"Mm?"
In the cozy bedroom, Cole looked at Soi fong, baffled. "Soi fong, what's up with you today? You seem… different."
Normally she was crisp and commanding—just standing there gave off an icy edge. The two of them bickered often. But today, no matter how he looked, she felt like a gentle girl.
Soi fong gave a tiny huff and walked forward. "Nothing. You saved me before, so… I wanted to thank you."
Walking alongside her, Cole deadpanned, "First time I've heard 'thanks' means telling me to die. Can't you wish me a long life in the Living World?"
He flopped face-first onto the pink bed, rolled a few times, then sighed contentedly. "Humans only get a hundred years or so. If I become a shinigami I'll live a thousand at least. So I'm going to enjoy these hundred while I can."
Soi fong puffed her cheeks. "But then… I'll be lonely."
In all of Seireitei, everyone saw her as the cold executor. To inspire fear, she had to be cold. Only Cole wasn't afraid of her—and argued with her constantly. Just thinking of him staying a hundred years in the Living World left a hollow feeling in her chest.
"What are you saying?" Cole asked from the bed, confused.
"Nothing!"
Soi fong dodged, hugged her bee-shaped pillow, climbed onto the bed, and—cheeks pink—shoved him over. "Move. I'm sleeping on the bed tonight too."
Cole scooted aside, glanced up at the photo of Yoruichi on the ceiling, then suddenly perked up. "Hey, it's been a while. The nobles' mansions should've been rebuilt by now, right?"
Lately he'd only been absorbing the Gotei 13's reiryoku. Thinking about it, the nobles' compounds should be almost done too.
Soi fong shot him a look. "Yoruichi-sama will kill you. And Byakuya will come for your head."
She couldn't fathom where he got the nerve to provoke nobles again and again.
Cole pinched her cheek, grinning. "You're too timid. That's your upbringing—always revering nobles."
To his surprise, she didn't swat his hand away. Her face reddened. "Shouldn't we? The four great clans carry royal blood. They've existed for millions of years. They… rule Soul Society."
Cole didn't argue that point. He understood the structure now. The Gotei 13 might be the strongest force—but they were still a military organ, answerable to Central 46. And the sages and judges there were basically all nobles. Saying the four great families ruled Soul Society wasn't wrong.
But that wasn't what Cole meant.
He folded his hands behind his head, stared lazily at the ceiling. "Nobles are rent-seekers. Most of them love life and fear death—why else did they run so fast?"
Soi fong nodded softly. She'd seen those emptied manors herself. She just hadn't thought of it that way—until Cole said it. Then the nobles' decadence felt obvious.
"So," Cole smiled, "to deal with cowards, you just make them afraid."
He waved his right hand. "Tomorrow I'm siphoning their reiryoku. Let's see which nobles don't scare easy enough to stop me."
Soi fong couldn't help laughing. "Say that in public and they'll fight you to the last. You're yanking up the roots of their prestige—undercutting the noble 'glory' they brainwashed shinigami with. If every shinigami started thinking like you…"
"…the four clans wouldn't be lofty anymore," Cole finished with a snort. "What's there to fear? If I beat the old man, first thing I'm doing is cleaning up the nobles—Shihoin first."
"Don't you bully Yoruichi-sama…" Soi fong flushed, crawled onto him, and nipped his shoulder.
"—Tch!" Cole sucked a breath, startled by the soft warmth against the bite. "Soi fong…"
She looked at him, face red. "What are you staring at, you imp? Weren't you always threatening to 'bully' me?"
He swallowed. "Aren't you… a lily?"
"I adore Yoruichi-sama," she murmured, cheeks burning. "But… I don't dislike you."
He'd saved her. He teased her. And somehow, she couldn't bring herself to hate him.
Soi fong's ears turned even redder. "What's wrong? You can mouth off to nobles—but you're scared of me?"
Cole pressed a hand to her slim waist. "Then don't regret it…"
Her eyes fluttered shut. "I won't. Just… be gentle. Make it comfortable, or I won't… play with you anymore."
Heat rushed through him. "Relax. Leave it to me."
He leaned up and brushed her rosy lips. "Mmph…"
Her face turned peach-red. She softened, hands folding at her chest, eyes shy on the boy before her. "Cole…"
…...
Night passed quietly.
Morning. On the pink bed, Soi fong sat up, cheeks aglow; her whole body felt loose and floaty, like water. "No wonder they like…"
She thought of Unohana and Sode no Shirayuki and flushed deeper. Glancing over, she found the boy still asleep. She bent down, pecked his cheek. "You awful… meanie."
The sleeping boy's lips curved.
"You're faking!" she yelped, turning scarlet and giving him another nip.
"Ow, ow!" Cole opened his eyes, laughing. "If I didn't keep them closed, I wouldn't see you being this cute."
Second Division captain. Commander of the Executive Militia. Head of the Stealth Force. Soi fong—an ice-cool beauty. He remembered their first meeting: all steel and frost. Now that frosty little beauty lay beside him, cheeks red, looking up at him. It felt like a dream.
Soi fong, even shyer, bit him again. He stroked her hair and chuckled. "Can't believe I 'stole' Yoruichi's number-one fangirl. That's a Shihoin-only privilege."
She hmphed. "Don't get cocky. I still like Yoruichi-sama best. I just… don't dislike you."
She washed up, dressed, and the crisp Second Division captain returned. From her sleeve, she produced a small pouch and pressed it into his hand, face cool again. "Here. Pocket money. Don't cause trouble for a while. Go kill time in Rukongai District One."
Cole winced. It felt… suspiciously like he was mooching. He looped an arm around the blushing commander and growled, "Still like Yoruichi most? Guess last night wasn't enough."
Soi fong turned apple-red and kicked. "Let me go, you brat! I have work. My troops are waiting."
"You're the mighty Soi fong. One day off won't kill you."
...
Later, breathless, she clung to his neck. "I can't—Cole-kun, mercy. Tonight… we can… I'll faint…"
Satisfied, he helped her bathe. As he dressed, she sat on the bed, cheeks glowing. "W-where are you going?"
Cole smirked. "To bully nobles. You rest. I'll come back tonight and let you bully me."
Her knees went weak again. The boy was a force of nature. If this kept up, how was she supposed to work?
Thinking of what he planned, she still forced herself up. "I'm… going with you."
…
Seireitei—noble quarter.
Barely half a month, and the empty fields had returned to their old look. Line after line of manors, every one dripping with excess.
Cole ran a hand over a carved wall and scowled. "Same materials, same reiryoku—yet they waste effort on frills. Useless."
"That's noble pomp," Soi fong whispered. "A hundred years ago, whenever Yoruichi-sama went out, dozens had to patrol ahead."
"Feeding on people," Cole muttered. "Old rotten order."
He raised his hand. Carved walls dissolved into reiryoku and streamed into him. The energy was identical to the Gotei's buildings—fancy flourishes didn't add a drop.
Soi fong pressed a hand to her chest; her heartbeat raced—nervous and excited. "Hurry. This is near the Tsunayashiro ceremonial hall. We have to move."
Cole nodded and quickened his siphoning. Two black shadows streaked along the Tsunayashiro estate, palaces winking out one by one.
Two hours later, the clan's grounds were strewn with fainted servants; the opulence had dwindled to a handful of buildings.
Cole eyed the few remaining with regret. Soi fong tugged him along. "Go. Those don't hold much reiryoku. Don't get spotted."
He left, glancing back three times, then poured his new points into Hollow Power.
Next—off to the Ise estate.
Manor after manor vanished. As he drank deep of the reiryoku, a familiar figure stepped from a great hall, staring blankly. "Where's… my house?"
Nanao rubbed her eyes. She sensed something, whipped around, and blanched. "Wait—it's me! Don't hit me!"
Cole froze mid-reach, gave her an awkward smile. "Yo. Good afternoon."
Nanao ground her teeth. "Are you done yet? You just tore our place down. It took forever to rebuild!"
Cole lowered his hand with a shrug. "There aren't many of you. Why make the house so big?"
He'd noticed while draining the Ise estate: their numbers were a tenth of Tsunayashiro's. Nanao jabbed a finger into his chest. "You know our curse."
As the shrine family for the Shichikagami no Tsurugi (Seven-Mirror Sword), any man who married into their clan died miserably. Because of that, though they were one of the four great clans, the Ise had few true members—fewer than a hundred. Servants outnumbered them three thousand to one.
"Okay, okay—don't be mad." Cole ruffled her hair. "Let me finish here. Then I'll help you deal with that Seven-Mirror Sword and lift the curse."
He finished draining the reiryoku—dumped every point into Hollow Power.
Now it had passed 900,000—closing on the million mark. Once he broke a million, his hollowfication would transform—maybe enough to turn him fully hollow. He could rend space. Open garganta. Maybe even build a Las Noches of his own in Hueco Mundo—just like Aizen.
(Today's First Update)
[Check Out My P@treon For 20+ Extra Chapters On All My Fanfics!!]
[[email protected]/Draumel]
[Thank You For Your Support!]