Throwing this out today as well!
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After spending the night with Is and Tibel, who had returned after five years, I headed to the meeting room. Now that Is was back, we needed to review the current situation before launching a full-scale war against the Soul Reapers. To that end, I summoned the ten Espada, Tosen, and Gin. I also intended to bring Tatsuki along.
“You’re planning to bring that thing along too?”
Is referred to Tatsuki as if she were a mere object. Since there was no point in arguing over every little thing, I simply nodded.
“Yeah, she’s my Fracción. She’s worth bringing.”
“Ho! Didn’t you call her a test subject yesterday? Ruel.”
“She is a test subject—one born from my Fracción experiments. That’s why I have a favor to ask, Is. I want you to teach her the Four Arts of the Soul Reaper. I’d like her to reach Bankai, at the very least, before the war begins. After that, we’ll move on to Hollowfication.”
At my words, Is scrutinized Tatsuki with a calculating gaze, attempting to measure her talent and potential while peeling back every hidden layer of her soul. Tatsuki didn't back down from the piercing stare; instead, she glared right back. Is let out a short, mocking laugh. It was the smile of a predator looking down on its prey.
“Very well. I’ll educate her thoroughly so she meets your expectations, Ruel.”
Sssshhh.
For a moment, the temperature in the hallway seemed to plummet. It seemed Is had taken quite a dislike to Tatsuki. Thanks to that, Tatsuki would undoubtedly suffer and feel like she was dying during training, but she would become strong. After all, Is possessed combat prowess that ranked among the absolute best in the Gotei 13.
Click.
“It’s been a while. How have you all been?”
As the doors opened, the eight Espada already present and the two Soul Reapers were waiting. Is took the head of the table. Tibel and I sat just below her. Tatsuki stood behind me, while Tosen and Gin stood behind Is. The rest of the Espada, starting from Number 2, were seated in a zigzag pattern down the table.
“Still looking as bored as ever, Starrk.”
“I’m tired. I just want this tedious meeting to be over with.”
Starrk complained in response to my greeting, clearly wanting to leave. He truly hated these gatherings. It was obvious the others were just as bored as he was. Nevertheless, the reason they had gathered here without a word of protest was that they had all been brought to heel by me.
Excluding Starrk, I had faced each of them individually and crushed them. It wasn’t exactly easy, but it wasn’t overly difficult either. Unless I was facing three or more Espada at once, no one could beat me in a one-on-one fight. Because I had suppressed and dominated them, they followed my orders—at least on the surface.
“Shall we begin discussing the war against the Soul Reapers?”
Is spoke with a cold, charismatic gaze that swept over the room, drawing everyone’s attention. It was a matter of comparing the military strength of the Soul Reapers, which Is knew intimately, with the strength of the Espada, which I managed, and determining the most effective strategy for our current forces. Since I had read the manga, I had already compared their relative powers in my head, but I kept that to myself.
“Then, let us conclude this.”
The meeting didn't actually last long. Since everyone here preferred using their bodies over their heads, the primary focus was simply maximizing everyone's condition in preparation for combat. When the session ended, everyone except Is and myself departed. I had dismissed Tibel and Tatsuki as well, leaving only the two of us in the room.
“What do you think, Ruel?”
“About what?”
“The military strength of the Soul Reapers versus the Espada. I assume you already know the answer.”
Is questioned me. Indeed, the comparison was already complete in my mind. In my subjective opinion, that information was roughly 80% accurate.
“After considering all possible variables, the difference in power between the Soul Reapers and the Espada is... [omitted].”
“Is that so?”
Is smiled as if satisfied with my answer. It seemed she shared the same conclusion. Having weighed all risk factors and countermeasures, there was nothing left for us to say.
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Throwing it! Throwing it! Throwing it!
Lucifer La El: Nickname, Ruel.
Tier Halibel: Nickname, Tibel.
TS Sosuke Aizen: Nickname, Is.
Just in case anyone was confused.
Phew, I woke up after less than 5 hours of sleep to go work my part-time job, and my eyes are practically closing on their own. I’m exhausted, but I had to make progress on this Hollow chronicle, so even if it’s a short amount, I wrote it. Now I’m going home to stare at a glowing monitor again, reading the anime and manga to plan what to write next. At the same time, I’m looking back over the completed 'HOD' to refresh my memory on the story... This is literal eye torture! Dammit! My eyes hurt so much. I feel like I spend all day looking at screens and books! I need to give my eyes a rest... anyone know how to relieve eye fatigue?
I didn't know the source of the image I used for Tatsuki, but I finally figured out which character it is. It's the previous Flame-Haired Blazing-Eyed Hunter from Shakugan no Shana—Matilda Saint-Omer.
If you think carefully about the meaning of the 'Balancer' mentioned at the end of the Soul Reaper chronicles, you'll realize it refers to the author or an even higher concept. Someone who creates drawings and stories, corrects mistakes, and modifies things—it naturally brings to mind an author or a creator.
So, I don't need to say what comes next, right? [A hint would be that all my novels are connected by a single thread. Heh, I wonder if anyone can guess the answer. The hints are quite scarce.] Even if you guess right, there's no prize! The reason I'm mentioning this is because a reader said they felt the author's presence in the writing. Well, that feeling is correct.
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