"So I was wrong? Then what exactly do you want me to help with? Just say it."
Masatsuki Aozaki scratched his head, genuinely confused.
He'd assumed this woman was driven by revenge—or maybe she didn't fully trust the outcome of the last experiment. Maybe she just wanted to eliminate the source of the problem completely, to put things to rest once and for all.
But judging by the look on her face, that clearly wasn't it.
Masatsuki didn't realize just how terrifying his line of thinking would sound to others.
Killing the Soul King's son? That's not something any sane person would even consider.
Especially not someone like Candice, who had personally witnessed how terrifying Yhwach's power as a Quincy truly was.
Sure, she knew Masatsuki was strong—
Strong enough to charge into the Wandenreich without opposition.
Strong enough to treat Silbern—guarded by the entire Sternritter—as his personal playground, coming and going as he pleased.
But even with all that, in her eyes, it still wasn't enough to kill Yhwach.
Wasn't the Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13 strong enough?
Didn't he kill that so-called king once?
And yet, the King of the Quincy returned a thousand years later, back from the dead.
To rise again... Yhwach, the son of the Soul King, was nothing short of a god.
At least, that's how Candice saw it.
Masatsuki could have used his ability to glimpse the future and know exactly what she was going to say next—but that would've been too dull.
Instead, he chose to sit back and quietly let her speak.
"Yhwach isn't someone you deal with lightly. There's no need to rush it."
Candice didn't even notice she was casually calling that king by name, completely devoid of the respect most would show.
Masatsuki's gaze made her heart race, her cheeks slightly red. But she didn't dare show her flustered or irritated side too easily.
"Actually... I have a few friends in the Wandenreich. So I was hoping you could do me a small favor."
Her voice grew softer and softer.
"If the Wandenreich and Gotei 13 go to war again... could you spare their lives?"
"Of course, if it's too much trouble... just forget I said anything."
Her tone grew increasingly cautious, her head lowered, stealing glances at Masatsuki from the corner of her eye.
As a prisoner of war, she had no right to ask anything. Making a request like this was already crossing the line.
"Oh, that's what it is? You should've said so earlier."
Masatsuki stroked his chin with one hand while the other gently patted Candice's head, as if comforting a small, nervous animal.
He remembered Bambietta mentioning this once.
Back when they were still in the Wandenreich, they had formed a little group with a few other female Sternritter members—a small circle known as the Women's Knights.
So when Candice brought up her "friends," Masatsuki naturally assumed she was talking about the other members of that group.
After all, in a nation as cold and detached as the Wandenreich, forming bonds deep enough to call someone a true frie"No problem. I promise."
Masatsuki Aozaki agreed without hesitation, a faint smile forming on his face.
He was always happy to accept beautiful and charming girls—no matter how many, he never got tired of them.
But then, something crossed his mind.
Wasn't there a certain... unusual presence mixed into that so-called "Female Knights" group?
If he remembered right, there was someone among them with a similar vibe to Yūshirō—a cute boy.
Well, having a guy in a group like that wasn't unheard of. Teams needed diversity, after all. One male in the mix? Understandable.
But if that cute boy had a soul as girly as his looks, then... not so cute anymore.
At least Yūshirō, despite being soft-spoken and resembling Yoruichi a bit, was still within the bounds of "normal."
He'd have to be careful. He was too good-looking for his own safety—he couldn't afford to get locked down in the worst way.
Boys had to protect themselves out there too.
Sighing over the decline of societal values, Masatsuki shook his head.
Candice gave a small nod and subtly shifted closer to Masatsuki, clearly trying to offer him a more pleasant experience.
The way she behaved—so obedient and docile—showed just how serious she was about this request.
She'd been conflicted about it for a long time.
But she hadn't dared speak up. She'd been too embarrassed.
Given her status compared to Masatsuki's, what right did she have to ask for anything?
Just from her hesitant, faltering tone, it was clear how much this fiery, stubborn girl had humbled herself to make this request.
Under normal circumstances, she would never speak so softly.
But she hadn't expected Masatsuki to agree so easily.
She was known for her loud voice—often loud enough to give him headaches.
Candice had been mentally prepared to offer something in exchange.
Like... the past few days...
Ahem...
Those were things best left unspoken. To describe them outright might cause trouble.
Let's just say, other than sore backs and aching muscles, there wasn't much else to talk about.
Looking at it that way, maybe her taste in men wasn't so bad after all.
Candice was secretly pleased with herself.
Masatsuki, unaware of her thoughts, helped clean up the dishes after the meal like usual.
Then, under the girls' watchful gazes, he pulled out two glowing green jade orbs from a pocket dimension.
With a flourish like a magician, he cupped them between his hands. In an instant, their color changed—crystal clear like water, radiant like stars and moons.
Using just those two jade orbs—each containing a fragment of the Soul King—Masatsuki created a Hōgyoku by hand.
More precisely, mass-produced Hōgyoku.
"Distribute the Auswählen-blocking meds to the other Quincy. And about that plan to take control of the World of the Living—we'll go ahead with it. I think it's viable. Make it happen."
After completing the Hōgyoku fusion for the two captives, Masatsuki Aozaki left the World of the Living.
He passed through the dark void and arrived in Hueco Mundo.
The aftermath of several major battles still scarred the land. Hueco Mundo had always been vast and sparsely populated, but now even fewer Hollows roamed its paths.
Still, with Las Noches fully in charge, this once-chaotic realm had gained a touch of order.
Of course, Hollows were still allowed to devour each other. That was simply their nature.
And Masatsuki had no interest in meddling with that.
Once defeated by a Shinigami, these beings would go where they belonged—Soul Society or Hell. That was already set in stone.
Masatsuki slowly made his way toward the main palace of Las Noches.
"All hail His Majesty the Emperor."
"All hail His Majesty the Emperor."
There was hardly an Arrancar who didn't recognize him.
Even newcomers to Las Noches, upon hearing the title "His Majesty the Emperor," would instinctively bow in reverence.
Even if he wore the robes of a Shinigami—power was the only thing that mattered in a world ruled by strength.
As others watched him with awe, Masatsuki pushed open the doors to a certain palace—the private chambers of the Queen of Hueco Mundo.
"Everyone's here."
Masatsuki scanned the room.
Led by Harribel and Nelliel, Apacci, Mila Rose, Sung-Sun, and Roka were seated around the chamber.
"As you ordered, I've gathered everyone."
Harribel obeyed Masatsuki's instructions without question.
Letting him use her room—or even her life—was a sacrifice she considered perfectly acceptable.
Looking at his loyal knight, Masatsuki gave a casual wave.
A crack tore open in the air, and jade orbs began to fall from within.
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
p@treon com / PinkSnake