The fireballs created by the zanpakuto Tobiume (Flying Plum) carried both high heat and tracking properties.
Soi fong had suffered badly under them.
In the past, with her hoho (Flash Step), she could have easily dodged Tobiume. But now, that was impossible. Under Barraggan's ability to rot all things, one of her legs had turned completely to bare bone—she simply couldn't run.
After being hit by Tobiume several times in a row, she had already sunk into despair.
Then she heard a boy's voice—like heavenly music to her ears.
"Cole!!!"
Soi fong cried out in surprise, staring in disbelief at the black-haired boy in Hollowfied form before her, her upper body bare.
She wondered if she was dreaming.
Was this her life flashing before her eyes?
She had wished for Cole to come for so long—how could he just happen to show up at a moment like this?
"Are… are you real?"
Soi fong couldn't help poking his leg with her skeletal finger.
Cole's expression darkened.
"Sorry to disappoint you. I'm not a real human right now—I'm a real Menos. If you keep talking like that, I'll just eat you."
Hearing that, Soi fong finally relaxed, confirming that the boy in front of her was, in fact, the genuine Cole.
Cole placed his right hand on top of Momo's head. No matter how much she struggled, she couldn't stop him from patting and squishing.
After playing with her for a few seconds, Cole poked Momo's cheek, then turned to Soi fong and asked curiously,
"Soi fong, you still haven't answered me. How did you end up fighting this toy—and how did she mess you up this badly?"
Instead of answering, Soi fong fired back with another question.
"Why are you calling Vice-Captain Momo a toy?"
"Oh, that…" Cole waved his hand in front of the dazed Momo's face, teasing her as he spoke casually.
"She's Aizen's toy, isn't she? He's already broken her. Mind and body, she's basically turned into Aizen's reflection."
He felt that, in the original timeline, it was only because Aizen didn't keep playing with Momo that he didn't end up NTR-ing Toshiro right in front of everyone.
This girl had practically become a perfect copy of Aizen, inside and out.
She was a slave who'd been brainwashed so thoroughly she'd lost her sense of self.
Soi fong's face twisted with exasperation.
"You're being way too harsh. She's still a vice-captain, you know… Though you're not exactly wrong, either…"
"Huh?"
Cole looked at her in surprise.
Soi fong sighed and quickly ran him through what had happened.
"Just now, Shinji's zanpakuto manifested and released its bankai. It flipped everyone's sense of friend and foe, made us all see comrades as enemies, and we started tearing each other apart…"
"I took down Omaeda, but then Vice-Captain Momo showed up. Under the influence of Sakanade (Counter Stroke) and Kyoka Suigetsu (Mirror Flower, Water Moon), she completely mistook me for the enemy and chased me nonstop…"
"And before that, I have no idea what kind of trick she was under. She forcibly restrained Captain Toshiro and let Aizen stab straight through the both of them with one strike…"
"…"
When Cole finished hearing her report, Byakuya and the other Shinigami standing nearby all went pale.
They had never imagined things had deteriorated to this extent.
The Shinigami side had been beaten almost into total collapse.
And Shinji, in particular—his zanpakuto had practically wiped out their own forces.
"Then how are you still okay?"
Cole frowned at Soi fong.
From where he was standing, she seemed relatively clear-headed.
Soi fong glared at him and shook her skeletal arm and leg.
"My leg and arm are like this. It hurts like hell. Of course that kind of pain gives me resistance to those abilities—I didn't completely lose my mind. Besides…"
She glanced at Cole and the others, a bit puzzled.
"I don't know if it's just my imagination, but ever since you all came here, I feel… better than before somehow."
Hearing that, Cole seemed to realize something and glanced down at the golden staff in his hand.
He figured the suppression ability was kicking in.
But he didn't bother explaining. Instead, he looked at Momo, who still saw him as an enemy, and sighed while swinging the golden staff lightly.
"She really has been played into a perfectly obedient little slave."
Thud.
With a dull impact, Momo's eyes rolled back as she collapsed into unconsciousness.
Soi fong didn't spare Momo another look. She stared off toward the far distance, gritting her teeth.
"Forget Vice-Captain Momo. Cole, you need to hurry over and help Yoruichi and Kisuke—"
She didn't get to finish.
A startled cry slipped from her lips.
Her face flushed bright red as she looked at Cole.
"Cole, what are you doing? Put me down! Everyone's watching!"
Cole was holding her in a princess carry. He flicked her lightly on the forehead and scolded,
"Idiot. Of course I'm going to go save people. But before I do that, I need to make sure you're taken care of. Do you really think you're in any condition to fight right now?"
At this point, Soi fong was practically no different from a human torso. Her hands and feet were bare bone, vicious and horrifying to look at.
Even if she wasn't bleeding,
She looked dangerously close to falling apart.
Soi fong felt a warm current rise in her chest, but she still shook her head.
"No. My injuries are too severe. There's no way they'll heal in a short time. I'll have to wait until we're back in Soul Society…"
Crack.
The air split apart as Cole shot forward, Soi fong cradled in his arms. His body turned into a streak of dark light, cutting through the sky.
In no time at all, they had reached his villa.
Cole set Soi fong gently down on the bed.
"Soi fong, wait here for two minutes. I'll be right back."
Soi fong could only nod with a faint blush.
She had always been stubborn and self-reliant, unwilling to let anyone help her.
But now she realized that occasionally relying on others wasn't so bad.
It let her feel… loved.
"Thank you, Cole…"
She raised her half-skeletal hand, wanting to stroke his cheek.
Cole's mouth twitched. He immediately stepped back out of reach, tearing open space as he spoke in exasperation,
"If you want to touch me, wait until you're healed. Your hand is all bone right now—it looks way too creepy…"
In his previous life, he'd heard a saying.
"Seeing beauty as white bone frees one from desire. Seeing white bone as beauty frees one from fear."
But Cole didn't think he had reached that level of transcendent enlightenment yet.
A hand half bone and half flesh—just that, in a dark room, would be enough material to shoot ten horror movies.
Soi fong nearly exploded in anger. Any trace of sentiment she'd felt just now evaporated.
"Damn you, Cole, get out of here already!"
Cole chuckled, placed his right hand against the air, and used Desukorēru (Loosed Void). With a step forward, he slipped directly into Soul Society.
Inside a secret pocket dimension,
Tatsuki and Orihime were soaking in a hot spring, both wearing expressions of pure relaxation.
"Tatsuki-chan, see? I told you this hot spring feels amazing—not only does it wash away fatigue, it's really good for your skin too…"
Orihime smiled happily as she shared her thoughts.
Tatsuki nodded, scooping up a handful of water and splashing it over her face.
"It really is incredible. Shinigami are amazing—creating something like this. If only I could get powers of my own someday."
After seeing Hueco Mundo, Soul Society, Shinigami, and Hollows, she'd developed a deep fascination with this hidden world.
She'd never wanted power this badly before.
She wanted to awaken an ability like Orihime's or Chad's.
Orihime pondered for a moment, then shook her head in distress.
"I don't even know how my powers awakened… I don't have any way to help you, Tatsuki-chan…"
"Sigh, I knew it wouldn't be that easy…"
Tatsuki sighed, dunked her head under the water, and blew bubbles as she muttered,
"I'll have to talk to Cole. I bet he'll have some idea. He's pretty amazing now, after all."
"Cole really is incredible."
Orihime's cheeks turned a soft pink, her eyes full of longing.
"I wonder if he's back yet. With Cole's strength, going to Hueco Mundo shouldn't be dangerous. He should be back soon, right?"
Hearing Orihime's words, Tatsuki couldn't help remembering the scene of Cole saving her.
He had literally held the line alone against countless monsters, clearing a path to pull her out of a sea of creatures.
As the two girls sat in silence, lost in thought, space cracked open at the edge of the spring.
Cole stepped out and smiled.
"Orihime, I'm here to bring you home. There are people who need healing."
"Cole!!!"
Orihime sprang to her feet, water droplets sliding down her fair skin, tracing out the soft lines of her youthful figure.
"Hsss…"
Cole drew in a sharp breath at the sight, feeling his body heat spike.
He definitely hadn't expected to walk in on a scene like this.
Tatsuki reacted quickly. She grabbed Orihime and yanked her back down into the water, face bright red.
"Orihime, he's going to see everything!"
Orihime realized what was happening, her own face turning scarlet as she peeked bashfully toward Cole on the shore.
"Cole, you can't peek…"
Cole coughed and reluctantly turned away.
"Hurry up and get dressed. I'm taking you both back to the World of the Living. The battle there is really bad—we need you, Orihime."
The two girls climbed out of the spring with flushed faces, dried off, and put on their clothes.
Once they were ready, Cole immediately tore open space again, took them by the hand, and stepped into the pitch-black Garganta.
Soon enough,
The three of them crossed through space and returned to Cole's bedroom.
When she saw Soi fong lying on the bed, Orihime cried out in shock,
"Captain Soi fong, how did you get hurt so badly? Wait—don't move, I'll start healing you right away!"
Beside her, Tatsuki stared at Soi fong in awe.
So this was a Shinigami…
She hadn't expected their battles to be so brutal that they'd end up with half their body turned to white bone.
Soi fong's face was faintly red. Seeing Orihime treat her, she couldn't shake the feeling she was a cheating cat caught red-handed by the main wife.
Cole, seeing this, waved goodbye to the three of them.
With a light step, he flashed off into the distance.
He had to see how the fight over there was going.
He'd only taken a few steps—
When he had to stop again, staring speechlessly at the blazing crater in front of him and the mummy-like figure of Yamamoto Genryusai lying within.
"You old geezer, what are you doing here cosplaying a skeleton?"
(End of Chapter)
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