a friend, I would help him out... Yes, as a friend. My mood was great today overall, and thinking about what I''m going to do today makes it even better. --- Arriving at the mansion, I couldn''t find Bya-chan, so I decided to wait for him there. I asked some of the house servants here, and he should return soon anyway. I was getting pretty bored after the first minute of waiting, so I chose to pull some pranks and put a bucket of water on the door to Bya-chan''s room. If Mister ''I''m going to surpass Yoruichi'' is going to fall for that, then it''s his own fault. The whole thing didn''t take too much, and before I knew it, I could sense Bya-chan''s Reiatsu nearby, so I sneaked around to ambush him. The n went as expected, and I was able to get a jump on him which surprised him. After the initial surprise, I noticed that he wasn''t alone. There was a beautiful girl standing next to him, but she didn''t look noble, so she couldn''t be a guest of someone important. It didn''t mean that she wasn''t pretty, but the air around her was saying that she came from a poorer area of living. Maybe it''s because she seemed ufortable around the ''luxury''. I wonder who she is. Better introduce myself first. "Hey, I''m Yukima Yuuki. I''m Bya-chan''s friend. Who are you? What''s your name? What are you doing here?" I asked as I vigorously shook her hand, but before I could get any answers from the ck-haired girl, I got karate chopped on the head by the forever mean-faced Bya-chan. "Stop your foolishness, Yukima. Can''t you see that you are bothering her with your endless questions?" Why does he need to hit me that hard every time? I''m ady, goddammit, and he should treat me as such! He has a point, though, about asking too many things at the same time. Not that I will tell him that. Bya-chan cleared his throat for some reason and introduced the unfamiliar girl to me. "This here is Hisana, and she is my fianc and soon-to-be wife..." His voice sounded surprisingly fond and warm, but to me, it was like a stab to the gut. I practically muted whatever he was saying. Bya-chan is getting married... Bya-chan is getting married. No matter how many times I repeated this one sentence in my head, I still couldn''t believe it. There was an ufortable feeling in my heart. I wanted to run away as fast as possible, but I didn''t want to make a scene, so I quickly made an excuse and ran home. It felt like I was faster than ever using my Shunpo. I just wanted to be home. I didn''t know if anyone was home, but maybe it was for the better. After a short amount of time, I arrived home. I burst the door open, and I ran inside. Surprisingly, someone was inside at this hour. It was Dad. "Hey, Yukima. I didn''t expect you so early." He was wearing his favorite apron, but I didn''t take the time to take a look at him and ran up and hugged him. Dad quickly returned the hug and, feeling my distress, started stroking my head gently. "What happened, Yukima? You aren''t hurt, are you?" I shook my head while still burning my face in his chest. The next moment, I could feel two of his fingers touching my neck, and I could instantly feel calmness flow through me. He always did that to me and my siblings when I couldn''t control myself. I looked up to see Dad gently smiling at me. "Better?" I nodded. "Do you want to talk about it?" I nodded again but more hesitantly this time. "Let''s go to your room then." We changed our locations, and both sat on my bed. Dad didn''t ask what happened and patiently waited for me to prepare myself. Maybe Dad really can help me. He is smart and always knows what to do. "I visited Bya-chan today, and I found out that he has a fianc. My heart hurt, and I wanted to run away from there as fast as I could. I... I think I like him, and now I don''t know what to do..." Unlike my usual self, I was speaking very timidly, and just like me, Dad didn''t behave like I expected him to and was perfectly calm. "To be honest, I''m not sure how to help you with a broken heart. I never experienced it after all. The closest thing to it that I experienced was my best friend dying by killing herself, but I know it''s not the same." I... I don''t know what to say to that. Dad seems serious, but I think whatever he went through was much more tragic. Even if I''m feeling down at the moment, I can see that clearly, but he looks genuinely deep in his thoughts. "All I can say is that it will go away after some time probably. Love is like a nt. If you don''t tend to it, it will wither, but if you are unlucky, you get a cactus that will survive for a very long time. Life is that cruel sometimes, and the best we can do is to try our best to walk forward. If that makes you better, we can go do some pranks on him together after you feel better." I smiled at hearing that and gave my dad another hug. "Thanks, Dad... for everything." "Everything for my little girl." We stayed like that for a while, but after some time, I realized that something was off. "Dad, why are you wearing only an apron?" Without any shame visible on his face, he answered. "I thought I was the only one home, and it''s morefortable this way. Don''t worry, I''m still wearing underwear under here." With that said, he stood from my bed and exited the room... ... ... ... He lied... He didn''t wear underwear... --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J /Kurit (Up to 10 chapters ahead and exclusive illustrations.) Chapter 263: A request Chapter 263: A request (3rd''s pov) Akio is the middle child of the Yuuki family. He may be called many things, heartless, traitor, naive, foolish even, but one thing was for certain, he loved his mother above all else. That''s why even after he moved out and joined the 5th Division, he met up with her sometimes to check up on her. He did the same with his siblings, but more seldom for the sole reason that they were on their father''s side, which would mean that he didn''t reveal himself to them just yet. They were safe for now, but that was one more reason to be stronger and fast at that. He was d that he listened to Aizen and went along with the n to me Urahara for the Visard incident. That way, Yoruichi would help him and would be forced into the living world, away from his father. Akio would apologize to them at ater date when he would deal with Ryoto, but at the moment, he was content with them just being safe. (E/D: Typical middle child that needs to be humbled.) Right now, Akio was together with Isane, his mother. "Are you eating well? You seem thinner." Isane asked, seeing her son first time in some time. Hearing her worry, Akio smiled. Knowing that she was concerned about his health somehow made him feel that what he does is worth it. "Don''t worry, mom. I was busy as ofte and focused my all on the project I was working on, but I''m going to take care of myself." Isane smiled softly. "You remind me of Urahara-san when you bury yourself in your work like that. I wasn''t that close with him, but Ryoto was." Hearing his father''s name, the mood became sour instantly, and it was very visible to his mother. "Akio," She called softly. "I don''t know what you think about your dad, but he worries about you too." Akio didn''t want to hear yet another person try to defend the man he hated, but for his mother''s sake, he shoved his opinion and didn''t say anything. He didn''t wish to fight with her because of him. But all in all, it was good to see his mother in good health... (Ryoto''s pov) I was walking back and forth in my office. I was bored but not bored enough to start working. Soi Fon will sort these papers outter. She is a good girl and is getting stronger. Maybe that''s why my thoughts were drifting to strange ces inside my mind. Right now, for example, I''m thinking if I''ll ever grow a beard. Almost 200 years have passed, and no hair is to be found on my face. Will I always be a hairless monkey? Will I ever be able to rock the beard like Yama-jii? I certainly hope so. (E/D: How about a mustache. India has the best mustache. You can''t change my mind.) Thankfully, there is still hope. My body is still of someone who is in his early 20s, so there is a possibility that I''ll grow some hair in the future. I wanted to rub my freshly shaved face on someone''s other face, but this dream will have to wait if it will ever be a reality. Changing my thoughtspletely to something more serious. I''m d that Akio is in great health. As much as I would like to grab and pull him away from Aizen, it would be difficult with Kyoka Suigetsu over my son''s head, controlling his senses. For all I know, it''s the reason for his resentment towards me. I hate this 4D chess bullshit. I may have spies in the 5th Division, but I don''t know how much I can trust their reports. I need to double-check everything myself. While I suspect that he can control my other senses, he can''t do anything about my eyes. I rubbed the bridge of my nose. Little over half a century, and I will be able to finally take a break. I doubt anything that wille my way there will be worse than decades of stressing about my and my family''s life. I also miss Rito, Mikan, L, Karen, and the others, but at the same time, I want to procrastinate that meeting for a long time for obvious reasons. I just know that L will know something is off the moment she sees me. Mikan, maybe, not Rito, though. Sorry Rito, but you aren''t the sharpest cookie in the jar. I can just picture how awkward the conversation will be. It''s not something I look forward to. On the other hand, should I get rid of the sses? I mean, I have them only for two reasons. To mess with people and in spite of Aizen. He can''t think that he is the only one with the fake sses. "Dad!" I turned my head towards the source of the voice. The door to my office opened suddenly, revealing my oldest son, Masaru. He stopped in his tracks to look at me. "Dad... Why are you standing on the ceiling?" I tilted my head in confusion, and then I remembered. I jumped down. "Sorry, Masaru. It helps me clear my head, and since I didn''t have anything better to do, I went deep into my psyche." Masaru took a look at the mountain of documents on my desk for a moment, and his eyes returned to me shortly after. I didn''t break eye contact. "... I see. Then why is your upper body without any clothes?" "It''s morefortable that way." I answered as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Masaru decided not to question me any further as he probably concluded that it wasn''t worth it. "Dad, can you spar with me?" I raised my eyebrow. I didn''t expect Masaru to ask me that. We don''t train together as much as before. Sometimes, I give out a pointer or two, but my children train on their own most of the time. On the one hand, I''m proud of them for being independent, but on the other, it''s sad to see them not needing me as much. I guess it''s just a part of being a parent. "Not that I mind, but can I ask what brought that up?" "I want to see how far I am from my goal." My son answered with a look full of determination. "I see." I smiled. "We can go to our usual training spot. I''ll just call someone to oversee my work." I snapped my fingers, awaiting my vice-captain. Instead of practically appearing out of thin air next to Masaru, already on one knee like a ninja, Soi Fon used the door like a normal person looking annoyed. "Soi Fon, my dear! What were we talking about you arriving? We could even cut out the kneeling part." I used Soi Fon of not going along with my fun, and having a personal ninja is fun, at least in my opinion. At least showcasing said ninja to other people. "Captain, I already said that I''m not doing something like that without any reason, and your entertainment isn''t a good reason." I would argue... "Not to mention, I already told you to wear your uniform when you work in the office. No one in our Squad wants to see your figure without clothes. On behalf of all the members, I would like to humbly ask you to spare us this horror." Soi Fon tried to sound as professional as possible, while in fact, she was insulting me. I was feeling almost proud. Her pride doesn''t allow her to be outright rude to her supervisor, but she found a way around it. Although if I annoy her enough, she will revert to her usual self. Before I could say why I called her, she turned to Masaru and bowed slightly. "Good to see you in good health, Masaru-san." "Same, Soi Fon. Although I would prefer it if you weren''t so formal with me. We are no strangers." Don''t say ''to love'', don''t say ''to love''. Be strong, Ryoto. There will be better opportunities in the future. "I must decline. Yoruichi-sama sees you as her own son, and as such, I can''t show you any disrespect. Even if you are the son of my sorry excuse of a Captain." At the sharp tongue of my lieutenant, Masaru smiled wryly. I cleared my throat, catching the attention of the two younglings. "I''m happy seeing both of you getting along, but I called you here, Soi Fon, for a reason. I need you to get all these documents done while I''m out." "Why should I do it? That''s your responsibility." I pointed to myself. "I, Captain." Then I pointed to her. "You, lieutenant." At my very highly intelligent rebuke, Soi Fon stared nkly at me and then slowly walked up to me until our bodies almost touched each other. She looked up to meet my face, and I stared back. This staredownsted a few seconds until she drew her sword at me, which I easily blocked with mine. I grinned. "Nice speed, but it was too predictable. 6/10, better luck next time." "Tsk. You don''t need to tell me that. Just wanted to see if you had gotten rusty. It would be disappointing if it had worked. Now go, do whatever you want." Soi Fon growled at me but still went towards papers and started doing her/my job. Just like that, I was able to free some time to spend it with my son. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/S4eJyhj28 /Kurit (10 chapters ahead and exclusive illustrations.) Chapter 264: Spar with son Chapter 264: Spar with son (Ryoto''s pov) I arrived at the Study Chamber together with Masaru, although I was unfortunately forced to dress up. No matter. It''s not like I''m an exhibitionist. I can stand clothes, and if I was to run around naked, Yama-jii would tan me to death. "So, Masaru, how do you want to do that?" I asked, curious about what kind of spar my son had in mind. "Can we start with hand-to-hand? No Kido, and no Zanpakuto." I nodded and brought both of my hands behind my back. Was it necessary? No, but both of us knew that I didn''t need to put my guard up from the beginning. Masaru, on the other hand, brought his hands up, ready to attack. Seeing that he didn''t know how to start, I made the first move. I rushed with the intention of kicking Masaru''s head, but at thest moment, I lowered my leg to do a swift sweep, surprising my son. As he lost his footing, I made a powerful kick to his torso, sending him flying. I was aware that Masaru possessed Observation Haki, but the moment my foot touched his body, it didn''t feel right... It was too hard... I grinned as I walked up to my opponent, who was lying on the ground. "You are over-relying on your power, Masaru. If your opponent knows how it works, it''s very easy to fool it. Just like I just did." "... Understood." Masaru took some effort to stand back up, and as soon as he was again on his feet, he was already in a fighting stance. Good. I nodded inwardly and rushed once again. My attacks were fast, precise, and at times unpredictable, but despite that, Masaru was blocking my attacks and even counterattacking at times. He has got stronger. His fists are heavy and hard, and his body is sturdy, but I know the reason for that, which made me smile. "Armament Haki, what a surprise to ''see'' it here of all ces, and how long has it been." Masaru seemed shocked but, at the same time, seemed like he was expecting it. "Armament Haki? So that''s what it''s called. To be honest, I was hoping to surprise you with it, but it looks like you already were aware of this power." "Of course, I was. I used to be able to do the same, but because of certain circumstances, it is sealed for now, but you shouldn''t be overconfident in it. It''s not invincible, and even a bare-handed opponent can harm you with the correct technique." To make my point, I changed my stance to more rxed with my palms fully open. We exchanged some blows until I was able tond one strike to his chest with the inside of my hand. The blow wasn''t made with the intention of being destructive, but it was powerful in another way. The damage on the outside was minimal, but the impact went through Haki right through his body with great strength. All the air escaped from Masaru''s lungs, and he dropped to his knees. "You may have a hard protectiveyer, but as I''ve said before, there are ways around it, as I just showed you." Masaru tried to take his breath, and he quickly recovered. I somehow expected him to be frustrated with how easily I handled his Haki, but I could see him smiling. "I knew that I didn''t stand a chance in hand-to-handbat, but I wasn''t aware that the gap was that big. Let''s continue!" And so, we did, but something unexpected happened as our spar was slowly escting. I was increasingly forced to be more and more serious. Masaru was getting better... or at least his Haki was. I doubt that he got a chance to train it in a fight before, but the speed he is improving is tremendous. I wasn''t using my ability to predict moves or even using my own Haki, but it was still very impressive. *SWOOSH* Another punch from Masaru was barely avoided by me. I always dodge as little as possible because it''s a way to preverse the energy of the fight on longer than expected. That''s the way Yama-jii thought of me. If you can''t block it, dodge it. If you can''t dodge it, block it. If you can''t either, minimize damage as much as you can, but this doesn''t exactly trante to this spar. I''m not trying to defeat Masaru, but to train him. (E/D: Parry and Dodge motherf**ker.) --- We took a break from our training, and I felt proud of my son. He was strong and was even able to hit me a few times in the end, but that was only hand-to-handbat, and that wasn''t his specialty. I, on the other hand, pun intended, don''t have any preference. I can go back and forth between different styles, although I''m not the best with Kido even after many decades, which Yama-jii gives me an earful about every time the topices up. Sorry, Captain Commander, but not everyone has Hollow Reiatsu, which is difficult to control, which makes it hard to use Kido. At least with my incredibly wild Reiatsu. At least, that''s what kind of excuse I''m giving myself when I feel bad. Maybe I''m just bad. Can''t be good at everything you try, after all. "Dad?" Masaru called me, and I focused my attention on my son. "There is one more thing that I need your help with." My curiosity grew as Masaru took out his Zanpakuto. "I was able to achieve Bankai." And just like that, my eyes went wide open. It was great news. "Colour me surprised, Masaru. I don''t know what to say except congrattions, and I''m proud of your progress." My words were very genuine, and Masaru could tell, and he smiled back at me. "I just achieved it and didn''t have a chance to test it out, but I would want you to be the first to see it, and if something goes wrong..." Some of the Bankais can be very destructive just by being activated. The best example is Yama-jii, who could literally destroy the whole Soul Society if he let his Bankai out for too long. I also heard that there were some captains before that were forbidden from using their Bankai because of their nature, like Shinji''s, so his worry is justified. As a Captain myself, I could knock him out if needed, even if I''m not best suited against fire-type Zanpakuto. Rin would be better with her Bankai, buttely, she was busy with some affairs in the 7th Division where her full attention was needed, so I understand that Masaru didn''t want to bother her. Still, knowing her, she would find time for him, even if she wouldn''t sleep for a week afterward. Responsibility was important, but so was family. My own parents should learn a thing or two from her, even if I don''t doubt that they care about me, Rito, and Mikan. Though they should show it more often. "Consider it done." I answered my son, and as I unsheathed my own Zanpakuto and released Gyaku''s Shikai. She would be better than Zangetsu in this situation. Not her abilities, but two swords are better than one. With that, I was ready for anything that would happen, and so was Masaru. With a big but slow breath, he muttered. "Bankai." --- The world went all ck. It wasn''t because I lost consciousness. No. Masaru''s Bankai released arge amount of ck mes. I didn''t need my spider sense to know how dangerous these mes were. It felt like they wanted to devour everything in their way, be it ground, rocks, people, Reiatsu, or... even their owner. "Masaru!?" I called to my son, worried about him. I had a bad feeling, and my gut feeling didn''t let me down just yet. I didn''t get an answer, so I immediately activated my Observation Haki to feel Masaru. I didn''t want to trust my Reiatsu reading right now, as using Bankai for the first time can be taxing on the body and spirit alike. It can also raise your Reiatsu a lot but drain it at high speed as well, so Haki was my best bet, and I was right to worry. Something was wrong. Masaru was trashing around, and I could feel his distress as he was being swollen by his own power. "God dammit! Shunpo!" I hoped that my own mes from Shunpo would reduce damage from Masaru''s ck mes, but as soon as they made contact with them, the ck fire devoured mine without giving it a chance. Seeing this, I knew that it wouldn''t work, so I braced myself for unavoidable injuries that I would get. I made a swift motion with my hand to create a Hollow mask and, at the same time, used Hierro on my skin to harden it and raised my Reiatsu, hoping that it would stop the fire at least for a bit until I helped Masaru. I miss my Armament Haki at moments like this. I rushed into the mes, and I could immediately feel its power. The heat was unbearable, and even with all the protection that I had, I could feel my skin burning, but I couldn''t stop. Not until Masaru was safe. Through ck mes and pain, I was getting closer to the center of this chaos. The few moments that I used to get to my son felt like an eternity as I felt my body giving out because of injuries but also because I could feel these mes eating or burning away my Reiatsu and stamina, which was scary to think about. It probably went haywire and is burning away everything, and under normal conditions, it wouldn''t be as dangerous without Masaru risking his life. With thest of my strength, I reached my son, who was screaming and trying to control his Bankai without any sess, so I did what was needed and threw a punch at Masaru, knocking him out and, in the process deactivating his Bankai. I was breathing heavily, but I needed to be sure of Masaru''s condition. He was drained of Reiatsu. It seemed that the mes were devouring his energy just as they were everything else, but thankfully, there weren''t any injuries on his body. Thank God or whatever higher being there is. I don''t care enough right now to correct myself. What a dangerous Bankai my son has. I couldn''t even use Shunpo correctly because it was eating away my Reiatsu at a perilous rate, but what would happen if he used it until he was all out of juice. Would his Bankai deactivate, or would it use alternative fuel... We are going to have a talk with himter but first... I momentarily lost strength in my left leg and took a step back, trying to keep my bnce, but it didn''t help, and I kept going backward until I fell down. Fortunately, there was a boulder that I could lean on as I was sitting. Finding myself in the new position, I decided to check on my wounds since Masaru was physically fine from what I observed. I''ll still get him to the 4th Division to check on him. I looked down to see my legs, and I understood why my legs couldn''t support me. While both of my legs were pretty badly burned, my left leg was in worse condition. With that said, I checked around my body, and it didn''t look any better. 3rd degree burns everywhere. I lost feeling in some parts of my body. I touched my face only to realize that I didn''t have my mask on. I didn''t even notice when it disappeared, but it looked like it protected my face from any major injuries. I should call Isane and Captain Unohana to treat my wounds, and Rin should know about our son''s state. And so, I sent Hell Butterfly to these three. --- Waiting for them toe was difficult. I couldn''t move too much because of my injuries, although I could probably force my body if I needed to. Luckily, Kisuke hid some emergency lollipops around the Study Chamber, and the boulder I was leaning against was one of these hiding ces. Usually, I would have one on me, but Masaru''s Bankai destroyed them all. If I wasn''t so worried about him, I would ground him. Sitting and leaning on the boulder made me sleepy, but I couldn''t close my eyes and rest. I needed to be awake to exin Masaru''s state, so I waited and kept my eyes on my unconscious son. The whole time, I was using Observation Haki to feel any changes that could ur in him. As I was trying to stay conscious, I felt three presencesing towards me and Masaru. ""Ryoto!!!"" Both Isane and Rin yelled out as they rushed to me. Unohana was there as well, and her eyes slightly widened seeing my condition, but she was moreposed as she observed Masaru and me as she was getting closer. "Isane, take care of Masaru... I didn''t see any visible wounds, but it''s never wrong to be too careful..." It was somehow difficult to talk, but it was probably because the fire dried my throat more than I noticed. She nodded, and without any hesitation, she moved to Masaru''s side as Unohana came to check up on me. "If I didn''t know any better, I would say that you just escaped from Captain Commander looking at your wounds, but obviously, it isn''t the case." She kneeled down and checked my injuries, and seeing them, she frowned. "You don''t need to sugarcoat it, Unohana. I know that I''m in pretty bad shape. Just say it if I''ll survive or not." I spoke. "You''ll survive, but I won''t be able to heal everything. Some of the injuries will be scars. Although I must say that not many others would be able to walk off with damage like that." Shemented. I just hope that they aren''t the ones on my arms or around my neck. I will already be forced to sleeves up to my elbow because of my tattoo when I return. "I''m sturdy and stubborn. The hardestbination to kill. Besides, I can''t let myself be killed before I reunite with someone very important." Hearing me, Rin''s expression softened as she was well aware of who I was talking about, but she still needed to ask some questions. "And we are thankful for that, but can you tell us what happened. You aren''t weak enough to be injured like that by just anyone. I probably know only a handful of people who could do it, but the only one to cause burns like that." Rin joined the conversation. She looked calm, but I knew she was livid and ready to kill whoever did this to me and Masaru. And so, I exined everything that I was aware of as Unohana was taking care of my wounds. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/S4eJyhj28 /Kurit (10 chapters ahead and exclusive illustrations.) Chapter 265: Stranded Chapter 265: Stranded (Ryoto''s pov) A few years have passed since Masaru activated his Bankai. Good news. The scar that he left was near my tattoo that I would already need to hide, so that''s good. Better news. It makes it look as if the dragon is breathing fire, so that''s cool. Bad news. Masaru started his depression arc, but thankfully, he is feeling better now. He felt like it was his fault that he lost control, which is, but I''m not going to tell him that. He is already ming himself enough. Besides, who could have predicted that it would happen? He is also now banned from using Bankai for obvious reasons. There were also a few eventful... events that happened. Little Byakuya married, and our big family was invited to the wedding. Yukima cried, but in the end, was happy for her friend even if her heart had been broken before. I am proud of my daughter and her maturity. I love going to the weddings of my friends or their children. It allows me to tease them quite a bit. Also, Sojun, Byakuya''s father, stepped down as the head of the Kuchiki n and let Byakuya take over. He''ll still support his son, though, with decision-making and giving advice from time to time. Now into the bride. Hisana became sick with some kind of unknown sickness, and with the help of Isane, I was able to cure her. Once again, the Kuchiki owes me a favor. At this rate, the entire n will be indebted to me. Update alert. Rukia, Renji, and some others joined the academy. Update alert. Rukia was adopted by the Kuchiki n at Hisana''s request, and Byakuya obliged, even to the displeasure of the elders. Hisana, however, is too ashamed to face her sister for now, so she hides and watches her from afar. Update alert. Rukia joined Squad 13, and that only means one thing. Another important event will soon unfold, which I n to stop. I''m, of course, talking about Kaien Shiba''s death. To be honest, I''m not sure if I''m even needed at this point. Jushiro-senpai is healthy now, so he can deal with the problem by himself. There is one issue with that. He would be able to save Kaien, maybe. Ukitake-senpai has that thing with two types of battles, which I disagree with, but that''s not what I mean. If I remember correctly, Kaien''s wife was a victim of Aizen''s Hollow, and even if Jushiro-senpai would stop it from killing his lieutenant, his wife would still be dead. That''s where Ie in. Ie in, kill the Hollow, save the day. To not make myself suspicious ofing into 13th Division territory, I was visiting them for thest year quite often. When I''m there, most of my focus is on sensing oddities. In the meantime, I''m spending time with my senpai, my sister-inw, and some members of the 13 Division, including Rukia and Kaien. At this point, it''s the waiting game. --- The waiting game has ended, and I felt something, so that could mean only one thing. Something I didn''t do for a long while. I''m going for a walk. --- It didn''t take a long time to get to the Hollow with some masterful Shunpo, and I was able to save Kaien''s wife, whom I didn''t remember the name of and her entire squad. I allowed them to retreat, but the Hollow wouldn''t just stand around. He wanted to kill and eat them, not necessarily in that order. "Hado #33, Shakkaho!" I fired one of the weaker Kido I know between the Hollow and the Shinigamis to allow members of Jushiro-senpai''s Division to escape. Having his meal interrupted, the Hollow turned to me. "Hee! Hee! Hee! Hee! And who might you be? A brave little Shinigami?" "I''m not little. I''m well above average! OK, that sounds wrong, but in my defense, it was on purpose." The Hollow tilted his head, confused by what I said. "You are a strange one. I wonder how you taste." He let out his long tongue and moved it around. "My wife says that I taste bitter. Didn''t check myself, though." He seemed to get bored of our small talk and rushed at me. He was painfully slow, and I easily dodged him with a quick Shunpo. I didn''t want to touch his tentacles for two reasons. One, because it''s gross, and two, because if I touch it, my Zanpakuto would be destroyed, and I don''t want that to happen. That''s why I''m going to fight from a distance, something I''m not very good at, but with someone so weak, it doesn''t really matter. --- I killed the Hollow with no difficulty, and it was honestly very anticlimactic. Not that Iin. I was ready to leave, but suddenly, I got this strange feeling. Something was wrong. I took out my Zanpakuto, ready for a fight to happen. I looked carefully around as I tried to sense someone or something with Haki, but there was nothing, and that was concerning in it itself because I trusted my gut feeling. I was slowly moving, trying to find the source of my uneasiness with no avail, until I felt something in the sky. Moving my eyes upwards, I could see cracks. The dark sky was being forced open. Garganta was starting to open, and it was big. Bigger than the Garganta opened by Menos Grande that I saw many years ago. One, two, three, in, and I counted more than 50 Menos Grandes. They were crawling out of the hole they created but weren''t going out with their whole body from there. It was strange. I could see them preparing to do something, presumably to attack. I saw them attacking me, and I moved instantly and made an attempt to dodge it, but there wasn''t any need for that as they weren''t aiming for me. Before I realized I was surrounded by four square-like beams of light without any way to escape. It was the first time I saw this in person. Negacion. It is Hollows'' ability to help their kind, and if something is inside of it, there is no way to break it, and I''m currently surrounded by four of them in a way that I couldn''t escape the fifth light beam that was presently being aimed at me. I''m fucked. The beam of light reached me, surrounded me, and started pulling me up. I was being kidnapped by the Hollows, and I can think of only one reason why that was happening. Aizen. He must think of me as a threat big enough to pull off this n, but I have suspicions that it wasn''t him. It doesn''t have this Aizen signature that most of his ns have. Most of the time, Aizen stays in the shadows and maniptes others to do his job. He never went after someone because they were dangerous. If that was the case, there are more dangerous individuals than I am. Yamamoto, Shunsui, Jushiro, and Unohana, for example, but he didn''t move a finger against them until the battle. He prepared for them, yes, but he didn''t take any action against them. The Vizard incident wasn''t because of the vendetta against these captains and lieutenants, but it was just an experiment for Aizen, and he didn''t care who would be his victim. Then, who the hell is trying to get rid of me. With these thoughts, I vanished inside Garganta and shortly after was left on the endless desert with white ''sand''. I was stranded in Hueco Mundo. ... ... ... Fuck. (3rd''s pov) Ryoto was right in his suspicions. Aizen wasn''t involved in this incident this time around, but it was someone close to him. Where Ryoto once stood now, one could see a young man with silver hair. He stared at the destroyed ground with a solemn look. Akio was the mastermind behind Ryoto''s banishment. He was aware that it wouldn''t solve his problem. He knew that his dad would return somehow. He didn''t know how, but he was sure of that. His father was unpredictable and had many cards up his sleeves, but he hoped that he had bought at least some time for his mom to rx. "See youter... father." With these words, Akio left the crime scene. (E/D: I am thinking Akio gets killed for... character development.) --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J /Kurit (Up to 10 chapters and exclusive illustrations.) Chapter 266: Letters Chapter 266: Letters (3rd''s pov) 3 days have passed since Ryoto''s disappearance. The whole family, minus one, was in distress, but today, they may get some answers. Ryoto was ready for something unexpected like his disappearance to happen, and for that reason, he wrote a few letters that he then gave to Rin to open if he ever went missing. She hoped that she would never have a need to open them, but it was just wishful thinking on her part. Today, she and Isane gathered the whole family. Akio, unfortunately, didn''t show up for obvious reasons, which made his siblings pretty upset with him. There was, however, an additional guest in the room. Soi Fon was also part of this at Ryoto''s request. He knew that if he vanished, it would remind her of how Yoruichi abandoned her without saying a word. Ryoto didn''t want tomit the same mistake as the little ck cat before him. Soi Fon was feeling very tense by being in the room with the Yuuki family. She felt out of ce, and it didn''t help that another one of her captains went missing. Ryoto may not be dered criminal, but she was ready to hear the news at any moment, and she was restless because of that. *p* *p* Rin gathered the attention of everyone by pping two times. "Now, everyone, I know that you are all worried about Ryoto, but he was prepared for something like that to happen. That''s why he left these letters for us to read. Isane already knows about them, but neither of us knows what''s inside." Rin showed two of these letters to everyone. "One of these is for the family, and the other is specifically for Soi Fon." "What about the other 9?" Gin asked, seeing that there was part of letters on the side. Rin''s mood went down, and so did Isane''s. "It''s in case the body is found, but for now, let''s not focus on that. Let''s open the first letter, and you, Soi Fon, can either read with us or take it and read it alone. We are not going to force you in any way." Rin reassured the lieutenant of Squad 2 as she ced her hand on a short girl''s shoulder. "I... I''ll read it with everyone. It''s only fair since you invited me." Rin nodded and turned her attention to the closed letter. She then proceeded to open it and read it out loud. __________ If you are reading this, I''m gone for at least 3 days without contact with anyone. I don''t know what happened, but I may have jinxed myself by saying that I was going for a walk. If I did that, many things could happen. Let''s just hope that I didn''t find Quincies'' secret base. It would be truly unlucky. In any case, wherever I am, it should take me at most 5 years before I return. If I''m lucky, it could be faster. As long as there isn''t a body, I''m 98% alive. All in all, send the message to everyone who needs to know of my absence. You can tell Yama-jii that I took a vacation, though. Also, say to Soi Fon that she is the top dog when I''m not around, although I''ll probably mention it in her letter anyway, so do what you want. Last but not least, Rin, Isane, Masaru, Yukima, Akio, Gin, Matsumoto. I love you all, and I''ll be back soon. __________ There was silence in the room until Masaru mmed the table everyone was sitting at and stood up aggressively. "I''m getting Akio here even if I''m forced to drag him by the foot!" Masaru, for the first time in a long time, if not in life, was really angry. They had a family emergency, and Akio didn''t even show up! Isane lowered her head while Rin calmly called her son. "Masaru, calm down." "How can I be calm!? How can you!?" Masaru retorted. "I''m not, but we can''t lose control of ourselves at a time like this. Do you think that your father would want that?" Masaru stiffened and sat down reluctantly, and the atmosphere became awkward. That was until Gin spoke up. "So, all we can do is wait for Ryoto." The way he talked was as if he didn''t care for his adopted father, which annoyed Yukima. "Don''t you care what happens to Dad?" She growled at the silvered-haired boy with some venom in her voice, but it didn''t affect Gin at all. "Ryoto is strong, so if he says he is fine, he is fine. If you can''t see it, then either you are blind and/or don''t trust your own father." Gin was speaking calmly with a voice full of conviction and confidence, shutting Yukima up. "Ryoto promised to return, and I''m choosing to believe in him just as I believed him the day we met. He didn''t lie to me then, and I doubt he''ll lie to us now." Both Rin and Isane smiled at Gin''s words. "Well said, Gin. We can only wait, and just like it was said in the letter, as long as the body isn''t found, there is a big chance Ryoto is alive and will find a way toe back. It doesn''t mean that we will sit around and do nothing. We''ll try to look for him whenever we can, but we shouldn''t sacrifice our daily duties and training. He wouldn''t have wanted it." And so, a seed of hope was nted, but there was still one more letter to read. The attention moved to Soi Fon, who, in response, opened the letter and started reading it. __________ Hey Soi Fon... To be honest, I don''t know what to say in this letter. I was hoping that it would nevere to this, but if you are reading this, my location is unknown. First, I would like to apologize to you. I imagine that this whole situation reminds you of when Yoruichi left. If you didn''t hear from me, then it wasn''t by choice and was probably very unexpected for me as well. Also, I want you to look after the Squad in my absence. If you need any help, ask Rin and Isane, but if it''s something moreplicated, you can request assistance from either Kuchiki or Shihoin n. They owe me a few favors, so you can cash them out if needed. Remember, whatever you do, work hard, study well, eat, and sleep plenty. When I''ll be back, you''ll want me gone in no time. Stay healthy. __________ Once against silence prevailed in the room. Soi Fon then stood up, bowed respectfully, and left the Yuuki household with the letter in her hand. When she thought she was far enough, she stopped walking and looked at the piece of paper in her hand as a lone tear flowed down her cheek until it dropped on the letter. With a weak voice directed at no one, Soi Fon finally said. "You idiot captain..." --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J /Kurit (Up to 10 chapters ahead and exclusive illustrations.) Chapter 267: Hueco Mundo Chapter 267: Hueco Mundo (Ryoto''s pov) I''m going, to be honest. I should be more worried, but right now, I feel more perplexed than anything else. I was kidnapped by Hollows. I don''t think anyone other than Orihime in the future can rte. I am aware that they were ordered by someone to do it, but still, the whole situation is ridiculous. The only suspect is Aizen and hisckeys, but the longer I think, the more reasons I find to not suspect him. It''s not his style. And if it''s not him, then either there is a 3rd party involved with a simr mindset to Aizen, or there was insubordination in Aizen''s ranks. Both are very unlikely, but I can''t think of any other answers. It would need to be someone who has a grudge against me, which could be a lot of people. I made a lot of enemies because of my work. I could have killed someone''s lover, father, mother, sister, friend, and so on, and they seek revenge. They just couldn''t do it in a direct way because of my position and strength, and now that they got a chance, they pulled the trigger to get rid of me. Normally, sending me to Hueco Mundo would be equal to killing me. I would not have any way back, but I''m not normal. I''ll find a way, and I need to do it in 5 years or shorter since I made a promise in the letter I wrote. Now, into a quick-approaching problem. What can I eat in this wastnd? --- I walked around the desert, not seeing anything or anyone. There were a few mindless Hollows that tried to eat me, but I defeated them without any difficulties. The problem is that I didn''t find any food. I could probably eat the Hollows if I''m desperate enough, but I''ll stop myself from doing it until absolutely necessary. Who knows, maybe I''ll find a forbidden garden here somewhere. Who am I kidding? Of course, it won''t happen. Life isn''t nice enough for me for it to happen. That''s why I''m going for a walk. Nothing better to do anyway. --- I finally found intelligent life in this godforsakennd, but they weren''t too friendly. Not to mention that they were apparently part of Barragan''s army. How do I know it? They weren''t exactly secretive about it. All said and done, I would be on the run again if I didn''t dispose of everyone. No witnesses, perfect stealth, just as I like it. I also would say that I am lost, but I don''t know where I was, to begin with. Nothing a little exploration won''t fix. --- I haven''t had anything to eat or drink for thest week. It looks like I need to implement n B. Kill Hollow, eat it, and drink its blood. *Sigh* What my life has turned into. --- Hollows don''t taste good, and I couldn''t even make it tastier because I didn''t have the necessary equipment to cook anything. Of course, I only ate nonsentient Hollows. I may have turned a bit numb to violence in the past century or two, but there are still lines I won''t cross. It''s still disgusting, but I can''t die just yet. Now that I know that I won''t starve to death, I can start thinking about how to get back to Soul Society. I could ''kindly ask'' some Hollows to create Garganta for me, but I can''t guarantee that they won''t just trap me in between worlds. I could also probably wait for Soul Society to figure out how to get to Hueco Mundo, but I don''t know how long it will get them to figure out that I''m here, then build a machine to cross here and then find me. Hueco Mundo is a big ce, after all. Maybe there are some kinds of ruins with technology that would allow me to go to the human world or Soul Society. Who knows. --- A few weekster and I already had a base that I used for sleeping. I couldn''t sleep much before, and I still need to sleep with one eye open, but it''s better to have something over your head. I also met Steve. Steve is a Hollow who tried to eat me in my sleep. I used binding Kido on him, and now he is forever stuck with me in this cave. I only let him live with me because he is weak, and his fur is warm. Not to mention that it''s lonely without anyone to talk to. I have Zangetsu and Gyaku, but talking to the voices in your head isn''t the healthiest. "What do you say, Steve? What should I do?" "GGGRRAAAAGH!!!" Steve replied, to which I nodded. "You make fantastic points, but what if it doesn''t work?" "GGGRRAAAAGH!!!" Steve tried to bite me, but his teeth didn''t reach me. "Hungry already? But I fed you not so long ago. You are a real glutton, you know that?" Yes, I feed my Hollow. I''m a responsible member of society. I just have a break from said society. I do that because I don''t know if Hollows need to eat to stay alive. I don''t do that often and don''t feed him powerful Hollows, so he doesn''t get stronger. I kinda got attached to his warm fur already. "GGGRRAAAAGH!!!" "You made your point, Steve, but please be quiet for a moment." He didn''t listen, so I decided to go outside to clear my head. --- Weeks went by, and my exploration went as usual. As usual, nothing worthy was found. I''m starting to think that this ce is meant to trap me here or something. At least I have Steve. "You know, we are starting to worry about you, Jacob. You are going a little crazy." Gyako spoke to me, worried about my well-being. "You are talking like I wasn''t crazy to be with. Just because I mellowed down and acted more mature for thest few decades because of my cautiousness against Aizen and whatever else doesn''t mean that I don''t have these tendencies anymore. Also, not knowing how to get back doesn''t make me feel any better. Don''t worry, though. I''m mostly trying not to think about how my situation is absolutely catastrophic with seemingly no way out." Gyaku went quiet, knowing that was the way I was dealing with my stress. Zangetsu didn''t say anything during our exchange. He probably didn''t have anything to say. I''m not the same boy with issues I was before that can''t deal with my problems and would rather sulk or ignore said problems. I grew up, as sad as it sounds. Also, I''m determined to go back, but being stressed 24/7 wouldn''t have helped me. "I''m back, Steve. Hope that you were being a good Hollow..." I returned, expecting my new friend to roar at me as he tends to do, but I didn''t witness my long-haired friend. He was gone, and in his ce, I could see a blond-haired, shark-like humanoid Hollow that was looking at me warily. "Hello, can I help you?" I started a conversation. --- END Discord server: /Kurit (Up to 10 chapters ahead and exclusive illustrations.) Chapter 268: Siblings dispute Chapter 268: Siblings'' dispute (Ryoto''s pov) That''s just my life in a nutshell. I go outside for some time, and my pet is either dead or has run away, and I meet a Vasto Lorde that could be hostile towards me. I''ll miss Steve, but I should focus on the Hollow in front of me. "I would say wee, but I see that you already feel at home. How can I help you?" "Are you the one who trapped the Hollow here?" She asked with a monotone voice, not betraying her emotions if she felt any. "Yes, but to be fair, he tried to eat me in my sleep. I would kill him there and then, but his fur was very warm. Nights are pretty cold in Hueco Mundo. Now I''ll be cold. Also, for your information, I wasn''t abusing Steve. He was being fed, I talked to him, and I even allowed him to chew on my arm from time to time. He was being treated better than I am." My rant didn''t create any reaction from the Vasto Lorde in front of me. Her expression didn''t change in any way, and if it did, it was minuscule enough for me not to notice, which would be impressive. "I see... then what is Shinigami doing here, in Hueco Mundo?" She questioned further. "Now hold your horses, shark girl. Now, it''s my time to ask a question. Then it will be yours again. I think it''s only fair after you broke into... I would say house, but it''s just a cave." She stared at me without saying anything, and it was unnerving. "I understand. What do you want to know?" Her voice was very even and emotionless. I don''t like not knowing what my possible opponent thinks... is what I would say if I didn''t have a cheat called Haki. She was cautious, very cautious, but she didn''t show it on the outside, and it''s understandable. I''m an unknown Shinigami that, for some reason, is in Hueco Mundo. She doesn''t know what my goals are and if I''m hostile. "Then I want you to tell me your name. I don''t want to keep calling you, you, or shark girl. You have a name, right?" It seemed like that genuinely surprised her as her eyes widened slightly. "... Tier... Tier Harribel." I nodded. "Ryoto Yuuki, current captain of Squad 2 and also, currently stranded in Hueco Mundo." Hearing me, she raised an eyebrow, but I could tell she put her guard even further up. "A captain? What is a captain doing here?" She asked. "As I said before, I was stranded here. Kidnapped, to be more precise. You wouldn''t believe it. I was just having a nice walk, and then an army of Menos took me with their kidnapping beam. Now I''m trying to find some way back home, but I have nothing yet, and as you probably are aware, not many Hollows are very approachable, and even more so, nice enough to help me out." She gave an understanding nod, but I could feel her confusion with a bit of caution. "Now it''s my turn again. I just want to know what you are doing in my temporary home. Not that you are not wee. You are the first one that didn''t try to eat me, so I call that a win... You don''t want to eat me, right?" Tier ignored my question and started thinking if she should share whatever she wanted to say with me, and in the end, she decided to tell me. "Recently, I evolved into Vasto Lorde, and I no longer need to eat Hollows to survive. I wanted to find some quiet ce to live my life outside the conflict, as unrealistic as it is. I found this cave, but I was unaware that it was already upied except for that mindless Hollow. I thought that he was suffering, so I ended his life. I wasn''t aware that he was being taken care of. I apologize." I see, I see. Steve was mistaken for a victim until he became one. What a sad fate. "Now that everything is clear, I''ll continue my search for a livingmodity." She started leaving, but I couldn''t just let her go. She is basically the only one in this ce who can conversate with me! The others can as well but don''t want to. They just want a piece of me. "... If you promise not to eat or attack me, you can stay." She stopped in her steps and turned to me. "... What?" --- A few weeks passed, and I can proudly say that I tamed yet another shark girl, and this time, I didn''t even need to spank her. All I needed to do was to give her food. Yes, Hollow meat isn''t the tastiest, and I didn''t have kitchen tools at my disposal, but I am crafty, if nothing less. On one of my searches in Hueco Mundo, I found some Hollows who had a lot of bones. Sturdy bones. So, as anyone reasonable, I cut off the bones and took them to make the necessary tools. I still couldn''t do much without any spices and vegetables, but I could at least make different types of meat, and I didn''t need to eat raw meat anymore. So, when I was cooking one evening, her curiosity got the better of her, and she got closer, so as a good roommate... cavemate? I offered her a bite even if she didn''t need to eat anymore, and she was smitten by it, not that she would ever show it. Even if her eyes widened in shock at the first bite, she managed to stay rtively calm. It only makes me want to destroy her calm facade even more, but with ingredients in my hand, it''s not possible. Shame. I was reluctant to ask Tier to get me back to the world of living so I could get back to Soul Society for a reason. I am aware of that if I get back too fast and without a n, then I risk my aggressor to do something... drastic. I should stay for at least a year before I return. Faster than I thought I would but slower than I could. This will be an interesting year, but I hope my family is alright. (3rd''s pov) Ryoto''s absence caused a few things to happen in the family. One could call it both good and bad, depending on you see it. While Rin and Isane both tried to show trust in their husband, it didn''t stop them from worrying, although thanks to the investigation, it was known that Ryoto was indeed still alive and probably in Hueco Mundo. It was theorized that fleeting Hollow created a Garganta and Ryoto following the Hollow, knowing full well that it would cause a massacre beyond beliefs if it wasn''t killed. There was some push towards the theory of Ryoto''s betrayal, but it was simply put an end to by three of the five Noble Houses, a few Captains, and a few lieutenants, not to mention the Captain Commander himself. If Ryoto was found guilty, he wouldn''t hesitate to follow the orders, but as long as there was a chance, he would fight for his student. Seeing this much of a pushback, Central 46 was forced to back away. Not all of the judges shared the same opinion, but the majority were against Ryoto. At the same time, Masaru and Yukima were training furiously in the Study Chamber. The whole situation motivated them to get stronger, much stronger. It went to the point that they sparred most of the days almost every day. It went to the point where they started to worry everyone around them, so with some talking, they were convinced and reduced the intensity of their training. It didn''t mean that it stopped altogether, and today was one of these days when the Yuuki siblings were fighting each other in the hope of getting better. After they were done, they tried to give each other some advice on what they could improve on. As they were talking, a third presence made itself known. Both Yukima and Masaru turned to newly arrived person only to see what they expected but not what they wanted. Akio, their brother. Their annoyance was clear on their faces, but it didn''t seem to bother Akio. Since his father ''disappearance'' he was constantly visible in a better mood, which irked the two of his siblings. "What a wonderful day we are having, Yukima, Masaru-nii~." "What do you want?" Instead of the usual calm and kind response, Masaru''s voice was filled with resentment and didn''t go unnoticed. "And which ant did bite your ass this time. I don''t remember stepping on your foot as ofte. I was away for some time, and the first thing I heard was you angry at me for some reason." "I wonder why. Dad is missing, maybe dead, and you didn''t even attend the family meeting. Do you even care about our dad!?" Masaru yelled, clearly upset about the whole ordeal and staring at his brother. Akio stared back without flinching at the raised voice. "I clearly don''t. Didn''t I make myself clear a long time ago? To be honest, this situation is very pleasant. I hope that it will continue fo-" Akio stopped talking as Masaru grabbed him by his cor, his expression twisted in rage. "Don''t you dare to finish this sentence! I don''t care how much dad cares about you! You don''t have any right to wish for that!" Masaru was about to punch his younger brother, but his wrist was held by Yukima, who had an uncharacteristically calm expression. "Masaru-nii, before you decide to tten Akio-nii''s face, I want to ask him something." She then turned to her silver-haired brother. "You didn''t seem surprised when you heard about Dad''s disappearance. Even if you didn''t care about him, you would at least show up in an unexpected event like that, but you acted like you were expecting this. Care to share your thoughts." She narrowed her eyes. Yukima isn''t always the sharpest person in the room, but she is her father''s and mother''s daughter. She isn''t stupid, just short-tempered most of the time, but when focused... Akio, on the other hand, didn''t say anything but smirked, which earned him a straight, powerful punch to the face. It was Yukima who sent him flying. "You think that you are the smartest person around, but you are too blind to realize how stupid you are! I... We don''t know why you hate Dad that much! Is it your ego!? Pride!? It doesn''t matter! If something was wrong with Dad to justify your actions, Masaru-nii would have noticed. Did you forget what he can do!?" In the corner of Yukima''s eyes, tears started to gather, but she left in a hurry, not wanting to show them to anyone. Masaru just looked at hisying sibling, shook his head, and left shortly after his sister. Left alone, Akio kept lying on the ground. He didn''t feel pain as much as he expected. It wasn''t because the punch wasn''t strong. It was numbed for some reason. What Yukima said to him managed to reach him. Not to the point that he changed his mind instantly, but it was enough for the middle child of the Yuuki family to start thinking about a few things. He frowned. Something wasn''t adding up. He wasn''t questioning it before, but something was off, just like his sibling told him. Focused on what he believed to be true, he didn''t even acknowledge other possibilities. He''ll need to look into it as soon as possible. His sister literally beat some sense into her brother, and he wasn''t nning on wasting it. --- END Discord server: /Kurit (Up to 10 chapters ahead and exclusive illustrations) Chapter 269: Uncertainty Chapter 269: Uncertainty (Ryoto''s pov) Some time passed, and my life in a cave continued. Harribel started teaching me how to use Garganta, which was appreciated. I showed her my Hollow side, to her great surprise. I did that because she asked why I sometimes feel like a Hollow. After a few months, I trusted her enough, and the fact that she wouldn''t tell anyone was a great boon. I didn''t see any harm in doing that. With people in Soul Society, doing so was a greater risk, so I limited sharing this secret. Even if Aizen was able to spy on me here, he probably already knows about my ability. Not to mention that I needed some training with my mask, and hiding my mask would be counterproductive at the moment. We also had two additions to our cave. A lion-like Adjucha-ss Menos and snake-like Hollow also an Adjucha-ss. It was very unusual for Hollows to gather in a group like that, and our group was the most bizarre of them all since we had a Shinigami among our ranks, but both Francesca M Rose and Cyan Sung-Sun, the previously mentioned Hollows didn''t see me as Shinigami, not now at least. They even look up to me in a simr way they do to Tier. At least they don''t want to get to my pants... I hope. I try to be as faithful as possible, and getting another lover while being ''kidnapped'' wouldn''t look so great. I''m not even sure if any of my lovers expect me to be faithful. I''m known as Casanova even though I didn''t flirt with anyone since that fateful night when we decided to be family. I''m not a horny teenager anymore, and I can control my dick a bit better now, but after a few months of celibacy, I also have my needs, and since I don''t live alone, I don''t have a lot of ''me'' time not that I had that before, but I had three lovers, so I rest my case. Today, I decided to go on another discovery journey. I''ll probably leave the cave for some time, looking around, and hopefully find something. At this point, I could just stop with my escapades since I already had a way back home, but the more information, the better. It''s still a possibility that Aizen made some adjustments to his n, and I could uncover them while I''m here. "I''m going out now. I won''t return for some time, a week, maybe two, so please don''t destroy the cave. It won''t be easy to find another asfortable as this one. Rose, don''t destroy too much, or I won''t cook anything for you. Sun, don''t antagonize Rose too much just so you can get bigger portions. Listen to Harribel when I''m away, not that I need to tell you that. Bye!" With that said, I left. (3rd''s pov) "Ryoto-sama sure acts like a father sometimes." The lion-like Hollowmented. "From what we heard, he is a father of multiple children, so it is expected. I''m more surprised at his ability to make Hollow meat taste this delightful." The snake-like Hollow said as she almost salivated. "That''s true, but he doesn''t need to act like that with us... He once told me, ''Act like a child and get treated like one'', but I didn''t even do anything wrong!" "Wasn''t that when you tried to steal my portion of the food, but you failed miserably and got caught immediately?" Sung-Sun raised her eyebrow clearly, still holding a grudge. "Details, the only one Ryoto-sama treats as equal is Harribel-sama." "Which isn''t surprising. Both of them are extraordinary. That''s why I''m even more surprised that they still didn''t get together. Ryoto-sama is clearly attracted to Harribel-sama, understandably, I may add, but he hasn''t done anything. It''s frustrating." Sung-Sun expressed her thoughts to her fellow cavemate. "Isn''t it because he has wives back in Soul Society?" Francesca tried to reason, but Sung-Sun got an entirely different massage from her. "You are right! Ryoto-sama''s wives must be wonderful and powerful, but even they aren''t a match for Harribel-sama, and we just need to make him realize that. We can''t expect Ryoto-sama to abandon his family, but it''s unimaginable for Harribel-sama to be anything other than a partner. It must be a difficult decision for Ryoto-sama, but we''ll make him realize that the best choice is in front of him the whole time!" Hearing her fellow Hollow under Harribel, M Rose sighed as she didn''t want to argue anymore. So, shey down and closed her eyes as Sung-Sun started nning how to get Ryoto-sama and Harribel-sama together. --- It was time for Akio to do something he should have done a long time ago, but because of his certainty and ignorance, he never did. It is said that ignorance is bliss, but it can also have humongous consequences. Akio was aware of this fact. He wasn''t stupid, but knowing something and applying it in real life isn''t always the same. After all, he is his father''s son. *Knock* *Knock* Akio knocked on the door to his former home. Saying that he was nervous was an understatement. For many decades, he did everything thinking that he was helping his family. It would be fine if they would hate him. It would be fine if they resentment him. He wouldn''t be mad if, for some reason, he would have died just to reach his goal. All he wanted to do was to protect his loved ones. In these years, he wasn''t acting like a good person would. He didn''t even consider himself one. Being under stress for so long made him a bit snappy. He was solely focused on his goal. Every moment that he wasn''t working on his problem was a moment longer his father, who was believed to be a monster, was roaming free. Akio was aware that Sereitei wasn''t a perfect ce. There was corruption inside Central 46. Some of the captains were criminals, and some didn''t change their ways even after bing one, but he didn''t care about them. As long as his family was alright, that was fine with him, but the problem was that they weren''t. That''s why he worked so hard, and only thanks to Captain Aizen he discovered the truth about his father... or so he believed. Akio made the critical mistake of not double, triple, and quadruple-checking every fact from different sources. He can''t be entirely med for that. He was young back then and blinded by his care for his mother, he believed what he saw. Looking at it now, he started to see a few holes in his belief story, but as Dad and Yoruichi-kaasan had taught him, he needed to question everything until he discovered the truth. The door to the house was opened by the person he wanted to speak with the most at the moment, Rin-kaasan. His mother was surprised to see him, and he couldn''t me her since he wasn''t visiting a lot, and even if he did, he mostly spent time with his birth mother since he was most worried about her. Not entirely because he cared about her the most but because she was the weakest of the group. After an initial surprise, Rin''s face showed a gentle and weing smile. "Wee back, Akio. Sorry, but Isane was needed in the 4th Division, so she isn''t here." Hearing that, she didn''t even consider that he came for her hurt more than he expected. The consequences of his behavior were showing. "Actually, I was hoping to talk to you, Rin-kaasan. If you have time, that is." Once again, a surprise showed on her face, but just like before, it turned into a smile. "I don''t have any ns, and I just nned to go over some documents, but for my son, I would make some time. Wait in the kitchen, and I''ll make us something to drink while we talk." Akio made his way to the kitchen and patiently waited for his mom toe back with drinks. She made tea for herself while Akio received coffee. For some reason, he just enjoyed the bitterness of this drink. "So, how can I help you?" Rin asked after a moment of silence. "Well... I was hoping that you could tell me about Dad... From what I know, you know him the longest, so I was hoping to hear how he was when he was younger." Rin showed a thoughtful expression. "Young Ryoto... In short, he was an idiot." Akio didn''t know what to say to that. Out of everything he expected and didn''t expect her to say, that which was not on the list. "An... idiot?" "Yes, a big idiot. He was constantly getting in trouble and was messing with a lot of people for his entertainment, and sometimes it could bite him back in the butt. To be honest with you, he didn''t change that much, but he was forced to mature and get more vignt." A regretful look showed on her face. "Some of that was because I was weak. He also had a bad habit of trying to shoulder as much as possible by himself. He got better as ofte, but before, I was scared that he would get himself killed because of me. I remember that when we still lived in Rukongai and nned to take a test to apply to Shinigami Academy, we didn''t have any money. We could barely save any money to travel to the 1st district. With Ryoto, we probably could sneak in there, but back then, before you could take the test, you needed to show proof that you got there legally. Nowadays, that wouldn''t be a problem. It''s almost free to get there during the tests, so most people with potential could at least try, no matter what district theye from. Going back to Ryoto. To earn the money we needed, he took a dangerous job. Back then, he didn''t say what he was going to do, but thanks to Yoruichi, I finally got to know. What he did wasn''tmendable, but difficult times require sacrifices. I know that he did that mainly for me. Without me, he wouldn''t need to worry that much, so I promised myself to bear his sins together with him. No matter what he did, I would always stand next to him. If the weight of his sins, responsibilities, or somethingpletely different was too much, he could always lean on my shoulder because I never wanted to see him in the same state when he returned from that one job." Akio was in deep thought, trying to digest the given information. He wasn''t Masaru, but he liked to believe that he was good at reading people, at least most of the time. That''s why he needed to ask one more question. "Rin-kaasan, can you just tell me, do you love Dad?" And with that question, Rin showed the most beautiful smile that he ever saw. "With all my heart and some more." For Akio, the answer was clear. That smile couldn''t lie. No one was that good of an actor or a liar, but the investigation wasn''t over. He needed to talk with a few more people before he made a decision. Akio thanked Rin and went to hisb before he went to another person. END Discord server: /Kurit (Up to 20 chapters ahead and exclusive illustrations.) Chapter 270: Gears turning Chapter 270: Gears turning (Ryoto''s pov) Traveling is usually fun. You go to new ces... meet the locals... eat new food. I should travel more when I return because the way I''m traveling at the moment isn''t ideal. Hollows like to attack me the moment they see me. I am a snack, of that I''m aware. Yoruichi was very vocal about that on many asions, but what''s happening right now is just too much. Not to mention that there aren''t a lot of breathtaking sights in Hueco Mundo. Just a lot of sand, dead trees, a moon in the sky, and rarely some ruins. Speaking of locals, I just met someone... a pair? I''m not entirely sure how to describe it, but it must be one or the other. The pressure he is exuding is enormous, and it''s not even his full power. It''s just his passive power that is able to kill weaker Hollows if they get too close. There was evidence of this happening quite often since the only thing surrounding the mysterious man and child were the corpses of said Hollows. While I didn''t get any problem getting closer, I could feel that fighting him would be challenging, and I''m not sure if I woulde out uninjured. Thankfully, I didn''te here to fight. As I stopped in front of the pair in tattered rags, they looked up. "Who are you?" The man asked in a monotone voice. He seemed bored with life. "Just a traveling Shinigami. Got a bit lost, and here I am." I answered. "You... seem strong..." He said after a short evaluation. "For some, maybe, but I stillck the power that I need for my goal." "And what is your goal?" That doesn''t need to be said, but for the Hollows in front of me who don''t know me, I vocalized my thoughts. "All I want in life is for my family and friends to be safe." "Are they strong?" The man in front of me was seemingly focused on strength, but it was born from wantingpanionship. If someone is too weak, they die near him. "Some are, others aren''t." "I see..." And so silence came for a short while, but shortly after, I gave the pair of Hollows words of encouragement and some advice about the future. Afterward, I stayed with them for a few days to just sit with them and talk from time to time and asionally fight. That was my first meeting with Coyote Stark and Lilte Gingerbuck. (3rd''s pov) After his talk with Rin, Akio decided to talk with his dad''s acquaintances. He wanted to talk with anyone who knew his father. It didn''t matter if they saw him once a year or if they were his lifelong friend. All information was valuable, no matter how small or minuscule it was. He wanted to get the whole picture, so he went after all rumors and whatnot. Akio heard things that he had already known, or at least he thought that he knew, but they were mostly from rumors. That Ryoto is a bastard, a yboy, that he tricked his lovers into being with him. Things like that. What was worrisome for Akio was that the closer someone was to his dad, the better their opinion of him became. There were, of course, some that didn''t like him, like Kiyone, his mother''s sister, but even she had a few good words about him. Everyone close to Ryoto had a good opinion of him. Captain Ukitake holds him in high regard as Ryoto was his lieutenant many years ago, but even after that, he didn''t stop to try and help his former captain until he managed to do something even Captain Unohana couldn''t achieve. Members of the Kuchiki family that were close to Ryoto felt indebted to him. Ryoto just helped them too much without taking anything back until now. The Shihoin n was very different. While they had a high opinion of his father, it was strange. It wasn''t because he was kind, had a great personality, or even a great captain. They were admiring his assassination abilities. It would be something that would be in line with his father''s character in his mind until he heard a reason for this. Apparently, Ryoto worked for the n only on one condition, and it was for Yukima to be left alone. Soi Fon was a strange one. While she was talking the whole time about how much her captain was annoying her, she couldn''t hide that she cared for him. It was easy for Akio to see that she didn''t know her mother''s killer. It was almost tempting to tell her the truth, but it wasn''t his truth to tell. Not after he discovered the reason why his father did that. It could be possible that his father was just a great liar like he initially thought, but the more he listened, the less he believed in it. A person can wear a mask around other people. He can even wear many different fronts and choose which one to show to whom, but there would be moments when it would crack, even if momentarily. It wasn''t the case where Ryoto tried to look perfect to others. He showed his ws at times. Mostly hisziness. It could mean only one thing... Ryoto didn''t wear a mask in front of his family and friends. But there was an inconsistency with that. Akio was sure of what he saw. Multiple times at that. While it was when he was much younger, he wouldn''t be able to mistake it for anything else. Before he made another assumption, there was one more person he needed to talk with. His mother. --- Akio was nervous, very nervous. For a good reason, one might add. From what he learned, his father wasn''t what he thought he was, and if his father wasn''t abusive or maniptive as he believed, it would mean that he had done many unforgivable things, which included viinizing his parent, criminalizing Yoruichi, Urahara, and others and many more without any justification. This scared him. All he believed in, all his motivation, for nothing. Not only that. If he was mistaken, if somehow his eyes were mistaken, if what he saw was somehow a lie, it would mean that he did something he promised himself never to do. Harm his family. Some of Akio''s actions can indeed be categorized as hurting his family, but mostly, there was a reason for that. He criminalized Yoruichi so she could be as far from Ryoto as possible. In other words, safe. He antagonized his siblings primarily because of frustration, but he was hoping that they''ll realize how blind they were. Maybe he was just mad at their ignorance, but he wasn''t actively harming them. As much as Akio wanted to be calm, calcted, andposed, he wasn''t. It was a problem from the beginning. Even when he was younger, he was jealous of his older brother''sposure, skill, and decisiveness, and this issue wasn''t resolved when he got older. It could be why he was so frustrated at Masaru. Why he, who in his mind was inferior, could notice something that his older brother couldn''t. But thinking about it won''t help him with his issue. Whatever his mother will tell him will be a deciding factor. No matter what he learned in the past few days, it could still be an illusion created by his father, but Isane was part of the event that was the cause of all his decisions. She would be a deciding factor. He didn''t want to ask about it before because he didn''t want to upset her or remind her of a reality that would better be forgotten, but he couldn''t afford it right now. He needs to know the truth no matter what. That''s why he will talk with his mother. It was finally time to learn the truth. --- END Discord server: /Kurit (Up to 10 chapters ahead and exclusive illustrations.) Chapter 271: The truth Chapter 271: The truth (Ryoto''s pov) Finally, I''m back in my cave. It''s not much, but it''s partially mine. I''m happy to see that it''s still standing strong. It looks like Franceska and Sung-Sun listened to me for once. Not like they don''t do that, but they have... conflicting personalities. As I made the first steps inside, two presences rushed at me and tackled me. I was just too tired to dodge, so when they smashed into me, I just fell down with a deadpan expression. "What are you doing, you two? I know that I was gone a bit longer than I said, but it''s not a reason for you to try and eat me. Only five other people said that I was tasty, and they are biased, so I wouldn''t listen to them." It looked like they weren''t listening to me because they didn''t react to my words at all. What''s the point of my snarkiness if no one''s listening. "R-Ryoto-sama, I''ll never whine about having my portion being too small!" "And I won''t try to steal some of Sung-Sun''s portion ever again, even if I want to!" Are they... having a withdrawal because of my cooking? It has never happened before. Is that why Rin forbids me from cooking too often? Was she also having a withdrawal after we entered the Academy? L never had this happen to her, and she ate my cooking daily for many months. As I was thinking about what I should do, Harribel walked up slowly to me and the two Hollows lying on me. She looked as uninterested as usual with her arms closed under her... boobs? ... You know, I never thought about it before. Does Harribel have boobs? Are these things on her chest, breasts? Most of the Hollows look like monsters until they be Menos. Then, after bing Adjucha, they start looking more animalistic until evolving into Vasto Lorde to look simr to humans. I know that Hollows can reproduce, but would their babies drink milk? Too many questions and no answers. "What happened to your clothes?" She asked. "Great question, Tier." It was true. I was currently missing all of my upper clothes, and my pants were torn slightly. "I met another Vasto Lorde." I could see slight concern enter her eyes, so I quickly started exining further. "Don''t worry, he didn''t attack me, but we sparred a few times. I couldn''t bring him back here because his Reiatsu is enormous, and he can''t control it, or at least can''t control it to a satisfying degree. Weak Hollows just die around him because of the pressure he is emitting. That''s why I''ll be visiting him sometimes. If you want, you cane with me, but I don''t know about these two." I pointed to my still crying tormentors, who still weren''t listening, and Harribel nodded, although I didn''t know if it was because she acknowledged what I said or agreed to go with me. The shark-like Hollow above me wasn''t the best atmunicating, but that''s fine. I can work with that. But first, I need to know why Fran and Sung-Sun are still clinging to me and ignoring everything else. It''s starting to get scary how unresponsive they are. "Tier, can you tell me what happened to these two?" She shrugged her shoulders. "It seems that they got too used to your food, and when the time of your return came, and you didn''t show up, they started worrying, not to mention the food tasted nd without you, and they couldn''t take it anymore." "... I feel so loved here." I said with an even voice. "By the way, are you nning on wiping away that drool?" Hearing me, Tier''s hand quickly moved to her mouth, but she couldn''t find anything wet there. She turned her gaze to me just to see my smirk. I did just to see if she was waiting for my cooking just as much as the other two. OK, that''s a lie. I already knew that she enjoyed it and probably couldn''t wait for my return because of it. I did it for shits and giggles. Harribel''s expression didn''t change, but she stared back at me, turned around, and walked away, leaving me on the ground with Francesca and Sung-Sun. (3rd''s pov) Akio knocked on the door to his mother''s office. He waited for a day that his mom wouldn''t be too busy, and he didn''t want to talk with her at home, where he risked meeting other members of his family. He wanted to speak with Isane exclusively, just like he did with Rin before, without any interference. *Knock* *Knock* "Yes,e in!" The voice of his mother came from the other side of the door, and that was his cue to enter. Seeing her son, Isane smiled and stopped all her work, which wasn''t much today. It was a peaceful day in Sereitei, so not many injured came in, so the only thing left was paperwork. "Hello, Akio. Nice to see you. Can I help you with something?" She asked. Usually, Akioes to her whenever she has free time, so if hees during her work hours, there must be a reason for that, and she wasn''t wrong. Akio closed the door behind him and sat in front of his mother. "Yes, I wanted to talk with you about Father." The mood of his mother dropped slightly, but not wanting to share her worries with her child, she hid it behind a small smile. "Ryoto? What do you want to know about him?" "I was hoping for you to put a light on his personality for me. After he... vanished, I realized how little I knew about him, so I''m trying to fix it." For some reason, telling his mom that Ryoto vanished was more difficult than it should have been. "Ryoto... Ryoto isplicated but, at the same time, a simple man. He is a man with a lot of secrets that he isn''t ready to share yet. Not because he doesn''t trust us but probably because they are too difficult to exin or sharing them would do more harm than good. He also tends to get into trouble. In fact, the first time I met him was during his Academy days. It was after an assassination attempt on Yoruichi''s life. Things happened, and Ryoto and his ssmates, which included Rin, Yoruichi, and Urahara-san, got injured. Already, at that point, Ryoto went through a lot just going by the scars he had." Isane could go on and on on that topic, but Akio wanted something more definitive. "And how did you get together?" Isane went immediately red, embarrassed by the action of her younger self. She put both of her hands on her face, trying to hide it. "T-t-that''s not important." Her reaction confused Akio, but he didn''t push for any answer, but he was growing increasingly nervous. Akio was carefully observing his mother throughout the whole conversation, and the scary thing was that he couldn''t catch any glimpse of disgust in her voice or mannerism, so he finally decided to ask a million Kan questions. "Mom... I know that it may sound strange to you, but can you answer my question... please." Akio was practically begging for answers. He wanted to reach the truth this time, and it didn''t escape Isane. Matching Akio''s serious tone, she nodded, ready for what wasing. "Did Dad ever hit you or at least physically or emotionally abuse you in any way, shape, or form?" Akio was correct. It was a very strange question, but nheless, Isane answered it with an equal amount of seriousness. "Ryoto, your father, never did anything like that. I doubt that he ever even thought about that. He is one of the most caring people I know. He would rather risk his life than endanger his family." Not sensing any lies, Akio was convinced. "Thanks, Mom. I really appreciate it. Now if you excuse me." "Wait, Aki-!" Before she could stop him, Akio exited the office in a hurry. --- END Discord server: /Kurit (Up to 10 chapters ahead and exclusive illustrations.) Chapter 272: Another one? Chapter 272: Another one? (3rd''s pov) As soon as Akio left his mother''s office, he used Shunpo to go to a deste area as fast as possible. When he was far enough from prying eyes, somewhere in the forest outside of Sereitei, he leaned on a tree, took deep breaths, and... *BLARGH* He vomited. The realization of what he had been doing for the past few decades made him sick. Since he started investigating, deep down, he was beginning to understand how narrow-minded he was, but the young Shinigami didn''t want to acknowledge it. After the talk with his mother, he couldn''t pretend to be ignorant anymore. Young Yuuki needed some time to calm himself because he practically banished his father to and full of Hollows. It''s true that he believed in his dad''s strength. Even during all the times that he hated him, that was the only thing he could admit. Akio believed that Ryoto would return, but it didn''t make it any better. It wouldn''t justify his actions, but all this created a crucial question. Why did he see his father beating his mother when he was younger? Akio was sure that it wasn''t a hallucination of any kind. He saw it happening multiple times, and he did monthly tests on himself to check his health just in case, and his mental and physical health was at an eptable level. His mind was as sharp as ever. Though it could be possible that he was drugged when he was younger, or it was someone''s Zanpakuto ability but who... The gear started turning, the brain going into overwork, and dots started connecting. There was only one person... one group, to be more precise, that he didn''t ask about Ryoto, and that was for a good reason. He was confident that they, to some extent, shared his disyed hatred. In fact, it started all started with Aizen, the man he called a teacher, mentor, and friend. So why... why was he hesitating to ask Aizen for answers. The answer was very simple. The more Akio thought, the more he went through memoryne, he noticed... Aizen never opened up to him. His captain was a shoulder he could lean on, someone he could confess his worries, but looking back, he was not only too perfect but felt too empty. Besides the basics, Akio didn''t know the man named Aizen Sosuke, even after over a half-century, which was abnormal. Even if Aizen was very private about his personal life, he would share a thing or two about himself in all these years... but he didn''t. However, Akio didn''t want to make the same mistake twice. He doesn''t want to incriminate Aizen just because he is a bit suspicious of him. He needs evidence and someone he can trust, which leaves only one person... his father. If what he saw was a lie, then his father is innocent and the only one clear of suspicions at the moment. Until he returned, Akio decided to act like he usually would to not rm whoever was manipting his worldview. He just needed to wait. (Ryoto''s pov) How do I get myself into these situations? I mean... I get it, I''m from a world where these kinds of things happen regrly, but I''m in a different world, and it still happens. Not as often, I can admit, at least with strangers, since my nightlife is still as crazy as ever. I nced at my left and then at my right arm. Lastly, I checked my front. I was being held down. "Care to exin what you are doing?" I asked my ''attackers''. "Forgive me, Ryoto-sama, but you left us no choice." Sung-Sun on my left answered. "I just want to rify that I was against this idea, but I was outvoted." Fran added, at which Sung-Sun rolled her eyes. "I see, I see. Now pretend like I don''t know how I forced all of you to do this." The snake Hollow sighed. "Ryoto-sama, both I and Francesca respect you greatly, just as much as Harribel-sama. Even if you are a Shinigami, you earned my and Rose''s trust and respect over time. You are powerful but not arrogant, calm but hiding the storm inside of you. You are very simr to Harribel-sama." "That''s great and all, but forgive me if I can''t see your loyalty at the moment. My eyesight must be getting worse." I opened my eyes to roll them and closed them after I was done. We were not at the level where I had my eyes constantly open, but they knew how they looked. "Speaking of which, I still don''t know why Tier is sitting on my stomach and is very quiet... you know, more than usual." And she looked shy too, but I didn''t say it out loud. I hope that they don''t n on doing what I think. I was in simr situations a long time ago with another Shark girl. Why does this keep happening to me, and why is it always with Shark Girls? "Ryoto-sama, we wanted it to happen more naturally, but you were being either too stubborn or too blind. You are clearly attracted to Harribel-sama, but you are not acting on your desire." I raised my eyebrow. "Do you take me for an animal or teenager, the same thing really, that can''t control himself? Even when I was a teenager and lived with the daughter of the most beautiful woman in the gxy who didn''t havemon sense, I didn''t jump her on the first chance I got. Do you think that I now, when I''m over 200 years old and build immense self-control, won''t be able to stay calm around prettydies?" When I was done talking, Tier blushed slightly and tried to hide it by turning her head away from me, but Sung-Sun took away my attention from Harribel to herself. "No, if you would do that, all my respect for you would vanish. It doesn''t mean that you can''t get closer, but you don''t try anything, and it''s frustrating!" ... That surprised me. It was the first time Sung-Sun yelled at me, but before I could answer in any capacity, Tier stood up from my stomach, surprising both me and our two followers. "Let''s stop this now." That was the only thing she said as she started walking away. She sounded sad saying that, and it provoked some emotions in me. (E/D: Don''t do this.) "Wait." I grabbed her arm and, at the same time, confusing Sung-Sun and Francesca as I escaped their grasp instantly. Harribel stopped in her steps and looked at me with her green eyes, and I did the same by opening my eyes. "Tier, I''m going to be honest with you. It''s true that I grew to care for you, and you are indeed very attractive." My words seemed to please Harribel, and so I kept talking. "However, I can''t make decisions like these alone, not anymore. My life is not my own anymore. If not for that, I would probably pursue you without a second thought, but before I do that, I''ll need to talk to my other lovers. For now, both of us need to be patient, and I hope that you can be satisfied with that." I slick back her blonde hair with my hand revealing her forehead, leaned towards her, and let my lips gently touch her forehead. With all that done, I walked away calmly, leaving a frozen Tier and her twopanions. After I waspletely gone deeper into the cave, unseen by the three Hollows, Harribel slowly moved her hand to her forehead as if trying to feel or relive the kiss. If her mouth was visible, it would be smiling, but even without that, her eyes were telling plenty. Happy for their Harribel-sama Sung-Sun and Francesca rushed at her to hug her. At the same time, I was thinking about how I was going to exin this to Rin and Isane. They are not L, who would ept almost everything. Not to mention Yoruichi, who joked about it happening. She is not going to let it go for a long time. Why is my love lifeplicated like spaghetti, and why do I keep being attracted to other girls even now? Do I have a problem? Some abandonment issues, perhaps... Trying to surround myself with as many loved ones as possible? *Sigh* Whatever is going to happen is going to happen. I just gotta live with that. --- END Discord server: /Kurit (Up to 10 chapters ahead and exclusive illustrations.) Chapter 273: Return Chapter 273: Return (Ryoto''s pov) It was time for me to return. About a year has passed since I was kidnapped. I say it because it was hard to keep time while night prevailed 24/7, but with my mathematical skills, I was able to do it with a small margin of error. During my time in Hueco Mundo, I wasn''t just waiting for this year to pass. I was preparing. While this situation wasn''t ideal, I needed to make the best out of it, so I was nning and I was training. Here, I could practice some of my more destructive and noticeable Hollow abilities, and while I didn''t master everything, I did everything I could and gained a lot from it. But s, it was time to say goodbye to the allies I made in thest year. Not going to lie, I''m going to miss them, and I can''t even visit them unless I want Sereitei on my ass, mostly Central 46, but in the end, it''s going to be most of Sereitei. "Well, it''s time for me to go. Remember what I told you and stick to the n." I reminded the trio of the Hollows I lived with. They didn''t answer, but two of the Adjuchas rushed to hug me. ""Ryoto-sama!!!"" I patted their backs and smiled. "Now, calm down. Both of you knew that it was going to happen sooner orter. And it''s not like we aren''t going to see each other ever again." "Ryoto is right. He is needed somewhere else, and we don''t have any right to stop him." Tier said, but I didn''t like what I heard. I don''t want them to think that they are just a recement for my family. "For now..." She added quietly, and my smile grew more prominent. "That''s right when everything is done, I will introduce you to my family and Tier, I''m going to exin to them our rtionship, and we''ll see how it goes from there, but you can expect a positive response. They are all nice." I didn''t say that they''ll probably tease me to death about it. It''s not something she needed to know. We really grew closer in the time we lived in this cave. Me and these three Hollows. Shame that I can''t return with them, it would create a lot of problems. After that, I went to say the same thing to Stark and Lilte. They were part of the n, and I also grew to like to rx with Stark. He is veryid back, and it just makes me feel at ease as well. Not to mention that he helped me train as well. Now that I hadid out my traps, I created Garganta and went to the human world. Creating the gate that Hollow uses in Soul Society would cause panic, and I would be discovered rather quickly. The human world isn''t as thoroughly monitored. After that, I unsheathed my Zanpakuto and created a gate to Soul Society. My first visit won''t be to my family, surprisingly. They are strong, I know they are, but someone else needs to see me first. That''s why my first destination was Squad 2''s barracks. I was getting a lot of attention. Maybe it was my unkempt hair. Perhaps it was my tattered clothes revealing my upper body, and a big part of my legs was shown. I was also barefoot. I am also not the cleanest. While Harribel could create water, I didn''t have any soap at hand, so at most, I could pour water on myself and scrub. Funnily enough, I couldn''t even drink that water as it was sea water because she is a shark, and I know that there are some species of sharks that live in freshwater, but they are the exception, not the rule... I think. I don''t know that much about sharks. I also was forced to drink Hollow Blood for some time until I built a water filter. I ignored the curious and confused stares from members of my Squad and walked towards my office... or it wasn''t mine anymore. I hope that they didn''t rece me. I wasn''t gone that long. I even prepared letters if something like that happened. I soon arrived at my destination and opened the door without knocking. This room belonged to me, after all. I was met with an angry growl from behind the mountain of paperwork. Good to know that some things never change. "How many times do I need to tell all of you to learn to knock on the door!? Just because Captain allows it doesn''t mean that I do! I''m not crazy enough to allow my own assassination, so don''t even try to sneak up on me." As this someone answered, she didn''t stop filling out the paperwork even though she was feeling annoyed judging by the tone of her voice. While I couldn''t see her because of the documents on the desk, I recognized her voice and attitude immediately. "You call that crazy. I call that efficient. You don''t need to like it to see the results, and the results speak for themselves." The sound of the pen moving stopped, and silence filled the office. After a short moment, I could hear a chair mming down on the floor, and my lieutenant hesitantly moved to take a look at her guest, which was me. "Hello, Soi Fon. d to see you as energetic as ever-!" I didn''t finish talking as Soi Fon rushed at me and wrapped her arms around my waist because of a significant height difference. She hid her face in my chest and hugged me tightly. In return, I gently patted her head. It felt natural. Soi Fon wasn''t talking to me, but I could hear them muttering to herself, ''He came back'', ''He kept his promise'', and things like that. After the initial shock went away, my cute lieutenant tried to calm herself and get back herposure. "... You didn''t see anything. This didn''t happen." "I don''t know what you are talking about. I just got here." I yed along and allowed her to pretend this didn''t happen. She just can''t be true to herself. She is too proud of that, but her ''slip up'' showed me that she cared about me after all. "But if someone who missed me suddenly hugged me, I would say sorry for worrying her." I smiled. Being embarrassed, Soi Fon tried to change the topic, and she took notice of my appearance for the first time. Before, she was too caught up with me, appearing out of nowhere to pay attention to how I looked. "You look terrible." "Gee, thanks. Good to know that my efforts paid off." I sarcastically remarked. "I just couldn''t find any clothes shops out there, so forgive my attire." "Where were you anyway?" She finally asked. "Hueco Mundo," I answered without missing a bit. "I was kidnapped by a group of Menos. I don''t know why, but I will get to the bottom of it." "... How do you get yourself in a situation like that?" "When you live as long as I did, you have a lot of enemies, and a lot happens to you. Also, I enjoy taking walks in the woods." "You were gone for a year, and look like you lived in a cave." She said with a deadpan expression. "... Very enthusiastic walks in the woods." --- We talked for a while until it was time for me to go home. Hopefully, they miss me, or it will be pretty awkward. As I was making my way home, I realized how tired I was feeling. It''s probably because of my diet and constant vignce, although thetter was only partially true. After I met Harribel and the rest and I grew to trust them, I was able to rx more. Not all the time, but more. I also miss the bed. My god, do I miss it! The first thing I''ll do is probably take a nap. Not to mention my hate for sand skyrocketed. I must say, Anakin was into something. When I got in front of the house, I stopped just to look at it, just to let the realization sink in. I was back. With that said and done, I entered my establishment. No one should be here at this hour, so I have some time to rest. Before my well-deserved rest, however, I want to eat something that isn''t Hollow as I stepped inside the kitchen. I was surprised to see someone there. Yukima was currently looking through the fridge. I didn''t get a chance like this in some time, so I used it. I knocked on the table, startling my daughter, who was trying not to drop a piece of cake on a te that she had in her hands and juggle it for a few moments. "I wasn''t stealing Rangiku''s cake! I swear! I was just worried that it would go bad before she could eat it, and so I decided to eat it before she was forced to throw it away because wasting food... is... bad." Yukima tried to justify whatever she was doing, and at the end of it, she turned around to see me. "Hello, Yukima. Long time no see." I said with a soft smile, and I was immediately rushed by my daughter to get another hug, and I returned it dly. Hugs are nice. I also felt my chest getting wet, meaning that Yukima was crying. To calm her down, I started stroking her gently. "I missed you too." We stayed like that as long as she needed to until she lifted her head to look me in the eyes. I opened them and smiled, which earned me an even tighter hug. "Dad, you aren''t going to vanish again, are you?" Yukima said hesitantly, and it broke my heart. It looked like while I was focusing on Soi Fon''s abandonment issues, I missed the problems of my own daughter. I broke our hug and lowered myself to look her in the eyes. "Yukima, I won''t ever, EVER abandon you or any one of our family willingly. I promise you that, and you know how strict I am about promises." I allowed a smile to form on my face. "And neither would your mothers." "... What about mom?" And there''s the question I knew wasing. "*Sigh* I think you are old enough to know this. Ideally, I wouldn''t share it, but I can see that hiding this information any longer would do more harm than good." We moved to the living room, where we sat on the couch. "I''ll start by saying that Yoruichi, your mother, loves you very much. It was the point where she did everything she could to distance you from the Shihoin n, and trust me, it was for your own good. You may like your grandma and grandpa, but they are part of a n that deals mainly with assassinations, and you would be part of this family tradition just like Yoruichi was, and she didn''t want it to happen to you. Now into the main topic... Yoruichi helped Kisuke and Tessai when they were falsely used, and she was forced to hide with them. She didn''t want to drag us with her problems, but she couldn''t leave her childhood friends like that, so after a long inner battle, with a heavy heart, she made her decision. Trust me when I say that it wasn''t easy for her, and she only went with that, knowing that you would have the support of the whole family even without her being there for you. Sometimes life gives you a choice between two evils, and you need to choose whether you like it or not. That''s just life." I put my hand on her shoulder and pulled her closer to me. "And if it makes you feel any better, Yoruichi will return soon... In about 50 years or so if everything goes ording to n." She looked up at me, hopefully. "Really?" I nodded. "Really. You didn''t think that I would let Yoruichi be a criminal for the rest of her life. I''m worried that she won''t be able to live without me anymore. I transformed her from a stray to a house cat. Not to mention the nightlife-" Yukima quickly put her hands to her ears. "Ll, I can''t hear you!" Seeing that her mood got better, I ruffled her hair. "Now, if you let me, I would like to take a nap in a bed. We''ll have a family meeting in the evening. Sounds good?" With that said, I went to my bedroom and went to sleep on something soft for once. (E/D: L.... *Breathes*........*Breathes in war crime*) --- END Discord server: /Kurit (Up to 10 chapters ahead and exclusive illustrations.) Chapter 274: The return of the prodigal son Chapter 274: The return of the prodigal son (Ryoto''s pov) After my quality time with Yukima, I finally ate something that didn''t taste hollow... hehe... and soon after, I went to take a well-deserved nap. I woke up just before the first person returned, and it was surprisingly Masaru. I was betting on Rangiku. The moment he noticed me, his eyes went wide open, and he rushed into a hug, simr to his sister. This repeated more times. Rangiku, Rin, and Isane did the same. Gin wasn''t as affectionate, but I could see relief in his eyes... when he opened them... Are we sure he isn''t rted to me? In short, the reunion was emotional. If one year of separation was this emotional, I started to worry about my reaction when I get back home. All in all, the dinner was very pleasant, full ofughter and overall good atmosphere. We were talking about where I was, what I was doing, and how I survived, and I exined everything... most things. I was hiding a small detail about Harribel. I was just waiting for a better moment, but as the dinner was approaching its end and the children were out of the dining room, no such moment appeared, so I decided to just say it. "By the way, do you remember Tier Harribel that I mentioned before..." Before I could finish talking, Rin pulled out some money and gave it to Isane. I blinked slowly a few times to make sure I was seeing right. "What are you two doing?" I finally asked. Both of my partners turned to me. "After we all got together, Yoruichi proposed a bet. It was about when we were getting another sister." Rin started exining. "And knowing you the longest and hopefully the best, I agreed to it, feeling good about my chances, but it seems that I was wrong..." She added grumpily at the end. "Did you really doubt my loyalty that much?" I raised my eyebrow. "Not exactly your loyalty, but we all knew that you... have a history of multiple lovers. Before, in one year, you got together with four girls." "... Fair. So, how much did you bet on?" "I was sure that it wouldn''t be longer than 50 years," Rin answered. "I said it would be 150-200 years, but I was sure it would be Kiyone." Isane added. "And just out of curiosity, what was Yoruichi''s betting on?" "10 years, and she was so sure of that. She is going to pay Isane a fortune when we see her again." "I feel slightly used, but since Isane believed in me the most, she is choosing my homemade meals for a week." While Isane''s expression beamed with joy, Rin was showing fear. "Y-you don''t need to go that far..." We all know that Isane will choose porridge for all meals. Three times a day for a week, and no matter how delicious I make it, it can get old, but not for my Isane, though. "I don''t know... I think that I need to show my appreciation to Isane more often." I smirked as I teased Rin. How I missed doing that. "But before that, you still didn''t answer me about Tier." "What can we say, Ryoto? We would need to meet her first, but I doubt you would start caring about some psychopath." ... Let''s agree with that. Suddenly, our talk was interrupted by a knock on the door. "I''ll get that," I said as I walked towards the door and opened it. I was honestly surprised by who the guest was, but not only that. More of a surprise was how Akio was carrying himself. Gone was the air of confidence, superiority, and resentment towards me. It was like looking at old Akio, shy, ashamed even, insecure, and embarrassed by being caught doing something he shouldn''t. What the hell happened in that one year I was gone? I opened my mouth, ready to ask what was wrong, but I was interrupted by the sound of breaking tes. I turned around to see first shocked but then furious Yukima, who rushed at Akio while releasing some bloodlust. I frowned as Yukima may enjoy battle at times too much, I may add, but she never was bloodthirsty, especially to family. Something must have happened, but before I tried to learn what had happened between them, I needed to stop Yukima, so I grabbed her by the neck and picked her up like a tiny kitten. "Calm down, Yukima." My daughter tried to struggle a bit before going limp. "But dad..." She protested, but as she was now, she wasn''t thinking straight, so I wanted her to take a breather or two. "No buts. Now I''ll go talk with Akio, and you''ll behave. Understood?" "... Yes." I then walked up to Rin and handed her Yukima. After that, I nodded to her, and Isane indicated that I''d handle Akio. And so I left the house looking for some privacy for our talk. --- We went for a walk that I didn''t call it a walk for obvious reasons. We walked in silence. I could see that Akio wanted to say something, so I waited patiently until he could gather the courage to do so, and my patience paid off. "Fa- Dad, can I ask you something?" I could say that he already did, but I can read the air well enough to tell that it isn''t the best time to joke. "Go ahead." "... Do you hate me?" That went from 0 to 100 really quickly. I can guess why he asked me that, but still... Holy shit. "Are you asking me that because I made you think that I hate you, or do you feel like I should hate you for something you did?" I hit the nail with this one because Akio''s mood immediately became worse. "You know what I mean... You are aware of what''s happening behind the curtains. Everything with what happened to the incident where Uncle Kisuke, Uncle Tessai, and Yoruichi-kaasan were forced to escape to the living world and who is responsible for it, don''t you." It was more of a statement than a question, and I confirmed with a simple nod. "If that''s the case, why didn''t you do anything for thest few decades?" Akio asked surprisingly calmly. "You are a smart boy, Akio. You should already know it. The reason that you are questioning me is because you sensed something was wrong." My son nodded. "Then you should be aware that Mr. ''I''m a very kind captain'' Aizen isn''t as nice as he likes people to think. I don''t know how much you were part of his n, and I don''t know how much about the man you are calling captain, but I am sure that you are aware that he is smart, scarily so. If I tried to outsmart him, I would lose 99 out of 100 times, and that one win in my name would be because of luck. I knew for a long time that you had a grudge against me because of him, but knowing Aizen, he mixed truth and lies in a way that it would be difficult to unravel. Every way I would try to defend myself would probably backfire. That''s why I was waiting for some kind of chance toe, but it seems that I underestimated your deduction abilities." I messed with his hair a bit. "But I must apologize to you for not doing more. Because of my weakness, I couldn''t do more without risking a lot." Then I hugged Akio suddenly. "But I''m d that despite all of that, you are alright." Akio stiffened at the sudden contact, but he slowly rxed and soon buried his face in my shoulder and started quietly sobbing as I patted his back. --- "You know, Dad, I can''t take credit for figuring everything out. I... kind of was boasting to Yukima and Masaru about how I sent you to Hueco Mundo. It was mostly out of frustration, but then Yukima punched me, and I don''t know how, but some things clicked as Iy on the ground." I shook my head in disbelief, but it would exin why she was so angry at Akio earlier. "She really is her mother''s daughter. Yoruichi did something simr to me years ago. But going back on topic, Aizen is probably aware that you aren''t under his spell, but he won''t do anything with it." "Why?" "Either you go ballistic and try to kill him. In that case, he would just remove a piece from his chessboard, or you would pretend to be still on his side, and then he has entertainment in the form of your futile efforts. I know that it would happen because despite all his intellect, Aizen is very curious at his core, and I''m sure he would want to see what way you would try to kill him. That''s what most people are to him, entertainment and pieces to use. Now that you know it, what are you nning to do? Are you still nning on being in his squad, or do you want to leave his division and distance yourself from Aizen as much as possible? To be honest with you, I would rather have you be as far away from this sses-wearing traitor in the making, but you are an adult, and I''ll respect your choice to some extent." Akio, with his newly founded motivation, looked me straight in the eyes. "I''ll stay with ca-, with Aizen. He may know that I don''t believe his lies anymore, and if he wants to observe me like some kind of experiment, then I''ll make him regret it." I solemnly nodded. If that is what he wants, if he really wants to be part of this whole thing, then I won''t stop him, but I won''t let him be alone anymore. At least I have my son back. --- Once again, years went on without much happening, although things changed for the better for once. Akio became closer than ever to me and the family, although there is still some tension between him and his siblings. Even when I tried to exin to them that it wasn''t his fault and he had already apologized to me and them as well, I couldn''t entirely me them as well. It''s a difficult situation to be in, and I can''t do much with it. The only thing Akio can do is to show his sincerity through his actions. It''s easy to lose trust, but it''s immensely difficult to get it back. Also, Aizen, just as predicted, didn''t do anything to Akio and acts like his usual fake self, but I can''t let my guard down just yet. I have been trying to be vignt for the past 200 years or so, and I can''t let myself be careless for thest 10 years. I don''t want it all to go to waste. However, I still worry about Akio. I can''t help it despite my awareness of Akio''s abilities, but Aizen is on another level, and even I don''t believe in winning the fight if I don''t give it my all and destroy everything around me. The only positive thing is that while Akio made a huge mistake, at least it wasn''t as irreversible as my mistakes. Why do my children must be so simr to me and make simrly dumb mistakes? The pain of being a parent, seeing your children do the same stupid things you wish you never did. Speaking of parents, I couldn''t sit around while Aizen was ying Cupid for Ichigo''s parents. I observed everything from very far away, so even he wouldn''t be able to sense me, and if anything happened, I would be able to step in. After all, I''m fast, and if I push myself, I will be able tobine Sonido and Shunpo, but that''s only in an emergency. Surprisingly, once in my life, everything went smoothly and just like it was supposed to. You could even call it a Canon event. Still, the big difference was that the Shiba family didn''t drop out from the Five Great Noble families, as the presence of Kaien Shiba didn''t allow for it to happen even after Isshin became missing in action. I secretly take credit for that because no one would acknowledge it, as they wouldn''t know what would happen. I tell that to Kukaku every time I visit her, and it annoys her to no end, but she is still grateful to me for saving her brother''s wife. Speaking of wives, today is June 17, 1994, and I''m going to save yet another wife. I kill one and save three. That makes it OK, right? ... Wow, that was dark even for me. I''m d that I didn''t say it out loud, not that anyone would hear me at the moment since I was hiding and stalking said wife... Jesus, what is wrong with me today? I''m just saying things without thinking. Let''s just focus on my target or, rather, targets. Masaki Kurosaki and Ichigo Kurosaki were walking next to the river at the moment. I was following them the whole day just in case, and I was having someone observe them for thest few years if anything changed, but today, I wanted to be here personally because if there is fate in this world, then today is the day Masaki would die, and I would like to prevent it. She still didn''t detect me, but few could, even if they tried. Even while hidden, I could see how much Masaki cared about little Ichigo, but it was normal for a mother, although I''ve seen many who didn''t share this. It was mainly in the slums but also in noble families. They are, thankfully, a minority, but it doesn''t make me like humanity more. As I was deep in my thoughts, my senses red up because of the arrival of a Hollow. It wasn''t particrly strong, Hollow, but it was stronger than canon fodder, so I looked at the source of it to see Masaki trying to defend Ichigo and using Blut Vene against Grand Fisher, but just before she was hit, something happened to her that deactivated her Quincy ability, showing her in the process. It was my time to cue, and I killed the Hollow before he could even register what happened to him. He couldn''t even scream in pain as his death was instantaneous. Whether I like it or not, I got pretty good at killing. "Hello there, Miss Quincy. As you can see, I''m just a friendly Shinigami passing by." She looked at me with her face still full of shock. I can''t me her that much. She just escaped the jaws of death, which is ironic since I am kind of a death god myself. "T-thank you." She finally spoke up while still holding to her son, who seemed dazed and not entirely with us. "Don''t worry about it. I''m Shinigami, and it''s my job to kill Hollows, and you would kill it if not for the unexpected issue that you encountered." Hearing that, she instantly put the guard up. "Now, now, if I wanted to do something to you, I would already have done it, and even if you didn''t have this issue, I doubt you could do me much harm. I don''t want to boast, but I''m pretty strong. This white haori on my back should tell you that much. I''m also a family friend... in a way. I''m friends with Kukaku, and Kaien is in my debt even when I''m telling him that it''s alright. In short, I''m a friend of your husband''s niece and nephew." "I see... I don''t want to sound ungrateful, but what someone like you is doing here?" She was still on edge because of this near-death experience, and she was probably suspicious of me or at least was thinking of her son''s safety above all else. "I don''t want to be the bringer of the bad, but it''s significant for you to know. The Quincy King has awakened." Masaki''s eyes shot wide open. "But that''s -" "Impossible? Just a story? Something along these lines, right? But the reality of this situation is that you just experienced the first sign of his awakening." "... Auswhlen." "Bingo. I''m surprised that you even know this name, but you are correct. Quincy King has returned, and he started a Holy selection. All not pure-blooded Quincies experienced something simr to you. Not many are as lucky, though. I suspect that many Quinces with health problems have already died or at least went into aa." Before she could start to worry, which she was on the verge of doing, I eased her concerns. "Don''t worry though, I have a solution." I took out a bag that was hidden until now. "Inside this bag are lollipops with mysterious effects. You could even call them a healing candy." I took out one and gave it to her. "All you need to do is put it in your mouth, which should prevent any after-symptoms. If you don''t believe me, you can ask Isshin about Ryoto Yuuki''s lollipops. They are pretty famous in the Soul Society." Masaki softened her expression. "No, I''ll believe you." That was my turn to be surprised. "I like to think of myself as someone who has a good judgment of character, and you seem trustworthy." ... Is she blind? I couldn''t look more sketchy even if I tried. Maybe if I had a white van... Before I go off topic again, I have a few things to say before I need to return. The shorter I''m here, the better my chance to remain unnoticed by Aizen. "I hate to say it, but I would also like to ask you a favor if you don''t mind. Please give one of the lollipops to Uryu''s mother, and I have one other that is only for her." I may not have contact with the Ishidas anymore, but it didn''t mean that I didn''t keep an eye on them. I''m aware of Kanae''s condition and have prepared a lollipop that would be able to help her to some extent. "Kanae-chan? I understand!" She smiled at me gently. The smile that only a mother could have, but I should start leaving now. I nodded. "As a thank you, I''ll give you some advice. You should prepare your son for a storm that is approaching. In a few years, he will be the center of it, whether you like it or not. Sorry for that. It''s outside my control at this point." And with that, I left, but I could still notice young Ichigo opening his eyes slowly to see my white haori with the number 2 on it. --- (A/N In the next chapter, canon is starting. Boy, it took longer than I thought it would, but we are finally here. Prepare yourself for some butterfly effects down the line.) (E/D: You took... way... too long. Also, where is Potatochu?) END Discord server: /Kurit (Up to 10 chapters ahead and exclusive illustrations.) Chapter 275: Start of the story Chapter 275: Start of the story (Akio''s pov) I am close... I can feel it. Dad warned me not to provoke Aizen at all, and it''s... challenging. Every time he smiles at me, it makes me want to puke. It''s as if he is mocking me. He knows that I''m not on his side anymore, but he humors me. I''m not strong enough... I''m not strong to begin with because I''m not a fighter. I''m a scientist, and if I don''t see a solution to my problem, I create it. That''s what I have been doing since I discovered the truth. Aizen is powerful. If he wasn''t, Dad would dispose of him a long time ago, but being strong doesn''t mean that he is invincible. I just need to find a way to trap him somewhere. Not long ago, I learned the phrase ''if you can''t beat it, seal it'', and I think that it can be applied here as well. Muken is an option, but I won''t be able to ess it without notifying Central 46, but I''m not one to give up. What if there is a dimension that Aizen isn''t aware of and he wouldn''t be able to escape it? That was my thought process, and I am happy to announce that I''m closer than ever to attaining this goal. During my countless research about different dimensions and the between, I stumbled across something very interesting. Apparently, there is a mirror dimension in the shadows of the Soul Society. That''s an incredible discovery in itself, but I''m not nning on sharing this information with anyone for now, not even Dad. Unlike my father, I don''t know when I''m under Kyoka Suigetsu effect. I''ll need to create a way to send someone there and test it to see if there could be any possible way out after closing the way in. Soon, all will be done... (Ryoto''s pov) Oh boy, another Captain meeting. How I love meeting my fellow captains, which includes some criminals. My sarcasm aside, I''m very aware of what this meeting is about, and this time, it isn''t because I''m the sole cause of it. I think Yama-jii is still mad at me for leaving my post for a week to go on vacation to the living world. I wasn''t even nning on annoying him at that time. I genuinely forgot about informing him after telling Isane and Rin that I''d do that for them. If it wasn''t for Unohana, who already knew about it from her lieutenant, I''m half-certain that he would think that we were attacked or something. But going back to the meeting, it was about a particr member of Division 13. Rukia Kuchiki was in the world of the living for far longer than her mission was supposed to go on, although it sometimes happens because of high Hollow activity, but Rukia didn''t report anything about it. Not to mention, there are suspicions that she transferred her Shinigami powers to a human, which was illegal. There are many reasons for that rule, but it mostly could be summarised as ''humans can''t be trusted'', and it''s not like we didn''t try before. The first Substitute Shinigami was kind of a test if we should change our ways, and while I didn''t have much say in it. I spoke with the guy a few times, too, but he didn''t have any trust in Soul Society just as much as Soul Society didn''t have faith in him after he discovered that he was being spied on via his badge. He escaped, but he isn''t on my high-priority list at the moment, and that''s why he is free. *m* "Attention, everyone! We gathered everyone to discuss the case of Rukia Kuchiki. It is believed that shemitted the crime of giving away her Shinigami powers to a human boy. It''s still unconfirmed, but after noting back at the agreed date, it was ordered to capture her and bring her back." Yamamoto opened one of his eyes to show his seriousness. "By force if necessary, but if it isn''t possible... eliminate her." I noticed Byakuya tensed slightly, hearing it, but kept his poker face in the end. Kaien, the lieutenant of Squad 13, though, was much more vocal, although he was stopped by his captain immediately, which helped calm him on the outside but not inside. "Captain Commander, I believe I am the most suitable for this mission." Byakuya spoke up, although a bit solemnly, which isn''t that much different from his usual tone, and it''s a bit funny, if not sad. Before Yama-jii could agree with Byakuya, I butted in. "I disagree. While Byakuya is definitely the top pick for this kind of mission, because of his connection to Rukia Kuchiki, it wouldn''t be wise. Not that he would allow her to escape just because she is family, but in my opinion, it''s better to avoid an awkward meeting. If you want someone to be captured, maybe send someone specialized in this field. You know... in stealthy stuff... I wonder if we have someone like that..." I put my hand on my chin to show how hard I was focusing. At the same time, Byakuya furrowed his eyebrows at the implication but shortly after closed his eyes calmly, thankful nheless. "Do what you want." Little Byakuya said to me. *m* "Captain Yuuki of Squad 2." He couldn''t just say Captain Yuuki since there was another captain Yuuki here, but he didn''t want to use my name. Stubborn old man. "Quit your foolish disy, but as much as I hate to admit it, you make a fine point. With that said, I entrust this mission to you and your lieutenant. Don''t do anything stupid. Dismissed!" --- Soi Fon and I stepped out from the Senkaimon and started looking at our surroundings. "Are you excited, Soi Fon? We are on the hunt! I didn''t hunt in over 200 years. Not since I didn''t have any money for food." "Didn''t you have many missions before where you needed to track your target?" "I did, but it was a mission, so it wasn''t a hunt. I don''t like calling tracking people ''a hunt''." "... Aren''t we tracking a person right now?" "... You are no fun, Soi Fon." "It''s not supposed to be fun. It''s a job and a pretty important one at that. Maybe you should take it a bit more seriously." We exchanged words like that as we searched for Rukia until someone matching her description was seen running down the streets by Soi Fon. "Captain, I believe I found her." I turned to where Soi Fon was facing, and sure enough, there was a ck-haired girl running in a sundress. "Good work, Soi Fon. Now, let''s greet our suspect." At my enthusiasm, my little lieutenant just sighed and followed my lead. In an instant, we appeared in front of Byakuya''s little sister, who looked frightened at our arrival. "Soi Fon, you are scaring her. Don''t look like you want to stab her." I whispered as I bent down a bit, which annoyed my subordinate, but I quickly turned my attention to Rukia, who wasn''t any calmer than before, and I nned to fix it... at least until I got what I needed to do. I don''t know how everything changed or if anything changed at all. I couldn''t keep my spies in Karakura as Aizen would notice them immediately or even dispose of them if he thought that they were in the way and I couldn''t do that myself because of my duties in Soul Society, and he would notice me missing for a short duration of times many times in a few months. Before, I could send spies because Aizen wasn''t focusing on Karakura town as much, but since Ichigo apparently got his Shinigami powers, Aizen was observing him carefully. I''m not worried, though. I have a source of information in front of me. "Hello, Rukia-chan. I don''t think I need to tell you why we are here, but before we take you back to Soul Society, I have a few questions for you." Soi Fon raised an eyebrow at me as it wasn''t time for interrogation but didn''t say anything and waited for me to do my thing. "Did you, by any chance, give your powers to some teenager, as our intel says? It''s pretty big usations, so if we are wrong, we won''t need to punish you in any way." I was speaking calmly, but Rukia''s expression was getting worse with every word I said, which only made it more clear that it did happen. Does that mean that Masaki didn''t listen to my advice and didn''t train Ichigo? Shame, but nothing I can''t work with. I was patiently waiting for Rukia to say something, a bit curious if she would lie or make some kind of excuse, but before I could get my answer, an arrow of pure Reishi flew at me, which I caught between fingers, twirled, and redirected it to the ground without much effort. Someone shot a Quincy arrow at me. It''s not the first time it happened, but this time, I feel like I didn''t deserve it. I turned my eyes to the source of said arrow, and I saw a high school student with sses. He was also carrying a stic bag. "Uryuu... why... are you here?" Rukia, shocked at the neer, asked him. "Pure chance, Rukia Kuchiki. Don''t worry about it. Simply said... I felt the presence of a Shinigami, and my curiosity got the better of me. Hearing all the stories from my grandfather, I hoped to see them in person, but... it looks like stories about their greatness were greatly exaggerated." He narrowed his eyes at me and Soi Fon while Soi Fon was narrowing her eyes at me, and I was looking away from her. She caught on Uryuu, who said that he felt our presence, and it shouldn''t be possible unless we wanted to, and I may have released more Reiatsu than necessary so we would be found easier. "*Cough* Well, stories are often exaggerated, but I think there is some kind of misunderstanding between us. I''m not doing anything wrong at the moment." "Looking at Kuchiki-san, she doesn''t want to go with you and yourpanion, who looks like she wants to stab my ssmate." Yeah... that checks out. "Sorry about her. She is still learning." I apologized for the behavior of my lieutenant, who stared daggers at me and felt slightly betrayed. "We''ve been working with each other FOR DECADES!" I turned to Soi Fon to see her angry expression, only to turn back to Uryuu. "She is a slow learner." It seemed like my subordinate couldn''t take it anymore and shed at me with her Zanpakuto, and as usual, I dodged it, and to add salt to the injury, I swiped her legs to trip her. Both Rukia and Uryuu didn''t know how to react to our exchange and stared dumbfounded. "I apologize. This is our usual routine. I''m trying to help her control her anger. It isn''t working out, but I haven''t given up just yet, but enough about me. Let''s talk about you, Quincy boy. Can I assume that you are Uryuu Ishida?" Hearing his name, Uryuu''s narrowed behind his sses. "And what if I am?" He asked suspiciously. "Then I have something to give to you." I put my hand into one of my many pockets and pulled out an old Quincy cross. "It was given to me a long time ago by a dear friend. Until a short while ago, it was buried underground, but I bet he would appreciate it more in the hands of someone capable." I tossed the cross to Uryuu, which he didn''t expect, and tried to catch it clumsily, but as he focused on the essory, I got behind him and chopped his neck, rendering young Quincy unconscious. "Well, that takes care of this issue." Although it feels slightly wrong to give this cross to someone else, I believe it will be better used in Uryuu''s hands. And it''s not like I''m giving it to someone unknown. It''s literally Isamu''s family. "Now where were we... Ah, right. I was asking about that boy who may or may not exist." But I was interrupted again. This time, it was by a giant sword''s sh. I wouldin about not getting my answers, but they just came to me. In front of me was a delinquent-looking high school student dressed as Shinigami with orange hair, holding a giant Zanpakuto. He looked at the unconscious body of his ssmate, and he looked angry. I, on the other hand, grimaced inside not showing even a hint of this emotion on the outside. I am unfortunately forced to bring this kid close to his death just so he can get stronger. I apologized to him in my mind and steeled my resolve. "Look, Soi Fon, a strawberry appeared," I said with fake excitement as I pointed. "Were you the one who did this to Uryuu?" Seemingly ignoring myment, Ichigo asked me, but two can y this game, so I ignored him ignoring me. "It can even talk... How did you teach a strawberry talk, Rukia? It must have been difficult." This time, I got a reaction. Ichigo''s eye twitched. "I asked you if you were the one that did this to Uryuu, you bastard!" The question was repeated with more force this time. "Don''t be a drama queen. I just knocked him down. Otherwise, he is perfectly healthy. Sadly, I can''t say the same after I''m done with you." "No Ichigo! RUN!!! You don''t have a chance against a Captain." Rukia''s warning fell on deaf ears as Ichigo rushed at me. To me, it looked like he was in slow motion, so I wasn''t impressed. I didn''t want to drag it any longer than necessary, so I easily dodged the approaching sword and thrust at his chest where Saketsu was. If I pierced it together with Hakusui, then Ichigo would lose his Shinigami powers, or at least the ones that he got from Rukia. It would force him to train and get stronger. *ng* My eyes widened, revealing my ordinary blue eyes since I don''t go outside without my contacts on, just in case. I''m genuinely shocked. I know that in the living world, I''m only at 20% of my full strength, but it doesn''t mean that I''m weak enough to not be able to cut someone. Looking closer, I could see blue veins glowing under his clothes where I stabbed him. If not for my eyes, I would have missed it. I smiled as I dodged Ichigo''s counterattack by backstepping. "Blut Vene. You must be talented to use it at such a young age." Imented. "Mom said the same thing. Apparently, I have a talent for it, but how does a Shinigami know about it?" Ichigo pointed his oversized sword at me. "It''s not like this is a secret or anything like that, so anyone could have learned it if they wanted, but let''s just say that I have experience with Quincies." I answered calmly as I rubbed my chin, remembering a few Quincies that tried to use it to defend against my de. It didn''t end well for them. "But enough about me, I have some advice for you." "And what is that? Are you going to say someme viin line like ''Give up. A man of your power couldn''t even dream of drawing my blood.''. If yes, then you can save your breath. I''m going to beat you and save Rukia!" He''s got an attitude. I like it. "Idiot! I told you not to search for me and go into hiding!" Rukia yelled from behind me. "And you are stupid if you thought I would listen to you being stupid!" They red at each other, and I could hear Rukia muttering. "Why must he be so simr to Kaien-dono." "As much as I enjoy seeing the love couple argue..." ""We are not a couple!!!"" Both of them yelled at the same time. "... I don''t enjoy prolonging the battle if not necessary or entertaining, so let''s go back to me stabbing you." "Good luck with that. You couldn''t even pierce my skin before. What makes you think it''s going to be different this time." Ichigo said and smirked confidently. Rukia, on the other hand, knew how stupid his behavior was or rather would be if any other captain was in my ce. "Stop it, you idiot!" She turned to me with a begging expression. "Captain Ryoto, I ept my sins and punishment and wille back to Soul Society with you willingly, but please spare Ichigo!" "Silence, criminal! Don''t you realize what position you are in!" Soi Fon, for the first time in a while, spoke. To be honest, I''m impressed that she allowed me to do my thing for this long. I backed off a bit more until I stood beside Soi Fon, and then I put my hand on her head. "Now, now, you must loosen up a bit. Being so serious all the time makes life very boring. And sorry Rukia, but you know why I can''t do it. Although if he survives what''sing next, then I''ll leave him alone." "Captain!" I''ll pretend that I didn''t hear Soi Fon and do my thing. I turned to Ichigo, who surprisingly didn''t sneak attack me. "Are you done?" The young boy asked. "I am, and thank you for your patience, but I can''t help but reprimand you for that at the same time. While honorable, letting your enemy talk is only advisable if you are stronger." To make my point clearer, I stabbed him just like I tried before, but this time, I used much more force to pierce his defenses. Ichigo didn''t even see what happened as I sheathed my Zanpakuto. At that moment, the blood spurted out from his wounds. The substitute Shinigami''s eyes went wide open. He probably couldn''t understand how I did what I did. He obviously was more robust, but it seems he leans on his Shinigami''s powers too much and neglects his Quincy side. Maybe he just doesn''t have a talent for that besides Blut Vene. Seeing this, I took out a piece of paper and pen and started writing a note to an old friend, but as I was thinking what words I should use, I felt a tug on my clothes. I looked down, and the orange-haired boy held onto me like his life depended on it. Impressive willpower, but he can''t do anything right now, so I didn''t mind. His measly strength wouldn''t be able to hold me if I just walked away, but Soi Fon was looking like she was ready to cut off the boy''s hand, but before she decided if she should or shouldn''t do it, Rukia got next to me and kicked Ichigo''s hand away from me to the shock of the teen. I didn''t listen too much... I mean, I did, but it wasn''t my main focus. I learned how to catch details while I''m not focused on them. In short, I am multitasking but with my thoughts. I was trying to write that note to Kisuke, but while thinking about it, I didn''t need to say much. Kisuke knows what he is doing, so a short massage would be enough. And just like that, I went back to Soul Society with Rukia Kuchiki. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 276: In Karakura town Chapter 276: In Karakura town (3rd''s pov) It was a rainy evening in Karakura town. On this rainy evening, two young men were lying on the ground. One of them was in worse condition than the other. While Uryuu Ishida was merely unconscious and would wake up soon enough on his own and risk a cold at most, Ichigo Kurosaki was bleeding out. The orange-haired boy was barely hanging on to his consciousness. Being able to just give up and close his eyes would be a blessing, but Ichigo wasn''t that kind of man. Even if everything hurts. Even if his body felt heavy. Even if it was cold. And even if he was bleeding out, he wasn''t allowed to give up. He still had people to protect. As he was dying, not being able to see clearly anymore, he suddenly couldn''t feel the rain. He didn''t know why, but it made him happy that the rain stopped. --- Kisuke Urahara was observing carefully what was ongoing that evening. He wasn''t expecting to see the familiar faces today, and he felt slightly nostalgic. It was, after all, about 100 years since he saw them, but some things didn''t add up, so he quickly went over all the information he had avable and concluded that, for some reason, Ryoto became Captain of Squad 2. It wasn''t difficult to figure it out. Looking at his friend''s haori and seeing the big number 2 on it was enough to be sure of that, but if someone ever asked him about it, he would convolute his answer as much as possible. Ryoto''s behavior, however, was strange from what he''s seen. Ryoto was a pacifist and disliked unnecessary violence. It was why he knocked out Ishida quickly and painlessly, but it wasn''t the case for Kurosaki-kun. It wasn''t Ryoto-like to stab the teenager without a reason, and knowing his old friend, he would get the answer to his question from the note that was left on Ichigo''s back. With an umbre, Urahara covered the dying boy and took the note. He would read itter. Firstes life-saving. Ishida won''t need immediate treatment. He didn''t have any injuries, to begin with, so all the candy shop owner needed to do was to wake up the unconscious youth. Exining everything to Uryuu would be easy for a humble and handsome shop owner such as himself, but he pushed it to someone else. It''s Ishida''s family issue, and it should be solved by the said family members. --- After everything was said and done, Kurosaki was finally stable. It was time to read the slightly wet note. Kisuke was very curious about what that note was, and after learning the content of it, heughed hysterically. He knew that he must show it to Yoruichi. __________ Took away Strawberry''s Shinigami powers, but just Rukia''s. Train him, make him stronger, and push him to his limits. I know that you already nned on doing it, but give it 120%. If possible, teach him some Kido, too, and if you don''t want to do that, push it to Tessai. You never know what is going to be helpful. Hopefully, he will pick something up. If not, justugh at him. I know I will. He can take it. See you soon. P.S. I made a song that you can y when Ichigo does something cool. I uploaded it on the Inte under the name ''number one''. If you can''t find it because you don''t use the Inte, I willugh and call you an old man. P.S.S. Don''t tell his mother that I almost killed him. I don''t like being disliked by milfs. __________ (Uryuu''s pov) I was woken up by that suspicious store owner. He told me a few things, but I wasn''t listening. I was solely focused on the Quincy cross hanging around my neck. It wasn''t mine. That was the cross thrown at me by that closed-eye Shinigami. It was old-fashioned, but I''m not sure how old it is exactly. I''m more interested in why he''s given it to me and from where he got it. I should ask Sensei about it. --- Sensei is my grandfather, but since he also teaches me so I call him Sensei out of respect. I know everything I know, thanks to him. If it was up to my father, I wouldn''t even know about Quincies even though he and Mother both are Quincies. They said it would be dangerous... only mother said that. Father said that helping the dead wasn''t making money, and it made my blood boil when I heard it, but it was years ago, which doesn''t mean that I understand what he means. I can see the dead and want to help them. Speaking of which, I just found Sensei. "Sensei! I finally found you." My grandfather turned to me and smiled gently until he saw the Quy cross that I nned on talking about with him. "Uryuu, where did you get it?" I''ve never heard Sensei using this kind of tone. He wasn''t really upset but more surprised. Like he couldn''t believe what he was seeing. "It was from some Shinigami who asked if my name is Uryuu Ishida, and confirming that it was, he threw it at me." I didn''t mention that he knocked me down. I didn''t want to worry him. "Did he perhaps have his eyes closed the entire time and had ck hair?" He asked hopefully. "... Yes." "Then I believe it''s time for you to hear about a story from our ancestor''s past." (Yoruichi''s pov) 100 years have passed, and soon, I''ll be able to see my family again. I feel giggity, like a young school girl about to confess to her crush, but at the same time, a little nervous. I know that the kids are in good hands, but I wonder if they hate me... for kind of abandoning them. I''m sure Soi Fon will unless Ryoto makes a miracle happen. You know what? Knowing him, it is possible, but it''s better not to get my hopes up. "AWAWAWA!!!" An orange-haired girl was running around an abandoned building as one of her fairies was pulling her hair. It was Inoue Orihime and together with Yasutora Sado, they were currently training under me. ... How did I get myself in this situation? ''Yoruichi, yOu HaVe expErieNce trAininG kidS. YoU shOuLd hElp thESe cHilDren leArn hOw to uSe ThEir poWers.'' Go eat a dick, Kisuke! You owe me a lot of fish for this shit. I may have trained with my kids, but they weren''t... this! Maybe they were just talented, and my expectations became higher. "AWAWAWA!!!" Deep breaths, Yoruichi, deep breaths. I jumped andzily pped the fairy with my paw, helping the young girl. "You are more hopeless than my children when I started training with them." This off-handment earned me an excited look from Inoue, and she instantly started asking questions. "You have children!? Are they kitties just like you? Is it insensitive to ask this? Are they cute ninja cats? Do you have a cat wife? A queen?" (E/D: Emiya Shirou; The Queen of Avalon.) The barrage of questions made with her big imagination was amusing, and thanks to her, I''m going to call Ryoto a cat queen from now on. (Kisuke''s pov) Kurosaki-kun sessfully regained his Shinigami powers and is currently fighting for his life against me. While his powers returned, he still needed to get much stronger. As he is now, he will barely be able to defeat your below-average lieutenant, which surprisingly isn''t as much as one would think, and if he wants to even start thinking about saving Kuchiki-san, then a lot of training is needed. But I must say, chasing Kurosaki-kun like that is a great stress relief. I should do that more often. I bet Ryoto will love it, as well as Yoruichi if they get the chance. But it seems when I absentmindedly was fighting my student of some kind, he stopped in his tracks. I felt like he was on the verge of a breakthrough, so I paused my onught to wait and see. Something was different around him. He just stood in one ce motionless with his broken Zanpakuto in his hand. Then he made sudden moves, releasing his Zanpakuto by calling its name. This moment was one of the most shocking ones in my life and one of the few I couldn''t exin. The funny thing is that most of these thingse from my dear old friend Ryoto. Like his unusual eyes or his knowledge about a certain future, as he called it, but this right now takes the cake. "Zangetsu!" Kuroskai-kun yelled. Yes, Zangetsu. A Zanpakuto I associate with Ryoto. There aren''t any records about two Shinigami having the same Zanpakuto, and there''s a good reason for that. A Zanpakuto is a reflection of the user''s soul. It''s literally a part of Shinigami while at the same time a separate entity, but all Zanpakutos are unique, even if there are simr ones. Another mystery surrounds you, Ryoto, and I can''t wait to solve them all. I smiled at both Kurosaki-kun''s progress and the fun I would have uncovering Ryoto''s secrets... within reason, of course. --- END Discord server: /Kurit (Up to 10 chapters ahead and exclusive illustrations.) Chapter 277: Invasion starts Chapter 277: Invasion starts (Kisuke''s pov) "Kurosaki-kun, we have trained already for 3 days, but I have noticed that despite being Quincy, you don''t use any of their abilities. As Shinigami, youck the option of fighting at a long distance, but this isn''t the case for all Shinigami. They could have long-range Shikai or just use Kido. You don''t have these options at the moment." I lectured the young man as I tried to probe about his abilities. I also said for now because, just as Ryoto advised, I n on taking some time to teach Kurosaki-kun some basic Kidos as we don''t have enough time for more. Not to mention, he possesses Getsuga Tenshou, as shown when he called his Zanpakuto the first time, although he doesn''t seem to realize that. Shame that we don''t have enough time to train it. We barely have enough to make him strong enough so he won''t die in Soul Society. "Except Blut Vene, I''m not that great at any Quincy techniques. I mean, I can create a bow out of Reishi and shoot out arrows, but Mom said that I shouldn''t defeat Hollows that way unless I really need to." He exined. It made sense. From what I learned of Kurosaki-kun, he isn''t the greatest at Reishi maniption. "Can you show me your bow regardless?" Reluctantly, Kurosaki-kun agreed, and as he put away his Zanpakuto, he created a blue, glowing bow, but it was... small. My reaction must have slipped since the young boy was giving me ''the look''. I hid my face behind a green fan I always have on me and started defusing the situation. "Don''t worry, Kurosaki-kun. My friend told me long ago that the size of the tool isn''t important but how you use it. Although now that I think about it one time, he mentioned that it''s what people tell themselves to feel better-" I was forced to dodge an arrow from an embarrassed Shinigami-Quincy hybrid. Yoruichi will have a st when she puts her ws on him, but until then, I''ll have my fun. --- It was finally time to send kids to fight for their lives... it sounds kind of bad when I say it like that, but unfortunately, I''m not in any position to go there myself. I would cause much more chaos than good. I also will need to apologize to Kurosaki-kun for tricking him when he returns. I''m certain that he''ll kick me in the face when I do that. He''s hot-headed like that. Why do I feel, though, like there''s going to be more trouble than anyone anticipated? (3rd''s pov) The group of invaders, including an orange-haired Shinigami with Quincy blood, a Quincy, an orange-haired human girl with unusual powers, a human boy looking older than he is, and a ck cat, arrived at Soul Society. The journey there was a rough one, and they almost died despite their mission only beginning. It wasn''t the best way to start a rescue mission, and they could only hope that it wouldn''t be a recurrence. The groupnded in the Western part of Rukongai, and after a short encounter with the gatekeeper, they were forced out of the Sereitei by a Captain even before they got in. Thankfully, they had another option of getting in, and it was by using Yoruichi''s connections. The whole time, despite her cat form, Yoruichi looked mncholic, and it didn''t go unnoticed by Ichigo. "Hey, Yoruichi. What made you look like that?" He asked without any hint of carefulness. Usually, people would be careful about asking sensitive questions like this, but not Ichigo Kurosaki. Yoruichi peeked at the earnest teenager and sighed but decided to share some of her thoughts regardless. "It''s nothing much. I''m feeling a bit nostalgic aftering here after 100 years." "You are that old!?" For the rest of their travel, Ichigo was walking with scratch marks on his face. It was a lesson hard learned. --- The group finally arrived at Kukaku Shiba''s ce. It was a bit harder to find her than anyone except Yoruichi anticipated since Kukaku tends to move her house from time to time, but in the end, they found it. After exchanging pleasantries with the bodyguards outside of the house, the group was weed inside and waited patiently for Kukaku to arrive. "So, Yoruichi, can you finally exin to us why we need Kukaku''s help?" Ichigo asked the ck cat. "That''s pretty easy to answer. Since you made the stupid move of running towards the gate when I warned you not to, that leaves us with only one option of getting inside Soul Society. Maybe two, but I would rather not use it. We''ll talk about the details when Kukaku gets here." "No need to wait!" A feminine but verymanding voice joined the conversation. A beautiful woman with green eyes and bandages over her lengthy, ck, messy hair walked into the room. She also had a grin stered on her face. "Sup, Yoruichi. Long time no see." "Yeah, it has been a while." While the old friends greeted each other, the youngsters, on the other hand, were shocked that Kukaku was a woman as they imagined her as a man. "By the way, Rin came over some time ago and left a message for you." Kukaku continued. "She said something about you losing a bet, so be ready to pay up." Yoruichi''s mood soured immediately. "Seriously!? I was sure that if it hadn''t happened in the first 10 years, it wouldn''t happen at all. I''ll milk him dry in more than one way for making me lose like that!" "Sure, sure. I''m sure you''ll be able to just like you could do before." Kukaku shrugged off Yoruichi''s threat/promise, at which the ck cat narrowed her eyes. "And how would you know it? You are not saying that it was you who-" "Don''t even think about finishing what you were trying to say. I just drink sometimes with Rin and the others, and let me tell you. That girl is a riot when drunk and likes to share some of her stories. It''s fun to see her sober the next day when she regrets her life choices." Sheughed as she pped her leg a few times. "I can understand why Ryoto likes teasing her that much. Her reactions are just adorable." Ryoto''s name caught the attention of a young sses-wearing Quincy. "Excuse me, but did you say Ryoto? As in Ryoto Yuuki? A ck-haired Shinigami that tends to walk around with his eyes closed?" Ishida curiously asked the pair of friends. "Wait, you mean that closed-eye bastard?" Ichigo joined in. "The very same. I wasn''t expecting him to be that famous." ""Apparently, he was a friend of my family/That bastard stabbed me twice and left me to die on the ground!"" Both of the boys said at the same time and then looked at each other, confused. Meanwhile, the ck cat and her friend were equally confused, not about Ishida though. They were aware of Ryoto''s friendship with Quincy a long time ago. The confusion came from what Ichigo just said. "It doesn''t sound like Ryoto that I know, but let me tell you something, kid. If Ryoto wanted you dead, you wouldn''t be sitting here with us." Yoruichi said very seriously. "He must have a reason for doing that, or you just mistaken him for someone else." "And how do you know that?" Uryuu asked an important question. From what he heard, Yoruichi and Kukaku knew Ryoto fairly well, but Yoruichi, more so, he hoped to get to know the person named Ryoto Yuuki a little better. "She is his lover." Kukaku pointed at the cat, and all the eyes went wide in the room, and Uryuu''s opinion about Ryoto dropped significantly. ""SHE!!!?"" The screams of the teenagers could be heard across the whole Sereitei... metaphorically, of course. "You didn''t tell them? Sorry for busting your fun then." Kukaku didn''t look sorry at all. "Wait, wait, wait. Let''s skip the bomb that was just dropped and go back to Yoruichi, knowing that Ryoto guy. If... she... knows him, why don''t we just ask him for help with rescuing Rukia." Ichigo said something smart for the first time that day. "... By saving Rukia, we are making an enemy out of most of Sereitei, and I don''t want to drag him into it if not necessary. I already caused him too much trouble." The mood became solemn. Yoruichi still felt guilty even if she didn''t regret her decision. She did what she needed to do, but it didn''t mean that she liked it. The silence was shattered by the loud sound of the door mming open. "Kukaku!!! I need to borrow the canon! I may or may not want to fire it at Sokyoku to stop the execution." The newly arrived man just noticed guests in the room, and as he observed all of them, his eyes stopped at a seemingly younger, orange-haired version of himself. "Who is this brat?" He pointed at Ichigo. "Oi!" "They came here to get help to get inside Sereitei. They want to rescue Rukia." Kukaku answered her brotherzily. Kukaku''s brother then started rubbing his chin as he thought intensely. Then he grinned widely. "Do you want to get inside Sereitei? I''ll help you. I''m Kaien Shiba! Nice to meet you, and happy to work with ya all!" --- END Discord server: /Kurit (Up to 10 chapters ahead plus exclusive illustrations.) Chapter 278: Doubts Chapter 278: Doubts (Yukima''s pov) Something''s wrongtely. The whole thing about Rukia-chan is giving me a strange feeling. My gut is telling me there''s more to it than it meets the eye. I told Dad about it, hoping that he would say or do something, but all I got was that I shouldn''t worry about it and leave everything to him. If I could not worry about it, then I wouldn''t have this problem! I know that Dad is doing something. I am well aware of it. He is much more busy as ofte and looks a bit more tired. It''s not noticeable at first nce, and I doubt this much would hinder him in any way, but it just shows that something''s going on, and I can''t just sit around doing nothing. I was raised better than this. --- "Bya-chan!!!" I called my long-time friend, who looked annoyed, but I was annoyed at him this time as well, and I showed it by having my hands on his hips, which earned me a raised eyebrow from him. "*Sigh* What do you want, Yukima Yuuki? I hope that you don''t n on just annoying me. I''m busy." Bya-chan said with a tired tone. "First, I said to call me Yuki-chan. Second, I''m here to talk about Rukia-chan." I narrowed my eyes. "Why aren''t you doing anything?" I used him. "As her older brother, you should be trying to set her free, but from what I discovered, you aren''t doing anything. What''s up with that." We red at each other as I was waiting for answers from my childhood friend. I know he isn''t as heartless as he likes to show it, but if he says something stupid, I will need to beat some sense into him. "I would say that you won''t understand, but I doubt you''ll leave me alone unless I tell you." "You know me so well~." I smiled sweetly. "When I adopted Rukia, I went against the whole house for it to be done. I even broke some rules. I promised Hisane that if we ever found her sister, I would adopt her into the Kuchiki family, but by doing that, I also promised Kuchiki elders to never break any rules again. Now that Rukia is a criminal, my hands are tied, and Hisana also understands it. I''m trying all within my power to help reduce Rukia''s punishment, but I can''t do much without breaking the rules. If I, as a noble, can''t uphold rules, how can I expect others to follow them?" ... ... ... Is he stupid? No, he must be. There is no other exnation. "I knew that you could be stupid, but not this moronic." Byakuya was bbergasted by what I just said. "You think that Hisana understands? She just feels too much indebted to you to ask you for more. Not only did you take her out of poverty, and took her as your wife, but you also helped her reunite with her sister. She also feels guilty because she didn''t act like a wife until you found Rukia. Not to mention that the whole ''never breaking the rules again'' is stupid. I get it, it''s a promise, and even Dad says how important promises are, but I''m not my dad, and I say if a promise makes you do something against your morals, then it''s not worth it to uphold. You are Byakuya Kuchiki, so act like it. I''ll be nning how to save Rukia. If you change your mind, you know where to find me." Having nothing more to say, I left, and after I left, Byakuya was staring at where I was standing until a small smile crept on his face. "What an annoying and troublesome woman." (3rd''s pov) For any unsuspecting Shinigami of a lower rank, seeing three captains drinking sake in a bar would be unsettling. After all, what would cause three captains to meet up? Was there some kind of emergency that wasn''t disclosed to the public, or maybe they were preparing for a dangerous mission? What they didn''t know was that it was just a friendly meeting between fellow students. It was, of course, the trio of Ryoto, Kyoraku, and Ukitake. They just changed the time of their usual meet-ups as two of them escaped their paperwork while thest one was more responsible and was already done with his work. "I don''t know if I should reprimand you or be impressed how both of you easily can avoid work." The white-haired man said as he took a sip of his drink. Hispanions looked at each other and answered at the same time. "Years of practice." "*Sigh* I feel bad for your lieutenants." "Don''t be so stuck up, Jushiro. You need to live a little. Even more so since you aren''t sick any more thanks to this little guy." The captain, wearing a pink kimono over his haori, said as he roughed the hair of his kouhai sitting next to him. "Stop calling me little. I''m the only one in this group with children so I would say that that I''m the one with the most experience in life. Not to mention that I am simr in height to both of you, with more muscle. Have you seen my abs? You can grind cheese on them!" "Have you tried it?" Shunsui asked curiously with a raised eyebrow. "... No, but we can right now. I''ll just order some cheese snack and we''ll do science." "Please don''t. You''ll disturb the rest of the guests here." Ukitake asked Ryoto with a slightly strained smile. "We''ll take your word for it, am I right, Shunsui?" The white-haired captain shot down his friend''s attempt to do something funny. He was the responsible one in the group because if he wasn''t, no one was. "Changing the topic to the reason why we gathered here. What do you think about Kuchiki-san''s case?" Jushiro turned somewhat solemn as he started talking about his subordinate, who was to be executed soon by the orders of Central 46. Ryoto took a sip of his sake and spoke withplete confidence. "It''s a total sham. The punishment doesn''t fit the crime. Rukia is sentenced for execution by Sokyoku, which is usually reserved for Captains, and while shemitted a crime, we must think about the context in which said crime wasmitted, but as far as I know, it wasn''t even interrogated. Not a single question was asked. That usually means that someone wants Rukia dead." "Yes... just as expected of the captain of Squad 2, you are very well-informed. I don''t like how it looks, and that''s why I would be inclined to ask you two for help. I know that it''s selfish of me, especially to Ryoto, who''s done so much-" "Stop with that. You know that if I had something against the idea, I would have said it, and it''s not like I can just sit around doing nothing. In fact, there will be a big opportunity on the day of execution. You see when I went to grab Rukia from the world of the living, I met the kid she gave her powers to, and from my esteemed observation, I concluded that he would invade Soul Society to save her. You know, typical teenage stuff." "... Not that we don''t believe it, Ryoto, but how would a teenagere to Soul Society without dying... You stated in your report that while you robbed him of his powers, you didn''t outright kill him, and we both know how you dislike the act of killing unless unavoidable." Both of Ryoto''s senpais were right to feel skeptical, but they weren''t prepared for Ryoto''s answer. "Kisuke will help him. He lives in the same city, after all." That was a bomb and a half. If this was anyone else, they would possibly use Ryoto of treason for not sharing information about the criminal, but the strength of Yamamoto''s students didn''t only lie in their fighting power but also in their intellect. "So you found the real traitor, and he is responsible for the recent events." It was more of a statement than a question, and that surprised Ryoto. "You knew?" "We had our suspicions. Kisuke-kun never seemed like the type to do an obvious crime like that. He was smarter than that." "I must apologize then. I underestimated both of you." "If you did, then we did a good job at looking harmless. Now, what are you nning to do? Tell us who we should be on guard against?" "Opposite, in fact. It''s better if you don''t know, but I can tell you that if any of the captains is found dead, then it''s the traitor. For now, it is better to act as usual, so ignorance is preferable. Soon, big changes will happen, and Rukia''s execution is in the center of all of it." "You don''t expect everyone to follow your lead. You may not be the only one who figured out that mysterious fellow, and if they do, then I imagine your whole n is in tatter. And I may say that if you didn''t do anything with the traitor, I imagine that he must be powerful." "And smart. That''s why I''m acting carefully. I can''t ount for everything. I have no doubt in my mind that at least 3 or 4 of my children are already gathering a group to help Rukia. They got too much of their father in them and can''t sit still." Even though it seemed like Ryoto was annoyed, he smiled thinking about his kids, both adopted and not, but he didn''t even separate them like that. His children are his children, and that''s all. --- END Discord server: /Kurit (Up to 10 chapters ahead plus exclusive illustrations.) Chapter 279: Omake Chapter 279: Omake (A non-canon omake that may or may not be canon. It depends if I''ll read Danmachi in the future though. I got stuck on thetest chapter and didn''t want to not to post anything so I wrote it. Hope it''s fun.) (3rd''s pov) The city of Orario is the only known city in the world to have a dungeon. For that reason, people from many different races gather from across the globe to explore the dungeon in pursuit of money, power, fame, or somethingpletely different. Thanks to arge poption of merchants who followed, the economy thrived. This world was home to many different races. Humans - They are considered the weakest of all races. Elves - highly intelligent beings who excel at magic and usually live in forests. They have long, pointy ears and are naturally attractive in appearance. Elves are reserved by nature and are incredibly prideful. There are also a few subcategories of Elves. High Elves are members of royalty. There are also Dark Elves, but they are much rarer than their white counterpart. Dwarfs - A race of short people who are known for their strength and aptitude for tasks that involve earth and rocks, like mining and construction. Amazoness - A race of dark-skinned women. They only give birth to women, so they must leave their vige to find men. Their instincts to breed strong descendants usually make them fall in love with men who defeat them in battle. Pallum - A race of small people. Like humans, they tend to be called the weakest race, but they have excellent sight that allows them to see in the dark. Beast Humans - It''s a group of different races with animal characteristics. They usually possess heightened sensespared to other races. Boaz, Cat People, Chienthropes, Hume Bunnies, Roons, Renards, Weretigers, and Werewolves are part of this group. There are also many half-races like Half Elves or Half Dwarfs. Besides all these different races, Gods walked among mortals. They came down to what they call a lower world, starting 1000 years ago. They have a human appearance andck their full power in this realm. The Gods were bored in their home world or felt empty, so aftering down, they started giving people falna, a God''s blessing that would make them part of the God''s familia, an organization of sorts. Gods couldn''t have children of their own, so a lot of them treated part of their Familia like their children. There were, of course, exceptions, but they only reaffirmed the rule. There were different types of Familias. Exploration, business, smith, and so on. It depended on what members of the Familia specialized in, and that depended on who God recruited. One of the most famous Familias in Orario was Loki Familia. They are an exploration-type Familia and one of the best. They regrly go on expeditions, and today, the leading expedition team returned to the surface after a month of being in the dungeon. They could finally have good food and drink to their content, and that''s what they did. Hostess of Fertility is well-known in Orario. Not only is the food great, but it''s surprisingly safe for a ce that feeds adventurers, and it''s all thanks to the staff. Lately, on certain days, food has be even more delicious than it was before. There was even an advertisement that said that the food was so good you''d lose clothes, but that''s a story for another day. The group of Loki Familia was done for a night and exited the pub. They hoped to taste the rumored food that appears and vanishes as it pleases, but they weren''t lucky enough tonight. Shame, but they can always return another day when they have time. The group consisted of a Pallum and Captain of the Familia, Finn Deimne, a High Elf and Vice-Captain, Riveria Ljos Alf, a Dwarf, Gareth Landrock, a human, Ais Wallenstein who was holding a bag of Jagamarukun, a pair of Amaziness that happens to be twins, Tione and Tiona Hiryute, a Werewolf, Bete Loga andstly an Elf, Lefiya Virdis. Apanying them was their God, Loki, who waspletely wasted and unconscious. This group, minus the God, was the main powerhouse of Loki Familia, so their God spoiled them a little after a sessful expedition. As they were returning to their base, Twilight Manor, Finn curiously looked at a seemingly older man sitting on the ground on the side of the road. He had a long white beard and ck hair long enough to cover his eyes, but even through them, Finn could see that this stranger''s eyes were closed. His clothes were ck and tattered and looked like they came from the Far East. He also had an additional white piece of clothing, but just like the rest, it wasn''t in the best condition. For some reason, he was drawn to that man. He had a strange air around him, but what made it even stranger was the sign next to him. __________ Manage to hit me and win a prize. __________ That was all the sign was saying. Finn could understand a need to earn money in any way possible, and it seemed like a fun challenge, but if someone was strong enough to be able to earn money that way in this town filled with adventurers, then that someone would be able to make more money in a dungeon. Something wasn''t adding up. "Interested?" The old(?) man asked. His voice sounded much younger than anyone had expected. Was he even as old as the beard indicated? Before Finn could answer, Bete, the ever so angry Werewolf, stepped in. "What do you want, old man? Can''t see we are heading home." "Well, I saw the young man here curiously looking at my homemade sign, so I assumed he wanted to challenge me. You see, I sit here, sometimes poke fun at others to encourage them to participate in my challenge when I''m bored and make fun of overconfident bastards who think that I''m weak when they hear I''m Level 0." Hearing that, no one knew what to say. It was too bizarre to think that Level 0 could evade hits from people with Falna, and that answer pissed off Bete to the point that a vein could be seen bulging on his face. "Are you stupid, old man!? We are Top Executives of Loki Familia! 3 Level 6s, 4 Level 5s, and Level 3! You wouldn''t be able to dodge the first strike from the weakest of us! It wouldn''t be fair at all!" Bete hated weak people, especially weak people who didn''t know their ces. The strong decide the rules, and the weak can only endure until they die or get stronger. "I know. Maybe if you double your numbers, you''ll stand a chance." The Loki Familia knew that it couldn''t end well, and some of them tried to stop theirrade, but they were stopped by the extended hand of the stranger. "If you want to punch me, participate in my challenge." He pointed to the other side of a street where there was an empty square. "I''ll give you 1 minute. You either hit me and win a prize, or I''m going tough at you." With that said, the old man slowly got up and popped his back when he was fully standing. "Sitting in one ce for a long time wasn''t my finest idea, but surprisingly, not my worst either." He then walked to the ''arena'' without any hurry, which infuriated Bete even more. Meanwhile, the rest of Familia were talking with each other. "D-do you think that we should stop it?" The shy Elf asked herrades. She was genuinely scared that Bete would kill the strange old man. "If the captain wants me to, I''ll step in and smack Bete on the back of his head and drag him back unconscious." Tione, the elder twin sister, said as she hugged Finn and stuffed him between her breasts. On the other hand, Finn was deep in his thoughts. Usually, he would free himself gently, but he was too deep in his thoughts. He had a strange feeling about it. Not necessarily bad, but strange. His thumb throbbed slightly as he looked at the man as he walked without any worry to an annoyed Werewolf. The stranger wasn''t even a bit tense. Like he was about to teach a lesson to a child, and unless he lied about being falnaless, it wasn''t going to happen. Bete, with crossed arms over his chest and tapping the ground impatiently with his foot. "Can you hurry up already!? I don''t have all night!" "Well, you can always leave with your tail between your legs. No one will me you. Question though. Are you sure that you aren''t a chicken?" Bete narrowed his eyes even further. "I''m going to kill you." "You can try. You wouldn''t be the first, but as you can see, they didn''t seed, and not because of theck of effort, mind you. But fine, I''ll y with you, doggy." This was said as the homeless-looking man stepped into the arena, and that was the straw that broke the camel''s back as Bete rushed at the mysterious old man. His speed was equal to a Level 3, which meant that he hadn''t lost it entirely just yet, but even that much is too much for people without the blessing. For that reason, members of Loki Familia were ready to interfere, but they didn''t need to. Bete''s opponent smiled slightly as he tilted his head just enough to dodge the punch to the face. With a fluid movement, he grabbed the Werewolf''s arm and threw him over the shoulder to the ground. The man didn''t move fast. In fact, his movements were rtively slow, but they were subtle enough andcked any intent to bypass Bete''s instincts. He also moved at thest possible moment to fool the experienced warrior. Bete was in shock as he stared at the night sky with wide eyes in disbelief. This view was disturbed by the ck-haired, closed-eyed man with an annoying smirk. "I didn''t take you for one to like a starry night, but I guess I did you a favor. Do I get a reward?" Thisment reignited rage in Bete. He''ll make the old man shut his mouth! Bete tried to do a quick leg swipe, but the man jumped, again barely dodging, which was even more irritating because Bete realized that the asshole was doing it on purpose. Every time he missed, the bastard smiled at him, and the time was ticking, and he didn''t n on losing to a nameless nobody! --- Meanwhile, the observing audience was equally shocked to see the unknown man handle Bete. The Werewolf wasn''t weak by any means, and he was one of the stronger adventurers in the city, but he couldn''tnd a single hit on the old man. "You know Tione, I would probablyugh at Bete, but I can''t muster even a smirk. Can you pinch me to be sure I''m not dreaming?" The younger of the twins asked her older sister. "If it is a dream, I don''t want to wake up. It is hrious. But I agree. For some reason, I can''tugh at it. Maybe it''s the ridiculousness of the situation." The older twin answered. The more experienced members of the group were also in the discussion. "What do you think, Finn? Did he lie about being Level 0?" Riveria asked her captain, who was thinking deeply. "I don''t know. His speed and strength seem to be at that level, but something is... off." "Then we are of the same opinion. *Sigh* For Loki to sleep when her input would be appreciated. Exactly what I would expect from our goddess." The green-haired Elf agreed. The talk ended abruptly as Bete started transforming under the moonlight using his Beatification ability. "Did he go insane!?" Everyone was about to jump in to stop the raging Werewolf, but they were too slow. Bete pierced his opponent through his body, and as blood sshed around, the young man widened his eyes in disbelief. He somehow believed that the old man would dodge just like other times, but he only saw shock on his opponent''s face. Then Bete blinked, and the image of an old man vanished, leaving only his white coat-like cloth pierced by him as he heard him saying ''Fucking furries'' for some reason. It was confusing, but it didn''t end there. Bete heard quite loud steps behind him until the very same old man that he thought he had killed walked and took his destroyed coat. "I really should start buying them in bulk, but Yama-jii doesn''t allow me. Every time I destroy one of these, he gives me a lecture. You would think that he would run out of them, but they are different every time, and when they are not, they are just louder, and for some reason, no one can recreate them. I mean, they can, but they aren''t the same. But I can''t just stop making this move. It''s just too cool, you know? By the way, time out. You lose. Do we have another challenger?" But no one took the challenge. Bete lost all his will to fight, but he still had one question. "Did you lie about your Level?" His voicecked its usual aggressiveness. On the other hand, the supposedly Level 0 was rxed as he inspected his clothes and put them back on. This question didn''t necessarily surprise the old man, but he was so into examining his white coat that he took longer than usual to answer. "Hmm? No. I just had a lot more time to train. The same could be said about the old hag over there." He pointed to Riveria with a smirk, and all sound stopped. An invisible tension raised. Every single member of Loki Familia knew that this topic was off-limits. Thest time someone called Riveria old was Aiz, and she got trauma of water in return because of swimming lessons. Everyone nced at the Elf in horror. She looked rtively calm as she walked into the arena. She stopped next to Bete, grabbed him by the cor, and threw him out toward her team while ring at the man who wronged her. "You say old like you aren''t the one looking like a fossil." Without a word, the man ripped his beard off, massaged his beard, and fixed his hair to look nicer. "Ow. Why can''t I grow a natural beard? That''s why I envy Dwarfs. Also, were you saying something? I don''t see any fossils around here. Only a handsome and pretty young man and an old hag." Riveria didn''t n on using magic. It was too destructive, but she didn''t need magic to teach someone a lesson. Without any warning, almost a century-old Elf used her staff to thrust at the head of the now young-looking man who dodged it effortlessly. "I thought that Elves were supposed to be the rational ones, but you seem more hot-headed than that boy over there. One meanment, and you lose your cool. I wonder how you survived this long. Though it may be considered hypocritical of me to say that." Riveria narrowed her eyes. "Then don''t say it." And the mysterious man smiled widely. "But where''s fun in that." And so the game of cat and mouse began anew, but even with her tactical genius and frankly smarter battle style, she couldn''t hit him at all, and at thest second of the challenge with herst swing, the man dodged andnded on top of her staff. Riveria was sure that he was mocking her. At one point, she felt Jim poking her, but she couldn''t see him doing it at all, but she was sure it was him since every time she felt something, he widened his smile. What an annoying man. "All in all, I''m impressed. For a mage, you are incredible at closebat, and I bet with your magic, you are even more formidable. Because you haven''t used magic, you either are too proud to use it in a simple challenge, or it is too destructive to use outside of the dungeon, but it doesn''t really matter. You get a B from me. Too easy to anger to get an A." The man then took a lollipop from a pocket. "You won a prize. Don''t eat it too fast." He winked and stepped off Riveria''s staff to stretch a bit. "Well, nice meeting you and all, but I got a goddess to feed. She gets grumpy when I''m not on time." "Wait!" The man stopped and turned to the source of the voice, which was a blonde-haired human of the Loki Familia, and raised his eyebrow. "Yes? Do you need something?" "Train me." Aiz said with her emotionless expression. "No." Aiz didn''t expect an immediate answer, and a negative one at that, so she tilted her head in confusion. "Please?" "I''m not interested in training anyone at the moment." Aiz brainstormed to think of a solution to her predicament. Then, an idea came to fruition. She looked down at her bag, took one Jagamarakun out, and offered it to the man without saying a word. "...I''m not hungry. Also, I have a strange feeling of Deja vu. It''s not helping that you have blonde hair." The human girl was shocked beyond belief. How could anyone refuse Jagamarakun? Wait... Maybe she just needed to offer more. It would hurt to separate from the whole bag, but if she can get stronger that way, then it''s worth it. Aiz then hesitantly offered the whole bag, but she was met with a refusal once more. "You offering me more won''t change my answer." Aiz''s brain malfunctioned, and while it was short, it was enough for her to miss the man vanishing from his ce. No one knew how to react to what just happened. It was at that moment that Loki woke up. "*Yawn* What a nap." She stretched her body. "Did I miss something?" No one had the energy to exin everything to Loki right now, so they just started walking towards Twilight Manor, and on everyone''s mind was the stranger who didn''t even introduce himself. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/5eDjXAqGZY Chapter 280: Another plan in the making Chapter 280: Another n in the making (3rd''s pov) A group of 5 people and a cat were going through Sereitei. "... When I decided toe here... I didn''t expect it to be that easy." Ichigo muttered in disbelief, although he was still loud enough to be heard by everyone. "You can thank meter. Now, I need to figure out how to hide you until I think about a way you all could help me." Kaien said off-handly as the group was making their way to... who knows where for now. "Wait! Are you saying that you grabbed us without a n!?" Ichigo screamed. "I will have a n! If you let me think for a second, which isn''t easy with you screaming!" Both Kaien and Ichigo mmed their foreheads into each other as they red. An imaginary electricity sparked between the two. "Besides, let me hear your master n. How did you n on saving Rukia with your small group? Enlighten me!" Suddenly, Ichigo grew shy, and he quietly answered. "I nned to beat everyone in the way until I got to Rukia." "... ... ... Hahahahahaha!!! I can''t, I can''t. Brat, you didn''t tell me you were aedian! Oh, I needed thatugh." Kaien wiped away a tear that gathered in the corner of his eye. "Even if you somehow gathered two more captains with you, it would still be a challenge to aplish what you said." Ichigo was about to rebuke, but someone caught a hidden detail in what their new ally just said. "You mentioned another captain, but from what we heard before, you are a lieutenant, so what do you mean by that?" Ishida asked as he pushed his sses up. "Eh, you don''t know?" The lieutenant looked at the ck cat walking beside everyone, and the eyes of the group followed his suit. As they connected the dots, they opened their mouths as Yoruichi basked in their awe. "What? Did you expect me to share my life story with you all?" She said calmly while licking her paw. "It''s not like I wouldn''t help you fight if not necessary, but I would rather stay hidden for a lot of reasons." "You mean you being wanted, or you just don''t want to face... your family?" Kaien made an effort not to say Ryoto. He heard from him at one point in some fleeting conversation how Yoruichi enjoys hiding her true gender when she is a cat because of her voice in that form. The captain of Squad 2 also may have fed him some fake information about what happened to thest person who interrupted her fun, which ended very poorly with a lot of scratches in very delicate ces. Kaien shuddered at the lone thought of going through that. Yoruichi raised an eyebrow at a hint of fear in Kaien''s voice, but before she could start questioning him, they were stopped by a group of low-ranked Shinigami. "Good afternoon, vice-captain Kaien!" They all saluted out of habit, but then they noticed who apanied the lieutenant of Squad 13. Surprisingly, a few remembered a description of one of the invaders, which included orange hair and Zanpakuto that was as big as the user himself, and Kaien noticed it. "These are my guests. Understood?" Kaien narrowed his eyes, scaring his subordinates, whopletely forgot their train of thought and scattered. "God, I hate doing that. Using my authority, I mean. Now that this issue is solved let''s think about where to drop you so no one finds you for a while..." "Actually, I have an idea where we can stay with no one finding us." Yoruichi brought everyone''s attention to her as she smirked. --- In the meanwhile, the group of scared Shinigami got to breathe again and started thinking again. "Hey... don''t you think that that orange-haired guy was identical to the description of Ryouka?" One said. "Not only that, but he also looked a lot like lieutenant. As if he was his sibling..." "... Or child." The third Shinigami in the group ended the sentence of his friend. "Didn''t you find it suspicious that Lieutenant Shiba started idolizing Captain of Squad 2? We all heard a story how Captain Yuuki..." "Which captain Yuuki?" The first guy asked, interrupting his colleague. The other 2 looked at the idiot and sighed. They couldn''t believe that they were friends with him. "... Captain Ryoto Yuuki." "Ooooh. Why didn''t you say so from the beginning? I swear you can be so stupid sometimes." He waved his hand with a goofy smile, but all it did was make the other two want to punch him. "... Anyway, as I was saying. Captain Ryoto is a known womanizer, and right now, we see someone who looks like Lieutenant Shiba and is considerably younger. What if it was his secret child and he was trying to get in contact with his father, but vice-captain Shiba used his family contacts to create an illusion that it was a Ryouka? To avoid more trouble, he sneaked him in to solve this issue behind the curtains." "What should we do then? He is part of Five Great Noble families and lieutenant to boot. We can''t expect to go against him." "True, but we can try to save Miyako-dono, his wife. Our organization failed to save Captain Rin Yuuki, the ex-captain Yoruichi Shihoin, and Lieutenant Isane, but this time, We Won''t Fail!!!" ""Yeah!!!"" Another misunderstanding has been born. (Yukima''s pov) ... "So, what do you think of my n? Ingenious, isn''t it?" I looked proudly in front of all of my siblings except Akio-nii, at whom I was still angry, but it kept getting harder. It looks like he''s changed in thest few years, and at least on the surface, it seemed like he genuinely regrets his actions, but I''m going off-topic. My n is more important! "...Yukima, you didn''t say anything for thest 10 minutes," Masaru informed me with a strained smile. That''s strange. I was sure I was having a shback, but it seems that I will be forced to talk out loud. How boring. "In short, I want to somehow save Rukia-chan from her execution, and that''s why I''m gathering allies." "... Are you trying to brute force your way to Senzaikyu (Repentance Pce)?" My dear older brother asked, and I, of course, looked away from him in shame that my n was figured out that quickly. "You are an idiot, Yukima," Gin said with his usual creepy smile that I learned a long time ago is just his poker face. "And why is that Gin-chan? The genius of this n is its simplicity. We gather a big group and swoop Rukia-chan before she gets a chance to be killed. Simple and effective!" I tried to reason with my brother, but I was outnumbered. "Yukima-chan~ as much as I love you and your... simple personality, I must agree with Gin. It''s not your best idea." Rangiku, theziest... biggest in some areas, and my only sisterplimented me. "Oooh. Thanks! ... Wait, did you just call me stupid!?" "Calm down, everybody. Let''s focus on why Yukima brought us here together." My lovely brother Masaru tried to be a mediator to get us back on topic. "Right... the topic. Let''s discuss why it''s stupid." Gin returned not only to the topic but also to mocking my grand n. "Let''s start with why you want to help Kuchiki-san." Is he mocking me more than usual? That''s a stupid question, no matter how you look at it. "Because I''m not blind and see that Rukia-chan is innocent, and even if she isn''t and gave someone her powers, I believe that she wouldn''t do it without a reason, so as her friend, I''m going to do everything I can to help her." Throughout my entire answer, Gin was creepily smiling at me. I love him, but God damn, is he hard to get a read on. I think only Masaru-nii and Dad can understand him. "Great answer for a meathead, but that''s not what I meant. Let me rephrase it." He looked incredibly smug at the moment. More than he usually is, and that''s saying something. "You''ve noticed that something was up with Kuchiki-San''s execution." I nodded. "And let''s just say that you aren''t detective material, so if you''ve noticed something, then it''s natural to believe you weren''t the only one. Ryoto, for example." I nodded once more. "That''s right. Dad is more tired than usual, and he even said to not worry and leave everything to him." "So why bother doing anything?" That was the question he meant to ask from the start. To be honest, I didn''t want to answer him, but I probably should. Despite knowing that saying my intentions was the right thing to do that would possibly sway Gin to my side, I hesitated but, in the end, forced myself to share my thoughts. "... I''m scared," I said with a voice barely loud enough for the group to hear. "I''m scared that Dad will take on himself more than he is able to handle. I''m scared that something that simr to when he disappeared will happen, but this time he won''t return as fast or at all... just like mom." Everyone''s expressions softened. Even Gin''s. "I just want to help. I know that maybe I will be in the way, but I want to have a n B for that if something goes wrong-" I was suddenly pulled by Rangiku into her two mountains, where I couldn''t breathe. God damn! I wasn''t small, maybe average, butpared to Rangiku, everything may as well be small. We were eating the same food, so why was she so much bigger than me!? My jealousy was abruptly ended as the hand of my sister gently caressed my head. "You''ve had a lot on your mind, haven''t you?" My usual happy-go-lucky sibling was nowhere to be found and was reced with the somehow motherly figure. It felt... nice. I like hugs. They are warm. After a few moments, we broke out of the hug and returned to our conversation. The first to speak was Gin, who seemed to soften his tone. "I see that you thought about it for some time, and I understand what you wish to aplish, but let me ask you this. What if your n will get in the way of Ryoto''s n?" "That''s simple. The idea is that we''ll intervene only on the day of Rukia-chan''s execution. Only when I''m absolutely sure that Dad''s n either didn''t work or something like that, I''ll go through it." "Then what if his n involves letting Kuchiki-san die?" These words hit me like cold water on a hot day. These words were something that didn''t even go through my mind even once. "Come on, Gin, Dad wouldn''t-" Masaru-nii tried to reason with our brother but was quickly shot down. "He would. For his family, he would be a demon if needed. He wouldn''t have liked it, but he would do it if he could secure your safety. That''s the kind of person Ryoto is." I narrowed my eyes at the implication of what Gin just said. It''s true that Dad can be overprotective. Me, Masaru-nii, and Akio-nii witnessed it in person, but I don''t want to believe that he would sacrifice innocent people like Gin is implying, even if what he is saying is true... "Then it''s even more reason to have a backup n, so Dad won''t be forced to make a difficult decision like that." Gin shrugged his shoulders and shook his head. "Then I can''t say anything to change your mind. In that case, I''ll just follow you so you won''t kill yourself by your stupid decision-making." Masaru-nii and Rangiku agreed to go along with my n as well, but we should really work on the details, or so I''ve been told. As long as they''re happy, I guess, but I don''t get what''s wrong with my n. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/HB2DweuG4J Chapter 281: Reunion Chapter 281: Reunion (Ryoto''s pov) I''m at the finishing line. Just a bit more, and I can finally rx. Rxpletely, I mean. I had moments of peace here and there. Spending time with loved ones helped a lot. At some point, there were even years when nothing significant happened, but there was always that wariness in the back of my head that didn''t allow me to ease up. Not to mention that I still don''t know what Soul King did to me that one time many years ago. Together with Kisuke, we tried to uncover this mystery, but we found nothing. It didn''t help that there was a physical manifestation of my worries in my inner world in the shape of a huge pole-like structure. Is it a bomb? Is it a cure for cancer? I don''t know, and it worries me. It doesn''t help that in my profession, not knowing something can be fatal. I know that I have a certain genius that isparable to Kisuke, but I''m not sharing anything with Mayuri. All of my paranoia will soone to an end, but I should focus more on the current events. Ichigo''s group arrived at Soul Society a few days ago. I know that because it was Tosen who met them at the gate, and he reported that he prevented them from entering. With my knowledge, I was expecting the teenage invaders and a cat to go ask Kukaku for help, and since Shiba''s specialty was fireworks, I was sure that she would fire everyone through the Canon to break through the barrier protecting Sereitei, but nothing happened. I can''t lie and say that I''m not getting worried. Something''s not right, and I''m nning on doing some investigating. "Soi Fon, I''m going out for a bit. You know the protocol." I let my lieutenant know about my actions. The protocol was, of course, doing my paperwork while I was out. Funnily enough, the little bee didn''t give up on forcing me to work, but her efforts were unrewarded, and it will stay that way as long as I have a say in it. Now that my work is done, I can focus on discovering what happened. I was not the best at sensing Reiatsu, but this ability had a wider range than my Haki. As expected, I didn''t feel anything familiar, so my next course of action was to run around Sereitei with Observation Haki activated. This way, if the group is somehow already inside in some way, then I''ll find them. Otherwise, I''ll need to look outside Sereitei. Using Shunpo to move quickly. I was also sneaky, so no one noticed my strange behavior, but it was more out of habit than a conscious decision. In my search, I suddenly stopped and grinned. "Found you." (Yoruichi''s pov) "Wow, Yoruichi-san. What is this ce? It looks exactly like the ce under Urahara-san''s shop." The orange-haired airhead asked as he looked around. He wasn''t the only one. Most of the group had simr thoughts. The only one who didn''t was Kaien, who was only looking at this construction in astonishment as he had never seen Kisuke''s Study Chamber v2, as he called it. "*Whistle* I never thought that something so big could be hidden so well. How long has it been here?" He turned his head to me as he curiously asked me. "About 200 years or so. I''m not sure myself. Kisuke built it after all." I nonchntly answered. The kids turned stiffly to me. "You are at least 200 years old!?" I''m not Unohana, but for some reason, the way he said it annoyed me, so I scratched his face and showcased my ws if anyone even thought about mentioning it again. "Anyway, this ce isn''t known to too many people, so it''s one of the safest locations in the whole Soul Society at the moment. There are emergency rations if needed, so we won''t even starve to death." "Won''t the food go bad by now?" The quiet giant stated the question. "I said that not many people knew it, not that no one did. Knowing them, they are still using this ce to this day. Hopefully, they didn''t forget to refill the food. Otherwise, Kaien will need to bring us some, discretely, I may add." "Who are ''they''?" Before I could answer, someone was able to sneak up on everybody. "I''m also curious. Who are ''they''?" My first instinct was to turn around and immediately attack, but almost instantly after, I realized to whom the voice belonged, and I froze momentarily. All my fears and all my uncertaintiesing at me simultaneously, but just a few words from him made them all disappear, and I ran into his arms. "Cat got your tongue, Yoruichi? Did thesest 100 years make you mute? And most importantly, where is my hug from my favorite cat?" He weed me with open arms, and I rushed and buried my whole cat body in there. I missed it. I really did. I almost lost control of my emotions and started crying, but I managed to stop myself. Look at me. I chastised Ryoto for being too emotional just for me to do the same. That''s fine, though. I''m allowed to be hypocritical this time. This whole exchange happened so fast that no one except Kaien managed to turn around to see the man that I loved. I snuggled to Ryoto, enjoying his warmth, and he scratched behind my ears affectionately, and I could imagine him smiling gently as well. I even purred in a way I didn''t since the first time he scratched me and surprised me with how good it felt. It was like sex but appropriate around children. At this point, I wouldn''t even care if they discovered that I could get off by that. This moment felt like an eternity but was unfortunately interrupted. I would use my ws to leave a permanent mark on that person, but that would mean leaving Ryoto''s arms, which I wasn''t nning on doing, so I let my hunk handle it. "It''s you!" Ichigo yelled. I kind of understand it since, ording to what I heard from Kisuke, it was Ryoto who almost killed the kid. I looked up to see Ryoto''s expression to know what he was thinking, but I was met with a face of total confusion. I grinned. He was feigning ignorance. I can''t wait to see how he is nning on pranking the strawberry. "Excuse me, but I think you mistook me for someone else. It''s my first time meeting everyone here except Kaien." If I didn''t know any better, then I would have believed him. He got better at lying. I don''t know if I should feel proud or annoyed. Ichigo was ready to argue but was stopped by Ryoto once again. "You may have met my twin brother. We are almost indistinguishable from each other. If he caused you any problems, I would like to apologize." He bowed his head slightly, which shut Ichigo up and made him look troubled. It seems that Ryoto not only didn''t lose his edge but got better at messing with people. Ichigo scratched the back of his head, clearly embarrassed about his ''mistake''. "Sorry about it then. Your brother kind of stabbed me, and you look like him-" Ryoto couldn''t take it anymore and started giggling, although he tried to stop himself by putting his hand on top of his mouth, but in the end, heughed. "Hahahahahaha, I can''t, I really can''t keep that act up. It''s too much." Realization hit the young Shinigami, and he went red. "It was you!" "Yeah, yeah, I''m the guy. Ryoto Yuuki, Captain of Squad 2, at your service." Ryoto bowed elegantly... Show off. "I waited for this moment since we got here." The orange-haired teen started walking up to Ryoto as he pulled his sleeves up. As funny as watching them fight would be, I stopped Ichigo by jumping on his head. "Stop it, Ichigo. You don''t stand a chance against him. Besides, I have a question first." I turned to Ryoto again and raised my eyebrow. "Captain of Squad 2?" I didn''t really follow what was happening in Soul Society and Kisuke never mentioned it to me. In the big scale of things it wasn''t that important so I didn''t mind thisck of information. "I took over after you left. Rin took my ce in the 7th Division." I nodded, epting the exnation. I knew that Rin had it in her to be Captain. She just needed a chance. "Excuse me... but what is your rtionship?" Inoue asked a bit shyly. I think she noticed the closeness between me and Ryoto and imagined some things. This girl''s imagination is something else. "That''s my cat./He is my lover." Both I and Ryoto said at the same time and looked at each other. So that''s how you want to y. So be it. I jumped from Ichigo''s head, which wasn''t asfortable as Ryoto''s, by the way, and faced my lover. He may have a high ground because he is taller, but it doesn''t mean that I''ll lose. "Ryoto, my darling, what do you mean a cat? You weren''tining when you were keeping me all night almost daily~." "Did someone give you catnip again? Because you are talking nonsense. Also, your cor around your neck isn''t making your argument any stronger." "That''s not my fault that you enjoy these kind of ys. Also, you forbid me from taking catnip, and you know that I listen to my master~." "That''s the biggest lie you''ve ever told me. Maybe the second if we count the time when you called me small." "And how would I know about its size?" "Everybody knows that cats go to the ces they shouldn''t, like bathrooms." As we exchanged words, our audience looked between us like it was a tennis match. When we finally stopped, we stayed silent without breaking eye contact, and we said at the same time. ""I missed you."" With that said, I hopped on Ryoto''s head and made myselffortable. I really missed it, and surprisingly, it feels just like it did 100 years ago. "Soooo... what is it in the end?" Orihime asked curiously. She seemed very invested in it, and Ryoto chuckled good-naturedly. "We are lovers. We just banter like that all the time... or at least used to. But enough of the depressing stuff. I didn''te here just to boast about my rtionship and before you all call me a cat-fucker. Yoruichi, can you show them?" I could tease him a bit more, but I wouldn''t mind stretching my human limbs right about now, so Iplied with his request, and from a cloud of smoke that my technique created, I appeared in my original form wearing a bit of a skimpy outfit that covered most important parts. That was the feature that Kisuke added to my cor. Not that I minded going nude, so I''m doing it mainly for Ryoto, but even this outfit can bring great reactions out of people, so I''m notining. Maybe I should go on a naked date with Ryoto. That''s an idea that will stay for a while in my head. "Suprised~. Didn''t expect-" My teasing was cut short as I felt something on my thighs. I looked down to see Ryoto touching my legs, feeling them out even. After he was satisfied, he nodded and said. "As great as I remember." I felt proud hearing this. I wasn''t training like crazy, and I would even say that I was beingzy... You know, that''s all. I wasn''t taking care of myself to the best of my ability. I never did. I naturally looked that good, and I''m not ashamed of it. I''m hot, and I know it, and I''ll use it to get Ryoto''s food any day. The whole exchange probably fried some brains in the group, but that was fine because nothing would sour my mood at the moment. --- END Discord server: /Kurit (10 chapters ahead.) Chapter 282: Teaching a lesson Chapter 282: Teaching a lesson (Ryoto''s pov) After my fantastic reunion with Yoruichi, it was time to face Ichigo. I walked up to the boy and looked at him. I was taller than him, so he needed to look slightly up. I lookedpletely serious, and I was missing my sses at the moment. I''m still deciding if I should keep or ditch them when I''m done with Aizen. I''m leaning toward losing them since it keeps getting annoying to clean them. "Sorry about stabbing you..." It''s pretty awkward saying something like that, and the mood would be awkward as well if not for a stupidly overacted reaction. "Huh!?" "Well... you know... It was needed for you to lose your Shinigami powers so you could train under Kisuke and get stronger. It was needed, but I still feel bad for that." I borated as I scratched the back of my head. "It was the only way I could guarantee your life without sending Rin or one of my one children." "Make sense. You aren''t someone who would do something like that without a reason." Yoruichi nodded sagely. "It doesn''t mean that I enjoyed it, though! It didn''t help that it felt like I was bullying a kid, which I kind of did." "Oy!" "What? Are you telling me that I didn''t mop the floor with you?" It looked like I pushed the wrong buttons because Ichigo looked ready to throw hands, and I''m nning on using this energy to good use. "Yoruichi, since we are here of all ces, why won''t we use it as it was intended." I smiled sweetly, but only Yoruichi understood that my smile was anything but sweet and kind. Knowing what I nned on doing, she grinned and joined the group, but as she walked, she swayed her hips seductively and winked at me. God, I missed that tease. "Now, kid, since you want to teach me a lesson, I''ll give you a chance. Let''s go over there, and we''ll spar if you really want." I pointed to an empty space without many boulders. "I''ll make you regret underestimating me. I got much stronger since west fought." Ichigo confidently announced. "That''s cute. You think that barely 2 weeks of training will ovee over 200 years of it. How about I make it fair, then? I won''t use my Zanpakuto." I was condescending on purpose. That''s just how I do things. The first lesson I try to hammer to my subordinates is to never let your emotions out of your control, and it looks like Ichigo hasn''t learned this lesson just yet. The question is, should I spank him? I couldn''t bring myself to spank my own children, but he is not mine, so it''s fine, right? "I''m going to enjoy punching your face!" Ichigo said through his gritted teeth. --- For the next 2 hours, I was manhandling Ichigo using my bare hands. To be honest, he wasn''t all that bad. He would be able to defeat some of the younger Captains if they didn''t use their Bankai, but I''m not going to tell him that. He needed some humbling, and I volunteered. I was also barely attacking back, which made Ichigo even more fuming. "Don''t move, God damn it!!!" "Wow, why didn''t I think about it? By not moving, I''ll certainly see myself winning." The sarcasm was practically oozing from me, but I decided to y along in the end. "But since I''m so nice, I''ll ept your ill advice." And so I stopped in ce, not moving l, lookingpletely rxed. Ichigo, on the other hand, rushed and swung his sword at me. It looked like a powerful swing, but all his momentum stopped when his Zanpakuto met with my pinky finger covered in hierro. No matter how old I am, I still love doing stuff like that. The shock was evident on everyone''s but Yoruichi and Kaien''s faces. "y time''s over." With a quick movement, I delivered a powerful kick to the boy''s stomach and sent him flying backward, but before hended on his back, I used Shunpo to get in the way of his trajectory and mmed him into the ground. "Listen, kid, I can respect your bravery, stupidy or whatever you want to call it. Not everyone has the courage to invade a literally different world to save someone you consider a friend, but you gotta be realistic, too. As you are now, you''ll die a meaningless death." "So you expect me to sit around and do nothing!?" He spat out, at which I shook my head in slight disappointment. "No, but you should use your head more. If your n only included getting here, beating up everyone, and running away with Rukia, then you are an idiot." "Ha!" I could hear Kaien in the background. "For now, I expect you to train some more, and if you behave, I''ll give you a lollipop. Besides, looking at you using Zangetsu makes me want to kill myself. That''s why, from now on, you are going to work on that with the help of some people." While Ichigo wasn''t happy about his position, he couldn''t ignore some truth in my words since I demonstrated my point very thoroughly, but he caught on to something I said. "Wait, how do you know about Zangetsu?" I smirked as I walked away. "If you go through the whole training, I may share how I know it. Just maybe." I bet Yoruichi has some questions, and Kisuke already has some theories that are 100% wrong because if he is right, then I''m scared of how he came to that conclusion. --- I was spending some alone time with Yoruichi, who was back in her cat form. We let the kids rest and think about what I said. "Soooo... are we going to talk about how Ichigo has Zangetsu? I knew it looked familiar, identical even, but there was always an option of it just looking the same. It wouldn''t be the first time two Zanpakuto looked almost the same, but since you called it Zangetsu..." She didn''t need to finish that sentence for me to know what she meant. Now, how should I go about it? "You know how I''m full of secrets, and so is Rin to a smaller degree. The reason why I have Zangetsu is the same reason I have two Zanpakuto that break all the rules about the world. Not to mention my eyes and how I got Hollow powers without Hogyoku. I''ll exin everything with Rin to all of you soon, really soon. I promise, so be patient with me for a bit longer." The whole time, I was petting Yoruichi. "I was expecting it- Oh, right there~ So don''t beat yourself down. At least you are willing to share that much- Behind the ear, behind the ear~ That''s much better than what was years ago. You didn''t share your worries at all, and while you opened up the bare minimum, deeper parts were closed in a vault." It would be a touching conversation if not for mid-sentence delights as a response to my hand. I smiled at that, and my hand didn''t stop moving, trying to please my lover. Now, I''d better call the family for our reunion, but I should tell Soi Fon in person. She is the one who would freak out the most, so I need to be subtle. Maybe I should do the same with Yukima. I know she is a strong girl, but better safe than sorry. I still remember her fear of me disappearing, so I don''t know how she''ll react to Yoruichi''s return. You know what, I''ll just tell everyone in person. That way, it''s fair. I don''t want to y favorites. I hope it goes well. (Akio''s pov) Sometimes... most of the time, I feel really stupid. I may be the most intelligent in the family when ites to science, but I also feel like I made the most mistakes. Dad disagrees, telling me that I would need to do much more if I wanted to beat his record as he said it. Other times, like now, I feel like a genius. I finally found a way to the ''Shadow dimension'' that I discovered some time ago. It wasn''t easy, but I managed to do it. Now, the only thing left is to investigate it from the inside. I want to be absolutely beyond any doubt that there won''t be any way out from there. Unfortunately, I won''t be able to do it alone. I would need a helper that I would trust with my life and that would create an exit from myb. While I trust Yukima, I would rather avoid talking to her. She is still, rightfully, angry at me, and she shows it. She wouldn''t kill me though. She knows that would make Dad sad, so as long as I''m not doing anything to harm the family, then she is letting me be. Masaru is a good option. He mostly forgave me, which made me feel even worse for not trusting him more. He can feel that I''ve changed. He doesn''t know why, but he is d that everything is mostly sorted out. At this point, I''m not sure if he believes in his ability that much or trusts Dad to agree. Rangiku is... Rangiku. She can be dependable if needed, but most of the time, I wouldn''t trust her with anything delicate. Thest of my siblings, Gin. I don''t know what to think about Gin. I love him like a brother, of course, but he gives me creeps at times. I just don''t know what he is thinking, and his poker face is with no equal. I could ask Rin-kaasan, Mom, or Dad, but they already have too much on their shoulders from what I''ve seen, and if everything goes right, the Shadow dimension is without escape, and my n seeds, then I''ll ease their hardships, especially Dad''s. --- Why is my life like that? All of my siblings were currently standing in my privateb as I was covering my face with my hand with an exasperated sigh. I only came to Masaru, but Yukima came on us at some point and overhead a part of our conversation that made her interested in my n, and because she wanted to help Dad simrly to me, she created a group consisting of all our siblings... except me... Yeah, I deserved that, and I get why she did that. I would probably do the same, but that still leaves me in this situation. Knowing her, she won''t leave me alone until I exin what I nned in further detail, which is abination of her wanting to help Dad and her not trusting me. *Sigh* So be it. Maybe more people knowing about my project will help me in the future. Everything is already in the end game, so going clean won''t sabotage it in any way. Besides, I believe they are smarter than me and won''t do anything as stupid as I did. So, I exined everything I nned, leaving out Aizen''s name. I did it not to protect him but to protect Yukima most of all. He was interested in her because of her Hollow powers, and knowing her, if she hears who is behind everything, she may go after him immediately if she believes me at all. I got some helpers, but before we could do anything, we got a message from Dad to get back home for an important announcement. That''s strange. Dad wouldn''t call everyone unless it was very critical. I hope it''s nothing too serious. Hope for the best and prepare for the worst as I learned. --- END Discord server: /Kurit (10 chapters ahead) Chapter 283: Family is whole again Chapter 283: Family is whole again (Ryoto''s pov) I was waiting at my home for everyone to gather after I sent a hell''s butterfly with a message to gather here. It still felt strange to call this house a home. It''s not like it doesn''t feel like one, but it''s missing something. I think now that I''m getting closer to finishing this mission, I''m getting a bit nostalgic. Is it what it feels like getting old? --- The first toe was Rin, who I weed with a smile. Then came Isane, and at the end, the kids who were together. Now, I usually would try to be delicate about information like that, but there isn''t a way for me to do that, that won''t be shocking, so I''ll just say it. "You probably wonder why I gathered all of you here today. Fortunately, no one died, and no one is missing this time. Some would even say that it''s good news thates to us this time." "Out with it, dad. Don''t keep us in suspense." Yukima, my dear impatient daughter,ined. "Fine, be it your way. Yoruichi is back." And the silence filled the room until I got a smack to the back of my head from Rin. It didn''t hurt, but I still rubbed that ce. "You should say it more gently!" And I agreed, but there wasn''t any way to do it. "If I could''ve, I would''ve." I said as I took a look at Yukima, who looked petrified. Well, that''s not good. "Mom''s... back?" Yukima muttered in disbelief, but there wasn''t any resentment in her emotions. I could even feel some happiness buried under all that disbelief. "Yeah, just like I said before. She would be back, and we are about to meet her." I walked up to her to pat her head. "But before we go to meet her, I should probably let my lieutenant know as well that her ex-captain returned. We''ll meet in one hour in front of the Study Chamber''s entrance." So now I hope that Soi Fon won''t freak out too much. --- "I''ve returned!" I announced as I opened the door to my office with full force, which greatly annoyed my lieutenant, who was still going over the paperwork. To be fair, she is almost always annoyed, so it isn''t saying much. "You were gone... for 3 hours!" I nodded. "And now I''m back." Soi Fon dragged her hand across her face. "Can you at least tell me why you left so abruptly? I know that you like to skip work whenever you have a chance, but usually, you have a reason, as stupid as they are at times." I nodded once more. "Yeah, I felt something was off since the mention of Ryouka at the captains'' meeting. It was mentioned that Captain Tosen repelled them after the guardian failed. Tosen is a pacifist (as far as everyone thinks), so they are most likely alive, and I doubt they would just give up after they almost seeded, but there was nothing. That''s why I went searching." "Reasonable, but couldn''t you wait until you finish up your work?" I yfully hit my head while I put my tongue out. "Tee-hee." And like that, Soif Fon tried to punch me in the face, but I caught her fist and spun her around a bit. "Before you try again to rearrange the face that is loved by many, I advise you to hear me out. After all, I found something that should interest you." "If it isn''t your will to work, I don''t want it." Sassy little child. She thinks that I''ll ever work willingly. How cute. "No, I think it''s even better, but you should probably get up from the chair before I tell you." She sighed and went along with my request. "Don''t be too surprised, but Yoruichi is back." I waited for a few seconds for any kind of reaction, but nothing happened. I waved my hand in front of her face, but still no reaction. Did I break her? As soon as I thought that, Soi Fon grabbed me by the cor of my clothes, and with eyes filled with rage, she asked. "Where is she!?" ... That could have gone better. "Calm down." I tried de-escting the situation with my gentle tone, but it didn''t work, so I hardened my voice and repeated myself while releasing a bit of Reiatsu. "Calm down. What did I teach you about letting your emotions get the better of you." Soi Fon then let go of my cor and took a few deep breaths. "Now that you seem calmer let''s go over what just happened. I thought that we went over it 100 years ago. Are you still resenting Yoruichi for abandoning you? I understand if you do, but I already exined that she didn''t have much of a choice." "I understand that... I really do... but it still makes me angry. That''s why I''ll show her how much I improved and how much she missed out by not taking me with her." I nodded happily. "That''s the spirit. Although I''m kind of happy that she left you. Otherwise, who would do my paperwork." I patted her head, and she swatted my hand away with a small blush. "Stupid captain." --- Everyone gathered in front of the Study Chamber''s entrance. Before we went inside, I exined the situation that was going on with Ichigo, and his friends and how Yoruichi fit into all of this. On a side note, Soi Fon wasn''t aware of the Study Chamber, which surprised everyone, including me. Everyone was sure that someone else had already told her, and Study Chamber never came up in conversation. That''s a bit funny. She was trusted enough to share knowledge about this ce with her, but she never knew. Ironic. We finally went inside, and as soon as we spotted Yoruichi, who was in her human form with some new clothes, I yelled in amanding voice. "Jump on her!" And everyone except for Rin, Isane, Akio, and Gin followed suit. Yes, even Soi Fon did, but I think it was more out of habit as a lieutenant listening to her superior, which she quickly regretted. "Wait! I didn''t mean to!" "Toote!" I held her in ce as both of us were squeezed by my children. Yoruichi was trapped and couldn''t escape from the clutches of her family. "We apprehended a dangerous criminal. I''m proud of all of you." "Ha-ha-ha." Yoruichi sarcasticallyughed. "Very funny. Now get off of me." I obliged and got up despite the weight on my back. Now that Yoruichi got up, she made eye contact with Yukima, and both froze up. Normally, I wouldn''t know what to do, but I decided to take a note from Yoruichi''s book and just pushed my cat lover into our child. To avoid falling, Yoruichi instinctively reached out to Yukima, grabbing her in a way that resembled a hug. Yukima''s first instinct was to return her hug, but she hesitated until she saw me giving her an encouraging look. That made her decision certain as she went and hugged Yoruichi, and Yoruichi did the same. "You know, I thought I would be more angry when I finally saw you again, but all I can think is how happy I am to see you back, Mom." Yoruichi was moved by Yukima. "Sorry, little kitten. It wasn''t my intention to make you sad but I''m happy to see you grow up like that into a beautiful woman that probably already broke many hearts." This small joke earned a small chuckle from Yukima. "Stop it, Mom, that''s not true." "Whoever is trying to convince you that is a moron, and I''ll beat him up if I need to." That was a very sweet reunion of mother and daughter, but it wasn''t the end of it because Yoruichi had more children to face. She started with the oldest son. "Masaru, looks like you didn''t skip training. It feels like I''m looking at younger Ryoto when I''m seeing you." Masaru slightly blushed but was happy about thepliment nheless. "Thanks Yoruichi-kaasan." Next was Akio and the dark-skinned beauty immediately saw the regret but also a lot of determination, so she put her hand on his shoulder. "Whatever you are going through, you are not alone. Remember that." Akio almost teared up hearing that. "Yes... I know that. Good to see you back, Yoruichi-kaasan." Rangiku couldn''t wait any longer and just jumped into a hug, which Yoruichi happily caught. "Yoruichi-kaasan!!! I missed you!" "And I missed you too. Looks like you were the one who grew up the most. Almost making me jealous, almost." Thest of the children was the silver-haired Gin. "Creepy as always, although you were cuter with that smile when you were younger." "Thank you for your criticism, Yoruichi. I''m not sure if I can change my face that easily, though." "Still not calling me mom? You are cold, Gin-chan~" There was a small crack in Gin''s mask hearing his nickname. He didn''t like it very much, but that slip-up was small enough for most not to notice. Done with all the children, the next one was Soi Fon, who waited ''patiently'' with her arms crossed and her foot tapping. "Little bee..." "Yoruichi." There was some bite in the way she said it. "I still haven''t forgiven you, but I''ll put aside my feelings for the sake of your family." That''s all Soi Fon had to say before she left in a sh. I think I can call it progress. She didn''t explode and kept her emotions in check. I feel proud of her. But all said and done, the family is back together. --- END Discord server: /Kurit (10 chapters ahead) Chapter 284: Into the shadows Chapter 284: Into the shadows (Ryoto''s pov) A week has passed since the family reunited. In that time all my children were training Ichigo in turns. Let''s just say that he didn''t enjoy his spars with Yukima. She isbination of me and her mother after all. Also it was a wake up call for the young invader that all people that I brought were more powerful than him but it also was a great motivator. On the side note Yoruichi was relieved of her debt to my other lovers. Not for free though. She will be forced to get drunk when everything calms down and while Yoruichi hates that but she would hate to pay up even more. I''m not going to lie, I''m going to enjoy it more than I should. She is just so cute and meak when drunk. This kind of contrast is adorable, especially on someone like Yoruichi. But let''s focus on something more important. I''m going to visit Rukia. She is going to be transferred to the big white tower today that name I don''t care to remember. My n is to appease some of the girl''s worries. I should do that earlier but I hoped for Bya-chan to do that before me. It would be far more optimal but I can''t do anything with that. *m* I opened the door to the room with a jail cell where Rukia was being kept. "Good morning Rukia-chan. Guess who it is~" "Oji-san!?- I mean, Captain Ryoto? What do I owe the pleasure?" Rukia was bbergasted at first but quicklyposed herself and became a lot more formal. She may not be rted to Byakuya but he rubbed on her mote than he realised. "Come on, you don''t don''t need to be so formal with me. Call me Oji-san like you used to. I''m not going to get angry because you call me that. What am I going to do? Arrest you?" My little joke manged to get a smile from the prisoner. "See, so you still can smile. Just because everyone wants to kill you doesn''t mean it''s the end of the world. Trust me, I know what I''m talking about. The number of people that were after my life isrger than you think. At one point I thought my father-inw tried to end my life and it felt like it at some point. The point is that I''m still alive and kicking because I''m stubborn so stop mopping around and trust in your friends to save you. Speaking of which remember that kid that I stabbed? He survived and got here somehow. He is currently traning and will probably save you." That got a reaction from her. "What!? That idiot! I sacrificed myself, got myself arrested so he would be left talons and he just gets here and spit on my resolve!" Looks like someone really needed to vent. "Yeah, he is an idiot. His whole n included defeating everyone in his way and kidnapping you." "That sounds like him... Wait, how do you know that?" She asked realising that I had some exclusive info. "Who do you think is helping him train? Besides I would feel bad letting the kid die after I let him live. I still need to talk with Byakuya. He is being stupid again and if it doesn''t work I''ll use your public execution as his social execution... If you don''t mind of course." "...Not like I can stop you." She deadpaned. "I mean... you can... you just need to escape the prison and avoid being executed." Rukia kept staring at me with cold eyes for the rest of my visit but I feel like I achieved my goal. (Aizen''s pov) What an interesting development. Captain Ryoto Yuuki is truly an interesting subject. He manged to discover something almost as fast as I did which is impressive. I believed that after failing to go through the gate Ichigo Kurosaki together with his friends would use Shiba''s canon to break through the barrier surrounding Sereitei but Kaien Shiba is a spontaneous individual and he must havee to his sister for some reason at the same time the group of invaders did and seeing opportunity he sneaked them inside. Truly, you can''t underestimate Shibas being unpredictable, just like 15 years ago I re-learned this lesson. Thankfully I was cautious enough to release some camera flies to observe anything abnormal. This whole incident is not as ideal as I nned but isn''t a setback to my n whatsoever. Mostly it wouldn''t allow me to create more chaos to divide Soul Society to different oppositions. The original n was to fake my own death to create 4 groups. These who believe that someone inside is a traitor, I would make Akio an obvious suspect and tell him that directly. It''s cute how much he tries to hide that he knows my true nature, although I must admit that he slightly surprised me that he realised this much earlier than I anticipated. The second group would believe that Ryouka were the one that this and actively tried to hunt them. Third would be on neither side but all the chaos would affect them in some way. Andstly is the Yuuki family. I am of belief that Ryoto Yuuki is aware of my n to some degree and in extention so does the rest of his family. He will move independently and will be the most interesting of the bunch. Now while I can still go through my n it won''t create as much confusion and havoc as it originally would. There goes my small fun on the side. In the end there isn''t need to change my ns for now. No one knows what future holds but I will be prepared for it, as always. (3rd''s pov) Akio was ready. He prepared himself and created as many safetys as he possibly could. What he is going to do should be rtively safe but he already learned that one can never be too careful. "Before we start let''s go over everything onest time." Akio said to the gathered group which included all of his siblings. "Four of us will go into this mysterious dimension while one will stay behind in case of emergency. If everything goes as nned the one left behind will not need to do anything because I set up a timer for our return so we should be fine but if for some reason we need to return early I preparedmunication devices for everyone. It also wille in handy if we separate for some reason but we should avoid it at any cost possible. Afterall we will be in the unknown territory with unknown dangers. I want to stress out that when I say dangers I am serious. I was able to detect some Reishi activity. They weren''t huge but the most dangerous enemy is one that isn''t easily detectable so be prepared to escape and only fight if necessary. Gin, you are the one left behind. If we go radio silent for 5 minutes I want you to force our return by pushing this button." Akio pointed at one of many buttons on his console. "For the reason I chose you Gin is because I am needed there to gather data, Yukima won''t allow to be left here and would be bored, Masaru-nii is needed for his firepower and I don''t trust Rangiku enough to not get drunk and forget her role." "Hey!" "With that said I think we went through most important points but I want to remind everyone to be at their toes at all times there." Akio stressed his point about his cautionsness once more. Even though it was his n to begun with, the addition of his siblings made him a bit more paranoid. It was knew thing to risk his own life but to risk his family''s was another matter all together. "Now let''s end all this talk. Its time for action!" Yukima bumped her fist together with anticipation for a fight or just anticipation for a n progressing. With her it was never a sure thing. It was time to enter unknown dimension. --- END Discord server: /Kurit (10 chapters ahead.) Chapter 285: A letter from an old friend Chapter 285: A letter from an old friend (Ryoto''s pov) I was currently the only one in the Study Chamber. Besides the group of invaders and Yoruichi, of course. She and Ichigo were sparring at the moment, so I had some free time as all of my children went out to do something, and Rin and Isane had responsibilities in their respective Squad. I, on the other hand, had Soi Fon for that. Some would call mezy, but I would argue that I was just smart with my work. I worked hard as a lieutenant of Squad 13, so now that I''m a captain, I deserve some break from all of the paperwork. Am I wrong? As I was sitting near some boulder, trying to rx as long as I could since soon everything would go crazy, I was approached by one of the young invaders. Without opening my eyes, I started talking. "So, how can I help you, Uryuu?" I asked. While I was rxed, the young Ishida seemed to be tense. Am I that scary? I don''t bite... at least not guys. Isane seems to enjoy it, though. I''m getting sidetracked. In the meanwhile, Uryuu was trying to think what to say, so I let him. After a short while, he finally found either courage or the right words. "Are you the Ryoto Yuuki that was friend with a Quincy called Isamu Ishida?" I was honestly expecting him to ask this much earlier, but to be fair, we were all busy training. "I don''t know any other Ryoto Yuuki besides me, so I would bet my money that I was." "So you must been aware that I''m a descendant of Isamu Ishida since you asked me about my name when we first met, and for the same reason, you gave me this." He took out the same Quincy cross that I left him back in the Human world. Isamu''s Quincy cross. "That seems to be right. I believe that this would be better used by someone in his family than just rotting underground." I answered truthfully. "If that''s what you believe, then I have a letter for you as well, and I''m giving back the cross. If you''re still sure that the cross should be in my hands after you read this letter, then I''ll ept it." Consider me curious. Uryuu took out an old-looking paper that, if I needed to guess, was thetter he was talking about earlier. The paper looked to be at least 100 years old, but if I were to be more precise, I would say it was nearer to being 150 years old. I took thetter out of his hand and opened it. Seeing this handwriting didn''t surprise me as much as it should. Knowing the age of it ruined the surprise. Without waiting much longer, I started reading. __________ Hey... I don''t really know how to write it, but if it''s you, Ryoto, then it must have been some time after my death. I''m writing this letter because I know that my death affected you a lot. My entire life must have been rtively short for you. I would like to believe that in that short time, you''ve viewed me as a friend, and losing a friend is never easy. That''s why I left you a memorial of sorts, so at least part of me is always with you, but if thistter is delivered to you, then you did something stupid like giving my cross to my family or something like that. I can''t convince you to change your mind, but I ask you to rethink your decision. I gave you my Quincy cross for a reason. I wanted you to have it as a thanks for everything you did for me and my family and partially as a sorry for forcing you to do my dirty job. Your friend, Isamu. __________ ... ... ... God dammit Isamu. Even after your death, you must see right through me and give me a cheesy lecture. I smiled. "I changed my mind. I think I''ll hold into this cross for a while longer if you don''t mind." I said to the young Quincy as I put it around my neck. "If that''s what you choose, but if you don''t mind... could you tell me some stories about my ancestors. You seem to be close to my family about two centuries ago... If you don''t mind, of course." Uryuu was a bit embarrassed by his request, but his curiosity about his family''s history was bigger. It was endearing. "Sure, I don''t mind. How about I tell you the story of how I helped Isamu get together with his future wife. It began with a simple question. ''How do you avoid tripping into her and grabbing her butt?'' And let me tell you, it wasn''t as easy as you may think." And with that, I started destroying Uryuu''s view of his family. (3rd''s pov) A sleeping king slowly opened his eyes while sitting on his throne. Sensing the disturbance, he frowned. He knew that what he was feeling wasn''t incorrect, but at the same time, it shouldn''t be possible. He could sense four Shinigami in his Schatten Bereich. How it was possible, he didn''t know, but if they discovered his hidden empire, then his ns needed to change, but first, he would need to dispose of uninvited guests. "Haschwalt." The king called his right-hand man as well as his sessor. Soon after, a tall, young-looking man with a thin build and long blonde hair entered the throne room and kneeled before his king. "Yes, your Majesty? "Gather the Sternritter. We have guests." Usually expressionless, Haschwalt widened his eyes, but after the initial shock, he bowed his head andplied with the order. --- "Wow, I don''t know what I expected, but it wasn''t that." Yukima said as she looked around with a curious gaze. "I must agree with you, Yukima. I would love to explore it a bit." Rangiku added. "Please don''t do that. We need to stick together." Akio tried to stop his free-spirited sisters. "I''m with Akio on this one. I don''t know why, but I feel danger from all around us." Masaru made hisment as he looked around cautiously. He could practically feel his skin crawl. He didn''t feel safe at all, but he couldn''t pinpoint what was causing him this feeling. ""Fine."" Both sisters listened to their older brother, ignoring the second oldest, but Akio didn''t mind as long as they listened in the end. "First, let''s check ourmunication devices." And with that said, everyone tested their functionality, sending a short message to Gin, who answered them. Everything worked so far, so Akio took out some machines and started working for a few minutes. "Let''s move. We can''t see anything from here. I was expecting buildings since it''s a shadow dimension, but it isn''t a mirror of Sereitei since the buildings weren''t the same, although simr in some ways, if not for ice covering all buildings. But that creates a question. Is this dimension mirroring Sereitei from the beginning, or... was this man-made." Akio narrowed his eyes as he observed the buildings. "Does this make any difference to our n?" Yukima asked as they started moving. "It does, in fact. If it''s man-made, it would mean that this ce is popted, and as long as it''s popted, there is a chance, as small as it is, that you know who can escape with their help. Don''t underestimate him, ever." Their talk was interrupted as Masaru tried to warn everyone of immediate danger, but he was toote. "ROOOOOAAAAAAR!!!!!" A deafening roar exploded through the air and renderedmunication devices built by Akio useless, as the sound wave was enough to destroy them enough to destroy their primary function. The first to notice it was Akio as he reached out to it at the first sign of attack, but he was toote to inform Gin about the enemy. The only good news in all of that was that Akio was prepared for something like that urring, so now they would need to survive for 5 minutes. 5 long minutes. At that moment, Akio wished that the emergency ns that he had prepared would go to waste, but, at the same time, he was happy that at least once, he was prepared for something, and it paid off. --- END Discord server: /Kurit (10 chapters ahead.) Chapter 286: In the Shadows Chapter 286: In the Shadows (3rd''s pov) The situation was bad. Very bad. Even that would be an understatement. Catastrophic would be a better word. Akio, Masaru, Yukima, and Rangiku were surrounded. They could see enemies from all sides, and theirmunication was cut off. The only light at the end of this dark tunnel was that they would need to survive for 5 minutes for Gin to send them back forcefully to Akio''sb. Stalling the enemies through talking would be useless as they already attacked and would probably soon resume their attack. Was it confidence or arrogance? Maybe sadism, as they wanted to see fear on their victims'' faces before they kill them. No matter what it was, it was appreciated as 1 second is 1 second, and every second mattered at the moment for members of the Yuuki family, but they needed a n. They were clearly outnumbered. 10 to 4, to be exact. At least 2 enemies for each of the Yuuki. Akio and Masaru, the brains of the group, tried to think of some kind of solution that would let them leave this ce alive. Akio quickly nced at his older brother to see his reaction to the enemies. His ability, Haki as their father calls it, would allow Masaru to somehow urately judge the strength of his opponents. Reiatsu could be suppressed, after all. Seeing Masaru, Akio suppressed clicking his tongue. His brother was hiding it well, but he was scared, which meant that their chances weren''t the highest, although not impossible. Akio was a scientist, so he didn''t believe in impossibilities, just really, really low chances. Seeing 10 enemies, he quickly concluded that he and Masaru would need to fight 3 foes each so Yukima and Rangiku could fight as a pair against 4 that were left. The reason why the brothers should fight alone was simple. Fighting in a group would hinder their abilities. Their Zanpakutos aren''t ideal for fighting with allies. "We are splitting up! Yukima, Rangiku, you two stay together. Me and Masaru will manage on our own." Akio barked out orders, but before he ran off, he said onest thing. "Please... don''t die." He wouldn''t be able to face his dad if he was the cause of his sibling''s death. He had let him down too much already, but in this situation, he could only hope and trust in their abilities. Akio ran off, and thankfully, after a small provocation 3, Quincies followed him. Masaru almost immediately followed suit and attacked 3 random Quincies with some low-level kido to aggravate them, and he seeded. That left Yukima and Rangiku, who needn''t move to another ce for their fight, but it didn''t make them any less tense. ---(With Akio)--- "Keh keh keh keh. You can try and run, but you can''t escape my Love if my name isn''t PePe Wabrada, the letter L of the Sternritters!" A fat old man with a long white beard, wearing sunsses, said as he was floating on a basket. "Quit your foolishness... PePe. Love is nothingpared to fear." The tall, ck-haired man said clearly, which was surprising as the lower part of his face was covered by a ck mask. "Stop it, you two. Our task is to eliminate intruders, not to bicker among ourselves." A short-haired man with a scar running downwards across his lips. Akio used this short moment before a fight broke out to take out a small pill from one of his many pockets for a situation just like these and swallow it. This small movement wasn''t left unnoticed by Cang Du, the short-haired man, and he narrowed his eyes at Akio. "Sorry, need to take my medicine before we start, although I have a question, if you don''t mind answering, little old me. What are Quincies doing in the shadows of Sereitei? I thought that all of you were living in the world of the living. No pun intended." Akio tried to imitate his dad''s way of speaking as he was trying to calm down and hopefully stall some time in the meantime. Unfortunately, he was seen through by Cang Du, who narrowed his eyes. "You are trying to stall us. Are you so confident in yourpanions that you would wait for them to win so they can assist you? In that case, you better abandon that hope." Or at least partially seen through. "Enough talking..." The creepy-looking guy called s Ndt said as he summoned thorns made out of Reishi that floated behind him and immediately shot them toward silvered-haired Shinigami. Using his own version of prediction calction, Akio dodged all of the projectiles. Using the distraction caused by his ally, Cang rushed at Akio, engaging him in closebat. Although most Quincies prefer to attack from a distance there are always exceptions and Cang is one of them as his primary weapon are Reishi ws. Despite Akio being slower and overall weaker than Cang, he was keeping up with the assault... or at least for the first 15 seconds or so. Even with knowledge of his opponent''s future movements, to some extent, his body can''t keep up with his mind for long at high-levelbat like that, and in a moment t like that, his arm was scratched by one of s'' thorns. One could see the glee in the long-haired creep''s eyes as he awaited for his powers to show their effects, but unlike usual, when the fear would start showing on his victim''s face, Akio''s expression started bing more and more expressionless to the bewilderment of Quincy. "What!? How!? It''s not possible to not feel fear! Every living organism feels it! It''s the most primal of all the emotions!" Cang Du, on the other hand, narrowed his eyes. "It''s that pill that you took earlier." It was more of a statement than a question. "Correct. You see, I don''t have the best experiences with someone messing with my senses, so I worked to be prepared for it. Unfortunately, it didn''t work on the intended target, but I got something equally valuable. You see, the pill I took stabilizes my chemicals and hormones, and every time there is a change, be it from the inside or the outside, it normalizes it to the point that I don''t feel much, and I can focus on my goal without any distractions. Although it takes a half minute or so until it starts working. It''s a work in progress." Akio then turned to s Ndt with his eyes hollowed of any emotions. "Hearing you talk about fear that much, I assume that whoever is injured by your Reishi weapons will experience fear of some kind. I don''t know what kind of fear it would be, but it won''t work on me. It''s true that fear is one of the most important emotions. It''s a survival instinct at its finest, but it is still caused by chemicals in our brain." Akio''s talk was interrupted by Pepe, ''the love master'' Wabrada, who shot a heart-shapedser that didn''t cause any damage, but it wasn''t supposed to. "Khe khe khe. Fear can be caused by hormones and chemicals, but there isn''t such thing as love chemical. Love is something that is above all that! And now you love me with your everything as all should." Pepe said with a disgusting smile, which quickly turned into a scowl as he saw no effect on Akio, who started exining. "You are correct. There isn''t a love chemical, but there is something called a love hormone called oxytocin, which I assume your ability forces to release and target you as a target of your victim''s affection. There are, of course, other chemicals and hormones thate together with oxytocin that create what you call love. To be honest, I would be angry at you if I could feel something right now. I would also feel disgusted because I somehow agree with you. Real love is something that goes beyond a chemical reaction in your brain, but what you make feel other people isn''t a true love, but it''s unimportant because..." Akio used Shunpo to appear in front of Pepe, surprising all three Quincies with his speed as it increased significantly. It wasn''t exactly above their ability to perceive, but the sudden change made them act slower than usual. "It ends now." *SLASH* ---(With Yukima and Rangiku)--- Two girls from the Yuuki household were facing their four opponents, who seemed rxed. "Fuck! Why do we need to be stuck with these two!? We could be doing anything else or at least go after the ck-haired one. At least he was easy on the eye. Do you think that''s why Bambi went after him?" Or at least most of them were. The light green-haired woman was clearly annoyed, and her off-handment annoyed someone else. "Hey! That''s my brother you are talking about! If you want to get to him, you need to get through me first!" Yukima was in her overprotective sister mode, which she didn''t have many asions to showcase since her brother, Masaru, could take care of himself pretty well, and her other brother, Gin, was the one she needed to protect others from him, or rather his tendencies of creeping others out and he enjoyed making things as awkward as possible. She was still mad at Akio, but slowly but surely, she was starting to forgive him. "Your brother? I don''t see much resemnce. But don''t worry, after I''m done with you, I''ll send you dearest brother to you. Of course, after I''m done with him if Bambi didn''t do that already." The Quincy said with a sadistic smile, which was confronted with a re that could kill from Yukima. "You are dead." "Try me if you can. Candice Catnipp, with a letter T bestowed by his Majesty, is the one who is going to kill you." And their battle started. Meanwhile Rangiku didn''t immediately support her adopted sister. She eyed the other three Quincies, who didn''t jump to support their hot-headed ally. "You don''t need to be so on guard. We aren''t going to attack your friend over there. Candice bes unbearable when she gets like that. Also, it''s too much hassle. We''ll let Candince tire herself out, and hopefully, she''ll take you on as well. Please be cooperative and don''t double-team her. In that case, we would be forced to intervene." The shortest of the four said with azy tone. "By the way, I''m Liltotto Lamperd." "It''s my turn now?" The pink-haired woman asked as she put her finger on her chin. "Then you can call me Meninas. Meninas McAllon is my full name and I posses letter P." "And finally, we can get to wonderful me~! Gisele Gewelle, but you can call me Gigi." Thest girl introduced herself vigorously. Rangiku, not knowing what to do, decided to introduce herself back. "Rangiku Matsumoto." But she didn''t let her guard down, and while still keeping tabs on the three Quincies, she observed Yukima''s fight. She wasn''t that worried because her sister had a certain trick that she could use in times of desperation, but Rangiku was sure the moment she used it, the rest of the Quincy group would gang up on her, so hopefully, she wouldn''t be too hot-headed and use it too early. Their goal is to stall for 5 minutes, not defeat everyone in their way. Rangiku looked at Yukima, who seemed to be increasingly more annoyed at her opponent. Hopefully, Masaru was doing better. ---(With Masaru)--- Masaru, in terms of firepower, was probably the strongest of his siblings, and if ites to destructive ability alone, he is as strong if not stronger than his father, although to reach that level, he would need to do something reckless and be ready to lose his life. He simply didn''t have perfect control over his Bankai, if at all, and was forbidden to use it without supervision, no matter the reason. Despite knowing the risk, he was seriously contemting if he should use it at the moment. That alone shows how bad of a situation the siblings got into, and Masaru, thanks to his Haki, was even more aware of that fact, but he wasn''t one to give up despite his fear. If Akio, Yukima, or Rangiku were in immediate danger, he would use it to at least act as bait and hopefully take down a few of his enemies. But for now, he''ll need to focus on his 3 opponents, which included a slender young woman with long ck hair, a man with ape-like characteristics, and a man with red hair kept in a long mohawk. "You got some nerve attacking me like that and running away!" The hot-headed man yelled at Masaru. "I''m pretty sure he just drew us away from others, Bazz-B, you idiot." The only woman said "You also followed him, so what does it make you, huh!?" Challenged, now named Bazz-B. "Unlike you, moron, I was aware of what he nned, but I yed along, right girls?" She turned back to see that whoever she called wasn''t there. After a short silence, Bazz-B startedughing hysterically at the embarrassed woman. She was, in fact, so embarrassed or angry or both that she wentpletely red. "Hahahaha!!! How high and might have fallen. Do you have any more great advice, Bambietta, or should I ask one of the girls that you just mentioned?" "Shut up!!!" And so Bambietta exploded... literally. She used her ability to explode everything around her, forcing her allies and even Masaru to back away from her. After slightly calming down but still breathing heavily after her meltdown, she pointed at Bazz-B and then at the unnamed Quincy. "Both of you! The Shinigami is mine." "So that''s the famous relief I heard about. Huh ~" Thatment flustered Bambi even more. "W-where did you hear about that!?" "Meninas. You would be surprised how little filter she has. We were talking about how we spend our free time, and she just mentioned it off-handily. I didn''t even ask about you at all." "...I''m going to kill her." The exploding girl muttered. Masaru used their distraction to attack. "Devour, Tsukihi!" And so he unleashed the ck fire. --- END Discord server: /Kurit (10 chapters ahead.) Chapter 287: A three-way battle Chapter 287: A three-way battle (3rd''s pov) ---(Akio''s side)--- *SLASH* With one clean sh from Akio''s Zanpakuto, a head came clean off. Slowly, the head was sliding off into the ground as it lost connection to the body. A surprised Quincy didn''t have any time to use Blut to defend against the attack, not that it would change much since Pepe wasn''t proficient in that technique. Akio looked at two of his remaining enemies to judge their reaction. He was hopeful that they would at least partially lose their cool. In that case, it would be easier to predict them, but this hope was quickly crushed as he noticed no reaction from them. Even with suppressed emotions, Akio felt slightly annoyed, and he suppressed clicking his tongue. It made things more difficult, although 3 vs 1 turned into 2 vs 1, so at least he raised his chances. "Pepe always was a fool... hiding behind his Schrift... abusing a gift from his Majesty and never improving. Nevertheless, he was of use to His Majesty, and for that... I need... to kill you." The creepy voice slowly turned into more chilling and finally, into outright terrifying. It didn''t intimidate Akio, but it was mostly thanks to the drug of his making. The other Quincy was ncing at his ''ally'' as he was losing his cool and tried to formte a n as now he needed to include a Sternritter running wild alongside himself. He would need to adapt to him if he wanted any kind of teamwork, and from thest interaction, it seemed that they would need to because Akio didn''t even use Shikai, yet he killed a Sternritter. A weak Sternritter but a Sternritter nheless. The most frustrating part of all of this is that Akio wasn''t that strong. He was just a very hard counter to 2 of his 3 opponents and was able to predict their movements to a scary degree, but his body couldn''t keep up that kind of high-level fight for a long time, the number of bruises and cuts that he had were a sign of that."You won''t be able to win this fight, Shinigami." That was undoubtedly the truth. As it was now, Akio didn''t stand a chance, but he had an ace up his sleeves. "Spread, Doku to chiryo." Akio released his Shikai, and his sword changed its shape. Gone was a standard katana, and in its ce was arge great sword with three holes in it, and the de ended in a half circle. A strange shape for a sword. "I don''t like using it, you know. It''s too big for my liking, and it tires me out too much to be useful in longer battles. Not to mention, its main ability is not as effective as I would have liked against stronger opponents such as you two." "So why use it, and more importantly, why exin it?" Cang Du asked with his eyes narrowed. At that, Akio grinned. "To waste your time." The moment Akio said that, Cang and ?s N?dt felt dizzy. "You see, my Zanpakuto allows me to release gas from its holes. I can modify this gas''s properties. All the way from cold medicine, to the deadliest of poisons. The downside to it is that I need to manually know theponents of the gas to use it, and the quantity of it depends on my Reiatsu, so I can''t pump you up with poison and kill you as your own Reiatsu would somehow protect you from my ability. I theoretically could brute force through this protection, but it would leave me defenseless, and there is no guarantee that it would even work, so at most, I can be a nuisance to you, and since I''m weak, I''ll need all the advantages I can get." Akio bought even more time with his exnation, but he wasn''t stupid enough to tell them everything. Everything he said was true, but the information he shared wouldn''t help them too much unless they nned to fight without breathing, which was too ridiculous to even think about it. Besides, the best-concealed lies are hidden within the truth. What the Quincies didn''t know was that Doku to Chiryo could do the same by cutting its target, and the potency of its ability would increase tremendously. He was hoping that he could get a cut or two, but he wouldn''t use offense too much. He didn''t need to win after all, but still, he hoped that his siblings had an easier fight than he had. ---(Yukima and Rangiku''s side)--- Multiple blue lightning flew through the air at unimaginable speed but not even one hit their target. Yukima was too fast, and her instinct was even better. Out of all her siblings, she was the most battle-oriented. She liked to fight and was good at it. However, unlike her older brother, Masaru, she was more precise with her power, despite her more wild nature. "You boasted so much but can''t evennd one attack on me! I would just bury my head in embarrassment if I were you!" Yukima taunted, and it worked. "Haaaaa!? You think you are hot stuff because you dodge like a coward!? Stop moving then we can start talking! In fact, I hope that you won''t ever open your mouth again after I''m done with you!" More lighting was thrown at Yukima, which was dodged just as easily as before. Yukima wasn''t nervous at all. She believed that she couldst the whole 5 minutes if things went on like that. The rest of the Quincies didn''t seem to want to join the fight, and Rangiku wasn''t fighting either, so that was good. She also wasn''t naive enough to believe that it would stay like that, and that''s why she was aware of her surroundings, just like her parents taught her. ''Never tunnel vision on your fight'' was one of the first lessons she learned with Dad. All in all, she hoped that her siblings had as easy of a time as she had. ---(Masaru''s side)--- The surprise attack, surprisingly, did work. They usually don''t, but somehow Masaru was able to dispose of the ape-looking one with his attack. "What an idiot. I won''t say that I''ll miss him, but His Majesty will be disappointed." Bambiettamented without a hint of sadness in her voice. It only showed how little they cared about their ownrades. "...but we should take care of the intruder first before we report to His Majesty." With that said, she created projectiles and sent them towards Masaru. Before they reached him, they hit a wall of ck mes and exploded without harming him. Bambietta and Bazz-B narrowed their eyes. "So, Shinigami thinks he''s hot stuff? Let''s see how he deals with Burning Finger 2!" With a swing of his arm, heat gathered in the two of his fingers and shot towards young Yuuki as Bazz-B let a feral smile creep on his face. Expecting his attack to pierce through his enemy''s fire, he was left utterly bbergasted when it was his mes that got surrounded and slowly ''eaten'' until there was only ck left. There was silence. What just happened was insane. An attack overpowering another attack was a regr urrence, but that wasn''t what urred. Masaru''s mes devoured Bazz-B''s fire. Such was the nature of his Zanpakuto, but there was a minuscule detail that the two Quincies missed. Masaru was starting to sweat and breathe a bit roughly. The way he used Tsukihi wasn''t the way he would normally, That was required if he wanted to keep 2 opponents in check at the same time. Not to mention that his Zanpakuto was very Reiatsu dependent. The more he devoured, the more Reiatsu was needed, which may seem strange, but the energy is stored somewhere and is waiting to be used whenever Masaru releases his Bankai. In short, Shikai gathers the fuel, and Bankai burns through it. Masaru couldn''t allow himself to getzy and block all attacks with his fire. He just wouldn''tst. He is not Captain Commander who can fire left and right until his enemies melt. Yamamoto is a monster among monsters with a monstrous amount of Reiatsu as well, which Masaru didn''t possess. Not to say that he was sloppy, but inparison to Yamamoto, most would look weak. --- And so the fights on three fronts went on until... "Bankai!" ¡ª END Discord server: https://discord.gg/FcBZZvAxv6 Chapter 288: This and that Chapter 288: This and that (A/N I forgot to mention it but I have new editor. This one is hopefully less bloodthirsty. Wee him warmly.) (Byakuya''s pov) I have been... conflicted for some time now. The reason for that is my adopted sister, Rukia. The reason for allowing her to join Kuchiki''s noble family was my wife, whom I love with all my being. Hisana... She spent many years searching for her lost sibling, almost losing her life before finding her if not for Ryoto Yuuki''s intervention. And even after finding Rukia, she couldn''t find strength in herself to face her after abandoning her. Hisana''s only wish was for Rukia to have a good life, and I could provide it. And that''s where my conflict started. When marrying Hisana, I was met with opposition from the Kuchiki''s elders, but with the help of my father granting me the position of the head of the n, I was able to do as I wished, but the elders'' opinion of me lowered significantly, which I didn''t mind too much at that time. That was until I heard the rumors about a young girl in Shinigami Academy looking eerily simr to my wife. Initially, I thought it was a poor attempt at a joke. It didn''t help that the first to share this information was Ryoto Yuuki. s, no matter how small, I couldn''t ignore a chance to find Hisana''s lost sister, and my efforts were rewarded, but once again, I was met with resistance. This time, however, it was much more upfront, and my decisions in my younger days were catching up to me. It was then I promised in front of all of the elders to never break any of Sereitei''sws if they allowed me to be selfish this one more time. It thankfully worked, and somehow, everything turned out alright. That was the case for some time, but life didn''t allow me to be carefree for long, and Rukiamitted one of thergest taboos in Soul Society, and that was giving her Shinigami powers to an ordinary human. I did everything in my power, using every bit of my freedom without breaking any rules, but everything I did was meaningless, and Rukia''s sentence was getting worse and worse until it was decided to execute her. Not only that, the date of her sentence was getting pushed forward, and my hands were tied. I couldn''t do anything without getting my elders angry and possibly getting disowned from my family. It wouldn''t be such a big issue if this would affect only me, but I can''t predict what elders would do to Hisana. I am her shield against them, and if I''m gone, they could possibly execute her to ''cleanse'' the n from dishonor, and I couldn''t risk that. On the other hand, if I don''t do anything, I will cause Hisana much sorrow, and I didn''t need Yukima to know that, but I''m just... lost. I don''t know what to do. While being deep in my thoughts, I failed to notice a presence entering the room I was upying."Byakuya, what seems to trouble you." It was, of course, my father, Sojun Kuchiki. He always looked to be carefree and was often seen with a gentle smile on his face. I loved and respected him greatly, but at the question he asked, I couldn''t only stare emotionlessly. "Right... stupid question. Do you want to talk about it?" Talk about it... Maybe it''s not a bad idea to get perspective from another person. I can only dwell on my problem for so long before it bes useless. "I''m torn about what I should do. Should I help Rukia in any way, I risk Hisana''s safety; even if the risk is not big, I can''t ignore it. But if I ignore Rukia''s execution, it will cause Hisana grief that will probably not go away until her final breath. The way I see it is that I have a choice between Hisana''s life, albeit miserable, or the risk of her death." I confessed all my worries to my father. I believed that he may enlighten me in some way, and looking at him, I could see that he thought about my issue seriously. "That''s a difficult issue you are facing. I can see how you may have a problem with that but you are ignoring something important." My eyes went wide. Did I miss something? I went through all of my options multiple times, so the idea that I missed something was surprising, but it gave me hope. "You are forgetting that you are not alone. You are my son, and I like to think that I know you. You have a habit of doing everything yourself. Be it because you believe to be the best qualified for the job or you want to prove yourself, it doesn''t truly matter. You are not alone. You have me, your mother, grandfather, the Yuuki family. All you need to do is ask. I bet Ryoto is already nning to do something, Kaien-dono as well, now that I think about it. Besides, if the Kuchiki elders try to do something to Hisana, anything, they will need to go through me as well, and they know that I''m close to Ryoto and they likely don''t want to have trouble with him. No one really wants to, and for good reason, too. He is part of Stealth Force, and that means he knows things, and unlike others, he bites back. Threaten something or someone he cares about, and no one will know what happened to you. Also, the stories about how he survived in Hueco Mundo for a year and came back as if nothing had happened. People just don''t want to mess with someone like that." True... Ryoto Yuuki is annoying to deal with, but I wasn''t aware that it was to this degree. In any way, this talk with my father made my decision much easier. (Ichigo''s pov) I''ve had this dream again... It was about my past... When I was a child, I tried to help a child standing near the river bank. It was at the time when I had difficulties seeing the differences between the dead and the living. For some strange reason, the dream was more of a nightmare. It always ended up with mom being dead on top of me... blood still fresh. Of course, it didn''t happen. Mom lived. She told me a story about a stranger who helped her that day against a dangerous Hollow. I wasn''t made aware of it until I was much older, of course. Today''s dream ended differently. Instead of Mom dying, I woke up seeing the back of an unfamiliar man. He had a white cloth with a number on it. I was waking up, and my dream was mixing with reality because when I opened my eyes, I was still seeing the same white cloth with a number on it. It took me a few seconds to realize that I wasn''t dreaming and that I was seeing a white haori belonging to Ryoto-San. Noticing that I was no longer asleep, he turned around to look at me (even if his eyes were squinted to the point that they looked closed... or were they closed, but then how does he see?). "Woke up, princess? Or do you need a wake-up kiss? Should I call Orihime? " ... ... ... I just woke up, and I am forced to deal with him. I would rather fight him again than listen to his bullshit. I wisely decided to ignore hisment and ask him about that dream. I have that gut feeling that it was more of a memory than a dream, and seeing his haori like that makes me think that he knows something. "Hey, Ryoto-san... Did you visit the living a few years ago and save a woman with a child?" The question didn''t seem surprising or at least he didn''t show it. He showed a thoughtful expression with a hand holding his chin. "I did something like that. I was in the area, noticed a Hollow, killed the Hollow, and returned to Soul Society." That makes things easier. I stood up and bowed my head in gratitude. "Then I must thank you for saving me and my mom." I couldn''t see Ryoto-San''s expression, but I heard him sighing. "Raise your head, kid. You don''t need to thank me for doing my job. I sometimes save people, and other times kill them. I don''t want to be thanked for something I''m supposed to do. If you want to thank someone or something, you can thank your luck that I was nearby." That was odd. Did I annoy him somehow? I wasn''t fast enough to ask as a group of five (Ryoto-San''s children, if I remember right) got inside the Study Chamber (still a stupid name). The moment they could be seen, the air around Ryoto changed, and he released his Spiritual pressure and murderous intent at the same time. I almost fainted just by being close to him, but I still could hear him saying something with a tone that I thought was impossible to be made by him because it was filled with so much venom. "Who did this." ¡ª (E/D: the fury of the father approaches.) END Discord server: https://discord.gg/FcBZZvAxv6 Chapter 289: Before the massacre Chapter 289: Before the massacre (Ryoto''s pov) Yoruichi, Rin, and I were in the Study chamber today. Isane was busy in her squad, so she couldn''t be here for now, and the kids... they are doing something together, which would be fine and dandy if they were not my children. Troubles will find them, or rather, they are probably looking for them. But they are all adults, and I can''t hold their hands for their whole life, no matter how much I would like that. Besides, they are strong. I trained them myself, after all, and prepared them for everything I could think of. Speaking of kids, I may have smacked Ichigo a tad too much. That''s the reason I was waiting for him to wake up and make sure that I didn''t cause a concussion. After waking up, he asked me if I saved him and his mother. This was awkward for me. I didn''t save them because I''m a nice person. I did it because it would help me and my family in the end. I didn''t have these thoughts when I saved Kaien''s wife since he is a family friend and all, but Ichigo ispletely unrted to me. I gave him a no, as an answer. I said some words, but they didn''t mean much. Everything after that wentpletely nk as I saw all of my children entering the Study Chamber. Some of them were injured. Akio and Masaru were the ones with the most injuries. Barely alive as far as I could see. I unconsciously released my Reiatau and killing intent as I asked myself one question. "Who did this?" I didn''t mean to say it out loud, but I was livid. Noticing that I wasn''t fully in control of my actions, I took a deep breath in and then breathed out.I calmed myself down enough to do what I should. I''ll kill whoever did this after I''m sure that all of my children are safe. "Ichigo, call Orihime. We have injured." But the boy stared at me as if I had grown a second head. I didn''t have time for this, so I used a moremanding voice. "Now!" And that woke him up. I then used Shunpo to get closer to the newly arrived group, and I could feel Yoruichi and Rin doing the same. They probably didn''t know that our children were in danger, but feeling my Reiatsu spike like that wasn''t normal, so they went after me. Stopping in front of my destination, I faced everyone and took a closer look at them. Gin was unharmed in any way. Rangiku and Yukima had only small wounds that weren''t life-threatening. Masaru and Akio, on the other hand... Masaru must have used his Bankai, and looking at Akio, he was the one who saved his older brother. What the hell happened for Masaru to unleash his Bankai!!!? I was the one who forbade him to use it, and he wasn''t stupid enough to go against it unless necessary. That goes back to the first question. What the hell happened!? At that moment, Rin and Yoruichi arrived. "Ryoto, what ha-" The words got stuck in her throat as she saw the children. Both her and Yoruichi''s eyes hardened. Rin was quick to act. She was the one with the most medical knowledge in our group, as she learned from Isane, because of the small chance of any of us being injured. Unfortunately, she needed to test that knowledge. Yoruichi went towards Rangiku and Yukima as they only needed first aid. I, on the other hand, turned to Gin. "We''ll talk in a minute." Then, I announced my next set of actions to my lovers. "I''ll get Isane and hopefully Unohana. Orihime should be getting here soon. I told Ichigo to get her fast." With that said, I left the Study Chamber and ran across Sereitei until I arrived at Squad 4 medical facility. Without paying anyone attention, I opened every set of doors that I came across. I was lucky enough to finally find not only Isane but also Unohana. They immediately recognized that I wasn''t my usual self. "Ryoto-kun, what happened?" As she was asking me, I approached Isane and picked her up like a sack of potatoes. "Not time to exin. Masaru and Akio are injured." I said as I was leaving the office, and at that moment, Isane stopped struggling, not that she was doing much of it, and even Unohana got more serious as she stood up. We left like these while leaving many with confused looks. --- Returning, Isane visibly gasped as she saw our children state, and both she and Unohana went right to work. I could also see Orhimie working hard, but she was still new to the whole healing thing. After I stopped giving her attention, I walked up to Gin. "Can you tell me what happened?" I asked. Gin wasn''t smiling as he usually did, and he looked grim as he was taking quick nces at Rangiku. "...Akio had an idea. He discovered a shadow dimension, as he called it. He nned on trapping you know who there as a n B if you would do nothing until Rukia''s execution, but he first wanted to check if it was impossible to escape it from it from the inside. I was left behind to take them back in the case of an emergency... just like this one. We were attacked by-" "The Quincies." I finished his sentence, shocking him greatly in the process. He even opened his eyes as he looked at me. "You knew about them?" "I only knew that they used a strange technique that created a dimension in the shadows of Seireitei. I didn''t have any method to get to them, but I was preparing for them the whole time. However, this changes some ns." In all honesty, my emotions were in turmoil. I really wasn''t this stressed out for a long time. I may have to do something stupid again... "Akio really is too smart for his own good sometimes. To think that he discovered a way to get there somehow. You know how this works, Gin?" "I know. I''m not Akio, but he showed me how the basics work." He narrowed his eyes even more. "You don''t n on going there alone, are you?" I just smiled good-naturedly as I turned to the adult group. "I''m going out for a while. Be ready for another patient." Rin perked up hearing me say that. Isane was too focused on keeping children alive, while Yoruichi decided to see how this would y out. "Ryoto, if you n on going to whoever did that to our little boys and girls, I''m going too." Her eyes were sharp, full of killing intent, and she put her hand on her Zanpakuto, ready to pull it out. She was out for blood. "No." That shook her. She was sure that I wouldn''t even argue, so before she could insist on going with me, I started exining myself. "I need you to be in full health for the near future. The same could be said about Yoruichi." "So what about you!? You are stronger than us! You will be needed just as much as we will, and by going with you, I''ll keep you safe, and you keep me!" She wasn''t entirely wrong with what she was saying, but she was very emotional at the moment. I think this whole situation reminds her of when I left for that assassination and returned half-dead after we first arrived in Soul Society. She wants to prevent this from happening now that she has the power to do so. Unfortunately, I''ll need to refuse her help this time. To be fair to her, I will surelye back half-dead. I put my hand on both of her shoulders, and we locked our eyes. "Rin, I''m going to return alive. I may be a bit bruised, but I''m not going to die before you''ll allow me." I smirked. "And we know that you''ll never let me go peacefully." She returned a small smile, finding my humor funny. It looks like I still got it, but I turned serious after that small joke. "I''m going to go full Hollow, and I won''t be inplete control. That is the second reason why I want to go alone. I will be able to do more damage that way." Rin looked at me, searching for something, and after a few seconds, she sighed. "You know something about it." I was about to share what I knew, but I wasn''t able to say a word as Rin continued talking. "You don''t need to say anything. Time is probably of the essence. Just promise me that you''ll give hell to whoever did that to our kids." I showed a feral grin. "That is not a promise. That''s a prophecy." I then turned to Gin and told him to lead me to where they teleported to Wandenreich. This will be a massacre. --- END Discord server: /Kurit (10 chapters ahead and exclusive illustrations. They are AI but they look good enough for me. There already images of all of Ryoto''s OC children that I''ll share in the future, not all of course but some.) Chapter 290: Angry father Chapter 290: Angry father (Yukima''s pov) We... failed. All we wanted to do was save Rukia, and then Akio-nii told us about his grand master n. He said something about a traitor in Soul Society that is behind all that is happening around Rukiately. I grilled him for details, name, anything, but he wouldn''t budge no matter what I tried. Fair enough. I would run after the traitor right away and beat him up if I could. I can get hot-headed like that sometimes. But all that led us to the Shadow dimension, as Akio-nii called it. We almost died because of Akio-nii''s stupid idea! No... That isn''t the case. We all agreed with Akio-nii''s n, and he did everything he could to make it as safe as possible, and thanks to his nning, we left that dimension alive. I just feel... frustrated. I thought we were strong. That I was strong but this image shattered just like the mask I had used in my fight. Before Akio-nii lost consciousness, he told us to get everyone to the Study Chamber so we wouldn''t rm the traitor. There, Dad instantly noticed us, and I could feel his anger even when he was worried about us.What surprised me was that Dad knew about these Quincies in the shadows... Of course, he knew that. Why wouldn''t he! He was always aware of these small and big secrets and tried solving them alone, and now, because of us, he is forced to face them earlier than he wanted to. I wanted to stop him. Scream that he didn''t stand a chance against them. Yell to stop him because I was scared that he wouldn''te back... but I couldn''t for some reason. Words stuck in my throat because I knew that Dad would maybe hesitate for a moment but, in the end, would choose to go anyway if it meant our safety. The only thing I could do was to hope and believe that he''lle back. "Now Yukima. Can you tell us what happened? Ryoto was absolutely livid, and so are we, but he seemed to have an idea of what''s going on while we don''t." Mom asked me because I was in the best state besides Gin, who left with Dad and maybe Rangiku. So, I decided to exin what we encountered and how everything went wrong. (3rd''s pov) ---(A short while ago with Yukima and Rangiku)--- The fight wasn''t anything spectacr. Yukima evaded the attacks and then counterattacked, and it went on like that for some time. It was ideal for the Yuuki family. "So we introduced ourselves and all, and so did you, but we don''t know the name of the girl that''s fighting Candice-chan." The ck-haired girl said to Rangiku. She was probably just bored by watching the fight the whole time. Rangiku was still wary, rightly so since she was still surrounded, but didn''t mind a small chat. She may get some info out of them if she is smart enough. "She is my adorable sister, and her name is Yukima Yuuki." That was a wrong decision, as every single Quincy that wasn''t in the fight turned to her instantly. "Yuuki? As in, the daughter of Ryoto Yuuki?" Rangiku didn''t like the way they asked, so she stayed quiet, which in itself was the admission, but they had a way to confirm it. "Hey, Yukima girl! Do you know someone named Ryoto Yuuki!?" Yukima was still fighting, and while she was aware of her surroundings, she wasn''t exactly listening. Not that she could with all the lightning thrown at her. "Huh!? You mean Dad!? Rangiku cursed under her breath and prepared to fight. Meanwhile, the Quincies narrowed their eyes. "So she is the daughter of one of the 6 war threats. Not impressed, but better be safe than sorry." Panic went through Rangiku as she heard these words from one of the Quincy. "Yukima, use your mask! Now!!!" Rangiku quickly warned her sister, and without hesitation or even questioning, Yukima did as she was told and summoned her Hollow mask, surprising her opponent. Her speed and power shot up tremendously and wounded her foe greatly. "Bitch!" Candice screamed. Yukima''s triumph didn''tst as she was rushed at by the other Quincies. "Growl, Haineko!" Rangiku released her Zanpakuto to support her sister or at least draw one opponent away from Yukima. With a mask, she was much stronger than Rangiku, and her power was much more explosive. The real fight started now. ---(Akio''s side)--- Akio was starting to work on fumes. Using his Zanpakuto was very draining, but he somehow avoided any serious injuries and could deliver some decent attacks at them. Not to mention that his calcting power was harder and harder to maintain, and he could lose focus at any moment. It was to the point that he couldn''t even take a second to calcte how long he needed to keep that up; otherwise, he risked making a mistake, and that was thest thing Akio needed. That was the moment that Akio felt a sudden spike of Reiatsu. He couldn''t mistake this violent Reiatsu even if he wanted to. His little sister was using her Hollow mask, which could only mean one thing: trouble. That was also the moment Akio lost focus for a single instance, and it cost him greatly. Cang Du capitalized on his opponent''s distraction and stabbed him in the shoulder, drawing a lot of blood in the process. Akio quickly created some distance between him and his foe, but that was the turning point. Akio had one arm left to use. In emergencies, he would be able to use his injured side, but at this point, he wasn''t even sure if he could survive until Gin returned them back, and worst of all, he now worries about his baby sister! Why does he always attract trouble? First with Aizen, and now this! What God did he offend for this to happen... ---(Masaru''s side)--- Masaru felt that. Yukima''s and Rangiku''s spike of Reiatsu. The oldest of Ryoto''s children knew that his biological sister was forced to use her Hollow powers. For now, they weren''t injured a lot, and Rangiku was helping her as well, so he decided against using his Bankai, and if everything went well, he wouldn''t be forced to do it. There wasn''t much time until the return, but then he felt it. Something happened to Akio. He got wounded badly, and Masaru was aware that his younger brother wasn''t a fighter. It was impressive that he could fight for about 4 minutes with 3 opponents without many injuries, but now it has changed. With a deep breath, Masaru gathered his resolve to act as bait and save his siblings. "Bankai!" And hell was unleashed. (Akio''s pov) My body was covered in shes and wounds. Some, more severe than others, but I feel like dying already. I''m going to bleed out soon if I''m not going to die from the Quincies first. I also can''t see in one of my eyes because of the blooding down on it, but even before that, I was damaged enough for me to be slightly blinded there. I was seeing ck dots before I was forced to close my eye. I also returned my Zanpakuto to its sealed state. I just couldn''t swing my giant de with one arm. I was fully prepared to sacrifice one of my arms to kill at least one of my opponents, but before it could happen, all of us, meaning me and the 2 Quincies, felt an immense power. We stopped fighting to look in the direction of the Reiatsu. It wasn''t just Reiatsu that we felt but the dread in the airing from another battlefield. Together with that, we saw an inferno of ck fire. My eye went immediately wide as I only knew one person who used this type of mes, Masaru-nii. But it wasn''t his Shikai. It couldn''t be. It was just too powerful, and the size of these mes was over Masaru-nii''s limit, which could only mean one thing. He used his Bankai. The very same Bankai that Dad forbade him from using since he can''t control it. Worst of all, after doing a quick calction, I discovered that we have about a minute before we get back, and if he gets back with his Bankai unleashed, he will be a danger to everyone before he gets consumed by his power himself. I can''t... I can''t allow my brother to die because he decided to help me with something. I won''t allow myself to be the cause of my family''s death! With that, I used the remains of my strength together with my foes'' distraction to run towards my brother to stop him from killing himself. The Quincies followed me for a while, but when I got closer to the fire. It gave them a dangerous feeling, and I felt that too. I ignored it, though. Saving Masaru-nii was much more important than my fear. At least my wounds weren''t bleeding any more. The fire cauterized my wounds. It wasn''t a painless process, but I''ll get what I can, and when I finally reached Masaru-nii, I was tired and burned. It was tempting to just close my eyes and fall asleep. But I couldn''t. It was my responsibility to get everyone home safe. It''s also a bit funny. I''m injured beyond belief. Every part of me believes that it shouldn''t be possible for me to move and I should feel a tremendous amount of pain, but I neither stopped walking toward my brother, nor did I feel anything anymore. Does that mean that I''m close to dying? It doesn''t matter in the end. I won''t allow myself to fall before I''m sure that my siblings are safe, and the first step to it is stopping Masaru-nii''s rampage. Every step was a trial in itself, but I finally stood in front of Masaru-nii, who was lying on the ground, screaming and thrashing around. "You really did something stupid this time, Masaru-nii. You probably felt that either Yukima or I were in danger and tried to act as a decoy. You didn''t think that Quincies would leave you alone and focus on their respective targets. The thought that they didn''t feel strong camaraderie didn''t cross your ever-so-optimistic mind. Though, the most infuriating part of your n is that... it worked, and you saved me." I hoped that I had enough strength left to knock him unconscious, but my worries were unwarranted as I was able to do precisely that. Although I may have used more strength than necessary for good measure. Let''s say that it was Masaru-nii''s punishment for being an idiot. With Masaru-nii unconscious, his Bankai reverted to its sealed state, and all the mes vanished almost instantly. I looked around, and we were surrounded, but some of the Quincies had visible burns from Masaru-nii''s out-of-control state. One of them was much more visibly angry than the rest. ...5...4... "My face!!! Fuck!!! Fuck!!!" It was a woman, Quincy, who stomped the ground. Half of her face was deformed because of the fire, and she was raging at her opponent. Seeing me, the neer, near her target automatically made me an additional target. ...3... "You!!! You''ll pay for this!!! I don''t care if I''ll blow half of this ce as long as both of you die!!!" ...2... She started charging her attack, and even without Masaru-nii''s ability, I could tell that it was powerful enough to kill both me and my brother, but I didn''t move or even attempt to defend myself or dodge. I just stared at her with my lone open eye. ...1... She shot a ball of energy at us, which was big enough to enclose both of us, but I wasn''t afraid of it. Not at all, because... ...0... Masaru-nii and I vanished from that dimension. The 5 minutes had passed, and as expected of Gin, he was on time to the second. Before I lose consciousness, I need to exin some things to Yukima, Rangiku, and Gin. Knowing my little sister, she would grab and get us to the 4th Division''s barracks, and that wasn''t the best choice. Aizen has eyes everywhere. Not to mention, I don''t know how we would be able to exin our injuries... (Yukima''s pov) We got out of our fight with only minor injuries. I thought we were goners when they grouped on us, but thankfully, Gin pulled us back in time. My good mood plummeted when I saw both Akio-nii and Masaru-nii. I even forgot to be angry at Akio-nii. I was ready to grab them and bring them to the healing barracks, but I was stopped by a barely conscious Akio-nii. His whole body was covered in burns, and his face wasn''t any better. I don''t think they will be able to heal, and even after treatment, he will be covered in scars. That is, if he''ll survive until I get him to help. ---(Present time)--- "...And that''s everything I know. I only know about the details after we were separated from Akio-nii when he was barely conscious after we came back, and we were rushing here, so there''s probably more to that, but he lost consciousness after he said the most important parts." I am ashamed. Very ashamed. Maybe it''s because I, together with Rangiku, didn''t get wounded as much as my older brothers, so I feel like I got scot-free when I shouldn''t. I don''t know if both Masaru-nii and Akio-nii drew away the strongest Quincies away from me and Rangiku, but it didn''t make me feel any better even if they didn''t. I was also scared to maintain eye contact with my moms. They''ll probably hate me for allowing this to happen. Even though this whole ordeal wasn''t my idea, I agreed to it, and I was the one who was the least careful out of our group. If I used my full power from the beginning, I may have had a chance to defeat my opponents and help Masaru-nii and Akio-nii, but I wanted to y safe, and I believed that they''d be able to handle themselves. They are my invincible big brothers, after all, but today, for the first time in a long time, I''ve seen them so fragile. They almost died. "Yukima!" That yell brought me back to reality, and I looked hastily from one side to the other. When I was done with that, I looked up to see Rin-kaasan looking at me, not with disdain but with love. This look broke the dam, and all the emotions that I tried to hold in flew out of me, and I started sobbing. "I... I''m sorry! I''m sorry! I''m sorry!" I was repeating this sentence as I cried and hid my face into Rin-kaasan''s shoulder, and she just rubbed my back and, with her soothing voice, reassured me that everything was going to be alright, and for some reason, I was inclined to believe her... (Ryoto''s pov) I was going towards Akio''sb, where there was a machine to get me to the Quincies dimension that I don''t remember the name of. It has probably a German name like everything else to do with Quincies, and thest time I checked, I couldn''t speak German. Gin also gave me a quick summary of how this thing works and what happened to them. He only knew as much as Akio told him when he was on the verge of consciousness, so the information was spare. The most important part of it was that Gin could make me return in five or more minutes, and that was perfect for me. I told him to set the timer to 10 minutes. In these 10 minutes, I won''t die even if they group up on me, and Yhwach should still be weakened, so he shouldn''t want to fight me at the moment. I nodded to myself. I can do this. Just like in good old times when I hunted Quincy scums that tried to destroy the peace that Isamu created. This time, however, is more personal. After preparing my mentality, Gin sent me there, and immediately, I felt Quincies nearby, so I walked towards them. --- I walked slowly towards them as I unsheathed my weapon. My rage, quiet yet ready to swallow everything in its way. I also had my presence hidden to the best of my abilities, so they didn''t notice me until I was pretty close to them. "Who are you!!?" One of the Quincies demanded from me, but I ignored him and began monologuing. "You know, I like to think of myself as a peaceful man. I also don''t need much in life to be happy. I could live in the woods, hunting and living with my loved ones without any issues, but I also have my limits. They are harder to cross than when I was younger, but they still exist, and unfortunately for all of you here, you crossed it." I was speaking calmly, emotionless even. I was wholly detached because I was readying myself. "What are you talking about!!? We asked you a simple question! Who are you!?" This time, it was a woman, Quincy, who yelled at me. Her face was severely burned. Seems like Masaru got her before they escaped. "Stupid. Don''t you recognize him?" The short blonde one said to her ally. "That''s one of the 6 war threats, Ryoto Yuuki. He is solely on that list for one reason alone. There is zero information about his abilities beyond the basics. He is a master at manipting information. As far as we are aware, he showed his Bankai only once and didn''t show much back then except one attack." I would normally be impressed by their information gathering, but not today. Besides, I wasying low for thest 200 years, not showing much in fights. The only time I trained all my other abilities was away from prying eyes just for a moment like this. "Correct. I''m Ryoto Yuuki, Captain of Squad 2, partner in life of Isane Kotetsu, Yoruichi Shihoin, and Rin Yuuki, formerly known as Rin Kujo, father of Masaru Yuuki, Yukima Yuuki, Akio Yuuki, Gin Ichimaru, and Rangiku Matsumoto and much more than you are aware of but it''s not important right now. What is important however, is that I heard that you took care of my children." "...What of it?" "Bankai, Tensa Zangetsu." I activated my Bankai, which put all 8 Quincies on guard, but I still didn''t attack. "Have you ever thought what is difference between being alive and being dead?" Without waiting for them, I answered with my voice lowered to a dangerous degree, making it sound spine-chilling. "Harming my family." Time for words ended, and I brought my free hand to my face with my finger bent as if I was imitating it had ws, gathered energy in it, and swiped it in front of my face. This action created my Hollow mask. I also heard someone eximing, "Another one!?" but I didn''t pay them any attention because I wasn''t done with my mask just yet. The next part started in the center of my chest as a hollow (ha) hole was being created. Out of it, white bone-like liquid spread through my whole body, covering it and hardening almost immediately. At the end of my feet and hands, ws emerged in the ce of toes and fingers. The most shocking thing was the mask cracking where my mouth would be, but instead of my regr face, when I unwillingly opened my mouth, a long tongue rolled out. The cracks also created teeth-like look. My consciousness was starting to slip out. I could only be in that form for 15 minutes without any risk. I would move entirely on instinct, and I would be dangerous to my allies. Thankfully, I can count on Zangetsu and Gyaku to bring me back when it''s time. I hope I''ll see all of them dead in these 10 minutes. (3rd''s pov) Ryoto performed full Hollowfication. It wasn''t something he could do every day for myriad reasons, and for the same reasons, he didn''t have many opportunities to master it. The only time he could do that was during his time in Hueco Mundo, and that''s when he achieved this form. That transformation changed Ryoto in some ways. Bulkier appearance. A slight slouch. A functioning mouth with a long tongue sticking out from it. Fingers and toes ending with ws. Eyes sharper than before but now became pitch ck instead of their usual white color when he used his mask. Ryoto became a Hollow through and through, but he still didn''t move and stood there without a hint of a movement. "Wha-" One of the Quincies started questioning what just happened, but he was interrupted. "GGRRRRRAAAAGGGHHHH!!!!!!!!" Ryoto roared animalistically and rushed with his Zanpakuto still in hand. His first victim was decided seemingly randomly, and it looked like ?s N?dt wasn''t lucky today. ?s N?dt was one of the most powerful Sternritters. It also may be the reason why Ryoto attacked him first, since he could instinctively know that he must dispose of him first. Ryoto used Sonido to get close to his first foe. Standing in front of the tall Quincy, Ryoto grabbed his arm and cut ?s N?dt''s torso from shoulder down, but that wasn''t the end of Ryoto''s attack. The aftereffect of the cut lingered in the air, and from that, a powerful ck Getsuga Tenshou mixed with Cero obliterated the first Quincy. Confirming the death of his opponent with Haki, he slowly turned around, eyeing his next victim, making everyone present feel shivers down their spine. The predator looked at its prey. --- END Discord server: /Kurit (10 chapters ahead and exclusive illustrations.) Chapter 291: Hollow Chapter 291: Hollow (A/N Quick author note here. There won''t be any chapters for the next 2 weeks. Family matter and I won''t haveputer. Just a heads up.) (3rd''s pov) Ryoto, in his Hollowfied form, looked at all the Quincies in his sight. He didn''t immediately pounce on the other of his targets. He may follow his instincts, but he wasn''t stupid. Suddenly, Cang Du and Meninas McAllon rushed at Ryoto from two sides at the same time. The male Quincy attacked with his ws while Meninas attempted to punch. Ryoto swiftly raised his leg to stomp on Cang Du''s weapon, pulling him down, and grabbed Meninas'' arm while dodging her punch to throw her away at other Quincies, stopping them from attacking him. Focusing on Cang, Ryoto stomped his back, causing the ground under the man to shatter, but there wasn''t time to rest as he was attacked right away. "I got you now!" Bambietta yelled as she created and shot many balls of Reishi. "GGGGRAGGHHH!!!!" Ryoto roared back as he opened his mouth widely. A ball of Red energy started forming there, and it grewrger than Ryoto''s head until it shot a ray beam out of it. Ryoto''s Cero and Bambi''s multiple Reishi balls met halfway through and created arge explosion. None of Bambietta''s projectiles reached Ryoto. It created, however, a diversion. The Holy Bells rang as the enormous crosses appeared where Quincies stood, and as they broke down, they revealed all of Ryoto''s opponents in their new forms. Quincy Vollst?ndig was Quincies'' ultimate form that was vastly superior to the outdated Letzt Stil that allows the user of this technique to enhance all of their abilities plus allowed them to fly."Now you are dead asshole. You may look cool in this form, but this is your end! Burner Finger 1!!!" Bazz-B pointed his index finger at Ryoto and fired off a beam of fire at Hollowfied Ryoto, who in return narrowed his eyes dangerously but didn''t move until thest moment when he sidestepped and started directing the fire with his free hand as he turned around and shot back the fire back to the attacker who widened his eyes at the impossibility of this event. "What the fu-!!!" Bazz-B desperately tried to defend himself as he shot Burner Finger 2 to block the iing fire beam, and he somehow seeded, but he was close enough to the sh of the two attacks to sustain some damage. What no one noticed was that when Ryoto seemingly used fire bending, a small shining spot appeared under his skin where Isamu''s cross would be seen if he had not Hollowfied. It looked like even Hollowfied Ryoto was surprised by this development, but he just smiled cruelty at the new revtion. Earlier, he moved on instinct... more than usual, but now he knew that he had more options. Ryoto''s good mood and unexpected development caused him to let guard slightly, and he paid for it as he ignored Cang Du, who used his chance to cut off Ryoto''s arm. The Hollowfied Shinigami roared in agony, but it didn''tst long. Instantly, Ryoto threw his Zanpakuto in the air and caught the arm that was slowly falling by the cut end, swung it towards the Quincy who caused this injury, mmed the palm of the served arm at the head of Cang Du, and finally dug his finger into a detached limb, with great force, in a way that made detached hand close with force enough to squash the head in its way. "...Fucking brutal, hard-core and all the other things. That was totally badass." Bazz-B couldn''t help butment, but Ryoto didn''t pay him any mind and reattached his arm to its rightful ce. When the quick process of regeneration ended, Ryoto flexed his arm a few times to test it. That was thest freebie the Quincies were going to get. Be it on purpose or otherwise. And that was a good thing because a golden bracelet was thrown andnded under Ryoto. From it, a wave of Reishi exploded and solidified in the shape of the massive bear trap, which closed quickly. Ryoto grinned with his mouth open and tongue out and snapped his wed fingers, switching ces with Giselle Gewelle. The bear trap created by Liltotto closed down and crashed her ally''s neck. Throughout the entire process, the light under Ryoto''s Hierro prevailed. The Quincies were not rookie fighters, and some realized what happened in an instant. Candice was not one of them. She was just lucky enough to have Giselle in her sight when Ryoto switched ces. Candice, however, had amazing reflexes, so she reacted immediately at the sight of her enemy. She took out her short bow out of a heart-shaped container and prepared a shot. "Bastard, I got you now!!! Galvano st!!!" The green-haired woman fired off a 5-gigajoule st of electricity at the Hollow-Shinigami hybrid. That was a mistake. Ryoto outstretched two of his fingers of the hand that held Tensa Zangetsu, and the moment electricity touched Ryoto''s fingers, he started redirecting the energy through his entire arm to his stomach and fired it back with his opposite hand at the attacker string, surprised Quincy. The moment Ryoto finished his move he was immediately attacked by pink haired Quincy. "You shouldn''t let your guard down, you know~." Meninas lightly scolded Ryoto as she was sure that she managed to get a clean hit on the Shinigami, as the force of the punch created a cloud of dust that obscured her sight. She felt hitting something, but she realized it toote when she felt something holding her fist. Next, she saw three blue lights appearing for a moment, only for two of them to disappear just as quickly. They were Ryoto''s eyes that momentarily transformed to their natural color but turned back ck just as fast. Meninas tried to free herself from the wed hand holding her fist, but she couldn''t. She didn''t have a chance to try again as her whole body was thrown over Ryoto''s head, mmed to the ground, and shot a stream of blue fire at her as she was down, and he would continue to attack until her life would slowly diminish, but... "Got you now!!!" Bambietta yelled as she was ready to send yet another wave of attack. Quincies didn''t seem to learn their lesson, and the lesson is, ''You don''t take Ryoto by surprise, not anymore.'' That''s why Ryoto had already locked eyes with her before she sent her attack, but it was already toote to stop it. Not to mention, Bambi''s pride wouldn''t allow her to cower before a single enemy, so the balls that would turn everything into a bomb the moment they touched something flew at incredible speed at Ryoto and her fallenrade, but she didn''t seem to worry about her fellow Quincy. Ryoto didn''t seem to be worried in the slightest. Despite his wild appearance, he could even seem rxed. It wouldn''t be strange as he had already neutralized Bambietta''s attack before with his own Cero, but this time, he just smiled sadistically at her as he raised his hand. Bambietta realized what he was nning instantly, and she paled. She didn''t have time to fret over her fate because as soon as Ryoto snapped his fingers, Bambi took his ce and was at the mercy of her own attack. *BOOOOM!!!* Ryoto was satisfied with the results, but he couldn''t bathe in his glory as arge, stretched mouth rushed at him. The Hollowfied Shinigami dodged swiftly, grabbed that stretched piece of the body, and bit into it. The blonde Quincy let out a muffled scream. She would let out a terrifying scream, but her mouth was forcibly closed by Ryoto. The Shinigami then spit the piece of meat that he tore off and red at the short woman with a mocking undertone as if saying, ''I can bite too, and I do that better.''. That left only 2 Quincies that were able to fight. Giselle was hiding somewhere, waiting for a good moment to attack. Bazz-B, on the other hand, was already on the move. "Burner Finger 4!!!" Bazz-B pointed all of his fingers except his thumb forward, created arge de of fire, and attempted to sh Ryoto with it. The aftermentioned Shinigami just pointed a finger at his foe, and instead of the usual red energy, it was ck with a dark blue hint at the edges. "G?????????r??????????????A?????????????n??????????? ?????????????R?????????????????e????????????Y??????????????????? ?????????????c???????E?????????????????????r???????????O???????????????." A monstrous voiceing from Ryoto announced an attack and not any attack. One of the strongest Cero avable to a Hollow. Its poweres not only from the user Reiatsu but also from his/her blood mixed with it. The Cero beam was much faster than the previous one. It shot right through a fiery sword, shot through Bazz-B''s shoulder, and destroyed everything in its way, stopping only when the attack ended in an explosion. The hole in Bazz-B''s shoulder was so cleanly made that it took a few seconds before blood started dropping from it, as if it took this much time for the body to realize that it had been harmed. "No... way..." were thest words of Quincy before he dropped to the ground lifelessly. At the same time, the light right below Ryoto''s neck started to dim until it vanished altogether. The moment the light blue light stopped shining, the white bone-like exterior started cracking. They began from the feet and slowly made their way up until all of the Hollow parts cracked, revealing tired and confused Ryoto. He didn''t have much time to ponder about his circumstances as he felt many life signatures surrounding him, but that wasn''t even the worst of it because he was facing someone he hadn''t nned on facing at the moment. "Ryoto Yuuki." The man Quincy said with a deep voice. "Nice to finally meet you in person." At that, Ryoto could only reply with the man''s name. "Yhwach..." That was the worst-case scenario. (Ryoto''s pov) I ''woke up'' from my Hollowfied form, but I felt strange. I was tired. More tired than I should have been after using full Hollowfication. I don''t use this form often. Never mind, scrap that. I haven''t used this form since I returned from Hueco Mundo. It''s just too destructive and uncontroble. Not to mention, I could have been sensed by someone in Sereitei, but I know my body well enough to know how I should feel after a fight. I don''t feel like I just finished fighting. I feel... lethargic and fatigued in a strange way. That''s just wrong. What the hell happened during the fight. The Quincies shouldn''t be able to cause this reaction out of me. Even if they absorbed my Reiatsu using their technique, it should feel different. ''Zangetsu, Gyaku, any input on what the hell happened?'' I didn''t have time to get an answer anymore as, by using my Haki, I realized that I had enemies all around me. All of them were strong, and maybe I would have had a chance among most of them if I fought them one on one, but even in this situation, I would rather fight all of them in one vs all than meet Mr. Big Boss himself, who was currently standing in front of me. "Ryoto Yuuki, nice to finally meet you in person." I was panicking internally. I didn''t know how much time had passed, and I was kind of expecting one or two Quincies to be still up for a fight when I got back, but at that point, I should be teleported back to Akio''sb. "Yhwach..." I said as I discreetly sent an rm to Gin. I didn''t need to wait long to feel the effect of teleportation wash over me, but as quickly as it started, it also ended. I was genuinely confused by that, but as soon as I saw Yhwach smiling at me. "What''s wrong, Ryoto Yuuki? Did you truly believe that a Quincy didn''t have control of a realm created by them?" ...I didn''t think of it actually because I wasn''t expecting toe here. Not willingly, at least. And even if I did by any chance, I hoped that Yhwach would still be too weak to do anything significant at this point in time. Unfortunately, I was proven incorrect. "Now that we exchanged pleasantries, how about you tell me why I could feel Soul King energying from you." ... ... ... Now he lost me. What is he talking... about... Then it hit me. About 150 years ago, I had a meeting with Soul King or was it Mimihagi. It''s not important right now, but what''s important is that he did something to me, and whatever I did in my berserker state released some of the energy or used the power granted to me by Soul King. I remained silent at the Father of all Quincies'' questioning. "You are not nning on talking... Very well. We''ll see how long it will take to make you repeat what you did earlier." After saying these words, Yhwach didn''t move, but the rest of the Sternritters were ready to attack. I immediately released my Bankai Tensa Zangetsu to change to my other Shikai, Gyaku Hansha. While Tensa Zangetsu would give me a boost to power and speed, Gyaku would be more useful against a group of opponents. Two des are better than one, and her abilities are more suited for fighting both close and personal as well as at a distance. Zangetsu, on the other hand, was primarily a closebat type of Zanpakuto whole, having one or two range attacks. I couldn''t repeat using my Hollow form. I was too exhausted to do it for now. It''s a miracle that it doesn''t hinder my abilities for now. It''s weird. The only good thing in this whole hell of a situation is that I can''t see Yhwach''s elite guards or some other Quincies. I don''t think I would be able to survive if they were all here. My thoughts were broken when two voices eximed loudly. "W-why can''t I copy him!?" "It shouldn''t be possible! I can feel that I should, but I can''t copy his powerspletely!!!" The twin Quincies started panicking. They probably never experienced something like that. It''s probably of my otherworldly powers that they can''t copy. Apparently, the universe doesn''t allow something outside its rules except for me and my children. To be honest, I don''t know the reason, but I''m not going to look a gift horse in the mouth. This confusion in the ranks of Quincies allowed me to think about my escape n. I can''t use Senkaimon because it would take too long to open, and I doubt my opposition would allow me to leave just like that. I''m not even sure if it would work here since it''s Quincy dimension or whatnot and not the Human world. What other options do I have? Kill everyone here and let Gin take me back. Yeah... no. I doubt I would be able to even kill half of them. Then, a n was formted in my head. I knew what to do, but it would be difficult, very difficult. Determination filled me. I will survive even if it costs me an arm and a leg. I opened my eyes and took a battle-ready stance. I activated my Observation Haki and Prediction Calction simultaneously. I tensed my muscles and was ready to fight the group around me. I''m going to survive. (Gin''s pov) That''s... rming. Ryoto should have returned. I know that he should. I can operate this machine to know that it should have worked. Something must have happened after Ryoto sent a signal for help, but what can I do? I clenched my hand into a fist. It''s frustrating to be powerless. It''s just like when Rangiku was attacked back then. Should I teleport myself there to help Ryoto? No. That would be too impulsive. I would be stuck there with Ryoto without any way back, which would be foolish. I alone can''t do anything, but I know who can. Akio. Ryoto and Isane''s child. He is the creator of this machine, and he was the one who discovered this other dimension. I need to hurry. --- Arriving at Study Chamber, as everyone calls it. I still think it''s a stupid name for this space, but I digress. I quickly appeared near the group using Shunpo. I didn''t have time to waste. I needed to help Ryoto. No matter what I do, I may never repay what he did for me. Not only did he give Rangiku a good ce to live and an opportunity for a better life, but he stopped me from bing aplete snake. That day, when I saw Rangiku hurt, I vowed to kill that man. Ryoto didn''t stop me from trying, but he gave me the chance to live with Rangiku while also training with me asionally. Ryoto gave me a life I thought I would never have. A life I was ready to give up, but Ryoto didn''t let me, and I could never be more thankful for that. I promised to never let anyone make Rangiku cry, and Ryoto dying would definitely make her shed tears for him. Seeing me, Rin, Yoruichi, and Isane realized immediately that something was wrong. Not having Ryoto with me helped form this opinion. "Tell us what happened." Rin took charge of the group. Surprisingly, she was the calmest of everyone. I believed that she was the one who was the most attached to Ryoto and would be panicking. Looks like I''ll need to work on reading people a bit more. I then exined everything I knew about the situation, and with every sentence, the pressure got stronger and stronger as Rin''s eyes narrowed dangerously. I knew that look very well. She was ready to kill someone. "Rin, calm down. We have patients here." Isane warned Rin. I rarely heard her using this tone of voice. Sometimes, I forget that while weakest of all of Ryoto''s partners, she is still to be feared. Unsurprisingly, it worked, and the pressure vanished without a trace. "I am calm." She wasn''t, but no one wanted to point that out. It wasn''t time for that. In the meantime, I took a nce at Akio. He was still unconscious, so he won''t be any help. I clicked my tongue without realizing it. Rin did the same but then turned to me. I almost flinched when I met her eyes. This reminded me why she was a Captain and had this title rightfully. "Yoruichi, we are going to help Ryoto. Gin, take us there. We may not have a way out at the moment, but Ryoto is resourceful. He will find a way back, just like he did when he was stuck in Hueco Mundo. This time won''t be any different, but he won''t get a chance if he dies, and if he sent a signal for help, the chances of it happening are higher than usual." "Wait, let me help!" The orange-haired kid said quite loudly, I may add. "No." And Rin quickly shot him down. "Bu-!" "No buts. You are simply too weak. You may be as strong as an ordinary Lieutenant, but if Ryoto needs help, you would be only a hindrance." Rin made a logical statement, but the hot-headed kid didn''t take no for an answer. "I can he-!" Rin lost her patience as she instantly got behind him, chopped his neck, and caught him as he was falling. "Take care of him. He should wake up in a bit. We don''t have time to humor his heroplex." She again used Shunpo to get him to the orange-haired girl. "Now, let''s not waste any more time." And so we returned to theb. There, I didn''t need to exin too much. The n was simple. I teleport both Yoruichi and Rin to help Ryoto, and they either destroy the cause of this anomaly so I can bring them back or find a way back by themselves. Simple enough, but of course, nothing can go ording to n, and the moment I tried to use the machine, everything made it seem as if it worked, but nothing happened. I tried again, but we were met with a failure once more. I stepped back from Rin, ready for an outburst. I wouldn''t even me her for that. I was frustrated as well, but nothing happened. All I heard was the sound of a drop of water hitting the ground and the quiet voice of Rin saying, "Why do you always leave me behind?" while gently rubbing her ck ring on her finger. Once again, I drew parallels between Ryoto and me and what me leaving Rangiku could lead to. --- END Discord server: /Kurit (10 chapters ahead and exclusive illustrations.) Chapter 292: Before fight starts Chapter 292: Before fight starts (Yhwach''s pov) Ryoto Yuuki was an enigma. I was aware of that for a long time but it looks like even I could get surprised by something unexpected. His eyes... they weren''t natural. That''s the only exnation that I have. If I wasn''t aware of the eyes of the Soul King, then I would probably assume that this is what they looked like, but they weren''t that. Even with the feeling that they could see through me, they weren''t that. But that raises the question. Who is the man named Ryoto Yuuki? He is Captain of Squad 2 and is known for manipting information. He is also one of the three disciples of Yamamoto Genryusai, which means that he can''t be a pushover. That old fool may have gone softpared to his old days, but he is still a monster, and none of his disciples will be weak. He won''t allow it. I''m confident that Ryoto Yuuki won''t escape from here alive. I won''t allow it. He is too dangerous to be left alive. There is also that mystery of why I could feel Soul King''s energy from him. He doesn''t seem to possess any of Soul King''s parts. He also looked surprised at the mention of the Soul King but gained some understanding after quick thinking, so he must know something, and I n on getting my answers either from his mouth... or his corpse. (Ryoto''s pov) Now think, Ryoto, think. How do I stall enough time to execute my n? I don''t have to wait exactly, but I need to catch them off guard long enough to use it, and it doesn''t help that I only did this a few times about half a century ago. Maybe I should think about what advice others would give me. Isane... she wouldn''t know. Rin wouldn''t give me any advice. She would jump into action and stand beside me and maybe reprimand me for going here alone. Yoruichi would say something like, ''Don''t get hit''. Who guessed that the fastest woman I know would say something like that. Who else there is. Jushiro-senpai would say something smart and try to defuse the situation by talking first, but it won''t work here. Shunsui-senpai would maybe share a drink with them before fighting, but after the fight would break out, he would use every little trick at his disposal to win, and that''s what I''m going to do, but I wanted something more concrete. Sojun... he wouldn''t be a help here. Isamu... I don''t know what he would do in front of the Father of all Quincies.I need to go farther in my memoryne. Karen would maybeugh at my misfortune first before giving me a quest to motivate me and saying something like ''dodge everything, hit hard, and don''t die'', which, funnily enough, is the same advice that she gave me when I was fighting Gid what it feels like was a century ago... It was longer than double that time. Mikan and Rito... yeah, sorry, my cute siblings, but I doubt you would even approve of what I''m doing or what I was doing for the past 200 years or so. I don''t want to think about it for now. Alme... she would get wet seeing my strength... literally. God dammit, she is hopeless. L would take out one of her crazy inventions to help me in any way she could. Thinking about it is enough to make me smile. Kaede and Rio would probably give me some advice that we learned from Koro-sensei that... I... forgot... Koro-sensei!!! He probably would have an answer. I just need to remember everything that he has taught me. It''s not like I don''t use his lessons at all, but there must be something small that would help me now. I just need to remember it. ''All of the connections we encounter in this world serve as a teacher who nurtures us'' that''s what Koro-sensei used to say and what I was currently doing and that''s why I started recollecting many of Koro-sensei''s lessons. ''Past you''ve lost will nevere back. I myself have made so many mistakes... But we can learn from the past so we don''t repeat it.'' ''Take advantage of what you have while you have it.'' ''The world will always be filled with injustice. If you have time to give up or hold a grudge against that injustice, then use that time to enjoy battling those injustices instead.'' ''Please remember that there are times to take someone''s hand and lead them along... But also times when you must be stern and let them fend for themselves.'' ''Is anything ever truly wasted?'' ''You didn''t let emotions or background cloud your judgment...'' ''The fact that I''m targeted by everyone is proof that I''m powerful.'' Then it clicked. These Quincies think of me as a threat. That much is obvious, and they have every reason to see me as such. They know that I killed a few of theirrades, and they are wary of me. That''s why I am surrounded, but it''s not their whole army. For some reason, some of Yhwach''s strongest Quincies aren''t here. Why. I was called one of the 6 war threats, and they don''t know my full capabilities. There is a mystery about my connection with the Soul King, which Yhwach, of all people, should know that it usually means trouble, so the question stands. Why doesn''t he have his full force on full assault against me? It doesn''t make sense unless... Unless he is wary of something else. He is trying to preserve his army. It would make sense if he was expecting reinforcement but he said that he controls this dimension so why would he do that. Simple. There is a possibility that he can only stop people from leaving but not from entering. Thankfully, Yhwach doesn''t know that no help ising. Or at least I hope they don''t. I already have my escape n and if they get here after I''m gone it''s a death sentence. I may be alsopletely off about it and the reason for not bringing his whole army here is something entirely different. It doesn''t matter that much in the end as it make things a bit easier for me. I tightened the grip on my swords as I tried to formte how to use what I have at the moment. They won''t let me leave without a fight. They want me dead, and they won''t stop until I''m finished, so the only time they''ll let their guard down is... Fuck. Rin is going to kill me when I get back. "Now, boys. How do you want to do it? Should I go at you first, or would you prefer to get the first move?" I faked my battle-hungry grin to look more confident. I need to look like I have everything under control and like I have a chance of getting out of here alive, but I can''t oversell it either. "Stop there, Viin!!!" Arge, muscr man wearing a luchador mask covering his whole face called me out. It was Mask De Masculine, who has the designation S: The Superstar, together with James, who is his fan. A wrestler and his fan are one and the same. They can''t be killed unless they are dead at the same time. At the same time, he is one of the least dangerous opponents here, and not because he is weak, but because I am pretty confident I will win against him... if it was 1 on 1, which it''s not. And just to prove my point correct, other Quincies joined in the conversation. "Non non non. Masculine, as much as I admire your... simplicity, you can''t attack this man alone. As much as he must have exhausted himself in his earlier bout he is equally as dangerous and His Majesty''s actions speak of it loudly." It was Quilge Opie who stepped out, and he wasn''t alone. Without saying anything, BG9 also joined, and he focused solely on me. An old Quincy named Robert utrone did the same as he pushed his sses up and prepared his guns. "Quilge, you always like to exaggerate things. He is only one man. He can''t win against all of us. Bah! I doubt he could kill one of us!" Quilge looked at Driscoll Berci like he was an idiot, which he was. He was ready to argue but decided against it. No use arguing with idiots, and I respect it even if I''ll try to kill him in a few moments. "But before we begin, I have a question for our adversary." A man with light hair, some purple bangs, and looking incredibly smug stepped in front of me. "Do you fight because of your duty as a Shinigami? If that''s the case, I object. There''s no reason to fight for something like that. Do you fight for survival? I object to it as well! What''s the point of your survival? You''ll die anyway, so what''s the point! Was that because-" He didn''t get to finish his speech as I made a powerful sh at my opponent, cutting him in half. "I''m fighting you because you are a danger to my family. And you proved that point when my children came back injured. Nothing more, nothing less." --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/czGZjmyfY8 Chapter 293: An escape Chapter 293: An escape (Ryoto''s pov) My action signaled the start of the battle. The first to rush was Masculine, who was ready to punch me the moment I was in his range. Unfortunately for him, I was already using my Prediction Calction and knew exactly where he was aiming his attack. That''s why I prepared Gyaku Hansha''s left de, the reverse one, to meet my adversary''s and swung it at the fake wrestler. "Full Counter!" And I send Masculine''s attack right back at him with all of his power plus some more. It was one of Gyaku Hansha''s abilities. I could send both physical and all the other categories of attacks as long as I was in the range of said attack, and I could even increase the damage dealt if I poured more Reiatsu into the Counter. The drawback is that I can only deflect with the left sword, which can be pretty limited and definitely will be in this fight. Of course, the other half of Gyaku Hansha isn''t an ordinary de either. The more normal looming katana was best used when my opponent didn''t know its ability, which is now. I know that it won''t allow me to win automatically, but it will make my life a bit easier and maybe take down a Quincy or two. There wasn''t much pause because of my unexpected counter-attack, and Robert rushed at me and shot multiple Reishi bullets, and I blocked all of them with the normal-looking part of Gyaku. He was expecting his attack toe back just as Masculine''s had moments before, but his attack seemingly vanished the moment they touched my Zanpakuto. He didn''t have time to ponder about it as I pointed my finger at him and fired off a Kido at him. "Hado #4, Byakurai." I used a weak Kido for a reason. It wasn''t meant to deal much damage, and it didn''t do any, in fact, because he dodged it, but it allowed me to dictate the pace of the battle. I don''t react to them. They react to me, and thanks to that, I can pace myself better.I quickly used Shunpo to get closer to Driscoll and tried to finish him off quickly. If I remember correctly, he is a Sternritter with the designation O: The Overkill. This means that every time he kills anyone, he gets stronger. ng Unfortunately, he blocked my strike with his tekko-like bands, which are around his knuckles. I clicked my tongue in my mind, seeing my unsessful kill but not allowing for even a second of breathing room for my opponents. I did a quick round kick, and this time, my hit connected, sending Quincy flying. Not wasting time, I rushed at Quilge, who looked the most like he belonged in the military. It looks like the third time the charm since Quilge anticipated my assault. "Such strength is truly worthy of a Captain, but s, it''s not enough to win against all of us." With that said, I immediately sensed an attack from behind me. It wasn''t a weapon of any kind, so I immediately assumed it was the wrestler. I didn''t even have time to distinguish between auras, as I mainly focused on sensing presence as quickly and urately as I could. Haki may be powerful, but I could still get tired or overstimted by it, so using it in moderation was important. I didn''t have enough time to protect myself with the sword as I currently crossed both of my des with another Quincy, so I quickly moved the handle of one of my swords to hold both of them in hand and tried to defend myself with my forearm covered in Hierro. Momentster, I felt a powerful blow connecting, and I''m sure that if not for my Hierro, I would have a broken arm by now. "Go, go, Superstar!!!" And at the sidelines, I could hear James cheering for his favorite (the only) wrestler. At the same time, as James was going wild, I could feel the fake martial artist getting stronger, so before he could overpower me, I turned my head with my mouth open while charging up Cero. I didn''t have time to power it up long enough to leave a significant amount of damage, but it was enough to not let him do another attack. Simultaneously, I charged Bin my fist and, with a wind-up, threw it at Quilge. Yet again, another attack was thrown at me, not leaving me with much time to react, but thankfully, I was prepared for it thanks to both of my sensory powers. It was a spear made of Reishi that was flying at me at high speed, but I only needed to tilt my head slightly to avoid it. However, it was just a diversion¡ªor rather, it was used as a diversion, as not even moments after I dodged it, I was punched in the face. I wasn''t fast enough to avoid it, so I braced myself for impact and boy, did I feel it. In the corner of my vision, I saw the quincy who hit me, and to my surprise, I saw Mask De Masculine. I quickly scanned my surroundings as I tried to regain my footing after being sent flying and realized what just happened. One of the twins vanished from my senses, and I could feel 2 Masculines. Somehow, at least one of the twins overcame their panic attack and joined the battle. I have never missed my spider sense more in my life than now. Observation Haki is great and helps a lot, but I''m not that talented with it, and it''s not for theck of training either. Maybe I just didn''t get pushed far enough to progress, but I can''t unlock my future vision. And that''s biting me in the ass at the moment. I did a quick backflip and regained my footing. The moment I did that, I was already surrounded. Not having much choice or escape route, I attacked. "Hado #78 Zangerin." I gathered arge amount of energy in my Zanpakuto and released it all around me, keeping everyone at bay. This Kido is very simr to Getsuga Tensho, which makes it easy for me to use. I could use Getsuga even when I was using Gyaku, but it would take much more energy, which I can''t waste right now. As I was fighting, Yhwach or some higher-up called reinforcement in the form of weak Soldats. Looking at them, I could say that they were worthy of being called an army. Their numbers were huge, and all of them aimed their Reishi bows at me and shot at me. Thanks to all the arrowsing at me, the sky became blue. I couldn''t dodge all of them. Even if all of them were weak, and individually, they weren''t a threat in the least, but together, I wouldn''t be able to defend against all of them, and they were mixed with stronger arrows from the Sternritters. "Bakudo #81, Danku." I created 2 barriers on the opposite sides with great difficulty. Because of the speed at which I made them, they weren''t as powerful as they could have been, but I didn''t have the luxury of time. At the same time, I still had 2 sides unprotected. Thankfully, my Zanpakuto was dual-type, and I swung both of them. "Full Counter! Vanishing Counter!" One side shot the arrows back at Quincies, and the other side was free from the arrows. The energy was absorbed by the normal-looking katana. Both barriers broke at almost the same time, and I nned on dodging them by using Shunpo. However, I was blocked by Quilge, who used his Jail ability to trap me. Nevertheless, it didn''t stop the arrows from going through it and hitting their target, me. Now, inside a jail, I didn''t have much room to move, and I couldn''t even do a full swing so I could use Full Counterso I did the next best thing and blocked all the arrows that I could, and while some managed to prate me, I protected all of my vitals. Though I wasn''t unharmed, I could mostly fight at full capacity, even if I got an injury to my legs, arms, and body here and there. Most of the arrows only grazed me, and only three arrows were still in my body. I can work with that. I didn''t have more time to examine my injuries as I sensed an iing attack from my left side. To my surprise, it was the zombified Bambietta, and Giselle who was controlling her, who was hanging around her neck with a twisted smile. I didn''t return any expressions. Throughout the fight, I remained expressionless. It was abination of hiding my thoughts from my opponents and finding no excitement in fighting. I swung one of my swords, ready to use Full Counterto send back many projectiles, but my arm froze. My eyes widened, and I quickly turned to see why I couldn''t move my arm any further, and to my shock, it was surrounded by Jail. Only my arm was inside of Jail. I didn''t have time to break it, so I immediately tried to use my other de, but just like before, after a short movement, it was imprisoned, and it was the moment most of the projectiles hit me. Bambietta wasn''t aiming that carefully, but even the balls of Reishi that missed me created explosions that injured me. All of that created a massive cloud of dust, and as it slowly scattered, it revealed me standing with my arms hanging lifelessly, although still holding my weapons. In my left shoulder, there was a gaping hole. Not to mention many other wounds caused by the explosions. If not for my Hierro, I would probably be dead, but it couldn''t protect me from everything, and some of the areas of my body were hit harder and more often than the others, but ''thankfully'', the worst I got was a see-through hole in my shoulder. I was barely standing, and there were a few times I cked out during the barrage of attacks. Even my Zanpakuto returned to its sealed state. To be honest, I was tired, and I only dreamed about closing my eyes and resting for a while, but I knew that if I did that, it would be the end, and I still had a few things to do before I died. The moment I was visible, I was rushed at by the closebat Quincies, and all of them pierced me through my body with their des. I coughed some blood... a lot of blood, actually. I didn''t have the strength to dodge these attacks. At most, I moved slightly so I could dodge the fatal injuries, but at this point, it was a small difference with all the wounds that I have, but this is something I could use. I grabbed one of Quincy''s arms and squeezed it with all my remaining strength. "Hado #96, Itto Kaso." My left arm started cracking with an abundance of energy that came into it, and from these cracks, a red Reishi was glowing brightly. It wasn''t a slow process, and soon, my whole arm was cracked. The moment it happened, a powerful shock wave burst from me, and next, a gigantic pir of red Reishi appeared, injuring everyone around me before they decided it was better to dodge it. They probably thought that I couldn''t do that much damage while being so close to dying, but they thought wrong. I fell to one knee and supported myself with my remaining arm, but I needed to move quickly. I bought myself some time, and they wouldn''t rush in at me in case I had something else ready in my sleeve. This was now or never. (Yhwach''s pov) Ryoto Yuuki was indeed a dangerous man. To think that he was hiding this much. It was wise to add him to the War Threats despite the mysteries surrounding him. He is not Yamamoto Genryusai by any means, but I can see his influence on this man. Ryoto Yuuki was waiting for something. I was aware of it, but I didn''t know what it was for. I couldn''t believe that he was someone so arrogant to believe that he had a chance against everyone here, so the only other exnation was that other Shinigami woulde soon. Possibly, after a set amount of time, they would realize that there is an issue. The moment I realised that I stopped all attwmpts on braching this ce but it won''t work for a long time. Unfortunately, if/when theye here, they will only see Ryoto Yuuki''s dead body. After he used the forbidden Kido I couldn''t see him anymore. First because of the effect of the Kido itself and afterwards because of the cloud of dust. I was expecting him somehow to be still standing. That''s what kind of impression he gave me during our short acquaintance, but what I saw was his body lying in his own blood, not moving anymore. That''s what I was expecting, but for some reason, I couldn''t believe it, so I kept looking. To my surprise, the image of the dead Ryoto Yuuki vanished as if it was a figment of my imagination and was reced by very alive, although barely, but what gave me a pause was a Garganta behind him. I also noticed a small detail of his eyes being cracked and smokeing from them, but that wasn''t important. He was nning on escaping through the portal. There never was a reinforcementing for him. He yed me. I quickly approached the almost dead Shinigami and swung my sword at him but I was toote as he was able to get to Garganta and it closed behind him leaving only the empty space where my sword struck. I frowned. This will change my ns significantly. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/AzrBCXQp Chapter 294: Gathering allies Chapter 294: Gathering allies (Ryoto''s pov) I survived... kind of. Using my eyes on every Quincy in my close proximity was something that I shouldn''t be able to do with the restrictions I have on them, but I trained them just as much as other parts of my body so they got stronger, but even then I almost destroyed my eyes using them for a few seconds like that. Thankfully, I didn''t cross the line of no return, and they will heal slowly even if my eyes hurt like hell at the moment, butpared to my body, the pain is... at a simr level, which is bad. I couldn''t escape to Soul Society right away. Garganta doesn''t work like that. It must always be connected to Hueco Mundo from one side or another. I couldn''t end up in a random ce in my condition because I would for sure end up being eaten by some Hollow, and that would be just embarrassing. I tried to follow a familiar Reiatsu, but it was challenging to pinpoint the exact position so fast while trying to stay conscious. Fortunately, I made some friends in Hueco Mundo, and even if I''m a little off, they''ll feel my Reiatsu the moment I re it up a bit as soon as I get there. I can only hope that they''ll get to me fast. (Api''s pov) It was a boring day, as usual. I would even call it peaceful if not for that annoying M Rose and that bitch Sung-Sun! Just thinking about them makes me annoyed! But whatever. Them being annoying isn''t anything unusual. As long as they are useful to Harribel-sama, I''ll tolerate them. As I was walking outside Las Noches, Harribel-sama ordered for everyone to have their own ''me time''. I don''t understand what she meant by it, and her Frion, all three of us, were against leaving her side, but in the end, we couldn''t go against her order. She is Harribel-sama, so she must have a good reason for doing that. My reason for choosing the outside of Las Noches was that I wanted to be sure that I wouldn''t run into these two idiots when I had a chance to be away from them.As I was walking, I saw a Garganta opening that was not so far away from me. It wasn''t a strange urrence, but since it was so close to Las Noches, I suppose I should deal with this Hollow, so I slowly made my way there, but only momentster, I felt a wave of Reiatsuing from where I saw the Garganta. What shocked me was that this Reiatsu didn''t belong fully to a Hollow. It was more simr to Shinigami''s. Knowing this, I rushed. Shinigami are our enemies, and if even one somehow got here, it would mean trouble. The idea of calling either Rose or Sung-Sun didn''t even cross my mind. I alone should be enough. The Reiatsu wasn''t strong enough to be a danger to me, and if I used Resurri¨®n, I would destroy the threat. When I arrived at the ce, I was once again surprised. What I was expecting was a battle-ready Shinigami, who was ready to invade Hueco Mundo singlehandedly, probably in his arrogance, but what weed me was a bloodied body lying on the ground, supported only by one arm with multiple wounds all over his body, missing an arm and a see-through hole of the size of arge fist in his shoulder but the most eye drawing part of his bloodied body were his eyes if I could even call them that. They were inhumane, even if I would ignore all the cracks and steaming from them. The strangest thing of all is that I felt threatened. The moment Iid my eyes on this almost-dead man, my fight or flight kicked in and told me to run as fast as possible. If I could, I would strangle this instinct for even suggesting doing something as disgraceful. I, as a member of Harribel-sama''s Frion, couldn''t live with giving Harribel-sama such a dishonor so I pulled my Zanpakuto to be ready to attack at any moment. What infuriated me, even more, was hisid-back attitude the moment he noticed me, like he didn''t even consider me a threat, and the small smile that formed on his face when he saw me only confirmed this idea. "Hello... Arrancar. Fancy seeing you... here." He seemed to have trouble talking. No wonder with all these injuries. It''s a miracle he is even conscious. "Why don''t you... put your Zanpakuto down... It''s dangerous to point it... at someone..." "That''s the whole fucking point!" I barked back. "What is Shinigami doing here!?" The Shinigami looked like he was thinking about the answer but thankfully I didn''t need to wait for long. "I went... for a walk..." Is he joking? "What kind of walk gets you at the doors to Las Noches looking like you''ll die by breathing too hard?" His smile widened slightly. "A very... enthusiastic walk..." Now, I was sure that he was mocking me, so I started carefully approaching him with my Zanpakuto and threatening him constantly, but for some reason, it felt like I was the one who was in danger. "You know... It''s not a good idea... to continue with your idea..." I narrowed my eyes. I shouldn''t listen to him. I should just kill him and be done with that, but I hesitated when the next sentence escaped his mouth. "Tier would be sad... if you were... to kill me." My emotions overflew. "How do you know Harribel-sama!!?" No, it isn''t important. I should eliminate him before he bes a threat to Harriebel-sama. I steeled my nerves, raised my Zanpakuto, and was ready to deliver a decisive blow, but as I was barely able to move my de downwards, it was stopped. I immediately recognized Reiatsu next to me, and I slowly turned my head. I was scared that Harribel-sama noticed my hesitation in front of the seemingly harmless Shinigami. I was ready to defend myself and apologize for my failure, but Harribel-sama wasn''t focused on me. She barely gave me a nce as her full attention was on the almost-dead Shinigami. Before I could ask, my fellow Frion members rushed to the soon-to-be corpse. ""Ryoto-sama!!!"" Both of them yelled as they nked both of his sides and delicately and carefully tried to get him up. Why do they call him -sama as if he was equal to Harribel-sama? "Sung-Sun... Franceska... Did you always... look like that? Because I doubt... beauty service is... so advanced in... Hueco Mundo... *CoughCough*" He coughed blood as he barely finished his sentence "Don''t talk, Ryoto-sama! Save your energy. We''ll get you to our medic, and you''ll soon be at full power." Sung-Sun tried stopping the Ryoto guy from doing anything until she and Franceska got him help. But the Shinigami ignored them and only was able to put his remaining hand on Sung-Sun''s head. Seeing the movement where his other arm would be, he probably wanted to do the same to Franceska but couldn''t. Without saying the word, the Shinigami named Ryoto looked Harribel-sama in the eyes. She didn''t seem to feel the danger that I felt. It''s as expected, after all. She is on a whole another level than I am, but for some reason, she seemed drawn towards these strange eyes. Must be my imagination. "Tier... situation has changed... get Starrk and Lilite and... help get to... Soul Society... before I lose... consciousness... Medic is there..." Harribel-sama didn''t need to hear anything more as she just nodded and left quickly to get Primera. I was aware that Harribel-sama was closer to him than any other Arrancar, and from what I heard, they knew each other before they became the Espada, but that''s all. I was left confused. Harribel-sama, Sung-Sun, and M Rose know this Shinigami from somewhere, but what''s even more strange, I never saw both the snake and the brute act so... docile around anyone besides Harribel-sama. What the hell did I miss!!? "Can someone exin to me what the hell is happening!!?" And just like that, I was at the center of attention. (Ryoto''s pov) My mind was not working at full capacity at the moment. It may be a blood loss or just stress catching up,bined with my adrenaline level going down after I survived. Despite that I recognised that Appaci doesn''t know about me so I gave a questioning look to the rest of Tier''s Frion. "We found this lost puppy shortly before we made contact with Aizen." Sung-Sun began. "Oy!" But was interrupted by the tomboy. "We didn''t mention you to her because we were afraid that because she didn''t meet you, and doesn''t have the same loyalty that we have for you, she wouldn''t keep the secret." I doubt that was all. Appaci should be fiercely loyal to Tier, and if she said to her not to tell anyone, she wouldn''t. "Or she would just bber it out by ident since she doesn''t think before she speaks." There it is. "What did you say, you slithery bitch!? I could keep a secret if needed. I never told anyone that Franceska kept sleeping with a bunch of pillows in the shape of a man while whispering something to them with a small smile before going to sleep!" In her anger, she didn''t realize what she did until it was toote. Sung-Sun hid her smug smile behind her long sleeve. On the other end of the spectrum Franceska was ready to kill the deer-like Arrancar but the most entertaining part of her rage was a small blush on her cheeks. But it wasn''t time for conflict, and Cyan Sung-Sun knew that as well. "Quiet, you two. It is not time to quarrel. There are more important matters at hand." She reprimanded both of the hot-headed Arrancars. We didn''t need to wait long for Tier to return together with Starrk and Lilite. The moment they saw me, their eyes widened. Starrk was more calm, but Lilite practically was ready to jump at me, and she would if not for her partner catching her by the cor. "Careful. If you move him too roughly, he''ll die." He then turned to me. "What do you need me for... old friend." --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/AzrBCXQp Chapter 295: With Rin Chapter 295: With Rin (Rin''s pov) I was sitting in dogeza and meditating with my Zanpakuto on myp. I wouldn''t be much help in healing my children. I may have learned the basics from Isane and Captain Unohana, but with these types of injuries, I would be useless. Even Inoue-chan, who apparently didn''t have her powers for even a year, is a better healer than me, but they are just strange like that. Using my Bankai would greatly help, but since their condition stabilized, it wouldn''t be necessary. ''Not that I would have minded saving your children and all, but I would rather you use Bankai on Ryoto. A girl can dream.'' My Zanpakuto, Tsunagari, was talking to me as I was trying to gather my thoughts. I am obviously worried about Ryoto. ''Girl, you need to rx. We both know how strong he is. And he has the stamina to boot. You should know it best~.'' I rolled my eyes at this teasingment. After years of Tsunagari teasing, I barely acknowledge it. ''Yeah, yeah, Ryoto and I have sex. Tell me more about it. I didn''t notice. We must have found Masaru in a giant peach or something.'' I sarcastically answered. ''...I think Ryoto''s sass rubbed off on you a bit.'' ''It would be strange if it didn''t. We spent over 250 years together. Now, can we talk about what we should be doing when Ryoto gets back? ''''What do you mean?'' Tsunagari asked. How the hell is this clueless Zanpakuto mine, to begin with? ''I mean, he''lle back injured, and apparently, there''s still a Quincy group that is still against Shinigami. He also wants us to be at full strength. Either he expects a follow-up attack after he returns, or, and I believe it''s more likely, soon the climax of all past events is going to happen. I also worry about how wounded Ryoto will be. He promised toe back alive, but we both know that he didn''t promise to be back safe. He very well may return and die secondster, and he wouldn''t break the promise.'' I said. ''You are underestimating how strong Ryoto is. Didn''t he say that he''ll go full Hollow? In that form, he''s crazy strong! I mean, he even can regenerate! How cool is that!?'' Tsunagari tried to ease my worries, but it didn''t help much. ''Even the strongest of enemies can be killed by an unexpected attack, and from what Yukima has said, there will be multiple.'' I countered. ''You''re overthinking it. We can''t do anything with the information we have, so why bother. As long as Ryoto gets back alive, all is good. And what''s going to happen is going to happen. Together, there''s nothing we can''t ovee. We''ll cut through every n that the enemy makes, and we''ll stitch together everything that will allow us the future we want. And if everything goes to shit and Ryoto really will be at death''s door, there''s also the Bankai route.'' I smiled at my Zanpakuto answer. ''...Your optimism and confidence are really something else... but I don''t hate it. It helps me not go full paranoid.'' ''That''s what I''m here for. We are partners for life, and I can''t let you die before you try my style at least once. I promise you that you won''t want to go back once you try it.'' I decided to ignore herstment just like I ignored it for thest two centuries. I''m not going to try Gyaru''s style even if she pays me. That''s not for me, and I''m sure if I do it even once, Ryoto or someone else will find out, and they''ll never let me forget it. I then suddenly felt a foot on the side of my face kicking me, sending me to fly and breaking my meditation state. Because I knew that there wasn''t any way for an enemy to be here, I wasn''t on guard. Looking for the culprit of the kick wasn''t hard. It was Yoruichi, and I gave her an annoying re and demanded from her why she kicked me. "You had the same look when Ryoto is overthinking things, which is okay but annoying in big amounts, and we don''t need a second Ryoto, do we?" Yoruichi said smugly, but I was still annoyed. "I just resolved it with my Zanpakuto. Actually, seconds before you unceremoniously decided to forcefully change my location." I replied dryly. "Oops. Sorry then." She wasn''t sorry at all... Sigh I won''t reprimand Yoruichi. I gave up on changing her behavior years ago. Yoruichi is... Yoruichi, for better or worse, is a domesticated cat, or, as Ryoto likes to say, a cat who didn''t realize that she was tamed. That thought put a smile on my face. Yoruichi used my short moment of reflection to get closer to me and poke my cheek as she hung around my neck. "Hey, you thought something rude about me. You are lucky that I like you, or I would piss on your document." I''ll need to tell Komamura to make copies of all documents. You never know when Yoruichi jokes and when not, and in her cat form, she''ll pretend to be an ordinary animal and do what she promised. As I bantered with Yoruichi, Gin suddenly rushed in with a worried expression, but before I could ask what was wrong, a big Garganta opened in the Study Chamber. Everyone became tense. Yoruichi and I prepared to fight, and in the meanwhile, I sent a quick look to Rangiku Gin and Yukima to protect the injured and kids. Isane and Unohana will be thest resort as they still need to treat Masaru and Akio. I immediately felt multiple Reiatsuing from the gate created by a Hollow, and the Hollowsing from them were strong. Strange... Hollows usually don''t work in groups, not the strong ones, at least... not this strong. The first to exit the Garganta was a blonde woman slightly taller than me. She also had a skin tone simr to Yoruichi''s. Her face was hidden behind the jacket, but her Reiatsu was definitely not Human or Shinigami-like. It was Hollow, but I didn''t rush to attack her. She is probably an Arrancar, and she doesn''t look like she wants to strike at the moment. If we can solve this peacefully, then it''s better for us. This battle wouldn''t be pretty, not to mention that the Hollow in front of me was only the second strongest of their group, and that''s not painting a good picture. The Arrancar looked around and observed everyone in the Study Chamber, but I still couldn''t sense any hostility. Hence, I waited patiently as I prepared to fight in the worst-case scenario. Yoruichi isn''t known for her diplomacy, so I''ll be the one doing the talking. "What brings you here?" I may have sounded a bit more hostile than I nned to, but in my defense, I had a very stressful day. Two of my children almost died, my husband, in everything but name, will probablye back injured, and a powerful Arrancar came to Soul Society and is not alone. Her allies are still in Garganta, so she acts as a scout of some kind. "I was asked by someone very important to me to bring him here." The Arrancar answered me calmly, and I digested this new information. There aren''t many people who know about this ce, and most of the people are already here. I doubt that Kisuke is behind it. I mean, this is something he would do if maybe cornered, but I suddenly remembered something that Ryoto mentioned about 40 years ago. "Tier Harribel?" I asked. "Rin Kujou." She was more sure of her answer, confirming that she was the Hollow Ryoto befriended in Hueco Mundo. I rxed significantly, but that didn''tst long as after a small signal that Harribel-san gave to everyone inside the Garganta. There were 5 Arrancars, not counting Harribel-san, but who was in the middle almost gave me a heart attack. Ryoto was breathing heavily, and his clothes were mostly ripped. The only remaining piece was at his waist that also covered part of his leg. His body was covered in wounds, and the most dire one was in the shape of a hole in his shoulder. The most eye-catching part of his injuries was theck of his left arm. It wasn''t easy to see, but I also noticed an almost invisible trail of smokeing from Ryoto''s eyes. Momentarily, his form was oveyed by his younger self when, many years ago, when I was still powerless, I waited for him, and he returned almost dead. Back then, I panicked but still managed to take care of his injuries. To be fair, they weren''t as dire as they are now. In the present, my reaction was different. I released a wave of killing intent, and my eyes narrowed dangerously. "Stop... Rin..." Ryoto spoke with great difficulty, and hearing his voice was enough for me to refocus. He then raised his lone arm, pointing to where Unohana, Isane, and Inoue-chan were healing the others. "Get me... there..." No one interrupted two Arrancars transporting Ryoto. The healers had already noticed injured Ryoto and their expressions had hardened. Inoue-chan was an exception as she covered her mouth in shock. She probably never saw anyone injured to this extent. Poor girl. No child should experience this. It looks like neither she nor I were lucky enough to her normal childhood. I couldn''t self-loathe right now. I am a mother, and looking at my children, they need me, especially Yukima, so I elbowed Yoruichi lightly and made a motion with my head at Yukima. Yoruichi didn''t need anything more to understand. She may not be great with emotions, but she is dependable when needed. Yukima was already having a small panic attack, repeating, "It''s all my fault. It''s all my fault." Until Yoruichi hugged her. I''ll let her handle this as I have another son to look after. Gin may look cold or even sadistic on the outside, but he has a very kind heart, and he would kill it in a heartbeat if he could protect his loved ones. "It wasn''t your fault, you know." I said to my son. "Even if you went with him, the oue wouldn''t change much, or it would even get worse. Like it or hate it, Ryoto probably knew what was going to happen the moment he made his decision, and that means that it was the best choice in his eyes." I tried tofort the gray-haired boy. Even if he is a man at this point, I still see the young boy that Ryoto brought home all these years ago. "...I didn''t say anything." I smirked. Of course, he denied worrying in any way of capacity. "Gin, you are a lot more simr to Ryoto than you like to believe. Both of you, at your core, care about your loved ones more than you do about yourself. I think that''s why Ryoto wanted to bring you into the family. He saw himself in you and knew that if left alone, you wouldn''t get a happy ending while trying to help Rangiku in any shape and form." I paused, letting Gin think about what I had said before continuing. "All of us think of you as part of the family. Especially Ryoto. And he wouldn''t want you to me yourself over his choices. I just want you to know that you are not alone, Gin, and if you ever need to talk, I... we''ll be there to listen." I was ready to walk away, not expecting any answer, but the unexpected happened. "The moment Ryoto fulfilled his promise and made Rangiku happy and full of smiles... I considered him my father." I smiled gently. "Then you''ll need to tell him thatter on. It will definitely make him happy." (Ryoto''s pov) I was gently put down next to Unohana. Nearby were Masaru and Akio, with Isane and Inoue treating them, but they were still unconscious and full of wounds, but they look slightly better than before I left. "How... are they..." It still hurts to talk, but I needed to know their conditions before anything else. "Both of them have stabilized already, and their life is no longer in danger, but they''ll need a lot of time to recover... is what I would say if not for Ryouka''s help. Akio and Masaru are healing at an incredible rate, but it still will take some time before they wake up. You should prioritize your own health at the moment." She chastised me lightly as she started using healing Kaido "This... is just a flesh wound..." I couldn''t stop myself from saying that, but it earned me a light smack on my head. It wasn''t even strong enough to feel it... or I just lost a sense of touch. Either is possible. As she was treating me, she carefully observed my missing arm, and she slowly narrowed her eyes. "You used forbidden Kido. Your arm was not cut but destroyed from within. Not to mention that your Reiatsu is still leaking unnaturally from it." I nodded with some difficulty. "Didn''t have... much choice... It was... the only way to return... alive... and... keep my promise..." The Captain of Squad 4 looked solemnly as she asked. "That bad..." Then her eyes became a bit sharper, and her usual ''smiling expression'' wasn''t anywhere to be seen. "You''ll exin everything after you can talk without any lingering pain." I once again nodded. Not that I nned to hide what happened today. The plot went out of the rails at this point, and there are two possible oues to today''s events. One, the Quincies hide again and recover their strength until Yhwach is sure he can defeat us. Two, they attack very soon before we can prepare for them. I would prefer the first option, but knowing my luck, it will be the second. But at the moment, I guess I can close my eyes for a second... I''m tired. And just like that, I doze off. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/nfwnUM73 Chapter 296: Breaking point Chapter 296: Breaking point (Ryoto''s pov) I woke up in a slightly agitated state, and I immediately checked my surroundings. The first thing I noticed was that I was in the Study Chamber. I remember getting here before closing my eyes for a bit. The moments after I escaped the Quinces were a bit blurry. Understandably, I would add, but it didn''t matter now. The second thing I noticed was that my body wasn''t that much in pain anymore. I mean, it still hurts here and there, butpared to before, it was practically nothing. I checked my left shoulder, and it was bandaged, as was most of my body, apparently. Obviously I tried checking the other side of my body as well but as I tried to move my left arm to do exactly that, nothing happened. Oh, right... I don''t have my left arm anymore... At least I''m right handed. That''s the only positive I could think of. Am I sad at the loss of my arm? I sure am, although given the chance, I would probably do that again if it was necessary. "Have you already woken up?" I heard a soothing voice next to me, and I would have mistaken this voice for anyone else. "How long was I unconscious, Unohana?"This was the vital question. Time is essential right now, so the less I sleep, the better. "It was about 1 hour since you lost consciousness." I sighed out of relief. Since it was only one hour and nothing was on fire just yet, I still had time, but first, I had a more important question before Unohana gave me my diagnosis. "How are Masaru and Akio?" "They aren''t in any danger. Akio-kun, while greatly scarred, is already awake. Meanwhile, Masaru-kun still hasn''t regained consciousness. His life is not at risk anymore. It''s merely a side effect of Masaru-kun''s Bankai. It burned through his Reiatsu at an unnatural rate, leaving not a lot left. He''ll wake up soon enough, so you don''t need to worry." Unohana answered my question with a small smile, seeing that I care more about my children than myself. "Now that your worries are put at ease let''s move on to your diagnosis, shall we." I nodded. It''s better to know how fucked my body is before doing anything. "Give it to me straight, doc. I can take it." I couldn''t really stop myself from saying it, but it seemed that the joke went over her head. "Your body was full of injuries, both small and big. Most of them were not life-threatening, but the saying ''death by a thousand cuts'' exists for a reason. The biggest wound, except the absence of your arm, is the hole in your shoulder. The blood loss from it would be enough to kill you, but it was already cauterized to some extent, which helped to keep you alive. It was a blessing in disguise, as small as it was. Now, about your arm. As you have probably noticed, the most I could do was salvage what was left of it, which means not much. The forbidden Kido you used was created to use your arm as a sacrifice to manifest power much stronger than what you would realistically use, so there was nothing left of it. Even with the help of Ryouka, there was nothing I could do, and I doubt you would wish to ask Captain Kurotsuchi for help in that regard." I listened carefully as she described my injuries and their states. Thankfully, nothing out of the ordinary so far. "Now, about your eyes." Hearing that, I flinched and looked shocked at my doctor, and it seemed that my shock was a source of great amusement to Unohana. "You don''t need to worry. I got permission from Captain Rin, former Captain Shihoin, and my own Vice-Captain as well." Unohana tried to calm me down, but it wasn''t necessary. I wasn''t distressed, just surprised. It''s not like I don''t trust Unohana. I knew her for years, and she is a very important person to Isane as well, but I hid my eyes for a long time because I was paranoid of the Central 46 losing their shit over what the hell I am and trying to throw me into prison for being a possible danger. "So what''s your opinion?" I asked after a short pause. "These eyes aren''t something that has any right to exist. They go against everything that I have learned throughout my life, but at the same time, I can''t dispute that you, in fact, have them." Yep, that''s the usual response. "But despite their strange existence, your eyes aren''t invincible. They are... shattered." I expected that much, but myck of response made Unohana pause. "Don''t worry about it. They do that when I overuse them. As long as I don''t cross a certain threshold, they''ll heal on their own. It''s not the first time it has happened," I exined. "And how do you know that said threshold wasn''t crossed?" She challenged my opinion. "Because I can still see, and my eyesight didn''t deteriorate." I then opened my eyes to show that they were already better than before. I couldn''t see if that was true, but my eyes didn''t feel warm anymore, so they should be at least a bit better, and seeing Unohana''s reaction, it turned out to be true. She put her hands on my face and brought her closer to examine my eyes more thoroughly. She even touched them in a few ces. To be clear, I don''t have a strong sense of touch in my eyes, so I didn''t care much for these touches. If she started poking, though... "They really started restoring themselves..." It must have been shocking for someone so long-lived as Unohana. The longer someone has lived and the more experienced that someone is, the more hard-hitting these ''impossible'' scenarios are. "Now that everything has been exined, I''ll check on Akio. He must feel down because of everything that happened." I slowly and carefully got up so I wouldn''t re-open my wounds. After sessfully standing up, I notified a very distracted Unohana that I was going, but she wasn''t listening much. She quickly answered me and went back to theorizing how my eyes'' healing capabilities worked. I hope that I didn''t break her too much. Now, I made my way to Akio, who was with Isane. I wasn''t walking fast, not even at a normal speed, and thanks to that, I was noticed when I was rtively far away from them. They wanted to get closer to me so I wouldn''t need to walk that much, but I signaled them to stay put. I may have been injured, but so was Akio. When I was next to them, I sat down again. I was sitting beside Isane, and Akio was across from us. Isane put her hand on top of mine like it was the most natural thing in the world, which, for us, it was. We didn''t say anything and enjoyed silence, at least I was because it gave me time to think about how to cheer up my son. "Dad... Mom..." My time is up, and my head is empty. Well, not exactly empty, but since I didn''t start talking, first, everything depends on what Akio will say. "I''m sorry... I don''t know what to say, but I''m just so sorry. Every time I try doing something right, it turns out horrible! First, Aizen tricks me and makes me hate Dad for a long time, a time that I''m never getting back, but because of that, I sent Dad to Hueco Mundo of all ces! If it was any other person in ce of Dad, they wouldn''t return. But fine. Aizen is smart, a mastermind like no other. I may not like him, but it doesn''t mean that I can''t admit his superiority over me in practically everything. Because of that, people would understand why I did what I did. Maybe not forgive, but understand. One time making a mistake of this magnitude would be enough tost a lifetime but nooooo. After trying to right my wrongs, I once again made it worse! But it wasn''t enough for my own life to be at risk. My sibling also needed to pay a price for my actions! My older brother is still unconscious! Why is everything I do to protect my loved ones only hurting them!!!" Akio ended his long rant with heavy breathing as he didn''t take as much pause during his emotional outburst. When my son finally regained his breath, I asked. "Feeling better?" "...A bit." I nodded my head sagely. "Understandable. Letting all these emotions build up inside you is not healthy. Been there, done that. I don''t exactly rmend doing that." Isane turned to me with a raised eyebrow. "I don''t remember you being that much more emotional than an ordinary person, and I certainly don''t recall you losing yourposure unless you are drunk." She said, "I... wasn''t exactly mentally stable when I was younger. I almost killed a wanna-be bully because he pushed the wrong buttons. He wasn''t innocent per se, but he didn''t do anything worthy of being killed." I answered shyly. I answered. It wasn''t the proudest moment in my life, but thankfully, I didn''t do much more than just scare my then-ssmate. After answering Isane''s question, I turned to Akio, whose whole body, including his face, was bandaged. "You may think that everything you''ve done was one way or another wrong or incorrect, but sometimes, the wrong choices that we make may turn out to be right choices in retrospect." Thinking about an example, I got a perfect one. "Have we ever told you how I met your mother?" I asked, and Akio didn''t seem to realize where I was going with it. "Yes... If I remember correctly, you met when Dad was still in the Academy while Mom was already a lieutenant. Something happened during Dad''s lesson. He was in need of medical attention, and you met." "Correct, but it''s not the whole story. You see, after I survived that crazy lesson in the human world, all of our ss decided to celebrate. Things happened, and we got drunk. Isane was also there and also drunk. We had our drunken adventure, and things exacerbated to the point that I fought Unohana. When I sobered up, I thought that I was crazy and getting drunk was a mistake, but without that, I wouldn''t be together with Isane. What I''m trying to say is that only in the future will you be able to see the bigger picture and see these events from another perspective. I''m not saying that everything will turn out to have a positive oue in the future, but I advise you not toment over everything that happened. What I want you to think about is what you aplished. Akio, you have saved your brother. No matter the reason that put him in danger, it was you who saved him, and you were ready to die for it. I don''t like that you don''t hold your life in high regard, but I can''t say anything other than that I am proud seeing the lengths you will go to for your siblings. That, unfortunately, will leave you scarred, and I don''t want you to look at these scars and think of your failures. I want to see your sess. Scars only have as much meaning as you give them. I should know. I got plenty. Some I got when I protected someone I care about. Others were consequences of actions that I''m not proud of, but that''s just life." I finished with a cheeky grin. "I also want to add that no matter what you do, you''ll always be our son. We know that your heart is in the right ce because you are Akio Yuuki, son of Ryoto Yuuki and Isane Kotetsu, and that''s enough for us." Isane added That was a straw that broke the camel''s back as Akio threw himself to hug us. Although it looked like his emotions took over, he was still delicate enough not to hurt me. Of course Isane and I returned a hug. It was hard with my sole arm, but in the end, I managed to. "I''m sorry... because of me, you lost your arm." He said as he sobbed on our shoulders, and hearing that, I smiled. "You stupid son of mine... for every one of you, I would sacrifice even more. Losing one arm is nothing." It was a heartwarming moment, but it didn''tst long because a back butterfly flew to me, and I wasn''t the only one. All of the current Captains got a message from their Hell Butterfly. It was a summon to the Captain''s meeting. --- END Discord server: /Kurit (10 chapters ahead and AI illustrations.) Chapter 297: Captains meeting Chapter 297: Captain''s meeting (Ryoto''s pov) Captains'' meeting, huh. I don''t have a great feeling about it. I quickly took a look at Unohana and Rin, who both got the same message as me, but it didn''t say what this meeting would be about. Not to mention that I''m still not fully healed. I turned to Isane and Akio. "Looks like something is happening. The Captain Commander has called all Captains for a meeting." Both my partner and son looked worried and wanted to protest as I had just woken up after I lost consciousness because of my injuries, but I reassured them that I would be fine, and I said the same to the rest of my family. With that settled, I clicked a hidden button ced on one of the many boulders, and pushing it opened a hidden space where I kept my spare clothes. Yama-jii asked me why I needed so many spares, so I told him that I have a technique that destroys all my upper clothes while using it. I just didn''t tell him that it was a nonbat ability, although Shunko does the same, so I didn''t exactly lie. Everyone who didn''t know me closely opened their eyes widely in shock as I started changing, and when I began losing thest piece of cloth that was protecting my modesty, everyone younger than me covered their eyes. I rolled my eyes, which, of course, they didn''t see. They came here to invade Soul Society, ready to fight and bleed, but they got flustered by a bit of skin. It didn''t take long to cover myself again, and I would have looked presentable and unharmed if not for the visible bandages andck of arm.I also looked at the Arrancars, and two of Tier''s followers looked at me with a look that said, ''As expected of Ryoto-sama''. Thest of Tres Bestias was red. I don''t know if it was from anger or embarrassment. She was ready to confront me about it, but she was stopped by her fellow Frion members. Starrk covered Lilite''s eyes, who was protesting and tried to free herself, but it didn''t work. Tier herself didn''t have as big of a reaction as she observed me with great focus. My daughters, Yukima and Rangiku, also looked away, not wanting to see their father''s private parts. I would guess that they would already get used to my stripping habit, but I would guess wrong. "Well, I''m off. I''ll be back as soon as possible, but depending on the topic of this meeting, it may take more time. Behave yourself, and don''t do anything stupid." With these words, I left together with Rin and Unohana. --- We were among thest Captains to arrive at Captains'' Assembly Hall, but I noticed that Aizen was nowhere to be seen. He usually is not early orte, but on time, and as I was already a bitte, it was suspicious. Coming through therge doors gathered everyone''s attention, and noticing my injuries sent waves of surprise. Before I was flooded with questions, I raised my hand to stop them. "I''ll exin after the cause of this summoning is sorted out." Yama-jii looked me in the ''eyes'' until he closed his eyes and nodded. "Very well. Now that everyone has arrived, the assembly can begin." *SLAM* Yama-jii mmed his staff into the ground. "The body of Captain of Squad 5 has been found. Aizen Sosuke... has died." This news made everyone tense. "Do we know the cause of death?" I decided to break the silence. "Members of the 4th Division already did an autopsy, and as far as we are aware, the death of Aizen Sosuke was caused by a sword wound through his heart." He then turned to Unohana. "I will ask the Captain of Squad 4 to do the autopsy herself. Your expertise and experience would be invaluable, and double-checking the cause of death would not be a wrong choice." "It will be done, Captain Commander." Unohana answered with a slight nod, at which Yama-jii nodded back in satisfaction. "Do we have a suspect?" I asked, and Yama-jii turned his attention to me. "The main suspects are the Ryouka, who attempted to infiltrate Sereitei not a long time ago." That answer surprised me. "Weren''t the Ryouka stopped by Captain Tosen?" The youngest of the Captains stated the question. "Not to mention that we didn''t get notice about a breach happening." He added. "ording to the investigation, there''s no mistake." "Forgive my disbelief, but I doubt I would have missed Ryouka hiding in Seireitei. Ever since I heard of the attempt to invade, I tightened the security. I even personally patrolled." I countered Captain Commander, but he wasn''t the one who answered me. "And what kind of assurance can you provide when you return injured as if you fought another Captain. Isn''t it a bit... suspicious?" Mayuri used me with a creepy tilt of his head. "As suspicious as what you are doing in yourb, but you don''t see me saying anything about it." We red at each other until the mad scientist decided to poke me a bit more. "In that case, you wouldn''t mind telling us where you were when Captain Aizen died." "...And when was it?" I have a bad feeling about it. "ording to the autopsy, it was about one and half hours ago. The body was found rtively quickly." Was it truly just bad luck, or did Aizen, for whatever reason, wait for me when I was gone? Or did he somehow know about Akio''s n and was even aware of the Quincies? With him, you never know. Was his n to frame me, or is it just a coincidence? "I was together with Rin and our children. As a family man, I can''t neglect them. Not something you would understand, I bet." I threw a jab at him, but hepletely ignored it. "So, no substantial alibi. For what we know, they assisted you with the assassination." "The same argument could be used against you. If I remember correctly, you were a prisoner of Maggots Nest until Kisuke freed you so you could use your talents for the good of Sereitei, but since your old Captain is a traitor, we can''t trust you. You may as well be his spy." I countered with a cocky smile at which Mayuri was ready to explode, but... *SLAM* "Quiet! Both of you. You are in a Captain''s meeting, so act like it!" Yama-jii scolded both of us and turned to me. "How certain are you that the Ryouka didn''t infiltrate Sereitei. "As much as I can be. If they could hide from me, they are either so weak that I didn''t register them as a danger, in which case they wouldn''t be able to kill Captain Aizen, or they are more skilled at assassination than I am, and that would mean trouble for all of us because we didn''t feel or hear battle Captain Aizen was killed quickly. That is also the second argument against me killing our fellow Captain. Looking at my injuries, you would certainly feel mine and Aizen''s Reiatsu if we shed." Yama-jii nodded slowly and changed his attention from me to Mayuri. "Anything to add, Captain Kurotsuchi?" Mayuri looked like he had eaten something sour as he stayed quiet. "Then, Captain Ryoto Yuuki, may you share who caused you such grief injuries. It may very well be the same culprit, or at least it may be a lead." I nodded and didn''t n on mincing my words. "The Quincy King has returned." These words raised the room temperature until it was as hot as the hottest summer day at noon. "Exin." That single word conveyed more than a thousand more words, and I didn''t want to test his patience. In moments like these, I am reminded that my teacher is still a monster worthy of his position. "At the time of Captain Aizen''s death, Akio discovered something unusual. There was some kind of dimension in the shadows of Seireitei. It was unnatural, so he obviously decided to investigate it. He was smart enough not to go alone and took his sibling with him. Unfortunately, it wasn''t enough. Even with Masaru, who is at the captain level and multiple vice-captains level, Shinigami barely survived." Saying that, I released a bit of Reiatsu because of my emotions, but I quickly controlled it. "Luckily, they are stable at the moment, thanks to the help of Isane and Captain Unohana." "I''ve noticed that you didn''t mention yourself in that little scouting." The Captain of Squad 8, also better known as my Senpai, noted a small detail in what I said. "..." "Ryoto Yuuki, what did you do?" I could feel the heat in my Sensei''s words. "...At the time, all we knew was that Quincy did it, so I may have to go in and kill whoever did that to my kids, and that I did until the Quincy King revealed himself and his army. I didn''t escape unscathed, as you have noticed. I also heard him calling me one of the War Threats. They are preparing for war, and I''m afraid that they will either attack very soon or retreat to prepare themselves even more." My words brought silence to the room. Nowadays, Quincy and the Shinigami have a rtively good rtionship, but this is still a new thing. For most of their existence, these two sides were at each other''s throats, and it showed 1000 years ago when our dear Captain Commander killed the Quincy King. "So youre saying that a lot of fights areing to us." Zaraki Kenpachi said with a wild grin. Of course, he would love this news. "That''s not the point, Kenpachi. If what Ryoto says is true, which it definitely is, then we are in trouble. We already have inside conflict. Add outside concerns on top of it, and we will have a disaster. War on two fronts rarely goes well." Rin scolded the Captain of Division 11, at which point he rolled his eye and yawned, not bothering to start a discussion with her. "We are, of course, discussing it solely as hypothetical because the whole scenario is as unbelievable as Ryoto Yuuki doing his paperwork." Mayuri is really on my ass today. More than usual, I mean. Or is it the normal amount because we usually aren''t in the same room for so long. I''m trying to avoid this creepy bastard, and he does as well since I''m a friend of Kisuke, not like he would admit to it. "Oh, please. If I wanted to lie about something, I would make it much more usible. Like training gone wrong or a mistake with a high-level Kido, but I said that I fought an army of Quincies, and the King of all Quincies was there when he should be dead. Can you tell me why I would do something so stupid?" I challenged the mad scientist, who, of course, responded back, not letting me have thest word. "Why? Because your stupidity knows no bounds. Even with all my genius, I can''t predict your intention. Science is not omnipotent." Our back-and-forth couldn''t go on any longer as the giant doors to the Assembly room opened widely and suddenly, attracting everyone''s attention. It was a messenger, and he was breathing heavily as if he had run here without stopping at full speed. "I have a message... for Captain Commander... from Central 46..." He had some difficulty speaking as he took a few breaths between some words. "The execution... of Rukia Kuchiki... has been moved again... The new time... is set to... tomorrow noon." Now, this was information that I didn''t like to hear, and I, of course, announced my displeasure. "Captain Commander, with all due respect, but I don''t believe that it''s an appropriate time for something like that. With the possible dangering at our door, we should focus on our defenses and not execution." Yama-jii took a long time looking at me and then went back to the messenger before answering. The time he was silent was filled with tension and anticipation, but I didn''t like what I heard in the end. "We will follow with the execution date set by Central 46 while simultaneously preparing for iing war." Before I could argue, I was shot down. "My decision is final!" Just like that, we were dismissed, and everyone slowly started returning to whatever they were doing. Rin and I were walking slowly in silence until she took my hand into hers and squeezed it gently tofort me, knowing that I was worried. "You are upset." She finally said, and it may be an understatement, but at the same, it is an obvious statement. Maybe if I was younger and less experienced with controlling my emotions, I wouldsh out at her as undeserving as it would be, but she wasn''t at fault, and it wouldn''t be fair to her. I knew that she only cared about my well-being just as much as I cared about hers. It''s just all this stress is hitting me after all this time, and all this development that happened didn''t help with it. That''s why I took a deep breath to calm myself down before answering. "Yes. I always knew that Yama-jii was a stubborn old man, but I thought hearing his biggest enemy is alive would change something, but I was wrong. Don''t get me wrong, I get it. Yama-jii lived for a long time, and he wasn''t always the way he is now, and he does everything he can so he won''t return to his old days, but he does it to the extreme, and it does not make my life any easier. There is time to follow the rules and time to break them, but Yama-jii follows them all the time. I still respect him and am thankful for training me but God dammit his stubbornness should be considered legendary at this point." I rambled a bit, and Rin patiently listened to me, not letting my hand go the entire time. I''m sure if I had my other arm, I would have swung it around as I was talking, but it looked strange without it otherwise. I still sometimes forget that I don''t have it anymore. "Yo~ Kouhai-kun. I hate toe between lovebirds like you two, but it seems like we have some things to discuss." The self-proimed cool Senpai approached me together with his white-haired best buddy. "It seems to be the case." I turned to Rin and gave her a reassuring squeeze. "Can you let everyone know that I''lle back a bitter?" I didn''t get an out loud answer and only a peck on my cheek and a reassuring smile as she left. --- END Discord server: /Kurit (10 chapters ahead and exclusive illustrations.) Chapter 298: Making plans with allies Chapter 298: Making ns with allies (Ryoto''s pov) I went with Shunsui-senpai and Jushiro-senpai to discuss our ns. I had warned them about the traitor before, and it looked like they remembered. "So, can we assume that Captain Aizen is the traitor that you spoke of?" Shunsui-senpai finally asked. "Yeah..." I took out a lollipop from one of the extra pockets that I made in my uniform and put it in my mouth. A ssic strawberry vor is always a good choice. "He is hiding somewhere and controlling Central 46. He killed them a while ago. I''ll check it after we''re done here." "If you knew about his n, why didn''t you stop it?" Jushiro-senpai asked. He didn''t use me of doing nothing. It was more of curiosity from his side. As I started exining, I started drumming my fingers on the table we were sitting at. "Two main reasons. First of all, I couldn''t stop him even if I wanted to. He is smart enough to rival Kisuke and I couldn''t outsmart him. If I made a move, he would make an adjustment to his ns, and I wouldn''t know what he was doing anymore. Second of all, even if I somehow managed to uncover his ns, it wouldn''t change anything." Seeing their confusion, I borated. "Aizen lied about his Zanpakuto power. I won''t go into details, but he can control all senses perfectly if you see him release his Shikai even once. It doesn''t work on me but only on me. Maybe Masaru. I''m still not sure about it, but since he is bedridden, we won''t know in the near future.""...I see. That''s why you lied about the Quincy Kinging back. To make Genryusai-sensei to act. You knew that without something like that, Sensei wouldn''t make a move." Jushiro-senpai asked, thinking that he figured everything out. "Oh no. Everything I said about the Quincies was true. That''s why I''m irritated. With Aizen on the loose and Quincy in the back, the troubles are all around us." Hearing my nonchnt response, both of my Senpai felt a drop of sweat on their faces. I, on the other hand, focused on the vor of my lollipop. It had been a long time since I had a strawberry vor, after all, so I savored it. However, they quickly realized that my calmness must have a reason. Fine, spoil my fun, then. "So, what''s the n, Ryoto." Shunsui-senpai finally asked. I couldn''t help but smirk at that question as I had a ready answer and couldn''t wait for their reaction. "The n''s beauty is in its simplicity. Everything will be settled tomorrow at noon at Rukia''s execution. I''m the only one immune to Aizen''s hypnosis, so I''ll be the one fighting." I was interrupted by Jushiro-senpai. "Ryoto-kun, is it really wise to fight an opponent like that alone, especially with your injuries? I don''t intend to doubt you, but you don''t seem to be fully healed just yet despite Captain Unohana treating you until thest moment before the meeting." "Wise? No, but it''s our best bet. If we were to fight in arger group, it would be chaos. With only me seeing right, Aizen would either turn everyone against each other without them noticing or, a more likely scenario, against me. This way is most likely to seed. I may not know Aizen''s every trick, but he doesn''t mine either." After finishing my sentence, I wanted a bit for my Senpai if he wanted to argue, but I could only see eptance in both of their eyes. They trusted my decision, and they agreed with it. "Very well. What do you need us to do?" Shunsui-senpai, uncharacteristically serious, asked. "Stall Yama-jii when I deal with Aizen." ""...What?"" I was right. Their expressions were priceless. --- Now that I was done with my Senpai, it was my turn to speak with Soi Fon. As usual, she was busy with the paperwork. I should tell her to rx more. Joking aside, I was already at the door to my office, although most of my Squad members call it Soi Fon''s office at this point. Cheeky bastards. Zero respect for their Captain, I tell you. Maybe I should double their training... Thoughts forter. As usual, I entered the room without knocking, and as usual, my lieutenant was hidden behind the mountain of documents. I could practically feel the annoyance from the doorway. "If you bring one more document, I swear I''m going to force all these papers down our Captain''s throat!" "Kinky but sorry. I''m not into this kind of stuff. If you want, though, I may find someone who is. You won''t believe how many degenerates there are in the world." My snarkyment was ignored. Am I really so out of touch that I can''t get a reaction out of my own lieutenant? Without looking away from her work, she started speaking. "I''m going to give you a chance to exin yourself. I understand that you are busy with Yoruichi-sam... Yoruichi, but it doesn''t give you an excuse for skipping your work!!! Again!!!" "You are talking like I''ve never done this before." "That doesn''t make it better!" "How about I''ll tell you a secret as a sorry. It''s about a diet I''m currently undergoing. It''s worth an arm and a leg, in my opinion, and I already lost about 5-7kg ." Soi Fon didn''t n on letting me go any further. She stood up from her chair and walked around the desk to face me. "I don''t care about some stupid diet..." Her words stuck in her throat as she took a look at my current state. "I only paid half the price." I joked awkwardly as I moved my nonexistent arm and scratched my cheek simultaneously. Her face went through many emotions at a very high speed, from shock to concern to anger, finally settling down to an emotionless expression. "Who is the enemy? How many are there? And where are they." She went into work mode in the end. "I''ll exin everythingter to everyone. We are going to the Study Chamber." "Yes!" She straightened up in a way a lieutenant normally would for their Captain... at least ording to Yama-jii. Almost no lieutenant is as respectful to their Captain unless it''s required. And with that said, we left. --- Before that, however, I made a slight detour. I went near where the Central 46 usually make their decisions. I hoped that maybe I could reason with Aizen. That it was a bad idea right now to execute his n but he was not there. For some reason, Aizen decided to change his hiding location, and I checked with my Haki to be sure. He just wasn''t there, and if that''s the case, then I can only be sure that I''ll meet him tomorrow. I probably would fail, but I would at least try. Never mind my failed ns. I should focus on things I can control for now. My family and some close friends, plus Ryouka kids, gathered in front of me, and I walked back and forth like a general in front of his soldiers. My sole arm was behind my back, and once again, I forgot that my left arm was gone as I tried to move it. This sucks, but I don''t have time to mope around because of it. "I don''t know if everyone got the news, but Rukia''s execution has been moved to tomorrow noon." Most people here were shocked, but the invaders were most affected. I stopped questioning before they even started. "But don''t worry, I have a n. Not the best n but probably one of the few that should work. Tomorrow, you''ll be creating a distraction. It will be basically a civil war in Soul Society. Unfortunately, we can''t prevent it. Masaru is still unconscious, so he is obviously not included. The same could be said about Akio. He is still not in a condition to fight." Akio was ready to argue, but I gave him a stern look, and that made him retreat from debating me on the topic. I know that he means well, but he can be blinded by his goals sometimes and forget about everything else. He also wants to prove himself. Yukima and Rangiku are rtively unharmed, and all their injuries can be healed by tomorrow, so they''ll be included in this mayhem. I then slowly exined everyone''s role. Everyone will be separated into smaller groups. Going alone would be dangerous in this situation. I''m a bit hypothetical in saying that while I''m nning on fighting Aizen alone, it''s not like anyone else is immune to his hypnosis, and technically, neither am I. I''m just unsusceptible to the illusionary effects of his Zanpakuto, and all of my other senses will be affected. The kids, not mine, s, wanted to help, but truthfully, I doubt they would be much help. Ichigo, maybe, but others, as hurtful as it may sound, would be a hindrance, and I''m not nning on sending them just to get hurt for no good reason. I just told them to wait here, and I promised to save Rukia, but I''m 99% sure that they won''t listen, so I told Yoruchi to keep an eye on them so they won''t do something too stupid. nning around idiots is not easy, but nning around simple idiots is a bit easier. Soon after my strategy meeting was over, my lieutenant decided to take care of the Squad''s matters. I stayed here because I needed to be as healed as I could. Aizen is powerful, and even at full power, I''m not entirely confident in winning, and now that I''m disarmed¡ªpun intended¡ªI''m at a disadvantage. Sitting cross-legged as Unohana was using healing Kaido as, I went over multiple options and ns for my fight. I was interrupted as Rin approached me. Unohana only spared her a nce without stopping my treatment and continuing to focus on me. I, on the other hand, looked up to my lover as she looked down. Seeing her expression, I knew what she wanted to say. "Rin..." I tried to stop her from arguing, but I failed. "No, don''t Rin me. Ryoto, you are not going alone. Normally, I wouldn''t say anything, but you lost your arm. No matter what you say, you can''t convince me that you have confidence in winning against an enemy that you have been hesitating to face for so long when you were at your strongest. I''m going with you." Looking into her eyes, I knew that I wouldn''t be able to change her mind, but that didn''t mean that I wouldn''t try to reason with her. "You can''t help me. I''m the only one who is immune to his illusions. You could have stabbed my back thinking that it was Aizen." Rin didn''t back off, but she didn''t say a rebuttal either. She just calmly took out her Zanpakuto without breaking eye contact. She then released its Shikai without saying a word. As she traced her de with a finger and carefully observed it, she started speaking. "You know Ryoto. My Zanpakuto Tsunagari has the ability to connect." It came out of nowhere, but I kept listening without interrupting. "It''s a pretty abstract concept, and the more something is abstract, the harder it is to control. That''s why a physical connection is the easiest for me to perform. I need to cut or stab Tsunagari, put some of my Reiatsu into my target, and then repeat the process on something else to create a link. I usually do that to control the limbs of others or change my surroundings to my liking. Linking human senses is not impossible but not intuitive. For what reason would I do that unless I wanted to draw joy from my opponent''s suffering. I would very much prefer to deal with them quickly and swiftly. It''s also challenging. To link the sense of taste, I would need to cut a tongue and touch, the nerve system would be sufficient. These two are the easiest. For the senses of hearing and smell, I would need to target the source of these senses, and they aren''t the nose and ears, respectively. They are a bit deeper inside but still doable. Sight, on the other hand, I would need to stab the eye directly, but that would typically blind a person, so it''s counterproductive. It would be impossible, but we have the best healers in the whole Soul Society here, and I only need to prick our eyes without damaging them too much for it to work." A new resolution could be seen in her eyes as she finally met my eyes again. "Ryoto, let me see through your eyes, stand next to you, and fight beside you." (Rin''s pov) I was nervous, but I did not n to back off. What was the point of getting stronger if I could not use that strength to protect the man I love? The pregnant silence continued until Ryoto let a small smile creep on his face. "I know that I told you some time ago that I seem to be attracted to crazy girls, but you are skipping a few steps on the crazy scale and going directly to stage 3." As usual, I rolled my eyes at his stupidment, but hearing him joking like that gave me some hope that he''d agree to connect our visions. I''m not sure how it will work since I''ve never done it, but I''m willing to risk it if it allows me to fight Aizen. Ryoto didn''t answer me immediately, as he asked Unohana about her opinion first. "What do you think, doc? Is it safe to stab eyes with Zanpakuto?" At that question, Captain Unohana gave my foolish partner the driest look I''ve ever seen, and that says something. "While I would advise against doing something like that, I can see advantages in such action. If Captain Rin doesn''t pierce the eye too deep, I should be able to heal well before noon tomorrow." The Captain of Squad 4 answered "I only need to prick both of our eyes, and it should work." I added some kind of reassurance. "Then what are you waiting for? Stab me in the eye!" ... This sounds wrong and out of context, and I''m 90% sure that Ryoto did that on purpose. He then opened his eyes, which were still a bit cracked but looked a bit better than before. This was an invitation and I took it. With an expertise and control of my de that I couldn''t even dream of when I was young, I pricked Ryoto''s eye. It was harder than I expected, and I needed to use more strength than I initially anticipated, but even with that, I didn''t pierce the eye even a millimeter deeper than I wished to. With that done, I moved my eyes and did the same. Blood wasing to my eye, and I was starting to see red in the corner of my vision for obvious reasons, but soon after, even before Captain Unohana started healing, everything became clearer, and colors became sharper. I could also see much farther away than before. Is this how Ryoto sees the world? "Rin?" Ryoto called me and sounded concerned. Why would he be concerned? As far as I know, everything worked as it should. "In... your eyes turned blue." ...What? --- END Discord server: /Kurit (10 chapters ahead and illustrations.) Chapter 299: Melancholy Chapter 299: Mncholy (Ryoto''s pov) "Rin... your eyes turned blue." I carefully said it while still being shocked at this development. "...What?" Hearing the confusion, I borated. "I don''t mean blue like mine. The color of your eyes turned blue." Her confusion only increased, and she turned to Unohana for confirmation. Our dear, friendly Captain was as bewildered by this development as we were, but she just nodded, saying that Rin''s eyes indeed turned blue. This wasn''t something I expected to happen, but with my eyes, nothing is easy or straightforward. We don''t have much time, but it should be enough to figure this out. "Rin, when you exined your Zanpakuto''s ability, it seemed like you would be able to see through my eyes and I through yours. Thanks to my eyes, I already could do that, but the better question is, can you do that with my sight now that we are connected?" Usually, blue eyes don''t have any deeper meaning, but with me nearby, I would say she sessfully connected our eyes, but I don''t know to what extent. My request was quickly fulfilled as Rin nodded and focused on doing what I asked her. It didn''t take long before I could feel someone looking through my eyes. The All-Seeing Eyes of God may be weakened at the moment, but they have nopetition when ites to sight, as far as I know. I may be mistaken, as I may not be aware of very powerful eyes from some niche anime, but that''s what I believe."I can." Rin finally answered. "Is this how you see everything? It''s just so much..." "Information." I finished her sentence. "Yes, but I''m already used to it." "I thought that my vision got much better suddenly, but your eyesight is something else entirely." She responded with Wow, but her smallment caught my attention. "Did you say that your vision got better?" "Yes... Everything became much clearer as if I had been living my whole life without sses when I needed them, and I just got them." Hmm. "How about anything else? Do you feel something different besides that? Like you could do more with your eyes than before. Like, for example, zooming your vision." I have some ideas of what happened, but it''s better to check all corners to be 100% sure. Rin once again focused and narrowed her eyes to try my suggestion. "I... seem to have the ability to zoom, but not too much. Nothing more ising to me, though." I''m starting to have an idea why this happened. "I think that you didn''t connect our sight but our eyes, or rather, your eyes with my eyes'' powers. You don''t have their full power or potential, but still, it''s incredible. Let me test one more thing." With that said, I opened my eyes and tried to make Rin see some illusions. It wasn''t anything special, and it would be hard to notice if she wasn''t immune to illusions. I couldn''t keep it up for long without worsening the condition of my eyes, but I didn''t need to, as almost immediately after I activated my eyes, Rin furrowed her brows, showing that she noticed something was amiss. "Is something the matter, Rin?" I asked cheekily. "Yes... Some of the scenery suddenly was being ovepped or doubled. One scenery looks normal, and the other one is blue, and it doesn''t seem real." So it doesn''t work like my eyes, but it still lets her differentiate illusions from the real thing. I sighed inwardly and even let a smile form on my face, which Rin took notice of instantly, and she already knew what that meant. "It looks like we''ll be watching each other''s backs tomorrow." "That we''ll do... that we''ll do." --- It was time... time to finally end everything. End my century-old cold war, and most of all, my mission here will end soon after. And after that, I can rest, fully, I mean. I''ll sleep without worrying about some genius maniptor who will kill me or my family for one reason or another, or he will somehow turn us against each other, which he seeded with Akio. Once again, I''m just tired. I miss having my worries mainly consisting of school, maybe some quest from Karen, and fighting off L''s fianc¨¦s. But I''m not going toment over what parts of myself I''ve lost over the years. It''s better to focus on what I''ve gained. People I care about, my family I made here... my children. God, I love these rascals, and I would do everything for them to have a good and long life, and this will help them with it. Removing Aizen will create a safer environment. That''s what I keep telling myself because I don''t want to look selfish, caring about my own well-being over my childrens'', but in truth, it''s a bit of both. I can''t forget about my original goal, but an additional one was added in the meantime. That''s how life goes sometimes, I guess. I wonder what everyone will say when they find out that I''m already a father and what they''ll do when they indubitably meet them. I have no doubts that either I''ll find a way for my kids and lovers to visit me or, and I must admit, it''s a very small chance to happen, Urahara will find a way. It will be fun to see how Yukima interacts with her ''Aunt Mikan'' and my little sister''s reactions to that. She always tries to act mature, but being called an aunt by a much older girl will definitely be a shock. L will undoubtedly like them if not love them. That girl doesn''t have a bad bone in her body and likes it when everybody around her is happy. Rito will turn bright red when imagining what I needed to do to have kids, even though he did the same when I told him and Mikan that L was pregnant. He is a pure soul in a perverted body. Truly a paradox, my brother is. Akio will be awkward around his new family, mostly because he would still feel guilty about trying to kill me, hopefully not, but I know better. He is my son, after all. Masaru will probably just be happy to meet the family from his father''s side. I sometimes told stories with Rin about our lives back home while being vague about it being the other world. We''ll probably tell them before we depart, but when they were younger, we couldn''t be sure that they wouldn''t tell anyone by mistake. We''ll also tell others about it. They know something is off, but they don''t know the whole truth. They don''t push us to tell them, and I''m thankful for that. Trust like that can''t be built in one day. And how can I forget about Koro-sensei. He is the reason I''m here in the first ce. Maybe he''ll think that I grew into a delinquent for having children in my teens. A fun thought to have, but it leads me to another thought. A bit more serious. After all my time here, I started believing that the dead should stay dead for the most part. There are exceptions, like with all things, but this work changed my view on death. I''m still going to bring back Koro-sensei. I''m not going back on my promise, but I''m doubtful I will ever repeat that. I can''t say for sure until it happened, but unless something unexpected happens and it wasn''t their time to depart from this world, I''ll let them rest in peace. Does it make me a bad person? I don''t know. Maybe seeing the death of many people numbed me to some extent. In my opinion, people only cling to life so hard because they know it will end someday, so losing it early is a waste. They always believe that they have so much more to do before they die. When people die of old age, they don''t do that. Instead, they either reminisce about the past or think about their regrets. I probably won''t die from old age. If not because of my soul''s strength, then I bet something will happen in the future. A reward from a mission that I''ll get or some kind of event on said mission that will lengthen my lifespan even further. Even if nothing happens, I will already live for at least 2 thousand years. These are just the thoughts thate to me more often as I get older, and I''m barely 300 years old. I shiver to think what will happen in another 500. Now that I think about it, my most peaceful times were when the kids were young. Most parentsin about many sleepless nights when taking care of the newborns, but we, the girls and I, were four-person teams in total, and we rotated this responsibility in a way that wasn''t a problem. The problem was keeping the kids in one ce once they learned how to walk. I smiled wistfully, remembering how Yukima was the worst offender, and she would drag her brothers into trouble way too often. Or how Akio, even at a young age, liked to tinker with things, and I and often Isane needed to stop him from making a mess. Masaru was the only one who was remotely responsible. As the oldest child, he took his role as a big brother very seriously and, more often than not, tried to take the me for his siblings'' mishaps. Thinking about these times makes me really feel like an old man, but the fact is that they were the best years of my life, even with the possible dangering at our door. I looked to both of my sides and asked. "Everyone''s ready?" And after getting a bunch of nods we moved out. --- END Discord server: /Kurit (10 chapters ahead and illustrations.) Chapter 300: The day of execution Chapter 300: The day of execution (3rd''s pov) A public execution of a Shinigami was not an everyday urrence. True, some criminals were sentenced to death when the offense was severe enough, but it was mostly dealt behind closed doors. The only exception was when the offender was a high-profile person, such as Captain. That''s why, for most low-level Shinigami, the execution of Rukia Kuchiki was questionable as the use of Sokyoku was reserved for Captain ss Shinigami. Still, most would think that Rukia being a member of a Kuchiki n is a good enough reason to use it. Most of the higher-standing Shinigami, mostly Captains and their Lieutenants, were aware of this shady situation. Some didn''t care, others worked with the one responsible for Rukia''s current circumstances, and the majority of the group worked against it. Not every Captain was present. Some weren''t interested, some werete, and the rest were already there. Ryoto Yuuki, Rin Yuuki, Yamamoto Genryusai, Toshiro Hitsugaya, and Kuchiki Byakuya were the ones at the execution ce, ready to witness the execution. Seeing that no one more wasing and noon was approaching, the Head Captain decided to start the execution of Rukia Kuchiki. Rukia seemed to ept her fate. She looked at everyone present, and her eyes lingered a bit longer at her adoptive brother, who seemed to be on the border of saving her, but he stopped himself as he looked around. Ryoto and Rin weren''t nervous, and knowing the pair, something was going on. He remembered his father''s words that he wasn''t alone, then he recalled Yukima, who nned on rescuing Rukia, but she wasn''t there. He still didn''t know what to do, but Byakuya needed to decide quickly. As Rukia was slowly lifted up, the young Captain was building up determination. The moment the Sokyoku was released, revealing the true form of the ginormous naginata, a phoenix-like entity, Byakuya was about to jump in, grab Rukia, and run but was stopped by the sound of fingers being snapped. It was Ryoto who, with a big grin and raised arm, gathered everyone''s attention by doing this action. Captain Commander was about to ask what the meaning of this was when both Kyoraku and Ukitake showed up with Shihoin Shield. Using this artifact belonging to one of the four Noble Families, two of the most senior Captains destroyed the execution tool."Sorry, Yamamoto-sensei, I recognize that the Council made a decision of executing Rukia Kuchiki, but given that it''s a stupid-ass decision, I''ve elected to not only ignore it but go against it." Ryoto addressed his teacher, who was ready to blow up but was stopped by his other two students. "Sorry, Yama-jii, but we don''t exactly agree with your decision on this." Shunsui said solemnly as his partner in crime and fellow student of the Captain Commander stood there silently, but his intentions were clear. Both of them were here to oppose him, and it woke up the sleeping monster. There was no need for more words, and the three, arguably one of the strongest Shinigami alive, left, but that wasn''t the end. Yamamoto gave Ryoto thest look and the meaning was clear. ''When I''m done with these two, I''ll discipline you next.'' That is what the old Shinigami meant. Byakuya was about to run up to Rukia. His decision was made, but as he was about to move, he felt a hand on his head and instantly was moved away from Sokyoku Hill. Usually, he would notice something like this, but his focus was solely on his adoptive sister. Even in this situation, there weren''t many people who could get a jump on him, and after his unknown assant stopped and Byakuya took a look at him or rather her, he knew what was going on. Even more so noticing her expression. He tried to exin himself, but he didn''t get the chance. "Hello, Bya-chan. I would say it was nice to see you, but it would be a lie, at least today. Until we save Rukia-chan, I''m going to keep you here, and if you resist..." She took out her Zanpakuto, and her gaze hardened. "...I''m going to stop you." Byakuya had known Yukima for most of his life, but he rarely saw her that serious. It really warmed his heart to see that she cared about Rukia that much, but he didn''t know what to think when he was confronted by her when he wasn''t nning on opposing her. "Yukima..." "No Byakuya Kuchiki! I''m not letting you make a stupid decision that you will regret and will make Hisana sad!" Yukima didn''t let Byakuya finish his sentence, but he still tried tomunicate with her. "Yukima..." "And don''t get me started on some stupid promise that you made. I already told you what I think about it." "Yukima..." "What!?" Yukima lost her patience, and her re intensified. "...I don''t n on letting Rukia die. I want to save her." ... ... ... At that moment, Yukima felt stupid, she did the one thing that came to her mind. She crouched while hiding her face with both her hands and knees. Byakuya awkwardly watched her embarrassment as she started rolling around with her face still hidden. (Soi Fon''s pov) I was in the Training Room (because I''m not calling it the Study Chamber, and the biggest reason is that I''m 95% sure that stupid man called it that as a joke). Here with me are the Ryouka, Captain Unohana, and her Vice-Captain, Isane Kotetsu, who are healing both of my stupid Captain''s children. Masaru-dono is still unconscious, but Akio-dono is awake, and he isn''t happy with being stuck in here. He couldn''t even sneak out as his mother was constantly watching over him as she healed him. Thest person in here was Yoruichi-sam... I mean Yoruichi. I didn''t forgive her for what she did, but Ryoto and his family did, so I''ll give her the benefit of the doubt, but I''m not going to talk to her happily anytime soon. I didn''t have a lot to do. I was to keep an eye on all Ryouka here, together with Yoruichi, in case one of us was suddenly needed outside. I don''t know why the Captain cares so much about the safety of these children. I suppose that he has a soft spot for highly motivated people like them and, especially, children. Maybe it''s his fatherly instinct. I don''t really know, but he tends to do unpredictable things. This may be one of these things. Everything was fine at the moment, but I was feeling antsy. It was one of those moments when you knew something was going to go wrong, but you didn''t know when. And, of course, something went wrong. Even in this space, everyone felt the momentary spike in Reiatsu. I couldn''t tell whose Reiatsu that was. This room blocks Reiatsu froming out anding in, so knowing that and the Reiatsu everyone felt, I knew that something big was going on outside, and so did everybody else. "I''m going to check it out. Don''t move from here." Yoruichi said after a short silence. Thestment was made mainly for Ryouka, but it could also be directed to Akio, who looked like he was ready to rush out as well. I can definitely understand what he is feeling. I won''t ever admit it, but Ryoto is someone who became important to me. Not in a lover kind of way. He is more of an older but unreliable brother or father. He even acts like that on a few asions despite... I shook my head. I didn''t want to think about it. I''m trying to push these thoughts as deep down my psyche as possible. Maybe it''s just me ignoring the issue and not wanting to face it, but that''s fine... for now. Thankfully, I didn''t get a chance for another session of thinking about things I didn''t want to think about because I was approached by one of the Ryoukas, who was dressed like a Shinigami and apparently was one. I looked up as I was still sitting to see what he wanted, but seeing his expression, I knew what he was going to ask. "I''m not letting you out. The Captain said to keep you here, and so did Yoruichi. You are staying here." I said with a t tone. He is the hot-headed type, so no matter what I say, he will not change his mind, but I can try. I''m not unfamiliar with impossible tasks. After all, I''m trying to force my Captain to do his paperwork. "I can''t just sit here doing nothing while everyone else is trying to save Rukia. I came here to do that, and I want to help!" The orange-haired boy said, full of conviction. "You won''t be able to help. You are simply too weak, and someone would need to constantly look after and save you. That''s the reason Yoruichi and I were here. So you wouldn''t run off and kill yourself. My Captain already has enough blood on his hands and doesn''t want to have yours there too." I tried to exin calmly, but he was getting on my nerves and not in the way Ryoto does. "But what if your Captain is in danger!? Are you going to just babysit us here!?" "If you haven''t heard, Captain was the one who gave me this order, and if something is powerful enough to kill him out there, then we don''t stand a chance ourselves. Not me and especially not you. I''ve been part of his Squad for over a hundred years and I never managed to get a hit on him. I doubt that someone who is not even two decades old will be of any help." "You won''t know until you try." I hate this type of person. Thinking that by just trying hard enough, they can make a difference. If that was the case, Ryoto wouldn''t have been on guard all the time. He hides it well under his rxed persona, but everyone in the 2nd Squad knows that you can''t take the Captain by surprise. Everyone has tried many methods to somehow manage to get a hit on him. Some, including me, tried to do it while he was sleeping under a tree. Despite our seeming advantage, he was able to disarm us like we were children with a gentle smile on his face, but I could perceive for just a moment when he suddenly woke up, I could see the seriousness in his expression until he realized who woke him up. I doubt others in the Division noticed it. They are good for an ordinary Shinigami, but I am the fastest, not counting Captain. The boy, however, wasn''t done. "I would rather do something and regret it than do nothing. I felt powerless one time when a Hollow almost killed my mother, but Ryoto-san saved her. Then he came to take back Rukia and manhandled me, but he nned and still ns on saving her. I don''t want to feel like that when I can do something. I came here to save her, and I want to be able to do something to help." Feeling powerless... huh? I can rte to that. After all, it was one of the main reasons I started training, but I shouldn''t ignore my orders. The Captain counts on me. "Go," Captain Unohana said in a soft voice, which she was known for. "If you don''t let them, they''ll try to sneak out, and knowing you, you''ll probably break some bones to keep them here. I already have enough patients here to keep me busy, so please don''t increase my workload." I won''t admit it, but I was already thinking about agreeing to it anyway, but Captain Unohana gave me a way out withoutpromising my work ethic. I nodded to the sole Captain in this space, and after I established a few rules for Ryouka, we moved out. --- The fights were going on around the whole Soul Society. I knew that that was the n but feeling it personally was... unsettling. Even from here, I could feel individual fights, but the most noticeable was Captain Commander fighting against two Captains at the same time, two of the five Arrancars that Ryoto knows, and finally, my own Captain, Rin-dono, and the traitor but suddenly I could feel both Ryoto''s and Rin-dono''s Reiatsu rapidly dropping. My eyes widened instantly, and I rushed towards Sokyoku Hill, leaving behind the kids. I didn''t even give them a thought as I was running, hoping that I''d get there on time. I even forgot what I told that boy about not being able to help Ryoto and Rin-dono if they couldn''t do anything. The only thing on my mind was to hopefully get there before something irreversible happened. The moment I could see figures in the distance, I immediately ran faster than I ever could because I saw Rin-dono on the ground, bleeding, and Ryoto was being held up in the air by the neck. I unsheathed my Zanpakuto without even releasing my Shikai, and the moment I was in range, my de went through right in the middle of the man''s chest, which was holding my Captain in the air. I breathed heavily as I felt blood slowly running from my de and dropping on my hands. I was on time... I was on time... This time, I was able to protect the person I care about until I looked up... And then I screamed. --- END Discord server: /Kurit (10 chapters ahead and exclusive illustrations.) Chapter 301: Before the confrontation Chapter 301: Before the confrontation ---(Moments after saving Rukia)--- (Ryoto''s pov) Did I need to be such a show-off? No. Was it fun to do it? Yes. Will this bite me in the ass in the near future? Possibly. You need a little bit of fun in life. Especially in tough times, otherwise, you''ll just be depressed the whole time. Been there, done that, but now that I''m done with my show, my allies distracted the opposition. I don''t want to say enemies because it''s just not true. We are just two sides, and the other side is unaware of what''s going on or is manipted, so we are forced to fight. As nned, Jushiro-senpai and Shunsui-senpai took care of Yama-jii. Of course, our teacher could kill all of us if he used his Bankai, but it is for emergencies only. That or he is confident in defeating them with just Shikai, and, scarily enough, that is also a possibility. Little Byakuya was yoinked by Yukima. The expression on his face was priceless, and I bet when this is over, she won''t let him forget how she managed to get a jump on him. That left the youngest Captain present and, overall, Toshiro Hitsugaya. Not for long, of course, as before he had time to question anything, he was grabbed and, I would even say, kidnapped by Harribel. There is an Ara Ara joke somewhere about busty Onee-san kidnapping a Shota, but I''m not going to make it. I feel it''s just too easy. Maybe some other time.Now, everyone but me, Rin, and freshly saved Rukia, who was still hanging in the air, were left on the hill. Right. I should probably get her down, and that''s precisely what I did. One simple Shunpoter, Rukia was finally on the ground. She was still in shock at everything that happened and probably, for the first time, noticed my missing arm. She wasn''t exactly paying attention to all the details; she was mostly focusing on her adoptive brother. I also could look like I was keeping my left arm inside my clothes, but from up close, there was no mistaking it. "Don''t worry, Rukia. I''m right-handed." I reassured Rukia, who looked worried, but before she could even feel bbergasted, I threw her to my right, where Starrk appeared, looking as bored as always. I knew that he was serious about what we were doing, and the sole reason for that was that I was serious about it. I really appreciated that about him. "Please keep her safe." I knew that Rukia would be the safest, with arguably the strongest Arrancar. At my request, he nodded his head, but before he left, I raised my fist. Starrk looked at it for a bit until he understood what I wanted, and with a small smile, he bumped it with his own fist and left with Rukia. Now, I was left alone with Rin. Somehow, despite being ready to fight to the death in a few moments, both of us were calm. "Are you ready?" My question may not have been needed, as I knew the answer already. "I was ready for a long time. Since the day we got together, I was prepared for a day like that, and I was hoping that I would be strong enough to be at your side and not be weak enough for you to protect me." Despite a simple question, Rin gave me a heartfelt response that just melted my heart. "...If we weren''t about to fight our enemy, I would literally start making out with you." At myment, she smirked as she took out a hairband and started gathering her hair into her old hairstyle, which she hadn''t worn in ages. "Then let''s survive it so we can do thatter on." She can be such a tease when she wants to, but I love that part of her just as much as everything else about her. "Also, on another note, what happened to your sses?" she asked curiously. I hadn''t worn them for a few days now. "I got bored of them. Also, fighting with them was annoying. I just did it as a joke." I exined myself, but I got a raised eyebrow from Rin. "You had them for decades now." "I was dedicated to a bit." "So it would seem, but I prefer your look without them. They didn''t suit you." I tried to look as betrayed as I could. "And you didn''t tell me all this time!?" And that earned me an eye roll. "As if you cared about others'' opinions of you. If that was the case, you would at least try to pretend to work hard." Ah... she knows me so well. "To be honest, while you look stunning with your hair down, there is something else about your ponytail." As they say. You can''t beat the ssic. Now prepared, I decided to call our opponent out. "Hey, Aizen! Come out, or I''m releasing embarrassing pictures with you as a main attraction!" "You are aware that it isn''t necessary to threaten my image for me toe out like that." Aizen, who came out of the nearby woods, questioned my ways of doing things. "But it is of no matter. I suppose, as you still haven''t rushed at me, you would like to talk first." I didn''t bother hiding my eyes. He knew about it, and I would rather have them battle-ready while talking with him. Meanwhile, Rin tensed slightly and narrowed her eyes. She was acting calmly, but knowing her for a long time, I knew that she was furious. There were many reasons for that, but two main ones were Aizen manipting Akio and him threatening her whole family by doing what he wanted to do. That''s why I''m the one who mainly does the talking. "You would be correct. I tried to reach you before, but you were... unavable." "Ah, yes. I must apologize. My intentions weren''t to make your life more difficult, truly. However, I was afraid that you would try to stop my attempt at what I''m doing." Without even looking at my missing arm, he added, "My condolences about your arm. I would be more than happy to help, but I''m busy with something else, as you probably are aware. I was even forced to change my hiding ce as you would most certainly find me otherwise, and I was correct in my assumption." As usual, Aizen just loves the sound of his voice. He always thinks that he is above everyone else, and to be fair, he usually is, but that doesn''t mean that he''s not annoying. "Stop that fake attitude of yours. I don''t have the patience to listen to your voice today. Right now, there are more important matters to discuss. Aizen, the Quincy King is back. Your whole n is at risk." "I''m well aware of this. After all, this is the reason why I sped up my ns that much. While the Quincies may destroy Sereitei, it is of no matter. Once I''m finished with my n, it will be a non-issue. So, as much as I appreciate you worrying about my well-being, it is, in the end, unnecessary." Aizen answered me as if he prepared his answer before I even started talking. "Even if they could attack today?" I challenged his view despite knowing that it wouldn''t work. His mind was already set, but that didn''t mean I couldn''t try. Looking back to this in 10 years, I don''t want to think that I could try harder to avoid whatever will happen. I don''t want to have even more regrets. "Then it''s even more of a reason to hurry up. Don''t you think?" He smirked, probably knowing that I knew that my argument was too weak to work on him. "On the other hand, I mustmend you, Captain Rin." That made Rin raise her eyebrow, and I was equally confused. "Captain Ryoto ising back injured, which must have stirred some bad memories." And that was said with a sadistic smile. I quickly turned to Rin to check on her and used Haki in case I missed something, but it seemed that I worried for nothing. Except for a quick spike in anger and guilt, her emotions normalized just as quickly. "Was that everything you wanted to say, Aizen? If that poor attempt at getting a raise out of me was your goal, then you would need to try harder. I''ve lived with Ryoto for years, and his pranks are more maddening than whatever you''ll do with your words." Yeah, I should have expected it. To be honest, I sometimes forget that I''m not the only one who matured here despite Rin continuously showing me that it isn''t the case. Rin did as well, and she isn''t as weak as I sometimes think. I don''t doubt her strength. She is still a Captain despite everything that I may believe, but I guess just as much as she feels guilty about her weakness, I feel guilty about dragging her here, to begin with, and I may be a bit overprotective at times. With time, however, I mellowed down, but the feeling of protecting her never died off. "Then I must apologize. I took you for the more hot-headed of you two, but as you have proven, I''ve been mistaken. Forgive me for this little test of your character. Now, do you have any more questions? Maybe a few more attempts to stop me with your arguments. Or some surprise that I couldn''t predict. You have always had a knack for surpassing my exceptions. And please make it quick if possible. I have a criminal on the loose to catch and retrieve something that will be of great use to me." "No, I think we are done here." I said as all of us unsheathed our weapons. It was time to finish this charade before an even bigger enemy arrived. --- END Discord server: /Kurit (10 chapters ahead and exclusive illustrations.) Chapter 302: The End? Chapter 302: The End? (A/N 400k words by the way. I didn''t expect tost this long.:) (Ryoto''s pov) Time for words has ended. There was nothing Rin or I could say to change Aizen''s mind, and now that Quincy could attack at any moment, we need to unite faster than ever, and while having amon enemy in Aizen would be ideal, we don''t have time for that anymore. I''ll need to find a way to kill Yhwach without Aizen''s help, and it will be problematic with the Almightyactive, but there is still a chance to end him before he regains this broken ability. But that is the issue for future Ryoto. Presently Ryoto had enough of these at the moment. ""Bankai."" Both Rin and I released our Bankai. "Tensa Zangetsu." I decided to use Zangetsu once again. It would be difficult to use Gyaku with only one arm. It''s not impossible, but against Aizen, I need to give 120% and more. "Ens¨­" was the name of Rin''s Bankai. It didn''t change her Zanpakuto''s look at all, but it was definitely more dangerous. "Both of you start with your Bankai. I am ttered that you think so highly of me. Unfortunately, I''ll choose to refrain from using it and limit myself to my Shikai. Scatter, Kyoka Suigetsu." Visual illusions won''t work on either me or Rin, but every other sense could be used against us. I exined it to Rin earlier, and that''s why we decided not to talk at all during this fight. Doing that makes it evident that it isn''t real if we hear the other one talking. I even jokingly proposed for Rin to stab both of our brains so we could maybe have a telepathic connection, but both Unohana and Isane pped the back of my head. That''s why we settled on the second-best thing. We didn''t rush at each other immediately, even after using the ultimate form of our Zanpakuto. Aizen did that out of curiosity, wanting to see how we would approach him. Rin and I, on the other hand, out of caution.Then, I made the first move. I threw Tensa Zangetsu up in the air as I put on my Hollow mask. After I was done, I caught my sword and used Shunpo to get behind Aizen. My first attack wasn''t anything special. A simple sh was a great opening move, but as expected, it was easily blocked. "It looks like losing an arm costs you some power. As much as I knew that would be the case, I can''t say that I''m not slightly disappointed." I, of course, didn''t say anything back as I jumped back. The next moment, a shallow wound appeared on Aizen''s arm. He raised an eyebrow as he observed his new injury. I didn''t let him think for too long as I appeared in front of his face and looked directly into his eyes. I can''t strain my eyes too much, but turning them on and off is much more energy-saving, and it could even throw him off with the on-and-off illusions that I create. Nothing too crazy, but it is something that can give us the edge. Aizen was surprised at the sudden change of colors around him, and Rin used that moment to make a stab motion that caused injury to Aizen''s shoulder. He narrowed his eyes at yet another wound we caused him. Aizen created some distance between us and analyzed his situation. "I see. Captain Rin''s Bankai allows her to connect two spots in space, allowing her to deal damage by just swinging her Zanpakuto in the air. I also doubt that she can create a connection with whatever point in space she wants since she didn''t deal any severe wounds to me. I don''t doubt that she wouldn''t hesitate to kill me the first chance she got. I must also note that being on the receiving side of illusions is an interesting experience, although I''m disappointed in their strength. Just swapping the colors for a moment is doubtfully the extent of your power. If I was forced to guess, you are trying to save your energy until it is needed in a much more important moment. I would be offended if not for the fact that you are so cautious of me. It means that you consider me as someone strong, just as you should." The arrogant look didn''t leave Aizen as he exined his reasoning and deduction. He figured out Rin''s Bankai rtively quickly. He was, of course, correct in his assumptions. We spent some time before for Rin to create all these connections here. There are still limits to how many of these she can make at the time, so she couldn''t just ovey the whole hill in them, but she can feel every ce she ''marked'', and with her battle experience, she can time her attack very well. Our fight n was fairly straightforward. I am the main attacker, while Rin is supporting me. Of course, this is not all set in stone. We could very well switch our roles if the need arises, but for now, we stick to the n. I made a vertical sh with Tensa Zangetsu and left behind a line of energy that I hadn''t released just yet. Then, I quickly got behind Aizen using Shunpo. "Getsuga Tensho!" My Zanpakuto was starting to release Reiatsu, which was primarily ck with red highlights. With me using my attack, the previously made line of energy did exactly the same, so Aizen was attacked by two Getsuga Tensho simultaneously from two opposite sides. The power of my Getsugas was even more increased by my Hollow mask and integrated Cero in them, but as usual, it is with Aizen, it didn''t work as nned as he used Bakudo #81, Danku, to stop one Getsuga, and he swatted the other one with his own Zanpakuto. Rin tried to capitalize on the moment and attacked Aizen, but he had already learned that staying in one ce is a sure way to get hurt, so he immediately moved. Imitating me or maybe mocking me, he used Shunpo to get behind me and attacked me with a simple sh. I managed to block it as Rin supported me with her attacks, but Aizen moved away quickly enough toe out unscathed. I also need to mention that Aizen was using his Zanpakuto during the entire exchange. Not to create illusions since they wouldn''t work, but a feeling in my arm, a strange smell, a sound, or someone''s voice. I was forced to ignore all these stimnts that I would usually follow, and the same went for Rin. It took a lot of focus not to jump when the wind suddenly changed direction or when a loud sound exploded nearby, but the only thing we could trust was our eyes and Haki, in my case. This fight won''t be easy. --- Hah... hah...hah... My eyes are already creating steam because of the heat they emit. Even with my moderate usage of them, a prolonged battle wasn''t easy for them. I''m not even sure how long we have fought, but it must have been at least 10 minutes. My eyes weren''t the only thing that started giving up. My mask was partially cracked, showing one of my eyes and mouth, which, to be fair, allowed me to hold my Zanpakuto in my mouth if the need arose. I''m not even mentioning all the other injuries that Aizen caused during our battle. Rin was no better. She was as injured as I was since, as mentioned before, we changed our roles in a fight, and she took the fronts. At the moment, she was forced to support herself with her Zanpakuto. Otherwise, she risked falling down. We were both breathing hard, but our side wasn''t the only one having difficulty keeping up this tedious fight. Aizen was also wounded. Not as much as we are, but that''s something. He is strong, but he still hasn''t fused with Hogyoku, so he is not immortal just yet. Small mercies and all. Despite that, it was a reasonably equal sh between us with maybe a slight advantage towards Aizen''s side, but it was mostly because of the loss of my arm. There were many moments when I needed to physically stop myself from moving my left arm, which I don''t have anymore, or I tried to block or use Kido with it, and it cost me a few times. I just didn''t have time to adjust myself to being one-armed. I can barely maintain my Observation Haki. It''s not that it uses stamina or Reiatsu, but I can''t use it for a long time with such high intensity. It''s simr to a muscle, I guess. The more I use it, the stronger it gets, but overuse it, and you risk straining them too much. "Ryoto and Rin Yuuki, I''m truly impressed by your defiance." Aizen started talking as he was hiding his fatigue. "To think that both of you would push me this far. I can''t say that many would be able to do the same. But as enjoyable a challenge as this was, I''m afraid that we will need to end this soon." I narrowed my eyes. "Are you ready to give up then? You don''t look so hot after all." He chuckled at myment. "Unfortunately, no, but I can''t say the same about you. Captain Rin barely stands and is slowly sumbing to her injuries, and you are running on fumes, as they say in the living world. You barely use your illusions anymore, and you move more sluggishly. There is also one more thing that makes you lose." "And what is that?" I asked, even though I should have stayed quiet. I needed to have a breather, so against my better judgment, I talked. Then Aizen showed his creepy smile. "There are still people that care about you." Then the pain came. I looked down to see a de sticking out of my chest. I have been stabbed... That''s not good... It hurts, but more than pain, I felt shock... I unconsciously touched the de in my chest, which was difficult with my lone arm that was already holding Tensa Zangetsu... Yep... that was my blood. I also could taste something metallic, and I felt something dripping out of the corners of my mouth. It never is a good sign. With all my might, I turned my head to see who attacked me, and I saw my faithful lieutenant with a relieved expression until she looked up to see my face, and then she screamed. (3rd''s pov) Soi Fon screamed, seeing the face of a man she just stabbed. This wasn''t what she nned to do. This wasn''t what she wanted to do, but she did. She didn''t know how she could possibly mistake him for someone else, but there was something more important to do than try to figure out this mystery. The lieutenant of Squad 2 quickly but carefully removed her Zanpakuto from Ryoto''s chest, trying not to cause any additional damage. Ryoto, not having any strength left to stand, was starting to fall, but his Vice-Captain caught him and delicately put him down on the ground. She needed to forcefully stop shaking her hands otherwise she risked dropping the injured man. Finally, he was on the ground. Although it wasn''t the mostfortable ce toy down, it would suffice. "I...I...I..." Soi Fon panicked, but all that stopped when she felt a hand on top of her head. It was a very familiar feeling, one she liked even though she would never admit it out loud. Of course, Ryoto weakly patted her. Looking at him, she could see that he tried to smile to reassure her, but with all that blood on him, it didn''t help much. "D-don''t worry, Captain! I''ll get someone from Squad 4 or that Ryouka girl! Y-you''ll be fine." She tried to get up and run for help, but the same hand that patted her head suddenly grabbed her wrist, stopping her in the process. Soi Fon gave her Captain a questioning look. "Don''t bother. I don''t think I''ll manage to survive that long, and Inoue-chan is not powerful enough at the moment to heal me," Ryoto said as he started having difficulty breathing. "B-b-b-but-!!!" Soi Fon tried to argue but she was silenced. "Shshsh... Soi Fon, I want you to listen to me... You... managed tond a hit on me... and make me bleed... That''s why... as promised, I''m going to grant you your wish... I know what you wanted to ask of me... from the beginning... You want to find your mother''s killer... Congrattions... you have your revenge..." Ryoto confessed, believing that he didn''t have much time left. He knew his body, and both experience and instinct told him that, so who was he to doubt that. Also, his Zanpakuto reverted to its sealed state, and that only happens when the user is close to death. What Ryoto told Soi Fon just now was one of the many things that his heart felt heavy with guilt about, and he was forced to keep quiet about it. Yan Fon was Ryoto''s second kill and could even be counted as the first since he nned to resurrect Koro-sensei. Yan Fon was also much more emotional since she felt more... final. "No... No! The man who killed my mother had glowing blue eyes, and yours are... are..." Soi Fon started rejecting the idea, but as she was speaking, her voice lost strength as she looked closer at Ryoto''s face and focused on his eyes, which weren''t glowing anymore. Their color turned bleak, and their usual light blue shade turned dark. "...They are dark... aren''t they... No wonder... I can''t see anything." Ryoto, sumbing to his injuries, started losing his sight. Yet another sign of his uing death. "You know... saying something like ''I''m sorry'' would be... stupid to do... I regret doing that... and I never wanted to do it... but I felt like I had no other choice at the time... Later on... I learned that she was the one who... ordered her own assassination... She was sick... and wouldn''t live for long... After your siblings started dying on missions... she hoped that at least... one of her children would... live a happy life... Using her own life as a price... she hoped that it would open... her husband''s eyes... but it didn''t work as she intended... as you wanted revenge... When I became your Captain... I decided to keep you as safe as possible... After all, I promised your mother... to not harm you ever... but I felt it was too little... so I decided to try keeping you out of the... more dirty missions... but I still trained you to the best... of my abilities..." Ryoto''s voice was filled with eptance as he revealed what he had learned about Yan Fon and her assassination, hoping to lessen Soi Fon''s burden even at his death''s door. "I know, I know! I knew for a long time! I stumbled across this information some time ago. I don''t hate you. You''ve been an important person in my life for a long time, so stop talking, and please don''t leave me." Soi Fon begged as she started crying and holding tightly to Ryoto''s torn clothes. "I see..." Ryoto tiredly acknowledged. "Can you listen to me for a minute?" He suddenly asked. Soi Fon wanted to refuse immediately, but his face looked like he was begging. She nodded, but she quickly realized that he couldn''t see, so she replied affirmatively. "I''ll listen to everything you have to say, and I''ll remember everything." The young woman answered, stopping her tears and stopping herself from sobbing. "You know...ing to Soul Society, I''ve had a goal... of helping my teacher... I was determined, and by ident, I brought Rin with me... I regretted it... but at the same time, I''m d that she was with me... Really happy... but I still couldn''t keep my promise... I''ve failed Koro-sensei... and now I''m going to leave everyone else behind... Isane, Yoruichi, Rin, Masaru, Akio, Yukima, Alme, Kaede, Rio, L, Rito, Mikan... all the others... My unborn child... So many regrets... I don''t want to die... I have so many things I need to do... but I''m so tired... and cold... I can''t even apologize to them..." At the end Soi Fon could see trails of tearsing out of the corners of her Captain''s eyes. The more Ryoto talked, the less focused he seemed and the weaker he became. In the end, his voice was so quiet that it was barely audible. Ryoto Yuuki''s life wasing to an end as his breathing became more and more shallow. "Move." That was thest thing Ryoto heard before losing consciousness. --- END Discord server: /Kurit (10 chapters ahead and exclusive illustrations.) Chapter 303: One life Chapter 303: One life (Rin''s pov) Ryoto was right. Aizen was an absolute monster. Faster, stronger, more strategic, and not to mention that annoying Zanpakuto of his. Thankfully, we were prepared, but even with that, the fight was too close for myfort. Ryoto wasn''t at his full strength with the loss of his arm, and he wasn''t fully healed¡ªalmost, but not entirely. He was at about 70-80%, I would say, not counting his arm. I tried to support him to the best of my ability. I know that Ryoto is strong and he can take care of him, but I can''t stop worrying about his current state and seeing himself fight, I was right. He wasn''t moving as he usually does. I''m not saying that he was sluggish or anything like that because saying that meant that almost every Shinigami in Soul Society was ipetent. Still, as someone close to Ryoto, I knew when something was off. At the moment, Aizen was winning. Not by much, but still. Both Ryoto and I were barely standing. I needed to support myself with Tsunagari, now Ens¨­, just so I wouldn''t fall on my knees. Ryoto was in a simr state, but I couldn''t check on him right now. I was focusing entirely on Aizen. I could only trust my eyes. All my other senses could and were controlled by the traitor in my sight. We were currently at an impasse when I suddenly heard the sound of a de going through the body. It was from Ryoto''s direction, but I didn''t look. It could be a trap, so I didn''t move and focused on Aizen. Then I heard Soi Fon and Ryoto talking. From what I gathered, Soi Fon stabbed Ryoto, and she was having a panic attack. Not turning and running there was hard, but I needed to remember who we were fighting. It could very well be another of Aizen''s tricks. It wasn''t until I heard the name Koro-sensei that my eyes widened. I involuntarily turned my head to see Ryoto on the ground, bleeding, and Soi Fon next to him. I immediately understood what happened. It didn''t take a genius to figure it out. Aizen was behind it because Soi Fon would never attack Ryoto that way. The moment I realized that Ryoto was not only in danger but dying, I started moving. His eyes started losing their shine. It never happened before. As long as I knew about them, they have always been the light source in a dark room. It wasn''t the only answer, but at the moment, I could only think that it was a sign of him dying. My injuries hurt. The loss of my blood made me weaker, and I was barely standing even with the support of my Zanpakuto, but against all odds, I was walking towards the pair. Every step was full of pain, every second was a precious moment, and every meter, I was closer to my goal. I gave Aizen onest look to see if he''d try to stop me from doing what I was about to do, but he just looked amused and curious. I didn''t have a lot of time, so I ignored it for now. Ryoto is my priority. As I finally stood above Ryoto, his voice was barely strong enough to speak, and his voice was quiet enough to escape my notice."Move." It was directed to Soi Fon, and it wasn''t a polite request that I would usually make. It was a demand. I was too tired, worried, and stressed to calm down Soi Fon, not to mention that there wasn''t enough time for that. Thankfully, she listened. This was when my knees buckled, but I was where I needed to be. Who knew I would be forced to use it? To be honest, deep down, I was expecting it to happen even if I didn''t want it. I raised Ens¨­ above Ryoto''s chest and started chanting. "Every beginning has its end, and the invisible link connects the two. Without one, there isn''t the other. From this day onwards, we share this fate. Your pain is mine, and mine is yours. What I heal, you will heal, and what you will heal, I will heal. The red string of fate shall strengthen to be a chain, and nothing shall separate us, be it a sword, distance, or even death, we shan''t be apart. The only thread of fate in our life will be between us, and the string will be one of steel, while those that will try to separate us will try without sess until the end of time. Your life is mine, and mine is yours. Hitotsu no inochi." (One life) With my chant done and the name of my ability said, I shoved my Zanpakuto right where Ryoto''s heart was. Soi Fon, who stood at the side, kept quiet even as I seemingly killed her Captain. She knew that I would never do something to harm Ryoto. Suddenly, I felt pain across my whole body. New wounds started appearing on my body. Some are more minor, while others are more severe. At the same time, some of Ryoto''s wounds began closing. I removed Ens¨­ from Ryoto, and there wasn''t even a trace of it left. This whole thing wouldn''t be enough to heal Ryoto fully because Hitotsu no Inochi isn''t a healing ability. Not in a way that I could use it on everyone. It''s a very intimate process. I''ve connected our lives together. This way, I could ''take over'' some of Ryoto''s injuries so he would survive. I needed to be careful, so I wouldn''t take too much. Otherwise, we would just switch ces. Not that I wouldn''t die for him, but when I say that our lives are connected, I mean it literally. If Ryoto dies, so will I, and vice versa. As far as I know, this technique won''t ever be disabled. Tsunagari warned me about it, but at the same time, she wanted me to do it from the very beginning. I still remember when she rmended doing that the first time and it was the very same day I heard her name. Stupid horny sword. From now on, whenever Ryoto is hurt, I''ll feel it, and so will he when I get hurt. We will understand each other even better than before. We can also heal each other''s wounds by taking them on ourselves like I just did. If we focus, we''ll not only feel our emotions but also where the other is. I didn''t want to do it without Ryoto''s knowledge, but I had no other choice. I didn''t allow him to die just yet, and I certainly won''t take responsibility for his death before we''ll at least see our grandchildren grow up and have their own grandchildren. I''m not aiming low. Never was. It was time for me to get up, and it didn''t get any easier than it would have before I saved Ryoto, but with great effort, I managed to do it. As I stood straight up, I could feel my blood dropping down on the ground. "W-what happened." Soi Fon finally overcame her shock and asked a question. Not wanting to say anything that would give Aizen even the slightest edge, I answered with just two words. "Nothing... happened." I looked at Aizen, who had a curious expression and a hint of amusement. "Nothing at all." With Ens¨­ in my hands, I took a battle-ready stance despite all the pain and blood as I turned to Aizen. With his condescending look, he pped as if to apud my achievement in saving Ryoto. "I must admit that I''m not easily impressed, but you have achieved just that. To heal someone from the brink of death. Even Captain Unohana would have trouble replicating something like that. I have a few theories about the nature of this technique, but I sincerely doubt you wish to listen to me rumble, especially in your current state." ...Ryoto was right. He really loves the sound of his voice. I was about to tell Soi Fon to take Ryoto to a healer. I may have saved him from death, but his body wasn''t in the best condition. I was only slightly better, but I still have a few cards ready to be used. Unfortunately or fortunately, something happened that caught everyone''s attention. Not only mine and Aizen''s but everyone''s in the whole Soul Society. The bells rang, and the crosses of Reishi appeared. --- END Discord server: /Kurit (10 chapters ahead and illustrations.) Chapter 304: R Chapter 304: R (Ryoto''s pov) I opened my eyes only to see my inner world, although it slightly differed from what I remembered. For one, the sky was cracking like the world was ending. Thest thing I recall before getting here was talking with Soi Fon as my strength slowly failed me. I''m dying. There''s no other way around, and it''s probably for good this time. I don''t count on waking up in my bed or another body altogether and seeing an unfamiliar ceiling, but it doesn''t mean I don''t have any regrets. I said as much to Soi Fon. Maybe if I was younger, I would say something stupid as myst words, but I needed to say everything I could before... Well, I couldn''t. I looked around to find either or, hopefully, both of my Zanpakuto spirits before this world crumbled away and we, with it. Surprisingly, I couldn''t see them, which I felt was unnatural. I would think that they would approach me as soon as they sensed that I was here. Maybe they just don''t have enough energy to materialize here anymore. It would be a shame to die alone, but I can''t do anything about it. Surprisingly, the sky that was slowly cracking stopped doing that and even started repairing itself. But before it closed all the cracks, the process stopped, leaving some of the portions broken. It raised a few questions, but, as I still couldn''t do anything about it so I decided to look around. I walked a bit inside my world until I could see the pole that appeared when I met either Soul King or Mimihagi. I''m still not sure who it was but I guess it doesn''t matter anymore. It will be an unanswered mystery in a story called my life. I was close to it enough to touch it, so I did just that. Call it ast effort to uncover its secret, and it seemed to be the right move. The moment my hand was in contact with it, it glowed, and in front of it was an ethereal form of a man. I couldn''t see his features at all, but the feeling it gave me was unmistakably the same as when he grabbed my consciousness to take a closer look years ago. "You narrowly avoided death by virtue of your beloved, but as we speak, your life is slowly slipping through your fingers. Nevertheless, there is still a chance for you to survive. I can grant you a letter that will allow you to perverse your existence. However, it won''t be enough for you to mend all of your wounds. I only wish, of you, for one thing in return..."Hearing what he wanted me to do, I widened my eyes in shock. To be honest, it would be a huge and difficult favor to do, but at the same time, with his help, it may be doable. It helps that I nned on doing that before, just maybe not that way, and possibly it wouldn''t end up with what he asked me of. And it''s not like I can''t empathize with his wish. "*Sigh* Fine, I would rather do something stupidly dangerous with a chance of surviving than die here without even trying." At first, I sounded fatigued after everything that happened today. Still, with every word, with every moment, my determination grew, and it was clearly seen in my eyes, and it seemed to satisfy the being in front of me as he nodded. Next, he materialized a small cup, which he filled with his blood after cutting his hand with a de made of Reishi. Then he moved the cup to me, and his intentions were clear, so I took it out of his hand. I looked down at the cup filled with blood. My resolve didn''t waver as I put it to my mouth and drank it. "I bestow upon you with a letter R, Ryoto Yuuki. I''m giving you everything that I can to restore all the powers that were sealed within you to increase your chances to the highest extent. Usually, you would assume that ess to these abilities wouldn''t be avable to you no matter what without outside influence. Fortunately, I am an outside influence, and your powers are simr enough that I can recreate some of them while allowing you to wield the ones that I couldn''t. You already somehow forced this before during your so-called Hollowfication, but by inscribing a letter upon you, the process will be much easier... I wish you luck, and for epting my request, my gratitude towards you is immeasurable." With these words, he concluded his farewell as his form started disappearing. Soon after, my vision started to get blurry until all went ck. (3rd''s pov) As the trio of Soi Fon, Ren, and Aizen looked at the vanishing crosses of Reishi, they suddenly felt pressure. It wasn''t like anything they felt before. It wasn''t the feeling of a strong Reiatsu crashing into you, nor was it the killing intent of someone ready to tear you apart. It was like your will was tested, and if you failed, you would crumble. What was most surprising was that this feeling came from none other than almost-dead Ryoto. The surprise didn''t end there, however, as the blood recentlying out of his body upon hitting the ground burned through it until the blood itself burned itself out. Soon after, the wounds closed by themselves, although the closing was very shallow, so the injuries received weren''t healed, just closed. The positive in this was that Ryoto''s bleeding stopped, so at least he wouldn''t lose any more blood. The man who had gathered everyone''s attention slowly opened his eyes, and to the delight of the two presentdies, they were glowing as they tend to do. They were about to ask how he was feeling, but as soon as he got a sense of the situation thanks to his Reiatsu sensing and Observation Haki, his expression turned even more serious as he turned to both of hispanions. "Get me to Unohana. Quick! There isn''t much time to exin." He then turned to Aizen but didn''t say anything, but there was a small understanding between them. Their fight will be on hold for now as a bigger adversary has appeared. Now, they hurried to reach Unohana before worse came to worse. --- END Discord server: /Kurit (10 chapters ahead and illustrations.) Chapter 305: Preperations Chapter 305: Preperations (Ryoto''s pov) I was so close to dying. Like God damn. I think in thest month, I was more often close to death than I was in my whole life before, and now this number will go up by one if I do what I''m about to do, and I''m not looking forward to it. Although I''m feeling more confident thanks to my power boost. I would say I''m back to 100%, but it''s more like 50%... or is it 75%? I mean, I have half of my arms and 3/4 of my limbs. It doesn''t really matter, but thinking about stupid things helps clear my mind, especially when I can barely move. Yhwach couldn''t have possibly made his timing worse for me if he wanted, and that may have been his intention. I would say good for him but fuck him. That fucker is making my life harder. Soi Fon, after hearing my order, tried to carry both Rin and me because Rin soon copsed under her own weight. Thankfully, Aizen understood that fighting us would be more detrimental than it was worth, so he didn''t attack us even if killing us in our current state would be easy. Maybe he somehow respected our resistance, but I doubt I''ll ever know. Shortly after Soi Fon tried dragging us, we met up with Ichigo''s group. Seeing my and Rin''s state, they quickened their run. On an entirely unrted note, for some reason, I feel closer to Rin than ever before. Strange. I mean, I was always close to her, and I can confidently say that I understand her, but now I feel it''s... more. "Oy, Ryoto-san! What happened!?" Ichigo, the loudest of the bunch, asked. "You see, I went to pick up flowers in the garden, and this happened." Sarcasm was literally dripping out of me. Maybe it''s a blood loss. Realizing that I may have sounded a bit too harsh, I corrected myself. "The fight didn''t go as well as I hoped. And before you ask, Rukia is rtively safe. I mean, as safe as one can be right now. Starrk is protecting her, and he is strong. Now we don''t have much time. Help Soi Fon get Rin and me back to the Study Chamber. I need to see Unohana as soon as possible. Inoue-chan, your help will be needed, so prepare yourself." I needed to hurry up. I don''t know what Yhwach''s n is at the moment. This whole invasion could be a diversion for all I know, but he could very well speed up his n since he lost the surprise advantage or rather execute his n before it''s lostpletely. It doesn''t help that Yama-jii will be, at the very least, a bit tired after Shunsui-senpai and Jushiro-senpai stall him.It didn''t take too long to get there. Both Unohana and Isane were looking after Masaru and Akio. Ichigo tried toy me next to Unohana, but I instructed him to get closer to the hot spring. Unohana followed, and so did Soi Fon, who didn''t want to leave my side while looking immensely guilty. Thankfully, Unohana, even though she noticed her behavior, didn''t ask. Rin was left in Isane''spetent hands, but even when the distance between us grew, it didn''t feel like that at all. That was strange. "Unohana," I started addressing the Captain of Squad 4. "I need you to heal me as fast as possible to the best of your abilities." She seemed slightly confused by my request, as that''s what she had been doing for me all that time. She just nodded, but I quickly rified myself. "What I mean is that I don''t care about the morality of your healing. I don''t need Retsu Unohana, the Captain of Squad 4, but Yachiru Unohana, the first Kenpachi and former Captain of Squad 11. The one who learned how to heal only to prolong her fights and doesn''t care about her patient''s well-being as long as he/she survives." Hearing my rification, Unohana narrowed her eyes dangerously. "So you know that much. I wonder where you heard about it. A certain sake-loving Captain should pray it wasn''t him. Otherwise, I would need to punish him." I shook my head. "Nothing like that. I have known it for a long time without anyone''s help, but we don''t have time for my exnation. Please just do it. I know that it''s against the rules, your honor, or whatever it is with Kenpachi''s title, but I need Yachiru. If you do it, I''ll really be in your debt. I''ll give you the best fight in your life if that''s what it takes for you to help me." I didn''t have much time to try to persuade Unohana, so I hoped my plea would be enough. However, instead of just epting my plea, as I hoped, she asked an additional question. "Are you confident in stopping, I can only assume, the Quincy King? If I''ll heal you at whatever cost, will you be able to stop this invasion?" This was an unexpected question. I know that I''m not the strongest, but I believe I am in the upper half of strength when ranking Captains, so her doubt is understandable, but that was before my surprise power-up. "I''m not just confident," I answered. "I''ll do it, and that''s it. Currently, I am capable of killing a God if I need to. A false God is nothing more than an inconvenience." I may exaggerate in saying that Ywhach is not an issue in my current state, but I have much bigger chances at the moment than I ever had before¡ªeven when I had two arms. She then looked at me and tried to find any evidence of falsehood, but seeing none, she sighed as she made her decision. "As a medic, I don''t rmend what I''m about to do..." Unohana started. "Then it''s good that you won''t treat me as a medic." I finished with a small smirk. "Also, a small warning. My blood is poisonous. I mean, you''ll lose fingers and Zanpakuto if you touch it." To prove my im, I bit a bit of skin on my thumb and allowed my blood to drop to the ground, where it evaporated after eating some of the ground. Even when the situation is terrible, I just love seeing the reaction of people around me when I do that. Before I got the reaction of the younger ones, I ripped part of my clothes that still hung around me and would protect my dignity if I cared enough about it. "Inoue-chan, if you would please start healing me now. Unohana if you would." "Before I start, I need to warn you onest time. This procedure may cost you a few hundred years of life. It will cause you an immense amount of pain. Are you certain you want to proceed?" Like I would back off at this point. A few hundred years is nothing, and I very well could earn this year back and more in the future thanks to the system and missions. "Do it." And so I put the cloth in my mouth so I wouldn''t bite my tongue by ident. --- END Discord server: /Kurit )10 chapters ahead and exclusive illustrations.) Chapter 306: Healing Chapter 306: Healing (Ryoto''s pov) The treatment Unohana was doing, if it even can be categorized as that, was torturous, to say the least. It was a good call having a piece of clothing in my mouth because I may really have bitten my tongue off by ident. What Unohana was doing was practically theplete opposite of using healing Kaido. Healing the normal way is pretty straightforward. First, you recover your target''s Reiatsu. Then, using said Reiatsu, the healer has an easier time healing by using both his own Reiatsu and the newly recovered Reiatsu of the injured person. Unohana right now doesn''t recover my Reiatsu and uses what I can only call life force to heal my wounds. Thanks to Jormungandr''s blood, all my injuries closed themselves so my blood wouldn''t drip out. It may be some kind of defense mechanism so I wouldn''t kill everything near me while I''m injured. Otherwise, how would anyone help me if I was close to dying, but it''s not a healing ability by any means. The closing was skin-deep at best, and even a tiny bruise would open them. My deeper wounds won''t be healed by this ability. That''s why Unohana started by reopening my wounds so she could heal me. Of course, she couldn''t do it carelessly, as even a drop of my blood could harm her, so she covered her hands in Reiatsu. It was a high-level technique that usually only helped prevent infections during operations on the field. In her case, it was powerful enough to prevent burns from acids if needed. The blood that got on her hands would ''eat'' her Spiritual Energy, and as long as Unohana had any, she would provide this energy to her hands. The healing process felt very forceful as if the body was forced to heal despite not being able to. The onlyparison I could find was making someone do a split when it was his first time stretching his body. Unohana was also cutting the ends of torn muscles when they were torn in a way they were difficult to heal, as cleanly cut injuries were easier to reconnect. Inoue-chan really helped a lot, as she was better at healing physical wounds than Unohana¡ªor at least she will be. She is still new to all her powers, but they still help a lot, especially with blood loss. Despite all the pain and would be screaming, if not for my mouth being sealed with a piece of cloth, I didn''t move much. I stayed still as much as I could to not disturb my treatment, and I was mostly sessful, but having an operation while being conscious and without any painkillers isn''t something I want to repeat in the future. After some point, however, the pain I felt thankfully weakened. I probably got somehow numb to all that pain. Finally, after what felt like hours, I was rtively healthy and healed, but I was soaked with sweat. I took a quick look around and noticed that Rin was in a simr state to me, as if she felt the whole process I went through. Strange, but I''ll talk about it with her after I deal with Ywhach. I have my suspicions, but it can wait, and I can confirm themter.Luckily, the hot spring with healing properties that Urahara built was nearby, so I moved my arm in a motion I hadn''t done in a long time. The water unnaturally started moving towards my hand, and then I started doing a fast check-up with some healing water bending. I''m so d that I trained this ability even though it wasn''t as often as I would have liked. There weren''t just as many opportunities to train it. Thankfully, I still trained the motions of water and fire bending while I was stuck in this world. They were, after all, based on martial arts, so I used them from time to time in sparring to not get rusty. Seeing me seamlessly control water, everyone looked at me like I was an alien. All of them except Inoue-chan were shocked. The orange-haired girl had stars in her eyes as she started questioning me. "Are you a water Prince? You have blue eyes and control water. There are dragons who control water, but you look human, but you also are Shinigami, but Prince makes the most sense. I''m sure you can use magic because you didn''t use your sword." I see her imagination still works and goes haywire, but it warms my heart seeing a young girl being so lively, so after I was done with the check-up, I patted her on the head affectionately, just like I tend to do to my children. I noticed that I tend to do that to younglings. "That''s the first time someone called me a Prince, and funnily enough, you aren''t exactly wrong either. I''m an heir to an empire and future Emperor, although not of water." I would exin more, but we are on a timer, and it was proven true as the air suddenly got hotter and drier to the point that the water started evaporating. That could be a sign of only one thing that I was aware of, and that was Yama-jii''s bankai. "It seems it''s my cue. I''ll be back soon." I said my ''see youters'' to everyone and left since I nned on returning alive. One almost dying is enough for one day. I may have almost given up earlier and said myst words, but everything changed now. I''m too close to aplishing my goal, and now I''m closer than I ever was with a powerful backer. I may still be a bit roughed out because of myst battle, but I feel better than I was in thest 250 years. It''s time for a father-son duo to reunite, and my sword is a tool to do precisely that. --- It was incredibly hot, to the point where my lip cracked. That was the power of Yamamoto''s bankai. If he had his Bankai active for too long, all the water in the whole Soul Society would evaporate until he eventually melted the whole Seretei and beyond. I was rushing. I don''t know how long Yama-jii can hold on in this situation. I also don''t know if any of Ywhach''s ns changed or if he already developed bankai stealing technology, so I need to hurry. Ibined Shunpo and Sonido to move faster than ever before. I also activated Tensa Zangetsu to boost my speed even more. I barely made ''one step'' as rain started pouring down. I could see Yama-jii but I was nowhere near him just yet. I could only see him thanks to my eyes, but I could see that in a few moments, I could very well lose another teacher. I made a quick rotating motion with my hand and instantly switched ces with Yama-jii. It was thankfully in time because as soon as I swapped ces, I was forced to block iing attacks. It may not be visible, but I also had Tensa Zangetsu covered in Haki to further increase its durability. Ywhach and I locked eyes, and I confidently grinned. "Ready for round 2?" --- END Discord server: /Kurit (10 chapters ahead and exclusive illustrations.) Chapter 307: vs Ywhach Chapter 307: vs Ywhach (Ryoto''s pov) Ywhach and I crossed des for a few moments, which allowed me to evaluate the situation better. It seems that neither Shunsui-senpai nor Jushiro-senpai is nearby. I could still feel their Reiatsu, and they were both inbat. I looked behind Ywhach to see his right-hand man being there, but he didn''t look like he nned on moving for now. That''s fine by me. Not to mention all the rain, which gives me an advantage, but I n on starting this round 2 with somethingpletely different, so I pulled my head back as I gathered energy in my forehead. "Megaton Head!" A blue hand made of energy materialized behind me, and with a headbutt motion, it flew towards Ywhach, who was forced to block. He seemed shocked at the move I made, which made me smirk. "Not bad for a first attempt. Don''t you think so?" At my brazen attempt at provocation, the Quincy King narrowed his eyes. "You are being arrogant, Ryoto Yuuki. I admit that you are unpredictable to an annoying degree, but you are not stronger than Yamamoto Genryusai. If you believe that, you are being delusional, which doesn''t suit what we know about you." He wasn''t exactly wrong."You may be right. I''m not stronger than my teacher. After all, he is a monster among monsters. But here''s a difference. You know about Yama-jii a lot, to the point you could manipte him to use all his strength. You can''t do this with me. You don''t know what I''m capable of and what I would do if you ticked me off too much. Not to mention, I am capable of something Yama-jii isn''t, which is killing you. Also, you are surrounded." Thatst statement confused him. I was here alone, so I believed a demonstration was in order. I put my Zanpakuto in my mouth to free my sole arm, and with it and with some precise motions, I pulled a lot of drops of water together in a body of water the size of an arm. With that, I moved it towards my amputated limb to create a prosthetic limb of sorts. The whole process didn''t take a long time in total, but it wasn''t easy by any means. Moving the water arm alone would take some effort, but at least I''ll have both arms in this fight. I ''flexed'' my new arm to test it a few times. It''s fairly challenging to make water in the shape of an arm and keep it for a prolonged period of time, but not impossible. A powerful waterbender is able to control multiple water tentacles at the same time and what fingers are, if not small and short tentacles. The shape is pretty rough, but I won''tin. I stretched out my newly formed arm towards Ywhach to grab him, but as soon as the water was in his range, a sword appeared in his hand, and he effortlessly cut it in half. Seeing how my attack was stopped so easily, I was shocked... not. The two halves of water encircled the man in ck, and I tried to crush him, but it was for naught, as he broke off of it quite easily. It wasn''t really a problem since I wasn''t expecting it to work. The water flew in all directions until it suddenly stopped, quickly turning into ice mid-air and flying back at Yhwach with a vengeance. This attack, as I expected, didn''t do much as Ywhach simply swung his sword to deflect all projectiles. This attack bought me enough time to reform my arm, but, at the same time, it wasn''t all. It was raining, so obviously everyone was wet, so why not use it to my advantage. I used Shunpo to close the distance between us and blew a wave of cold air, which wouldn''t do much in itself, but with all the water on, Ywhach started freezing. It wasn''t a thickyer of ice, and the mustache man could easily break through it. Still, it wasn''t supposed to stop him as I did a dropkick and created a double stream of fireing from the bottom of my feet, creating thermal shock and, at the same time, repelling me away from my opponents and creating some distance. It was the correct choice, as only momentster, a de appeared where I was standing. However, it didn''t end there. Knowing that he missed, Ywhach pointed a finger at me. At the tip of his finger, a bluish ball of energy started glowing, and it shot forward towards me. It wasn''t strong enough to be dangerous to me, so I effortlessly cut through it with Tensa Zangetsu. It seemed just like I was making attacks as a distraction to attempt an even more devastating strike, so was Ywhach. The moment I cut Ywhach''s Heilig Pfeil (Holy Arrow), I was surrounded by multiple Reishi bows and arrows. "Qualkreis." Ywhach announced. It seemed that it was some type of Quincy spell that was simr to Kido in the way it was made. I merely observed all of the bows with curiosity. They weren''t a threat to me. I just felt... powerful. Not like I was weak before, but there were always monsters around me. Be it my teacher Yamamoto, my own Senpai, Shunsui, and Jushiro, Aizen is always there, and even Urahara and Unohana could be ssified as such. Maybe even Yoruichi. But now I was feeling confident for the first time in forever, and it was against a monster that was nning to face Squad 0, the monsters above monsters. I wasn''t stronger physically, mentally, or anything like that, but I felt... more whole, forck of a better word. And I don''t even need to mention the options. Holy mother, having all my options back is wonderful. So, as all the arrows shot towards me and my ''inevitable'' demise, I made a switch with Switcheroo, but it wasn''t with Ywhach. No, I decided to volunteer the right hand of the King as I used ''Substitute Jutsu''. The blonde Quincy was surprised by the sudden change of location, and I don''t see why he should be. They were both aware that I could do something like that. I literally showed them this ability at the beginning. But standing motionlessly wasn''t in the n, so I released Getsuga Tensho at Yhwachbined with Cero. The Cero could be more powerful if I used the mask, but there is one thing that makes using my mask not optimal. It didn''t have a mouth hole, and I needed my mouth. At this point, I didn''t care if anyone discovered my secret since I''d be leaving soon anyway, and fighting the Quincy King with ''cursed'' powers would give me hopefully enough goodwill for Central 46 to not do anything to my family. Otherwise, I''ll just finish Aizen''s job for him. I''m joking because it would probably make things worse, but there is always taking my family back with me. It, of course, wouldn''t be instantaneous, but I''m not leaving my family in trouble that would be caused by me. Ywhach didn''t just wait for my attacks to arrive. He yelled "Blut Vene Anhaben" to create a field shield made out of his Blut that stopped my attack. Immediately after that, my arm hair stood up suddenly. *~~ * Not to mention, I could feel a familiar but, at this point, nostalgic tingle. I moved my head to the right, which was, of course, the correct move, as the de pierced the space where my head was. I allowed my instincts to take over for a moment and did a spinning kick powered up by fire bending, which did its job by sending my opponent flying. I took a quick look, and it was Haschwalt. It seems that my small ''prank'' wasn''t that funny to him and caused him to join the fight. To be honest, it was more preferable to have to fight him and Ywhach at the same time. If I fought only Ywhach and Haschwalt were standing there at the side, I could unintentionally hyper-focus on him, and then the blonde Quincy could attack me by surprise. The chances may be low, but not zero. Time to change my fighting style then. I sealed back my Banaki and changed to Gyaku Hansha. Holding one of the des of Gyaku with my water prosthetic was strange, but it was usable, and that was enough for me right now. Haschwalt bounced back and rushed back at me as fast as he could, and I blocked it. "You''ve been having a lot of good fortune to avoid any injuries until this point and acquiring new powers." Saying these words, something shifted. I don''t know what, but it did, and suddenly, I slipped as I lost my footing, and my foe capitalized on this chance and pierced my shoulder. Even protecting it with Haki was not enough to stop the injury, and what''s worse, it was on my better side. He didn''t take his de out of me, pushed me to the ground, and pinned me down. My blood started to slowly eat away at the de, which only made the broadsword seem even more impressive, but I shouldn''t be too surprised since it was the same sword that broke Ichigo''s Bankai in Canon. At the same time, I could see a giant Reishi bow above me, and it started to draw an arrow. My spider sense red up as it conveyed to me the iing danger. I tried to free myself and struggled using my uninjured side, but I was quickly subdued by mming a shield there. Learning from his mistake, he didn''t break through my skin this time, so he wouldn''t risk touching my blood. Time was ticking as I was restrained, and my blood wouldn''t be fast enough to destroy the sword that was holding me down. However, it was doing its job as Haschwalt''s sword seemed to slowly go deeper and deeper into me, but it was merely an optical illusion because the sword was getting shorter and shorter and was pushed deeper and deeper to keep me down. Not having a lot of options, I activated Shunko, and a fiery aura exploded, pushing Haschwalth back and giving me enough space to dodge just in time. That was dangerous, so trying to buy myself some time, I changed all the water around into thick mist that would obstruct their vision while I would still be able to move just as well as I was before, thanks to both Haki and my eyes. I distanced myself as far as I could because what I was nning on doing would be shy. I started doing wide and slow motions to gather lighting. I needed to hurry because I didn''t have a doubt in my mind that they would notice it. It was a very shy technique, after all, and thankfully, despiteck of practice, I created lightning in record time. I then pointed two fingers at one of my enemies, and the lightning shot out of them at blinding speed. The attack hit its target... I was honestly expecting it to miss or be blocked, but I''m not going to look a gifted horse in the mouth, so I rushed in to finish the job. By the Aura signature, I managed to hit Haschwalth, and as I used Shunpo and brought my Zanpakuto above my head, my spider sense started tingling, so believing in it, I backed off, and once again, this decision saved my life because the ce where I was attacked and destroyed. From my experience, Ywhach was somehow weaker than he should be. I don''t believe that I would have stood a chance if that was the case, and Haschwalt joining the fight only confirmed this theory even more. However, it seems that ytime is over because Ywhach took out a Medallion. It was the same one that Quincy used to steal Bankai from Shinigami. "Because of you, we were forced to move our ns up in the timeline, but we were able to create this prototype. We managed to make only one such Medallion. Do you wish to guess what it does?" Not waiting for the answer to this rhetorical question, I tried to use the surrounding water to stop him from using it because it would be really bad for me, but no matter how hard I tried to restrain him and prevent him from talking by using water, I didn''t seed. "Bankai... Zanka no Tachi." --- END Discord server: /Kurit (10 chapters ahead and exclusive illustrations.) Chapter 308: vs Yhwach 2 Chapter 308: vs Yhwach 2 (Ryoto''s pov) Good news, my shoulder doesn''t hurt anymore. Bad news, I''m facing Yama-jii''s bankai. I feel like the bnce between good and bad news isn''t really fair, but it is what it is. As usual, I''ll just wing it. I may also have forgotten to mention that my water arm started evaporating. Before it happened, I put one of my swords in my mouth to hold it by the handle, and shortly after, I was left one-armed once more. Right now, Ywhach was standing in front of me with his sword scorched to its limit, looking like it would fall apart, but I knew that it held the power to blow me away. Gyaku Hansha''s abilities are powerful but not invincible. It allows me to counter opponents much more powerful than myself, but there is still a limit. My Reiatsu is my limit, and above a certain level, I won''t be able to deflect the attack, and going by my instincts alone, Zanka no Tachi; East, is on the border of being too strong for me but barely weak enough for my ability to work. However, I would like to avoid it as much as possible since it would drain me faster than I would be able to defeat him. Let''s test some things first. I used my ability to stick to any surface on my feet, pulled out a big chunk of earth, and threw it while doing a front flip. The piece was big enough to hide my whole body. I hid behind the rock so when Yhwach cut through it with ease, I was there ready to strike, or so he thought. It seemed that he foresaw my n and was prepared to attack me. I then flicked my wrist to use Switcheroo and switched ces with Jugram Haschwalt. Still, unexpectedly, my spider sense went into overdrive, and not knowing why, I avoided the iing danger as fast as my reflexes allowed me to. I narrowly escaped significant injuries, while the earth wasn''t as lucky. When Yhwach''s sword touched the ground, it obliterated a big area with just a delicate tap. Seeing this, I sweated a bit, and it was not only because of the rising temperature. That was close."Every time you do that movement with your hand, you teleport and switch ces with someone. I hope you weren''t naive enough not to believe that I couldn''t figure it out after you showcased your ability in front of me." To be honest, I wasn''t expecting it to happen so early on. I used Switcheroo 2 times in total, and I only used it once in front of him. No worries, though he still doesn''t understand the full scope of my ability. I can use it. Without saying a word, I rushed to Yhwach. I wouldn''t be able to say much anyway because I was holding half of my Zanpakuto with my teeth. Seeing my approach, Yhwach swung his sword horizontally. I dodged it by the hair while doing a front flip, stabbed the ground to support my weight, and kicked at his body with all my strength, further enhanced with Armament Haki. My attack was able to send him flying, although he was able to block it with the back of his hand despite his previous overswinging. I didn''t want to give him a chance to swing his dangerous weapon, so I followed up with another attack. I put my foot up in the air. This was the start of yet another technique I had never used, but somehow, I knew that I would be able to pull it off. As I made a pitching motion, my hand squeezed into a fist and whirled. A big blue projection of my fist followed my action and flew at the Quincy King, rotating at high speed. "Fist of Justice!" It didn''t reach him, though, as it was cut in half with no trouble. I didn''t expect much, but I''m still disappointed. "Zanka no Tachi; West." The fire started quickly expanding, with Yhwach at the center of it all. The fire around him created a cloak of sorts, and it was hot enough to reach the ground where he was standing. I somehow remember reading this and seeing panels of it in the manga, but seeing this in person and feeling the heat by yourself is somethingpletely different. Despite all that, I still have faith that I cane out somehow victorious. I have an ace in my sleeve that I haven''t used just yet. The mes that would be the death of ordinary and even somehow strong Shinigami wereing towards me, so I activated Shunko to cover myself with my own mes to protect me, and at the same time, I used both my leg and arm to split iing fire, creating a safe ce behind me. Even with my Haki, Hierro, and Shunko protecting me, it was barely enough, but just as much as it was disadvantageous, it also brought new opportunities. I don''t fear fire. Why should I when I control it? I started manipting all the fire around, which made Yhwach''s eyes widen. He was surprised. Why wouldn''t he be? He should be the only one capable of controlling these mes at the moment, but here I am. I tried to cook him with Yama-jii''s fire. It would be ironic if he would die by them when he stole them from my teacher. All the fire I tried to consecrate as close to Yhwach as possible. Of course, he was trying to resist, and his effort was admirable, but I was slowly winning. I had more experience manipting this element, and it was paying off, but suddenly, I lost control of the fire. It was something unnatural. Something that shouldn''t happen, but it made sense the moment I looked into my foe''s eyes. His irises split into two. He activated The Almighty, but it came at a cost. I could feel all the Quincies losing their Reiatsu rapidly, and at the same time, Yhwach''s was rising. It was too early, and he couldn''t control his full power just yet. Even his right-hand man wasn''t spared as he was losing his life at a fast rate until there was nothing left to be taken. "To think that you would force me to use The Almighty. I wouldn''t predict it in my wildest dreams, but I can''t deny the truth. This will set my ns for at least a few hundred years behind to rebuild my army, but I have waited 1000 years already. What are a few hundred years more? But you truly are an anomaly. To think I can''t see your future. Don''t mistake it for a weakness, however. I don''t need to see your future to know you meet your end today." Yhwach ominously dered, but the moment he took a step forward, a storm of seemingly pink cherry blossoms mmed into him, covering his whole body. The Quincy King walked forward out of the storm of small but dangerous pieces of the de like nothing had happened. "Dad!" My daughter''s voice came from the same direction as the attack. I turned one of my eyes to see Yukima and Byakuya together. They were a little roughed up, but they didn''t seem to have any serious injuries. "Dad/Ryoto-sama!" Another group appeared nearby. This time it was Rangiku and Tres Bestias. "Ryoto, I left Rukia with your lovers in that room and came as fast as possible to help." Coyote Starrk approached me in his Resurrection, ready to fight at my side. "I came to help as well. I regret that I couldn''t be at your side sooner." The voice of Tier Harribel, also in her Resurrection, could be heard from my other side. "Don''t forget your favorite kitty cat. I need you in one piece to enjoy you." Yoruichi remarked with her signature smirk. It seems that I won''t fight alone, but to be honest, I don''t know how much help they''ll be with Yhwach''s Almighty, but we''ll see. "He can see the future and alter it to his wishes. Treat everything like a lethal attack, and expect every single one of your attacks to not work! That''s how he came out unscathed from Senbonzakura''s attack!" Surprisingly, it wasn''t as hard to talk as I thought it would be, but I didn''t have time to dwell on it. I warned everybody. There wasn''t much time to discuss any strategy, so we would need to wing it, and that''s what we did. All the Hollows, together with Yukima and me, immediately charged their Cero. Starrk pointed his pistol and shot multiple blue Cero in quick session. Tier swung her sword/fin and fired yellow Cero in a wide arc. The rest shot an ordinary red Cero, but the target for all of us was the same. Seemingly, all the attacks hit their target and created an explosion that made the dust fly up, hiding the results of our charge. But we didn''t stand in suspense for long because Yhwach revealed himself unharmed, with his hand stretched out to block one of the Ceros. It wasn''t the end of our assault as both Byakuya and Rangiku made their move. Byakuya had already activated his Bankai, so he only moved his hands to direct all of his cherry blossom-looking des. Rangiku yelled, "Growl, Haineko!" and her Zanpakuto turned into dust that was more dangerous than it looked. Both of the attacks came from opposite sides and tried to kill the Quincy King by the thousand cuts but were unsessful thanks to Blut, Quincies'' defensive technique, and not even a tiny wound was visible at the powerful adversary, and he further showed his dominance by swapping away everything with one swing like it was a minor annoyance. We didn''t allow him to make another move, as Yoruichi showed her mastery over Shunpo by getting behind Ywhach before anyone noticed that she took a step. She was already using Shunko, giving it her all and minimizing any chances of Yhwach walking away unscathed, but she wasn''t the only one trying to do that. Starrk stepped in front of Quincy with both of his pistols aimed, but the moment he pulled the trigger, nothing happened. Starrk was not expecting it despite my warning. I don''t really me him for it. Seeing your ability fail despite knowing fully well that it shouldn''t is not something you can be prepared for. At the same time, the Shunko-powered punch was caught without even looking. Yoruichi tried to pull away, but her strength wasn''t enough to do that as Yhwach was holding her fist tightly. It didn''tst long as he threw her at Starrk. He is ying and showing that he could end us whenever he wanted to. I''m not going to say no to an arrogant bastard. It makes my life easier, even if his arrogance is well-founded. The moment Yhwach was alone, Tier jumped from above and released a powerful torrent of water. Unfortunately, it wouldn''t do much, as the heat made the water evaporate instantly. She may have believed that she would be able to pour enough Reiatsu into her attack to reach our opponent, but it wasn''t meant to happen, so she quickly switched to using her Cero again. Once again, it didn''t do much. Yhwach seemed to not care about anyone other than me. He is able to see all of them without any issues, but I was outside his vision unless he was looking at me, and that still was limited to only the present. With a speed that he hadn''t shown before, he shortened the distance between us. "Zanka no Tachi; North." He called the attack, and that was the finishing move if I''ve ever seen one. One sh and it ends all, and I couldn''t allow that to happen. If I die, there is the possibility that someone will kill Yhwach, however small it is, but after my close brush with death, I didn''t want to leave to die. You could even call it post near-death rity. I don''t ept the future where I die before I''m ready just because I am too weak. I''m the one who controls my own fate and decides my own ending. *~~!!!!!!!~~* My spider sense was screaming at me that I was in danger like never before, but I ignored it for the first time since I got it back. I have a n¡ªa risky n but with great rewards if I pull it off. I prepared my reverse de in my hand and covered it in Haki, giving it a ck polish that was visible only to me. "Full Counter!" Two des shed, but I wasn''t able to deflect the attack. It was simply too strong, and I was aware of that. I wasn''t that naive to believe that I was strong enough to aplish that, so my goal was to weaken the attack to the point where I''d survive it. My Zanpakuto, after a valiant effort, unfortunately, broke in half, and Yhwach''s de cut deep into me, going from my right shoulder across my whole upper body and ending at my waist on the left side. It will probably leave another scar, and it was big enough to connect my two other scars from my early days, making it look like an upside-down ''N''. But I was alive. I lived through this attack thanks to both my counter and covering myself with Haki. And this opened one of my most powerful abilities. I showed a predatory smile as everything went ording to n for once. I wind up as I let go of a broken de and take the other one from my mouth. The energy I was gathering was dense enough to be visible, and even Yhwach himself widened his eyes, but it was toote to dodge. "Revenge... Counter!!!" All the damage I received during our fight, and some more, was thrown back at my opponent, who wasn''t ready for a counterattack and couldn''t block, wounding him just as deeply as he injured me. Then I suddenly felt a pull on my soul as a Quincy cross miraculously still hanging around my neck started glowing light blue. A bow made out of Reishi appeared in front of me. It had an ethereal look to it, and despite looking like an ordinary Quincy bow, I somehow knew that it was more like all the Quincies who tried to imitate its beauty and failed spectacrly. It looked delicate enough to break at the attempt to use it, but the feeling it gave off was unmistakable and unmatchable power. I instinctively knew what I needed to do. I put down my Zanpakuto and pushed it into the ground. As my hand became free, I reached out to the bow and grabbed it. That moment was when an arrow started materializing and drew itself, ready to be shot. I recognized that arrow. I''ve seen it many times, after all. How could I not when it was there every time I visited my inner world? I just didn''t recognize it as an arrow before because its tip was buried underground, and it looked like an ordinary pole. With steady breathing and aim despite my grave injuries, I ordered the bow with my mind to shoot, and it hit its target right in the heart. "Goodbye, Quincy King... and you are wee... Soul King." __________ PING QUEST COMPLETED Mission:"Getting back what you lost" Objective 1: Survive until thest boss is defeated by you or someoneelse Reward: 100 000 SP, 1 gacha ticket with a powerful ability, 1 ability upgrade (random), Namekian''s Dragon Balls (3 wishes) All the rewards will be delivered after the return. The return will happen in 2 weeks after taking into ount the user''s injuries and situation. __________ Finally... (3rd''s pov) An ordinary arrow to a heart wouldn''t be enough to kill the Quincy King, and it''s not ounting for The Almighty that would allow him to resurrect using remnants of his power after about 10 years, but what Ryoto had shot wasn''t an ordinary arrow. The moment it touched Yhwach, he knew that it was made from Soul King''s Reiatsu, and it disgusted him. While having The Almighty activated, Yhwach is connected to the Soul King and is able to see his humiliation at all times. Yhwach may despise Soul King for creating this world full of fear of death, but he hates more that Soul King, in his current state, is an anchor that holds all the dimensions together while also not allowing them to collide with each other. In his opinion, the world in its current state deserves to be destroyed and created anew. ''No matter. One more loss is nothing. I am a patient man, and I''ll perfect my n. Next time, there won''t be any hidden information.'' <> Not expecting to hear anyone in this limbo between life and death, Yhwach turned his head in the direction of the voice in record time. It was the most emotion he had shown in a long time. Seeing the figure, he narrowed his eyes. "...Father." <> "What do you mean by this, and why, of all the times, you decided to show up in front of me. Am I finally worthy of your time!?" At the end, Yhwach lost his cool for a moment but calmed himself quickly afterward. <> "Of course, because only you, oh powerful Soul King, is unmatched. That''s why you allowed yourself to be a lump of flesh. Truly, your wisdom knows no bounds." <> "Are you implying that I would lose?" <> "What a loving father you are. Send a Shinigami to kill your only son." But that was the end of this discussion as the Soul King raised his hand and pointed his palm towards Yhwach. <> Yhwach wasn''t one to ept such a fate, and he wanted to oppose his father''s decision, but he didn''t even get a chance as his body started fading away. The process was quick and painless till there was nothing left. Soul King didn''t move after it and stared at the ce where Yhwach was standing without saying a word until his own body started dematerializing. --- END Discord server: /Kurit (10 chapters ahead amd exclusive illustrations.) Chapter 309: Aftermath Chapter 309: Aftermath (3rd''s pov) Currently, Squad 4''s headquarters are busier than they have been in a long time. All the members are running around in haste, moving around the medical equipment and checking on the patients. Multiple Captains and Lieutenants were hospitalized because of the Quincy invasion, some more damaged than others, but in the end, Squad 4 was overworked. It didn''t help that some patients were more rowdy. "Captain Ryoto! Please stay in your bed! You are still injured and not in a condition that you should be moving!" A member of Squad 4 begged Ryoto, who just stood up from his bed. "Don''t be like that. I need to move around a bit. I also want to check on others. You are not heartless enough to stop a loving father and lover from checking on his family, are you?" Ryoto asked with a raised eyebrow, clearly trying to pull some emotional strings on the poor medic. He almost seeded, but it all stopped when a new medic arrived. "I would kindly ask you to stop trying to emotionally manipte my squad member, Captain Ryoto." Hearing this voice, Ryoto flinched, and the reason was understandable since it was the voice of the Captain of Squad 4, Retsu Unohana. "Captain Unohana." Ryoto started with fake excitement. "Do you truly believe that I would steep so low as to manipte this poor little guy? Do you really think so lowly of me? I''m just a worried father and lover." Ryoto wiped the nonexistent tear. "Thisck of trust really hurts, you know."Before Ryoto even finished his performance, Unohana allowed a low-ranked medic to exit the room since she would take over for now. Seeing that they are alone, Ryoto stops his charade and turns slightly more serious. "Can''t you let me see the others, Unohana? I promise I''ll return to bed after I confirm that everything is alright." Unohana eyed Ryoto carefully. "As a doctor, I should advise you against moving at all costs. The wounds you sustained during the fight were very dangerous and are still currently in danger of opening up. For unknown reasons, your body stopped regenerating your skin tissues like you showed me before, not that it would help much with how deep the wounds were. It probably would save you from receiving your newest scar. People often say that your body is a biography, but with all your scars, it''s more true in your case than most others." The true reason for Ryoto losing his poisonous blood and other abilities was unknown to Unohana but not to Ryoto. The reason he ''regained'' them in the first ce was because of the Soul King, and when the connection with the Soul King in the form of a pole or rather a buried arrow left Ryoto''s inner world, so did end the connection and whatever Soul King did to Ryoto. Names have power, so when Soul King bestowed a letter to Ryoto, practically giving him his name, he was able to restore the powers of ''Ryoto Yuuki'' to Ryoto Yuuki. It was somehow a loophole only avable to Soul King since he was the one upholding all of this world''s realms. "Buuut..." Ryoto wanted Unohana to continue talking since she ''said as a doctor''. "But I know that trying to stop you would probably do more harm to you. However, I''m asking you not to strain yourself too much. I don''t wish for you to increase my workload more than necessary." Hearing her answer, Ryoto allowed himself to smile a little. "Thank you, Unohana. I know that I''m not saying it too often, but I really appreciate everything you have done for me and for us. I don''t know what would happen without you." This time, it was Unohana''s turn to smile. "Think nothing of it. We are family, after all. I''m sure you are aware of it, but I think of Isane as my daughter. I found her and gave her a name, and you made her happy. Pulled her out of her shell and gave her a son and a loving family. Bigger and stranger than ever imagined, but a family nheless. It''s natural then that I see you as a son-inw. I couldn''t thank you enough for what you''ve done. Just as you are thankful to me, I''m thankful to you, so let''s just say that we are even, and don''t forget that you can always ask me for help if needed, and I''ll do the same." (Ryoto''s pov) I really thought it would take a lot more to convince Unohana, but I should listen to her and try not to reopen my wounds, so I''ll take my time walking. First, I''ll see my children. All of them who still need to be cared for are in one room. I entered the room without knocking, a bad habit I developed since I''m usually a top boss everywhere I go. I can also sense anything inside the room. There were 3 beds in the room, but only 2 were upied. Masaru and Akio were in that room since Gin was barely injured in his fight. The same could be said about Rangiku and Yukima, although to a lesser degree, and I''m thankful for that. "How is it, boys? Hope that hospital food is up to your standards." "Dad... You know that no one can cook better than you. The closest one is Mom, but even she can''tpare to you." Masaru answered with a strained smile, to which I replied with my own smile. "Stroke my ego even more. I feel like I''m not praised enough for my cooking." Joking aside, I decided to change the topic to the one I came here for and dropped my easygoing smile. "How are you two feeling?" "Not bad, Dad. I wasn''t that injured in the first ce, and I''m still weak after using up all my Reiatsu." Masaru answered truthfully, but in the end, he started losing focus as he turned his head towards his younger brother, who was bandaged to the point he almost looked like a mummy. He was feeling guilty. "Masaru, stop." "Huh?" I regained his attention. "Akio chose to save you, so don''t disrespect his choice to save his oldest brother. You would do the same for him, and so would I for all of you." I moved what I had left of my left arm with a slight smirk to emphasize that what I was saying was the truth. "Don''t feel too down about it. Sometimes things like these just happen, and the only thing you can do is to ept it and live on." Now into my other son. "And how about my fellow scarred man. Still in pain, I assume." As I talked with Masaru, Akio stayed quiet, and the older siblings will probably do the same. "...Better. It still hurts, but members of Squad 4 said that it will pass in a week or two. Of course, the scars will stay." "That''s good, that''s good..." It''s gotten a bit awkward now that I don''t know what to say. I still need to tell them that I''ll be leaving with Rin soon, but it will need to wait until they are healed. "I would love to stay with both of you, but I shouldn''t even get out of bed. I only came to check on you, and since I already did it, I should go. I''ll visit Rin and return to bed before Isane and Unohana team up to tie me to bed, and not in a fun way." Mystment caused my sons to cringe, but soon after, they smiled at me. "We understand. Thanks foring anyway, but you should take better care of your body. We still have a lot to learn from you." I waved my hand and exited the room. --- I walked slowly toward Rin''s room, and I somehow got the feeling that she was waiting for me. Opening the door, my suspicions were proven right, as Rin was looking directly at me. "You should be in bed." She said, "And I will be after. I''m sure that everything is alright." I answered as I closed the door behind me and went to a chair next to the bed. I sat there infortable silence. We usually don''t need to say anything to understand each other, but it feels stronger than before. It has been like this since we fought with Aizen, and right now, she is feeling a bit shaken. "You used your Bankai on me." I started, and Rin''s expression changed from her mask in the form of a small smile to a shock. "How...?" "It was pretty obvious. At first, I didn''t have time to think about it, so I pushed it to the back of my head during my fight with Yhwach and his right-hand man. I was stabbed in the shoulder, but the pain vanished almost instantly. The next time I see you, you have a new wound on your shoulder in the exact ce where I got hit." Rin looked embarrassed at how badly she had hidden it, but to her credit, she didn''t exactly try to hide it since she probably wanted to tell me that soon. "Also, have you looked in the mirrortely? You cut the connection between our eyes, but one of your eyes stayed blue." At the moment, Rin had one of her eyes blue and the other brown. "So I''ve been told..." Rin turned quiet before speaking again. "Ryoto... I apologize for doing that. I know that I said multiple times that I won''t allow you to die before I say so, but doing that by linking our lives is something entirely different. I don''t regret what I did, and I would do it again, but I''m sorry that I couldn''t discuss that with you before doing that." "I know. Literally, at this point, thanks to our connection. But..." I flicked Rin''s forehead. "Please think about your health before trying to help me." "As if you should be the one to tell me." She answered with a small smile while being slightly annoyed as she rubbed her forehead. Now, onto the main topic. I''m slightly nervous saying that, but she''ll discover it soon enough. She feels my emotions but thankfully can''t read my mind, which means that she knows that I n on telling something and waits patiently. "Rin... in about one and half weeks from now... we are going back. Home, I mean." That was the biggest news I delivered ever, and it showed in Rin''s emotions. A whirlpool of emotions shed through her at the same time until they finally settled on eptance. "I see... So it''s finally time." "Yeah..." Once again, we stayed silent until Rin decided to ask me a question that also wandered through my mind. "Do you think that we''ll manage to fit into ordinary life again?" "Probably with time. Just like everything, it will take time. How does it feel knowing that you''ll be back working under Saki?" I asked, curious about her answer. Although I could probably make a very urate educated guess, we respect each other enough to wait for an out-loud answer. "Strange... Nostalgic in some ways. When I was young, I thought that I would serve Saki- excuse me, Saki-sama, my whole life. It was my entire world, but today, being here over 250 yearster, that was a small part of my whole life. Working under someone weaker and younger than me will be something unique but not exactly new. I mean, I was Saki..-sama''s bodyguard before, but it feels like child''s ypared to being a Captain. I even stopped calling her ''Saki-sama'' in my head. I guess I''ll need to get used to doing that again. But it could feel like a nice vacationpared to whatever happens in Soul Society." "I guess... I think we earned our retirement. Forced or otherwise." "I can''t disagree... Have you told anyone about this?" I shook my head. "You are the first. I thought that you deserved to be the first to know. I decided to tell everyone after we will be discharged." Rin nodded her head and hummed. "How will you exin our absence to others?" "I already have an idea, but I''m not sure you''ll like it." I managed to grin as I thought about my stupid idea, and Rin could only sigh as she knew that whatever I had in mind wasn''t the smartest, but it definitely would be funny. Now that we were done with our serious talk, it was time for me to return before someone grabbed me by the cor and dragged me back by force. --- It took about a week before we were all rtively healed and could leave Squad 4 headquarters. The first thing I did when we returned home was to cook a feast for everyone. I think they deserved it, and since my cooking was reserved for at most once a week or special asions, it was mostly Rin who cooked since she enjoyed it. There was also a Captain meeting, and the main topic was the Quincy invasion and Aizen''s betrayal. In the case of the first issue, it was mostly solved as all the Quincies who invaded were dead. Most, if not all, Sternritters were killed by Yhwach himself when he activated The Almighty, and I killed thest standing Quincy enemy. There are, of course, Quincymunities in the Living World, but they had nothing to do with this whole ''war,'' but that''s beside the issue. The second problem is Aizen. He escaped Soul Society together with Tosen, Captain of Squad 9. Komamura took the news hard. We don''t know his current location, but thanks to the Arrancars'' testimony, there''s a lot of suspicion of him being in Hueco Mundo. Many witnesses saw Tier, her Frion, and Starrk fighting the Quincies, and I stepped in, saying that they were with me and exining how I met them. I gave my word to everyone that they weren''t dangerous in the slightest, and since Central 46 is dead thanks to the former Captain of Squad 5, I only needed to convince Yama-jii, and it was... easy. Surprisingly. Although they will still need to be under supervision of someone and I choose Kisuke. Better be in the Living World than be anywhere near Mayuri. After the whole thing with Yhwach, Yama-jii wasn''t in the best state of mind. Not that he was doing anything stupid, but it felt like he was constantly somewhere else with his mind, thinking about something. I mean, I get it. His worst enemy returned, almost killed him, nearly destroyed Sereitei, and almost killed his student. I don''t doubt that he''ll bounce right back soon enough. He is Captain Commander, and he has been in this position for over a thousand years. I also mentioned Ryouka and how they opposed Aizen''s n to save Rukia Kuchiki. I may have exaggerated a bit, but no one will know. Most importantly, I dug out all the evidence I had, plus what we ''learned'' today, to get a pardon on Yoruichi, Urahara, and Tessai. I managed to do it, to Mayuri''s dismay, so I say it was a win-win. Soon after the meeting, Rin and I exined how we would return to our world soon. The whole conversation was difficult because it was a difficult topic to even discuss. It''s just so unbelievable. The meeting was full of exnations, hugs, crying, and evenughs. I needed to rify to everyone that it didn''t mean that I wouldn''t ever see them. I would probably return or maybe create a portal that would allow us to visit whenever we wanted. Soon, it''s time to leave. --- Today is the day that I''ll leave with Rin and return to Sainan, our hometown. We decided to meet in Urahara''s Study Chamber. Before that, I said my goodbyes to everyone I was rtively close to. Sometimes, in person, and other times, I just left a letter like in the case of Yama-jii. They were all surprised by my sudden departure, but they could do nothing but bid me farewell and wish me a good life. Also after long discussion with Kisuke we decided that I should take Hogyoku with me so Aizen wouldn''t be able to take it as he nned. I didn''t really want to take this little plot device but it was a best choice so I did it anyway. The only ones present here were my family, Yoruichi, Isane, Masaru, Akio, Yukima, Gin, Rangiku, plus Urahara, Starrk, Tier and Tres Bestias and Soi Fon. We were waiting patiently for the moment Rin and I would vanish, but if I remember correctly, it wouldn''t be sudden unless something had changed. "I think it''s the first time a group this big is waiting for me." No one noticed when this person with short tinum-colored hair and a cigarette appeared, and that was surprising since there were multiple Captain-level Shinigami here. They were ready to attack, but I stopped them. "Don''t worry. He is an acquaintance." "Only an acquaintance?" He asked me. "We met only once over two centuries ago. You don''t expect me to see you as a friend, do you?" I raised my eyebrow. "Fair enough, but before we go to business, I have a proposition for you." That made me curious. A proposition? "For reasons I''m not allowed to share, you got a chance. An emergency mission if you will. It''s not that kind of mission." He refrained from speaking about the system, but I was sure that it was what he meant about ''that kind of mission''. "All you need to do is to cook something for a certain group of people. I''ll send you there, youplete your mission and get your arm back. That''s all. I''ll even give you a bonus and allow you to regain all of your abilities there." Now, that was something I wasn''t expecting, but I wasn''t the first to ask about the details. "Can you really get Ryoto''s arm back?" Rin asked. "Not me exactly, but he can get it back, yes." Truck-kun answered. "Can I go with him?" Rin said, not wanting to leave my side despite the fact that we can''t really be separated anymore. "I don''t see why not. It''s not an official mission, after all." He finally answered after thinking about it for a short time while rubbing his chin. I also see that you made your decision, so I won''t waste any more of your time, so let''s get going. And don''t worry¡ªthe whole thing shouldn''t take longer than 24 hours, so before you know it, you''ll get home. " "Wait, before I go I have onest thing to do." I went to kiss all my children on their forehead as ast goodbye, went to kiss Isane and Yoruichi passionately and some children fake gagged while others averted their eyes or tried to avoid looking inconspicuously. After that I approached Kisuke and stood in front of him for ufortable amount of time as if I was to kiss him but it only ended with a handshake. I bet he was disappointed. After that it was Starrk and Lilte''s turn and I handshaked the former and patted the head of thetter. Soi Fon didn''t want to show any signs of affection but I did give her headpat anyway which she reluctantly epted. I also left somest minute advice for everyone. Thest but not least was Tier and her Frion. I started with the trio of Arrancars under Tier and patted heads of Franceska and Sung-Sun. Api refused the headpat though. Shame. When I finally approached Tier she expected an usual goodbye, a headpat maybe but she was in for a surprise as I zipped down her jacked to show the lower part of her face and pecked her on where her lips were. It was super effective as she didn''t know what to do and stood frozen. "I''m ready" I announced after being done. "Now, without any further dy, let''s go." --- With a snap of my fingers, my whole vision went white, and even before I regained it, words flew out of my mind while some information entered my head. "Servant ss, Foreigner. Ryoto Yuuki. I answered your call, however temporary it may be." "Servant ss, also Foreigner. Rin Yuuki. Two people and two bodies we may be, but we are one in spirit. One Heroic Spirit, two people." It seems like the same thing happened to Rin, but whatever it was felt familiar. I soon regained my vision of seeing two girls and an animal. One had short lc hair, and the other had shoulder-length red hair tied in a side ponytail. She had a wide smile as if she got an early Christmas present. The gears in my brain started rotating as I began to remember why they seemed familiar, but when my eyesnded on the white-furred animal, all my senses started screaming at me that it was the most dangerous thing I''d ever met and I could die at any moment. There was this primal fear that I hadn''t felt ever in my life. Even meeting the Soul King for the first time couldn''tpare to this. My whole body tensed as my hand reached for my sword. I didn''t draw it, but I grabbed it tightly by the handle. And then I released Conqueror Haki at full power with that thing as my target. --- END Discord /Kurit (10 chapters ahead and exclusive illustrations.) Chapter 310: Side Quest Chapter 310: Side Quest (3rd''s pov) The Haki Ryoto unleashed could be felt in the whole Chaldea organization, and some recognized the feeling. --- "Grandfather?" A petite blonde asked no one in particr as she stood up and headed toward the feeling. --- "Gramps back!" Another blonde woman, although more wild-looking one that could be called a tomboy, yelled in excitement as she jumped out of her bed to run towards her Grandpa. --- "That feeling. Is he already back?" A petite green-haired woman with animal characteristics said with a small smile as she set her sights on her next target. ---The woman in the room said nothing as she felt domination through her whole body and through all of her senses. The only thing she did was to let out a battle-hungry smile. --- "Hmm?" A beautiful woman with gorgeous long hair felt something familiar in the air. As her eyes were covered by a blindfold, she felt it even more than other people. Despite the feeling of danger, she smiled warmly. --- "Oh? If it isn''t, darling. He came back much earlier than I thought he would, but he tends to surprise people." She said as she cupped her cheek with her hand. --- "So the bastard is back. *Tsk*He is lucky that he didn''t take a long time. Otherwise, I would burn him." A pale woman with long white-blonde hair and yellow eyesmented as if trying to convince herself. --- (Ryoto''s pov) "Stop! Stop! Stop! Ryoto, fighting in Chaldea is forbidden unless in the training area!" A red-haired girl jumped in between me and the beast. She was pretty brave for doing that when I was ready to attack at any moment, but this allowed me to take a moment and think about my situation. What I did was purely instinctual. I could feel the danger from that fluffy creature, but it was only the feeling I got. It didn''t have any intention of attacking or fighting me or anyone. It''s just a passive aura that he possesses, and apparently, only I can feel it. It may be because ofbined power of Spider-Sense and Haki. I finally rxed and let go of my Zanpakuto. "Sorry about that. It looks like your... pet, scared me a bit. How did you tame it, by the way? I doubt you just fed him and it just followed." I rxed a bit, but I was still feeling tense. I could still feel that it could kill me at any moment if he wanted. Suddenly, I felt a body hanging on me. I looked down to see the redhead with a big smile. "It''s really you, Ryoto. I mean, you said that you would return, and I believed you, but it was much faster than I thought. I''m so happy that you are here." She then started whispering. "I don''t know how long I would be able to handle all these Servants without you. They get lonely really easily and have issues with the capital I." I am so lost, but I have an idea or two. First, I picked the girl up by her the cor of her shirt and put her down. Then I took out a lollipop and gave it to her. She talks too much. Maybe it will keep her quiet for a while. I looked at the murderous machine in the form of a small pet, and it looked... amused and smug. He knew what he had done, and he wasn''t sorry at all. Little bastard, he won''t get any lollipops from me. We''ll see how he behaves when I start cooking. "Can we start introducing ourselves? We told you our names, but we still don''t know yours." Rin made a reasonable suggestion. I may have recognized these two, but their names somehow slipped my mind. I almost always call them cute eggnt and gacha addict. "Well, we know Ryoto *Slurp*, and you have his surname. SlurpAre you his sister? Slurp" The red-headed maniac said in between licks. "I''m his partner." / "What do you mean, you know me?" / "Are you cheating on me again!!? Ryoto!!!" Three voices, three questions, and one surprise arrival. We all turned our heads to the source of the third voice. It was a beautiful woman wearing dark armor, a paleplexion, yellow eyes, and a pissed-off expression. I kind of remember her but never met her. I turned my head to Rin who raised her eyebrow as she crossed her arms. "I''ve never met that woman in my life," I defended myself as I pointed at the pale woman. This caused eggnt and my summoner to flinch and create some distance between us. At the same time, the angry woman clenched her fist to create fire and threw it at me. I may have been cursed by some kind of fire god because I keep getting attacked by fire. Sucks to be him. He can''t do anything to hurt me. I raised my hand and, with gracious movement, took over a fireball and allowed it to keep burning over my hand. My maneuver was done with ease, but it made me reveal my left side and theck of my arm. Everyone in the room was shocked by the revtion, but I didn''t focus on them, so I turned to Rin. "Aren''t you a little heartless, Rin? Allowing an attack on your poor partner?" I asked as I exaggerated my movements, to which she rolled her eyes, slightly amused. "You know that I know what you feel at all times, and you weren''t worried for a moment. You are mostly confused, just as I am." She then turned to the other people in the room. "Can someone exin how everyone here seems to know Ryoto?" "Who is the bitch or bastard who did this!!? I''ll burn them!!! I''ll burn them all!!! Was it that harlot next to you!!?" The pyromaniac screamed. Ahh. A tsundere. It exins some things, but it is better to have a name to call her, so I opened my eyes and used something that I hadn''t ever done. I know that I could. All Seeing Eyes of God were made to perceive the ''Truth'' of the world, whatever it means, so I could see a person''s true name if I tried hard enough, and that''s what I did. Above her head, letters appeared and started forming a name: Jaunne D''Arc (Alter). Right, Jalter. How could I ever forget? "Apparently, we won''t get any answers any time soon." Rin mumbled under her breath as she massaged the bridge of her nose. I would try pping to gather attention, but I would miss something vital for it to work. That''s why I settled for the next best thing. I made the fire in my hand light up to a dangerous degree, only to make it disappear momentster. The contrast of light made everyone''s attention shift to me. "Now that everyone is listening, I''ll exin a few things. First, this is the first time I''ve been here. If you somehow know of me, it was not the current me. Second, the arm is not an issue. Don''t ask. And third, can we finally introduce ourselves, or were manners not invented in this world?" I pointed at the redhead. You. Name. Now." Under mymanding voice, she straightened her back and saluted. It was funny, so I didn''tment on it and allowed it. "Ritsuka Fujimura, humanity''sst Master of Chaldea!" I turned my eyes to the cute eggnt. "Mash Kyrielight! I''m Senpai''s Servant!" Andstly, I turned to Jalter. "...Jeanne D''Arc Alter. I''m called Jalter by some... and I''m supposed to be your lover." ...Now, this is awkward. I don''t even attempt to exin myself because Rin knows that I know nothing about it, thanks to our connection. But not everyone here knew about it, so I tried exining myself, but a new person entered the room before I could. "The genius Leonardo Da Vinci-chan can exin everything and clear everyone''s confusion." Mona Lisa look-alike, also known as Leonardo da Vinci, busted into the room and started exining with visible excitement. "But first, we should make sure that this Ryoto is the one we know and that we can aplish it easily with one simple question. Ryoto, can you show me your arm?" I''m not sure where this was going, but I did what I was asked to do and flexed my biceps, which caused my sleeve to burst open, revealing my arm in the process. Everyone in the room instantly crossed their arms over their chests and nodded their heads. "Yup, it''s him. "No mistake about it, Senpai." "Only this idiot would do something like that." It seems my fame precedes me. Not that I''mining. "Now that we have confirmed the identity of our dear friend here, let''s talk about why he doesn''t seem to recognize anyone here. The answer is simple to someone like me. Ryoto once shared with me that there is a special being and there usually is only one of him, so that means that before us stands is from the past. A younger Ryoto Yuuki! This is exciting to see with my very own eyes!" "Younger Ryoto? So how are you right now?" Jaunne asked me. "I''m about 286 years old." The eyes went wide, but I just shrugged and turned to Leo. "I would ask you not to allow anyone more to meet me and also don''t spoil my future. It either won''t matter, or everything will be fucked, and I would rather not take any chances." "Right ahead of you. I warned every Servant and even some staff members that you were close with. Your summoning was a surprise to everyone, and I was lucky enough to observe the attempt. Our dear Alter here was just too fast, even for a genius such as me. Now, I would guess you want to start your cooking adventure in Chaldea. I was curious how she guessed my purpose here, so I asked. The answer made meugh out loud because it was so obvious. "That''s simple. You''ll tell me. --- True to da Vinci''s words, I haven''t met a single soul after I left the summoning room. I went to the kitchen, and with the help of Rin, we made a feast with requests we received through da Vinci. I''ll say that cooking with one arm still is a small challenge, but Rin was there to help with anything I had some difficulties with. Our coordination was even more perfect than it used to be, and we finished cooking dinner and baking desserts in record time. With this done, we were finally sent home. (3rd''s pov) "Is he gone?" A man with fluffy hair tied in a ponytail leans out of the corner, but before he gets his answer, he is kicked in the back, causing him to fall to the ground. "Stop acting like a clown Roman. Our systems said that his signature vanished already." A white-haired woman with amber-colored eyes in her early 20s said. "And as much as he was the cause of my many headaches, he was smart enough to stop learning about his possible future. If not for him, Chaldea as a whole may have possibly been destroyed and, with it, humanity''s future. I wouldn''t want to take any unnecessary risks if failure means the end of humanity. And without him, you wouldn''t work half as hard as you did." "Oh, don''t be like that. I bet you wanted to meet your hero~ in his younger days." The redhead tapped the young woman with her elbow, and she had a smug expression stered on her face. "Fu-ji-ma-ru! Do you really want to be on cleaning duty from now on?" She warned humanity''sst Master, and Fujimaru quickly stopped her teasing. "I didn''t say anything. Oh, look at the time. Mash and I had a scheduled training session for about now. Bye!" The redhead grabbed her kouhai and escaped, while Roman snickered secretly until he stopped when he was discovered. However, as he was lecturing, he realized something. "Do you think that Ryoto asked to bring Fou at every summoning just to scare his younger self?" Silence prevailed in the hallways until the scream could be heard by the whole organization. "RYOTOOOOOOO!!!!!!" "Gramps!!!" The wild looking blonde entered the room with her sword in her hands, ready to fight. Not seeing the person she was looking for she looked around. "Where is he?" "Modred, he already left. Either way he wouldn''t recognise. He was Ryoto from before he arrived to Chaldea." The white haired woman exined. "Oh man. And I wanted to spar..." Modred turned from her cheerfulness to being downcast. "I for one am happy he left so fast. I can never guess what''s inside his head. Any attempt at doing that would cause me immense headache. Not to mention his cooking pranks are annoying even though Servants clothes can be regenerate with ease using a bit of mana its still like ying Russian roulette with his food." A man with white hair slicked back, ck upper body armour and red shroud said as he entered the room shortly after the blonde knight. "You are just saying that because he took your job from cafeteria and criticised your cooking." Mordred said as she stick out her tongue at which the man sighed. That day in Chaldea a feast worthy of festival was held and Servants parted like there was no tomorrow with a lot of females Servants had happy expressions eating familiar food once again. --- END Discord server: /Kurit (10 chapters ahead and exclusive illustrations.) Chapter 311: Back in town Chapter 311: Back in town (Karen''s pov) That idiot did something stupid again! I warned him. God dammit I warned him. But what does he do? y safe and follow the Canon so he would get an easy reward? No!!! Of course, he doesn''t. And I don''t even want anyone to start arguing about the Butterfly Effect. It''s a lie. Kind of. It depends, but that''s not the point! With Aizen there, it''s a lie because he would adjust his ns so all would be fine and dandy. Am I being unfair to Ryoto, knowing that he isn''t alone there and all his mental problems? Yes, but I don''t care! He lost his arm, and worst of all, he made me worry! Should I be peeking at how Ryoto does from time to time? Not necessarily. Did I break a few rules? Possibly, but as long as I wasn''t caught, I didn''t break any rules. That''s thew! Stupid Ryoto doing stupid shit. Stupid Ryoto being the one of the few people that I can call a friend. Stupid Ryoto being kind of cute when he is serious.Stupid Ryoto being nice to me even when I didn''t deserve it. Stupid Ryoto, getting me to care about him... *m* "Truck-san, I need a favor! I entered a spacious room that was decorated after a traditional Japanese room, and in the center of it was a low table that was mainly used for tea ceremonies. There was sitting that old hag whole sipping ''elegantly'' her tea. "Oh my." She put down her cup on the table. "I haven''t seen you in a long time, and the first thing you say aftering here is asking for a favor? I''m hurt." I visibly rolled my eyes. "We both know that''s not true. To be hurt by something like that would mean that you care about others'' opinions, and we both know that you don''t care about much. So can we stop your stupid game, and I''ll tell you what I want, and you''ll tell me that you''ll either do it or what you want from me to do it." The old hag had the audacity to pout. She thinks that she is cute. Forever 18, my ass! "Fine, spoil my fun then. What do you want to ask me of? Is it because your little boy toy lost his arm?" My face went red hearing herment. "He is not my boy toy!!! And yes, I want you to do something about his arm. And maybe a system. It''s outdated at this point and was from the very beginning. I mean, what kind of system allows for idental tag along." Truck-san looked like she was thinking about my request. I know that I will regret asking her for help, but she is the only one I know who could possibly do something. "You know that I can''t do anything directly..." Bullshit. "But I may have an idea or two. Since all system functions have been sealed for the duration of the mission, we can give him an unofficial mission after hepletes his objective. As for the system... I guess we could update it. I believe he earned it after not having it for over 200 years, but..." Here it goes. "Spit it out. What do you want." I crossed my arms and tapped my foot impatiently. "First, as I said, a small mission. Nothing dangerous, but since it''s not an official mission, the rewards won''t be as good as they normally should be. In short, there will be evidence that he lost his arm at some point. Nothing I can''t do about it." Again, bullshit. "As for the system request..." She then showed a ''gentle'' smile that gave me shivers and reminded me why I don''t like her and why she also scares me sometimes. (Ryoto''s pov) I opened my eyes to see a blue sky. I quickly analyzed my surroundings because of a habit I developed because of my job. Knowing the space around you is essential and the first thing you do during the reconnaissance. It also lowers the chance of a sessful enemy ambush. I was on the rooftop, and I remember this specific rooftop fairly well. The reason for that is that this was thest thing I''d seen before being teleported. After assessing my situation, I looked at the only other person in proximity. Rin did the same thing as I did and turned towards me at the same time as I did. "Looks like we are back," I said as I turned my head to look at the town¡ªour hometown. "It seems so... It just feels so... underwhelming and still doesn''t feel real. I''m worried that it may be a dream and that I could wake up at any moment. But for now, I want to keep dreaming." Rin answered as she looked in the same direction as I did. We didn''t need our connection to know that we both felt insanely emotional, so we stayed like that for a few minutes in silence. It was peaceful, but we didn''t have a whole day to enjoy ourselves. Then I felt a hand on top of my left, and for the first time since we returned, I realized that I had it back. It wasn''t a long time, but it''s a bit funny how Ipletely forgot about it. "Seems like that man kept his promise." Rin ran her finger over mine as if to reassure herself that it was real. "He isn''t one to lie." Truck-kun seemed to be the mostpetent higher-level being, which isn''t much since the onlyparison was Karen and Sophia, which didn''t give me a good first impression. I also checked my newly restored arm. I flexed my muscles here and there to see how they responded and if anything was wrong with it. I stretched it wherever I could as well. Then I took off my jacket and rolled the sleeve on my left arm to see how it looked, and something was different than it used to be. At the ce where my arm was gone, and the ''leftovers,'' as you will, was a scar going around the whole arm as if showing where the new arm was attached to the old parts. I feel scammed, but at least it will be covered by my clothes. "Are you up for some testing?" I made a suggestion with a smirk, and Rin met mine with her own. "What are your ideas? A Kido, maybe. I was always better at those than you." She answered with some pride in her voice. "Sure, let''s go with something visible but not too destructive. How about Hado #31." "Shakkah¨­? Fine by me." We put our hands and directed them into the air. ""Hado #31, Shakkah¨­!"" 2 red balls of energy flew up in the air and exploded. "It seems the power didn''t change much." "True, but it felt weird using it. Maybe because we are in our real bodies made of flesh and blood instead of Reishi." "Maybe, but thinking about it won''t help us. Both of us aren''t a scientist type. However, I know a doctor who could check us out. Remember our nurse Mikado-sensei?" "I think you mentioned her once or twice. You said she was an alien, right?" "Yes, she is apparently the best in the business and deals with many strange anatomy. Not to mention that she is my go-to doctor, and she has already examined me a few times and tried to figure out my blood and my eyes. I think she is a bit obsessed with them, and now she will be even more obsessed. Speaking about the examination, how do I look? Is there anything with my face? Is it the same as it was before?" At the end of our back and forth, I asked about my appearance, and it wasn''t because I was being narcissistic but because I didn''t want to worry my family too much. That''s why I protected my face from scars and even minor injuries, if possible. "You look exactly as I remembered you. It reminds me of our time in Rukongai District when we didn''t have a lot of possessions, and we just scraped by from one day to the next. How about me? Do you prefer me how I was in Soul Society or how I am now?" It is a trick question. No matter what I answer, it will be wrong, but the correct answer is hidden, and I can see it. "It''s a stupid question. I like Rin. Be it young Rin, older Rin, or even Milf Rin. I love them all." Beat that, Rin. You won''t catch me unprepared! Feeling Rin''s emotions, I could tell that she was amused by my answer. She then put her hand on her chin and started looking at my eyes as she moved her head from one side to another. "I must admit that seeing myself like this is unnerving. To the point that I would me Urahara for inventing some machine that makes your outside look younger. Also, the ponytail outside of battle is a novel experience. It has been a long time since I did that, after all. I understand why I had this hairstyle back then. It was so my hair wouldn''t get in the way during a fight, but having it on the whole time is unnecessary. Not to mention that it only showed how unskilled I was and was not prepared to fight in any and all situations. If I was ever ambushed without my ponytail, I would be in big trouble." I realized that she was using my eyes like a mirror by looking at herself through my vision. "But didn''t you put your hair into a ponytail during our fight with Aizen?" I questioned. "I could fight equally as well without it, but it just helps me set my mind into the right mode if you will. Also, it shows that I''m not ying around." Fair enough. Now that our conversation has ended, I have decided to do something I haven''t done in a long time and start talking with an old friend. ''Karen, are you there?'' ... ... ... But there was no answer, not from Karen, anyway. __________ PING SYSTEM UPDATE: In progress... INFORMATION NOTICE System version 0.2 is currently being updated. During the update, the user won''t get any missions, but all other functions work as usual. All the items in the inventory currently not in use can be retrieved whenever the user wishes to. Aspensation for theck of mission in the unspecified future, you''ll receive: RandomDevil Fruit (no seawater weakness), 10 rolls on the item wheel, control over the intensity of Jormungandr''s blood, and 100 000 SP. We are sorry for all the inconvenience, and we hope to hear from you again in the future. __________ Huh... So that happened. It''s a bit sad not to be able to hear from her again after such a long time, but I''ll be able to soon enough. This depends on how long this update takes, of course. The better question is if I should get all these rewards now orter, but after a short thinking session, I decided to get them now. You never know when you will need them, and I would rather have some additional abilities and not need them than the opposite. I''ve got 1 ability upgrade, so I''ll save it forst. Then, I first decided to use a gacha ticket. It was a ticket with a powerful ability, ording to the description, and to be honest, I''m excited. Getting stronger always is, and when progress is sudden, and you feel that rush of power, it is incredible. The ticket showed inside my mind, glowing brightly to the point of blinding me and showing a wheel that started spinning almost immediately. It went over many different abilities, all of which were powerful, and finally stopped at Vector Maniption. This ability feels like it was made for me. It would normally be unusable by an ordinary person because of all the calctions needed for it to work, but thanks to my eyes, which allow me to see even the smallest of details and Prediction Calction, it will fit right in with my other abilities. I''m satisfied with it, as its potential is immense. Now, let''s go with the 10 rolls of items. Again, a wheel appeared, and I won some items in quick session. Some were more useful than others, but the winner of this lottery was a manual. However, it wasn''t an ordinary manual but a Total Concentration Breathing manual. I think I''ve heard about it from somewhere, but after reading the description of the item, I understood the gist of it. It will allow me to be stronger and faster, have more stamina, as well as allowing me to create a breathing style. I''m strong now but oh boy, will I get stronger. Now, into the devil fruit. Having no seawater weakness is nice, but it will still be random. I know the saying that there are no bad devil fruits, only bad users, but there are still problems withpatibility. Once again, a wheel. I''m starting to see a pattern here, but all the badmouthing that I could start thinking stopped when I saw what devil fruit it had stopped. Cat Cat Fruit, Model: Byakko. This was incredible... just incredible. Cat Cat Fruit, Model: Byakko is a Mythical Zoan. I''m not sure what other abilities it may have other than being able to transform into a white tiger and its hybrid form since I''m not well-versed in Byakko lore. I guess I''ll figure them out in time and read some books and some sites on the Inte. Not everything will apply, but it will give me some ideas. Not wanting to wait any longer, I took the fruit out of inventory, causing Rin to raise an eyebrow at a strange fruit appearing seemingly out of thin air. The devil fruit was ck and white and shaped like a cat''s head. It didn''t look appetizing at all, but from what I remember, it tasted just as good as it looked. I bit into the fruit, and I almost grimaced and spit out the piece of fruit I attempted to eat, but I didn''t allow myself to waste any food, no matter how much it made me want to kill my taste buds. No matter how short time, living in poverty tends to teach you that lesson. That''s why I finished the whole fruit, even though only one bite would give me the powers. Immediately, I felt the power and instincts to transform myself. "So... are you going to share what you have just eaten? From the look on your face, I assume that it wasn''t tasty, and since you seem satisfied, it wasn''t for its taste." I couldn''t hide a lot from Rin, even if I wanted to, but I didn''t want to. Thankfully, it was better to show what it did than to tell. With some effort, as it was my first time, I made a pair of white tiger ears with ck stripes appear on top of my head. I instantly noticed that my hearing got better. "So the thing you ate allowed you to grow cat ears on top of your head?" I put my tiger ears back. "Tiger ears, to be exact. But that''s not the only thing I can do. I can at least turn into a real white tiger." "It looks cute on you, but I think fox ears would match you better." She didn''t even ask where I got it. It wasn''t important to her, and if it was something she should know, she knew I would tell her. That''s the trust we have with each other. We returned to ourfortable silence, and I had thest thing to do: use the ability upgrade. After (you guessed it) another wheel spin, it stopped on Prediction Calction. __________ Prediction Calction - 40 minutes a day, reset at midnight. The ability stays mostly the same, although it doesn''t cause a headache in the case of overusing and is faster than before. The time limit is doubled from the earlier 20 minutes per day. __________ It could be worse, but I''mpletely satisfied with all the things I have received. Thest thing I had to do was to check my pockets. Just like I put it away in my pocket before, although they were different clothes at that point in time, I took out Hogyoku. I didn''t have any ns with it, but it''s a powerful wish-granting rock. I don''t necessarily want to fuse with it, and I don''t even know if I could since it''s not aplete Hogyoku. Maybe I should give it to someone¡ªMikado or L. They would use it, maybe wisely. I put it back in my pocket. Then I noticed that I had a ne sitting around my neck and after checking on it it was Isamu''s Quincy ne. It thankfully got here together with me. We have been sitting on the roof for some time now, and I don''t remember how long I was up there before we were sent to Bleach World. I think we should start getting up and readying ourselves for sses, but a familiar and cheerful voice interrupted us. "Ryoto!!!" --- END Discord server: /Kurit (10 chapters ahead and exclusive illustrations.) Chapter 312: Shes back!!! Chapter 312: She''s back!!! (Ryoto''s pov) I turned my head to see a pink, bubbly ball of energy run to me and hug me. It felt warm, and for a moment, it stunned me. My arms stayed in the air for a moment, but after a short hesitation, I returned her hug. I closed my arms slowly around her and tightened my hold on her, but not in any way that would hurt her. As I embraced the girl in my arms, the only thing on my mind was, ''I''m home, L.'' But then I used Haki to feel her emotions, and I was bombarded with happiness, cheerfulness, trust, excitement, delight, and, most importantly, love. All these positive emotions in such a pure form mmed into me, and I felt like I could melt under her embrace. Sensing my strange behavior, L freed her face from my chest and looked at mine, tilting her head cutely. "Ryoto? There is something different about you..." She started thinking deeply about what was off about me. She looked cute as her brain worked hard to solve the mystery. I was about to tell her that I would exin to her what happened to me, but then she got an eureka moment. "I know! You are not sad anymore! Also, for some reason, your eyes are the same as Papa''s." I didn''t expect that. I mean, +200 years allowed me to ept myself. I needed to do that if I wanted to get stronger¡ªstrong enough to protect my family. So yeah, I''m not feeling as depressed about my past as I was before. I also guess that herment about my eyes was about how people''s eyes change after seeing so much death. I may not have been at a longsting war as our dear Emperor, but we''ve both seen people die in an unnatural amount. "I guess that I would need to exin some things." I sat down with L still clinging to me and looked at Rin. I wanted to share what happened to me with L, but I wouldn''t share Rin''s story if she didn''t want to. She nodded her head, telling me that it wasn''t a problem. She then took my hand into hers. It managed to calm me down a bit. "I guess there isn''t a way to say it gently, but I''ll try anyway. Remember how we traveled where Koro-sensei, Kaede, and Rio were? It happened again, and this time it was with Rin and much longer than before..."L followed my story with immense focus, hearing how serious I was, but her smile didn''t falter as my hand worked hard and gave her All the headpats she deserved. "How long was it?" Now that is a 1 000 000£¤ question, isn''t it. "It was about 270 years." Hearing my answer, I could feel L tightening her grip on me, and her expression turned to one of determination. "I''m not leaving Ryoto anymore! I''m happy that you feel better, but I wanted to be with Ryoto all this time." She then turned to Rin, then to me, then to Rin again, and finally back to me. "I''m happy that you weren''t alone. Also, does it mean that Ryoto is old?" "I''m not that old. There were a lot of older folk than me. Even Rin here is older than me." I joked a bit. "I''m only 1 year older, Ryoto. Could you stop making the same joke every time our agees up?" "No~." Now, back to the topic. "Now calm down, L. It wasn''t all bad. As you said, I wasn''t alone. Rin was there, and I also met some other people and also... I may have had... 5 children with them." I was waiting for some kind of reaction¡ªsurprise, annoyance, maybe anger, or abination of these¡ªbut I didn''t expect relief. "Then it''s all good. I''m still not leaving you alone. If you are going somewhere, I''ming with you!" I nced at Rin because I didn''t know how to react exactly. I really should have expected a reaction like this from L, but it still somehow surprised me. "Aren''t you angry that I basically created a family with 3 other women plus kind of another one and even had children with them?" I asked. "No. It was a long time, and you probably felt alone." She then inhaled quickly in excitement. "Can I meet them? They must be nice since they are with you. Also, can I see your children? They must be so cute, and I know they''ll get along with our child, too!" She was mostly excited about the news. "Eh... We don''t have any method at this time, but maybe we will in the future. Also, all of my children are adults at this point." "...But were they cute?" At her questions, I couldn''t help but smile proudly. "The cutest." "...I''m still not letting go of you." "And I wouldn''t dream of stopping you." --- DINGDONG We stayed a bit too long on the roof, and the break had already ended. "I guess we should get going. Rin, do you remember where your ss is?" Rin shook her head. "No, but I remember the general direction. I should still recognize some people, and the ss should bebelled so I''ll manage. I worked with you as my superior, and our Squad didn''t go up in mes. This will be much easier." She smirked at the end, and I couldn''t even rebuke her since I was prettyzy with my paperwork. But who can me me? These papers never end. They just keeping anding! I had better things to do. "Haha," A dryugh escaped my mouth. "Very funny, Rin. Unfortunately for you, I have zero remorse and will do it again. I am 85% sure Yama-jii created all this paperwork just to torture us. It may be an old man''s hobby for all I know." Now, with these words, we stood up, and L clung to me like a ko. It looks like she really meant what she said and didn''t n on letting me go. We went downstairs, and while L and I had our ss on the 2nd floor, Rin''s was on the 1st If I remember right, this will be our ''first'' ss today since before, it was only an assembly¡ªa very long assembly for some already forgotten reason. I entered the ssroom, and we were barely on time, so we didn''t have time to talk with anyone just yet. I sat on my seat¡ªor at least I thought it was my seat since it was thest of the two free ones. No one said anything, so I think I was safe. Next, an old teacher entered with funny sses with a swirling pattern. The first thing he mentioned was choosing the studentmittee member for this ss. There was only one candidate, and that was Yui Kotegawa herself¡ªor, as I like to call her, the Shameless Girl. She always calls everyone and everything shameless, so I think it''s funny to call her Shameless Girl. She was, of course, chosen because she was the only candidate. Democracy is a lie. She seemed satisfied with this, though. I was happy that she was pleased, but then she turned to me. "My first decision as a studentmittee member is to decrease the shamelessness of the most shameless student of all. Ryoto Yuuki!" Oh, that''s me. Did I ever do anything to earn her animosity? I don''t recall anything too serious. I was just messing around and... ooooh. I think I get it. "I, Ryoto Yuuki, respect yourmitment to the task. As such, I''ll reward you with a deal. I''ll minimize the exposure of my bare chest, and for today, you''ll drop this topic." "Nooooo!" I ignored the scream in the background. I knew it was made in a joking manner, although I could also feel that it was slightly genuine, and I extended my hand. Yui was faster than ever and grabbed my hand to shake it. "Deal!" Poor Yui. She doesn''t understand that she is a sucker, but today, I didn''t have the energy to mess with her, so I allowed her to feel victorious. Besides, if she ever discovered that I have a tattoo now, she would lose it. Completely lose it, I mean. --- The ss went on as usual, but I wasn''t paying attention. My whole focus was on L, and I was entirely focused on her emotions. It was just so novel to feel all the positiveness for once. It''s not like Rin, Yoruichi, or Isame didn''t have this warm feeling to them, but L is something else. It''s likeparing my fire with Yama-jii''s fire. The ss finally ended, and the time seemed to fly by. After all, it''s true that time seems to pass faster when you are having a good time. I didn''t stay to talk with anyone again and escaped the ssroom before anyone noticed. Years of practice won''t be defeated by normal high schoolers unless they are protagonists in Shounen manga, and while Rito may ssify, he doesn''t have the ability to do so. My next stop was the infirmary, and unsurprisingly, Rin was approaching us. I didn''t ask her to do it, but she knew that it would be appreciated if she came. I came in without knocking¡ªagain, a bad habit¡ªand approached the alien doctor and the school nurse on the side. "Long time no see Mikado-sensei. How are you today?" The aforementioned nurse raised her eyebrow in confusion, but it wasn''t at L''s imitation of a ko. "We saw each other two days ago during L''s..." She looked at Rin, and I realized that she was trying to hide her pregnancy as she began talking before she noticed Rin. "She knows." Ryouko nodded, but still curious, she didn''t ask about it and continued talking as she crossed her legs as if she was showing them off, but I remember her telling me that it was just morefortable for her. "I see. Never mind, then. How can I help you?" Before I could answer, everyone in the room turned their heads at the sudden noise of a trail falling to the floor. There, we could see a shaking Oshizu in a dogeza position with her head being pressed into the floor "P-p-p-p-please d-d-don''t t-t-t-take my s-soul." --- END Discord server: /Kurit (10 chapters ahead and exclusive illustrations.) Chapter 313: Home Chapter 313: Home (Ryoto''s pov) I was looking down at Oshizu as she was begging for her life. I''m honestly surprised that she didn''t leave her body, which is literally Gigai outside of Bleach when I think about it. Maybe her fear of being killed (Ha!) makes her stay in her body. I was never good at sending souls to Soul Society, even if¡ªon paper¡ªit was my job. I turned to Rin to ask her to take care of the situation. I don''t believe she was aware that the nurse''s assistant was a ghost in a fake body, but she sensed that Oshizu was not an ordinary girl. "We are not here to im your soul. We retired, but I could send you to the otherworld if you want to, I think." Our residential ghost rxed slightly, but she was still on guard against us. "N-n-no t-thank you, S-S-S-S-Shinigami-sama." She also didn''t dare raise her head even after Rin confirmed that we weren''t here to get her. Meanwhile, Rin realized something when she spoke to Oshizu. She turned to me with a questioning look. "We retired... right? "...I mean, I left our resignation letter to Yama-jii... when he was out of the office and wouldn''t be there for a long time, so I wouldn''t need to tell him that to his face..."I avoided looking her in the eyes, and the realization hit her. "Oh my God. You didn''t tell Captain Commander about our departure. Are you aware of what he''ll do to us when he finds out!? He''ll speed up global warming and literally blow up walls of the multiverse to get to us!" Rin was rightfully panicking as Yama-jii had a certain reputation, but I quickly calmed her down. "Don''t worry, Rin. I thought of it and did something to prevent it." Rin calmed, hearing my confidence. "I left my favorite lollipop vor there together with the letter." And just as quickly as her mood improved, it plummeted down. "We are doomed." Rin''s head dropped low, and I quickly rested my hand on her head. "Don''t worry, Rin, I was just joking. I did leave a lollipop, but it wasn''t the only thing I did. I cashed as many favors as I could and even did some work so it wouldst for some time. He''ll forgive us. He feels indebted to us, especially me, for finishing something he couldn''t." This was the end of our conversation, so I pped my hands to change the solemn mood. "Now, Mikado-sensei. You asked how you can help me. With another examination, of course! We are in need of your expertise. There have been a lot of changes since Ist saw you." Ryouko looked at Oshizu, who was still kneeling on the floor and then turned back to me. "I assume that whatever you want me to check has to do with Oshizu''s reaction." I gestured ''kind of'' with my hand. "It''s a part of it, yes, but there is much more for you to see. I even doubt that you''ll manage to test everything in one day." That picked her interest. "You really know how to pick a girl''s interest, don''t you." I smirked. "That I do. But I''m also a massive tease. That''s why we are doing this tomorrow. For a small preview, look into Rin''s eyes." Mikado followed my direction and started observing Rin''s eyes. For the first time, she noticed her heterochromia. Mikado is a school nurse, so she should know that Rin didn''t have this condition before, so I bet it was a surprise. I was even more surprised when I heard what Mikado had to say after seeing these eyes. "...Why does her blue eye have a simr feeling to your eyes, Ryoto?" "I''m impressed Mikado-sensei. Only one nce, and you are already on the right track. I''ll exin everything I can tomorrow before the examination. I already have ns for today." Our nurseposed herself, but I could see unimaginable curiosity twinkling with a bit of madness sprinkled in there. I''m very familiar with these eyes since Kisuke had a simr look whenever he found something interesting to research. Rin realized the same thing if her emotions were any indication. "I see. Then I can''t wait until tomorrowes~." Mikado-sensei said, and glee could be heard in her voice. I''m starting to think that maybe it wasn''t the best idea to ask Mikado-sensei for help when she went almost full mad scientist with my blood back in the day, but I trust her enough to keep my secrets. As they say, ''Never lie to your doctor orwyer''. We then said our goodbyes to our doctor and, still kneeling, Oshizu, we exited the infirmary. Now that all that was done, all I had left to do was return home. Yes, home. It feels strange to think like that. I had a home in Seireitei, but there is something different about your first home. "Let''s go home, L." "Yes!" L answered enthusiastically. How I missed her cheerful personality. It was also time for me to separate from Rin. I know that we can never be separated again, even if we would be on opposite sides of the world, but it felt strange to return home and go in two different directions. We didn''t need to say anything to each other, and we both knew that if anything happened and we needed the other, we would rush to the other as quickly as possible. The way home was... confusing. I''m going to be honest and say that I didn''t remember the exact way home. Some things were familiar, but the whole path was not clear. Thankfully, I had L attached to my body, who acted as my navigator. As I arrived at the Yuuki household, I saw Celine, the nt that L got for me on my birthday. She is my favorite nt, and I can''t wait to sleep under her shade once more. I tried many different trees, but nothingpared to her. "Ryoto?" L called me because I wasn''t entering the house. I was just standing there and staring at it. I was getting a bit emotional, but after many years of life as an assassin taught me how to hide these emotions. "It''s nothing. Let''s get inside." And so I did. I opened the door, and I immediately noticed that L and I weren''t the first to get back home. Mikan was already there, and hearing someone opening the door, she came to the entrance to check who it was. She was eating a vani popsicle. "Ryoto? You are early. Weren''t you supposed to wait for Nagisa-kun, Karma-kun, Kaede-san, and Rio-san to return home with them?" Did I promise something like that? I can''t quite remember, but if that''s true, then I feel a bit bad. I suddenly remembered about Ritsu, an A.I. who lived rent-free in my smartphone. I took out my phone from my pocket. "Ritsu, can you please inform everyone that something urgent happened, and I went home earlier than nned." Ritsu appeared on my screen, and she saluted. "Yes, I''ll inform them immediately, Ryoto." I smiled at her. "Thank you, Ritsu. You are wonderful." She would be very helpful with all the paperwork in Soul Society. I put my phone back and turned to Mikan, who seemed worried. It seems my words were badly interpreted. I whispered to L''s ear to give me some space, but she didn''t want to, although, with some persuasive words, she reluctantly let go of me. I gave her a chaste kiss on her cheek as a thank you. I approached Mikan until I was standing in front of her. "Did something happen, Ryoto?" She asked, but the only answer she got was a hug from me. I would have hugged Rito back in school, but I didn''t want to embarrass him in front of the ss. Mikan panicked as I picked her up off the ground. "R-Ryoto!? Put me down! Don''t treat me like a child!" Her protest stopped as she realized that my body was shaking slightly. It was just my emotions trying to have an out but I didn''t want to let them. "I missed you, Mikan." My little sister, who was a bit too mature for her age, realized that something was not right. "What happened, Ryoto." This time, the question was said much more gently. I finally put her down and looked in the eyes. "More than you could guess. I''ll exin when everyone gets back. In the meantime, how about we make some snacks together." She agreed, and I realized something. I got a bit used to having only one arm, and it showed as I worked my magic. I also forgot where most tools were kept, and Mikan looked strangely at me when I asked. We didn''t do anything fancy, so we were done fairly fast. I also need to mention that L reattached herself to me. Mikan was already used to L''s antics, so she didn''t even mention it. "By the way, Ryoto. Someone dropped a package for you." Now, that was something surprising. I don''t remember ordering anything, but that isn''t saying much at this point, so I went to check it out. It wasn''t a big package, but it wasn''t small either. The only information on it was to whom it was sent, and the sender''s name and the sender''s name were what made my eyes go wide. It was a package from Karen. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/dQhGHSV4n9 Chapter 314: Explaining Chapter 314: Exining (Ryoto''s pov) Package from Karen. I really didn''t expect to receive anything from her except maybe some insults. "Who is it from?" Mikan asked as she looked at me, observing the box. "An old friend. Let''s see what''s inside." I decided to open it. Maybe during our separation, she mellowed down and sent me something nice. Inside the package, there were three pieces of paper folded in half on top of something that looked like a thick book. The pieces of paper had numbers on them, so I assumed that this was the order in which I was supposed to open them and either read them or see what was inside. I picked the paper with ''1'' on it, opened it, and immediately ripped it in half with a straight face, burning it with fire while still holding it. Mikan raised her eyebrow at my reaction. "Ryoto, what was that music?""Don''t worry about it." I may have kept a straight face, but inside, I was disappointed in myself for falling for a Rick Roll. I am also kind of impressed since it was a piece of paper with a video on it. God dammit, Karen. I took the second piece of paper which this time it was with number 3 on it since I''m 99% sure that number 2 is just another Rick Roll, opened it, ripped it in half again, and destroyed it with fire. Now I''m starting to get annoyed. Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me. I don''t n on falling for it three times in a row, so I took thest piece of paper and attempted to rip it before I even opened it, but I couldn''t do it. I was literally not strong enough to tear a mere piece of paper, which raised some questions. The previous two papers were destroyed easily enough, so if this one wasn''t, it meant it was important. After all, you can''t destroy a key item. I carefully opened thest piece of paper, but this time, I wasn''t met with an image of a famous singer. It was a normal letter, so I started reading it. __________ Dear Ryoto, First thing, Ha! I bet you fell for these 2 Rick Rolls. You can''t beat a ssic, can you? Suckers gonna suck, and you, my dear, are an elite sucker in front of me. But enough of your naivety, and let''s talk about what this all is about. Unfortunately, as you probably have already noticed, you won''t get missions for some time. You''ll live. You survived Ywhach, and you''ll survive anything these words throw at you... probably. I think I just jinxed you. Oh well. Whatever happens, happens. Now, into what''s in the box. I''m sure you are wondering what it is or what is inside. I know that you love Rick Astley, so it''s a photo album of his whole life. Just kidding! But can you imagine if I did that? I was tempted to do it¡ªreally tempted¡ªbut my willpower won this time around, and I did something different. You see, you were gone for some time, and it made me feel bored, and me being bored is never a good thing, so I volunteered yourself as my entertainment for the time being. It''s not stalking if I did that before as a work! And I mentioned it just because I know you were thinking about it! Back on topic. I was somehow truthful before because this book is a photo album. Just not Rick Astley''s. It''s many different photos of your time in Soul Society. I know that you are a sentimental little shit, and I was worried that you would cry yourself to death otherwise. So you better be thankful! There is also a pen drive if you want a digital version of the photos. Aren''t I just the most considerate person you have ever met? Call me St. Nichs because I just keep on giving! Well, I don''t think I have anything else to say so I guess, see youter. __________ Huh... I couldn''t stop my mouth from forming a smile after I finished reading Karen''s letter. There were many moments when I would have liked to take a photo, but cameras weren''t invented just yet. "So... what is it?" Mikan couldn''t stop her curiosity as she asked me about the content of the package. "Did I exin to you how L and I know Rio and Kaede?" I started answering with a question, and Mikan, despite not knowing where I was going with this, answered me almost immediately. "You didn''t go into details, but in short, the multiverse is real, and you were transported to another world for one reason or another. Did you already forget what you told me just a few days ago? I didn''t think you were old enough to worry about dementia." Thest bit was said with a smirk, but she didn''t know how close she was to the truth. Few days ago? It''s as if jokes write themselves. "So now that we established that I travelled to a different world once before, I''m going to tell you that it happened again, and this here-" I picked the album. "-is a photo album of my time there." My little sister didn''t have a big reaction to my revtion. "And you may wonder how long I was out there if the album is so thick. The answer to this question is 270 years." Her eyes went wide, and she stopped eating her popsicle as she looked me in the eyes. She didn''t have any reasons to doubt me, and I wouldn''t joke about something like that with a serious expression. My previous actions made more sense in retrospect¡ªwhy I acted so emotionally and why I had problems in the kitchen. "Ryoto... are you alright?" That was the first question she asked after hearing that I had been gone for almost three centuries, and it really warmed my heart. I smiled and put my hand on her head once more. "I am now. Let''s go through all these photos when everyonees back. There are even a few stories I can share." And so we waited. In the meantime, I yed with Utsu, watched the penguins do their things, and went to my room to refresh my memories. Suddenly, I heard doors opening loudly as if they were opened in a hurry. ""Ryoto!!!"" Rio and Kaede rushed into the house, and behind them, Nagisa and Karma. "Is everything alright? We got a message from Ritsu that an emergency urred, and you went home earlier. Are you feeling sick? Did something happen?" It seems Ritsu didn''t go into details when she passed my message. "Something kind of happened. I''ll exin everything when Ritoes back. I don''t want to repeat myself too much." Their worries were still visible, but they didn''t push me for answers. (Rin''s pov) The whole day was confusing, to say the least. Being back here in Sainan Town was like a dream, even though Ryoto promised me that we woulde back someday, and I know how he is with promises. After setting a time for an examination with Mikado-sensei, I returned to Saki...-sama and Aya''s side. It still feels strange to be under someone weaker than me. For the longest time, my superiors were all stronger than I was. Be it Ryoto, when he was Captain of Squad 7, or when I was promoted, there was still Captain Commander up there. Saki...-sama is someone who is important to me. My whole existence before my time in Soul Society was dedicated to her... but things have changed... I have changed. I also used a Kido so my eyes looked their original colour. It''s nothing too impressive but it works as intended. "Rin, is everything alright?" I was broken out of my thoughts by Saki, who looked worried. "There''s nothing to worry about, Saki-sama." I was d I remembered to call Saki, Saki-sama, and I even did it without an awkward pause. "I''m not convinced, Rin. You were absent-minded after you came from spying on Ryoto-sama. You didn''t even react when the teacher called you." He called me by my old surname, Kujo, and I haven''t used it for a long time¡ªI think it''s ~200 years. I don''t remember the exact date I asked Ryoto if I could use Yuuki as my new surname. It feels like I have been called Rin Yuuki my whole life. "Both of you don''t need to worry. I have a few things in my mind. That''s all." I don''t like lying to my first-ever friends, but it wasn''t exactly a lie. I had a lot on my mind, but the severity of this fact will certainly be underestimated. --- We went back to Saki''s vi. I then realized that I didn''t think of it as my home anymore. Home is where the heart is, and my heart is with Ryoto and our small, big, strange family. I''m already missing our children. I hope they eat enough and stay out of trouble. We were about to eat dinner, and by habit, I went to the kitchen to start preparing meals for everyone until I saw the chef. I quickly backed away and waited patiently for food to arrive. I''m not used to living rich like that. After we joined Gotei 13, we started getting paid, but we still lived modestly. Even after, we all lived together in a house big enough to fit all of us. We had everything we needed and sometimes a bit more, but it was mostly for children. During the dinner, I didn''t talk much, but Saki did, and it was mostly about Ryoto. To be young and in love¡ªwhat a refreshing thing to see. In the meantime, I noticed that Aya hadn''t finished her veggies, so I reminded her to eat them. "Aya, don''t leave any food on your te. Wasting food is uneptable." I may have said it with more edge than I intended, but in my defense, it''s one of the worst things one can do outside of the battlefield, at least in my opinion. Aya and Saki were surprised at me. I think I wasn''t one to care about things like that before, but living in the slums does make you appreciate any and all food. I was barely hungry thanks to Ryoto and his stealing, but when he returned injured and went into aa, I was forced to do what he did, and it wasn''t easy. Aya thankfully started eating her greens, but she muttered something about me acting like her mom. Realization hit me. Oh my God... I''m old enough to be at least their great great great grandmother, although I act more like a mother since I never became a grandmother, even though I wouldn''t mind some grandchildren to spoil. After dinner, I suddenly felt the need to call my father. It wasn''t because of my emotions, however. I felt Ryoto being emotional, and it was connected to his family. These feelings were powerful, and because I could feel them despite how well Ryoto was at hiding and controlling them, it meant they were powerful. My rtionship with my father isplicated or business-like if I''m forced to be more specific. He is the head butler of the Tenjouin household and is loyal to Saki''s father, just as I was loyal to Saki. Talking to my father, who was, in fact, younger than me, was an interesting experience, and in the end, I was happy that I did it. Then, I again realized something I didn''t think I wanted to notice. My father tends to have his eyes closed, just like Ryoto does. Do I have Daddy issues, and I''m somehowparing how Ryoto looks with how my father looks? I heard that women are likely to choose a husband who is simr to their father, just like men tend to choose a wife who is simr to their mother. The human mind is strange like that. Suddenly, I''m happy that Yoruichi isn''t here to notice that. She wouldn''t let me forget that small detail. All of a sudden, I felt Ryoto wanting to see me. It wasn''t longing because of loneliness or anything like that, but it piqued my interest. Not to mention that it gave me an excuse to see him, not that I needed any. I opened a window from my room and used Shunpo in the direction of Ryoto. (Ryoto''s pov) Rito soon came home, and first I did was to hug him which flustered my younger brother. We then ate dinner together. Apparently, it was Mikan''s turn to cook, but I''m sure it was just an excuse to let me rx a bit after she learned how long I had been in another world. Not that I remember if she was lying or not. Then, I gathered everyone in the living room. I let my feeling of wanting Rin toe here out, and momentster, I heard the doorbell ringing. Everyone was confused because we weren''t expecting anyone¡ªeveryone except me, of course. "I think you got slower, Rin. Yoruichi would be so disappointed." I jokingly remarked, at which Rin rolled her beautiful eyes. "Using Shunpo in this body was more challenging than I thought, but I got the hang of it halfway here." She exined herself and then addressed the elephant in the room. "What happened? I wasn''t expecting us to meet up before our examination." "I got a present from an old friend. I thought you would enjoy it as well. What do you think about having a showcase of photos of our time in Soul Society?" I smirked as I saw a shock on Rin''s face. She wasn''t expecting it, and to be fair, neither was I. I weed her home, and now that I think about it, it should have been the first time she came here. We entered the living room, where everyone was, and I stood in front of them together with Rin. I coughed to make everyone silent, and now that I had their attention, I began exining. "I know that everyone is wondering what was going on with me today, and now I''m going to rify everything. First of all to get everyone on the same page. I''m a world traveller. It happens sometimes, and every time it happens, time stops, and I return at the exact moment I left, no matter how long I stayed there. Be it a week, a month, a year, or even a hundred years. And this time, I was gone for 270 years, and Rin here next to me was there with me." "W-w-wait, Nii-san. What are you saying!?" Rito eximed, and he wasn''t alone. Everyone who hadn''t heard of my recent adventure was just as surprised, although Karma was the only one who hid it well, narrowing his eyes slightly. "Hooo~ Almost three centuries, and you still look the same, but I can guess it has to do with multi-world travel. How you survived all these years is a better question. It''s beyond human lifespan." "Great question, Karma-kun, and the answer is fairly simple. We were technically dead. We were in a world called Soul Society, which is a world after death, and we became Shinigami there. And before anyone asks for proof, I have two. Proof number 1 or rather Bakudo #1 Sai." I pointed with my index and middle fingers at Karma as I used Kido, and suddenly, the red-haired teen unwillingly brought his arms together behind his back and fell to the ground. "What-!?" The wave of shock spread through everyone as Karma suddenly lost control of his body. Nagisa who was the closest to his best friend started checking on him the moment he noticed something was wrong but the attention shifted from Karma to me once again when I started exining what I just did. "What I just used is Kido. You can think of it as a spell that uses Reiryoku, which you can think of as Soul energy. This particr Kido is harmless and just restricts your movements, meaning that I can do this." I took out a lollipop and forced it into his mouth. Next, I brought a marker and drew a mustache on him. Karma couldn''t do anything as I finished my masterpiece. My action had a second purpose. It also calmed everyone in the room seeing that I was just messing around and it wasn''t anything dangerous. "You see, as I just demonstrated, I can use Kido. This one is the weakest and easiest of the bunch. I''m not very talented in them, but as you can see, I can still use them." I deactivated Kido on Karma, and he immediately spit out the lollipop and started wiping the marker off his face with a dangerous re and smile. He still hadn''t learned how to treat lollipops with respect.I''ll need to teach him about that in the future. "And what is the second proof?" He asked as he stood up while ring at me, probably thinking about revenge. "d you asked my young assistant. Rin, let''s show them our partners." Of course, Rin understood what I meant, but not anyone else in the room. Both of us put our hands in front of and summoned our Zanpakuto. "This is Zanpakuto, and every Shinigami has it. It allows us to purify spirits and send them to Soul Society. I''m not sure if this function still works since we are in a different world, but besides that, it also has different abilities depending on the user." I saw a few heads nodding as they were following mine exnation. Then we followed it by releasing Shikai, and our des changed their shapes which to be fair caused much more uproar. While Rin''s Zanpakuto didn''t change much mine did. "This is called Shikai, and it''s a released form of our Zanpakuto. In it, the swords often change their shapes and sometimes gain abilities." Rin then continued my exnation. "My Zanpakuto, Tsunagari, can connect two things with each other. For example, if I cut a rock and then your arm, they will be connected in some way or another. In this example, I usually connect their weight so that the arm or any other body part feels heavier. There is one more form above Shikai, but it''s better not to show it. They are our trump cards and are incredibly powerful. Ryoto could probably cut this city in half if he wanted by using Bankai." I could probably do it in Shikai, but I''m not going to mention it as I saw everyone except L to widen their eyes. L was more excited more than anything. Rin demonstrated Tsunagari''s ability to showcase her power and that she is telling the truth. She didn''t do anything shy, but it was enough to convince everyone. Everyone who was part of ss 3-E had more calm reaction thanks to all crazy things we went through with Koro-sensei. L was very curious about the ability and I bet she will built a machine that does something simr. I doubt that she will ever seed in making something as powerful as Tsunagari but as long as she has fun doing that who I am to stop her. Rito was the most shaken but that''s who he is as a person. Mikan despite her maturity was having a st seeing the supernatural abilities. She wasn''t that impressed when she saw my fights before. I don''t get young people. "Now that we have some background on our situation, let me finally share why I gathered you all here. It was partially because I wanted to share what happened to Rin and me, but I also stumbled upon something interesting." I disyed the album I got from Karen. This is a photo album of Rin and my adventures there, so how about we look through them together as Rin and I exin the details surrounding them?" So I sat in the center after they made space for me and opened the album to see the first photo. --- END Discord server: /Kurit (10 chapters ahead and exclusive illustrations.) Chapter 315: The reward Chapter 315: The reward (Ryoto''s pov) I''ll kill Karen. I''ll kill Karen. I''ll kill Karen. I''ll kill Karen. I''ll kill Karen. I''ll kill Karen. I''ll! Kill! Karen!!! ""Ryoto!!! What is the meaning of this!?"" Mikan and Rio demanded answers after they saw thest batch of photos. All went fine at the beginning. There were photos of my and Rin''s time in Rukongai District, and as we went through the photos, we exined some things. Thankfully, there weren''t any pictures of my first assassination, but there were after when I was injured. Mikan and Rito were the most shaken by the image of their big brother in that state. L, too, tightened her grip on me, but I reassured them that it was over 200 years ago and everything was already healed. This made them realize that I wasn''t there to y around. Then, photos of our time at Shinigami Academy. All went as one expected from school life with a supernatural twist. That is, until our first mission in the world of the living, or rather, what happened after. I remember vividly that night because it was my very first foursome, and of course, Karen took multiple photos of that night! They may not have been +18 but it was clear what have happened. Karma attempted to make multiple copies of these photos, but I stopped him before he could even try. The difference between our speeds is just too big. Rin looked a bit ashamed to see what had happened in the past. Kaede wasn''t even that angry but just dejected as she looked at the difference between herself and my lovers in the photo. The difference was noticeable. Of course, all pictures didn''t show any private parts or weren''t taken during the ''deed'', and that''s small mercies. They did, however, show my scars and tattoos.Before everyone started firing off questions left and right, I began defending myself. "In my defense, I was drunk, and I just escaped a life-and-death situation. Besides, it could get worse." "How?" Nagisa inquired. "Well... if we look further down the album, you''ll know the answer, but I believe we can take a break for now. We can continue our viewing in the future because I''m afraid all of you are having a heart attack at this point. We didn''t even get to some other stuff that will make you question reality." "Question." Karma put his arm in the air as he made a question. "We''ve seen that you kept scars from the earlier photos, and you even got a tattoo. Did you keep them when you returned?" Perceptive as always, Karma asked. "I did." To prove it, I rolled my sleeve to show my dragon tattoo, but there was a small difference between what I have on my right arm and what was shown in the photo. I have an additional scar near the tattoo that made it look like a dragon was breathing out fire. I would show them my whole body, but I''m afraid it would be too much of a shock for everyone at once. Mikan and L will see them in the bath tonight unless Mikan doesn''t want to join. Karma, on the other hand, narrowed his eyes in suspicion until they widened in realization. It was a scar that didn''t show in the photos, meaning that I probably had more of these. Karma was many things, prankster, smart, talented, and jerk, but he wasn''t a dick when it would hurt his friends. That''s why he smoothly changed the topic. "But really? Four girls at the same time? What would Koro-sensei say? He would think that you became a delinquent." He exaggerated and put his arm on his forehead as if the sole idea of me being a delinquent was physically hurting him. However, I focused on a convenient opportunity for a scene transition. "Then why don''t we go and ask him?" I asked, and this question caused silence to spread throughout the room. "What do you mean? You mean asking his spirit? Is it a Shinigami thing?" Rio tried to rationalize my words, and her guess wasn''t half bad and made sense. I decided to make a gesture to make all of the people here follow me to the garden. When we were outside, I started exining some things... again. Wow, today must be the exposition day because I keep exining things. "You didn''t think I kept traveling the multiverse because of some ident. No, I made a deal, and this time, one of my rewards is... this!!!" I brought Namekian''s Dragon Balls out of the system. Some people recognized these wishing orbs, and their mouths hung open. I smirked at their reaction, but I didn''tment and focused on summoning the dragon. "Come forth, eternal dragon, and grant my wish!" With that phrase spoken, the seven big orange balls glowed, the sky be dark as night and the light from them shot up, creating an enormous Chinese-like dragon that was more buff than he had any reason to be. "State your wish." His voice was deep, but it also felt like it was going through your whole body. I also just now realized that I didn''t need to speak Namekian. Lucky me, I guess. It would be very awkward if I said all of that and couldn''t summon the dragon. Now, all my hard work would finally pay off¡ªeverything I went through for this sole moment. I was fidgety, nervous, excited, and tense¡ªI felt all these opposite emotions at the same time. But before making that specific wish, I want to try something. "For my first wish... I want you to bring back to life everyone that I regret killing." "I can only bring back one person at a time. Resurrecting multiple people with one wish is beyond my power." I expected as much. It was a long shot, but I wanted to at least try. n A it is. "Then bring Koro-sensei back." For a few seconds, nothing happened, and even I started to worry that it didn''t work, but finally, the dragon''s eyes glowed with power. It blinded everyone here, and when the light subdued, a new person appeared in the garden. It was an Octopus-like humanoid wearing a ck academic dress, a small ck squarish mortarboard cap with a yellow tassel, and arge ck tie with a yellow crescent-shaped moon. He looked disoriented and looked around, and then he turned towards us, and I swear his eyes widened, but before he could say a word, all former members of ss 3-E tackled him. L was with them, and it was the first time she let go of me since earlier today. Everyone cried as they hugged their middle school teacher. Koro-sensei was confused, but his confusion quickly turned into happiness as he returned the hug with his tentacles. I also approached Koro-sensei, but I didn''t jump into him. I stood above him as hey down under his former students. He noticed and looked at me. I, in return, smiled. "I said it wasn''t a goodbye, but see you soon." --- END Discord server: /Kurit (10 chapters ahead and exclusive illustrations.) Chapter 316: An end of a day Chapter 316: An end of a day (Ryoto''s pov) Koro-sensei tapped everyone who was on top of him to let him stand up and while reluctantly and some with tears of happiness in their eyes, they all stood up in the end. Mikan, Rito, and Rin hadn''t seen Koro-sensei before, so they all reacted in their own way. Rin didn''t have much of a reaction, though. Both of us have seen a lot of things in our lives. My siblings, however, were more expressive, with both of their eyes wide open, although Mikan was the first to calm herself down, and shortly after, Rito did as well. We both live with an alien, after all, and my eyes aren''t human. I also don''t remember if I ever mentioned Koro-sensei to them. I may or may not do that. Now, free from his former students'' clutches, Koro-sensei turned to me. "d to see you again, Yuuki-kun. Truly, it is. I can''t even believe that I''m able to say these words again, but seeing you again, I can only see how much you''ve grown as a person, and I couldn''t be more proud." Koro-sensei said to me with a gentle tone, and it nearly caused me to tear up. God dammit, you ninja and your onions. But I also noticed how he said I had grown, and he didn''t mean my height. He noticed the look in my eyes. An assassin recognized another assassin, but he also saw that I wasn''t a cold machine made for killing. He could see that there was still warmth in my eyes despite my profession, not to mention my love for my family. Just what I expected from Koro-sensei. He also didn''t mention anything about it because of everyone around here. "Despite my happiness, I would like to know how you managed the impossible and brought me back to life."I didn''t answer vocally, but I turned my eyes towards the gigantic dragon in the air. Koro-sensei followed my line of vision, and realizing what he was looking at, his head whished back and forth from the dragon to me in panic. "Is it-?" "Yep." "But-" "I went for a walk and found them." That was the end of this discussion because something else caught my teacher''s attention. "But shouldn''t the dragon disappear after making a wish?" Look at that. Koro-sensei knows his lore, but he doesn''t know it well enough, it looks. "I still have two wishes. Speaking of which..." Again, I spoke to a wish-granting dragon. "For my second wish, I want you to bring Kaede''s big sister back to life." This wish caused the most shock to Koro-sensei and Kaede. My green-haired girlfriend was the second reason I chose the normal difficulty. With ordinary Dragon Ball, there would be more restrictions with a wish to resurrect both of them without big consequences, but I also needed a third wish for something special. As I spoke my wish, the dragon''s eyes glowed again, and the body of a woman appeared in a garden. She was a beautiful, fair-skinned young woman with short ck hair that had bangs swept to the left side. It was worth mentioning that while she was petite, her bust wasrge inparison. Her eyes were closed, but it wasn''t long before they ttered a bit and finally opened themselves. Just like Koro-sensei, she was confused, then became even more confused as she remembered herst memory, and then became even more confused as she looked around, not recognizing her surroundings. She didn''t get a chance to act even more confused as she was tackled, and it was the second time someone had been tackled in my garden. "Nee-chan, it''s really you, right?" While Kaede''s sister may have been confused -did I mention that she was confused- she recognized her sister despite her changed appearance, and immediately, her big sister instincts kicked in, and she startedforting her younger sibling. "Yes, Akari, it''s me. I don''t know how, but I''m here. If it isn''t the work of some kind of God, then I don''t know how I am again able to hug you." I mean... I am some kind of god. In name only, of course, but Shinigami are gods of death, and also,pared to ordinary people, I''m immensely powerful. Just like a human may seem like a god to a monkey, I also could be perceived as such. I''m just ying with the idea. I really don''t think of myself as a god in any way or capacity. And I''m not saying that just because I could feel Rin''s exasperation directed at me. I don''t know how she is able to read my mind like that because I know that she can''t do that because of our connection. Otherwise, I would be able to do that as well. We all allowed the sisters to have their moment, even Koro-sensei, though he wanted to speak with that woman just as much as Kaede did. There was silence in the garden until Kaede''s sister finally looked around. Her eyesnded on Koro-sensei, and her eyes went wide. "You-" "I, Aguri-san, I never thought I would see you ever again. As it is the first time we have met that way, let me reintroduce myself. My name is Koro-sensei, Aguri-san. It''s nice to meet you." Hearing ''Sensei'' in his name, now named Aguri smiled warmly, knowing that Koro-sensei had fulfilled the promise he had made to her. "Nice to meet you Koro-sensei, I''m Aguri Yukimura." They shook their hand/tentacle to celebrate their re-meeting. *Cough Cough* I coughed to gather everyone''s attention. "I don''t want to ruin the moment, but I don''t want to have a giant buff dragon in the air any longer than necessary. I am sure that someone has already called the police. Maybe military, and I want him to vanish before they arrive. No offense." I said thest part to the dragon, but he didn''t acknowledge it anyway... Dick. "Excuse me, but who are you?" Aguri asked me a bit sheepishly as she didn''t want to sound rude, but it was a fairly important question. In return, I took her hand in a handshake and shook it vigorously. "Ryoto Yuuki, your sister''s boyfriend, 2nd year at Sainan High, a former student of Koro-sensei, former Shinigami and former Captain of Squad 7 and 2, respectively, and probably future Emperor of the Milky Way Gxy. Nice to meet you." "You are Akari''s boyfriend!!? But she''s still a baby!!!" "...That''s what you focus on? I''ll exin everythingter. For now, let''s go with my third and final wish." I turned to the dragon. "I wish for Koro-sensei to turn human." If Koro-sensei stayed as he was, there was a possibility that the government would go after him again. This time, I would be able to stop the assassination attempt on him. I could stop the whole country from killing him, but he wouldn''t want me to sacrifice my safety, my home, family, and friends for him, so I found another way. By turning Koro-sensei back into a human, I would solve this problem and give him another chance at life. My genius must be frightening toe up with an idea like this, and I won''t disagree with that. Another blinding light was caused by a dragon, and the next moment, in Koro-sensei''s ce, was a blonde-looking man wearing Koro-sensei''s clothes. He seemed confused as he examined his body. Then he looked at me, and I could see gratitude in his eyes. With myst wish granted, the eternal dragon vanished, and so did the dragon balls. However, unlike the original set, they didn''t fly in seven different directions and waited to recharge so they could be used again. No, they vanished from this world. I could have guessed that they weren''t reusable, but that didn''t mean I wasn''t a bit disappointed. The sky also returned to normal. Now that I was done with wishes there was one thing to do and it was to make some sense of the situation for the resurrected duo. --- "So let me get this straight." Aguri started. "You." She pointed at me. "Are Akari''s, sorry, Kaede''s boyfriend." I nodded. "And you also have other girlfriends." "And fianc¨¦es." I corrected. "Right, fianc¨¦es. But anyway, you were Koro-sensei''s student together with Akari, and you were the same age, but you are older now because..." "Multiverse shenanigans." "Fascinating. And because of yet another... multiverse shenanigan... you brought Koro-sensei and me back to life. Did I get everything right?" Aguri finished her summarisation and took a sip of the tea that Mikan had prepared. "I think it covers the most important things, yes." I answered as I took out a lollipop and put it in my mouth. I was expecting her to be in more shock after experiencing something unnatural like that. "I see... I''ll probably freak out tomorrow when the realization that all of this is real hits me, but now when I''m still calm, as Akari''s sister, I want you to take care of her and make her happy despite your... unusual rtionship." She bowed her head, and I did the same as a show of respect. "There''s no need to ask me for something I already nned on doing." It was getting prettyte, and the whole day had been very emotional, so all of us went to bed early. Aguri and Koro-sensei stayed at our house as they didn''t have a ce of their own, and Rin returned to her own home after we shared a short kiss. I also showered alone today as I believed it was enough of shocking revtions for one day. All in all, the day was very eventful and filled with happy and emotional moments. I hope that tomorrow will be a bit calmer. --- END Discord server: /Kurit (10 chapters ahead and exclusive illustrations.) Chapter 317: A cat Chapter 317: A cat (Ryoto''s pov) I woke up in an unfamiliar bed, and I was immediately on guard, but I rxed the next moment, remembering where I was. Right... I''m back home, and while still nostalgic, it feels alien. I just need to get used to it. As they say, time heals all. Next to me was a girl''s body, and it felt strange. Not that there was someone next to me, but there was only one other person here. Usually, there were at least two women I love here, at least I say! L was still hugging me and using me as a Teddy bear, and I''m notining. It feels nice. Also, while I''m used to being naked in bed with Rin, Isane, and Yoruichi, it somehow slipped my mind that L loves to sleep nude as well. L didn''t see my scars yesterday. I turned off the lights and went to bed like that, but she''ll see them now. I could technically alter her sight so she would see what I wanted her to see, but I didn''t want to do that. I may save her from stress for some time, but the truth woulde out sooner orter, or I would just confess at some point. Maybe all these years of secrets made me want to be more honest and open, only with the closest people, of course. I wouldn''t go out on the street and start yelling that I killed the son of God. I would like toy in bed for much longer, but unfortunately, I''m a student again... oh shit, I''m a student again. Anyway, I''ll need to get up from thisfortable position, and the first and most challenging step is to wake up L. I shook L gently. "L... L... It''s time to wake up." At first, my alien fianc¨¦ didn''t react much, but her eyes started opening slowly, and her vision cleared to see me. I suppose it was a usual sight for her to wake up to. "Ryoto~"L, still half asleep, wasn''t in the mood to get up and only grabbed me tighter in hopes that it would stop me from getting up. I must admit, it almost worked. "L, you know that we can''t stay much longer. We have school to attend, and as much as I would like to skip, we really shouldn''t." L listened to my voice in bliss. Even though she was already fully awake, she just wanted to keep cuddling. She pretended to be still somehow sleepy as she enjoyed our embrace. But then she realized that it was time to get up unless she skipped breakfast, and she couldn''t allow herself to do it since she wasn''t eating only for herself anymore. That was the moment she took a better look at my body and, because of that, my scars as well. She then made an unusually thoughtful expression that didn''t look right on her face as she traced all my old wounds with her finger andter a whole hand when she felt more courageous. She first went for the parallel scarsing from my shoulders downwards, then the big scar across the chest that was the newest of the bunch. The burn scar near my tattoo didn''t get much attention, but she still traced it there, if just to touch it for herself. In the end, she stayed the longest on the scar caused by Bambietta''s bomb that was on my shoulder. That one was one of the more painful wounds I got. I didn''t say anything as I observed L and was ready tofort her if needed, but I once again seemed to underestimate her as she looked me in the eyes and asked. "Do you want me to heal them?" I knew that she was serious and capable of doing something like that, but I didn''t want to. Despite their looks and what people would think when they saw them, they are part of me and have a lot of meaning attached to them. "No, but thank you for offering. I''m not ashamed to have my scars visible. I''m even proud of some of them. Got them while protecting my family." While still having eye contact with me, her serious expression melted away and was reced with her default cheerful look. "Then it''s alright!" Then she pouted. "But I''m going to be mad if you get hurt anymore." It makes my insides warm hearing her say it so innocently. "I''ll try to be careful to avoid doing that. Not like I enjoy getting hurt anyway." The morning was peaceful... until it wasn''t because I heard a scream. "Kyaaaa!!!" Centuries of training made me move instantly. My body was ready to attack a possible enemy and defend my family. I moved, and with a few sh steps (because of corridors and not my mastery of the technique), I arrived at the source of the scream. It was our new and probably temporary resident, Aguri. She got scared by Koro-sensei, who, in his human form, apparently still had tentacles for hair in a manner simr to Itona''s before and used them unconsciously. So, the wish turned Koro-sensei back into a human, but it allowed him to keep his powers. Neat. I rxed when I essed the situation and found no danger. It seems I''m still a bit on edge. I hope that it won''t continue like that for a long time. The morning was uneventful, except it was filled with excitement. We talked with Koro-sensei and Aguri about things we have done since they... well, died. Kaede''s sister was the most overwhelmed by everything since she was the most normal out of all of us despite working with tentacles that give what you wish for within reasonable means, of course, but still. Today, I was the one preparing breakfast. I wanted to celebrate, somehow, my first day of return, and what better way to celebrate than to make breakfast for everyone. I enjoy cooking and like seeing people enjoying said cooking. In school, I wanted to talk with Ryouko about today''s examination, but surprisingly, she wasn''t present in the nurse''s office or in the school at all. I may have teased our doctor too much, and in her excitement, she was preparing all the stuff she thought she''d need. As long as she has fun and does her job, it''s alright, in my opinion. Surprisingly, L let me go alone with Rin without any issues. She said something about having time with Rin, but she also ''warned'' me about not forgiving me if I left again, and somehow, I believe it this time, but we trust each other. I met Rin at school so we could go to Mikado-sensei''s house, but then I realized that I didn''t know the way anymore. Thankfully, I got a very helpful and very nice assistant on my phone who has Mikado-sensei''s address from the school registry, which I don''t think is legal, but who am I to judge the legality of it? As we exited the school grounds and made our way not so far away, we noticed a familiar face. Yui Kotegawa was crouching at the side of the road and she was ying with a cat in a box. "Nya... Nya..." I could hear her calling out the cat cutely while trying to y with it and with something I doubt anyone saw Yui with. A small smile. "Sup Kotegawa. What a coincidence meeting you here." Rin and I approached my ssmate, and my voice seemed to scare Yui as she literally straightened up and jumped from the shock. She then turned to me, and not knowing how to react, she went for her default option. Annoyance. She put her hands on her hips and red at me. "Ryoto Yuuki and... I don''t believe we have met." Her annoyance disappeared as she realized that she didn''t know Rin. "Rin Yu- I mean Kujo. Rin Kujo. I''m a 3rd year student. Rin still had trouble introducing herself with her old surname. I can''t me her after being called Yuuki for so long. "Ah, Kujo-senpai. Nice to meet you." She bowed deeply to show respect to her Senpai. "You can call me Rin. Almost no one calls me Kujo." Rin seemed to not want to be called Kujo if possible but Yui had different ns. "I can''t show such disrespect to my senior Kujo-senpai." Now, it was Rin''s turn for her mood to sour. "I insist. Please call me Rin." "I couldn''t possibly do that." Kotegawa stayed stubborn, and I could see Rin thinking about how she should handle the situation. In the end, she decided to wake up a little troll inside of her. She used the ability of her eye to create illusions for Yui to see. Her illusions aren''t as powerful as mine, and they are much more easily recognizable as something not real for a seasoned warrior. I don''t know what Rin showed Kotegawa, but Yui''s eyes almost jumped out of her sockets, and her cheeks went red before she wiped her eyes and saw nothing unusual. Then it happened again, and Kotegawa started doubting her mind as she saw things that weren''t there. I, on the other hand, decided to focus on the cat Yui was ying with, and it was a ck cat with yellow eyes. She looked just like... Yoruichi... No, it shouldn''t be possible. Could it be? Kisuke works fast, but not that fast. The cat had a cor with a big bell attached to it. I opened my eyes and tried to see her aura. After closely looking, the cat looked curiously at me back. It had an animal aura, but I wasn''t fully convinced. This cat just seemed so familiar to Yoruichi, so I checked her Reiatsu signature, and once again, it was different from Yoruichi''s. Am I being paranoid? Aftereffects of calm after the craziness I lived through, perhaps. "Rin, could you take a look at that?" I asked my lover, and she stopped ying with her junior as a small punishment and turned to me, where I was crouching near the cat. I could feel her surprise. "Yoruichi?" The cat didn''t react to the name and started locking its paw. "Apparently not. Just a simr-looking cat." "Hmm." Rin then, as ast test, tried to grab the cat by the cor and lift it up because we both knew Yoruichi wouldn''t allow herself to be handled like that. While the cat tried to resist, Rin lifted her up in the end. I think this confirms that this is not Yoruichi. Shame that this cat is apparently owned by someone since she has a cor. However, as I was thinking that, I heard a sound of cardboard being scratched, and I looked down to see the ck cat scratching part of the box where there was written ''take me home''. Huh. You know what? I''m taking this cat home. "You are taking her?" Yui asked me when she finally collected herself, although I could still see a bit of red on her cheeks. "I think I will. ck cat is my lucky animal, and I can''t ignore a beauty like that." While saying that, I picked up the cat and started petting it while it purred. I then noticed that it was a girl. The cat then quickly jumped out of my hands on my shoulder andter on my head, where she stayedfortably. "I''m going to name her Yoruichi." Rin raised her eyebrow. "Really? You know that it will just annoy Yoruichi." "And that''s the reason I named her that." Now, I turned to Yui. "Sorry, Kotegawa, but we don''t have as much time as we would have liked. You can visit my home if you want to see Yoruichi sometimes to pet her or something. See ya!" Rin bowed as well to say goodbye and followed me. Now that we were walking alone, my curiosity got the better of me. "Hey Rin. So what did you show Kotegawa for her to react like that?" "Nothing much. Just us kissing. She is fun to tease because of her reactions." And they say I have a bad influence on people. I disagree and I have a living proof next to me. Anyway, we finally arrived at Mikado-sensei''s house. --- END Discord server: /Kurit (10 chapters ahead and exclusive illustrations.) Chapter 318: Examination... again Chapter 318: Examination... again (Ryoto''s pov) We knocked on the door to the mansion and waited for someone to open it. As we waited, Rin decided to start a short conversation. "So, what do you think Mikado-sensei will test?" "Well, I hoped to test most things. Mikado-sensei is one of the best doctors in the whole gxy, and I trust her expertise. As you''ve seen, she managed to create gigai by herself without any help as far as I know. Maybe there are some alien spirit species in need of bodies like that, but I''m not sure. The point is that she is good, and she can help us figure out our limits in a safe environment, and she''ll even give us some kind of exnation. She even worked on my eyes and blood before." "And you trust her that much to tell her our secrets?" She inquired, and I nodded. "There''s a reason everyone knows of her. She heals you, doesn''t ask many questions, and doesn''t sell your information. She would be a good ck market doctor with these ethics. Maybe she is, but I don''t care that much." I shrugged my shoulders as I said thest bit and petted Yoruichi (cat), who was still sitting on top of my head. What is with ck cats and my head? Is it really thatfortable? Then, the double door opened suddenly with great force, and Ryouko, with a disheveled appearance and an excited/crazy expression, appeared at the entrance. The kind that wouldn''t look strange on Mayuri. Once again, I suddenly doubted my trust in this doctor. "I was waiting." She said, still stuck in the position when she opened the doors.I looked at her for a moment. "I didn''t notice." I said sarcastically. Noticing what I meant, she quickly and hastily tried to fix her appearance with some degree of sess. She then weed us inside, and only then did she notice a cat on my head. "Her name is Yoruichi, and I picked her up today on the way here. She likes my head." Mikado decided not to prey more into it and just epted it as it was, but she changed into the main topic. "I spent the whole day thinking about today''s examination. You didn''t give me many details, but knowing you, it could be anything. That''s why I prepared everything I could think of in addition to what I already knew." "You seem excited." Rinmented, and Mikado was happy to exin why. "How could I not!?" She turned her head at impressive speed towards Rin. "Ryoto''s eyes and blood alone are something of a dream for any researcher and scientist. And you two came in here with more hopefully unknown abilities. Also, did your eyes change?" Thestment was about Rin''s eyes. I noticed that she was using a Kido that she had developed herself. It wasn''t anything special, and it was reasonably simple, making everyone see your eyes in any color you wish for. It was also user-friendly as it didn''t use up a lot of energy to keep it up. I was never working on creating new Kido, but I was never that good with them. My Hollow Reiatsu was too wild for such delicate work, but I still learned somewhatplicated Kidos whenever I could. Rin then stopped the Kido, and with the blink of her eyes, one of them changed colors into blue. "Fascinating. "Mikado observed Rin with interest on the border of obsession. "Do you have the ability to control the color of your eyes, or is it an illusionary ability? I once met a species of aliens that were able to create gas in their bodies that would make others hallucinate. There''s also Balkean''s mimicry ability. Ahh~ So many possibilities~." Ryouko isn''t right in the head today. I think I may have broken her, and I didn''t even reveal anything yet. "So, where''s Oshizu? I can''t seem to find her in the whole mansion." I asked, not only to change topics for a moment but also out of genuine curiosity, as I couldn''t pinpoint her location in the whole mansion. "Shizu? I gave her a free day. Seeing her reaction yesterday to both of you, I was expecting her to disturb today''s research, whether she wanted to or not. When she gets used to you, we can test even more things. Speaking of which, can you exin the cause of it? I think she called you Shinigami." Rin and I exchanged looks, and after turning back to Mikado, I spoke. "What do you know about multiverse theory?" And so I exined Rin''s and mine''s small adventure while avoiding some details. The short version was our souls were sent to another world/universe, what can we do, and what we were nning on testing. I also requested an ordinary examination of our bodies. I was curious how they changed because the body reflects the soul, and the soul reflects the body. If one changes, so does the other, so it''s strange for me when my and Rin''s bodies stay in their teenage state while our spirit looks like they are in their mid-20s. Throughout the whole story, Ryouko took notes. Any information that was new, interesting, or useful was written down. "Fascinating... truly fascinating. Do you realize what you just shared with me can change everything. Other worlds are full of different technology, different rules, new resources, and possibly everything else that you can imagine and more. Knowledge about this in the wrong hands could not only be dangerous but also catastrophic. Many organizations, nations, and wholes would try to cross dimensions if they had proof that it was possible. It would create a whole new arms race. That''s why it should be kept a secret." "Then we are on the same page. It''s not like I''m nning on announcing what I went through." She nodded at my agreement. "If we agree on this, then we can begin the examination." The excitement in her eyes returned. You said that you wanted to do a check-up on your bodies. I was expecting something like that, so I prepared a machine just for that. If you remember, it was the same machine I used on you when we checked your blood. I upgraded it since then." She led us to the machine and told us to strip down to our underwear. I was never one to shy away from showing my skin, so with a flex of my muscles, I lost both my pants and shirt. Speaking of which, it felt strange wearing modern clothes. I was more used to traditional Japanese clothing, so being out of them felt better. Rin rolled her eyes at my disy, but she was already used to it, so she didn''t even attempt to make ament. Ryouko checked my body, but not in a sexual way. She inspected my wounds, but only that. She didn''t try to get closer to me and touch them or anything however, her expression softened a bit. I told her that I was in a lot of fights, war even though it was short. I even said to her that I got some scars that I kept here, but I bet she didn''t expect something like that. Most of my torso was scarred, and a little bit on my arms and thighs. It was the body of someone who had seen battle and danced with death too often. I put Yoruichi down and walked inside the machine. From what I understood, it would scan my whole body to give Mikado more information about everything. The machine was working quietly, and as I waited inside, Mikado was working on theputer, analyzing the data she had gathered. Shortly after, the door opened so I could exit the machine. Next, it was Rin''s turn to strip, and she didn''t shy away either from being seen in her underwear. After all, Mikado and I were the only people here. She repeated what I''d done momentster, and soon she joined me by my side as Ryouko went over the detailed results of the test. "Hmm... It''s strange. As far as this shows, in terms of her anatomy and biology, Rin is an ordinary teenage girl. There are a few inconsistencies here and there, of course. Your body also shows traces of pregnancy, but it''s in a way that looks like it happened a long time ago." Mikado started a bit confused, but Rin was happy to rify. "No wonder. It was about 150 years ago since I got pregnant." Rin said calmly, but Mikado was stunned by the revtion. Did we forget to mention this little detail? "...I see, but it still doesn''t exin why the rest of your body has the making of a teenage girl. Why do you have very old traces of pregnancy while everything else stays the same." She then turned to me. "The same could be said about you, Ryoto, but to a smaller degree. Some of your scars are much older than others, but your body still seems like a teenage boy''s. However, I can''t call it ordinary, no matter what. Your muscles are denser, your blood is poisonous, your eyes are extraordinary that I can''t even begin to describe it, and there are a few strange things here and there. It''s amazing." She spoke so much and so fast that she forgot to breathe. I think I also saw a bit of drool at the corner of her mouth. After this, we went over some ordinary tests, such as strength tests, speed tests, and so on. Apparently, I got stronger and faster than I had been before. My instincts also got better. Despite my body staying mostly the same, it also somehow changed. What surprised Mikado was that Rin also was supernaturally strong. Impossibly so. Her body shouldn''t have been able to support this much weight, but she did it anyway. I theorized that the strength of the body was proportional to the strength of the soul. Oshizu could still use her ghostly powers while in her fake body, so it''s not strange that something simr is happening to us. Mikado also wanted to have more of my blood for more research. It was time when I mentioned that I could finally control the intensity of my blood. That revtion made Ryouko want to have as many samples of my blood as possible with different strengths and intensities. It was then that I learned that I can even make my blood stronger than it was originally. It was so strong that the most potent poison Mikado had on hand didn''t even have time to start circting in my system, as the moment it entered my blood cirction, it was gone. It was destroyed instantly, and the poison wasn''t weak, far from it. The strength of my blood shocked even me. I should set my blood to be harmless enough that it wouldn''t start dissolving anything in contact with it but still deadly enough that it would be able to slow down any possible poison, just in case. The speed at which it can be deadly was instant as well, and with my reaction speed, I shouldn''t be killed by anything. Better to be safe than sorry. Then we tested some Kido. Not every single one we know, of course, because it would take too long, but the most basic ones would give us an idea about their power and versatility in a body made of bones and flesh. There wasn''t much difference overall, but using the energy was more delicate, as we already noticed when we used Kido the first time here. Then we tested our eyes. Rin''s eyes were obviously weaker than mine, but she had most of my abilities, although watered down. She didn''t even need to close her ''normal'' eye to use it fully as both of them held power, and the color change was mostly symbolic if nothing else. Rin didn''t have much more to test after this, but I had a few new toys to y with, and I couldn''t wait to try them out. First, Vector Maniption. "So Mikado-sensei, ready to have your mind blown?" I asked with a cheeky smile because what I was about to show her was arguably the most insane of my abilities. If used correctly, it has the potential to control some of thews of physics. "If you have anything crazier than what you have already shown me, then I don''t know how I''ll react. It''s not like you have the ability to control... I don''t know... let''s say vectors. It would be absolutely absurd." Seeing my expression, she realized that she hit the nail on the head, and her eyes went wide. "Oh my God... You have the ability to control vectors..." Without any warning, she threw a pen at me. It was incredibly slow, from my perspective, and I know why she did that. She wanted to see my ability in action, so I gave her exactly what she wished for. It was the first time I tried using Vector Maniption, but thankfully, I got the hang of it. Otherwise, it would be embarrassing if the pen hit me in the face. Before the projectile reached me, it flew in apletely different direction at a much higher speed and identally went through the wall. Too much power... I thought my calctions were correct, but they were a bit off. It seems I didn''t ount for everything, Not to the point that I would get smacked by something, but I will need to train with itter on. "Incredible! It wasn''t telekinesis, control of air currents, or anything like that. You changed the Vector of the pen to change its trajectory and speed. The data I got from this small test says it all!" The reason I wanted to test Vector Maniption and, for example, not my elemental bending is because I can train bending by myself without any worries about the destruction of my surroundings. Just training my forms is enough, but even using both fire and water, I can do it rtively safely. This ability, however, depends solely on my capability of calction, and if I''m off, the results could be catastrophic. That''s why I wanted to see how it would work in a safe environment, and I was right, as I made a small mistake just now. Seeing my new ability, both Rin and Yoruichi raised their eyebrows. I wasn''t surprised at Rin''s reaction, but my new cat seemed to have eerily human expressions. Seeing that I was looking at her, she meowed cutely. Am I overthinking? Did Aizen really mess me up so much that I doubt an ordinary ck cat because she looks like Yoruichi? "Ryoto!" Mikado called me. "If you have anything more than that, I''m not sure my heart can take it." "Then it''s a bad time to say that I wanted you to take a look at one more thing. I don''t need you to examine everything about what I''m about to do. I just wanted to test out this ability at least once to know how it feels. It''s transformation ability, by the way." Ryouko looked like she didn''t have any more energy to get excited, so she gestured for me to start what I wanted to do. Her eyes were still sharp, meaning that she was still analyzing everything I was doing. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and released the air from my lungs. I repeated the process a few times until I felt ready. Then I suddenly opened my eyes and gritted my teeth. My whole body started growing white fur with ck stripes. Then my limbs started growing, all my muscles growing denser and even growing new muscles. My whole skeleton was changing, and I wasn''t able to stand on two feet anymore and was forced on all fours. From the back, a tail appeared, and at the end of my now paws,rge and certainly very sharp ws popped out. In my mouth, my teeth became sharper and longer, especially my fangs. Teeth that are perfect for an apex predator. On top of my head, a pair of cute feline ears appeared, and one of them flicked at the end. The transformation ended with me roaring for no particr reason, but it quickly turned into a yawn. I looked around and saw shocks on everyone''s faces. Yoruichi, on the other hand, was acting strange. She approached me and started rubbing herself on one of my legs. It lookedical with the size difference between us. She even started licking me and purred. Then she rolled on the floor and showed me her stomach as she blinked slowly at me. For some reason, I had an urge to lick her back as well, but I stopped myself. I took her, however, by her neck in my mouth, which was challenging because of my new size, and gave Yoruichi to Rin, who wasn''t scared at all despite my new size. I wasrger than any living tiger, but I was still smaller than the Hollows we faced. The rough estimation I would give myself was that I was about 3-4 meters tall, but I looked much more prominent thanks to my longer body. Not to mention that she knew that it was me, and she didn''t have any reason to be scared of me. It was worth mentioning that my scars were still visible in this form. Not waiting for anything, I started changing my form again. This time into my Hybrid form. Every Zoan Devil Fruit user has at least three forms to choose from. The Human form, the Beast form, and the Human-Beast form is the form I''m testing out right now. In this form, I became bipedal, with most of my beast traits still present. I checked my body a bit until I was satisfied, signaled by a nod of my head, and returned to being human. "... I think I''m going to sleep on all these new discoveries because I''m afraid I really am going to go crazy. I worked on some unimaginable stuff before, but you managed to beat all of it, Ryoto." "I''m always happy to pleasantly surprise." I answered. We didn''t have anything more to do here, and Mikado-sensei will need time to review everything she learned today, but this examination was a sess overall. --- END Discord server: /Kurit (10 chapters ahead and exclusive illustrations.) Chapter 319: Return of the shark-girl fianc茅 Chapter 319: Return of the shark-girl fianc¨¦ (Ryoto''s pov) Rin, Yoruichi, and I left the clinic. Thankfully, Mikado had some spare clothes that I could use. Otherwise, I would need to embarrass Rin. I don''t feel any shame after all. We walked in silence until Rin once again decided to break the silence. "So, a white tiger, huh? Was it that strange fruit that you ate?" "You are only half right. Yes, it was from the fruit, but it''s not a white tiger. It''s THE white tiger. Byakko, to be exact." That was a surprise to her, but it was quickly subdued. "Sure, why not. You have unnatural eyes, poisonous blood, spider powers, the ability to manipte water and fire, part Hollow, have two Zanpakuto spirits, can travel through the multiverse, Haki, whatever it is, can rip off clothes onmand, can summon parts of your limbs as see-throughrge projections, can heal illnesses with lollipops of all things, can change position with a flick of your hand and can apparently control vectors. Why not add the ability to transform into a literal guardian of the West to the list? Did I miss anything?" She was, of course, joking, but she, indeed, had missed one of my many abilities. "Yes, actually. I can bring out people''s desires with my voice.""Of course, how could I ever forget. You silver-tongued devil and your devil''s charm." Heh, it''s funny how close she was to the truth. Sensing my amusement, Rin rolled her eyes and changed topics. "But it somehow exins why our cute little Yoruichi acted like she did. You literally became the biggest cat around, and I think she got a small crush on you~." She teased me, and I think she had fun calling this Yoruichi cute and little, seemingly without any consequences. Seemingly because the moment she finished her sentence, Yoruichi jumped from my head towards Rin and used her face to get back on the top of my hair. I couldn''t see my cat''s face, but I imagined her as being incredibly smug. Rin, on the other hand, was left bbergasted, not at the idea of a cat jumping on her face but at allowing said cat to do so. We weren''t exactly on guard at the moment, but still, it was challenging to get a jump on a former Captain. Rin red at Yoruichi, not in an aggressive way, but she stared at the cat with the goal of trying to figure something out. I think Yoruichi red back, looking at Rin''s minimal expression change. "Ladies,dies, please stop fighting over me. We can all be friends." Rin rolled her eyes as she stopped the mini-war with a cat. On top of my head, Yoruichi tapped me a few times as well, but there wasn''t any strength behind them. Not that an ordinary cat could harm me if I didn''t want to. "By the way, I noticed that you turned into a hybrid form of sorts. Do you think that you could make only your ears appear?" That''s a strange question. I showcased my ability to do that on the rooftop yesterday. That''s why I didn''t answer out loud and just make the ears appear on top of my head. Yoruichiid in a way that they didn''t throw her off. Lucky kitty. Then Rin turned uncharacteristically shy. Her cheeks reddened slightly, and she didn''t even make eye contact with me. "Do... Do you think I could scratch your ears?" I didn''t see her cute side as often as before, but every time I did, it was a treat, and I couldn''t help but chuckle. "Sure, the first scratch is reversed for you. But if you want to, you can scratch me even in my Beast Form. Not everyone can boast that they petted Byakko or even arge white tiger." That seemed to be the correct answer as her mood elevated and reached my head with her hand. She was very gentle while touching my ears and I even unconsciously purred which I immediately stopped when I saw a teasing spark in her eyes. At some point, Rin and I needed to go our own way, as neither of our houses was in the same direction, but we would always be together, no matter what. --- I was walking calmly next to the riverbank, humming some song. I was in a good mood. After an examination was done and a cat was acquired, I was on my way home, but then something shot up from the water. I wasn''t worried because I knew that I wasn''t in any danger. Observation Haki allowed me to measure the strength of others to some degree, and the person not only was weaker than me, but it was also someone familiar. At the same time, I felt Yoruichi tense up a bit on my head, but I calmed her down by putting my hand on top of her head. "Ryoto!" It was my shark-girl fianc¨¦ Alme, but as her eyesnded on me, she got confused. "Ryoto?" "Yes?" "You... are Ryoto, right? You must be... but you feel different... your aura is also different... but also the same. Hmm... the aura has merged from two separate parts with different colors into one..." Alme was talking to herself as she crossed her arms over her chest and tilted her head from right to left, thinking deeply. "You also seem older, more dangerous... and more attractive. I mean, I just want to jump on you at this very moment." She continued. I, on the other hand, was expecting something like that from her. She was attracted to strength, after all. "Could... could you do that thing that makes me submit to you?" She asked shyly, and I needed to think for a moment what she meant. The only answer I coulde up with was that she wanted me to hit her with Conqueror''s Haki. I don''t know why, but who am I to refuse her? So, without any warning, I released my Haki. The moment I did that, Alme''s tail started wagging like the tail of a happy puppy, and her expression turned into a lustful smile with a bit of droll on the side. All of this took a few seconds at most, and moments after I turned off my Haki, Alme returned to her senses with a shake of her head. "Yep, you are definitely Ryoto. I won''t mistake this feeling for anyone else. Also, that was incredible. Can we do that again? Please, please, please!" She begged me for something my enemies would beg to avoid. She really is something else. "Maybeter. Also, you missed a family meeting about a few important news stories." "Sorry. I dozed off in this river, and the current took me somewhere else. I took some time to get back and that was when I found you. By the way, I caught some fish while I was on the way back. Can you make something tasty from them?" She took out a few fish tied together with some kind of string. Where did she keep all these fish? I don''t know, and I don''t think I want to know. "Sure. Let''s go home, and I''ll prepare something. On the way I can exin what you missed. In short, I am older and stronger, have four new lovers, and have five children." "What!!!?" --- Alme took the news much better than some of the others who are in on the secret. Maybe it''s the alien mentality, or she just doesn''t care that much about stuff like this. It can be either way with her. We finally arrived home, and when I entered, I heard a screaming from the garden belonging to Kaede''s sister. Momentster, she came running towards the entrance, where I could see panic in her eyes. "What happened?" I asked calmly as she grabbed my shirt, searching for some kind of safety. "T-t-there''s a giant nt in the garden." I instantly dropped my ''battle mode'' as I heard her reasoning. "Oh, that''s just Celine. She is my nt. I''m honestly more surprised that it took so long for you to notice. She was behind you yesterday the whole time, but I guess the giant dragon took the spotlight." "Your... your nt?" She asked, dumbfounded. "Yep. She is a real sweetheart. Celine wouldn''t hurt a fly even if she wanted to." I gestured for her to follow me as I went towards the garden. When I arrived, Celine noticed me immediately, so I greeted her. "Hi Celine, How was your day? I hope it was all good. I''ll water you soon, so just wait patiently. I''ll spend some time with youter, so don''t you worry your cute little leaves about it." Hearing that I''d be spending time with herter, she moved her head happily. Then I turned to Aguri as I was caressing Celine''s body. "See? Harmless, like a small kitten. Aguri was dumbfounded. I couldn''t really me her since Celine looked pretty intimidating and like a carnivorous nt, but the topic changed when Alme invaded Aguri''s personal space. "Hello! My name is Alme. I''m Ryoto''s fianc¨¦. You are pretty. You have a strange shirt. Are you also one of Ryoto''s lovers? He said that he had two other girlfriends some time ago. Are you one of them?" Alme bombarded Aguri with questions, and I could see it was making her ufortable, so I picked my fianc¨¦ by the cor of her shirt and picked her up. This made her silent, and her body went limp for some reason. I don''t know why. She isn''t a cat, but it still worked. "Sorry about her. She is easily excitable." --- END Discord server: /Kurit (10 chapters ahead and exclusive illustrations.) Chapter 320: Onee-San Chapter 320: Onee-San (Mikan''s pov) I was walking with Ryoto''s old teacher, who was called Koro-sensei for some reason. Koro-sensei is not his real name, that much was told to me, but no one said why he was called it, and certainly no one told me his old name. It wasn''t that important in the end, and I won''t admit that I was curious. I feel like it''s what everyone who knows the secret wants. "Do you have something on your mind, Yuuki-San?" Koro-sensei suddenly asked, taking me out of my thoughts. "I''m just thinking... Ryoto revealed a lot. I mean, it''s just... a lot. He may vanish today, return the same moment, and be older by another 300 years or something. What if he gets hurt even more. What if he dies and never returns instead. I''m just worried." I don''t know why, but I exined to Koro-sensei how I really felt deep down. He has that kind of aura that makes you feel like you can share anything with him, and he''ll give you advice in return. Koro-sensei took his time to think about how to answer me. "I understand your worries. You, as his younger sibling, have concerns about Ryoto''s safety, and they''re not unfounded. Young, well, not so young anymore, Yuuki-kun has a tendency to find troubles wherever he goes. When I met Yuuki-kun, I think I should start calling him Ryoto-kun with all the Yuuki family members, he was a troubled young man. He was lost, with some purpose, but still lost. During my time teaching him, he was getting better, and L-san was definitely a big help in that, but even with that, I could still see underlying issues hidden within him. However, when I saw him yesterday, I could see that my former student was fully grown up. Not his body, although he looked a bit older, but in his eyes, I could see that he had gone through a lot and came up on top in the end.I don''t know if he will do something simr in the future or maybe something even more dangerous. What I know is that Ryoto-kun cares about his family, and I can see how much he loves all of you. You can''t stop what he''ll do in the future, but you can be there for him when he is near you. That''s all you need to do to help him, and that''s everything Ryoto needs to be happy. That''s why he''ll do everything in his power to return home." As he finished his lecture, I stopped walking and looked at him. I wasn''t expecting thoughtful and sound advice like that. ''Just be there for him whenever you can, and that''s enough,'' he says. I want to disagree. There is something else I can do, but the longer I thought, the more it became clear. Being there for Ryoto may be enough, or it just may be a first step. I''ll see how it goes and adapt. Feeling a bit better, I turned to Koro-sensei, who had a broad smile showing all his teeth. "Thank you, Koro-sensei." I smiled with my eyes closed, and I felt a hand on top of my head. "You have nothing to thank me for. I am a teacher, after all... I was a teacher... I''m jobless... and I''m using my former student''s kindness to not be homeless! What should I do!? What should I do!? What should I do!?" He started panicking, realizing that he didn''t have a paying job. My smile fell as my face became expressionless, and I looked at him in disbelief. I couldn''t believe that this panicking man was the same man who had shown incredible maturity and wisdom to make me feel better just moments before. (Ryoto''s pov) Even after the examination, I was one of the first to return home. Mikan was here before me, but she went shopping with the help of Koro-sensei. The first years, meaning Kaede, Rio, Nagisa, and Karma, explored the city or maybe met up with the other first years. L was with Haruna, and Rito was ying football¡ªas far as I know, at least. There wasn''t much to do at the moment, so I decided to rx, but not in the way I usually do. I don''t mean that I won''t sleep under Celine¡ªOh, how I missed rxing under my favorite nt¡ªbut I''ll do it in a new way. What I discovered today is that being in my Beast Form is surprisinglyfortable. "Aguri-san, I just want to warn you that if you see a big white tiger in the backyard in a few moments, don''t panic. As a rule, if something is strange but doesn''t immediately try to kill you and is in this house, it should be rtively safe. This whole city is filled with strangeness, and you should get used to it. Besides, if you ever are in danger, a certain handsome former assassin will save you." I teased her at the end, and before she could say anything because of her embarrassment, I transformed into my Beast Form as Iy in the Shadow of Celine. When I started transforming, Yoruichi jumped off me but soon joined my side to rx. Alme had stars in her eyes and tried to scratch my ears but before she could touch me Rin appeared next to her and caught her wrist. She must have felt something about scratching in my emotions... somehow. Otherwise I don''t know how she knew to appear at this very moment. Also she got faster. Then, without saying anything, she approached me just to scratch behind my ears, which was very nice, by the way. She smiled at my reaction, which was a small twitch of one of my ears. After she was satisfied, she kissed me on my forehead and left in the blink of an eye. She just came here to cash on my promise of letting her be my first scratch in this form. Members of her squad probably wouldn''t believe that her fearsome Captain could have such an adorable expression. Alme stared at Rin the whole time with an expression that said, ''She is strong.'' But I just wanted to take a nap, so I invited her toy with me and Yoruichi. She instantly epted, with a big smile on her face, as she jumped andnded at me. Next, she buried her face in my fur with bliss on her face. "So soft~" "As you see, not everything makes or needs to make sense but we are happy either way." I spoke to her, and she flinched, hearing my voice from therge beast of an animal. "Also, tell everyone about me being here in this form. We don''t want them to get a heart attack." And so I started dozing off. I was still ''aware'' of my surroundings, but I was unable to drop my guard. I felt too vulnerable if I did. I''m sure my edge will dull in the future, but for now, I''ll stay like that, ready to defend myself at any moment. I could feel both Yoruichi and Alme started falling asleep as well. In the next hour or so, everyone slowly returned, and I introduced Yoruichi to them. I may also have forgotten that I was still in my Byakko Form, so the reactions to me were mostly shock and a bit of fear. L, as usual, wasn''t scared of a ''big kitty'' as she told me. Mikan had a face that meant ''another animal?'' but didn''t say anything otherwise. Her eyes went over my whole body, and she noticed a few scars on my body that she couldn''t see before. I was ready for her to start asking about them, but surprisingly, she didn''t and just approached me to feel my fur up close. That was unusual, but she was always more mature than she should have been. I am partially at fault for that, and I n on fixing it in the near future. Then I felt it. Danger. That was not something my spider sense warned me about. They were my natural instincts that I trained to their limits, and now they were screaming at me that someone much, much, much, much, much, much, much, much, much, much, much stronger than I was. My body went into a fight-or-flight response as I quickly stood up, ready to fight. Thanks to my feral look, my menacing form looked even more intimidating. I slightly opened my mouth to show my canines. Even my eyes were opened to make me even more threatening to whoever it was. The wind around me started to grow stronger, and the lighting started cracking. It all happened in mere moments, and it ended just as fast when my eyesnded on the person in front of me. In fact, it all happened so fast that neither Alme nor Yoruichi reacted to what happened. Strange, but I didn''t even notice it at the moment. The size difference between me and that person was significant, but she dwarfed my powers without any effort, which should have made me even more nervous. Instead, I rxed andy on the grass underneath me again. "What do you need, Sophia?" At my question, the woman in front of me didn''t move or say anything for a moment and was keeping her carefree smile the whole time. The kind of smile that told me she was strong and didn''t need to worry about anything because nothing could be of danger to her. "What~? I can''t visit my own little brother after hepleted a difficult job?" "Since when did I be your brother?" I asked, but I already knew the answer she would give. "What do you mean when? I''m everyone''s Onee-san! Everyone includes you too, silly." She bopped my nose, and as usual with her, I couldn''t even react to her movement. I''m three centuries old, strong enough to kill the son of God in one of the worlds, but I''m still just as powerless against her as I was before my mission. I sighed before talking again. "You still didn''t answer my question." Although I felt like she was hiding something with that line. That was just a feeling I got for no reason at all. She pouted, seeing me ignoring her ''Onee-san roley''. "Fine then, you bully~. I came here to congratte you onpleting your longest mission so far and also on fulfilling your promise and the goal of this whole mission. Your Onee-san wanted to visit~, but a bully Truck-san forbade me. I wanted to y with my little brother and his children, but it was taken away from me!" Sophia whined about her experience, but I had difficulty sympathizing with her. "Thank you, Sophia." I just decided to thank her for her thoughtfulness. "Also, when you see Karen, just tell her that I''m waiting to hear her annoying voice again." I remarked, joking slightly but also partially serious. Now that I was more rxed, I noticed that Yoruichi and Alme didn''t move at all and were in the exact same position they were in before I stood up, which shouldn''t have been possible. They were also still asleep for some reason. Seeing my confusion, Sophia decided to clear it, but as usual, she was talking in a roundabout way. She put her index finger to her mouth. "We shouldn''t disturb their rest." I won''t voice that it was somehow okay to disturb mine, but... "I heard that!" I rolled my eyes, but at that moment, an idea came to my mind. "Hey Sophia, would you mind doing me a small favor..." --- END Discord server: /Kurit (10 chapters ahead and exclusive illustrations.) Chapter 321: New teacher Chapter 321: New teacher(A/N Important announcement here. This fic is going on hiatus for now. Need a break from it. I wanted to pause writing it at the end of the Bleach arc but I started writing slice-of-life and had too much fun but I''m losing my steam... again. I don''t know when I''ll being back but I''ll be writing other things in the meantime... probably. There''s pokemon fic that I''m just itching to continue. My hero fic that I wrote 2 chapters of but didn''t publish. Reincarnated as Emiya that I''m still procrastinating.I''ll see you all soon enough. Kurit, out.) (Ryoto''s pov) I woke up fairly refreshed. Naps are great like that, but maybe my feline body makes them even better. Maybe that''s why Yoruichi liked being in her cat form that often. Thoughts forter. Yoruichi, my newly acquired cat, and Alme were still clinging closely to my body, but s, it was time to wake up, so I stirred my body a little to wake them up gently. Alme woke up first as she slept lightly. Yoruichi was a bit more of a challenge, and it was one more point for me to name her Yoruichi because the original Yoruichi was difficult to wake up, especially when she was in her cat form. Turning back into human, I noticed that I was once again naked. Right, my clothes don''t change with me. I changed back to my Beast Form and asked Alme to bring me some clothes from my room, which she did enthusiastically. I''m still not used to modern clothes. Maybe I should go shopping to update my wardrobe. I need to get more traditional clothing. The rest of the day went as usual. We ate dinner and looked through the photos a bit more. We still didn''t reach my children, so I guess I''ll exin this little detail a bitter. It was time for a bath, and L wanted to join. "Wait for me too." Surprisingly, Mikan wanted to join us as well. I agreed because I didn''t have any good reason to refuse her. I mean, I could technicallye up with a good enough reason, but my instincts were telling me that it would be all right, and my instincts are rarely wrong. Inside the bathroom, all three of us lost our clothes. L was the most enthusiastic about it, while Mikan was shy despite having done it many times before. I didn''t care about exposing my body.Inside, we cleaned ourselves and each other until we went inside the bathtub, and there we rxed. From time to time, I noticed Mikan taking nces at my body¡ªmy scars, to be more urate. I was waiting for her to make ament or ask a question about them, but nothing came up. However, I could see determination in her eyes. If she doesn''t n on asking, I''m not nning on answering, but I''m happy that she is respecting my privacy, even if it''s more for her benefit than mine. After the bath, it was time to sleep, and I was waiting for a new day toe. (3rd''s pov) The day at Sainan High was typical for the most part. That was not the case in the Headmaster''s office. "No! No No! Sophia-chan, I''m always here to help a beautiful woman such as yourself and Aguri-san, but I can''t, in good conscience, allow someone without a teacher''s degree." The Headmaster easily lied. He would allow any woman to teach at his school, but Koro-sensei wasn''t a woman. "Then how about you give him a test. A test drive. Let Koro-sensei teach a ss or two, and then if he isn''t suitable, I won''t say anything if you decide he doesn''t fit in your school. Pretty please~" Sophia tried to reason with the short and fat Headmaster, and thest part made him agree instantly. "Okay!" He went on his knees, sped his hands together, and worshiped her like a goddess. Sophia could use her power to make him agree immediately, but where was the fun in that? In the meantime, Aguri and Koro-sensei observed their future boss''s behavior. --- "Attention everyone!" The Headmaster started as he entered the ssroom. It wasn''t the first ss of the day, so it was unusual to have announcements. Not to mention that he looked uncharacteristically professional and with serious expression. He even wore his suit! Some students didn''t even know that he owned one. "I want to introduce you all to a new teacher." Again, to the students'' surprise, the Headmaster seemed downcast. Usually, he would be happy to hire a new teacher, if it was a beautiful woman, of course. But the first years of this ss didn''t know the principal like the rest of the school. They didn''t know that if he had this reaction, it could only mean one thing. Either someone stole his dirty magazines, or he was forced to hire a man. "This..." The Headmaster gestured towards the entrance to the ssroom as the door opened. "...is Koro-sensei. Please treat him well. As it is his first day, I''ll observe him today from the back of the ssroom." That said, the principal went behind everyone so he could find any fault in his new, hopefully not-for-long employee. --- Everything didn''t go ording to n. Nothing did. "Koro-sensei, can you help me with that question?" "Yes, I''ming." "Koro-sensei, what does this here mean?" "Ah, you see..." "Koro-sensei, are you single?" "I am, but my heart is already taken." How could this blonde man be this good of a teacher? His exnations? Clear to everyone. His attention to his surroundings and to his students? Impable. Also, when did he have time to prepare tea for him!? The Headmaster tried everything to make him look unprofessional and unqualified, but nothing worked. Asking a difficult question to catch himcking? Koro-sensei shot him down by saying that the question was above the current curriculum but still answered him, but not before giving a short lecture about everything that was needed to understand the answer. Dropping a pencil on the ground so Koro-sensei would slip on it? The pencil somehow ended up back in his hand. Saying that his throat was dry? A whole tea set appeared in the room with hot tea ready to be served! And the worst of all? Koro-sensei was popr with his students!!! To hell with that handsome man! He needs to find something against him. Anything, no matter how small, would do. Before he got any idea, the lesson had ended. It was then that Koro-sensei approached the Headmaster. "Headmaster-San, I wanted to thank you for giving me this chance to teach in your wonderful school. That''s why I wanted to gift you something nice. I asked around, and they said this is your favorite snack." Koro-sensei said that he brought out his hands, which had been hidden behind him moments ago. What he had was a box full of hot meat buns. It was Headmaster''s favorite because the buns reminded him of naked butts. They were in their shape to a small extent, so he needed to use imagination, but he had plenty of that. ''Maybe Koro-sensei wasn''t so bad after all'' went through the principal''s head, but most of his head was with fantasies about butts at the moment, and it showed on his face. That''s why most, if not all, of the girls were looking with disgusted faces at him, but it wasn''t so bad for the Headmaster. Not only was he used to it, but he was also starting to like it too. (Ryoto''s pov) I didn''t pay a lot of attention in ss. It didn''t make much sense to do. It felt pointless at this point, but I appreciated the quiet... rtively quiet environment. I just muted the teacher, but I would definitely notice if he was talking to me and even know what he was talking about. I was ying with my web shooters. They felt alien on my wrists¡ªnot in a way that they didn''t fit. In fact, they were made to perfectly suit me, but it had been a long time since I wore them. I even forgot to put them on yesterday, and the day before, I didn''t notice them being there, and I don''t like it. L made these web shooters for me. It was a present, no, a request I made to L when I was much weaker, and I don''t want to forget things like that. I am aware of how human I am. Despite all my inhuman abilities, I''m very much human, and I don''t have a perfect memory. Some things just vanish from my memory even if I don''t want to. The human mind is incredible and maybe even capable of remembering everything in its life. Maybe all these memories are just hidden very deeply where I don''t have ess to them. There are also some key memories that will always stay even if you don''t want them to. I wonder how much I have forgotten. It bothers me a bit and makes me question some things. For example, if I remembered the things I had forgotten, would I make the same decisions as I did in the past, or would my choices change? Could I be called the same person, or would I be different from the man I am today? That leads to yet another question: How much is a person made from their memories? If I suddenly lost all my memories, would I still be Ryoto Yuuki, or would I be just a shell of a man named Ryoto Yuuki? I''m getting philosophical with all these questions. Maybe it''s just my age talking, but that''s the reason I''m checking on my web shooters so thoroughly. Also, there''s no Karen to talk some sense into me. I miss her, but I know we''ll hear from each other again. --- Sophia and I were leading Koro-sensei and Aguri somewhere. They didn''t know where since it was meant to be a surprise. It is the second part of my favor to the so-called Onee-san of all. "Ryoto-kun, are you finally going to tell us where we are going?" Koro-sensei asked me, and I smiled. "Patience Koro-sensei, patience. Although on second thought, we are here." I stopped walking in front of a house. It''s pretty sizable and perfect for a starting family, with plenty of extra space in case they have children. "So, what do you think?" I asked as the pair looked at the house. "It''s a beautiful house, but why are we here?" "I''m happy that you think so because it''s yours now." I dropped the bomb. ""What!!?"" Both of them screamed. Boy, do I love shock value. It''s just so fun shocking everyone. "You see, I was thinking that it must be difficult for both of you to live with all these children and even some strangers. That''s why I took it upon myself to fix that! And don''t worry. I didn''t pay for that. I stole it." I waved my hand in dismissal as I said that. "Nah, I''m just joking, but I really didn''t need to pay a single yen for that." "I-I don''t want to say that, and I don''t want to take advantage of your kindness like that any more than I need to. You already gave me a second chance at life and even gave me and Aguri-san an opportunity to work, and don''t even deny it." Koro-sensei was clearly ufortable taking so much from me, but I was prepared for something like that. I scratched the back of my head as I was trying the best way to word it. I may like fucking with people, but a serious topic deserves my seriousness. "Then how about it? You get the house, and you do a small little thing for me. L is pregnant, and in a few months, she''ll give birth. So I want you to be this child''s godfather." "You are going to be a parent!!!!!!???" Ah... so that''s what I forgot to tell him. --- END Discord server: https://discord.gg/dQhGHSV4n9 The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!