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"So, I told you to leave, but you're still here. Are you hoping to die along with your friends?"

Shin regarded the trembling Bambietta with a playful expression.

Bambietta looked like she was on the verge of tears. Even if he let her go, she couldn't go back. Returning to the Wandenreich was a death sentence. Staying here was her only chance to survive.

"I... I can't go back," Bambietta stammered, quickly explaining her reasoning, terrified he would kill her for disobeying.

She had considered fleeing to Hueco Mundo or the World of the Living, but she knew it would be useless. Her only shot at survival seemed to be the man standing before her.

Otherwise, no matter how far she ran, she'd either be captured by Jugram Haschwalth or have her powers—and her life—stolen by Yhwach's Auswählen.

"So, please... save me."

After explaining, Bambietta looked at Shin with a pleading expression. She really didn't want to die. It wasn't that she was a coward; who wasn't afraid of death? There might be a few fearless souls out there, but she certainly wasn't one of them. She felt she hadn't lived nearly long enough.

"Hmph. Whether you live or die has nothing to do with Shin-sama," Soi Fon said, looking at Bambietta with cold indifference. She couldn't see any use for the woman.

"I might be willing to save you," Shin said after a moment's thought, "but on one condition: you have to teach me everything you know about being a Quincy."

This had been Shin's plan all along. He wanted to learn the Quincy's abilities, and while he could have used a Replication Card, it would have been a waste.

That was why he had deliberately spared Bambietta. Otherwise, she would have been dead long ago.

"Okay, no problem," Bambietta agreed without a moment's hesitation.

"But I can't teach anyone my Schrift," she added. "It's a power granted by His Majesty, Yhwach."

It was impossible to pass that on to someone else. Shin already knew this, and he hadn't planned on getting her Schrift anyway.

It wasn't that he didn't want it; he just didn't care for Bambietta's specific power. Her Schrift, 'The Explode,' turned anything hit by her Reiatsu into a bomb. It was powerful and impossible to defend against, but Shin had his sights set higher.

He wanted Yhwach's power...

Yhwach was the one he planned to Copy. All the Schrifts, after all, were merely gifts from him.

"Just teach me the core abilities of the Quincy."

Shin's words brought a wave of relief to Bambietta, but then another thought struck her. Even if she taught him, could he even learn? He was a Soul Reaper. How could he possibly master the abilities of a Quincy? It seemed impossible.

Though both powers stemmed from the same source, the systems and applications were completely different.

"What, having second thoughts? It doesn't matter if you are, but you'll have to die," Shin said coolly, noticing her hesitation.

"No! I don't regret it! It's just... even if I teach you, you might not be able to learn the Quincy's powers," Bambietta said, her expression a mix of conflict and anxiety.

"That's not your concern. Just teach me." Shin had thought she was backing out, but it seemed not. Given how terrified she was of dying, she wouldn't dare.

An ordinary Soul Reaper would never be able to learn Quincy abilities, but Shin was no ordinary Soul Reaper. In fact, he wasn't a Soul Reaper at all. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

He was still human, not a spiritual body. He had simply used his abilities to make it impossible for others to tell the difference.

"Can... can you really protect me from death?"

Bambietta asked worriedly. Auswählen would strip her of her powers, and losing them meant death.

"Relax. With my protection, not even Yhwach himself could kill you. But that's only if you teach me everything you know. If you hold anything back, don't blame me for what happens."

"Yhwach's methods are cruel, but mine are even crueler," Shin warned her.

Bambietta nodded quickly. She believed him completely. The way he had killed Bazz-B and Cang Du had already shown her. This man might look harmless, almost kind, but he was more ruthless than anyone. One wrong move, and she could end up dead at his hands.

Shin then placed a hand on Bambietta's shoulder, and a special kind of Reiatsu flowed into her body. He then gestured for her to follow him.

Bambietta didn't know what he had done—she assumed it was some kind of control mechanism—but she didn't dare question it, meekly following along.

She certainly knew how to read the room... which explained her shameless, split-second betrayal earlier. If Bambietta had hesitated for even a moment longer, Shin probably would have killed her.

In truth, her betrayal came so easily for a reason: she had never even met Yhwach, the King of the Quincy. Without ever meeting him, she felt no loyalty, so betraying him now didn't trouble her conscience in the slightest.

————

"Who is this woman?"

Yoruichi asked Shin, looking at Bambietta.

"A Quincy," Shin said with a light chuckle, glancing at Yoruichi.

"A Quincy? What's a Quincy doing in the Soul Society?" Yoruichi looked at the woman in surprise, then sized up her aura.

She was strong, nearly as strong as Yoruichi herself, and definitely more powerful than an average captain. Were all Quincy this powerful?

The Quincy Yoruichi knew were the last remnants struggling to survive in the World of the Living, not powerful warriors like Bambietta.

Shin didn't bother explaining. It would be too much of a hassle. Yoruichi would find out soon enough when the Quincy launched their invasion. That day wasn't far off. This incident was sure to accelerate the Wandenreich's plans.

"I feel like you're hiding something from me," Yoruichi said, giving Shin a pointed look.

"Not at all. If you want to know, just ask her. I don't think she'd dare refuse."

Shin glanced at Bambietta.

Bambietta gave a wry smile. She was a traitor now; of course she would talk. She just hoped this new protector was reliable. If he wasn't, she'd die in the end anyway. But that was better than dying right now.

"Alright, I'll ask her," Yoruichi nodded. Her curiosity was piqued. Shin didn't concern himself with it, instead having Soi Fon arrange a place for Bambietta to stay.

"If you dare pull any stunts, I'll kill you myself," Soi Fon said, giving Bambietta a sharp, menacing look. It was a clear warning.

Bambietta was furious, but she didn't dare say a word. 'Like I'd dare to cause trouble here. I'd like to live a little longer, thank you very much.'

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