Chapter 51: Exchange

Chapter 51: Exchange

The room succumbed to a hush, a quiet so profound it seemed to envelop every corner, every nook and cranny. This tranquility was abruptly shattered by Tessai, his steps echoing as he hastily pushed open the door.

“A Hollow? This man is a Hollow? How?”

Even the former Commander of Kidō Corps couldn’t wrap his hands around a Quincy suddenly turning into a Hollow.

Kazuya stood amidst the chaos, a smug grin played upon his lips. “I apologize for being so abrupt. I expected you to react with a little surprise, nothing more.”

Rising from his seat, Kisuke’s black Haori fluttered in the wake of Kazuya's surging power. An uncanny gleam danced in his eyes, and he couldn't hide his intrigue. “Well, well, well. What’s surprising is your ability, Kazuya-san. The Arrancar troubling all of us for the last few days had been you all along. How did you mask your Hollow aura this well?”

The ever-so-innovative Kisuke couldn’t help but ask a question out of curiosity. He had long abandoned the notion of Hollows being evil during his pursuit of removing the boundaries between Shinigami and Hollow.

For him, the person mattered more than a person’s race.

“Mask? No, no, no, that’s a misunderstanding.” Kazuya gestured towards his face, his Hollow characteristics seamlessly morphing back to normal, and his wings folding back into his body. “This isn't concealment; it’s transformation. A bitter irony to become a Hollow after a lifetime of slaughtering them.”

He kept feeding them lies mixed with grains of truth.

Yoruichi approached him and touched his back, her animosity replaced with a look of curiosity. “Can you transform again?”

“I’m not a lab specimen. Besides, weren’t you going to leave? What is keeping you around, Shihōin-san?”

“I would’ve surely left, boy, if you didn’t show me this... I don’t even know what to call this... Kisuke, do you think it’s possible or are we under some kind of ability that’s fooling all of our senses, like Aizen?”

Kisuke considered her question, a contemplative frown etching into his features. He turned to Tessai. “What you said can be possible. But I don’t think it is the case here. Tessai, did you sense Kazuya-san’s Hollow aura?”

Tessai, who was standing at the door, nodded. “I sensed it clearly. It’s why I ran over here.”

“Your guess is as good as mine,” Kazuya said. “I held my end of the bargain. Kisuke-san, you should fulfill yours.”

Kisuke stepped back and held his Zanpakutō. “I did make a promise. Well, what can this handsome shopkeeper do for you?”

“I need shelter.”

“Granted. A handsome Hollow like yours is welcome to my underground chamber.”

Kisuke happily welcomed Kazuya, who was a treasure trove of knowledge on all three major races — Hollow, Shinigami, and Quincy.

“Not just for me.” Kazuya shook his head. “You see, I made some friends during my time in Hueco Mundo. Soooo, can you make some Reiatsu concealing Gigai for them?”

“I haven’t made one for Hollows yet but I can try. However, you or anyone isn’t allowed to eat human souls while you’re here.”

“Heh. They won’t. Weak souls won’t interest them.”

Yoruichi sat down. “Are you making a Hollow army to take revenge on Aizen?”

Kazuya smiled. “Do not seek beauty in battle. Do not seek virtue in death. Do not make the mistake of considering only your own life. If you wish to protect that which you must protect, slice the enemy you must defeat from behind.”

He repeated the Shinigami’s creed that stuck with him more than most quotes. With that, he ripped open a Garganta and stuck his hand inside.

“I’m gonna fetch my friends. See you soon.”

He stepped into the Garganta, only to sense Yoruichi releasing a burst of Reiryoku. He turned around to see Yoruichi flying into the shrinking Garganta.

“...”