Maid Lisa

After Izumi left, Cangya's attention was drawn to the maid named Lisa.

Her calm, almost indifferent beauty perfectly brought out the natural elegance and charm her frilled maid outfit gave her.

Disappointingly, however, her reiatsu was lower than an ordinary human's.

Wait... a black-haired girl with glasses named Lisa...

A flicker of familiarity passed through him, and memories surfaced of a group of powerful beings hiding in Karakura Town.

If he remembered correctly, Lisa was one of the Visored—a small group of Soul Reapers who could put on Hollow masks to enhance their powers.

Her involvement in Quincy affairs had undoubtedly piqued his interest.

Lisa adjusted her glasses, and a glint flashed across the lenses. "Would you like cold water or hot water?"

"Hm?"

"Cold water or hot water?" she repeated in a detached voice. "I don't have much time, sir. Shake your head if you want a cold bath, or nod if you think a hot bath would be better."

He smiled playfully and replied, "You've made me fall in love with cold things all over again."

Lisa was instantly moved by his soothing voice.

It seemed to have a mysterious power, unlike anything she had encountered during her time in the Gotei 13. "Cold water it is, then. Clearly, that's the better choice."

Lisa went to prepare his bathwater.

To pass the time, he got out of bed, stretched his muscles, and began doing push-ups.

As he exercised, he thought back on what had just happened.

Lisa and Izumi.

His dream had nearly exposed the full extent of his reiatsu.

Fortunately, Izumi hadn't pressed him further, attributing the surge in his reiatsu to his dream.

That was only because she couldn't perceive the true depth of his reiatsu. Her reiatsu level was comparable to that of a Seated Officer in the Gotei 13, and the enormous gap prevented her from accurately sensing his strength.

That said, a Quincy's power wasn't measured by their reiatsu level, but by their ability to gather reishi from their surroundings and forge spirit weapons.

In stark contrast, Lisa had surely recognized his reiatsu level. She had once been the lieutenant of the squad led by Shunsui Kyōraku.

As both Soul Reapers and Hollows were merely souls, Lisa was evidently relying on a Gigai to take physical form and hide her reiatsu.

Urahara must have something to do with her Gigai. Come to think of it, I could use her to get close to Kisuke Urahara.

Cangya could use her to get close to Kisuke Urahara.

As a master inventor, Urahara undoubtedly had items capable of concealing a Hollow's reiatsu, which would allow his companions to live in the World of the Living without worrying about being discovered by Soul Reapers.

Lisa's appearance was a blessing in disguise.

Or I could move to some island outside the Gotei 13's jurisdiction.

He hesitated between the two choices. One would let him and his companions have more fun and offer a clear path to obtaining the Hogyoku from Urahara.

The other would give his companions an easier life, with far less risk.

I can't keep avoiding risks forever.

Mila Rose had risked her life to protect him, Tier Harribel had been prepared to sacrifice herself to save them, and Apache had nearly lost her life protecting what belonged to him.

Sun-Sun had yet to demonstrate her loyalty, but there was no doubt she would do her utmost for him too.

To ensure his companions gained the power of Arrancar, it was only fair that he take some risks as well.

And that power was necessary for them to defeat Baraggan once and for all.

The Hogyoku will be mine.

He had come here to find shelter for his allies, only to end up competing for the most powerful item in the world.

He laughed at the absurdity of it all and got up to look out the window.

The ridiculous situation reminded him of a famous saying from his original world.

The things you love are not random. They are your calling.

After a long bath and a hearty breakfast, Cangya was taken to a place filled with rows of towering bookshelves—a library.

A wealth of knowledge lay within reach, tempting him to delve into its contents.

He let out a feigned groan of exhaustion. "This is my nightmare come true."

Standing beside him, Lisa gave him a cool, disdainful glance. "You don't know how to appreciate literature. You must have been your teachers' least favorite student."

"Quite the opposite. My teacher used to be very fond of me. It was true love, beyond the affection between teacher and student."

"That certainly wasn't because of your grades. I doubt you were much of a student..."

"Miss Maid, don't judge a book by its cover. Open it and take a look first," he said, giving her a look of profound disappointment.

"My teacher used to praise my eloquence, saying it had a magical power. I always got high marks on my oral exams."

Lisa raised an eyebrow, her expression otherwise unruffled as she leafed through the book in her hands.

"There's something a little wrong with you, sir. Literature isn't about getting high marks on exams or mastering a language."

"A book is a dream you hold in your hands. It has the power to take you to other worlds, introduce you to different characters, give you new perspectives, and immerse you in stories that can touch your heart..."

Her elaborate metaphor showed her deep love of books.

He felt that, if allowed, she could write an entire essay on "the magic of literature."

"Hey, how can you say all that while holding a young adult romance novel? I'm pretty sure that's what it is."

"Manga, novels, or erotic works—they're all part of literature, sir," Lisa murmured as she walked over to the table and focused on a novel with "substance."

Izumi couldn't help laughing.

Cangya's arrival had brought a little more life to her otherwise quiet home.

She patted him on the shoulder.

"Lisa's right, Cangya. There's something a little wrong with all of us here. We look normal on the surface, but that's just a disguise."

"Speaking of which, Cangya, have you ever encountered a Hollow—a monster wearing a white, bony mask?"

He shook his head gently, keeping up his innocent act. "No."

"Your spiritual awareness has only just awakened, or you've been very lucky and never attracted a Hollow," Izumi said.

Her fingers trailed along countless book spines as she wandered between the rows of towering shelves.

"Set aside your usual rules and beliefs, and open your mind. Let me introduce you to a whole new, terrifying reality hidden beneath our 'ordinary' world."

"Sounds..."

"Scary, right?" Izumi turned around and gave him a reassuring smile. "But it won't be hard for someone as gifted as you. Trust me, I believe in you."

"I wasn't going to say scary." He paused, the corners of his mouth rising. "It sounds exciting, sis. Taking down giant monsters with your bare hands—that's every man's dream."

His excited smile made Izumi pause, and then she chuckled softly. "I wish every Quincy had your enthusiasm."

"I guarantee you'll never find anyone else like me."

Seriously, there was only one Hollow who could completely change his foundation and switch races.

With the help of the Hogyoku, perhaps another such being could be born.