"So we're really leaving…"
"Kind of a bummer, huh…"
Inside the pitch-black transit corridor, Cole ran forward but kept glancing back, full of regret. "There's still so much reishi I haven't absorbed. Rukia isn't coming with me, Soi Fong didn't even give me a farewell gift…"
Unohana chuckled softly. "If you stayed one more month, the Tsunayashiro clan would truly go mad. I hear they were about to deploy their artifact, Enra Kyōten (Enra Mirror Codex)."
Cole had heard a bit about that artifact these last few days. Supposedly an offensive relic with a monstrous ability—used more than once by the Tsunayashiro to win noble feuds.
"Artifact, schmartifact." Cole curled his lip, unimpressed. He didn't believe an 'artifact' could be that strong. If it were a 'one-shot the heavens, the earth, and the air' thing, Aizen or Yhwach wouldn't have gotten so close to destroying Soul Society.
The thought soured his mood. Why did Ichigo and the others fight to the death in the story while these nobles enjoyed the rear? If you've got a miracle toy, take it to the front line.
Ichigo grinned. "Don't worry, Cole. Rukia said when you die, she'll personally come pick you up."
"That's exactly what makes it awkward!" Cole sighed helplessly. People in love grow old together. Why am I being wished an early death? With how sturdy I am, living to a hundred's no problem—which means… at least eighty more years.
Unohana's red lips brushed his ear; she smiled. "Whose fault is that, you hopeless flirt? Do you want the Kuchiki lady to come over and marry alongside Orihime?"
Cole coughed twice, embarrassed. He hadn't thought that far… but when it came to Rukia, he always felt a strange possessiveness.
"Speaking of which, Miss Hana, why're you coming to the Living World with me?" He quickly changed the subject. "For the record, I'm not dueling you here. It's too fragile—nowhere can withstand us."
Their combat level was already top-tier captain. If they fought Bankai to Bankai, almost no barrier could hold; the destruction would be apocalyptic. Karakura Town might get erased.
"So—pure sword-arts duels it is." Unohana smiled and blew a warm breath by his ear. "No one in Soul Society satisfies me. And a single Inoue Orihime can hardly satisfy you, right?"
Heat shot through Cole; his whole body went hot.
Uh-oh. Miss Hana had turned succubus.
Running without pause, they finally saw light ahead.
"We're here—finally back!" Ichigo's face broke into a smile.
A month in Seireitei—unforgettable for life.
They stepped out in one stride. Light poured down; the warm sunshine bathed everyone. In that moment, it felt blissful. Seireitei was nice—
—but the Living World was home for the living.
Uryu suddenly stiffened, staring at Cole's aura that had ballooned tenfold. "Cole, what happened to you?"
Everyone looked over.
Cole wanted to cry. "Do you understand the pain of going from billionaire to broke overnight?"
The group blinked.
Broke?
Orihime guessed it instantly and giggled. "Cole-kun, do you mean Karakura's reishi is too scarce?"
Cole nodded, listless. He'd been a little excited to return—until the instant he stepped in. Heaven to hell. What a reishi-poor world. Compared to Seireitei, the gap was astronomical—not even a ten-thousandth.
He clasped Orihime's small hand, speaking with deep emotion. "Orihime, how about we head back to Soul Society… together?"
Her face went pink. "Cole-kun, we can't cross by ourselves… and the Head-Captain won't allow it."
"No problem—we can just… die."
Cole clenched his fist. So what if he arrived eighty years early? With his strength, he'd live a thousand years in Soul Society.
The others all sucked in cold breaths. After much persuading, they talked Cole down from 'dying sooner.'
Just then, Jinta slouched over. "What's with all the noise…"
He froze mid-sentence, eyes wide at the group. "Yo, Jinta—" Cole started to wave, when the kid bolted into the shop at highway speed, windmilling his arms. "Boss! Cole and the others are back! Come out now—don't let them escape!"
A bad feeling crawled up the group's spines.
Ichigo swallowed. "Cole, why do I feel like he's not… welcoming us?"
Uryu nodded. "I'm getting 'seek revenge' vibes…"
Chad: "Cole, did you… do something in Soul Society?"
Cole pictured himself 'selling out' Urahara. Sweat beaded on his brow. "Not good—run!"
Too late. Urahara stormed out, face black, zanpakuto in hand. "Run where, exactly!? So, you little brat—throwing my name around to act up in Seireitei, swaggering before the Head-Captain… The old man almost came to cut me down. No wonder I've been sneezing for days—it was your handiwork!"
He slashed as he scolded.
With a thought, Cole's golden staff appeared in his grip; he swung into the blade.
Steel rang; sparks spat.
Urahara's heart lurched as Benihime flew from his grip, clattering across the floor.
Silence fell.
Ichigo and friends weren't surprised. Cole's scuffles in Soul Society had been a hundred times fiercer—damage on a 'heaven-shaking, ghost-weeping' scale. One swing nearly bored through Ninth Division; the endlessly extending Ruyi Jingu Bang almost poked a hole in Seireitei's barrier.
But the shop crew could only gawk. Jinta pointed, stammering, "Y-you—who are you? Why do you look like Cole? Are you a shinigami sent from Soul Society to arrest us?"
Ururu timidly hefted a massive gatling. Tessai recognized Cole, but still couldn't believe it. "You… really are Cole?"
The kid who'd once been dropped by a single cut had gone to Seireitei for half a month—and swatted Benihime from Urahara's hand with one blow?
Even learning Bankai wouldn't make him this strong…
"Accept no substitutes." Cole grinned and arched a brow at Urahara. "Well, Shopkeeper? Can't exactly 'discipline' me now, can you?"
Urahara doubted reality for a heartbeat—but he was a scientist. He adapted fast, sliding back a step to test Cole properly. He raised his right hand and began a chant.
"Bones of beasts scattered! Towering spire—scarlet crystal—iron wheel! The mover is wind, the still is heaven…"
Seeing that, Ichigo and the others hurried aside; they had no desire to be collateral.
"You cowards," Cole muttered. "At least help me out."
He lifted his own right hand.
"Hadō #63: Raikōhō (Thunder Roar Cannon)!"
No incantation—only a blazing lance of lightning, streaking across the sky in an instant.
Urahara hadn't even finished chanting before the thunderbolt was at his nose. He inhaled sharply. "Don't tell me… he trained in the Dangai (Precipice World)?"
The Dangai—a special dimensional corridor, severed from space-time, adrift in the black void. Time density within was two thousand times the outside—one outside year equaled two thousand inside. Ichigo learned Final Getsuga Tenshō there in days. A cultivation holy land—yet a death trap. Linger too long and you die of age. Almost no one trained there.
Given Cole's absurd growth, the suspicion was natural.
Urahara rolled hard.
"Boom!!!"
Lightning detonated, arcs lashing out to fry him; his hair frizzed like a fresh perm. A three-meter crater smoked at his feet.
Coughing, Urahara staggered up, face black. "Mr. Cole, it seems you've grown quite a bit—to the point you can even injure me. Remarkable indeed. Hadō #78: Zanhualun (Severing Blossom Wheel)!"
He flicked his hand; gales condensed into a white crescent blade that scythed at Cole with ruthless speed. Space itself seemed to split—which wasn't exaggeration. As a seventy-eight spell, its cutting power was monstrous.
"Dankū (Severing Void)? Or the Ruyi Jingu Bang?" Cole mused, then smirked. Reiryoku roared; blue power flared like fire.
"Boom!!!"
Azure fire climbed the sky; the air around them trembled.
Unohana sighed at the spectacle. "Honestly… too flashy."
She set a palm on Orihime's shoulder, sheltering her with reiryoku. On the other side, Jinta and Ururu's faces twisted as if crushed by dozens of gravities—they dropped with twin thuds.
Wreathed in blue 'flame,' Cole thrust out his right hand at the incoming white wind-blade.
"Clang!"
Steel-on-steel rang.
Cole's palm clamped the white arc like he'd seized a pale moon.
"He… caught it one-handed…" Urahara's eyes widened. That was a seventies-class Hadō—enough to cleave a mountain. How high had this kid's reiryoku climbed?
Winds howled. Cole's right hand tightened; the white crescent shuddered, fine cracks veining across it.
"Pop!"
It exploded.
Shattered gales blasted out; everyone's hair whipped straight back.
"Arghhh!!!" Jinta screamed as he flew; Tessai snagged him one-handed, bracing against the wind with shock in his eyes. Orihime looked at Cole, worry flooding her voice. "Cole-kun, you're hurt—come here, let me heal you."
A smear of red glistened on his right palm. Cole glanced down at the cut, shook his hand with a wry smile. "As expected of Shopkeeper Urahara. I was a bit too cocky—thought I could stop it with one hand. Still got nicked."
Urahara's mouth twitched. He scowled. "Mr. Cole, you caught my Hadō #78 with one hand. Getting injured is… normal, you know."
Former Twelfth Division captain here—casting a high-seventies Hadō. Even Kensei would struggle to block it. Yet this kid stopped it bare-handed, and then complained about a scratch.
He lifted his hand again, ready to cast a couple more high-tier spells—he had to find this kid's ceiling. No way half a month in Soul Society put him on Kyoraku's level—
A black cat yawned and hopped out, draping lazily across Unohana's lap. "Kisuke, I wouldn't. If you keep going and get schooled by this kid, it'll be embarrassing."
Urahara blinked. "Yoruichi—don't tell me you think I can't beat this brat?"
The black cat spoke lazily. "He already sparred with the old man in shikai—Head-Captain got a little serious and still didn't put him down."
"Hiss—" Urahara's breath caught. He knew exactly which 'old man' Yoruichi meant.
Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni.
This brat… had crossed blades with the Head-Captain?
(End of Chapter)
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