"Sigh… you really can't tell that was the old Bambietta anymore. She's changed way too much."
Giselle sat on a rock, watching Bambietta's retreating back. Her legs swung idly as she spoke with a hint of emotion.
That once-twisted female demon who loved slaughtering ordinary Quincy soldiers had practically turned into a slave now.
Or rather… she was a slave.
Candice curled her lip. "Who told her to have such bad luck? Out of so many soldiers, she just had to pick the Captain."
Hearing that, the others couldn't help sighing about Bambietta's misfortune too.
There were hundreds of thousands of soldiers in the Wandenreich, plus plenty of ordinary people—yet Bambietta just happened to choose the strongest one.
"Well, I wouldn't say it's bad luck," a very airheaded voice spoke up from the crowd. "After all, that's the Captain."
The expressionless girl, Liltotto, glanced at Meninas and said flatly, "Meninas… are you jealous of little Bambietta?"
Meninas put a finger to her lips and tilted her head slightly.
"Not really jealous. It's the Captain, after all. Since he's already taken little Bambietta in, he'll definitely prioritize taking care of her."
"And besides…"
She blinked, looking at the other girls with a harmless, absentminded smile.
"This way, we don't have to kill little Bambietta anymore, right? As the Captain's slave, she'll stay with us forever."
The other girls weren't shocked by Meninas's words at all. Instead, they quietly nodded.
Over the past few hundred years, they'd long since gotten sick of Bambietta's arrogant, overbearing attitude—so arrogant it was borderline conceited.
If Cole hadn't "disciplined" Bambietta into a slave…
Then in the coming war against Seireitei, they'd already decided they would kill their "good best friend" themselves.
While the female Quincies were talking over there, the male Quincies were talking over here.
Bazz-B was adjusting to his new Blut, looking a bit helpless as he spoke to Cang Du.
"Hey, Cang Du—when do you think the Captain will finally teach us his improved Reishi-dispersal technique?"
Yhwach, the King of the Quincies, would wake up soon. When that happened, it would be a life-and-death war between them and the Shinigami of Seireitei.
Bazz-B wanted to learn Cole's Complete Holy Form before that.
Not just to deal with the Shinigami…
But also to guard against Yhwach's Auswählen.
Cang Du's expression returned to cold indifference. Hearing the question didn't change him at all, and he only said flatly,
"We joined from the Sternritter. It's normal that the Captain doesn't trust us."
"But the Captain is already very generous. Techniques like Blut aren't something normal people would ever share."
"If you want to learn the Complete Holy Form, then you must prove your loyalty to the Captain."
"Loyalty, huh…?"
Bazz-B couldn't help sighing, then scratched his head in annoyance.
"That's a real pain."
Unlike other Quincies, he didn't have absolute loyalty even to Yhwach—let alone to the Captain.
Just then, Giselle ran over, brimming with excitement. She spun around in front of Bazz-B and Cang Du, smiling with narrowed eyes.
"Bazz-B, Cang Du—you two are men. Tell me, do you think the Captain would like me the same way he likes Bambietta?"
Bazz-B: "..."
Cang Du: "..."
Meninas: "..."
Liltotto: "..."
Candice: "..."
The scene shifted.
In a shadowed corner somewhere within the Wandenreich.
Bazz-B strolled into the darkness as if he were window-shopping. Someone was already waiting there—none other than the Wandenreich's acting emperor, Jugram.
Seeing him arrive, Jugram showed a rare smile.
"So, Bazz-B. You've been observing that guy these days—have you found anything suspicious about him?"
"That guy…" Bazz-B raised an eyebrow. "You mean the Captain?"
Jugram froze for a moment, looking at Bazz-B with surprise. He hadn't expected Bazz-B to address Cole like that.
In his understanding, Bazz-B had always been extremely unruly.
Still, Jugram didn't dwell on it. He nodded after coming back to himself.
"That's right. That guy."
Bazz-B scratched his head. "What's suspicious about the Captain…"
He thought for a moment, then looked up and asked, "Does being especially horny count? He put several beautiful female Quincies under his direct command—he's probably already slept with them."
"Horny…"
Jugram went speechless.
Even he hadn't expected such a powerful Quincy to have such a trivial desire.
Were a few hundred years still not enough to satisfy him?
It was information, sure—but it obviously wasn't what Jugram really wanted. He frowned and said,
"That kind of preference doesn't matter. What I want to know is whether you feel he's truly a Quincy. Could he be a Shinigami in disguise?"
Even though Cole's identity had been confirmed once already, Jugram still felt something was off.
Yet he couldn't say exactly what.
It just felt… could it really be that convenient?
Hearing that, Bazz-B was just as speechless. He slapped his forehead, exhaled, then said seriously,
"Jugram, aren't you overthinking it? How could the Captain be a Shinigami?"
To make spiritual particles obey him to that extent…
To fire Heilig Pfeil (Holy Arrow) at that level…
To modify Blut to that level…
Is that something a Shinigami could do!?
Saying he was a Shinigami was even less believable than claiming Cole was a Shinigami.
Jugram frowned. "I'm just worried—what if…"
"There is no 'what if.'"
Bazz-B's voice turned heavy. "Just relax. The Captain is absolutely not a Shinigami. He's one hundred percent a Quincy."
Then Bazz-B narrowed his eyes at Jugram.
"Is it because His Majesty is about to awaken soon, and the pressure is getting to you? Otherwise why would you even think something like that?"
If Bazz-B didn't know Jugram's personality, he would've suspected Jugram was jealous of Cole—
Or even planning to get rid of this Captain before His Majesty awakened.
Seeing how firm his childhood friend was, Jugram gradually dispelled his doubts. He sighed and forced a bitter smile.
"Maybe I really have been too tense lately. You know His Majesty's situation… I'm terrified that he'll be awakened early."
Jugram's loyalty to His Majesty was absolute.
But if there was a way to avoid His Majesty using Auswählen, that would obviously be best.
Hearing that, cold light flashed through Bazz-B's eyes. Scorching flames burst from his palm, driving away the darkness of the shadows as he said coldly,
"His Majesty, His Majesty… If he dares to use Auswählen, then even if he's the King of the Quincies, I'll still kill him."
During the thousand years in the Wandenreich, Bazz-B had already taken this place as his home.
He'd also taken everyone here as friends.
And once Yhwach used Auswählen, everything here would turn to ash.
Most importantly, Bazz-B couldn't accept being treated like a disposable pawn—having his life and power stripped away. If it came to that, he would rather betray Yhwach.
Jugram's brows snapped together. He said in a deep voice,
"Bazz-B, don't you dare speak disrespectfully of His Majesty!"
If those words had come from anyone else in the Sternritter, then even if Jugram didn't execute them, he would still make them suffer the most painful punishment.
Because loyalty to His Majesty could not be defiled.
But because it was his childhood friend… Jugram had repeatedly let Bazz-B off.
Bazz-B clicked his tongue, too lazy to keep talking. He turned to leave, grumbling as he walked,
"That's why I can't stand you. If there's nothing else, I'm going back. I've still got to fix the wall in the band room."
"Wait!"
Jugram hurriedly called out to him.
"You've joined the Military Police for several days now. How is it? Has that guy taught you the two improved abilities?"
"Yeah. And they're insanely strong techniques."
Bazz-B stopped, interest rising. He activated the Blut he'd just learned—blue patterns appearing across his body.
Jugram's face filled with amazement as he looked Bazz-B up and down.
"Incredible. You really learned it… The fusion of Blut Vene (Static Blood Armor) and Blut Arterie (Flowing Blood Armor)… He really taught you…"
Jugram had thought that even if Cole truly was a Quincy, he still wouldn't pass such a technique on.
But reality proved otherwise.
That guy's breadth of mind was larger than Jugram had expected.
Maybe he really could become His Majesty's right-hand man.
Bazz-B laughed loudly, clenched his fist, and threw a heavy punch straight at Jugram.
Jugram didn't use any special ability—he simply defended with Blut Vene (Static Blood Armor).
The punch struck Jugram's chest with a thunderous boom.
Jugram didn't move back at all. He tanked it head-on and said with a sigh,
"It really is powerful. Your strength has increased by about twenty percent compared to before. That Captain truly is a talent."
Bazz-B withdrew his fist with a dissatisfied look.
"This is nothing. Once I learn the Captain's Complete Holy Form, maybe even you won't be my match."
Jugram smiled and didn't respond to that. He only said,
"Alright. Tell me in detail—how were Blut Vene and Blut Arterie improved? I need to learn it properly too."
If it could make Bazz-B stronger, then it could definitely make Jugram stronger as well.
That would let him serve His Majesty better.
Bazz-B waved his hand and walked away without looking back.
"You're thinking too much. I'm a Military Police member now—how could I possibly teach you that technique!?"
He hadn't forgotten what Cang Du said: if he wanted to learn the Captain's Complete Holy Form, he had to show loyalty.
If the Sternritter learned the improved Blut at this point, then how would he bargain for the Complete Holy Form later!?
Wouldn't the Captain just kill him?
So Bazz-B even warned Jugram on purpose.
"And don't come looking for trouble with our Military Police. Next time, it won't be the Captain dealing with you—it'll be me, Bazz-B."
Watching Bazz-B's departing back, Jugram first shook his head helplessly… then furrowed his brow deeply.
"Military Police… Captain… Cole…?"
He didn't care that Bazz-B refused to share the improved Blut.
After all, they'd been close friends for a thousand years. Jugram knew Bazz-B's personality—he especially hated Jugram's loyalty to His Majesty.
But even so, Bazz-B wouldn't betray His Majesty for no reason.
He was a friend Jugram could truly trust.
What Jugram cared about… was Cole.
Even though Jugram had completely dismissed the idea that Cole was a Shinigami…
Cole's personality—like Bazz-B's—was extremely unruly, and he had no loyalty to His Majesty at all.
Once His Majesty woke up…
There might be quite a mess.
After thinking it over, Jugram could only exhale softly and murmur,
"We can only wait for His Majesty to awaken first…"
Elsewhere.
Inside a room in the Military Police headquarters.
Cole sat on the sofa in the living room, feeling how soft it was, and couldn't help sighing with emotion:
"Quincy efficiency really is something else!"
Only two days had passed. With just two thousand Quincies, they not only rebuilt the Military Police headquarters, they even made rooms this luxurious.
It was like reincarnated construction immortals.
As he was thinking, Cole suddenly shivered for no reason. He looked up and met the dangerous gaze Rukia was sending his way.
He swallowed and turned to look at Bambietta standing in front of him—face flushed, posture like a timid puppy.
He let out a breath and said coldly,
"Still daring to stand in front of me? Kneel!"
(End of Chapter)
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