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Aika looked up in a panic, eyes full of fear, and saw Kisuke's serene expression, "Don't apologize!", she hurriedly said as she grabbed his arms, "Please don't apologize! You've done nothing wrong!"
Kisuke grabbed Aika's hands and held them tightly before shaking his head, "No. I've realized that this isn't right. I still don't know what could have been the correct way, but I at least have to acknowledge that this one is wrong. First and foremost, I thought that you'd be able to follow the pace I've set and everything was going well. However, everything going well doesn't mean that you're okay with it. So instead of being able to follow, it's more accurate to say that you're all getting dragged along by me."
"Second..." There was a pause as Kisuke stared at Aika's frustrated face that wanted to say something but couldn't, "I treated you as something you're not in the first place."
"W-what are you saying?", asked Aika in utter confusion. But most of all, she's perplexed as to why Kisuke was acting strange. However, she's sure that she won't like where this is going.
Kisuke didn't reply immediately and started thinking back once again. Ever since being aware of himself, he never actually deeply interacted with any 'normal' people. Even in Sado Yasutora and Inoue Orihime's cases, all he ever did is give them a bit of advice and a bit of time to train their powers to usable levels before passing them on to other people to deal with. This is the first time Kisuke extensively took care of someone who lived without dealing with anything supernatural and someone who's going through puberty where there are a lot of uncertainties.
Kisuke had it wrong from the start. It's not a question of whether he should have really taken her to this part of the world or not, it is how he didn't realize his own logic and common sense didn't apply to her even if she had something special that set her apart from others. Whether that came from his own ignorance or the absence of his willingness to figure out those that don't affect him directly, he himself doesn't know, 'It doesn't matter how long you've lived. Things that you don't know will remain unknown even if you've already experienced every other thing...huh. To think I fell for something as obvious as that. I thought that I could separate my emotions from logic, but it turned out that I've been dictated by my emotions and biases from the very start... How foolish and naive of me.'
This self-admission removed an invisible thorn in his heart that Kisuke didn't even know existed. But along with it was the rise of numerous uncertainties and doubts, questions of where else he could have gone wrong.
Sighing, Kisuke finally looked back to Aika, who was on the verge of panicking and eyes full of uncertainty and fear before smiling and saying, "Listen Aika."
But instead of being comforted, Aika became nervous as she waited for his next words, "Before everything else, I'd like you to know that I don't regret bringing you with me. In fact, I should be thankful that you've put up with me and my selfishness."
Kisuke slipped his arm from Aika's grip and placed his hand on her head, patting her hair gently, "I'm sorry for scaring you, but did you think I would say the opposite?"
Aika hesitated for a moment before looking down and nodding her head.
"Is it because you thought that nothing you did mattered if I were to say that?"
Aika didn't say anything nor do anything to answer. But unlike previously, Kisuke wasn't sure if this was affirmation. But whether it's a silent affirmation or she didn't know for sure in the first place, it didn't really matter as what he wanted to say won't change.
"If you have such thoughts, cease them. Even if I regretted it, it doesn't change the fact that your efforts and what you gained from them, albeit forced on you, was yours and yours alone. Nothing can change that, even you. Know that no matter how much you fear your own worthlessness, the meaning of your actions will never disappear."
What Kisuke said was very vague at best, almost nonsensical, but somehow, it resonated with the girl struggling with her own self-worth, giving her a bit of inner peace.
But Kisuke knew that it wasn't enough to lay rest to most of Aika's worries and struggles. Even then, he already had nothing to say, at least nothing that comes to mind right now. He may have all sorts of life experiences, but not much for this, he thought as he resisted the urge to scratch his head.
Instead, Kisuke fixed his sitting position and patted his thighs while looking at Aika.
Kisuke didn't need to say anything and Aika understood what he wanted to say. Slowly laying down, Aika used Kisuke's thighs as a headrest. Normally, she would be instantly ecstatic at the current situation, however, the current atmosphere was so weirdly awkward that she couldn't really enjoy it.
Even with Kisuke's hand gently stroking her head, Aika couldn't seem to find peace. It's as if this tranquility made her fearful, 'I see... The training, for better or worse, became my form of escape... I've been running away from reality all this time.'
Aika finally understood that the awkward atmosphere was stemming from her, yet she seemed to fail to fully understand where her struggles were coming from.
Just from the face she was making, Kisuke figured out what she had been going through. After all, it was a nostalgic and familiar feeling as both Kisuke and Yoruichi went through something similar with their differing situations, 'Struggling inside yet being lost at what's eating you. Before she can resolve it, she first has to find out what she wants and doesn't want to happen.'
Of course, he didn't say anything regarding that as he's confident that Aika would also soon realize this. However that didn't mean he couldn't assist her, so after a few minutes of internally deliberating what he could do, he decided to change his plans for her.
"Say, Aika... Want to go back with me?"
"...What?"
"Hmmm... Forget it. I'll be taking you back with me whether you like it or not."
"...You're strangely forceful with that demand. Not that I mind though. You and Yoruichi are taking just me? What about the rest?"
Kisuke smiled at her and said, "You got it wrong. Since I'll be taking you, I can't take Yoruichi with me, so it'll just be the two of us."
Aika hurriedly stood up in a daze and asked, "Just you and me!? Why!? Wouldn't I just get in your way? Don't you and Yoruichi have a lot to do when you return?"
Aika thought Kisuke had something else in mind and taking just her back would just be a minor inconvenience for him, but to her surprise once again, Kisuke nodded strongly, "That's right. I wanted to ask Yoruichi to deal with something while I did another thing, but taking you with me means that I can't do what I initially wanted anymore."
Kisuke then crossed his arms before continuing, "Frankly speaking, the difficulty of taking on the whole of Olympus and some of the other hidden forces would shoot through the roof with just me moving around."
"Then why!? I don't have enough ability to assist you and the most I can do is fight some small fries, so why?"
Kisuke thought that Aika was severely underestimating herself. If she can go all out, she could actually face off against a weaker God. But that wasn't the point right now, so Kisuke wouldn't mention it. Within those few minutes of thinking, Kisuke was able to set her priorities straight.
"It's because more than dealing with Olympus, I want to help and take care of you. Who cares about those pain in the ass Gods when you're having a hard time like this going through belated puberty!?"
Editors:
28th00: Ah, belated magical dragon puberty, the super puberty of
Aika was stunned speechless. She wasn't even sure that this is something that Kisuke would normally say. Nevertheless, despite her inexperience, she was able to tell the conviction that was behind him, even though he sounded really frivolous, 'What the... When did our relationship jump to this stage?!'
Naturally, she wasn't complaining and her heart thumped in glee a few times instead, even then she didn't know where this was coming from and this also became somewhat unsettling, 'Although he doesn't tell us everything, he promised that he wouldn't lie to us.'
"No, no, no. Instead of minding me, you should deal with those Gods. Aren't they a great risk for everyone if not dealt with properly?" Nevertheless, Aika still tried reminding Kisuke of the 'proper' priorities, "And would Yoruichi even agree, since it concerns everyone's safety? And what the hell's a 'late puberty'!? Are you saying that I was very immature until now!?", She asked while doing her best to suppress the grin that was about to surface from her face. "And lastly, don't just chalk this up to me going through puberty! Although there might be truth to that, it isn't everything!"
"You don't have to worry about that. Once I explain the situation to her, I'm sure she'll give me her approval." Kisuke then stood up, intending to leave without listening to Aika's complaints, "Now that the plan's been changed, I'll go break the news to Yoruichi and alter our other plans for a bit before meeting my appointment with Medusa."
Aika wanted to do the same thing, but she stopped when she felt Kisuke's hand on her head, "I may know a lot of things, but that doesn't mean I know most of the things in the world. While I knew that you were struggling with something, I didn't know what exactly it was. Nonetheless, if you want it resolved, as someone with a bit more experience in life than you, I can say that you first have to figure out what you want to do before you can start on a solution."
"In any case, if you want an ear to grumble in, I'll lend it to you later."
Aika could only stare at Kisuke's back who left the room and thought, 'What I want to do, huh... I honestly don't know... I hope I can think of something aside from the current status quo.'
.
.
.
Kisuke arrived at the room where Yoruichi and Medusa were staying and talking about the current operations of the tower. There were only the two of them because the rest were watching Kuroka and Koneko do some tests and adjustments to their newly acquired strength, so that they could use it in a real battle.
The moment he entered the room, Yoruichi immediately asked in curiosity and concern, "How is she?"
Kisuke shook his head and said, "I would be lying if I said she's doing fine. Even then, I can't really help her since I don't really know what to do.", he then sat down beside her and asked, "Maybe you know what to do instead?"
Hearing that, Yoruichi couldn't help but giggle for a bit.
"...What? Is my helplessness really that funny?"
"Well, more than funny, it's really surprising.", said Yoruichi while shrugging her shoulders, "You, who played and schemed around literal Gods and Transcendent beings that break the rules of the world, spewing out all the possible scenarios despite not having the ability to see the future, is having a hard time dealing with a single girl. If those from the 12th Division and Visoreds, especially Kurotsuchi and Hiyori, were to hear this problem of yours, what do you think would be their reaction?
"I can, at least, imagine Aizen doing his best to break out of his seals, not to destroy Soul Society, but to give you a smack enough to obliterate your entire being."
Kisuke rested his back and replied, "Then he would need to gather all of his strength to annihilate me out of existence... probably."
Medusa didn't know nor have any idea of the names they mentioned, however, just the fact that someone out there could threaten Kisuke's life, who's pretty much almost immortal, made her shudder. Even then, she didn't say anything nor asked them to clarify what they were talking about. She knew for sure that there would be a time when Kisuke and Yoruichi would finally reveal their mysterious past. The fact that they allowed her to listen in already made her happy that they felt that she's trustworthy enough.
"Returning to Aika's issue, since it's you, even though you couldn't think of a solution, you at least have something in mind, right?"
Without any hesitation, Kisuke nodded, "Since I can't do it and none of us can truly help her, I'll bring her to people that could."
Yoruichi already has an idea of what Kisuke is trying to say. But before that, she curiously asked, "Even Hestia-sama or Artemis-sama can't help?"
Kisuke couldn't help but sigh before answering, "Hestia-sama and Artemis-sama might be able to say a few words that could help her, but remember, although Aika is, without any shadow of a doubt, one of us, she was originally not part of this world nor our world. She's not part of this sphere filled with violence.
"It's true that she might have already accepted this as her reality, but it's not so easy to replace the values and common sense that she'd cultivated through the majority of her short life and that life has always been a small and innocent experience. No matter how wise the Goddesses are, they can't fathom how she's lived such a life, just like I couldn't fully understand how everyone lives their lives."
A small smile emerged from Yoruichi's face and added, "Well, if one tried to fully understand someone else's way of life, there would only be a conflict due to misunderstandings, so there's no point in doing that." She then turned her sights to the quiet Medusa, "What do you think?"
Medusa was startled when Yoruichi suddenly asked her. However, she didn't have to think about her answer and said, "I'm sorry, but amongst everyone here, I'm probably the least experienced in regards to what life has to offer as I only spent my time fighting, rampaging, and escaping. Now that I've thought about it, it's really a miserable life."
"Ah... Sorry about that... I shouldn't have asked."
Medusa immediately shook her head, "Please don't apologize since you're just asking out of curiosity. Nevertheless, I do have something to say."
Kisuke and Yoruichi peeked at each other before staring at Medusa to wait for her, "Compared to the first time I met master, he has changed significantly."
While Yoruichi seemed to understand, Kisuke tilted his head in confusion and tried to think back, "Me? Changed?", he asked while internally grumbling, 'I'm still the lovable shopkeeper that can't help but think about the worst-case scenarios... Yep... No change in that.'
Medusa acknowledged that Kisuke himself didn't know about it so she continued, "When I first met you, although I wanted to do anything to return the favor that you'd granted me, I was actually scared of you."
Kisuke's brows furrowed but he let her continue, "Yes, I was incredibly thankful and ready to do anything and everything, but somehow, somewhere inside me feared you because although you sympathized with my situation, you also saw me as an interesting subject that you could study. Because of that, I wasn't sure if my fate would be better or worse in your hands."
"..."
"And even though it was different, I could tell that Akeno-san and Irina-san were in a similar situation as me when you took them in."
"..."
"But as I've said before, that was in the past.", Like a blooming flower, a smile that came from deep within her appeared on her face, "Right now, you're in the midst of figuring out what's the best, not just for our safety, but also our overall well-being. I'd like to serve master from the bottom of my heart from here on out."
Editors:
Truthfully, however, although Medusa didn't have much of a good impression of Kisuke at first, she still trusted him and the actual people who planted doubt within her mind were her sisters that slept most of the time inside her.
Even before Kisuke was able to stabilize their condition to slowly recover within Medusa, there would be times that they would wake up for a few seconds to talk to their sister. One of the main points that they tried their best to convey was not to trust Kisuke despite being her savior. Their persuasion became more apparent when they could now talk to Medusa anytime.
Medusa, on the other hand, while keeping their advice in mind and taking it seriously, also asked them to watch and judge Kisuke properly as she knew how much they hated humans in general, especially men, due to the fate brought upon them by their own Divinity.
Medusa watched Kisuke give her a look of skepticism and gave out a small giggle without further clarifying herself.
And now that she could wholeheartedly trust Kisuke and everyone around him, she thought that it was about time she introduced her beloved sisters. Raising both of her arms to the side, two balls of golden light suddenly appeared out of her palms and gently shot out. The golden balls of light slowly hovered beside them and emitted a serene and divine aura.
However, what surprised them were the voices that were coming out of them.
"Medusa, what are you thinking, bringing us out!?"
"Euryale, don't be too mad. You already knew that this was bound to happen. It's also about time we introduced ourselves to our hero."
"..."
Medusa didn't say anything, but not long after, the golden balls of light started shining brighter and growing bigger, until they each formed a silhouette of a child. After a few more seconds, they fully materialized using the ambient Magic Power, revealing two identical people that have hair and eyes that were similar to Medusa in color.
Kisuke and Yoruichi were worried that they would materialize without any form of clothing, but thankfully, they both came out with white one-piece dresses.
Soon after, a wave of Divine Aura washed through the entire room, filling it with a pleasant fragrance and shocked Kisuke and Yoruichi how much it was affecting them, 'This is!?'
Kisuke and Yoruichi immediately looked at each other to confirm what they were experiencing was real before looking back to the identical Goddesses releasing a charming aura that was far more potent than when Freya was doing it actively. What was scary, however, is the fact that if they were not actively monitoring their state of mind all the time, they would have a hard time noticing this.
Stheno and Euryale smiled at their reaction and the former said, "My apologies, since aside from doing this, I can't really do anything else, much less fight. You could say that I'm just a frail little girl that anyone could easily kill if strangled."
"Well, minus the fact that others would want to protect instead of hurting me.", added Euryale.
Setting aside the fact that they talk like they were only a single person, Kisuke immediately raised up a barrier that covered the room to prevent the 'scent' from spreading out. Kisuke and Yoruichi could easily resist this, but that may not be the case for the rest, even if they trained so that they wouldn't be affected by Freya's charm.
""Ohh~"", the small Goddesses let out an impressed sound as they looked around them, "A barrier that suppresses the Authority of the Divine? Such a splendid accomplishment. Such a thing didn't even exist when we still roamed the earth.", Stheno commented before Euryale added, "But then again, we didn't know much of the world even back then. As far as we're concerned, we were only chased around and worshipped, so any other actions the Gods took didn't concern us very much."
Recalling the past, they thought that that may have been the very reason why they couldn't escape Athena's clutches. Their ignorance and indifference caused them to suffer for almost an eternity, and the worst part of it was that Medusa was the one who took the most heat out of it.
As much as they couldn't blame Medusa for her own corruption, they couldn't forget or forgive themselves for just being there and not being able to do anything to reverse it.
Getting out of their reminiscing, Stheno and Euryale turned their attention back to Kisuke and Yoruichi, "I apologize for taking so long. I'm Stheno, the first daughter of the Gorgon sisters."
"And I'm Euryale, the second on the line. It's a pleasure to finally meet the people who took great care of my little sister at long last. Thank you for saving us."
"If there is something I could do to return even a bit of favor, please do tell me. I'll do it to the best of my ability."
Although they look and sound identical, their demeanor and way of speaking were completely different from each other. While Stheno exuded elegance and grace that makes one feel happy of swearing loyalty to her, Euryale radiated a carefree and pure demeanor making others want to protect her.
This made it easier for Kisuke and Yoruichi to differentiate them from each other, however, at this point, it was only Yoruichi who smelled that there's something else deeper within their smiles, 'And that it 'smelled' rotten. At least that's what my intuition is telling me. Or I guess I'm just too sensitive to people who give out overly good impressions... Either way, it looks like I have to be careful around them.'
Yoruichi didn't show any of what she was thinking on her face, nor did she warn Kisuke, because she knew whoever it was, Kisuke would always suspect that something is wrong no matter what kind of impression he got from them.
Kisuke, on the other hand, replied to their greeting and expression of gratitude without hiding anything, "It was only out of convenience, but now that I've thought about it, I'm glad I was able to help Medusa back then."
But just with those words, Kisuke got a little bit of a favorable impression from Medusa's beloved sisters.
Editors:
28th00: The loli sisters are here. Little do they know, they're screwed. Ophis has a habit of recruiting(like you have a choice) loli's into her own (It has a C, so it's different!) Chaos Brigade. Poor girls don't know that it's hell they're walking into.
Goyya: To be fair, Ophis' hell is a lot better than their hell.
After the initial introductions and Medusa setting the table with drinks and snacks, everyone sat down and Kisuke took out a matching pair of necklaces. As he started working on them, Stheno curiously asked, "Do you mind me asking what you're doing with those fancy trinkets?"
'A trinket yet it's fancy?' thought Kisuke but he immediately set those and answered, "It's for you two. I can't just have you roam around while emitting those dangerously charming aurae. However, this is only a temporary measure as I'll be tying this to the existing barrier within the tower, so you'll only be able to move around here."
It didn't take too long for him to finish one and grabbed the second pendant, "In the future, I'll make something that you can take out."
Stheno and Euryale were silent for a few moments before deciding on something, "I'm thankful for your concern, however, the aura I am currently letting out is out of control just temporarily due to my newly recovered core still being unstable.", explained Stheno.
After thanking Medusa for the tea, Euryale added, "And although it's currently running wild, the only people who could be affected by it are the 'Heroes'. To normal people, I'm just a very attractive girl. Such is my Divinity because it's my origin and fate."
Through the ardent wishes of the masses, most especially, the heroes of their time to have someone that they could protect and offer their loyalty to, the Gorgon Sisters came to be. Stheno and Euryale became the perfect Goddesses that embodied their yearning while Medusa was the imperfect one that deviated from them, gaining strength to protect herself.
But because of this 'perfection', that's all that they are and all that they'll be, eternally unchanging even if they willed it. Although they didn't hate their own existence, they despised a certain facet of their Divinity which brought forth their fate of being nothing but trophies for these 'Heroes' achievements.
After proving themselves and 'saving' these goddesses, the so-called Heroes that protected them could claim them for themselves, essentially being violated by them for all eternity. If not for Medusa's imperfection, that may have been what the end result was. As such, they hated the people that created and worshipped them, which mostly are men and their desires.
"Heroes?", curiously asked Kisuke. While the term 'hero' is easy to understand, its exact definition may differ from person to person and maybe harder to pinpoint what exactly it is, 'Since they claim that only 'Heroes' are most potently affected, maybe I can devise a countermeasure that uses that restriction and maybe make use of it.'
As usual, Kisuke immediately started thinking about how he would be able to benefit and make use of this knowledge.
Without thinking deeply about his question, Euryale answered with an exasperated voice, "Simply put, those who are admired and recognized by the masses through their actions are heroes. But through the years of dealing with these people, I could safely say that 'Heroes' are those with fervent ambition or a zealous wish that they wanted to attain while following their own justice."
From this point, Stheno continued, "But most importantly, a hero is someone who gathers power, be it their own or others, to go against their destiny."
Yoruichi then humored her by saying, "In other words, there are no destined heroes but heroes in the making."
Euryale smiled at her and said, "At least that's what I believe."
"So a hero could only exist if he goes against his or her destiny?", Kisuke suddenly asked.
Stheno and Euryale looked at him for a few moments, thinking about his question. However, instead of answering with a yes or no, Stheno replied, "That question could only come up if one doesn't believe in destiny or fate."
Kisuke was able to catch the slight discomfort they flashed through their face in an instant. But instead of backing down, he started chuckling as if mocking them.
Stheno and Euryale immediately frowned as they recognized that tone and invoked a memory of the past about a certain detestable and disgusting Goddess and put them through hell, "That's quite a rude tone, isn't it? Is there something wrong with my words?"
In response, Kisuke just grinned at them, "Actually, no. Because that question could indeed only come up if one doesn't believe in destiny or fate."
"Then please do tell me, what's so funny about that."
Kisuke didn't hold back and said, "It's funny because of how affected you are. It's also funny because of how stupid it is."
"Wha!?"
While Stheno and Euryale were surprised, Yoruichi and Medusa could only sigh, 'I wish he would hold back even a little bit on my dear elder sisters... But I guess this is also a good chance to break the status quo and their preconceived notions?', thought Medusa.
Although the older sisters could only see what Medusa was doing, it was only a part of it and there's no way for them to guess everything that's on her mind. Stheno and Euryale failed to consider how much Medusa had already grown with just the freedom to do what she wanted. As such, they didn't know that Medusa was already against how they view things, which was unthinkable if this was the time they are still in Shapeless Isle.
"Destiny and fate? Going by the rough definition, it means a fixed future. In my opinion, just by that, it already sounds stupid. And do you know what's even more stupid than that?", added Kisuke while ignoring their reactions.
"Citing or blaming destiny and fate for their own helplessness! In other words, it's just idiots who are struggling in their present blaming their hardships on the future! How stupid is that?"
With their grace gone, Stheno and Euryale lost their cool as Kisuke's words touched upon their sore spot and both of them simultaneously shouted, "Stop speaking like you know everything! You couldn't possibly have known what we went through nor do you have the knowledge of our situation!"
Camly nodding, Kisuke answered back, "That's true. I don't know everything. In fact, I'm quite ignorant of a lot of things. Obviously, I also don't know anything about your experiences and how you went through them."
"Then-"
"You want me to take it back and apologize? My opinion just now only cited people who believed in destiny and fate as idiots, but if you truly wanted me to apologize for that, then you two are really a pair of morons."
At this point, Yoruichi sent a telepathic message to Medusa who's just silently watching the scene unfold, 'Are you sure you want to let this happen?'
'It's fine. If their beliefs are clear and pure, no amount of words could change their mind. I'm actually happy that they are reacting this way, because only if they are agitated by something like this can a clash of ideals happen. Regardless of whether this clash would change their mind or reinforce their beliefs, it'll be a good thing since they could start contemplating life once again.'
'Heh~ You learned this from your books?'
'It's something I've realized after going through a number of them.'
'Well, let's set that aside for now. Are you sure that your sisters won't retaliate? It's Kisuke here we're talking about. Even though they're your sisters, they're still technically strangers from his point of view. He won't hold back when he's attacked.'
'As they have said earlier, although they can manipulate people, they can't fight and the most they would do is hurt their own hands.'
Editors:
Stheno and Euryale wanted to speak back but finally recalled that there were still other people in the room and that calmed them down enough to rearrange their thoughts.
Sitting down, they couldn't believe that they'd instantly lost their composure back then, 'Is it because our cores are still unstable?', they thought.
But after a few moments of contemplation, they took back that speculation, 'No... we shouldn't blame that on our cores. It seems that we are still referring to 'fate'... as a means of escape.'
Thinking about it futher, Kisuke rewording it to 'blaming the future just because they couldn't do anything in the present', they thought that it was indeed stupid and attempting to ask him to take back what he'd said just because he had a differing opinion that wasn't exactly wrong made it look like they were indeed morons.
They then looked over at Medusa, who was still silently sipping on her tea and pretending that nothing was happening in front of her and finally figured out where her stance on this was.
Frustrated, they wanted to say something to defend themselves but no matter what they thought they could say, it would only make them look petty.
Amidst the heavy atmosphere, Kisuke broke the silence by placing the pendants he had in front of Stheno and Euryale, "Regardless of my own opinion, I indeed also acted rude. I'm sorry about that and please take these."
Stheno and Euryale didn't say anything as they picked up the pendants to examine them. Recalling its function from Kisuke earlier, they thought that it's pretty useless since they could just always return to Medusa if they didn't want to bother anyone and he should know this too, 'Unless he wants us to stay away from Medusa. But what for? Is it for this special training that these people are going through? It should be Medusa's turn now, but why?'
But a few more moments later, a certain possibility flashed through their minds that made their eyes open wide. In a hurry, they looked at Kisuke who was grinning at them, "...You crazy bastard... Did you think we'll allow it?"
'As expected, although they don't know much of the world, when it comes to their dear little sister, they already know almost everything.', thought Kisuke. But before he could reply, Medusa spoke out, "I'm already prepared, dear sisters."
She had already guessed what Kisuke has for her since there's really only one thing that she could try tackling on.
Euryale slapped the table and raised her voice once again, "You're being too hasty! And is there anything good that could come out of it!? In the worst-case scenario, you're going to lose yourself again and this time, you might not even have a chance to return!"
But Medusa wasn't bothered and repeated with stronger conviction than before, "I'm already prepared, dear sisters."
"But-"
"Between dismantling the bomb or not doing anything about it, it's a very obvious choice.", interrupted Medusa. She then looked straight into their worried eyes before continuing, "You should know that this 'corruption', no matter what I do, won't be going anywhere as it's already part of my core. I already consulted this to mas...Kisuke and he came to the same conclusion as me. Forcefully removing it as if it is a cancerous cell would only weaken the integrity of my core, and that's already the best-case scenario."
"So instead of letting it sit still, I'll bring it out and take it under my control."
Of course, it wouldn't be easy for Stheno and Euryale as they'd already witnessed and personally experienced Medusa's 'corruption' and would never want to see light shine upon it once again.
Kisuke and Yoruichi just watched the sisters argue with each other and neither of the sides were backing down, 'You really intended for her to take that on? How much do you really know about it?' Yoruichi sent a telepathic message to Kisuke.
'I don't know much about it and this is a completely different situation compared to taking over the Hollow side for a Shinigami. However, there's also no way to safely separate it from her, at least in our knowledge, so the next best thing is to control it before it starts acting up again.'
'So you aren't sure... But since you're going through this, you should be betting on something else. What is it?'
'Ophis' leftover powers. I'm confident that it could at least stop a complete takeover.'
'Complete takeover, huh... Then that also means that its influence could be inevitable.'
Kisuke sighed and said, 'I could only present her the opportunity, so it'll all be up to her. Let's just trust that she will still be the stoic but adorable maid.'
Finally, Medusa had had enough and knew that she wouldn't be able to convince them by just telling them her resolve. Luckily, she was able to think of something that could make them listen to her, "Dear sisters, unlike Kisuke over there, I'm the same as you, someone who believes in fate and destiny."
"...What has this got to do with the current issue?", asked Stheno after a short pause.
"What I want to say is, I'm not someone who would just let fate dictate my future, nor someone who intends to destroy it." Medusa held her breath for a few moments and watched their reaction before continuing, "I want to put my fate in my own hands to change and control it however I want. And controlling everything I already have is just the first step to it."
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