Nine Truths and One Lie

Kisuke had delved deep into the Shihōin Clan's archives.

He had searched for the most obscure and inscrutable knowledge about the Spirit World—such as how the God of Death had once been the pillar of the Three Worlds, but was now only a shell of his former self.

A god slaughtered by the Five Noble Families because of his power.

Seeing Kisuke lost in thought, Cangya smiled gratefully.

There was an undeniable pleasure in being around clever people who could find profound meaning in the most absurd remarks.

Talking nonsense to geniuses really is easy. They're the best at filling in the blanks.

He crossed his arms and nodded. "That's right. I was reincarnated as a Hollow."

His bold declaration was like a carefully calculated bomb, meant to provoke a reaction.

A mischievous light flickered in his eyes as he waited for their response.

Even under such grave circumstances, his innate mischievous streak couldn't be suppressed.

Kisuke remained composed, raising an eyebrow at the outrageous claim with interest.

In stark contrast, Yoruichi's reaction was like a storm—she hissed, her pupils shrank to pinpoints, and her tail stood straight up in agitation.

She looked ready to claw his face to ribbons.

"Even a blind Soul Reaper can tell the difference between a Quincy and a Hollow. Do you take us for fools?!"

The story of his betrayal had fascinated her, until he shattered the illusion with an absurd lie.

As a former Soul Reaper, she knew full well how intricate souls were and how delicate the balance between the realms was.

The idea of a soul reincarnating with its memories was within the realm of reason, but a Quincy claiming to be a Hollow?

That was simply absurd.

"Calm down, Miss Yoruichi," Kisuke pleaded, making a soothing gesture.

Then he looked at Cangya. "Miss Yoruichi isn't known for her patience, but for her ferocious actions as captain of the Stealth Force. Mr. Cangya, if you don't give her a reasonable explanation, I won't be able to stop her."

Before they knew it, Kisuke and Yoruichi had fallen into the classic good cop, bad cop routine.

Under Yoruichi's calm gaze, Cangya calmly picked up his teacup.

"I was going to explain, but Miss Shihoin interrupted me. Let's put that aside for now."

"Mr. Urahara, can this house conceal Reiatsu? What I'm about to do might alert the Quincy and the Soul Reapers."

"Yes," Yoruichi said, rising and walking toward the door. "I'm no longer interested in your lies."

Just as she reached for the door, she stopped as if struck by lightning.

A Hollow's Reiatsu, more powerful than her own, seized her attention like a vise.

She spun around and saw Cangya surrounded by sky-blue Reiatsu.

Even though she couldn't see his face from where she stood, she could see the horns growing from his head.

He turned his head and smiled after giving them the greatest shock of their lives. "Miss Shihoin, do you believe me now?"

Silence fell over the room, so deep that it seemed to envelop every corner and hidden recess.

Tessai's sudden arrival shattered the silence. He hurriedly pushed the door open, his footsteps echoing through the room.

"A Hollow? This man is a Hollow? How is that possible?"

Even the former commander of the Kidō Corps couldn't understand how a Quincy had suddenly turned into a Hollow.

Cangya stood amid the confusion, a smug smile on his lips.

"Sorry for the sudden surprise. I expected you to be a little shocked, but nothing more."

Urahara stood, his black haori fluttering in Cangya's constantly surging Reiatsu.

A strange light flickered in his eyes, and he couldn't conceal his curiosity.

"My, my, Mr. Cangya, what's surprising is your ability. So you were the Arrancar who's been troubling us all these days. How did you hide your Hollow Reiatsu so perfectly?"

The ever-innovative Urahara couldn't resist asking a question out of curiosity.

In his pursuit of erasing the boundary between Soul Reapers and Hollows, he had long since abandoned the idea that all Hollows were evil.

To him, a person's nature mattered more than his race.

"Hiding it? No, no, no, that's a misunderstanding." Cangya pointed to his face. His Hollow features seamlessly returned to normal, and his wings retracted into his body.

"It's not hiding, but transformation. After spending my whole life slaughtering Hollows, I became one myself. What a cruel irony."

He continued telling half-true lies.

Yoruichi approached him and touched his back, her hostility replaced by a curious expression. "Can you transform again?"

"I'm not a specimen in a laboratory. Besides, Miss Shihoin, weren't you going to leave? What made you stay?"

"Kid, if you hadn't shown me this... I don't even know what to call it..."

"Urahara, do you think this is possible? Or are we all under the influence of some ability, like Aizen's, blinding all our senses?"

Urahara pondered her question, a thoughtful frown on his face.

He turned to Tessai. "What you described is possible, but I don't think that's the case here. Tessai, did you sense Mr. Cangya's Hollow Reiatsu?"

Tessai, standing in the doorway, nodded. "I sensed it clearly. That's why I came running."

"You see, Miss Yoruichi? Tessai couldn't have fallen under the same illusion as us... Well, unless Mr. Cangya can deceive people outside his field of vision."

"Didn't that happen to Shinji?" Tessai countered, planting a seed of doubt. "We can't rule out the possibility that Mr. Cangya has an ability similar to Aizen's."

Cangya scratched the back of his head.

Aizen's betrayal had made them wary of his unprecedented ability.

Even Tessai, who was usually calm and composed, questioned the reality before him.

Under Yoruichi's scrutiny, he transformed again. "What do you think? Is this real, or just an illusion?"

Urahara waved the paper fan in his hand and interjected, "Aizen's Zanpakuto is relatively unknown, and his own Reiatsu is powerful, far beyond that of an ordinary captain."

"Mr. Cangya, please forgive our suspicions. We shouldn't use Aizen's illusions as an excuse to cover up our ignorance."

"Ignorance?" Yoruichi laughed. "We should thank Aizen for deceiving you. He made us learn many new things we'd never have encountered as Soul Reapers."

Cangya smiled. "The more you know, the better."

Yoruichi ran a claw across his thigh, then turned to Urahara.

"I saw it right. When he transformed into a Hollow, his body changed from Kishi to Reishi."

Urahara had once invented the Reishi Conversion Machine to convert between Kishi and Reishi.

Cangya had achieved the same effect without any external help.

"I saw it," Urahara said. "From a Soul Reaper to a Hollow, and then a Quincy, Mr. Cangya really is a special case."

Cangya returned to his Hollow form and crossed his arms. "As for the information I promised, I know some of Aizen's plans and his ultimate goal."

Urahara's eyes widened. "How did you—"

"Don't ask me how I know. Aizen wants the Hogyoku in your possession. That item is crucial to his plan—to create the Oken. He's seeking the key to the Soul King Palace."

A silent exchange passed between Urahara and Yoruichi, their eyes revealing a shared understanding.

"We didn't expect it to be the Oken," Yoruichi said. "Cangya, what does Sōsuke Aizen want with the Soul King Palace?"

"Your guess is as good as mine," Cangya said. "I've kept my promise. Mr. Urahara, it's time you kept yours."

Urahara took a step back and gripped his Zanpakuto.

"I did make a promise. Well then, what can this handsome shopkeeper do for you?"

"I need shelter."

"No problem. A handsome Hollow like you is welcome in my underground chamber."

Urahara gladly accepted Cangya, who was like a treasure trove of knowledge about the three major races—Hollows, Soul Reapers, and Quincy.