Chapter Twenty: The Present World

Chapter Twenty: The Present World

Kisuke Urahara ignored the disdainful looks from the two and casually took a certain black cat from Lolita’s hand. Pointing at the humanoid feline face, he said, “...But let me make one thing clear first—she hasn’t lived here these past few years! Don’t slander me with false facts!”

“Urahara! Where exactly are you pointing that finger?” The black cat being singled out bristled with anger, and the consequences were dire! Urahara’s gesture was promptly met with an unrelenting, furious swipe.

Lolita, watching Urahara pinned beneath the cat’s paw, paused in silence before adopting a knowing expression and asking, “So you’ve already divorced?”

“We never married!” came the simultaneous reply from man and cat, though the sight was a bit odd—after all, a cat standing atop a man’s head saying something in unison was hardly commonplace.

“Then are you separated?” The coffee table mused silently: Can Zanpakutōs enhance one’s cunning nature? I’d like to try it myself.

“We never lived together!” came the simultaneous, emphatic response. Hey! You two are way too worked up! Especially you, Urahara—look, even your black cat was suddenly thrown to the ground!

“Did someone steal your love, leading to a broken relationship and breakup?” Lolita continued to tease as Urahara was slapped against the wall by the furious feline.

“Hey! Don’t say such strange things!” came the dual protests. By the way, Urahara, how is it that your entire body is embedded in the wall yet your face is still free to talk?

“Just kidding...” Lolita concluded, hoping to erase the unpleasant memory from the two who had just had a rough moment.

“I thought you said you hated jokes...” came the simultaneous retort from man and cat.

...

“Alright, since that’s the case, I won’t press you. But Miss Kuchiki... staying in hotels in the living world does cost money,” Kisuke said. As a Shinigami freshly returned from the Hueco Mundo, Lolita couldn’t possibly have funds in the human world. Urahara smiled maliciously, expecting her to come begging. Yet his expectations were destined to be dashed.

“I see. That was my oversight. Then help me exchange this for living world currency...” Lolita said, removing a Star-Aligning Hairpin from her hair and tossing it to Urahara. “This alone could buy ten decent homes in the Soul Society, so it should exchange for enough money here. Also, arrange all my identification documents—I don’t want any trouble. And find the best nearby hotel, preferably one with easy transport access. Oh, and prepare a Gigai and clothes for me as well...”

“...” Holding the hairpin and listening to Lolita’s commanding tone, Urahara suddenly felt the urge to shout, “Damn rich people!” to vent his inner frustration. His shop’s monthly revenue barely reached 50,000 yen.

...

“Ah, I have a Gigai here... and these are the clothes...” Calming himself, Urahara resumed his shrewd merchant demeanor, retrieving a humanoid Gigai from the cabinet along with a set of... Gothic maid attire. Whether intentional or due to some peculiar preference, he produced a Gothic maid outfit.

“Don’t look at me like that. This is the only outfit in the store, and it’s a treasured possession of mine after years of collecting!” he declared. See? He just said it was a treasure, right? You otaku shopkeeper!

“...” Lolita stared at Urahara, who was nervously grinning behind a fan, then turned to the black cat and said, “Breaking up with him was the best decision you ever made in your life...”

“Horrah!” came the joint exclamation.

...

“Now, I’m going to change. Isn’t it time for you to leave?” Lolita picked up the clothes and issued a formal eviction order to the utterly oblivious shopkeeper.

...

“It doesn’t matter. I want to study the changes in your body anyway, so just treat me like air—nonexistent...” Urahara said cheerfully, his eyes gleaming with the kind of anticipation any man would understand in a ballroom.

“Treat you like air... nonexistent, huh...” Lolita raised her hand and brandished the Heaven’s Blaze, aiming it at Urahara. “I’m just going to blast you to ashes, right...?”

In Urahara’s mind: “High-energy reaction ahead! High-energy reaction ahead! Please execute maximum angle evasion immediately!”

“Uh, wait... wait! Got it! I understand, Miss Kuchiki! I’m going out! Right now...”

...

Watching Urahara stumble out, Lolita turned her gaze to the black cat.

“What? I’m a female,” the cat said, licking her paw pads and grooming her whiskers.

“...” Lolita was speechless. She laid down the thinnest elemental barrier in the room, then began putting on the Gigai and the... ‘odd’ outfit.

...

“Hey, where did you get that outfit?” Urahara asked, staring at Lolita dressed in a white tank top, blue denim shorts, and brown leather boots. None of those items were in his shop.

“My spiritual pressure is insufficient. Otherwise, I could make these myself without having to dismantle and reassemble your possessions...” Lolita looked at the stretched fabric over her chest, silently complaining that there wasn’t enough cloth and it was a bit tight. Hey, Urahara, what kind of maid outfit do you have that’s so skimpy on fabric?

“...” Urahara was utterly confused—was this a new form of Kido? Had he been out of touch these past few years?

Taking the money and map from Urahara’s hand, Lolita left the shop and headed toward the nearest luxury hotel.

...

“...” Lolita was utterly exasperated watching the black cat rolling around on the bed she had just booked.

“Hey! What are you doing here, cat demon? Why aren’t you seeking comfort from your little Urahara?” Lolita asked, annoyed at the cat for hogging her bed.

“What do you mean ‘seeking comfort from my little Urahara’? Make yourself clear! Nothing ever happened between us!” The cat instantly puffed up, all her fur standing on end.

“...” Ignoring the bristling cat, Lolita walked past her, opened the refrigerator, grabbed a bottle of Sprite, and drank it on the sofa. Then she picked up the remote and turned on the TV.

“Don’t ignore me!” The cat, still puffed up, yelled after about thirty seconds.

“...”

“Boring...” Seeing no response, the cat reluctantly licked her paw and moved to the snack cabinet.

...

“Meow, help me open this dried fish...” The cat padded over, took out a packet of dried fish from the snack cabinet, placed it in front of Lolita, and said.

“Open it yourself!” Lolita coldly snapped, tossing the remote and the clothes recently purchased from the hotel staff onto the bed, then heading toward the adjacent bathroom.

“Tch, stingy!” The cat muttered under her breath, clawed a slit in the packaging, pressed the remote’s button, and lazily began to enjoy the snack. Hearing the water running in the bathroom, she bit the dried fish and glanced at the TV. “I know about Kaiun’s situation...”

“...” In the bathroom, Lolita’s hand paused on the faucet knob before calmly getting up and slowly shedding her clothes, her voice even and detached: “Is that so...”

Swallowing the fish, the cat’s eyes revealed a faint sigh despite her gaze fixed on the screen. “When he died... what expression did he have? Sadness, pain... or a smile...”

“...” Lying back in the warm bath, feeling the shower on her face and recalling that night, Lolita fell silent.

“Well, I guess I can imagine—it was a smile, wasn’t it? That fool...”

“...”

Still silent in the bathroom, the cat on the bed flicked her tail slowly while flipping through TV channels. “I’m not blaming you. After learning the situation, I know you had no choice back then. But at the very least, you should apologize to his family. Soratsuru... she’s been waiting all these years...”

“Have you been in contact all these years?”

“...” Hearing the question from the bathroom, the cat sighed. “Yeah, we sometimes keep in touch. Can we not change the subject? Find a chance to apologize. I don’t think Kaiun would want to see you like this...”

“...” Turning off the shower, rubbing shampoo through her hair, the wet silver strands and white foam obscured Lolita’s eyes. “I’ve already avenged him, but there’s still one mastermind left...”

The cat shifted position on the bed and sighed softly, changing the subject. “The expedition force... That brat Soifon went with you too, right?”

“... Yeah, we were together...” Lolita responded. Hearing water pouring in the bathroom, the cat relaxed slightly. But Lolita’s next words made her frown. “Along with the Third Division Captain Gin Ichimaru, Fifth Division Captain Sōsuke Aizen, Ninth Division Captain Kaname Tōsen, and my brother—we, along with several lieutenants, participated together...”

Aizen, huh... Hearing the name, the root of all events, the cat called toward the bathroom: “Hey, kid... what do you think of Sōsuke Aizen?”

“Sōsuke Aizen...” Lolita paused slightly, still scrubbing with the washcloth but didn’t stop speaking. “He had a gentle temperament, cared for his subordinates, and was well-liked in the Seireitei...”

The cat in the bedroom detected subtle meaning in the formulaic answer and turned her head. “Sounds like you hold him in high regard...”

“...” Rinsing the foam from her body, grabbing a towel to dry off, Lolita murmured, “He is... whether as an enemy or an opponent.”