A tide of relief flooded Izumi as she laid eyes on Kazuya returning with Lisa. She rushed toward him, her face wearing a bright smile.
"Otouto-kun."
"Onee-chan!"
She buried her face in his chest. "Tell us before you disappear next time."
Lisa blankly stared at the brother and sister hugging each other happily. Rather than siblings, Izumi came off as his little sister. "Izumi-sama, you wouldn't believe where I found him."
Kazuya's eyes met Lisa's sadistic gaze, which indicated a mischievous plan on the horizon. She was most likely taking revenge for making her run all over the town or perhaps backing out of the date. Instead of interrupting her, he nudged her to continue feeding lies to Izumi.
"Where was he?" Izumi asked, stepping away from his warm embrace. "I was so worried."
"He was in a love hotel with a married woman. Thankfully, I reached there before he could get physical with her."
Izumi sucked in a sharp breath. "Otouto-kun, is that true?"
Kazuya let out a sigh. Of all the possible lies in the world, she chose the cliche cheating trope from the romance novels. "That poor woman was in need of desperate love. You know how influential my voice is, Onee-chan. She might've done something horrible if I wasn't there."
He added more depth to Lisa's one-dimensional story, more than willing to play along with her little games.
Izumi's features softened, and a gentle smile played on her lips. "You saved her from a horrible fate."
"But, Izumi-sama, don't overlook his sin," Lisa interjected, a hint of urgency in her voice. "Ask him why he was in bed with her?"
"She wanted to reward me," he said, shaking his head. "I haven't had sex for two months. You ruined everything, Lisa."
Izumi swiveled to face Lisa. "I know I sent you to find Kazuya… but you could've waited until he had settled his private business."
Guilt slithered over Lisa until she remembered she had fabricated this entire situation. Her glare bore into Kazuya, as if she wanted to kill him on the spot.
'Cunning bastard.'
Izumi clasped Kazuya's shoulders, a stern frown creasing her forehead. "Otouto-kun, you aren't allowed to impregnate any random women. Your partner should be a Quincy so we can bring more potential Echt (Pureblood Quincy) into the world. Lisa, consider Otouto-kun as a potential partner."
His exceptional genes would undeniably yield offspring with immense potential — she was already setting the gears in motion for an Echt Quincy repopulation program. She needed Quincy women since it severely reduced the chances of the offspring being a normal human.
Kazuya wasn't sure how to react to her grand plan. As much as he loved women, he didn't need to degrade himself to the level of a sperm donor for some sex. The idea of adding more powerhouses to Yhwach's army didn't sit well with him either.
So, Izumi's grand plan, while well-intentioned, was simply not in alignment with his principles.
"Never!" Lisa rejected instantaneously. "I refuse to enter a relationship out of any obligation."
She had read too many romance novels to have a forced relationship. As a Shinigami, she was a firm advocate of personal freedom and the liberty to choose one's own path, which also included finding her own partner whom she loved and adored.
Izumi gave an apologetic smile. "Forgive me if I came off as forceful."
With a gentle touch, Kazuya held Izumi's hand. "Onee-chan, don't throw this responsibility on me. I'm but a humble warrior."
Izumi's nod was hesitant, her eyes shadowed with a flicker of disappointment. "I understand."
Though she seemed compliant on the surface, he could sense her steadfast commitment to her Quincy race.
'This stupid sister of mine is a stuck-up.'
…
An hour later, Kazuya found himself descending back into the underground training grounds. Shaking off Izumi, who was bent on taking him out for a meal, proved to be a task of its own. Upon arrival, he was surprised to find Harribel honing her water manipulation skills. Elsewhere, Mila Rose was engaged in a fierce sparring match with Cirucci. Only Apacci and Sung-Sun seemed to be at leisure. The snake lady was no longer in her lamia form, but instead was sitting by Apacci's side in a white towel.
"Kazuya!" At his entrance, Apacci sprung up from her position and unwittingly nuzzled her head against his palm, as if seeking affectionate pats. "Did you unfriend that Shinigami witch?"
He cast a quizzical glance at her adorable gesture. "How do you know Lisa is a Shinigami?"
"My guess was right, fufu," Sung-Sun chimed in. "Yoruichi and Kisuke were familiar with Lisa. Her being Shinigami made more sense than a Quincy."
He gave her a round of applause. Others may have grown in raw power but Sung-Sun's observation skills grew at a frightening pace. "Actually she isn't a Shinigami. I'll tell you about her some other time."
Apacci bit his hand. "Can we stop talking about her?"
"Let's talk about you then, my sweetheart."
"W-What?"
"You've grown pretty strong. How much did my gluttonous little deer eat?"
In terms of sheer power, Apacci now stood shoulder to shoulder with the base form of Mila Rose. Undergoing Arrancarization would make her an unstoppable force among Hollows.
"I'm not little!" she retorted. "I'm strong… but not strong enough to be a Vasto Lorde."
Kazuya could see her spirits going down as she was still a little depressed after eating Evanya. "Why don't you start with Arrancarification first? I have a method that has zero risks."
She would calm down after receiving some love from him. Her attraction towards him was plainly obvious. He had to make her an Arrancar before Sung-Sun pushed him down, or else the deer would be heartbroken. He wanted to sleep with her first since she was so head over heel for him.
"A safe method?" Harribel asked, halting her training as his words caught her attention. "How so?"
He turned to the door. "Urahara-san! Shihōin-san! Come down here!"
It was about time he made Kisuke part with his precious Hōgyoku.
***
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