Chapter 76: Let Us Fight With All We Have
Beep, beep, beep…
On the way into the Fifth Division's jurisdiction, Takeru's denreishinki began to ring.
He stopped in a patch of forest and checked it in front of Yoruichi.
"…The person has been delivered. Surgery is already underway at the Research Institute. Even if there are pursuers, they will not be able to break through the Mirror Gate laid around the perimeter for a while."
But even with that good news, Yoruichi did not smile. She frowned instead and cut in at once.
"It is too early to relax."
"Do not forget that the mastermind still has not shown themselves."
"The mastermind…"
Takeru murmured, and a strange light flickered in his eyes, something Yoruichi could not quite read.
"Whoever it is, they will not give up the Hogyoku. As long as we head there, we will meet them. That is certain."
"So there is still a brutal fight ahead."
Yoruichi did not refute him. She crossed her arms and leaned against a tree, watching him like a hawk studying prey. Then she spoke, blunt and calm.
"Your spiritual pressure is only about twenty percent of what it was yesterday."
"And your injuries have not had time to recover. Your condition is worse than a Captain who went to the World of the Living under a Limiter."
"If you run into another Captain class enemy, you are almost guaranteed to lose."
"And the mastermind might be stronger than an average Captain. They might even be someone you know very well."
She fixed him with a hard stare.
"Even so, you still want to fight?"
Takeru glanced at her. The look in his eyes almost said it out loud.
"That last line is the real point, is it not?"
Yoruichi's gaze narrowed.
"At this stage, I will not hide it anymore."
"The soul disappearance incident one hundred years ago, I, Kisuke, and several Captain class figures were either killed or forced to flee Soul Society under false charges."
"The main culprit was your teacher, Sosuke Aizen."
"Did you already know?"
Her eyes stayed locked on his face, searching for the slightest change.
Takeru only looked more confused. He even held out a hand, as if asking for clarification.
"What are you talking about?"
Yoruichi's expression tightened. She pushed harder.
"Do you know that Kisuke Urahara's goal is to create a new Soul King and rebuild the three realms?"
"What?!"
Yoruichi's eyes widened.
"No, wait. What is that supposed to be? Where did you even hear such nonsense?"
Takeru did not answer. He simply stared at her with a strange expression.
Yoruichi froze for a beat, then immediately understood what he was doing.
"…I am not joking with you."
"So you need to show evidence first," Takeru said, voice steady and earnest. "Prove it to me, and to everyone, that what you are saying is true. Only then does it make sense to ask whether I know."
Yoruichi's jaw tightened. Frustration flashed across her face.
"…Fine. I misspoke."
Then she took a slow breath and corrected herself.
"Let me ask it this way."
"Assuming your teacher is the mastermind, whose side would you stand on?"
"Assuming?"
Takeru's tone carried a faint edge, but he did not dodge.
"I will not hide it. I will stand on my own side."
"Your own side?"
Yoruichi frowned, genuinely puzzled.
"Our goal right now is to stop the execution," Takeru said. "Anyone who blocks that is an enemy."
"And at the same time, I am a Shinigami. I intend to keep living in Seireitei. I intend to become stronger."
"I want more power so I can change certain rotten things."
"So whoever destroys Seireitei, wipes out Soul Society, or interferes with what I am building, they are my enemy."
Those words were so self centered that if Central 46 heard them, they would label him ambitious, dangerous, and order the Onmitsukido to arrest him on the spot.
Yet Yoruichi's eyes softened instead.
"I can tell you are not lying," she said quietly. "So we will leave it there for now."
"That easy?" Takeru asked, clearly surprised.
Yoruichi suddenly spoke as if changing topics.
"The Shihōin family's ancestors intermarried with the Outcast race."
"What are you talking about?"
Even with Takeru's quick mind, he could not connect it right away.
"It means that including me, the Shihōin bloodline carries a beast transformation trait," Yoruichi said evenly. "The cat transformation technique I created was built on a secret art passed down through that bloodline."
"My habit of sneaking out as a child was also thanks to it."
She paused, then added, almost casually,
"And my intuition is sharp. Especially when it comes to reading people."
"When I was Commander of the Onmitsukido, I could tell at a glance who was off. And I could also tell who was interesting."
"So I can feel the conviction in what you just said."
"Not only now. Also what you said to Suì Fēng earlier."
Takeru raised an eyebrow.
"So that is why you are telling me all this."
"Exactly," Yoruichi said. "Normally I would not share something like this so easily. But now that I am sure you will not become an enemy, there is something you need to hear."
Takeru's gaze sharpened.
"You brought up the Shihōin bloodline, so you want to use it for something. Something connected to the mastermind."
"Clever."
Yoruichi snapped her fingers, approval in her eyes.
"It really is easier talking to someone smart, especially when we do not have time."
"As you said, the mastermind will not keep playing deaf. Another major battle is coming."
"But your state is awful."
"To rush forward like this is suicide, and we do not have time to wait for you to recover."
"So I have a proposal. One that can stabilize you and restore most of your combat power."
"Tell me."
Takeru did not question the Shihōin clan's foundation, but he did not lower his guard either.
And as it turned out, his caution was justified.
"Among the Outcast race, those who fell into the animal realm for the crimes they committed in life, many cruel and bloody secret arts still circulate," Yoruichi said, voice low.
"The cat transformation technique I created was based on a secret art passed down through my family."
"That art was heavily altered by my ancestors, so I cannot say what the original looked like."
"But I can still use it to temporarily lend you my spiritual power."
She met his eyes.
"Through an invisible contract, our hearts will be linked."
"All of my remaining spiritual power will be transferred to you, injected into your body the way Shinigami power can be transferred."
"If it works, you will recover at least eighty percent of your combat power."
Takeru's brow furrowed.
"And the side effects?"
Yoruichi answered without flinching.
"I will be unable to maintain human form for a while."
"I will have no combat power at all."
"In other words, everything will be on your shoulders."
"To break the contract, we would have to do it again the same way we formed it."
"And if you die before that…"
She did not soften the words.
"I permanently lose my spiritual power, and I will never return to human form."
She exhaled slowly.
"The risk is not small. But I still think it is a good deal."
"You are not weaker than I am. And my injuries and stamina are not in good shape either. My spiritual power is the only thing I have left that is still acceptable."
"Instead of two wounded fighters facing a well rested mastermind, it is better to concentrate what we have into one blade."
"It might produce an unexpected result."
"That is why I tested your stance first," she finished, a faint provocation curling into her smile. "And depending on your answer, I decided whether to offer this plan."
Takeru stared at her for a moment, then shook his head.
"What a troublesome effect."
Then his tone shifted, calm and decisive.
"But it is perfect for the current situation."
Yoruichi's smile widened slightly.
"Then we do it."
Takeru did not hesitate.
"Give me your spiritual power."
"And I will fight for you."
Yoruichi's eyes narrowed, as if sealing the weight of it with a single line.
"You are betting your future."
"And my life."
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