99 CHAPTER 104-105: Shifting Loyalties

A grand chamber was illuminated by a single orb of light flickering on the ceiling. In the center of the room sat a throne-like chair, a woman perched atop it with a fierce aura. She had raven-black twintails that hung down to her shoulders, an eyepatch mask covering her left eye — the physical manifestation of her transformation from a hollow into an Arrancar.

Former #4 Espada and former mistress of King Barragan, Loly Aivirrne.

The only two surviving Espada were Szayelaporro and Aaraniero. Szayelaporro was busy in his research laboratory as always, never caring about the political outlook of Hueco Mundo. Aaraniero left Las Noches once the news of Barragan's death spread around. The Gillian Arrancar had no desire to wait for Barragan's killer to find them.

As an Espada, Loly could easily calm down the chaos and take over as Las Noches's new ruler. Her time in power had not been a tranquil one so far.

Her sole pink eye narrowed as she surveyed the group of Hollows before her with disdain: two Adjuchas and no less than two dozen lesser Hollows. "Did you manage to track them to their base?"

The Adjuchas stepped forward as he spoke, "My Queen, we couldn't… they weren't within the boundaries of Las Noches."

Loly gritted her teeth. Two Arrancars came to her kingdom, killed her troops, and left without any repercussions. How would she manage her credibility as a queen if she let two random Hollows step all over her?

"You incompetent bastards," she roared. "How—"

"Loly, calm down," said Menoly Mallia, one of Barragan's other mistresses, standing beside Loly. She had slicked up blonde hair with bangs partially covering her right eye, which happened to be the fragments of her Hollow mask. "It's not their fault. We have not seen those Hollows for over two weeks now—"

Before Menoly could finish, Loly threw a kick at her stomach, sending her crashing into the wall. Loly appeared before Menoly with Sonído and grabbed her collar, yanking her to her feet.

"Never interrupt the Queen when she talks."

Menoly glared at Loly defiantly yet managed to remain silent — an act that always seemed to drive Loly into a rage.

"Bitch," Loly snarled and bashed Menoly's head into the wall. "I'm assigning those criminals to you then. Take these bastards and get me results."

"Yes, My Queen…"

Menoly nodded obediently and led the Hollows away from the throne room while Loly returned to her seat of power in Hueco Mundo. Barragan's death was a constant reminder for her to keep her arrogance in check but her subordinates always provoked the bully inside her.

"My, oh my, the Hollows of Las Noches are more intelligent and ruder than I could ever imagine."

A series of slow claps echoed as Gin Ichimaru walked into Loly's chamber, the loose and oversized sleeves of his yukata swaying with the wind. His eyes were shut in that characteristic, enigmatic smile, and yet, they seemed to see everything. Truth be spoken, he hadn't expected the waves of civil war to die down so soon. Then again, the intelligent Hollow lady on the throne was a cut above every Adjuchas since she wielded the powers of both Shinigami and Hollow.

'She is… weak.'

Gin felt let down. He thought he'd find at least a Vasto Lorde or some Hollow who had awakened monstrous power. Instead, he saw a pack of hapless lackeys with no ambition and no desire to improve themselves. No single one of them could be considered worthy enough to offer Aizen as a gift.

'Aizen-sama would be more interested in those rebels.'

Loly's breath caught in her throat when the corner of Gin's lips curved into a cruel arc. His closed-eyed smile sent chills down her spine and her heart raced as she instinctively shrank back from the Shinigami's looming figure. "W-Who are you? What do you want from me?" she stammered, fear lacing every syllable.

"Nothing. I just thought I'd walk into Las Noches," Gin said, his grin widening. "And tease the new ruler a bit."

"I-I'm just a lowly queen. Please…" She stepped off the throne and presented it to Gin. "You can be the King of Hueco Mundo, Shinigami-sama."

She even tried stripping to seduce him, throwing her body away for survival. But he held her hand, seemingly uninterested.

"I don't appreciate that," Gin said, shaking his head. "What I desire is information."

…

"You're utterly useless."

Loly closed her eyes, shaking on the ground. "Please don't kill me… please."

Gin was never a bully but he could understand the elation some people felt towards beating down the weak. "I won't kill you."

Loly raised her head, showing a bright smile on her tear-stained face. "Shinigami-sama, you're so—"

Gin let loose a portion of his Reiatsu, making her freeze. "As long as you maintain control over Hueco Mundo as its ruler."

The sooner Aizen's plans for Hueco Mundo were finalized, the sooner Aizen would begin his attack on the Soul Society and the sooner Gin would get to thrust his Kamishini no Yari through Aizen's heart. He'd relish every moment of his vicious poison avenge the suffering Aizen inflicted upon his childhood friend.

"My, let's not get impatient."

"Indeed, friend," his Zanpakutō spirit chimed. "Be the viper in the tall grasses and strike when your enemy never expects you to."

"Or prepare a counter-attack for the counter-attack he will have for my surprise attack."

Loly slammed her head into the ground. "I will, Shinigami-sama. I will do anything to keep the throne. You don't have to worry!"

Gin sighed. He wouldn't have to jump through so many hoops if he could overpower Aizen. The world gifted him with impeccable talent but not enough to fulfill his sole desire of vengeance.

"The tragedy of a man who chose a path of shadows to protect the light he cherished."

Gin didn't confirm nor deny the claim of his Zanpakutō Spirit.

…

"Hahaha, this fat hunter is so shit."

"Or rather, the rabbit has more wits."

The troublemaker, Franceska Mila Rose, was sprawled across a couch, watching a monochrome version of Looney Tunes on the television. Cirucci was sitting at the end of the couch, unable to resist the temptation to correct Mila Rose.

They were forced to retreat two weeks ago, and now they had no choice but to stay within the Living World. But Mila Rose wasn't complaining. Even in a short period of time, she had accomplished her goal of devouring over a dozen Gillians and a couple of Adjuchas. And her life here was great. Sushi feasts and endless television shows, all financed by Kazuya's wealth, kept her more than content.

The only missing piece to her perfect life was Kazuya, who provoked complicated feelings in her.

Sung-Sun and Apacci walked down the stairs, catching Harribel's attention. Harribel crossed her arms under her chest. "Where are you going?"

"To the library," Sung-Sun said with a soft smile. "I'll educate Apacci and teach her how to read and write. Can't have her embarrass our family."

Sung-Sun only needed a couple of hours to master the modern Japanese language. Apacci, however, needed more than a week to grasp even common words.

Apacci turned her head, refusing to humor Harribel. She was still a little pissed about the fact she couldn't go to Hueco Mundo to hunt down Hollows. The so-called Hollow Hunter made her blood boil. She eagerly awaited the day Kazuya brought her the news that the 'Hollow Hunter' was dead.

Venturing outside the mansion, Sung-Sun and Apacci didn't even cross three streets before they stumbled upon an unexpected sight: a maid and her mistress. Kazuya's Quincy older sister, Izumi, accompanied by her maid Lisa. Sung-Sun knew how much Kazuya cared about Izumi, and he was also pursuing a romantic relationship with Lisa — that's what Sung-Sun had deciphered from their interactions so far. Lisa was also one of the Visored she could easily get along with.

'Where could they be going?'

Curious, Sung-Sun whispered to Apacci about the situation.

"This doesn't feel right," Apacci said. "We should let them be… besides, I don't want Izumi to notice us."

"It'll be fine. Just don't release your Reiatsu under any circumstances."

Apacci groaned and agreed to join in on Sung-Sun's stalking plan. Izumi and Lisa came to a stop before a strange place.

"Karakura's Boxing Gym," Apacci slowly spelled the words written on the white board stuck to the building. "What is this place?"

Sung-Sun narrowed her eyes as she saw a burly man guide Lisa and Izumi into the building. Lisa had a strange perverted personality but she was actually a virgin who never entered any intimate relationship. But seeing Lisa and Izumi enter a closed space with another man raised her skepticism.

'What if she fell for someone else?'

Sung-Sun waited for five more minutes before entering the building with Apacci. What she saw baffled her.

"Go go go, Izumi-sama!"

Kazuya's so-called Quincy older sister was throwing left and right hooks at a punching bag. The matriarch of the Ishida Clan was clad in a tank top and shorts, sweat glimmering across her entire body. Her ferocious strikes left no room for speculation — she was simply using the punching bag as a means to vent her rage.

Izumi's maid relentlessly cheered for her. "Beat the sandbag to a pulp."

Izumi clutched the punching bag within the grip of her forearms and slammed her knees into it. After a few more minutes of bashing, Izumi took a break and wiped her sweat with a towel. Her eyes landed on the pair of curious onlookers, a native Japanese beauty, the other a striking foreigner.

Izumi revealed a refreshing smile. "Are you also here to practice boxing?"

Lisa turned to Sung-Sun and Apacci with a skeptical look. "They appear to be your fangirls, Izumi-sama."

Sung-Sun giggled. "I'm far too delicate to throw punches. But my friend Apacci is good at it."

Apacci rolled her eyes. "No, I'm not."

She'd rather fight Nelliel than throwing punches at an object. The centaur Adjuchas was still in Hueco Mundo, where the Hollow Hunter could hunt her down.

'What does he want to achieve?'

The overcalculating Kazuya she knew wouldn't make such a glaring mistake. There had to be some reason for Nelliel to be roaming Hueco Mundo when her little companions were shifted on a safe island.

…

Izumi's uplifted mood vanished as soon as she saw a black car standing outside Ishida Mansion. The source of her turmoil was standing at the door with her servants — Akira and Katsumi. He was a man of average height with slicked up black hair and a pair of frameless spectacles on his face. Wearing a ragged cloak, his serious expression emphasized his broody aura.

Four months of Quincy training was a brief stint for his skewed perception of time.

"Sōken-san," Izumi muttered and approached the man. "You're finally back."

Sōken nodded without a change in his expression. "I was waiting for you."

Izumi clenched her fists as she looked at Sōken's back. "Sōken-san, I have decided."

Sōken looked over his shoulder, a little frown on his face. "Izumi?"

"I don't want to continue our relationship."

The words hung heavily in the air, and Sōken's eyes lingered on her face, probing, searching. He had saved her from a Hollow after he was exiled from Wandenreich. She then proposed the marriage, and he accepted her suggestion to continue the Quincy bloodline. A Quincy family who wouldn't be ignorant fools like those residing in Wandenreich, the Quincy Empire.

Now she wanted to get away from this relationship. His previous experience with women in Wandenreich made Izumi's change much more acceptable. Every woman in that place was a psychopath.

"Can I ask why?"

Sōken wanted an explanation; not out of love – he wasn't even sure if he knew what that felt like – but out of respect for her as a fellow Quincy. If she were to make a misstep, it would gnaw at his conscience.

Izumi nodded as she continued, "I have decided to devote my life to someone else."

Sōken let out a sigh. It was just another case of a woman falling for another man. He was glad it happened before he cultivated any meaningful relationship. Rather, he didn't even know if he was capable of loving anyone in the first place.

"Are you sure about that? Are you sure he is the one?"

"Yes," Izumi said without elaborating further. "But as two people with similar goals, I'd still like to stay as allies."

"Alright. I'll let Akira file for divorce," he agreed, his tone light.

With a knowing look, he turned and headed for the mansion. Izumi felt a massive weight lift off of her chest. While waiting for Kazuya's return, she could take her time in handpicking Quincy partners or women with strong spiritual powers.

Lisa adjusted her glasses. The romance novels depicting erotic situations couldn't change her mind on political marriage being utterly garbage. The situation before her only increased her goodwill towards her marriages built upon love. "Izumi-sama, would you still live in this mansion?"

"How would that be appropriate after this?" Izumi shook her head. "Don't you worry about your salary. I can fund it… as long as you're ready to move to a different town. I own a couple of stores around Japan."

In fact, the mansion belonged to her but she didn't take it from Sōken out of respect. After all, Sōken had come to Japan empty-handed while Izumi had been working tirelessly in expanding the family business her father left behind.

Lisa hesitated. She had already fallen behind her fellow Visored in training. She wouldn't even be able to maintain her current combat skills if she stuck around with Izumi.

Izumi let out a wry chuckle. "No worries. I'll buy a place here."

Her mind would still be a mess if Lisa wasn't there to support her. She couldn't afford to lose Lisa's company at any cost.

"That makes things easier," Lisa said. "However, I'd like to apply for a part time schedule from now on."

"I'll happily agree to that condition. You can't waste your own life while looking after me."

***

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