Chapter 74: Brotherly Bonds and Dangerous Paradoxes (74)
After observing their ability for a bit, he gave them some pointers on how to improve and get better—you know, the usual shit, really.
Orihime seemed to really take his advice to heart... Oh yeah, he shared the same first name as her late brother.
Oh, so was this why she was so trusting of anything he did? Did she view him as her big brother in a sense?
Well, since he was given that role, he shall take it to heart—anyone who bullies his sister shall be punished.
Plus, she was basically the heart of the group. Her innocence helped in moments when everyone was feeling down.
So heh, she was his sister now. He couldn't really bring himself to see her as more, especially when, mentally, he was pairing her up with Ichigo.
Speaking of her pairing with Ichigo...
"Visored..." Orihime said, tilting her head to the side a bit.
"They're like Soul Reapers with Hollow powers. Should be similar enough to humans with Hollow powers. Soul Reapers are basically ghosts of dead humans."
"Are you sure they will accept us?" Orihime asked, to which Sora replied,
"It's fine. They're all a bunch of softies. Plus, Ichigo will be there."
"Ichigo is going to be there?" Wow, it didn't take much to get her excited.
Even Chad could see what Sora was doing.
"It's fine. You'll do good. You are not a burden, okay?" He said, patting her head.
She allowed him to pat her head. Once again, Sora felt like she was seeing him as her brother. He was older than her, but not by that much.
If he was her brother, their dad would have had the worst pull-out game to ever grace this planet.
Anyway, after getting them on their way, Sora went back home, took a shower, ate some food, and walked toward the sofa, where Uryu already was.
One of his favorite shows was about to play.
"The spirit be forever with you," the man on the TV said...
"This bum..." Sora muttered, looking at the so-called exorcist.
"Sora, stop it."
"Aw, come on. If he can achieve success by this, then me committing tax fraud shouldn't be a big deal."
As the two brothers were about to argue once again, Ryuken entered the room.
"Father..." Uryu said, looking at his dad. The room was quite tense.
"You made it. Let's watch it together. Uryu made popcorn. After this, there's that Merlin show we have to watch next."
Ryuken simply nodded along and sat close by.
Sora made sure to bring up some talk from time to time to get Ryuken and Uryu to speak.
Sora had fun watching the shows. He much preferred the Human World over Soul Society—this place was neat.
His larger-than-usual Reiatsu pool, however, was becoming an issue. If his Reiatsu became too massive, he might become a threat to human life, as his Reiatsu might just crush them if they got too close.
The reason why he thought of that was simple logic, really. If he could practically make weaker beings kneel to him just by releasing his spiritual pressure, and they described it as feeling like an overbearing force weighing down on them...
Imagine what would happen if that overbearing force got 100 times stronger and you felt it.
Well, you probably wouldn't have time to feel it considering you'd already be wasted on the floor.
He needed better control. He didn't want to kill any human by accident.
"Uryu, you said you fought Mayuri. How did you win again?" Sora asked, sipping his drink.
"The Antithesis allows me to reverse events or conditions between two chosen points. For example, if I take damage, I can transfer it to my opponent and heal myself in the process. But its application isn't limited to physical injuries—it can manipulate spiritual structures, like the Saketsu, if I align the conditions properly."
"And how'd you manage that?" Sora asked, swirling his drink. Wow, he was looking all fancy drinking apple juice, making it look like he was sipping wine.
"Timing," Uryu said with a hint of pride. "When I struck him, I marked the event as the 'cause' in my mind. Then, when he retaliated and damaged me, I used The Antithesis to reverse the conditions. His Saketsu became the 'effect'—the damage it would sustain from being targeted was transferred directly to it, bypassing its natural defenses."
"So you essentially forced his Saketsu into a state of perpetual instability? Breaking it without fully destroying it?" Oh yeah, he forgot his cousin was a nerd. He should have expected such a result.
"Exactly," Uryu confirmed, pushing his glasses back and making his nerdy appearance even more pronounced. "By reversing the event, I've locked his Saketsu in a paradoxical state. It remains broken enough to prevent him from accessing his full power, yet intact enough to keep him from losing his mind entirely. It's a delicate balance, but one he'll never be able to escape."
"That's..." Sora paused, staring into his drink. The apple juice was a bit bitter. "That's terrifyingly efficient. And dark as hell."
"It got results. And it wasn't like Mayuri was the most honorable fighter. He deserved this for what he did." Uryu had a cold glint in his eyes.
"You should have waited for the Saketsu to be close to breaking and heavily damaged his Hakusui so that when you activated your ability, the chance of him turning into a Hollow would be greater. For a scientist like him, becoming mindless is the worst nightmare," Sora said calmly, sipping his drink.
Sometimes Uryu forgot that Sora had a hate boner for that man.
"And bang his daughter..."
Uryu spat out his drink. Was Sora high?
"Why say such a thing?" Uryu asked, a light blush appearing on his cheek.
"Is she ugly?" Sora asked.
"Well, she is not ugly per se," Uryu said, feeling like he was being tricked into signing a deal with the devil.
"Aw, come on, wouldn't that be the sweetest revenge? After killing the man who has done so much wrong to your people, you clap his daughter. Either that, or piss on his grave."
"I shall not fall to such a level," Uryu shot back, unwilling to entertain this talk.
"Come on, imagine her in a bikini, see if that works."
Sora added with a smile, and just for a moment, Uryu saw it—Nemu wearing a swimsuit. The sight was quite pretty.
"Or even better, imagine her in a Quincy outfit. At least do that." Sora looked quite innocent as he suggested this.
And once again, Uryu could see the scene in his mind. And once again, he actually didn't mind it too much. However, he couldn't give his brother the satisfaction.
"Come on, Dad, tell him. Wouldn't that be like the perfect vengeance on the guy who has experimented on so many Quincy?" Sora looked at Ryuken with pleading eyes.
Uryu looked at his father, waiting for the man's answer, hoping that he would shut down Sora's childish antics.
"I suppose that it would be quite hard to watch that."
Uryu felt his hope being crushed. His father was even pondering on Sora's delusions. He was being teamed up on right now.
"Speaking of which, can't you use your Schrift and become the Yellow Flash between each marked point...?"
A smile appeared on Sora's face.
Oh, the combo opportunities...
Uryu didn't exist—he desired strength. And if going through Sora's weird shenanigans was what he had to endure, then he would do it.
A/N
Saketsu (Chain Link): A vital spiritual organ in a Soul Reaper's body, located near the chest. It is responsible for their spiritual energy flow and acts as a reservoir of power.
Damage to the Saketsu can drastically weaken or even incapacitate a Soul Reaper.
Hakusui (Soul Sleep): Another crucial spiritual organ in a Soul Reaper, located near the stomach. It is the source of their spiritual pressure (Reiatsu).
Severe damage to the Hakusui can rob a Soul Reaper of their powers entirely or cause significant instability.
The Antithesis: Uryu Ishida's Quincy Schrift, It allows Uryu to reverse the state or condition of two chosen targets, effectively turning the outcome of an event upside down.