Bleach: Starting as a Vasto Lorde

Chapter 260: Undeceive

After gently tucking Izumi into the bed, Kazuya returned to the living room, where an almost surreal sight greeted him — Unohana wearing a soft smile while engaged in a conversation with Harribel and Apacci. She was quite vibrant for someone hell-bent on fighting a thrilling deathmatch.

Upon noticing Kazuya’s presence, Unohana assumed a neutral, almost grave expression. “You should leave now. And exercise caution when dealing with Gin.”

“Stop worrying, Mo—” He caught himself mid-word, his gaze flicking to Harribel’s face. The bronze-skinned lady’s gentle smile remained the same, but her eyes had gone completely blank. “Cough, Aunt Retsu. I know how to handle guys like him.”

Harribel relaxed noticeably at his correction. She wouldn’t let anyone steal her title away from her, regardless of their identity. There could only be one ‘Mommy’ in his life.

“Excellent, Kazuya. Are you going to change in your room?”

“Ah, about that,” he said, shifting his attention to Sung-Sun. “Get me something from your wardrobe.”

Although he was taller than her in his other form, Sung-Sun’s clothes would be the easiest fit for him.

Sung-Sun’s eyes sparkled with barely contained excitement at being entrusted with this responsibility. “You needn’t ask, Precious. I’ll make you the sexiest darling in the world.”

“I don’t need to be sexy. Just get me something comfortable.”

She thumped her chest with a sincere look. “Then accompany me to my room.”

…

A short while later, Kazuya emerged from the mansion alongside Harribel. He, or rather his female form, cut a striking figure in a black, full-sleeved hoodie and dark blue jeans, a stark contrast to Harribel’s attire of a pale blue turtleneck and white jeans. 

In no time they were at their destination.

Gin stood alone on the bridge, carrying his usual, creepy smile. “You came after all.”

The false sweetness in his voice was masterfully done to lure strangers into disarming their guard around him. It’d have worked wonderfully if not for his fox-like smile.

{Nah, Partner got edged again and again without a chance to relieve all this growing tension.}

“Nami, you’re taking away Father’s focus. Stop being a nuisance.”

Kazuya waved Gin off, fully knowing that Gin saw him as his comrade-in-arm for revenge. “You told Harribel you can bring Aizen to Hueco Mundo. Was that true or not?”

“I have no reason to lie.” Gin’s smile vanished in his thin air, and his eyes slightly opened with an unquestionable seriousness. “The real question is — how certain are you about killing him?”

“Well, if we cut every escape route, I can guarantee his death.”

A straight, no nonsense question demanded a straightforward answer, and Kazuya gave that to Gin.

Gin nodded, satisfied with his answer. “I’ll look for a way to cut off his access to the Senkaimon Gate, which shouldn’t open in Hueco Mundo. Still, just in case. You can also consult Kisuke on the matter. His expertise in these subjects is close to unparalleled.”

Despite being on the opposite sides, Gin had respect for Kisuke.

Kazuya crossed his arms. “I’ll take care of that.”

“One more thing. Aizen has forces in Hueco Mundo. A group of Arrancars he calls Espada. You should take care of them before bringing Aizen there. Should be pretty easy for you.”

Gin didn’t want Ulquiorra or anyone else’s interference. For that to happen, the Espada group had to be out of the picture during the battle.

Kazuya narrowed his eyes. The possibility that Gin was manipulating him into eliminating the Espada to clear his own path to Aizen flickered through his mind. However, the chances seemed minuscule; Gin had always lacked the confidence in his ability to fight Aizen.

Gin closed his eyes with a coy look. “Don’t stare at me intently, beautiful. I’ll get charmed.”

Kazuya clicked his tongue. “I’ll take care of Espada too.”

Another encounter with the nihilistic Ulquiorra, while less than appealing, was necessary.

He glanced at Harribel, who showed keen interest in the conversation. “Gin, why don’t you contact us in two weeks?”

Unohana’s training, wiping the growing Espada group, and creating a device to contain Aizen in Hueco Mundi shouldn’t take more than two weeks.

Gin paused for a moment, thinking things through in his head. “Aizen will have his Shikai repaired by then… It’s not like you’ll have any problem with it. Yeah, I’ll find you or this woman in two weeks.”

As Gin spoke, the gears in Kazuya’s mind turned. It seemed Gin had contemplated killing Aizen while his Shikai was out of the picture. However, such a plan would introduce far too many variables — the most concerning being the increased risk of Aizen evading their carefully laid trap.

“I’ll see ya then.”

Gin pivoted on his heel, offering a casual wave as he began to walk away from the bridge.

“Wait, Gin Ichimaru. Do you know anything about a freak with long nails named Muramasa?”

Gin froze in his tracks and looked around with a surprised expression. “How do you know about Muramasa?”

“He ran amok in Hueco Mundo, feeding on Hollows. On top of that, he nearly killed my friend.Do you know where he is hiding?”

“Ah, so you were the Hollow Muramasa ran away from.” Gin chuckled. “He is now in cahoots with Aizen.”

“Where is he?”

“Hiding in the caves outside the Soul Society. You don’t have to worry about him invading Hueco Mundo again. He’s busy gathering Zanpakutō Spirits on Aizen’s demand.”

Kazuya’s brow furrowed in contemplation. He had to find Muramasa before he began his whole Zanpakutō Rebellion and bring back the Zanpakutō Spirits to their original masters. He also had to orchestrate this as though it were mere coincidence.

“Very well. You can leave now.”

{What an anticlimactic deal, partner. I hoped you’d threaten to kill him in case he tricked you.}

‘We already know his backstory. Why would I doubt him?’

{You know, you could’ve intimidated him with your alpha energy. Just to be edgy!}

‘Nami…’

{T’was was a joke, Partner. I’m glad everything went well…}

Harribel held his hands. “Don’t stress yourself. Everyone is waiting for us at the dinner table… except for Mila Rose. She’ll wake up at midnight to scour the kitchen.”

A smile tugged at his lips. “As expected of Mommy, she knows everything that goes on in the family.”

She crossed her arms, staring at him with an expressionless face. “I just look after everyone as the second in command, Leader.”

“Not you too.”

She giggled through her nose. “I’m sorry. Something about this form gives me the urge to tease you.”

“What more urges do you get?”

She took his hands and yanked him, burying his face in between her huge breasts. She smothered him in her warmth while stroking the back of his head. “You being short makes hugging you easier. I wish I was taller so I could do the same with your real form.”

“This is heaven.”

She leaned closer to his ears, her warm breath tickling him. “They are yours.”

“Mhmm. I know.” He drew back and took her head. “Would you mind taking the longer route?”

“I was about to propose that… let’s take the longest route.”