Aizen's Test Subject

She didn't question him, but she made up a romantic story in her head about Cangya and a beautiful girl he had met by chance.

Cangya narrowed his eyes. "Don't even think about following me."

Lisa nodded, thinking of all the outfits that would let her blend perfectly into a crowd.

She had already decided to follow him today.

"Why are you so stubborn?" Cangya jumped off the bed and walked toward her, closing the distance until he stood very close to her.

He lifted her chin and looked into her eyes. "You can hide your Reiatsu, but what about the darkness in your soul? It stands out like a candle in the dark. I could pick you out of a crowd blind, ten times out of ten."

Lisa froze, her hand instinctively reaching for her Zanpakuto.

By the time she realized she had left her Zanpakuto at the Visored's base, Cangya had already left the room.

She stood there as a bead of sweat rolled down her cheek. "How is that possible...?"

Kisuke Urahara's specially made "Reiatsu-Hiding Gigai" should have concealed every trace of her Reiatsu, even the faintest hint of her Hollow's presence.

"What should I do now?"

She covered her face with her hands. Her sclera turned black, and her eyes turned red. "Let me take control. I'll handle the rest."

The words she spoke were not her own. They belonged to the Hollow inside her, which took control when she was weak.

It wanted her to surrender control and fall into the endless abyss of "instinct."

Every member of the Visored experienced something similar from time to time, and they would continue to do so until they had complete control over the Hollows inside them.

"Get lost."

She pulled herself together and suppressed the Hollow inside her. Her eyes soon returned to normal.

Apart from her former captain, Shunsui Kyōraku, only Cangya could unsettle her like this.

She clicked her tongue impatiently. "One way or another, I'm going to make him tell me everything."

Cangya narrowed his eyes at the sign swaying overhead. "Urahara Shop."

He knocked on the door, and a burly man with a thick beard that connected to his sideburns answered.

Tessai, Kisuke Urahara's trusted assistant, wore a casual white T-shirt and blue jeans beneath a black apron.

The guy looked more like a gangster than a shop clerk.

Tessai adjusted his rectangular-framed glasses, his expression as unyielding as a wall. "What brings you here?"

"Kisuke Urahara invited me last night."

"You're his guest. Well, come in."

Cangya followed the big man down a hallway to the meeting place.

He could sense two people inside, both skillfully concealing their Reiatsu.

Tessai pulled open the sliding door, and Cangya saw Kisuke sitting with a black cat.

The black cat's golden eyes narrowed as soon as she saw him.

"She's here too."

Cangya wasn't surprised to see her with Kisuke.

Yoruichi watched the young man, curiosity glimmering in her golden eyes.

Soul Reapers aged strangely in Soul Society, while humans (Quincy) were not known for their longevity, at least not the humans she knew.

Although he looked no older than twenty-five, he possessed Reiatsu comparable to that of a Captain-level fighter—a fact she found hard to accept.

"Is he really the one?" she asked Kisuke, making no attempt to hide the doubt in her voice. "You're not joking with me, are you?"

"No."

Cangya raised an eyebrow, a flicker of surprise in his eyes. "I didn't know you liked talking cats, Mr. Urahara. Is this one of your crazy inventions?"

Kisuke opened his paper fan, hiding the smile at the corner of his mouth. "I found Miss Yoruichi at the Shihoin Estate. She's a cat who was born able to talk. People often say some cats are simply irresistible."

"Shihoin? Don't tell me this is Yoruichi Shihōin..."

Yoruichi's eyes widened slightly in surprise. "You seem to know a lot about our situation. Who told you about the Seireitei? A friend, family, or a stranger from the other side?"

She skipped the insincere pleasantries and went straight to the heart of the matter.

Before Cangya could answer, Kisuke calmly interjected, "Miss Yoruichi, let's find our guest a seat first. I wouldn't want people saying my shop has no manners."

Yoruichi gracefully waved a paw toward the cushion opposite her. "Sit down."

With a gentle push from Tessai, Cangya walked forward, and the door slid shut behind him.

"Relax, everyone," he muttered, sitting down calmly under Yoruichi's stern gaze.

"I'll tell you everything, but first, stop treating me like I'm here to steal your candy."

Kisuke couldn't help chuckling. "He's telling you to calm down, Miss Yoruichi."

Yoruichi growled, baring her feline fangs. "What? I'm as calm as the moon's reflection on a still lake. You're the one who looks uneasy."

She shifted the blame onto Cangya to downplay her own impatience.

In response, Cangya merely shrugged. "Mr. Urahara, I'll trade you my information for one favor. I can guarantee this information will help you in your fight against Aizen."

Kisuke paused, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

He wasn't the sort to incur a debt of gratitude lightly, but the stakes were too high for him to ignore the offer.

Although he believed in Yamamoto's strength, he doubted whether the Seireitei could anticipate the threat from their seemingly most peaceable captain.

By the time they realized their mistake, things might already have spiraled beyond repair.

Aizen's Hollowfication Experiment and his Kyōka Suigetsu made him an extremely frightening unknown in Kisuke's eyes.

Kisuke nodded in agreement. "If it's reasonable, the ever-charming and trustworthy Kisuke Urahara will do you this favor. Just this once."

Yoruichi turned to face Kisuke, a note of warning in her voice. "Be careful what you promise people."

As a former noble and former captain of the Second Division, she knew full well that some people used favors owed to them for malicious ends.

Although she didn't consider Kisuke careless, she was still a little worried.

"I know what I'm doing." Kisuke waved a hand and tapped the table, putting her concerns to rest. "All right, it's your turn to keep your promise, Mr. Cangya."

It was unexpected that Kisuke had agreed so readily.

Cangya, however, remained expressionless and solemn, without the slightest hint of a joke.

"I know Aizen well because... I was once a Seated Officer serving under him."

"Even so, I couldn't avoid becoming part of his plan. I ultimately fell victim to his 'Hollowfication' and was devoured by the soul of the Hollow implanted inside me."

And so he revealed the first chapter of his twisted story—a story that could not have existed without his extraordinary understanding of this world.

"Wow... Wait, what do you mean, you died? Is this—"

"—Reincarnation." Kisuke finished Yoruichi's sentence, a serious expression on his face.

"A flawed form of reincarnation, in which the soul retains its memories. I've encountered a few such cases in my research, though none were significant enough to warrant concern."