Peeping

Meanwhile, at the Ishida Family estate, Lisa lay sprawled on her bed, wearing nothing but a thin pair of panties and a bra.

The rustle of the fan overhead gave her some relief from the chaos of recent days.

Watching Cangya effortlessly use more and more Quincy abilities was sorely testing her sanity, and she wasn't even a Quincy!

"It's only been four days," she muttered to herself, thinking about Cangya's astonishing rate of progress.

He had quickly learned to create several kinds of Spirit Weapons and use them in combat, and had even taken the first step toward mastering Hirenkyaku, the Quincy equivalent of a Soul Reaper's Shunpo and a Hollow's Sonído.

He had grown so powerful that every time she saw him, her inner Hollow roared, warning her of the threat he posed... while also showing excitement at the prospect of fighting him.

If she lost control, her secret would be exposed to Izumi—the last thing she wanted as a spy.

"I'll have to train twice as hard when I get back."

Sizzle.

A strange sound interrupted her thoughts.

A crimson beam cut through the wall like a knife through butter, revealing the grinning face of that narcissistic shopkeeper.

"Hello~"

"Urahara?!" Lisa cried, sitting bolt upright.

"That's right. It's me, your beloved Karakura Town shopkeeper."

"I know who you are, idiot. What are you doing here? If someone sees you—"

"You don't need to worry about the consequences, Miss Yadōmaru," Kisuke interrupted with a chuckle. "You're no longer responsible for spying. You can leave."

The sudden order left Lisa Yadōmaru somewhat at a loss.

She lowered her gaze, frowning at the thought of leaving Cangya alone with Izumi.

She worried that Cangya would take advantage of Izumi's kindness.

If something happened behind Izumi's back, she would regret it.

Urahara jumped into the room, holding the top of his hat with one hand. "You don't want to leave?"

"Where I really belong is with the Visored," she said. "You know that better than I do."

"You say that, but you don't want to leave. Has the new boy bewitched you with his charm? Perhaps you've fallen in love with your married mistress and found yourself in a forbidden romance."

"Shut up," Lisa huffed. "I'll leave in a few days... I still have some unfinished business here."

"From now on, whatever you do is none of my concern. Remember, Miss Yadōmaru." Urahara turned around and pulled his hat low. "Don't hold on too tightly to anything. The tighter you hold on, the harder you fall."

Lisa clenched her fists. "Stop speaking in riddles, bastard."

"Haha, I'm going to meet the newcomer. Wish me luck~"

Wearing a pair of pants, Cangya sat cross-legged on his bed, deep in meditation.

Bright blue traces of energy flowed across his bare skin, clearly revealing the Reishi flowing through his body.

But in an instant, the pulsing lines faded, replaced by ominous purple marks that snaked up his arms.

He gritted his teeth against the agonizing pain of his blood vessels rupturing.

"Damn it..."

Exposure to so much Reishi had caused his blood vessels to rupture completely—an injury that would have killed any ordinary person, but was nothing to him.

Within seconds, the bruises vanished, and his regenerative ability completely healed the injuries.

He had endured a great deal of pain to learn Blut, yet a pure-blooded Quincy like Izumi could use it effortlessly.

[Pain Resistance mastery level increased to advanced.]

The painful training also helped increase his mastery of the Pain Resistance skill.

He repeated the process for quite a while, until the pain drained the last of his willpower.

Afterward, he collapsed onto the bed, exhausted.

Before he could find a moment's peace, a knock sounded at the door.

Sensing the familiar presence outside, he couldn't help groaning.

"Little brother, may I come in?"

"...Yes."

Izumi entered, carefully carrying a tray with two cups of tea on it.

She limped to his bedside and set the tray on the table. "A cup of Hōjicha will get rid of your fatigue overnight."

"Sister, you should have just called me. How can your injured leg heal if you strain it like this?"

"It's nothing, Cangya," Izumi replied softly. "Being able to do something for you makes me happy."

Over the past four days, Izumi's attitude had changed noticeably.

Her care and tenderness had reached new heights, as if she had become a completely different person.

She wasn't pretending to keep him there. Serving him genuinely made her happy, as though he were some higher being.

Did he have some innate ability that made older women gentle and caring toward him?

He sipped the sweet, fragrant green tea, his thoughts drifting.

"Um..." Izumi nodded. "Little brother, I have a request."

Cangya felt a sense of déjà vu.

Izumi's request reminded him of Harribel's unfinished request in Hueco Mundo, which had been interrupted when a Menos Grande nearly killed Apache.

"Go ahead."

"I suggest you take tomorrow off and go have some fun. I don't want you wearing yourself out from training all the time."

It was an odd request, made to help him, which was in keeping with her usual behavior.

"As long as you let Lisa come with me."

He and Lisa had grown a little closer, but there was still a clear barrier between them.

As long as she remained suspicious of his character, that barrier would remain.

Given enough time and space, he was confident he could break down those barriers. A full day on a date should be enough.

Izumi narrowed her eyes, the corners of her mouth rising. "Enjoy yourself, little brother."

"I won't let you down, sister."

After Izumi left with the tray, Cangya lay back down on the bed.

Whenever he wasn't focused on training, worries about the safety of Harribel and the others welled up in his mind.

They had survived in the dangerous Hueco Mundo longer than both his lifetimes combined.

Even so, he couldn't shake his worries.

Returning to them through a Garganta was impossible, as it would surely attract the attention of those watching Karakura Town—and Aizen was most likely among them.

That peeping Tom might be watching Karakura Town, searching for the Visored and Kisuke Urahara.

But that shouldn't be his main concern until he succeeded in creating "White" and merging her with Ichigo's mother, Masaki.

"Fuck it. I need to go check on them soon."

It was time to play his trump card, which should be able to conceal the Garganta's presence—a Quincy force field.

After watching Izumi create a force field seven times, he was confident he could create one without relying on any equipment.

If it could conceal his Reiatsu, it should also be able to hide the opening of a Garganta.

"Just in case, I'll open the Garganta far away from this town."

He took out some clothes and tossed them onto the bed.

As he reached for his shirt, an uneasy feeling crept up the back of his neck.

Someone was staring at him. He spun around, his eyes fixed on a tiny hole in the wall.

That hole hadn't been there before.

"Come out, you peeping Tom."

Kisuke Urahara opened the window and stepped inside without hesitation.

The surprised expression on his face made it clear that Cangya could sense his presence.

"Ahem, if I'm caught peeping at a man, my reputation will be ruined. Whatever shall I do~?"