Something strange was happening in Kenpachi's inner world.
Nozarashi stood at the center of the eternal battlefield, staring down at herself with a mixture of confusion and irritation. Her shihakusho—already torn and battle-worn as befitting her nature—seemed considerably tighter than it had been a month ago.
This is ridiculous, she thought, adjusting the fabric that strained across her chest. I'm a zanpakuto spirit. I don't HAVE a physical form. So why am I...
She didn't finish the thought. She knew why.
It was HER. That blue-skinned interloper who kept pressing herself against Kenpachi every chance she got. Every time Vados "accidentally" brushed against him, every time she leaned in too close during their training sessions, every time her enhanced figure made contact with his body...
Nozarashi's spiritual form responded. Growing. Expanding. As if trying to compete with a rival she couldn't physically confront.
If she thinks she can out-feminine ME, Nozarashi seethed, she's got another thing coming.
The battlefield around her trembled with her agitation.
Meanwhile, in the physical world...
"Your stance is slightly off."
Vados's voice came from directly behind Kenpachi—FAR too directly, her substantial chest pressing firmly against his back as she reached around to adjust his grip on Nozarashi's sealed form.
"See?" she continued, her breath warm against his ear. "If you angle the blade like THIS, you'll generate more rotational force."
"Huh." Kenpachi adjusted his grip as instructed, completely failing to notice the way Vados lingered against him. "That does feel better."
"I'm so glad." She didn't move away. "Physical instruction is often more effective than verbal explanation, don't you think?"
"Makes sense."
"Then perhaps we should continue with more... hands-on training."
"Sure."
Vados's smile widened. Her body had continued its transformation over the past weeks—her curves now rivaling some of the most generously proportioned mortals she had ever observed. The changes should have been impossible for an angel, but her obsession seemed to be rewriting the very nature of her existence.
And she had discovered that Kenpachi responded to physical proximity, even if he didn't consciously register it. His heart rate increased slightly when she pressed against him. His muscles tensed in ways that suggested awareness on some primal level.
He just didn't UNDERSTAND what it meant.
That's alright, she thought, finally stepping back to observe his adjusted stance. Understanding can come later. For now, proximity is enough.
Inside Kenpachi's inner world, Nozarashi was having a meltdown.
"SHE'S TOUCHING HIM AGAIN!"
The battlefield erupted with spiritual energy as the zanpakuto spirit raged. She could feel everything Kenpachi felt—every brush of contact, every moment of closeness. And right now, she was feeling Vados's considerable assets pressed against her wielder's back.
"That HARLOT! That SHAMELESS DIVINE TROLLOP!"
She manifested a sword—a reflection of herself within herself—and began slashing at imaginary enemies, each one wearing Vados's serene smile.
"I'll KILL her! I'll cut her into so many pieces that even angelic regeneration won't save her!"
Slash. Slash. SLASH.
"He's MINE! We've been together for CENTURIES! Who does she think she is, showing up with her stupid staff and her stupid smile and her stupid GROWING CHEST—"
She paused, looking down at her own enhanced figure.
"NOT THAT MINE ISN'T GROWING TOO! I can be just as... as VOLUPTUOUS as any angel!"
The battlefield trembled with her fury.
"Just wait until he enters this world again. I'll show him EXACTLY what he should be paying attention to. And it's NOT some blue-skinned INTERLOPER!"
Back in the physical world, training continued...
Kenpachi moved through a series of attacks, his form sharp and precise after months of intensive practice. Vados observed from nearby—though "nearby" had become "within arm's reach" and sometimes "pressed directly against him" over the past weeks.
"Excellent," she praised, her voice warm with genuine admiration. "Your control has improved dramatically."
"Still can't touch you without going Bankai."
"True. But the gap is narrowing." Vados drifted closer, her staff vanishing as she reached out to touch his arm. "Your muscles are developing fascinating new energy channels. May I examine them more closely?"
"If it helps training, sure."
Vados's examination involved considerably more contact than was strictly necessary. Her hands traced along his arms, across his shoulders, down his scarred back. She catalogued every inch of him with the dedication of a scholar and the hunger of something far less academic.
Kenpachi stood patiently, his mind on the energy channels she had mentioned.
"Interesting," Vados murmured, her fingers lingering on his spine. "You've developed secondary pathways for your spiritual pressure. Most unusual."
"Is that good?"
"Very good. It means you can sustain higher output for longer periods." Her hands moved lower. "I should examine the rest of your musculature as well. For... thoroughness."
"Makes sense."
From within Kenpachi's soul, Nozarashi's scream of rage echoed through dimensions.
Capsule Corporation, later that day...
"Something's wrong with that angel."
Vegeta's declaration came during dinner, delivered with his characteristic lack of tact. The assembled Z Fighters looked up from their meals—Goku with curiosity, Piccolo with knowing resignation, and Kenpachi with complete disinterest.
"What do you mean?" Goku asked.
"I MEAN she's all over him constantly!" Vegeta gestured aggressively at Kenpachi. "Every time I see them training, she's touching him, pressing against him, finding excuses to make physical contact. It's OBVIOUS what she's doing!"
"What's she doing?" Kenpachi asked, genuinely confused.
"SHE'S—" Vegeta stopped, his eye twitching. "You really don't know, do you?"
"Know what?"
"That she's... that she WANTS..." The Prince of All Saiyans struggled with concepts he had never expected to explain. "She has DESIGNS on you!"
"Designs?"
"ROMANTIC designs!"
Kenpachi blinked slowly. "The angel wants to fight me romantically?"
"THAT'S NOT WHAT ROMANTIC MEANS!"
Goku scratched his head. "I think Vegeta's trying to say that Vados likes you. You know, LIKES you likes you."
"She likes me?" Kenpachi considered this. "I guess we do get along. She gives good training advice."
"NOT LIKE THAT!" Vegeta looked ready to tear his own hair out. "She wants to... to BE with you! In a... a RELATIONSHIP way!"
"What, like sparring partners? We already are sparring partners."
Piccolo sighed heavily. "He's not going to understand, Vegeta. His brain doesn't process these concepts."
"HOW CAN HE NOT UNDERSTAND?! She's LITERALLY pressing her chest against him every chance she gets!"
"Is that what that is?" Kenpachi shrugged. "Thought it was a balance thing. She's gotten bigger lately—maybe she needs support."
The table fell silent.
Vegeta's eye was twitching so violently it looked like it might detach.
"I'm going to train," he announced, standing abruptly. "Alone. In the gravity chamber. Where people make SENSE."
He stalked off, leaving the others in various states of amusement and exasperation.
"He seems upset," Kenpachi observed.
"He's fine," Goku assured him. "Vegeta's always like that."
That night, in Kenpachi's inner world...
"We need to talk. NOW."
Kenpachi found himself face to face with Nozarashi the moment he entered. She stood with her arms crossed, her enhanced figure straining against her battle-torn shihakusho, her expression thunderous.
"What's up?"
"What's UP?!" She advanced on him, poking his chest with one finger. "That angel spent THREE HOURS today with her hands all over you! Her CHEST pressed against your back! Her BREATH on your neck! And you just STOOD there!"
"She was examining my energy channels."
"SHE WAS SEDUCING YOU!"
Kenpachi's expression remained blank. "Seducing?"
Nozarashi stared at him.
"You really don't know what that word means, do you?"
"It means... trying to get me to do something?"
"YES! Trying to get you to BE with her! To CHOOSE her! To..." Nozarashi struggled for words that would penetrate his skull. "To make you HERS!"
"But I'm already yours," Kenpachi said, as if stating the obvious. "You're my zanpakuto. We're partners."
Something in Nozarashi's expression shifted.
"Say that again."
"What? That we're partners?"
"The other part."
"That I'm yours?" Kenpachi shrugged. "Of course I am. Been that way for centuries."
Nozarashi was very quiet for a very long moment.
Then she threw herself at him.
The embrace was crushing—her enhanced figure pressing against him with desperate intensity, her arms wrapping around him like she was afraid he might disappear.
"You're damn right you're mine," she growled into his chest. "And no blue-skinned HUSSY is going to change that."
"Okay?"
"Say it again."
"Say what?"
"That you're mine. SAY IT."
"I'm yours, Nozarashi. Thought that was obvious."
Her grip tightened impossibly.
"Good. Remember that. And next time that angel puts her hands on you, remember WHO you belong to."
"Sure."
She pulled back slightly, her golden eyes boring into his. "I mean it, Kenpachi. You're MINE. Not hers. Not anyone else's. MINE."
"Got it."
"Good."
She kissed him.
It wasn't a gentle kiss—it was fierce, possessive, claiming. The manifestation of centuries of partnership channeled into a single moment of absolute ownership.
Kenpachi's mind, predictably, interpreted this as some kind of combat technique.
Interesting, he thought. Is this a way to transfer spiritual energy?
Nozarashi pulled back, her expression satisfied.
"Now get out there and train. But remember—every time she touches you, I'LL KNOW. And we'll be having WORDS about it."
"Right."
Kenpachi left his inner world with a vague sense that something important had happened.
He couldn't quite figure out what.
The next morning, Capsule Corporation...
The arrival was heralded by a massive surge of divine energy.
Whis descended from the sky, his expression unusually serious. Beside him—or rather, slightly behind him in a way that suggested she had been forcibly brought along—was Vados.
"Good morning, everyone," Whis said, landing lightly on the Capsule Corporation lawn. "I'm afraid I have some important news."
The Z Fighters gathered quickly—Goku bouncing with excitement, Vegeta scowling with anticipation, Piccolo watching with calculating eyes. Kenpachi stood slightly apart, his attention caught by the tension between the two angels.
"What kind of news?" Goku asked.
"The kind that involves combat." Whis's smile returned slightly. "Lord Beerus and Lord Champa have agreed to a tournament. Five warriors from Universe 7 against five from Universe 6, competing to determine which universe produces the superior fighters."
Goku's excitement level reached critical mass. "A TOURNAMENT?! Against fighters from another universe?!"
"Indeed. The stakes are considerable—the losing universe must surrender their Earth to the winners."
"Wait, surrender Earth?" Bulma pushed forward, her expression alarmed. "What do you mean surrender Earth?!"
"Universe 6 doesn't have an Earth anymore," Vados explained, her voice serene despite her earlier tension with Whis. "Lord Champa is quite eager to acquire one. The food, you see."
"So if we lose, we lose our PLANET?!"
"Essentially, yes." Whis didn't seem particularly concerned. "But I have faith in our warriors. Speaking of which—we'll need to select our five champions."
"I'm in!" Goku's hand shot up.
"Obviously," Vegeta growled. "As am I."
"Count me in as well," Piccolo added.
"Gohan should compete," Goku suggested. "He's been training again—he'd do great!"
"That's four," Whis noted. "We need one more."
Every eye turned to Kenpachi.
The massive Shinigami felt the attention and raised an eyebrow. "What?"
"Would you be interested in representing Universe 7?" Whis asked. "Your unique abilities might prove quite advantageous."
"You're asking if I want to fight strong opponents from another universe?"
"Yes."
"And there are no restrictions on how I fight?"
"Within reason, no."
Kenpachi's grin spread across his scarred face. "Yeah. I'm in."
"Excellent." Whis clapped his hands together. "Then we have our team. The tournament will be held in two weeks—plenty of time for preparation."
"Two weeks?" Goku was already bouncing again. "That's barely any time! We need to train! Vegeta, let's spar!"
"For once, Kakarot, I agree with you."
The two Saiyans rocketed off toward a suitably empty area, their rivalry temporarily channeled into productive preparation.
Piccolo departed to meditate on strategy.
Which left Kenpachi standing with the two angels.
"Well," Vados said, drifting closer to him in a way that made Whis's expression tighten, "it seems we'll be on opposite sides of this tournament."
"Looks like it."
"How unfortunate." She didn't sound unfortunate at all. "I'll be training Universe 6's warriors. We should make the most of our remaining time together."
"Training sounds good."
"Vados," Whis interrupted, "we should return. Lord Champa will want to discuss strategy."
"In a moment, brother." Vados's attention remained fixed on Kenpachi. "I simply wanted to say—regardless of which universe wins, I hope we can continue our... association."
"Sure. You're good at fighting."
"Among other things." She leaned in, her enhanced figure brushing against him. "I'll be watching your matches very closely."
"Okay."
Whis's staff tapped against the ground with unusual force. "Vados. NOW."
For a moment, something flickered in Vados's expression—something dark and possessive and utterly unlike an angel. But it passed quickly, replaced by her serene smile.
"Until the tournament, Kenpachi."
She vanished with Whis, leaving Kenpachi alone in the courtyard.
That was weird, Nozarashi's voice echoed in his mind. She's getting worse.
Is she? Kenpachi genuinely couldn't tell. Seemed normal to me.
Normal?! She was practically CLIMBING you!
Was she?
Nozarashi's sigh was audible across dimensions.
You're hopeless.
Probably. But there's a tournament coming.
...Yes. There is. Her voice shifted, becoming eager. Five opponents from another universe. New techniques, new powers, new ways to push ourselves.
Exactly.
We should train.
My thoughts exactly.
For a moment, the shared anticipation of coming battles pushed aside all other concerns. Jealousy, obsession, the complicated web of divine attraction—none of it mattered.
What mattered was the fight.
What ALWAYS mattered was the fight.
In Universe 6, Lord Champa's palace...
"So the tournament is set," Champa declared, lounging on his oversized throne. "Five of my warriors against five of Beerus's. Winner takes the other's Earth."
"That is correct, my lord," Vados confirmed, standing at attention nearby.
"And you've been training that strange swordsman for months. Is he going to be a problem?"
Vados's expression remained perfectly neutral. "Kenpachi Zaraki is formidable. Possibly the strongest mortal I've ever encountered."
"Stronger than Hit?"
"Different." Vados considered her words carefully. "Hit is precise, efficient, lethal. Kenpachi is... overwhelming. A force of nature given form."
"Hmm." Champa scratched his rotund belly. "Think we can beat him?"
"I believe our warriors have a chance." But if he loses, I'll be there to console him. And if he wins, I'll be there to celebrate with him. Either way... "Regardless of outcome, I'm confident the tournament will be... memorable."
Champa grunted, apparently satisfied.
Vados returned to her private quarters, where images of Kenpachi still surrounded every surface.
Two weeks.
Two weeks until she could see him again.
Two weeks until the tournament brought them together, one way or another.
She could wait.
She had waited billions of years for something worth wanting.
Two weeks was nothing.
In Kenpachi's inner world, Nozarashi was also making preparations.
"Two weeks," she murmured, surrounded by the evidence of her possessive rage. "Two weeks until that tournament. Two weeks for HER to scheme and plot and find ways to put her hands on him."
She manifested her blade, the edge gleaming with spiritual malice.
"But after that... after the tournament..."
Her smile was not pleasant.
"Things are going to change."
End of Chapter 10
Next Chapter: "The Tournament Begins—Universe 6 vs. Universe 7!"