After a while.
Looking at the back of Kanbaru leaving with Kurosaki Masaki while carrying Nilu,
Matsumoto Rangiku rubbed her cheeks, her beautiful eyes rolling as she complained bitterly:
"Why did I come to this world?"
A Shinigami, helping a Quincy hide the existence of an Arrancar?
Just look at how chaotic this relationship is.
But it's precisely this chaos that shows how troublesome the whole situation is.
Still—
She is a reasonable person.
Now that she owes a favor, she intends to pay it back.
During the soul burial exercise, although Kanbaru had gone to find his sister, they were saved because of it, weren't they?
And besides, Nilu seems to be very important to Kanbaru.
Plus, Nilu truly isn't one of those murderous Menos Grande.
Given all that, what's there to argue about?
"I'm Matsumoto Rangiku, and this is my fault!"
Matsumoto looked around and waved her fist, full of fighting spirit.
She had that kind of awareness.
Although... if everything comes to light, she might be scolded.
Matsumoto Rangiku couldn't help shrinking her neck as she imagined the expressionless face of Captain Yamamoto.
Probably... she wouldn't be executed, right?
---
Karakura Town, at home.
Nilu sat on top of Kanbaru's head, rubbing her face against his scalp as she whined coquettishly:
"Kanbaru Kanbaru, Nilu is so hungry."
Kanbaru reached up and pulled her down, holding her up high.
Nilu looked at him with an innocent expression.
"You've already eaten quite a lot lately. Still hungry?"
Kanbaru sighed helplessly.
Though he already knew Nilu had a massive appetite, this still felt a little too much.
Nilu's current state was easy to understand.
After all, she was once a Vasto Lorde-class Arrancar—
But had regressed to the Adjuchas level due to serious injuries.
That's why she instinctively devoured food—trying to replenish her Reiatsu and return to her former level.
The issue was, Menos Grande aren't human.
Nilu's "food" was actually spiritual pressure—Reiatsu.
"But Kanbaru, Nilu really is hungry…"
As Kanbaru gently stroked her hair, Nilu showed a look of bliss—she liked this feeling very much.
"Let me think."
While petting Nilu, Kanbaru fell into thought.
Capturing Hollows in large numbers to feed her was unrealistic.
Even though Karakura Town was a high-spiritual density zone, it was still part of the human world—unlike Hueco Mundo, which was swarming with Hollows.
"Still... it's not entirely impossible."
Kanbaru tapped the table lightly with his fingertips, eyes narrowing:
"I almost forgot—there's still Shiro."
A Menos Grande-class top-tier Arrancar.
If she could absorb all that Reiatsu—
Nilu might instantly return to the Vasto Lorde level.
Kanbaru placed his palm atop Nilu's head.
A translucent panel emerged.
---
[To be honest, do you miss Shiro-kun (disdainfully)?]
[Is raising Nilu fun? But she eats so much, your back must hurt, right?]
[Friendly reminder: now is a great time to use our treasure—Suilong Well—no wait, wrong name. Use the Hōgyoku. Since you've entered the Hōgyoku Fusion State, your muscle stats are maxed, and your Reiatsu recovery rate is absurd.]
[While Nilu may not return to full Vasto Lorde class instantly, a few rounds of feeding will do the trick.]
[Good luck with the pregnancy.]
---
Hōgyoku?
Ah, right.
Kanbaru suddenly realized. He held Nilu high again and looked her in the eye:
"Nilu, you should be able to absorb my Reiatsu, right?"
"Eh???"
"Nilu doesn't want to eat Kanbaru's Reiatsu! Absolutely not!"
Nilu turned her head away in protest, dodging Kanbaru's gaze. Her expression screamed "I refuse!"
Nilu would never agree to hurt Kanbaru.
"Don't worry."
"My Reiatsu is insanely high and regenerates fast. Even if you absorb some, it won't hurt me."
Kanbaru lifted Nilu again.
Now that he had entered the Hōgyoku fusion state, his Reiatsu volume and recovery speed were monstrous—practically unlimited.
Even if Nilu were a peak Vasto Lorde, draining Kanbaru dry was out of the question.
"Then… then if Kanbaru feels unwell, Nilu will stop immediately."
Nilu hesitated for a few seconds, then, under Kanbaru's gentle insistence, finally agreed to try.
She opened her mouth—
And a massive suction force erupted.
Kanbaru didn't resist. On the contrary, he actively released vast amounts of Reiatsu, which Nilu swallowed in large waves.
Massive Reiatsu compression triggered an ultra-high energy response.
If released outward, it could easily level a city.
But such terrifying power was directly absorbed and neutralized by Nilu.
"Looks like it works."
Kanbaru smiled as he watched Nilu fall into a deep sleep after consuming so much Reiatsu.
Even though she had absorbed a large quantity, it was nothing compared to the capacity of his current body.
If just the base fusion state gave him this much power—
Then think about Aizen during the Thousand-Year Blood War.
The version that nearly blasted the Soul King Palace into nothingness.
That was the true might of the fully awakened Hōgyoku fusion.
And then—
There's Yhwach, who stood on equal ground with that Aizen.
How terrifying!
---
Bang, bang. Knock on the door.
Kurosaki Masaki stood leaning on the doorframe in her pajamas, eyes full of worry.
"Kanbaru, even if Nilu isn't like other Menos Grande, she's still an Adjuchas-class Arrancar."
"If the clan finds out, there'll be trouble."
The Quincy clan sees all Hollows—including Arrancar—as absolute enemies.
That rule was carved in stone.
So if they learned Kanbaru had taken in one, he could be punished severely.
"Masaki, do you think I care about them?"
Kanbaru softly rubbed Nilu's hair.
The sleeping girl clutched his hand, smiling sweetly in her dreams as she nestled into the familiar scent.
The modern-day Quincy?
They were all messed up.
Some were terrified of Auswählen (the Holy Selection).
Others were obsessed with bloodline purity.
Even Kurosaki Masaki, his sister, was viewed as nothing more than a tool to maintain "pure blood."
A family like that?
Kanbaru could never feel any sense of belonging.
No wonder Ryūken Ishida cut all ties with them.
"But still, if they find out…"
"I'm worried they'll cause trouble for you."
Kurosaki Masaki knelt beside Kanbaru, still uneasy.
She was kind—
But if it came down to choosing between her clan and Kanbaru, she'd stand with Kanbaru without hesitation.
After all—
He had always taken care of her.
"Relax. They're irrelevant to me."
Kanbaru gently ruffled her short orange hair.
Don't even ask.
Yes, he's sleeping with his own sister. Got a problem?
Keep it to yourself!
That group of modern Quincy weren't even worth mentioning.
Their power was too weak. No threat to him.
They find out Nilu's identity and want to make a move?
Let them try.
He'd flatten them.
"It's really a shame I worry about you so much."
"Is this how you repay me?"
"You really are impossible."
Kurosaki Masaki gave Kanbaru an annoyed smack.
Then, remembering something, she crawled forward, leaned closer to Kanbaru, and said in a slow, sultry voice:
"By the way, we've got a new neighbor next door. It's…"
"Wait a second!"
"New neighbor? What happened to the old one?! That young woman?!"
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