Chapter 167 - Fear in our Heart.

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Goals and rewards of the week.

TOP 1 = Three double releases.

TOP 2 = Two double releases.

TOP 3 = One double release.

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[Adam C. POV.]

Two weeks.

It's been two weeks since I found myself... here.

I had no idea how that had happened. 

Or why....

This shouldn't have been possible. 

Then again, I had ended up in the Fairy Tail universe by some way, perhaps that same way, had pushed me into this world.

Still, the question remained.

Could I go back home?

Or was this a one-way trip?

I sighed, deciding not to think too much about that right now.

Not when I couldn't even move.

Right now, I lay sprawled out on a futon, the soft fabric failing to comfort my aching bones. Every movement felt like a herculean effort, my spiritual energy, once roaring like a tempest, now feeling like a mere whisper of its former self. I tried to reach out with my senses, to touch the familiar ebbs and flows of the world, but it was as if a dense fog had settled around me, muting everything.

I had never felt this... weak.

The sliding door to my room opened with a gentle creak, and like many times before, Urahara Kisuke stepped in, his straw hat casting a shadow over his eyes. Like always, he had that ever-present, cheeky grin plastered on his face. 

"Kisuke," I muttered.

A fan flicked open in his hand, and he wafted himself theatrically.

"Oh my," he said, feigning surprise, "someone's looking quite glum today. Did you get dumped by a pretty girl? Or perhaps you just ran out of ice cream?"

I still wasn't used to seeing... him.

To dealing with... him.

Perhaps this was my afterlife. A unique kind of hell.

Despite the fatigue, I managed to roll my eyes. Trust this crazy bastard to break the gloom with his peculiar sense of humor. He was worst in person than I imagined, who would've thought?

"Don't you have some shady deals to complete or another store to run?" I mumbled, my voice weak.

Urahara chuckled, folding his fan and sitting beside my futon, his expression suddenly becoming serious. He removed his hat, revealing deep, concerned eyes.

"Jokes aside," he began, voice low, "I know that you noticed, so I will skip to the point, there has been a shift in your spiritual energy. Long story short, it's not just a common ailment, seeing you're a human, the answer is simple. You're... dying."

I knew that much. 

In fact, it was a miracle I was still alive, especially after using my Bankai.

Well... calling it a miracle was a stretch, I'm pretty sure I'm still alive thanks to him, though I can't say why he would help, he doesn't seem to be kind of guy to help others without getting anything.

He helped Ichigo, to defeat Aizen.

He helped Rukia, to destroy his creation. He was a dependable ally, sure, but one that never revealed all of his intentions.

I tried to muster a smile, though it probably came off as more of a grimace. "Well, aren't you the bearer of good news today?"

Urahara sighed, opening his fan again. "Don't be too hasty now, I didn't say your condition is final," he said, "I might have a few tricks up my sleeve."

Of course, he had something.

I raised an eyebrow, intrigued despite my exhaustion. Urahara always had a trick or two up his sleeve, and I was curious to know what he had in mind for me. "You can heal me?" 

Perhaps was the desperation talking, but the idea of... not dying, of being able to return back to them, alive... well, it was enough for me to ignore any possible ulterior motives he might have.

Urahara's expression was unreadable as he closed his fan and placed it on the floor beside him. "Of course, I can! I am the most handsome manager there is after all! That being said, it won't be easy," he said, his voice serious. "Years of using your spiritual energy as you have, made your soul unstable, and getting this under control will require more than just a Band-Aid."

I might not be a genius, but if I was understanding his words right, he was referring to the process my body used to transform my power into Magic. 

"You must be thinking about your 'magic', right?" Urahara tilted his head, a hint of amusement in his eyes. 

How...

Had he toyed with my mind?

Could he even do that?

"Before you jump to conclusions, you talk in your sleep," Urahara explained with a chuckle, "I may not be able to read minds, yet, but I can certainly decipher what others say when they are not fully conscious."

I blinked, realizing I had let it slip. I had been so careful up until now, making sure to not reveal anything about... my world, especially to those possibly capable of reaching said world. Now, thanks to my... nighttime talks, I had potentially given Urahara, one of the most, if not the most intelligent minds of this universe, more information than I had intended to, before confirming his intentions.

Urahara leaned in, studying me intently. "Now, all I know, because Yoruichi didn't let me examine you in your sleep, is that you've been converting your spiritual energy in a unique way for most of your life. This process, alongside your massive reiatsu, being the reason your body is beyond repair."

"I am aware of that," I nodded.

"Then, you might be able to answer this question, how does this process work?" Urahara asked with a calm smile, tapping his chin with his fan.

I shifted uncomfortably, weighing my options. I knew I was being paranoid about my distrust, but... I had to protect everyone, and the people from here... they were leagues above anything my home could handle.

However, if I lied, if I... tried to trick him, to... hide information from him, things could end bad for me, I could lose the only path to... healing myself.

"It's... complicated," I muttered.

He smiled, that familiar mischievous glint in his eyes. "Isn't it always? But don't worry, your secret is safe with me. What matters now is stabilizing your energy."

I blinked. "What secret, I didn't answer your question."

Urahara tapped his fan against his chin thoughtfully. "I know, but your spiritual energy did, I just needed to keep you focused on something else long enough for me to scan you."

He...

He tricked me.

"Now, don't get angry at me," Urahara said, holding up his hands in a placating gesture, "I had to confirm a few suspicions I had. That, and well, I'm trying to save your life here, and once I start a project, I finish it, even if said project wants to bite me in the end."

A few suspicions. 

I see.

He hadn't said anything, yet he had said enough. He wanted to confirm whether or not I was one of Aizen's projects. 

I can blame him for that one.

"So, you know everything about me now, huh?" I asked, letting out a sigh.

Urahara snorted. "You have a high opinion of me. I know about the workings of your body, a bit, not enough, but enough to work on your condition, but everything about you? Ha! Hardly. I haven't invented anything like that, yet. Who knows, I might in the future, but right now, nah, out of my immediate capabilities."

I chuckled, perhaps I did have an inflated opinion about him. But then again, he was the man that created the almighty wishing marble, so... who knows. 

Either way, whether or not he knew everything about me, my best call was to trust him.

He was my best bet at surviving this. Fishy or not, I had to play by his eccentric rules.