As the Garganta gateway whispered shut behind him, Kazuya was met with an expanse that sprawled out in stark contrast to the world he'd left behind. Not a lush field of verdant green, but rather a bare landscape that stretched out before him. This place, as barren as it was, felt like a slice of paradise when contrasted with the dark nightscape of Hueco Mundo. The sole reason for that was the pseudo-sunlight cast over everything, a byproduct of a kidō spell.
Yoruichi had directly brought them to the huge underground chamber under the Urahara Shop.
Mila Rose's eyes swept over the vista. "W-Whoa? It's so bright!" Her excitement was reminiscent of a small-town individual stepping foot into a gleaming metropolis for the first time. "Skull, we're finally seeing the light!"
The rest of the group seemed equally awestruck, though they chose to express it in the silent marveling of their surroundings, unlike Apacci, who wanted to maintain a cool image.
"It's rather nice…" Cirucci said, feeling the sunlight caress her skin. She tilted her head towards Yoruichi. "Mister Cat, is this your home?"
Yoruichi couldn't help but chuckle at the misconception around her gender and form. It seemed like they had ignored Kazuya's direct elaboration on her shapeshifting ability and took her cat form as her real form. "Nope. Just a training place for Kisuke. Speaking of that guy. Kisuke, get your ass down here!"
"Coming, coming." The response came from a door hundreds of meters above them, and moments later Kisuke appeared, casually jumping down to join them. He curiously observed them, Harribel in particular. "This lowly merchant Kisuke Urahara is humbled by your appearance."
"Stop with the useless flattery." Yoruichi almost rolled her eyes. "These are Kazuya's friends. More human-looking than we expected, right?"
"Certainly, Yoruichi-san." Kisuke turned to Kazuya, his lips slowly curling into a smile. "Kazuya-san, to think you befriended a Vasto Lorde and high-level arrancars… are you attempting to build an army of powerful Hollows for revenge?"
He was talking about Kazuya's 'past' with Aizen, which Harribel and others weren't aware of.
The word 'revenge' reverberated around the underground space. This stirred Apacci and Harribel, their gazes fixating on Kazuya with a newfound curiosity and suspicion.
"Is it about Baraggan?" Harribel connected the dots to the wrong individual. "If so, he's already been dealt with."
"Bara—"
Kazuya cut Kisuke with a friendly smile. "Yup, Baraggan. He was such a pain in the ass." He gave the shopkeeper a sidelong glance and a wink. "Right, Urahara-san?"
He'd rather keep the stuff about his 'Shinigami' past away from them. The unstable and passionate Apacci might just swear revenge on Aizen for him. It would needlessly complicate their relationship.
Kisuke covered his face with his paper fan, hiding a devious smirk. "Of course, Kazuya-san. It's not like you have enmity with anyone outside of Hueco Mundo."
His face twitched at Kisuke's obvious attempt to troll him. Being in this situation, he couldn't speak much lest the rest came to know about his 'made-up' past with Aizen.
His silence, however, led the others to speculate, their imaginations filling the blanks with wild possibilities.
A small, knowing smile curled the edges of Sung-Sun's lips, her sleeve raised to her mouth as if to cover up her smile. "Interesting."
Kazuya shook his head, swearing to get back at Kisuke at a later date. "Urahara-san, have you started working on the Gigai I ordered?"
He promptly shifted the conversation to Gigai which was necessary for everyone to move freely. After all, Kisuke only had this space to keep them. He was more of a bedroom guy than a cave guy.
'I gotta buy my own place in this town.'
Fortunately, his voice saved him the effort of working laborious jobs.Why work when he could scam—guide wealthy women with his voice?
"There are some problems," Kisuke whispered as he looked up. "Tessai-san, get me the Gigai."
Kazuya watched in anticipation as a white, humanoid figure tumbled down from the high entrance. With a swift motion, Kisuke jumped into the air and caught the figure with his cane, gently lowering it to the ground.
"This is it, a generic Hollow Gigai… But it's not going to be of much use to anyone here." Kisuke voiced his doubt, thinking the Gigai wouldn't fit Apacci. He had crafted it with the assumption that Kazuya's friends would be ordinary Hollows, not Arrancars of Adjuchas and above class.
Apacci stared at the humanoid body. "What is a Gigai?"
The question was echoed by Mila Rose and Sung-Sun, their understanding of Shinigami tools being quite limited.
Yoruichi poked the Gigai's leg with her paw. "Gigai is what Shinigami use to interact with humans. Sometimes it's necessary to obtain knowledge. The ones Kisuke makes completely conceals Reiatsu. Even the sharpest Shinigami won't be able to track you."
Even Mila Rose, typically the least sharp, grasped the purpose of the Gigai from Yoruichi's simplified explanation. "Skull wanted these for us?"
There was a note of appreciation in her voice as she realized that Kazuya wasn't just looking for a way to hide them; he was searching for a means to help them integrate with humans and experience a life that only he could access as a Hollow with his mysterious ability.
The sentiment was mirrored in Cirucci's softened gaze.
Apacci pressed her head affectionately against his arm. "Sung-Sun was wrong… I knew you wouldn't betray us."
Kazuya was taken aback at the mention of betrayal. He was about to question it when a familiar Reiatsu prickled his senses.
Glancing up, he caught sight of the one person who should never see him surrounded by Hollows in his Hollow form. "Damn it…"
His life as a Quincy had run its course, but he was unwilling to sever his bonds with Izumi and Lisa just yet. Yet, with Lisa's arrival, it seemed all but guaranteed.
'No, not like this. There should be a way.'
His ever-optimistic and manipulative mind began to weave a new plot.
Yoruichi, who hadn't seen Lisa for years, tilted her head. "Why is Lisa Yadōmaru dressed as a maid? Why does she look so lost?"
She had only ever seen Lisa berating Shunsui Kyoraku with borderline cold faces. Seeing Lisa shocked was a completely new sight.
Kisuke took a step back from the group as though trying to fade into the background. "This escalated to the moon. Yoruichi-san, get some popcorn. We're about to be subjected to peak cinema."
Yoruichi sharpened her gaze. "Is there a relationship between her and Kazuya?"
"There is," Kisuke confirmed, fluttering his fan. "I'll explain later."
The mere prospect of the impending chaos put a mischievous grin on his face.
***
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