A Genius Quincy

Blue Reishi appeared in the room, every vibrating molecule gathering toward Cangya.

He took control of the Reishi, shaping it into an ordinary bow.

A faint, ghostly outline of a bow began to appear, only to dissipate at the last moment.

[Race ability: Reishi Manipulation unlocked.]

[Current mastery level: Basic.]

Cangya frowned, feeling a strange resistance from the Reishi around him.

But he didn't give up. He tried again and again, and with each attempt, the shape of the bow became clearer.

Izumi watched him, wanting to interrupt his efforts yet hoping he would succeed.

Every Quincy needed a Quincy Cross to manifest their spiritual weapon, yet Cangya seemed determined to break with tradition.

At last, his persistence paid off. A magnificent Spirit Bow as tall as he was took shape.

He drew the invisible bowstring, and an absurdly large arrow appeared. "I finally did it. I was starting to doubt myself."

Lisa and Izumi exchanged a glance.

Cangya's frighteningly powerful potential made them realize the reality of the situation.

Izumi had never seen anyone summon a Spirit Bow without a Quincy Cross, let alone on their first day of training.

It kindled a glimmer of hope in her heart. Perhaps he could usher in a new era for the declining Quincy race.

Lisa, however, looked at him suspiciously. "Guest, are you sure this is your first attempt?"

She focused her senses on his Reiatsu, trying to tell from any fluctuations whether he was lying.

Caught a little off guard by her suspicious gaze, Cangya tilted his head.

"Of course. Big sister, you said Hollows were huge monsters. I'm going to shoot them down with my divine bow, 'Shooting Down the Sun'... That's what I'll call it once I improve my shooting."

Back in Hueco Mundo, he had planned to wait until he had his own Zanpakuto before deciding on his main weapon.

However, the egg had appeared in place of his Zanpakuto, leaving him somewhat confused.

With Reishi Manipulation, he could try using any weapon.

Those weapons might not be as effective as a Zanpakuto, but they were better than nothing.

And as his mastery of Reishi Manipulation improved, he might be able to create more powerful weapons.

Finding no sign that he was lying, Lisa dismissed her suspicion that Cangya was a spy like her.

She felt Cangya had no reason to deceive a Quincy of Izumi's standing, and he probably didn't know about her hidden identity either.

"I was being too cautious."

Aizen's betrayal had left their whole group with trust issues.

That seemingly mild-mannered lieutenant had manipulated the entire Seireitei, while they could only hide in the World of the Living and wait for the day they became strong enough to defeat Aizen.

"Guest, your bow is too extravagant." Lisa frowned at his bow. "Remember, manipulating Reishi consumes stamina. Anything larger than a standard bow is a waste of energy."

He gave her a playful wink in response. "I have unlimited stamina, Miss Maid. If you want proof, come to my bedroom."

"Please don't try to seduce me," Lisa murmured, adjusting her glasses. "I'm not interested in a one-night stand."

He dispelled the bow and pretended to be hurt. "I'm hurt that you take me for a playboy."

"Haven't you given me reason to think so?"

Izumi smiled gently. "Don't take it to heart, little brother. Lisa is just... a little complicated. Her passion lies more with books than with the world around her."

If Lisa hadn't been acting as a spy, she would have openly refuted Izumi.

Unfortunately, her current role didn't allow her to say harsh things to Izumi's husband.

"Big sister, some people are like ice—no flavor, no warmth, and nothing inside."

The corner of Lisa's mouth twitched.

He was implying she was utterly bland, which was far from the truth.

"The world is a cold place, Guest. A candle like you can only provide so much warmth. One strong wind and you'll be snuffed out."

"I'm not a candle, Miss Maid. I'm the whole sun. The wind can't get close to me, much less extinguish my light."

"Yes, of course."

"..."

Cangya condensed a spear out of Reishi. "How effective is this against those Hollows?"

He had to ask Izumi because he couldn't use a weapon here.

He might accidentally destroy the entire warehouse.

"Not as effective as a bow," Lisa said. "And it's completely useless against a Zanpakuto enveloped in Reiatsu like a Seated Officer's... But I have to admit, your ability to manipulate Reishi is beyond imagination."

"I'm not from this world either."

Lisa shrugged. "All right."

He continued honing his Reishi Manipulation skill until lunchtime.

Despite his efforts, the system remained silent—there was no notification that a new race had been unlocked or obtained.

It seemed that merely learning one Quincy skill wasn't enough to earn him the title of "Quincy" in the system's eyes.

Do I have to learn every Quincy ability?

Even with his talent, learning them all would take a considerable amount of time.

"Little brother, before we go to lunch, I need to tell you more about our world..."

Izumi gave him some basic information about the three worlds—the Spirit World, Hueco Mundo, and the World of the Living—and the intricate relationship between them that maintained the balance of souls.

"Soul-eating monsters wearing twisted masks, a group of old-fashioned samurai who purify those monsters with unique weapons called Zanpakuto, and us."

"Those are the main forces you need to know about... But ever since the Quincy incident a hundred and fifty years ago, our power has dwindled considerably."

She didn't sugarcoat the story, instead revealing the decline of the Quincy.

For some reason, she felt Cangya ought to know, since she intended to have him join her family.

Perhaps she was blindly trusting that Cangya wouldn't be scared away after hearing about the massacre of the Quincy.

"I can't judge the matter after hearing only one side." Cangya turned to Izumi.

Looking into her somewhat bewildered eyes, he said, "But the Quincy side feels like the real villains. They should have listened to the Gotei 13's appeals about the cycle of souls."

Izumi sighed wearily. "Much as I hate to admit it, that's the harsh truth. Our ancestors committed grave sins."

"The Gotei 13 slaughtered thousands of people. They weren't just either."

"Yes..." Izumi nodded. "To make up for those mistakes, my husband Sōken wants to establish a new system. We would hold off Hollows and protect civilians until the Gotei 13 arrive to purify them with their Zanpakuto... That would maintain the balance and keep casualties to a minimum."

Cangya frowned. "That's a clever way to maintain the balance. Where is your husband now?"

"He went out... to train." Izumi rested her backside against the table, gripping it tightly with her knuckles.

"I'll give you some time to decide your future—whether you want to stay or leave."

She left the choice to Cangya, a rather strange move considering how highly she valued his talent.

Lisa sighed at Izumi's stupidity.