"Mo… Mom!??"
Cole stared, dumbfounded, at Isshin. Unohana didn't speak, but that gentle face now had several throbbing veins; her eyes turned dangerous. In more than a thousand years, no one had ever mistaken her for someone else's mother—much less for her little lover's.
Sensing danger, Isshin scrambled to recover: "Maybe I misheard—stepmother, perhaps!?"
He'd captained in Seireitei for centuries and had never seen Unohana this close to anyone. Weren't these two mother and son? And Cole's spiritual power was prodigious—surely he had a powerful mother?
Cole forced down a laugh and looked at Unohana. "Mom, are you my gentle stepmother?"
Unohana's cheeks flushed scarlet. Shame swallowed her… and, somewhere inside, a thrill. So this is the taste of taboo? Oh no, am I becoming a pervert…
Hearing Cole, Isshin finally relaxed and laughed. "Cole, your stepmother is really—"
Boom!
A single slash sent Isshin flying like a cannonball; the front door shattered and the clinic was carved straight through.
Unohana sheathed her blade, fighting down her fluster. With a straight face she warned, "Cole-kun, don't spout nonsense. Otherwise… Captain Kurosaki's fate will be yours."
Cole blinked innocently. "Mom, are you going to hit me? I worked so hard to serve you last night, and you happily held me tight."
"Cole!"
Mortified, Unohana swung her blade; Cole burst into laughter and sprinted through the clinic, teasing as he ran, "Hana-nee, first time I've seen you so flustered—so cute, like a blushing schoolgirl!"
"Cole, stop there!"
Face burning, Unohana gave chase.
Ichigo wandered out, yawning—only to find a blade-and-club chase tearing through the living room. "Cole, Captain Unohana, could you not do that in the house?"
Yuzu and Karin were frozen. "Cole-nii's family vibe… so savage."
"I mean… his mom is super young, though…"
A moment later, a bedraggled Isshin limped back in. Seeing the two had calmed, he pressed a finger to his lips. "Shhh!"
Cole glanced at Ichigo. "Your dad's doing the bit again?"
Ichigo didn't even look up, chewing a huge bite of sandwich. "Who knows. You know how he is—he goes nuts every few days. Even I can't stand him."
Veins popped on Isshin's brow, but he swallowed it. Palms pressed together, he pleaded in a whisper, "Captain Unohana… have mercy."
He wasn't ready to blow his cover yet.
Unohana gave a small huff, cheeks still pink, and shot Cole a deadly glare. Cole propped his chin on one hand, amused. Adorable… the gentle big sister look, half shy, half angry.
He picked up a plump shrimp and dropped it into Unohana's bowl. "Mom, thanks for your hard work last night. I've nothing else to repay you with—have this shrimp to restore your strength."
"Cole!"
Mortification returned; Unohana drew her zanpakuto and chased him around the living room again. Isshin broke into a sweat. Fight all you want—just don't level my house!
After breakfast, Cole and Ichigo—at long last—headed to school.
In the corridor of Karakura First High, Keigo waved cheerfully. "Yo! Cole, Ichigo! Heard you were sick and out of town for treatment. All better?"
Ichigo coughed and fumbled a flimsy excuse. Dozens of classmates swarmed with questions until Cole and Ichigo were drenched in cold sweat.
What were they supposed to say? We took a trip to Soul Society and beat up some captains?
At times like this, they envied Chad. Silent as ever, he could face a flood of questions and squeeze out two words after half a day.
When they finally escaped the well-meaning mob, Tatsuki marched up, face red, grabbed Cole, and hauled him to the roof—breaking into a run by the end.
On the rooftop, Cole scratched his head. "Tatsuki, what's up? I don't have time to practice karate right now."
"Karate, my butt!"
Tatsuki socked him in the shoulder and seized his lapels. "You punk, where did you and Orihime go? No messages for days—did something happen?"
Cole threw his hands up. "I surrender! You misunderstand. Orihime and I were sick, that's all."
"Really?"
"Really." Cole nodded solemnly.
"Really, my foot!"
She swung another punch, then—furious—kicked his shin… only to yelp, crumpling to the ground. "Ow ow ow! Cole, you jerk—do you keep a steel pipe in your pants!?"
"There was just a little reiatsu body-guarding…"
Cole swallowed and hurried to help her up, quietly channeling recovery kido.
Eyes glossy with tears, Tatsuki pouted, "I heard you were back and went to your house early. You weren't there—only Orihime… in bed…"
Even with her toe still throbbing, she flushed. "You really went after her. And so rough, too—her whole body had your—your marks…"
Cole coughed, a touch embarrassed, and changed the subject. "So… you came to fight for Orihime's honor?"
"I wanted to," Tatsuki huffed, "but she stopped me—said she's happy."
Cole blinked. "Then… why drag me here?"
Tatsuki's bravado wilted; she looked down and mumbled, "I wanted to ask… did you all awaken some kind of powers? Like… special abilities?"
Cole gave her a sympathetic look. "What makes you think that?"
"Don't look at me like that." She scowled, then sagged. "Since you left, I've been vaguely seeing… odd things. Like souls, drifting around Karakura. And… when I visited Orihime this morning, I think she used some kind of power. I saw a few palm-sized little… people… healing her bruis—her… marks."
Cole understood. In the original tale, Tatsuki could faintly see spirits and Hollows—a Fullbring seed that never fully awakened.
"Alright," he sighed. "I'll explain. Don't freak out."
Tatsuki nodded hard. Superpowers. She'd seen those in movies…
A little later, she shuffled back toward class in a daze, muttering, "Souls, shinigami, Hollows, Soul Society, Hueco Mundo, Las Noches, Seireitei, captains, zanpakuto, reiatsu…"
Cole deadpanned, "Told you not to ask too much. Your simple worldview is crumbling now, huh?"
She nearly cried. This wasn't just superpowers—this was shinigami, too. And hidden dangers all around—soul-eating Hollows that drove people to despair. Years of karate… probably not great against that sort of monster.
Time skipped to the final bell.
"Ichigo, this way." Cole waved him toward the Visoreds' hideout. Uryu and Chad came along.
Soon the derelict warehouse loomed ahead.
"Again with those guys?" Ichigo muttered. "They don't seem… good."
He'd met them once. Every one of them was a weirdo.
"Don't you talk like that about Shinji and the others," Cole said righteously. "Sure, they're world-class background extras—Jiangnan Seven Freaks, really—but they're good at heart."
Uryu frowned. "What's 'background extra' and 'Jiangnan Seven Freaks'?"
Chad rumbled, "Doesn't sound like praise. Do they… like buying soy sauce? And act… weird?"
Ichigo sighed, used to Cole's random phrases. "Buying soy sauce means 'none of my business.' Jiangnan Seven Freaks… means they've got good hearts and not much else."
He noticed the others had gone silent—and followed their eyes. The eight Visoreds stood at the barrier gate… with Unohana beside them, greeting the group. Except for Unohana, all eight were scowling.
Shinji finally couldn't hold it in and rounded on Cole. "We're 'background extras'?"
Kensei ground his teeth. "And 'Jiangnan Seven Freaks' with nothing but good intentions?"
Hiyori sneered. "Only our kind hearts?"
They'd planned to welcome Cole properly—after all, his exploits in Seireitei had reached them. Instead, they got roasted on sight.
Cole hadn't expected a welcoming committee. He coughed, a little sheepish. "I did say your hearts are good. That's enough—there's nothing rarer than a kind heart."
The Visoreds nearly spat blood. This kid would not repent.
Shinji's face darkened; he charged, blade out. "Cole-kun, I hear you ran amok in Seireitei and even crossed blades with the Head Captain. Come—let me try you."
Cole took off at once. "Shinji, don't slander me! I was very popular there—can't you see Captain Unohana followed me home?"
Kensei, never subtle, blurted, "Lies! You seduced Captain Unohana and made her rob the cradle—"
Boom!
The former Ninth Division Captain flew like a bowling pin.
Unohana smiled sweetly as she lowered her blade. "Everyone, words have consequences. Don't get hurt by speaking carelessly."
Cold sweat beaded on a crowd of (former) captains and lieutenants. Every head bobbed like a pecking chick. Numbers meant nothing—anger Unohana and she'd carve them up one by one.
Across the yard came a bang—Cole's golden staff met Shinji's zanpakuto. In an instant, Shinji's face changed; his hands shook. He nearly lost his grip.
"Your strength…"
Cole rolled his shoulders and lifted the golden pole. "That was only fifty percent."
(End of Chapter)
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