78 CHAPTER 80-81: Meeting the Visored

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***

The Visored took their training seriously as mastering their Hollow Masks was an important goal, surpassed only by their burning desire to hold Aizen accountable for his deplorable sins and kicking his ass.

The training routine of the Visored typically involved fierce sparring matches between pairs within the confines of a force field created by Hachigen. One such bout was about to unfold at the very moment.

A figure of towering stature and a solid physique, crowned with short silver hair, squared off against Hiyori. Her face was hidden behind her Hollow Mask, which was adorned with a single horn and a series of diamond patterns on her forehead. Her Zanpakutō, transformed into its Shikai form, resembled a cleaver with serrated edges.

Hiyori's Hollow Mask endowed her with a great strength boost, but she struggled to close the inherent gap between a Vice Captain and a Captain's Reiatsu.

Her opponent, Kensei Mugurama, the former captain of the 9th Squad, hadn't even worn his Hollow Mask. He held his bronze-guarded combat knife, his Zanpakutō in Shikai form. His face was exceedingly calm compared to Hiyori's seething ferocity.

"I'm coming!"

With a ground-shattering kick-off, Hiyori charged at Kensei, her cleaver raised high. He easily countered her vicious strike with his combat knife, parrying her assault. The duel began slowly but soon escalated, the air crackling with tension. Kensei remained casual, deflecting Hiyori's barrage of vicious strikes, even finding time to strike her defenseless side a couple of times. Every sting of his dagger cut was accompanied by the summoning of a fierce wind blade that inflicted even more injuries on Hiyori.

In less than a minute, Hiyori was drenched in her own blood, her Hollow Mask chipped and battered in several places. Taking deep breaths, she focused on Kensei, the adrenaline making her somewhat numb to the pain.

Kensei clenched his jaw, admonishing, "You can't extend the timer like that. Stop resting and come at me."

"I know, jerk. Ha! Take a load of this blade!"

She pushed through the pain, which was the key to increasing the duration of her Hollowification. The longer they could maintain their Hollow Masks, the more feasible it would be to turn the tide against stronger opponents.

The fight continued for two minutes before Hiyori's Hollow Mask dissolved on its own. Like always, Kensei avoided any direct hit from Hiyori.

Overlooking the training area from a raised balcony, Shinji watched the duel with an air of detached interest, his hands nonchalantly tucked into his pockets. But beneath the mask of indifference, he was sharply aware of every movement, every exchange of blows. He understood the pain Hiyori was pushing through, and it stirred a mixture of admiration and concern within him.

Abruptly, his gaze shifted to the underground training chamber's exit. "Lisa is back with Yoruichi-san… and someone else."

Kisuke, who had been observing the Visored's growth, licked his lips. "Let's meet them, shall we?"

Shinji narrowed his eyes, sensing that Kisuke was cooking something. The self-proclaimed handsome merchant rarely ventured to their underground chamber, a place he had constructed in the first place. Today he just showed up under the guise of observing their training and gaining some 'enlightenment.' As if Shinji would believe those words.

Shinji waved his hand. "I'll be back in a jiff."

As he emerged from the underground chamber, his eyes instantly fell upon an unexpected sight. Standing within the dimly lit warehouse was a man with silver hair flowing down his shoulders like a mane. His true nature could easily be discernible by two white horns on the sides of his head and the red gem on his forehead. He was an Arrancar, no doubt, who had torn off his mask and concealed his Reiatsu with a Gigai. But what caught Shinji's attention was the familiarity of the Arrancar's Reiatsu.

'The Arrancar we were worried about. Why does he look like those demon kings from Love's shounen manga?'

Shinji swiveled towards Kisuke, his gaze sharp as a blade. "You know him."

Kisuke placed a reassuring hand on Shinji's shoulder. "He might be Arrancar but he is a friend. You'll find Kazuya particularly interesting."

The man who claimed he served Aizen must also be familiar with Aizen's former Captain, Shinji Hirako. Kisuke couldn't wait to see the authenticity of Kazuya's claim.

"I ain't familiar with the name Kazuya."

Yoruichi and Lisa walked into the warehouse, positioning themselves on either side of Kazuya.

"Yo, Shinji," Yoruichi said as she raised her hand in greeting, still in her swimsuit. "Meet our new friend, the leader of the Inverse."

Kazuya looked up as well, smiling. "Nice to meet you, Shinji. Let's sit somewhere appropriate, shall we?"

Kazuya's soothing voice made Shinji question if he was into women or men.

…

Minutes later, Shinji, Kisuke, Yoruichi, and Kazuya were huddled around a table. The warm flicker of the artificial sun, the kidō spell, bathed their faces in a subtle glow. Shinji was frowning, deep in thought, Kisuke fanned himself with an air of amused detachment. Yoruichi was leaning back in her chair, her gaze sharp and appraising.

The Visored scrutinized them from a distance, their curiosity piqued, except for Lisa. She stood behind Kazuya, eager to know the secret he was so keen on concealing. He sat relaxed like Yoruichi, one elbow resting on the table. His eyes held a gleam of cunning as they flicked towards Kisuke, his smile playing around the edges of his mouth. Kisuke had brought him here to test him against Shinji Hirako. And he had come prepared.

He wasn't going to let his lies fall apart so easily. Dealing with Shinji was a breeze of air compared to dealing with Kisuke.

"This guy is the Vasto Lorde we were discussing, right?" Shinji cut to the chase with a direct question. "Where's the other Arrancar?"

"At my home," he said with a faint smile. "I didn't bring everyone here to give you guys a scare. Kisuke, why do you want my group to be familiar with the Visored? As far as I know, we have nothing in common."

The Visored were unlikely to offer any assistance in his mission involving the Soul Society, unless Kisuke intended for them to forge friendships through conversation. The chances of that happening were one in a million.

Shinji nodded at the question. "Yeah. Why introduce us?"

Kisuke, who was busy waving his fan, smiled. "There is one thing in common. You both got done in when Aizen used you as a test subject. You see, Kazuya here used to be a Seated Officer in your Squad before he was used by Aizen for the Hollowification experiment."

"Huh? He reincarnated as a Hollow then became a Vasto Lorde in, what, a hundred years? That's some impressive growth."

Kazuya shrugged. "You guys escaped with your lives. I straight-up got decimated from the inside."

Lisa, standing close behind, softened her gaze at his admission. His reincarnation and Shinigami background were revelations she could never have imagined. His affiliations with Kisuke and Yoruichi began to make sense. "It's not like that, Kazuya. You died with honor. We… we ran away."

He stretched his behind, beckoning her. She complied without a word, bridging the gap to stand beside him, an act that didn't go unnoticed by Shinji and the rest of her friends.

"I know you Shinigami are high on honor and stuff. Try living as a Hollow in Hueco Mundo. You'll forget everything about honor when you have to constantly hide and flee from every living being. Everyone in that world would happily kill you and chew on your bones for a sliver of chance of evolution. It's every man for himself there, survival of the fittest… a literal fuckfest."

Lisa nodded in understanding. "Survival is important but it takes a backseat when you have experienced centuries… Honor keeps our conscience in check, never letting us stray far from our mission."

"I don't know how that feels… yet," he said with a soft smile. "Lisa, ask me the same question in a hundred years. I might have a different answer then."

A ripple of surprise washed over Lisa. His words implied they would still be in touch after a century, as friends or something else. Her mind wandered to questionable territory until she heard Yoruichi's playful tapping on the table.

Yoruichi let out a theatrical yawn, drawing all eyes to her. She lazily stretched, a cat-like grin spreading across her face. "I'm with Kazuya. I'll go with whatever my heart thinks is the right action. Honor and traditions are way too shackling for a small person like me."

Shinji chuckled. "Cats are easily bored. Why don't ya play with a ball of wool in the corner?"

Yoruichi gave an unamused smile. "You got a shit face and a shit sense of humor."

Shinji got a critical hit from her surprise attack. Coughing, he turned to Kazuya, quickly attempting to steer the conversation elsewhere. "What was your name, again? I'm sure you weren't Kazuya back then."

Given the limited number of Seated Officers in any squad, it was feasible for a Captain or Vice Captain to recall each one's name.

Kazuya shook his head. "I have yet to remember my name. I guess the important memories are coming back first. It's sad to say that Aizen's betrayal left a deeper scar on my soul than my own life."

Reincarnation was an intricate subject even in the Soul Society. Nobody was completely sure about anything except the fact that the dead souls moved to one of the three realms with each death. The balance was continuously maintained with Shinigami's casual duties, unless an influx of souls suddenly vanished from one realm.

Yoruichi chimed in with a nod. "It's already impressive that he remembered something in the first place. The cycle of reincarnation leaves no traces of memories. If I had to guess, the Hollowification experiment must have done something to his consciousness."

Kisuke had a different reason for Kazuya keeping his memories but he didn't bring it up before anyone. The existence of Soul King was concealed even from Yoruichi. The less people knew about the anchor the better it was for the Soul Society's stability.

"Let's forget about that," Shinji said with a casual shrug. "I want to know why you're so close with Lisa."

Kazuya revealed a grin. "The poor girl has a bit of a crush on me."

An ice-cold blade made its way to his neck. Lisa glared at him with the level of animosity one saved for their nastiest enemies. "What were you saying?"

His grin didn't falter a bit as gripped the tip of her katana and nudged it away from his neck. "You were dying to go on a date with me, remember?"

She almost blushed at the reminder of her previous embarrassment and the way he left her stranding. "You asked me out first then you went back on your own proposal."

She made excuses to save some face before her friends.

Shinji hung his head in a feigned defeat. "I also proposed to you before but you rejected me."

Kazuya raised a brow. "You say that to every woman you come across."

Hiyori yelled, "He never said that to me!"

Kazuya cheerfully waved to Hiyori. "Let me correct my words. He says that to every beautiful woman."

Hiyori stared at him with an open mouth like a certain yellow rat. She could hardly focus her thoughts when subjected to the power of his voice.

Shinji, on the other hand, burst into laughter, his cackles resounding throughout the underground chamber. "Good one, mate."

Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi, the former captain of the 3rd squad, let out a whistle. He was a blonde with an unusually sharp chin, wearing what seemed like a black suit with frilly cuffs. "Someone bring ice from the fridge and treat that burn. Hiyori needs it!"

Hiyori clenched her fists. "I'm gonna kill you for that!"

She drew her katana and launched herself at Kazuya. With a casual flick of his finger, he sent a blue ball of Reiatsu, a Cero Ray, sailing over Shinji's head and straight towards Hiyori. She halted mid-charge, adopting a defensive stance as her Hollow Mask manifested, augmenting her power.

An intense explosion swallowed Hiyori. When the smoke cleared, she emerged unscathed, save for her tracksuit that was now ragged and torn in several places.

Kazuya smiled softly. "I'm glad you are not hurt."

Hiyori's scowl deepened. "Don't give me that crap. I'm exhausted or you'd be dead right now. Hmph!"

She flew away from the scene as though admitting her hot-headedness was too much for her.

Yoruichi watched the events unfold with interest. The small skirmish with Hiyori didn't take away the fact everything went smoothly. The Visored not rushing at Kazuya to avenge Hiyori was a big testament of their trust in Shinji.

Kazuya shrugged. "Say sorry to her for me later, Shinji."

"She rarely accepts defeat like this," Shinji said with an unamused face. "A small Cero almost defeated her. You outclass her, man. I doubt any one of us could go one on one with you."

Lisa's brows raised in surprise. "Seriously, Shinji?"

He was their strongest member as far as she knew. Kazuya turned out to be even stronger than she had expected.

Shinji nodded. "I'm sensitive to Reiatsu. His surpasses mine by a big margin."

"Hmm. I partially awakened my Zanpakutō at Kisuke's house."

Yoruichi chuckled. "You're at this level of strength at partial Resurrección. What kind of monster will you become at your strength?"

"Capable of defeating Aizen, I hope." He shrugged. "That guy is a true monster. Shinji here knows that, right?"

Shinji leaned against his chair and threw his back. "I knew he was suspicious when I first saw him. I kept him at my side all the time… Little did I know, I was being fooled so hard by his illusion. That fucker's smile… makes my blood boil."

"Don't worry. I'm gonna put an end to his tomfoolery."

"Hah? What are you gonna do to Aizen?"

Kisuke decided to answer on Kazuya's behalf. "Shinji-san, Kazuya-san is going to the Soul Society to expose Aizen's crimes."

The tension suddenly rose at the mention of his masterplan. Just one of his plans which he was hoping would work out.

"Huh?" Shinji stared at Kazuya. "Couldn't you find—"

His words got stuck in his throat when Kazuya's horns disappeared, revealing his Quincy form.

"You were saying something?"

"WHAT THE FUCK?" Shinji's shocked voice resonated through the underground chamber.

The Visored, previously standing at a distance, rushed towards Kazuya, forming a curious circle around him.

Yoruichi laughed. These were the types of reactions she lived for. The same type of reaction people gave her when she went from a male cat to a sexy woman. Her amusement was amplified by the expression Kazuya was making. It seemed like he was a cute alien surrounded by a bunch of earthlings trying to understand him but to no avail.

"Hang in there, buddy. Help is not on the way!" she teased. "Definitely not!"

"Fuck off," he said and pushed everyone with his hands. "Stop acting like children. Switching between Quincy and Hollow is my innate ability."

"Don't call Mashiro a child!" exclaimed a young woman clad in a bodysuit that looked like it was straight out of a Japanese superhero TV show. "Mashiro is a grown-up!"

"Only a kid refers to themselves in third person, girl."

Kensei chuckled. paused before cracking his knuckles. "She refuses to be normal."

Mashiro shot Kensei a childish grimace, pulling her eyelid down and sticking her tongue out. "Kensei, you grouch. You big jerk."

Kensei paused before cracking his knuckles. "I'm gonna kick your ass."

A playful scuffle broke out between the former Captain and Vice-Captain of the 9th Squad — a tradition that had been carried on from their time in the Soul Society to the World of the Living.

Kazuya looked at Shinji. "Are you guys sure you don't need a therapist? I can refer you to one on my contacts list."

Love Aikawa, the tall Visored with a black spiked afro, scratched his cheek thoughtfully. "You should know how Souls are. You develop all types of eccentricity when you live for as long as us."

"That's… true." Kazuya agreed with a nod. "It doesn't mean a little therapy here and there won't improve your mood."

Lisa rolled her eyes. "Look at this Hollow giving us life tips. Go back to Hueco Mundo and devour your own race."

"I'm not some random Hollow," he said as he crossed his arms, his expression serious. "You're talking to the Prince of Hollows. The future King of Arrancars. "

"If you're the future King of Arrancars then I'm Queen of Shinigami."

"Aren't we perfect male and female leads for a romance novel?"

"I prefer erotica, but sure. Male and female leads with our backgrounds would sell as hot as Romeo and Juliet."

Shinji watched, speechless. "You two…. Just marry already."

Kazuya extended his hand to Lisa. "Let's go to church."

"In your dreams!"