Finishing Tōsen wasn't as thrilling as Lisa expected. She'd have enjoyed it if he continued to be an insufferable traitor to the end, spewing Aizen's lies and preaching about his twisted justice. That glimpse of calm on his face, the endearing voice calling Kakyo—it stole the bitter sweetness from her revenge. He went out without so much as a side antagonist's final 'My master will avenge me' or 'I'll be waiting for you in Hell!'.
He just… faded.
A hand, warm and solid despite its spiritual nature, settled gently on her shoulder. Even through the white armor, she felt the warmth coming from it.
"Lisa."
"Mhmm, Kazuya." She didn't turn, staring at the drifting ashes. "Do you know about this Kakyō?"
"Someone who meant a lot to him," Kazuya whispered. "It doesn't matter now. They're both gone."
Lisa nodded as exhaustion crashed over her. The bone-white armor pieces began dissolving and flaking away like dried clay. Even her Hollow Mask met the same fate.
As the last vestiges of her Resurrección vanished, her legs gave out.
Kazuya's arm caught her instantly around the waist. She collapsed against his chest, burying her face in his chest as the backlash from overstaying her Resurrección form hit her.
It was her first transformation, after all. Her body hadn't gotten used to this power. Normally, her Inner Hollow would've taken over in this phase and rampaged while her consciousness rested.
Today, her inner Hollow, the monster she had feared would consume her mind in moments of weakness… was silent. The monster inside her wasn't evil at all. No, it was quite helpful as it lent its power to aid her today.
She finally accepted Kazuya's advice of "Understand its urges, conquer them. Trust it and accept it as a part of yourself".
'I have to share it with Shinji and others.'
Kazuya didn't speak or try to heal her immediately. He simply held her firmly, one hand stroking her back as she trembled.
"Well, my part is done," Lisa whispered as the pain settled. She tilted her head back slightly to look up at him. Her eyes were tired but clear. "I'll leave Aizen to you."
As much as she wanted to destroy Aizen, she knew the insurmountable gulf between her and the likes of Aizen and Yamamoto. She could never fight those monsters who had achieved the pinnacle of Shinigami power.
"I'll take care of him. You also need to take care of yourself," he whispered, holding her closer. "This body belongs to me now, remember?"
Lisa snorted. "Yes, Master."
A faint smile touched Kazuya's lips, though it was hard to read in his current form. "You don't sound happy, though. Should I terminate the contract and relieve you of this duty?"
She bumped her forehead lightly against his chest—part scolding, part affection. "Master, it'll be my pleasure to serve you."
He nodded with satisfaction. "Great! Now, let's catch up with your mistress."
"Mistress?"
"She is the new queen of this land."
Lisa shook her head weakly. "I'm tired… I just wanna sleep, okay?"
Just as he was going to carry her, she fell asleep in the comfort of his arms.
"Guess I'll have to come here."
He gently laid Lisa on the ground and disappeared into golden threads. In a couple of moments, he returned to the spot with his true body.
The sight that awaited him left him speechless. Yoruichi and Soi Fon sat near Lisa as they checked up on her. The two promptly turned when they sensed his presence.
"W-We didn't harm her. We were probing her condition!" Soi Fon freaked out as though she was a cat trapped in the same room as a dog. "She is fine. You can take her away!"
Yoruichi calmly smiled. "We got bored waiting, so we decided to check around… who could've thought we'll find a former comrade battling Tōsen."
Kazuya had sensed them hiding before. He let them since they had no intention to interfere. He nodded at the two, picked up Lisa like a princess, and strode straight toward Harribel's direction.
Soi Fon watched him with a look of curiosity. "Yoruichi-sama, I never thought I'd see a Hollow and Shinigami in love with each other."
She cared more about this strange love tale than the fact she had seen one of the high-profile targets of Central 46.
Yoruichi didn't know whether to laugh or cry. The man Soi Fon would serve was actually a Hollow. She couldn't wait to see Soi Fon's reaction when Kazuya revealed his true form to her.
"He must be heading to the Queen. Let's follow him."
Soi Fon immediately wanted to reject, but Yoruichi just dragged her away.
A/N: Simps don't fear anyone.
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