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Staring up at the vast, unmoving egg before him, Su Li was overwhelmed by emotion. For forty years, he had watched it grow—inch by inch, layer by layer. Once no bigger than his palm, it had expanded so far and wide that its ends now vanished beyond the edge of his vision, a silent, titanic monument to persistence. He had not simply observed the growth; he had been its caretaker, its fuel, its unwavering witness. The sensation blooming in his chest was difficult to define—pride tinged with melancholy, something close to what a father might feel, watching a daughter mature in silence and solitude.
And yes, in Su Li's mind, it was a daughter. A quiet, reserved egg like this? Definitely a girl.
He stood beneath its looming presence, heart full yet oddly still, taking in the enormity of the moment. He hadn't merely stood by—he had nurtured it with devotion. His method of contribution, oddly sentimental, was through offering his spiritual energy—what he fondly called his "spiritual songs." It had taken him nearly a month after returning from the human world to access his Zanpakutō's inner world again, and when he finally did, he encountered something both strange and moving.
The egg—his Eggy—absorbed his spirit energy like dry earth drinking rain. Every time he entered this world, she would draw out his reiryoku to the last drop. Yet he never once resented it. In fact, out there in the war zones, spirit energy was no longer the core of his combat. He didn't rely on it anymore. Even if she took every last scrap, it had no real consequence to him. On the contrary, he welcomed it, even wished she could consume more. The only regret was that his natural spiritual reserves were so pitiful. No matter how greedy the egg was, she could only draw so much from a shallow well.
That fact bit into him. For the first time, he found himself frustrated with the limits of his own spiritual foundation.
Still, day by day, year by year, drip by patient drip—forty years of silent offering had borne fruit. Eggy had grown into a presence so immense it dominated his world. And Su Li, watching her vast shell glisten under internal starlight, felt a satisfaction deeper than any battle could provide.
"Who says a child can't be raised one grain at a time?" he mused proudly, lips curling into a gentle smile. "Look at our kid. She's enormous."
Chuckling to himself, he began drifting in slow, lazy arcs around the egg's curvature, his usual orbit of quiet affection and rambling monologue. As always, he talked as he flew, filling the silence with whatever came to mind—news, speculation, nonsense. Their version of bonding.
"Hinamori Momo... poor girl. Really fell for Aizen hard, huh? Such a hopeless romantic. That bastard's got her wrapped tighter than KyĹŤka Suigetsu's illusions."
"Oh, and Ichigo... ran into him the other day. That ZanpakutĹŤ? Ridiculous. We're talking XXXL-tier. Absolutely monstrous."
"Sui-Feng though... hmm. I think she might be into me. The Shihouin clan's aristocracy, right? Wonder if the bride price is too high. She's a bit on the small side, but... nah, no. Doesn't feel right. Wouldn't work."
He circled and babbled like a comet in orbit, loquacious in a way he never was in public. Here, in this realm, he could unravel without restraint. And the egg, per usual, offered no response. No matter the topic—weighty or trivial—Eggy remained silent, shell unmoving, a stoic listener to his endless chatter.
Eventually, he slowed to a stop, fatigue tugging at his limbs, and hovered midair before her monolithic form. "When is this girl going to grow a mouth?" he murmured. "At least kick me sometime... Some prenatal feedback would be nice."
He sighed as he stared up at the shell that blotted out half the heavens. But the moment passed quickly. This was routine. Forty years of one-sided conversation had taught him not to expect answers. Shrugging, he began to walk again, preparing to resume his ritual, when suddenly a sharp pain sliced through his leg.
"Hiss...!"
He jerked reflexively, startled by the sensation, then narrowed his eyes in amused curiosity. Had Eggy finally responded? But when he looked down, nothing was there. His brows furrowed. The sting returned, sharper than before, and with it came a surge of force that yanked him backward.
Unlike his first time entering the Zanpakutō's realm, no transition occurred—no shift to white, no slide into black. The world remained unchanged, yet he was being pulled. Rapidly. The egg receded into the distance as if he were being flung from her orbit.
"Eggy!" he called, twisting midair. "Eat properly, sleep on time, and no staying up late! Daddy's waiting for you to grow up!"
His voice, laced with warmth and reluctant affection, echoed into the void. Then the world snapped. Su Li was flung out of the consciousness space like a discarded dream.
He blinked, the real world crashing back in with a dull ache lingering in his thigh. Glancing downward, he found a black cat crouched beside his leg, dazed and crouched like it had just headbutted a boulder. Beside it lay a bloodied fang, snapped cleanly in half.
"...?"
Su Li blinked again. The cat stared up at him with narrowed, watery eyes filled with wounded pride. It was Shihouin Yoruichi.
Blood dribbled from the corner of her feline mouth, and her expression seethed with barely restrained resentment.
"You serious right now?" she hissed. "I've been trying to wake you up for ages!"
Her fur bristled with frustration, tail flicking angrily.
"So biting me was the best strategy?" Su Li asked, voice trembling with barely contained laughter. "What the hell is your body made of?" she snapped. "Adamantine?!"
Still licking her broken fang, Yoruichi growled in frustration. Su Li burst out laughing. After years of closed-door training, his body had become absurdly resilient—even a direct strike from someone like Kaien Shiba wouldn't leave a scratch, let alone a desperate cat bite. But the broken fang meant she hadn't held back.
"Miss Yoruichi," he said with a soft smile, gently picking up the shattered tooth and holding it out to her. "Maybe don't bite so hard next time?"
She batted the tooth aside with a paw, clearly unamused. The fury in her eyes simmered hotter.
She had only meant to rattle him awake, maybe throw in a little embarrassment to remind him not to get too complacent. But instead, the whole plan had blown up in her face—literally—and she was the only one humiliated.
Yoruichi trembled, tail lashing with fury, every instinct screaming to shift forms and punch him straight in the jaw. Su Li, unfazed, raised a finger like a teacher scolding an unruly student. "Now, now. You didn't come all the way here just to chew on me, did you?"
His voice was warm, but unmistakably mocking. She sucked in a breath, forcing herself to stay calm, before narrowing her eyes.
"I came because of the execution."
Su Li nodded slowly, the smile still playing at his lips. Her tail twitched again at the sight of that smug face. "I was training Ichigo to achieve Bankai. The idea was to use him to rescue Rukia..."
"I know," he interrupted gently.
She blinked, brow twitching. "How do you know everything?" But she let it go and continued. "Then Central 46 moved up the execution date. We've got less than ten hours. There's no way Ichigo can finish the training in time."
She hesitated. Her tone shifted, reluctantly soft.
"So..."
"You want my help?" Su Li asked, eyes glinting.
Her voice dropped to a whisper, barely audible. "Yes. I want you to stop the execution."
"You're the only one capable. Or willing."
"And... exposing Aizen's plan is something you want too, isn't it?"
"You promised me once—if things ever spiraled beyond our control, you'd act."
Finally, she met his gaze. The fury was gone. In its place was quiet desperation and trust.
Su Li turned toward the sky, letting the cold light of the Seireitei moon wash over his features.
"Robbing the execution grounds..." he murmured. "That's a capital crime."
Yoruichi said nothing, barely daring to breathe.
Then, slowly, Su Li smiled.
"I'll take the job."
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