Chapter 2: Early Complications

Amelia was brought back from her sleep by the knocking on her door. It was light enough to not fully annoy her, but insistent enough for her to know whoever was on the other side wanted to speak with her. Slowly lifting herself up, as to take a seat on her bed, she held back the wish to yell out "What!?". Instead focusing on reaching out for the robe at the edge of the bed.

Placing the robe on in order to cover her body, Amelia got out of bed, and slowly made her way to the door. Using one hand to rub her forehead, she felt like her body was broken into a million pieces from how tired she was. Opening the door, she was meet by one of the Inn's maids. This one looked especially young, and rather worried. Perhaps because she knew she was bothering a customer at a time that said customer might be asleep.

"M-My a-apologies, Miss Aigner. I-I was sent here with a message from y-your driver." The maid announced.

"He wanted to inform you that the man is back in the carriage."

Amelia held back a genuine surprised reaction. It wasn't like she didn't expect Aizen to go back with them, but she had thought he would take a subtler approach, and not show up in front of the driver as suddenly as he vanished.

"M-Miss Aigner, i-is there something wrong? T-This man, is he someone who may have ill intentions towards you?" The maid asked.

"No. It's nothing of the sort, but thank you for delivering his message to me." Amelia remarked.

"T-Thank you, m-my lady. I-I apologize for the disturbance." Taking a deep bow, the maid walked away.

Closing the door behind her, Amelia allowed her robe to slide down her back and drop onto the floor. She proceeded to make her way to her bags in order to get some clothes for the rest of the trip. It didn't take much time for her to get fully dressed. Leaving the Inn, she wasn't surprised when she didn't see the two older men in the lobby. After all, they weren't as practical as she was. Not wishing to wait for them, she didn't even wait for someone to come and get her things, instead carrying the bags by herself. She then made her way to where the carriages were being kept.

As she approached the building, she saw the driver was already moving it towards the front of the Inn. Walking towards the transport, the driver went to help her as soon as he saw her approach. The help she took since her interests were somewhere else.

"Where is he?" Amelia asked.

"I-I'm not sure my lady, but he vanished once again."

She then let out a frustrated growl, all the while looking around, even if she was certain that it wouldn't do her any good. The only thing she could do now was wait for the old men to show up, watch as the driver prepared the carriage for the ride back home, and curse the fact she could have stayed in bed for a little while longer but didn't.

The two other passengers showed up some time later, followed by servants who were carrying their bags. The look on their faces told Amelia they were ignorant of the news she got. Actually, she wanted to see how they would react.

"Morning." She greeted, only giving them an acknowledging look as they approached.

"Morning." A newly arrived male voice said from Amelia's right.

All eyes turned to the source of the sound. There stood the man, the stranger they had picked up in the village. He was wearing clothes normally worn by servants, that were visibly worn out from years of use. However, such cheap looking clothing in no way dampened his eye-catching looks. His hair was swept back, with a single strand hanging off from it, and his gentle smile that seemed to be both inviting and imposing. Above all that were his eyes. His piercing gaze that seemed to carry in them all the knowledge of the world, if not the knowledge from beyond it. Truly, he was a man with a distinct look to him.

"So, you've finally decided to show up, Aizen." Amelia remarked, calmly fixing her own hair.

"T-That's him! H-How's this possible!?" One of the old men gasped, noting the regrown arm and the rejuvenated appearance of the man.

"Is the carriage ready?" Amelia asked, looking at the driver.

"Y-Yes ma'am!"

"Good. Let's move out. I want to get back home as soon as possible."

The old men entered the carriage first, and by this time the driver had also taken his place at the head of the carriage. Amelia went to enter, but stopped looking back at Aizen as she motioned for him to enter.

"You can't be serious!" One of the older gentlemen protested.

"We have already done enough for him! Thanks to him we have wasted precious merchandize. Surely there is no reason to bring him along with us." The other added,

"I don't remember discussing this with any of you. He's coming with us. That much has already been decided." Amelia growled back.

"W-What will your father think when he sees you return home with some nobody?"

Aizen said nothing as he took his seat in the carriage. Sitting in front of the two men, he leaned back before speaking.

"I ask only to be given a chance, before having any kind of judgment being passed down upon me. It is understandable that you see me as a burden. However, as I have already discussed with Lady Amelia, I will render payment for the trouble I have cause all of you." He pointed out.

"When did this take place?"

"What arrangement did you make?"

"There is no need for you to concern yourselves with it." Amelia pointed out, getting into the carriage, and closing the door.

"Your father…" One of the men began to say, just to be cut off by her.

"Will naturally know about this. I cannot bring this man back with me, and have him be of use to us, without his acceptance."

No matter how much power she actually held, or what she said about her father, the truth was that for this to go smoothly she needed her father's approval. Looking at Aizen, who currently seemed to be looking out of the window, she could only hope he was as good talker as she believed him to be. If not then getting on her father's good side would not be easy.

During the trip, Aizen managed to get his hands on some papers. While the old men didn't seem to be too pleased with the idea, they ended up doing nothing, since Amelia didn't bother to say anything herself. It was because she seemed to be interested in what he would say upon reading them.

As he slowly looked through the papers Amelia watched him, all the while trying to make it look as if she wasn't staring at him as much as she was. It looked like Aizen was greatly interested in the papers, that being what came to her mind given the fact he was taking so much time to look over them. Either that or he was just a slow reader.

Finally, it looked like he had finished reading them. Placing the papers back in their original order, Aizen put them back in the compartment he had found them.

"So?" Amelia asked.

"It is fascinating. I can understand you perfectly, even when I'm certain you do not speak the same language I do. Yet, I could not understand a single thing on those papers."

"I-I guess that is to be expected. In this world, the fact that we understand each other, even if our lips move differently, is something as natural as the wind. However, it does not work on writing, which means I will need to have someone teach you."

"There is no need to bother anyone with this. Give me some time, and some books, and the result will be the same." Aizen calmly remarked.

Amelia raised an unconvinced eyebrow at him. Once more she could not deny he transmitted only confidence in his words. Still, it was hard to believe he could learn a language by himself, without any help.

"Fine. I'll get you your books." Amelia smirked, directing her attention to the window.

They were now on a dirt road, flanked by forest on both sides, and a slight depression on the right side. The driver kept his eyes on the road, even if sometimes he let out some audible yawns. Looking back, perhaps it hadn't been the best of ideas, but at that moment the idea of spending some time speaking with other servants wasn't all that bad. The problem was that he had spent a good portion of the night doing so.

Luckily for him, he knew this path rather well. So, he didn't need to pay that much attention to the road, unless something unexpected happened. Outside of that he could pretty much make this trip in his sleep.

As he continued going down the path, his eyes fell upon shapes forming on the horizon, which revealed themselves to be 3 men, wearing armor composed of pieces of different origins. All of them were carrying bows.

"Stop! Or we will shoot!" The man in the middle roared, as the other two took aim at the carriage.

One would think that in a similar situation, a driver would do as he was told, since he would fear for his life, and those he was carrying with him. In addition, he had no way of protecting himself from arrows, and there were no fighters among their group. However, in this case the driver decided to press on forward, under the belief that when faced with the incoming carriage, the attackers would throw themselves out of the way.

"I said stop!" The man reinforced.

The driver did not obey, but instead hardened his resolve and continued making his way through the path, confident the men would get out of the way. Unfortunately for him, they didn't move, and with a simple gesture from the leader of the trio, the other two opened fire sending to arrows in his direction. One of the arrows hit the horse that was to the driver's right, while the other hit the driver himself killing him almost instantly. The objective of the trio was to forcefully make him stop. The fact their attack had made the carriage move more to the right, was not what they wanted.

Given the fact an arrow injured one of the horses, causing the animal to move to the right, and with it the rest of the carriage. Combined with the depression in the terrain, led to the vehicle going off of the road. Before their very eyes, they saw the carriage fall on its side and slide down the small hill. Then it violently hit the trees, leading to some larger and thicker branches, imbedding themselves into its roof, before finally stopping.

The trio looked down at the carnage. When they heard sounds coming from the forest behind them, this sent a chill down their backs as they knew exactly who it was. Slowly turning around, they were met with the rest of their team, the people who had entrusted them with such a simple task as the stopping of the carriage. There were 10 people, all wearing similar armor to theirs, making it a team of 13 individuals. Their attention was more directed to the trio that stood in the middle of the 10-person group. This trio were the leaders of their squad, and the people that would likely kill them for their failures.

The one to their left was a skinny, pale man with long raven colored hair, light blue eyes, and a disturbing grin. His name was Farold. To their right was a mountain of a man, who was heavily muscled, bald, and had tanned skin. His eyes were dark brown, and he wore a demon inspired mask. His name was Lobohn. In the center was the leader of the team, who also had slightly tanned skin. Most of his exposed torso showed only scars. His head was bald outside of his black pony tail, his right eye was blue, while his left eye was brown. Hanging from his belt was a katana, a trophy from a previous fight, and a symbol of his status as a fighter. His name was Halvar.

"I said we shouldn't have left such a 'complicated' task in the hands of these weaklings." Farold remarked with a chuckle.

"They have yet to fail their task. As long as the target is alive that is." Halvar calmly remarked staring down the trio.

"We will get her right away, sir!" The three men announced, rushing in the direction of the carriage.

"Look at them go." Farold mumbled.

Arriving near the carriage, the leader of the trio motioned the other two to go and open the door, while he would reach inside to search and take the target. The two men obeyed, and as soon as the door was opened he looked inside the carriage. As soon as he did, he came face to face with the target, but not in the capacity that he expected. A blade went through his neck as Amelia thrust it into him. A gurgled cry echoed through the air, as the men fell backwards onto the ground.

"That was unexpected." Farold pointed out as he and the rest of the team watched the scene unfold.

The surprises didn't end there. As the other two also looked inside the carriage, their faces seemed to explode in a gory display of blood, as if sliced by some unseen blade. This happened just as a blur had erupted from the carriage, followed by the sound of something landing behind them. The 10 remaining men turned around. Now standing in front of them was a rather pleasant looking man, dressed in old clothing, and carrying in his hand a katana, something which made many immediately raise their guard. Halvar, was rather surprised at the turn of events, and angered by them. They were told that there would be no fighter with them, yet before them stood a very capable fighter, who seemed to be a skilled [Martial Arts] user.

"He's rather cute, isn't he?" Farold remarked, looking around for someone to back up his observations.

"Go and get the woman. We will deal with him." Halvar ordered.

Everyone, except for Farold and Lobohn, turned their attention to the carriage. Then something not even their leader could have expected happened. A translucent orange rectangle formed around the carriage, blocking any access to it.

"A magic caster?" Halvar mumbled, his gaze still on Aizen.

"Wielding a katana? Not really a magic caster's style." Farold said.

"Doesn't matter. He dies like the rest." Lobohn said, to which Farold nodded approvingly.

"Sir, what should we do about the barrier?" One of the others asked.

"Nothing. If he did create it, it should go down once he is dead. If he didn't create it, Lobohn should be more than enough to get pass it. Now, let's focus on the enemy currently standing before us." Halvar answered.

"Before we get started, I would like to know the reason for this attack." Aizen announced.

"I guess telling you wouldn't hurt…" Farold began, but his superior raised his right hand to silence him.

"Beat us, and we shall tell you want you want to know."

Aizen kept his slight smile. It was obvious the situation would only go one way. If he truly wanted it Aizen was certain he could have it have a different turn, but at the moment he was rather looking forward to a fight. After all, it was what he needed to further test his body. During the night he had done exercises with it which had lead him further into the theory of it having been altered to match a human's nature. This being what he believed was causing his current weakness, something he was certain would soon pass, and the differences in how he perceived certain things. Being faced with so many opponents, he saw the perfect opportunity to measure this world's level of strength, and test this altered body of his.

"Very well." Aizen said, keeping his composed look.

"I will be your opponent!" Farold announced, taking an eager step forward.

"When was that decided?" Lobohn growled.

"It was decided the moment I saw this cutie in front of me. I mean, just look at his face. Doesn't it just make you want to cut it off?!" The pale man said, his lips curling into a twisted and perverse grin.

"I-I understand." The tall man said.

"Get ready pretty boy. Because this will be your last dance." Farold announced, drawing two daggers.

Aizen gave him a small nod, telling him to begin, which his opponent eagerly accepted lunging straight at him, with speed superior to a normal human. This didn't mean much in the eyes of the Shinigami when it came to the fight itself, but it did give him information on this world's warriors. Seeing Farold get closer to him, Aizen lifted his left arm taking aim with his index and middle fingers, before saying, "Bakudō #1. Sai.", which resulted in Farold's arms being forced behind his back. Being taken by surprise by the sudden motion that bound his arms, Farold found himself going face first into the ground.

"Knowing one's enemy is an important part of battle. Charging head first into an enemy, is a privilege held only to amateurs. Now, would you like to reconsider your strategy?" Aizen asked, keeping his eyes on Halvar.

"Y-You b-bastard… I don't know what kind of magic you're are using, but I will not be made a fool of!"

"I will fight him." Lobohn announced, approaching them.

"What are you saying!? I have yet…" Farold tried to argue back, but Halvar spoke over him.

"You can't fight without your arms. Step aside."

"Fine." Farold growled, walking back to his superior's side.

Aizen looked up at the titan of a man that was Lobohn. He certainly looked intimidating, but he knew very well that looks didn't always transmit one's true self. He himself was a good example of that.

"I was hoping you would have killed Farold." He said.

"You bastard!" The pale man shouted back.

"Then I would have been able to eat the both of you."

Lobohn was in fact a cannibal, whose only reason for not killing anyone of the group was because of Halvar. If it wasn't for that he would have killed them long ago. It was a fact none of them could stop him. He was just too strong, as his bare hands were more than enough to break a man with no effort.

"You seem to be confident in your strength. What other reason would you have for approaching me without the fear of having the same thing that happened to your comrade happen to you?" Aizen remarked.

"I am stronger than he is. No petty tricks can bound me."

"Then do show me that great power of yours."

Lobohn unleashed an animalistic growl as he brought his right fist down on his prey. The echo of a crash filled the forest as the fist made contact with its target, or to be more specific with his target's left hand. To everyone's shock, and some's horror, Aizen had stopped one of Lobohn's massive fists with nothing but his left hand, and showed no signs of stress as he did so.

"It seems we have a different understanding of what the word 'power' means…"

Aizen paused before pushing the fist away, and clenching his left hand into a fist of his own. Having already tested his Kidō, he decided to test his Hakuda. Of course, he would be holding back. With lightning fast speed Aizen went for a punch, a technique called Ikkotsu, which as soon as it made contact with the tian sent him flying in a gory display. Aizen noted that perhaps he had put too much power into his attack.

"I-Impossible…" Farold mumbled, doing his best not to let his jaw drop.

"Sir, should we retreat?" One of the men asked.

"Perhaps if we all attack together?" Another suggested.

"Stand back Farold. I will fight him. Whatever happens next, I will leave our next step in your hands." Halvar said, calmly walking up towards Aizen as he drew his katana.

"You can't be serious, Halvar!? Now is not the time for this!"

"Enough. Do as you are told."

Halvar stopped in front of Aizen, at the appropriate distance for a duel. It's something he hadn't done in sometime, since he hadn't found a worthy opponent. Of course, he knew that if got enough attention, one day a worthy opponent would find him, but that was not important now. Now he had to worry about the opponent in front of him.

"I believe that in a battle, a true battle, opponents should trade names. So that the loser will know who killed him." Halvar informed.

"My name is Aizen. Sōsuke Aizen."

"Halvar. Halvar Gilric."

The Shinigami took his stance and so did the human. They circled each other for a moment measuring each other out before Halvar went on the offensive. His strategy was simple, as he didn't know if this man was a magic caster or [Martial Arts] user. For all he knew this man could be both, so he would act as fast as he could, not giving Aizen the opening he needed to act.

They traded several sword clashes, until Halvar used [Ability Boost] to deliver an upwards slash across his opponent's chest, leaving a shallow slash on it. It wasn't much, but it was a start. Aizen quickly threw himself back. His left hand went to the cut on his upper body, with his fingers being stained by the blood. This had caught Halvar's attention.

"You looked surprised, Aizen. In battle it's normal to draw blood and have blood drawn. This body of mine is living proof of that." Halvar said, motioning to his scarred covered torso.

"Perhaps. Or is that the excuse you came up with to cover up your own flaws?"

"We shall see, won't we?"

Halvar went on the offensive once again. He went for a downwards slash which Aizen dodged to the left, followed by bringing his own blade down on the man, who blocked the attack while using [Fortress]. Taking the full strength of the blow, Halvar went back to [Ability Boost] to transition into a spinning attack trying to slash at Aizen's torso. Much to his surprise he vanished, just to reappear several feet away from him.

"You seem to be able to briefly augment your strength and speed. However, that was not what happened when you blocked my last attack was it?"

"Are you not familiar with [Martial Arts]?" Halvar asked.

"I am not." Aizen replied.

"I see. Very well, what you experienced so far was [Ability Boost], which momentarily increases one's power. The other was [Fortress], which can be used to block and absorb attacks." Halvar informed.

"I take it that there are more of them, and that they are not unique to you?"

"Indeed. One could say they're a warrior's answer to the spells of magic casters."

"Fascinating. What other [Martial Arts] can you show me?" Aizen asked, taking his stance once more.

"Then I will end this, with my killer combination." Halvar announced, as Aizen noted the surprised looks in the rest of the group.

Aizen was actually thankful his "opponent" had decided to skip anymore tedious work. After asserting the strength of this "killer combination", he could finally move on, as he was certain Amelia would be tired of being in the protective barrier.

Once more Halvar activated [Ability Boost], which he used to easily close the distance between himself and Aizen, getting within striking distance he announced the name of his technique before attacking.

"[Lucky Slash]!"

The blade came rushing down on its target, who didn't even move, something that made Halvar wonder since he knew his attack wasn't faster than others he has used. The nature of his ability was not strength, but as the name said almost a matter of luck, as it allowed one to cut through almost anything. However, how much it could cut depended on "luck". Aizen lifted his free hand at the last possible moment, and calmly blocked the blade with his index-finger. Everyone went silent, as if the air had been sucked out of the area.

"H-How?" Halvar mumbled in horror.

"I guess luck wasn't on your side."

Aizen lowered his finger onto the katana, followed by an explosion of blood as Halvar was cut down by an unseen blade. His armor fell on the ground, along with his left arm, and half of his blade. The man himself also fell down shortly thereafter, his weakened body simply giving up. Yet his head was raised, fixated on the superior being that stood before him.

"What are you waiting for! F…" Farold tried to order the rest of his men, just to be stopped by an unseen force.

It was as if he, and the rest of the men, had just had a massive weight placed on their shoulders. As soon as they felt it the group was on their hands and knees, except for Farold who had his face forced into the ground, since his arms were still restrained.

"Please, wait your turn. Now, what I wanted to know." Aizen said, looking down at Halvar.

"W-We were hired to capture Amelia Bedelia Aigner."

"For what purpose?"

"We were not told, we did not ask."

"By whom?"

"W-We do not…" Halvar began to answer, when several of his men cried out before collapsing.

"My apologies, I find it hard to control myself when dealing with ants. So, the answer to my previous question?"

"H-His name is Falco. He contacted us while in E-Rantel. That's all we know!" Farold shouted in desperation.

"That's rather vague."

"He's a middleman. That's all we know!"

"Very well."

Another collective cry went through what remained of the team, shortly after all of them collapsed onto the ground dead. The cause wasn't hard to determine, as it was just too much pressure on their souls.

With the barrier lifted, Amelia joined Aizen shortly after the end. She looked completely sickened and terrified by the scene. After all, this was the first time she was in the presence of the dead. At least death brought about by unnatural means. It was one of the things that, until this point, she had been shielded from, even if she understood that in this world it would reach her one way or the other.

"They were in contact with a middleman named Falco, who spoke to them in E-Rantel." Aizen informed.

"I-I heard… W-What now!? We have to find a way out of here." Amelia remarked, slowly regulating her breathing and calming herself.

"Do you know the way without help?" Aizen asked, looking down at the cut in his clothing.

"I-I can handle it. What about you?" she asked, looking at the cut.

"There is no need for concern."

Seeing through the cut in the clothing, she saw that the actual slash had already healed, leaving only the matter of transportation and getting back to her home.

"They must have a camp somewhere, with horses that we can use." She suggested.

"Then they should be in that direction." The Shinigami said, looking in the direction the group had come from.

The duo made their way through the forest, finally ending up in a clearing where a rather sizable camp was built. It was empty, showing them that all those Aizen had killed were the only ones they had to worry about. Taking two of the several available horses, they made their way back to the path, and continued on their trip back to the capital of the Re-Estize Kingdom.

"What will you do about this Falco?" Aizen asked.

"We're not going to waste any more time by going to E-Rantel, and look for someone we know nothing about."

"Then you will risk another attack?"

"A risk that may help us find out who is after me, and you did a good job saving me this time. I don't see why you can't do it again." Amelia remarked, letting out a small chuckle.

"You assume I will be spending all of my time serving as your shadow."

"Why shouldn't I? Is it not in your best interest to keep me alive? Or are you so certain that you can fend for yourself without any assistance? Because if that was the case, I'm sure we wouldn't be having this conversation right now."

"Yet, it would be wise not to assume I will be there the next time. Since it is possible I may have to deal with someone stronger than me."

It was almost nightfall when the duo arrived at the front gates of Amelia's home. Two servants came to greet her and take the horses, while they made their way inside to the main hall. Aizen hoped that at least this manor was pleasing to the eyes. Honestly, he considered most of the capital to be decadent and unsightly. It was not what he was expecting when Amelia had told him where they were going. Such place merited little attention from him. Indeed, he would have to get familiar with it, but other than that he saw no further value in it.

Standing in the center of the main hall, they were greeted by several servants, and an old man who gingerly walked down the main set of stairs using a cane to help himself walk, and with 4 butlers surrounding him. Judging by everyone's reaction, the Shinigami assumed this was the master of the house, Amelia's father.

The man stopped as he walked down the final step. He took a moment to recompose his old body. While he did this Aizen was focused on the elder's eyes. There was fire behind them. He would not be an easy one to work around. His eyes transmitted an aged yet knowing look, but also stubbornness. This man saw himself as the master of this house, and he would not let a stranger in so easily.

"Father." Amelia greeted, taking a small bow.

"Sōsuke Aizen, this is my father, Gaius Liam Aigner." She informed, but her voice was drowned out by the old man's cane hitting the floor.

"What is the meaning of this!? I have forced myself to live with the rumors, but now you dare to bring one of them into my home! I raised no whore! And you, are not welcomed into this house. Leave!" Gaius roared, his posture seemingly getting better as he raged on.

"I was hoping we could skip that part of the conversation." Amelia sighed.

"As long as you live in my house, I will say things as I see fit! Now, where are…" Much to the surprise of those present, except Amelia, Aizen interrupted Gaius.

"They are dead."

"What did you say?" The elder asked, sounding more offended by Aizen's audacity than worried.

"He speaks the truth. They were killed in an ambush, which had me as its target." Amelia added.

"What have you gotten yourself into? But more importantly, who is he!?" Gaius growled, using his cane to point at Aizen.

"He's a foreigner. We just happened to pick him up before he started our return trip." Amelia replied.

"Your daughter saved my life. Had it not been her I would most likely be dead, and in order to pay my debt to her, and with her permission, I made the rest of the journey with her."

"Yet, you saved her life. I would say that the debt has been paid." The old man remarked.

"Saving her life is but a small payment. I am still in need of other types help, which your daughter has agreed to give me."

"And what has he offered you in exchange for his help, Amelia? Before me I only see a man in old clothes." Gaius said incredulously.

"That is between me and him."

"Then, you can send him back to wherever he has come from."

"Certainly, that won't be necessary." Aizen said.

"And who are you to say such a thing, in my house?"

"A nobody. At the moment, nothing but a miserable maggot at your feet. However, if you asked your daughter, you will know that of the 13 men that attacked her, I killed 12 of them, she being the one to have killed the final one."

"Your point being?"

"I can see that beyond this façade, you care for Amelia. Perhaps not for her as a daughter, but for her as the one to carry on the business. Am I wrong?" Aizen asked, a small smile forming on his face.

"That is a rather interesting conclusion. And I take it, you are about to make an offer." Gaius replied.

"I wish to offer your family, your business, my services. Be it as a bodyguard to your daughter, or be it as a possible helper in your business."

Gaius stared Aizen down, ignoring the blood on his clothes and the cut on his chest which appeared to have no wound. He focused on Aizen's face, and to be honest he did not like it. His eyes were not that common, especially on someone who seemed to be as young as he was. His were the eyes of great knowledge, but also the eyes of a manipulator. Of someone who was not to be thrusted. Yet he sensed the truth behind his, and his daughter's words. Either this man was that good a liar, or his intentions were genuine.

"What would you want in return, for such a humble service?"

"As I said, I am unfamiliar with this land. I have no home, not even clothing to call my own. I ask only for these things, a place to stay, and a way to familiarize myself with this world."

"You offer me much, yet ask little in return. I find it hard to believe. Especially when you say you can help with business."

"My intentions are humble, as I simply wish to exist. As for your business, I have no intentions of taking anything away from your family. I offer only my assistance, if it is required. I have no business in the field, however I am known for my prowess with people."

"And you trust this man?" Gaius asked, looking at his daughter.

"I am certain you can see the same things I see in him. His potential, and even if you haven't seen it, his strength is far beyond any of your guards."

"Then you would have him help with clients?"

"Well, it's still too soon to agree to that." Amelia replied.

"Very well. Aizen, I will allow you to remain here, but do know this; at the first mistake and you will be put out!"

Having made his will known, Gaius and the butlers accompanying him made their exit, leaving Aizen and Amelia alone with some of the maids.

"Adelin. Belet." Amelia called out to two of the maids.

The two maids approached, Adelin looked to be in her early 40s, and had long blonde hair, with green eyes, while Belet looked younger, with black hair that went down to her shoulders, and dark brown eyes.

"Adelin, take Aizen to one of the guest rooms. One of the better ones if you will. Belet find some clothing for him, perhaps some full suits, and maybe some matching hats." Amelia ordered, all the while looking at Aizen, envisioning what clothing to give to him.

"As you wish." They replied.

"Please follow me." Adelin said, turning her attention to Aizen.

"Very well." The Shinigami mumbled.

"Belet, before you go. I want my dinner brought to my room, and do the same for Aizen."

"It shall be done."

Several hours after having his dinner, during which Aizen was surprised by how hungry he had actually gotten during the day, the Shinigami was directed into his room's personal bathroom, and after a brief explanation of how everything worked, he began the process of taking a shower.

His bedroom was everything but modest. The bed was large enough to hold at least 3 people, and was decorated by large windows and expensive looking paintings. It had a massive closet, with a decorated nightstand and a mirror. He was certain Gaius would not be too pleased with the fact that such an extravagant guest room was being used by someone he wasn't too keen on. Aizen wasn't that bothered by it. The old man seemed to have accepted him staying here, and that was all he needed. After this he just needed to show his worth which should not be difficult.

Standing in front of the closed bathroom door were several maids, all of them having been instructed by Amelia to aid Aizen accommodate to his surroundings. They didn't mind it at all. That much could be said by the small blushes that still covered their faces. His beauty was otherworldly, and his presence fitting that of nobility. It made them jealous of their mistress, who was lucky enough to bed such specimens, while they could only watch him, even if he seemed rather reluctant to show them even his upper body.

As they waited patiently for him to emerged from the bathroom, the door to the bedroom opened. They all turned around to see who it was. The new arrival was Amelia, with her body wrapped in a stylish, yet delicate, looking robe. The maids didn't want to assume, but her intentions seemed obvious.

"Leave." Was all she said, and they obeyed.

She had been waiting long for this moment, so much so she couldn't be bothered with thinking of how her father would react. Her mind went back to how Aizen looked at her. It was almost too much to handle. Such hunger in his eyes, as if he hadn't laid his hands on a woman for an eternity. It made her want it, and want him. Of course, his looks were also a major point of attraction. Such a refined and confident look was hard to come across, and tonight it would be hers.

Placing her hand on the doorknob, she slowly turned it opening the bathroom door. Closing it behind her, Amelia took careful, and silent steps towards the shower curtains and the shape behind it. Amelia didn't remember the last time she had felt like this. Her heart was beating at a thousand miles per hour, and her body was permeating with heat. Normally sex was just a fix for her. She would bed someone for the thrill of it, but that was a long time ago. Nowadays, even sex seemed to have lost its interest, no matter who her partner was. Now, her body seemed to quiver with sheer expectation of what was to come. Simply imagining it was enough for her legs to become weak.

Silently walking past the curtain, Amelia found herself just a few feet away from Aizen. He continued to shower as if he had not sensed her, which she knew was impossible. Taking another step forwards, she managed to close the distance between them, her arms going around his chest, and her bust making contact with his back.

"How can I be of use, Lady Amelia?" Aizen asked, letting his arms fall to his side.

"I considered you smarter than that, Aizen." She replied, using her hands to travel his torso.

"There's no need to be shy. I could see it in your eyes, how you seem unable to take your eyes off me."

Aizen knew perfectly well what she was talking about. This body seemed weak to the pleasures of the flesh. A weakness that he was certain he had gotten rid of a while ago. Once more it became obvious to him that this was not his body, even if it looked, and in many aspects worked similarly to his. During his experiment with the attackers, Aizen believed it had helped him to better adapt to his new condition. However, a battle could not deal with other aspects of the body. Some of them were involved in this situation, and normally Aizen would have little interest in the pleasures of the flesh, but now perhaps it would even be beneficial to better control his body.

The Shinigami was brought back from thought when, he heard a light gasp from Amelia. Looking down he noticed her right hand was on the Hōgyoku that rested in his chest.

"T-This is…" she began to mumble, just for his voice to overwhelm hers.

"Part of me." He informed.

Amelia gulped slightly, ignoring the uneasy feeling she had gotten just by touching the jewel in the man's chest. Trying to get back on track, and taking Aizen's silence as his way to react to her sudden advances, Amelia's hands made her way to his very lively lower body. What she felt was surprising, yet it was a very welcomed surprise. It fit a man like him as she began some moves with her hand, Aizen's hand fell on her arm, and as he slowly lifted her grip, he turned around to look at her, before placing an arm around her back, and pulling her towards him.

"Well then, what are you waiting for?" She asked, looking lustfully into his eyes.

"Is it your wish, for me to take you here like an animal?" Aizen asked, his voice alone enough to send shivers through her body.

I have been with many men, well perhaps the proper word for it is brutes, or animals. Normally, we just take what we wanted from the other. That is a very odd question to ask."

"And does that satisfy you? I for one, plan to take great pleasure from this." The Shinigami mumbled into her ear, causing her face to become even redder.

"Then could it be, that you are the first proper man to bed me?"

What followed was a very long night for Amelia, who being used to simple and raw sex, was not prepared for a man who was not only satisfying himself, but working discipline into his body. Long story short, Aizen adopted several approaches when dealing with the task at hand. Certainly for her, it was a night she would never forget.