Comfort

"Mm~ that feels great!"

"Right? Especially after doing it yourself—you get this sense of fulfillment, like reaping a harvest. It's a double pleasure, for both body and soul~" Urahara lay back and said leisurely, "You're not mad at me anymore, are you~"

Before Hongjiang could say anything, Yoruichi spoke from behind him, on the other side of the stone ledge. "Urahara, don't take that dead-fish-eyes guy too seriously. He's a block of wood who can't appreciate anyone's good intentions!"

"..."

"By the way, dead-fish-eyes, I heard that Kao Susumu died at the hands of the Quincy. Tell me the truth—did you secretly take him out?"

"He simply wasn't skilled enough. I couldn't care less about him! Anyway, how'd he die? Was it embarrassing?"

"..."

There was now a small cave in the secret base shared by Hongjiang and the others. Of course, Urahara's blueprint hadn't been for just a cave. What mattered was what lay inside it.

Milky-white steam rose slowly through the cave, billowing in the air. Rocks of all shapes and sizes formed a ring on the ground, surrounding a hot spring nearly a hundred square meters in area. A gray stone ledge divided the spring in two. Yoruichi was on one side, while Hongjiang and Urahara were on the other. Unless they stood up, they could only see one another's heads.

"So this is the biggest thing you got out of more than a hundred years at the Royal Palace?" Hongjiang rested his hands behind his head and leaned back against the ledge. "I thought you'd figure out Bankai while you were there."

In his previous life, he'd known that Urahara had mastered Bankai in just three days in Soul Society. He also knew Urahara had once visited the Royal Palace; he just hadn't known exactly when.

But that was his previous life. He'd thought his presence might put some pressure on Urahara, but it seemed Urahara didn't care about strength in the slightest. To be honest, that left Hongjiang feeling a little deflated.

"What, afraid we'll leave you behind?" Urahara rolled onto his side, propped his head up with one hand, and smiled at Hongjiang. "Or do you want to see our Bankai? If that's what you're asking, Yoruichi might be able to oblige~"

Hongjiang didn't respond to Urahara's teasing, but Yoruichi was quick to speak up. "Who said I'd oblige him?! Unless—unless dead-fish-eyes asks nicely, I might consider giving him a peek!"

What a show-off. Hongjiang couldn't see Yoruichi's expression, but from her tone alone, he could practically picture her holding her chin high.

"Do you think you can't master Bankai without going to the Royal Palace?" Hongjiang said disdainfully, unable to hide his smugness. "I mastered Bankai in Soul Society just the same. You two really don't understand the loneliness of genius."

"Were you a few days ahead of me this time? Or a few years? Why not give us a demonstration?!" Yoruichi raised an eyebrow and shot back, teasing him about the past. Hongjiang wasn't about to let her get away with it. He calmly struck a nerve. "I don't know how much earlier I was, but my Bankai is subtle, restrained, and deadly. It's nothing like the Bankai of a certain fireworks master Teacher Ao mentioned."

There was a splash behind him. Yoruichi must have climbed out of the water. Was that all it took to set her off? Hongjiang was just about to offer a few words of consolation when a smooth arm darted across his face, hooked around his neck, and yanked him backward.

"Say that again, if you've got the nerve!"

"L-let go! I didn't say it! If you're unhappy, go take it up with Teacher Ao!" Hongjiang struggled as he spoke. "And you're a woman! Could you please show a little restraint?!"

He didn't know which of his words had gotten through to Yoruichi, but she let him go. Still, there was a pressing question now: Should I turn around? Hongjiang wondered. His instincts got the better of him, and the corners of his mouth lifted before he slowly turned his head.

Smack! Splash! Before he could see a thing, the sharp crack of a slap and the spray of water came almost at the same time.

Once Hongjiang had crawled out of the water, he immediately checked his reflection. There was no handprint on his face. That wasn't because Yoruichi had held back, nor because his skin was thick. It was all thanks to the hot spring Urahara had learned about at the Royal Palace. Its healing effects were impressive!

"Hongjiang, have you really mastered Bankai?" Urahara asked as soon as he returned to the edge of the stone ledge.

"When have I ever lied to you?"

"I'd quite like to see what your Bankai looks like." Unlike Urahara, Yoruichi immediately contradicted him from behind. "You've lied to us plenty of times, haven't you? Like the Diezuka Hiroe who mastered Shikai before us, but hadn't even gotten an Asauchi?"

For once, Hongjiang didn't answer Yoruichi. He couldn't. Even if what she said wasn't true, he had still deceived them both. Besides, pushing the issue was dangerous—very dangerous, at least for now.

It took two to tango, and since Hongjiang's silence showed he was backing down, Yoruichi didn't push her luck. All three of them rested their heads against the stone ledge, each lost in their own thoughts.

"What's it like, mastering Bankai and becoming one of the top Soul Reapers, Hongjiang?" Urahara finally broke the silence. He seemed especially interested in Hongjiang's Bankai.

"To be honest, I was a little excited for a few months. Then I realized there was still a long way to go. Being a top Soul Reaper isn't just about Bankai. There's still a long road ahead!"

"What if I told you Bankai was the end of the road, and even Zanpakuto were made by some higher being? That a Soul Reaper's fate was decided from the moment they were born!" Urahara abruptly sat up and looked at Hongjiang, his expression serious. "Would you believe me?"

Behind him, Yoruichi slowly sat up too. She glanced sideways at Hongjiang, tilting her head as she waited for his answer.

"If you say Bankai is the end of the road, I believe you! And I believe that someone made the Zanpakuto!"

Urahara smiled again at that. Yoruichi, on the other hand, looked dejected. Then Hongjiang spoke again.

"But if you're saying fate is already decided, I don't believe that! Actually, I don't believe in fate at all! And even if it exists, then we can change it. We can break it!" Hongjiang remained sprawled there, looking as lazy as ever, but a glint flickered in his small eyes.

"Fate's already been broken, hasn't it? Otherwise, how could Diezuka Hiroe exist?" Hongjiang smiled at the thought. Believe in fate? His very existence lay beyond its bounds!

"Now that's a man talking! Good for you, dead-fish-eyes!" Yoruichi laughed and praised Hongjiang. Her words sounded a little strange, but this time she wasn't mocking or teasing him at all.

"I don't need to act like a man! I am one!" Hongjiang's eyes flew wide open as he protested indignantly. "And I'm not dead-fish-eyes! My eyes are huge. I'm just too lazy to open them most of the time!"

Hongjiang's protest didn't work at all. Yoruichi only laughed harder. Urahara shook his head helplessly, then slid down alongside the stone ledge until the water covered his chin.

"If you don't believe in fate, and it exists, then just break it, right?" Urahara murmured to himself, looking at the ripples on the water before him. "That's right. Just break it! I just need some resources. I'd better start preparing soon!"

Urahara quietly made up his mind. Yoruichi had plans of her own too, but she wasn't the type to keep them to herself. She was already discussing them with Hongjiang.