Scaring Kisuke Urahara

Cangya had never expected Kisuke Urahara to come looking for him.

Then again, Urahara might have been looking for Lisa and run into him instead.

Or perhaps Urahara had noticed something unusual about him during their last encounter and had returned to investigate further.

There were countless reasons Urahara might have come here.

He put on his clothes and looked at Urahara.

"Your clothes look like traditional Japanese clothing. Are you a Soul Reaper?"

He set aside his usual frivolity and adopted a cold attitude.

Fooling around in front of Urahara wouldn't end well.

"No, I would never associate with the likes of them," Urahara said with a chuckle.

"A person's worth lies not in the clothes they wear, but in their character. And my character is utterly pure and adorable."

Cangya had never thought he would meet someone thicker-skinned than himself, but here he was, surrounded by Urahara's nonsense.

"If you're not a Soul Reaper, what are you?"

"Just a handsome merchant with the most useful shop around~" Urahara pulled a silver card from his sleeve and waved it cheerfully.

"Here. If you run into trouble, come find me. Of course, our excellent services aren't free~"

Helping people who interested him and then having them owe him a favor—that was Kisuke Urahara's way of doing things. Simple, but highly effective at adding another backup plan to his backup plans.

"...I meant your race."

"That sounds a little like racial discrimination. Should I report you to the Spirit World's civil rights authorities?"

Cangya frowned. "Since when did asking someone's race become a violation?"

Urahara pressed a hand to his chest. "I already told you, I'm just a merchant who runs a shop in this town. My race and background don't matter. Asking any more would be an invasion of my privacy."

"...How long have you been spying on me?"

"...Since you opened the wardrobe."

They exchanged an awkward glance, and Cangya breathed a sigh of relief.

It would have been troublesome if Urahara had seen his regeneration ability—that was an ability mostly possessed by Hollows, not Quincy.

Explaining the source of his regeneration ability to someone who knew almost every race wouldn't be easy.

I need to change tactics and reopen an old wound.

Urahara looked out the window and said, "I'm afraid our conversation will have to end here today. I need to get some rest. I have to open the shop early tomorrow."

"Kisuke Urahara, you've changed," Cangya said softly, a calm smile on his face.

"The former captain of the Twelfth Division, a pioneering innovator of Seireitei's research and development institution. I hear you're now known in Seireitei as the 'exiled Soul Reaper.'"

The carefree Urahara was gone, his languid gaze replaced by a focused stare.

When they last met, Cangya had seemed to know nothing about the Spirit World, yet now he knew things most Soul Reapers of this era didn't.

Such a drastic change had caught Urahara completely off guard.

"I'm sorry about how I acted in the rain that day. I had to make sure you were the real Kisuke Urahara, not an illusion created by that person."

Urahara narrowed his eyes and tightened his grip on his cane, which was actually his Zanpakuto in disguise. "Where did you get that information?"

Only the Visored, Yoruichi, Tessai, and Urahara knew about Aizen's betrayal.

None of them would be foolish enough to leak such information, except for the young lady living in this mansion.

"No one told me." Cangya shook his head. "I don't feel safe talking about him here. Can we go somewhere more private?"

"You mean—"

"Aizen, yes—no, this isn't the time for that. Damn it!"

He frowned, sensing a Garganta forming not far away.

A Hollow had entered the World of the Living, ready to prey on innocent souls.

This Hollow was much weaker than a Menos Grande, one that had yet to evolve beyond its basic state—but it was still a difficult opponent for an ordinary Quincy.

Urahara sighed and waved his hand.

"Deal with it, then come find me at my shop in the morning. The address is on the card."

With that, Urahara passed through the wall like a ghost, leaving no trace of Reiatsu behind.

Cangya clicked his tongue.

Mentioning Aizen's betrayal had fully captured Urahara's interest.

Though Urahara was a scientist, he was by no means a heartless person.

Cangya was betting everything on Urahara understanding the situation he had fabricated.

If he handled this properly, Urahara might help him and his Hollow companions.

Getting the Hogyoku for Tier Harribel and the others wasn't impossible either.

I need to be patient.

Izumi rushed into his room, a serious expression on her face. "You need to come with us."

He took her by the shoulders and looked her straight in the eyes. "Sis, go to sleep. I'll take care of it."

She shook her head stubbornly. "This Hollow isn't weak. Shōmei has already set out. I'll go support them, and you'll observe the fight."

Even though Izumi was fully aware of his abilities, she still assigned him the role of observer for his "first" encounter with a Hollow.

Her overprotectiveness had reached another level.

"You're too stubborn." He sighed and rubbed his forehead. "I forbid you from joining the fight."

She crossed her arms and glared back at him without backing down.

"What gives you the right to order me, the matriarch of the Ishida Family, around?"

"Stop talking nonsense, idiot sister."

"I'll let you join the fight on one condition... put your safety first. If things go wrong, run away immediately."

"As if I'd let things get that far. Have a little faith in me, Teacher Izumi."

Cangya and the others drove to the scene—the battlefield was a children's playground.

Shōmei circled the Hollow as though performing a deadly ballet, firing Reishi arrows at its bizarre carapace.

The Hollow resembled a giant beetle, wearing a white mask adorned with red teeth—the mark of its victims.

Izumi frowned. "Katsuki!"

"I'm here, Lady Izumi," Katsuki called back, regret in his voice. "We got here a little late!"

Shōmei screamed between gasps, "Lady Izumi, this giant beetle has high-speed regeneration! Our attacks aren't working on it. We can't hold out much longer."

In theory, Cangya could fully unleash his Reiatsu and destroy the Hollow with overwhelming power.

But unleashing such tremendous power would be like summoning stronger Hollows.

If a group of Adjuchas showed up, Izumi might have a heart attack on the spot.

Izumi clenched her Quincy Cross, torn between her promise to Cangya and the need to help her companions. "There's no time to hesitate—"

Cangya gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "Remember what we said. Let me handle it."

He gathered the surrounding Reishi and created a Reishi Crossbow.

He swiftly drew the bow and fired six sky-blue arrows, each aimed at a different limb of the Hollow.

The giant Hollow was focused on pursuing the two Quincy and didn't notice its impending doom.

The sky-blue arrows struck its six legs and destroyed them.

No matter how alert the Hollow was, it couldn't have dodged arrows that fast.

After familiarizing himself with the bow's mechanics and form, his ability had improved significantly.

The legless Hollow let out an agonized scream and struggled on the ground like an overturned beetle.

Before long, its limbs grew back, and it charged furiously at Cangya.

"Watch out!"

Cangya paid no heed to Izumi's warning. He

looked unusually calm as he fired another six arrows in an instant, dismembering the Hollow once again.