Goodbye (30)

Sora listened as Rukia explained more about Soul Society.

"Shikai is the first stage of awakening a Zanpakuto's true power. It's like unlocking a hidden potential within your sword.

Each Zanpakuto has a unique Shikai release command, and once spoken, the sword transforms, gaining new abilities or altering its form.

For example, my Zanpakuto, Sode no Shirayuki, transforms into a long, flowing white scarf upon Shikai release."

The way she explained it felt robotic, as if she was reciting from a textbook. Who cared? He was learning.

On the other hand, she seemed to be getting reminded of her past life a lot.

"Bankai, on the other hand, is the pinnacle of a Soul Reaper's power. It's an even deeper connection with your Zanpakuto, pushing its abilities to their absolute limits. Achieving Bankai is incredibly difficult, requiring years of intense training and a deep understanding of your Zanpakuto's spirit. It's a transformation that not only amplifies your sword's power but also changes the surrounding environment, reflecting the Zanpakuto's true nature."

So Shikai was like the beginning, where you learned the basics of Soul Reaper abilities, and Bankai was like mastering it.

In anime terms, Shikai was like the Great Ape form, while Bankai was like Super Saiyan 4.

Only once you fully became one with your nature/Zanpakuto could you achieve Bankai/Super Saiyan 4.

Well, that checked out. Sora was working on a form of his own, and when he removed his glove, his control over Reishi became way too much—to the point that he had to adapt in order not to lose control or accidentally activate Letzt Stil.

Using the info he had, he considered Letzt Stil to be like a Bankai—but a Bankai that could only be used once.

He planned on changing that by lowering the power output to a level he could manage and sustain, which should work well enough.

Granted, he still needed training for that, but once he achieved that state, he would probably be way stronger than he was now.

Maybe even strong enough to beat the Quincy King.

Oh well, that wasn't his problem.

"So Central 46 is basically like the constitution for you Shinigami, and whatever they say goes?"

Rukia nodded, currently eating some snacks that Sora had made. Learning how to cook sure did wonders, especially with him adding Reishi into the food to make it more nourishing.

Rukia hadn't realized it yet, but her power was beginning to grow—just a bit.

Suddenly, she stopped, as if realizing she had been in the human world for too long.

Her eyes landed on her little phone—or rather, the gadget she used to locate nearby Hollows.

On it, she could see the report.

{Capture or Kill Rukia Kuchiki}

She froze. Yet, as she looked at Sora, she knew he would probably get dragged into this. Deciding to take matters into her own hands, she yawned a bit and fell asleep.

"I'm going to bed."

Sora made sure to cover her properly. She was going to sleep, after all.

Looking at her under the covers, he felt his heart melt. She looked peaceful.

Though as he tried to sleep on the other bed in his room—yes, his room had two beds, don't ask why—he suddenly felt her pull him.

"Stay... please."

If he had been on mischievous timing, this would have been a perfect chance to seal the deal.

They had just binge-watched a show, and he knew for a fact the clothes she was wearing weren't too hard to remove.

He could probably get a taste of a Soul Reaper that night.

However, the desperate look in her eyes made all those thoughts vanish.

She looked afraid, as if she knew this was the last night she would ever spend with him.

So instead, he just did as she asked and cuddled up with her. No impure thoughts crossed his mind—he just held her.

As he slept next to her, their bare skin made contact, their shallow breathing becoming one.

Rukia began using a Bakudo spell. Over the span of two hours, she subtly cast the spell over and over again.

It was a simple spell—a sleeping spell. She wanted to make sure Sora was asleep so he wouldn't make any drastic decisions.

At exactly 3 AM, she got out of bed and gently removed herself from his grasp. She carefully redid her hair before softly gazing at the sleeping Sora. The spell had worked wonders.

However, knowing how strong Sora was, this would only last about an hour. That was plenty of time to leave.

Deciding to go, she gazed at him one last time.

"Thank you for the experience," she muttered, looking at his slumped body. A small tear fell down her cheek.

"I hope you stay safe."

After saying those words, another tear fell and landed on his face, though she managed to wipe the rest away.

She then took a little bag of snacks and jumped out the window, dashing away into the night.

Meanwhile, with Sora...

As the tear fell on his face, a little wheel appeared above his head, while his eyes seemed to be trying to open.

However, the Bakudo spell—infused into his body for three hours—had a solid grip on him.

He would wake up soon.

But in his unconscious state, he had no reason to stir—except...

POV change.

As Rukia continued running, atop a pole, a man with red hair could be seen.

Once again, his hairline was messed up—but oh well, Soul Society probably didn't have a decent barber.

"Found you, Rukia Kuchiki," the man said, looking down at the girl running away.

Next to him, another man stood. He had a noble air about him, but no words left his mouth. He simply watched the scene with a cold, calculating gaze.

A/N….double upload next week, I wonder if I could get to chapter 100 in my draft so far I am at chapter 92.