Awakening Kaien Shiba and His Wife (3)

He turned to look at his wife beside him. Shiba Miyako was also looking at him, her eyes flashing with complex emotions. The two gazed at each other for a long time, and finally, Kaien Shiba took a deep breath, slowly stood up, and bowed deeply to Liu Ziyun: "I am still very grateful Liu Ziyun Fifth Seat Ryuu Ziyun for saving my wife and me. Kaien Shiba will remember this kindness."

He straightened up and looked at Kisuke Urahara: "Then, I'll be leaving things to Captain Urahara from now on."

Liu Ziyun looked at him, a meaningful smile playing on his lips, "Don't be too happy yet. In a few years, your uncle—that is, the captain of the Tenth Division, Isshin Shiba —will come to the World of the Living to join you."

Kaien Shiba paused for a moment, then said, "Uncle? He..."

Liu Ziyun his hand, interrupting his question, "Also, be careful of Kisuke. He's also a science enthusiast, and he might use you as guinea pigs. But don't worry about your lives."

Both Kaien Shiba and Shiba Miyako were stunned. They exchanged a glance, and the same thought flashed through their minds: [Have we... just escaped one danger only to fall into another?]

Kisuke Urahara, standing to the side, covered the lower half of his face with a fan, his signature smile tinged with helplessness and embarrassment, "Oh dear, Mr. Liu, how could you say that to me? I would never experiment on people. At most, I just..."

He paused, seemingly choosing his words carefully. "Just collecting Reiatsu and some Reishi for research."

Liu Ziyun glanced at him. "They're not human. In human eyes, we're 'ghosts'; in ghosts' eyes, we're 'Soul Reaper.' How are we any different from humans?"

Kisuke Urahara: "..."

He opened his mouth, wanting to refute, but found himself speechless.

Liu Ziyun didn't continue the topic. He struggled to his feet, swaying as if he might collapse at any moment. "Find me a place to rest. I'm exhausted."

He looked at Kisuke Urahara, his tone carrying a hint of warning. "Do whatever you want, just don't wake me up. Also, don't put any growth-restricting devices on me. And preferably not any surveillance devices either."

A dangerous smile curled at the corner of his lips, "I'm planning to build a harem in the future. If you press the button, you might be hunted down by the Three Worlds —and I'll be the one to deal with it myself."

Kisuke Urahara: "..."

He adjusted his hat brim and sighed helplessly, "Um... come with me."

He turned around and led Liu Ziyun and the Kaien Shiba couple out of the Underground Space. They passed through several corridors and arrived at a relatively secluded room. Pushing open the door, they found a simple but tidy bedroom—a bed, a table, and a few chairs.

Liu Ziyun into the room, collapsed onto the bed without even taking off his shoes. He closed his eyes and fell asleep almost instantly.

Kisuke Urahara stood by the bed, looking at his carefree attitude, not knowing what to say.

Just then, a soft golden light suddenly shone from the Wristguards on Liu Ziyun's left wrist. Within the light, a figure slowly materialized and appeared in the room.

She was a woman dressed in a white-gold robe, with long, flowing hair and a cool yet gentle face. She stood quietly by the bed, looking down at the sleeping Liu Ziyun, her eyes flashing with complex emotions.

Kisuke Urahara. He recognized the woman—it was Liu Ziyun's Zanpakuto, Life-Taker.

Life-Taker raised his head and looked at Kisuke Urahara. His eyes were calm as still water, yet they carried an indescribable sense of oppression. "What are you looking at? Are you thinking about how to take a piece of flesh from him? Or just rip out his heart?"

Kisuke Urahara quickly waved his hand, forcing a professional smile, "How could that be? I was just marveling at how much he trusts me."

Life-Taker looked at him, remained silent for a moment, and then slowly said, "Alright, you can ask them both about the details. There's no need to keep it a secret anymore."

She took a small glass bottle from Liu Ziyun's arms and handed it to Kisuke Urahara: "This is his gene that Ziyun prepared for you. He originally wanted to give it to you himself. As for the Reiatsu, you can collect it yourself."

Kisuke Urahara took the glass bottle and examined it carefully. Inside were a few milliliters of dark red liquid— Liu Ziyun's blood, containing complete genetic information.

Seeing his complicated expression, Life-Taker continued, "You don't need to treat me as his backup plan. However, he underestimated the side effects of this ability, so he was so exhausted that he even forgot to give it to you. I thought that if you were to collect his cells or something, it might wake him up, so I came out to give it to you for him."

After she finished speaking, her figure began to become transparent, eventually transforming into a ball of golden light and merging back into the Wristguards on Liu Ziyun's wrist.

Kisuke Urahara stood there, looking at the glass bottle in his hand, then at the sleeping Liu Ziyun on the bed, a complex mix of emotions welling up inside him.

Even if he doesn't trust me, with Zanpakuto like you that can appear at any time, he doesn't need to worry about anything.

He gave a wry smile, carefully tucked the glass bottle into his pocket, and then turned to Kaien Shiba and Shiba Miyako: "Gentlemen, please come with me."

Another room.

Kisuke Urahara Kaien Shiba and Shiba Miyako to sit down, and then personally poured tea for them. His movements were elegant and composed, like a true hospitable host rather than an exiled scientist.

"Lieutenant Shiba," Kisuke Urahara began, his tone sincere, "I suppose you've heard of me."

Kaien Shiba nodded. Kisuke Urahara —former captain of the Twelfth Division, founder of the Technology Development Bureau, sentenced to death for his Hollowfication Experiments, ultimately rescued by Yoruichi Shihōin and escaped to the World of the Living. These facts are known to everyone in Seireitei.

"But don't worry," Kisuke Urahara continued, "Just like Mr. Ziyun said, I and the others were persecuted by Aizen and had no choice but to leave Soul Society."

Kaien Shiba was silent for a moment, then slowly nodded. "Yes. Since Mr. Ziyun trusts us to follow you, we will trust you. After all, if it weren't for Mr. Ziyun, my wife and I would already be dead."

Kisuke Urahara looked at him, a hint of approval flashing in his eyes. "What exactly happened? Can you tell me?"

Kaien Shiba and Shiba Miyako exchanged a glance.

Kaien Shiba took a deep breath and began to recount. "Actually, it was some time ago that Captain Unohana suddenly came to the Thirteenth Division and found Captain Ukitake and my wife and me."

His tone was calm, but his eyes gleamed with recollection. "She predicted our deaths this time—she even described the manner and process. And... just yesterday, everything came true."

Kisuke Urahara frowned slightly. "A prophecy? Tell me more."

Kaien Shiba nodded and recounted everything Retsu Unohana had said in detail—about the Hollow named Metastacia, about the ability of Zanpakuto to disappear, about Shiba Miyako killing his teammates while possessed, about Kaien Shiba's rescue and his eventual demise at the hands of Rukia Kuchiki.

Kisuke Urahara listened quietly, his face expressionless, but his eyes gleamed with thoughtful intent.

Kaien Shiba continued, "Captain Unohana gave my husband and me each Talisman, saying it was for reviving us. After that... we died, and then we came here. I don't know the specifics."

Kisuke Urahara was silent for a moment, then asked, "So, after you died, you had no consciousness whatsoever?"

Kaien Shiba shook his head. "Yes, there was no consciousness at all. By the time she regained consciousness, she was already in that spot."

Kisuke Urahara nodded thoughtfully. He stood up and walked to Kaien Shiba: "Then, could I draw some blood and collect some Reiatsu? I'd like to study it."

Without the slightest hesitation, Kaien Shiba, "Yes, that's fine."

Kisuke Urahara looked at him, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes. He hadn't expected Kaien Shiba to agree so readily—after all, he had just experienced death, had just been saved by a stranger, and now he was about to have a sample taken by another stranger.

"Aren't you... worried?" Kisuke Urahara couldn't help but ask.

Kaien Shiba smiled. His smile held a hint of relief, "What's there to worry about? If Mr. Ziyun wanted to harm us, there would be no need for him to save us. Since he chose to save us and choose to let us follow you, it means you are trustworthy."

Kisuke Urahara remained silent.

He looked at Kaien Shiba, then at Shiba Miyako, and finally nodded slightly. "Thank you for your help. Please follow me."

He got up and led the two to another room. The room was filled with all kinds of sophisticated instruments— Reiatsu collectors, Reishi analyzers, gene sequencing devices... Each one was made by Kisuke Urahara himself, embodying all his wisdom as a top scientist in Soul Society.

Both Kaien Shiba and Shiba Miyako cooperated by extending their arms, allowing Kisuke Urahara to collect blood samples and Reiatsu data. The entire process took less than ten minutes, but it was enough for Kisuke Urahara to obtain a large amount of valuable research material.

After collecting the samples, Kisuke Urahara carefully preserved them, then turned to Kaien Shiba and Shiba Miyako: "Alright. I'll take you to rest."

He led the two through the corridor to another bedroom. The room was simple, but comfortable enough—it had a bed, a table and chairs, and even a small bookshelf with a few books he had brought from the World of the Living.

"Please excuse the simple conditions here," Kisuke Urahara said.

Kaien Shiba shook her head. "It's already very good. Thank you, Captain Urahara."

Kisuke Urahara nodded and turned to leave. He stopped at the door and turned back to the two of them. "If you need anything, come find me anytime. It's simple here, but it's safe enough."

The door closed gently.

Only Kaien Shiba and Shiba Miyako remained in the room.

Shiba Miyako walked to her husband's side and gently took his hand. "Kaien... we really survived."

Kaien Shiba looked at her, a complex light flickering in his eyes. He reached out and gently stroked his wife's cheek; the face that had once struggled on the brink of death was now rosy and warm.

"Yes..." he said softly, "We survived."

He walked to the window and gazed at the unfamiliar night outside—the night of the World of the Living world, completely different from that of Soul Society. There were no lights of Seireitei, no familiar Reiatsu fluctuations, only the neon lights of distant cities flickering with unfamiliar light in the darkness.

"I don't know... how is the captain now," Kaien Shiba said softly. "Rukia... how is she now?"

Shiba Miyako walked over to him and leaned on his shoulder. "They'll be alright. Didn't Mr. Ziyun say that a temporary separation is for a better reunion?"

Kaien Shiba was silent for a moment, then nodded slightly.

He gripped his wife's hand tightly, gazing at the unfamiliar night sky outside the window, silently praying: [Captain, Rukia... wait for us. One day, we will return.]

In another room, Liu Ziyun fast asleep.

His breathing was steady and long, and the fatigue on his face slowly faded away in his sleep. The Wristguards on his wrist emitted a soft glow in the darkness, like a pair of gentle eyes, quietly guarding him.

Kisuke Urahara stood outside the door for a long time.

He looked at the closed door, then at the glass bottle in his hand, and finally sighed deeply, "I really... can't understand you anymore, Mr. Liu."

He turned and disappeared at the end of the corridor.