Chapter 36: The Beginning of the End
The room descended into a slightly awkward silence as the girls slowly looked between Astra and me with complicated expressions on their faces.
Thankfully, before things could become even more uncomfortable, Astra stepped forward and gave everyone a polite nod.
“Greetings. My name is Astra, and while you may not know me, I know all of you,” she said softly with a gentle smile.
Her words earned several curious looks.
With the exception of Nelliel, who blinked and tilted her head while studying Astra more closely, everyone seemed confused by what she meant.
“…What exactly do you mean by that?” Riruka asked, being as blunt as ever.
She crossed her arms and frowned slightly, looking for all the world like a jealous girlfriend.
“And what exactly is your relationship with Caius?”
That immediately got everyone's attention.
Astra's expression didn't change as she answered.
“All I will say is that I have been with Caius-sama since the very beginning, even if none of you realized it.”
The cryptic response only confused them further.
Then Astra's smile suddenly became a little smug.
“As for my relationship with Caius-sama...”
She walked back to my side before cuddling against my chest.
A small content sigh escaped her lips as she rubbed her cheek against me.
Then she turned toward the others.
The moment she saw the jealous looks returning to their faces, her smile became even more smug and possessive.
“It’s simple.”
Astra hugged me a little tighter.
“I am Caius-sama’s first wife~”
“.....”
“HAAAH!?”
As expected, everyone exploded in shock.
Even the people secretly peeking around the corner.
That included Tier's subordinates as well as Yin and Yang.
Once the initial surprise wore off, Riruka was the first to recover.
She immediately turned toward me with watery eyes.
Seeing that expression made me wince internally.
“I-Is that true, Caius!?” she demanded, her fists clenched tightly at her sides.
“Hehehe... yeah...” I answered awkwardly while scratching the back of my head.
Then I nodded.
My response seemed to crush her.
The guilt hit me immediately.
Thankfully, before things could get any worse, Lilynette suddenly perked up.
“Wait!” she exclaimed.
Her jealous look disappeared and was replaced by a thoughtful expression.
A second later, her eyes widened.
“First wife?”
Slowly, a grin spread across her face.
She immediately turned toward me.
“Does that mean what I think it means!?”
Her question caused Riruka and the others to pause.
A moment later, realization dawned on their faces as they focused on Astra's choice of words.
Their eyes immediately snapped toward me.
Fortunately for me, I never got the chance to answer.
Because Astra once again took control of the conversation.
“It does indeed mean what you think,” Astra replied with a calm nod, drawing everyone's attention back to her.
“I knew from the beginning that Caius-sama, being the way he is, would eventually attract others. That is why, even though I do not particularly like it, I am willing to share him with others.”
Her expression turned more serious.
“The only question is whether all of you feel the same and are willing to accept that.”
She finished speaking and looked at everyone with a steady gaze, as if silently judging their reactions.
After her declaration, Tier and Lilynette seemed to calm down somewhat, while Nelliel remained thoughtful as though she were considering something.
Riruka took a little longer.
Her gaze shifted repeatedly between Astra and me before she eventually let out a cute huff and turned her head away.
Which, coming from Riruka, was practically an agreement.
“Hmph!”
“So there’s still a chance!” Lilynette declared happily.
Grinning, she pointed dramatically at me while planting a hand on her hip and spreading her legs wide.
“Just you wait, Caius. Before you know it, I’ll make you fall for me~”
“…I kind of expected this to happen, if I’m being honest, so I don’t really have a problem with it,” Tier admitted quietly.
A faint blush appeared on her cheeks.
It only deepened when she noticed me looking at her, causing her to quickly avert her eyes.
“Now I remember!”
Nelliel suddenly exclaimed, startling everyone around her.
She pointed at Astra with a look of realization.
“No wonder your voice sounded familiar! You’re the person who temporarily took over Caius’s body when he first finished evolving, aren’t you?”
‘Oh yeah.’
I blinked.
‘I do remember Astra mentioning that she had a small conversation with Nelliel while I was undergoing my Harvest Festival.’
“…That’s correct,” Astra admitted simply.
She looked slightly annoyed that Nelliel had remembered, likely because she still wanted to keep her true nature a secret.
“I would appreciate it if you didn’t mention that to anyone outside this group.”
“I knew it!” Nelliel cheered triumphantly before pumping a fist into the air.
“Aren’t you upset about what Astra said?” Lilynette asked curiously.
Nelliel blinked before looking at her.
Then she shrugged.
“Not really.”
She smiled softly.
“Like Astra said, I always had a feeling this was where things were heading. With Caius, I figured there would eventually be other wives or lovers thanks to his caring and protective nature.”
Her gaze shifted to me.
“As long as he saves a place in his heart for me, I’m more than happy to share him with others.”
The gentle affection in her eyes made my cheeks warm slightly.
“Thanks, Nel,” I muttered with a small smile.
Nelliel simply smiled back with her own blush.
With that, the tension finally vanished and the atmosphere became lighthearted once more.
Unfortunately for Astra, that was the exact moment everyone suddenly crowded around her and began bombarding her with questions.
Not being used to dealing with so many people at once, she immediately sent me a pleading look for help.
I pretended not to notice.
Instead, I calmly turned around and headed toward the living room.
Ignoring the pout and glare directed at my back.
“Hmph, I’ll remember this, Caius-sama!” came Astra’s indignant voice through our connection.
“Hmm, I wonder if we have any ice cream,” I said aloud while continuing to ignore her.
Another cute huff followed.
Just like that, the worst-case scenario had been avoided.
No fighting.
No resentment.
No growing hostility between the girls.
As I searched the fridge for the promised ice cream, I found Starrk leaning against the counter with a glass of whisky in hand.
He glanced at me briefly.
“Please take care of Lilynette, Caius-sama,” he said quietly, ensuring only I could hear.
My expression immediately became serious.
“Will do.”
I nodded once.
Starrk returned the gesture before leaving the kitchen without another word.
‘Well,’ I thought as I finally found the ice cream and helped myself to a serving.
‘Now all that's left is to wait for everything to go to hell before we can finally leave this stupid world behind.’
Meanwhile, Astra's interrogation continued in the background.
I took another bite of ice cream.
Life was good.
=====
A Month Later
The following month passed quietly.
Almost deceptively so.
After all the warnings, all the preparations, and all the tension surrounding the coming war, nothing happened.
The skies remained clear.
The days passed peacefully.
Life continued as normal for those unaware of the gathering storm.
Students attended school.
Workers went about their daily routines.
Families laughed together over dinner tables.
Not a single one of them realizing that the balance of the Three Worlds stood on the verge of collapse.
For those aware of the truth, however, every passing day only increased the pressure.
Soul Society prepared relentlessly.
The Captains trained whenever their duties allowed it.
The Research and Development Institute worked tirelessly searching for any weakness they could exploit against the Quincy.
Patrols were increased.
Defenses were reinforced.
Messengers and Hell Butterflies moved constantly between divisions carrying reports and orders.
Yet despite all their efforts, an uneasy feeling lingered over the Seireitei.
No one knew when the enemy would strike.
Only that they would.
The uncertainty was perhaps the worst part.
Especially when the predicted date came and went without an attack.
There had been confusion at first, but under orders, everyone remained vigilant.
The warning Caius Aurelius had given Ichigo Kurosaki more than a month prior never left their minds.
Every spare moment was spent training.
Every day was dedicated to becoming stronger.
Yet no matter how much progress they made, it never felt like enough.
Not when the enemy they would soon face was the same force that had once brought Soul Society to the brink of destruction a thousand years ago.
And so time continued onward.
One day became another.
Then a week.
Then two.
Until eventually half a month had passed from the predicted time.
And with it—
The beginning of the end.
=====
Soul Society — Seireitei
A cold wind swept through the streets of the Seireitei.
The white walls of Soul Society stood as proudly as ever, yet an unnatural tension hung in the air.
Shinigami moved through the streets with grim expressions.
Conversations were quieter than usual.
Laughter was scarce.
Even those who knew nothing of the enemy could feel it.
Something was wrong.
Something was coming.
Beyond the perception of even the most skilled sensors, shadows stirred.
And at long last, the Quincy made their move.
“This waiting is driving me insane!” a Shinigami complained to his squadmates while on patrol.
“It’s already well past the time we were told the Quincy would attack. Are we really sure that monster who devoured Aizen wasn’t lying to us?” another replied in frustration.
“Shh! Don’t say that out loud, idiot! What if one of the officers hears you?”
“I know! I’m just tired of all this wai—Guh!”
His complaint died in his throat.
A hole the size of a baseball suddenly appeared through his chest.
The Shinigami staggered, staring down at the blood spreading across his uniform before clutching weakly at the wound.
Confusion filled his eyes.
Then he slowly looked up.
And froze.
His eyes widened in horror and despair.
Throughout the Seireitei, countless flaming pillars of blue Reishi erupted into the sky like beacons.
The sight was unmistakable.
The Quincy had arrived.
=====
With Ichigo
Like every day since Caius had revealed when the Quincy would attack, Ichigo found himself frowning as he made his way home from another day of school, with Inoue and Sado walking beside him.
Since they could be called upon at any moment, they had fallen into the routine of spending most afternoons training at Urahara's shop after school and only returning home at night when no news arrived from Soul Society.
All the waiting had left Ichigo feeling increasingly stressed.
Especially since Uryu had suddenly stopped coming to school about a week ago and hadn't shown his face since.
Not even the training sessions beneath Urahara's shop had been enough to distract him from the looming war.
Even though half a month had already passed since Caius had warned him of the coming attack, Ichigo never once considered the possibility that the slime had lied to him.
Caius had never lied to him before.
In fact, he was one of the few people Ichigo could honestly say had always been straightforward with him.
The slime had no reason to start lying now.
Which meant the attack was still coming.
It had simply been delayed.
Probably because of Caius's clash with Yhwach in Hueco Mundo a while back.
If anything, Ichigo was grateful.
Whether intentional or not, Caius had bought them additional time to prepare.
“I'm worried about Ishida-kun.”
Orihime's voice interrupted his thoughts.
Ichigo glanced over and saw the worried frown on her face.
“He's been acting strangely for a while now, and now he isn't even coming to school.”
“I went to his house the other day,” Sado added in a similarly concerned tone. “I was told he wasn't there.”
“Ishida is a Quincy after all,” Ichigo finally muttered, voicing the thought that had likely been on all their minds.
Silence followed.
“Haah, whatever.”
Ichigo waved a hand dismissively.
“If he doesn't show up tomorrow, I'm going to find him and drag him back by force if I have to.”
Orihime blinked before breaking into a smile.
The worried look on her face disappeared as she giggled softly.
“That sounds just like you, Kurosaki-kun~”
She pumped a fist into the air.
“I'll help too.”
“Same here,” Sado said with a nod.
Feeling a little more relaxed thanks to his friends' presence, Ichigo was about to suggest looking for Caius when his expression suddenly hardened.
A familiar spiritual pressure entered his senses.
Moments later, Orihime and Sado noticed it as well.
The three came to a stop.
A second later, a black cat landed in front of them.
Seeing a serious expression on a cat's face was always strange.
Especially when that cat was Yoruichi.
“Ichigo. Orihime. Sado.”
Yoruichi's voice was grave.
“Hurry back to Urahara's.”
The three immediately stiffened.
“The Seireitei is currently under attack.”
For a brief moment, Ichigo froze.
Then his shock vanished.
A determined glare appeared on his face as he clenched his fists.
“Let's go, everyone.”
“Hai!”
=====
With Caius and Co.
Ducking beneath a sword swing, I immediately jumped back as another slash came from my opposite side.
At the same time, I raised a hand and caught a kick aimed at my face before casually throwing its owner away.
The assault didn't stop there.
A moment later, I had to raise my hand and devour a literal rain of blue Ceros heading my way before sidestepping another flying kick that narrowly missed.
Catching the attacker's ankle before she could retreat, I spun once and hurled her toward the person attempting to sneak up behind me, causing them both to crash into each other.
Suddenly, a monstrous roar echoed across the training field.
Turning toward the sound, I found myself face-to-face with a gigantic chimera-like Hollow.
Ayon.
With a furious roar, the beast threw a punch large enough to flatten a building.
I remained where I was.
The attack connected with a thunderous crash, kicking up a massive cloud of dust and debris around my position.
“Did we finally get him!?” someone shouted hopefully.
“No way it was that easy!”
“I am of the same opinion.”
When the dust finally settled, the sight that greeted everyone caused several groans.
Ayon appeared to be stuck.
No matter how much the giant beast grunted and strained, it couldn't pull its arm back.
The reason quickly became obvious.
I was holding its fist.
Even with all its monstrous strength, it simply wasn't strong enough to break free.
“Here, let me give you a hand,” I said teasingly.
Grinning, I tightened my grip before lifting the enormous chimera into the air.
Spinning once, I hurled it toward three girls, all of whom were missing their left hand.
“Aaah! He threw Ayon at us! Move!”
“Damn it!”
“Tsk!”
Chuckling to myself, I suddenly found myself trapped inside a spherical prison of water.
At the same time, gravity magic descended upon me, attempting to pin me in place.
Raising an eyebrow, I turned toward the only person who could be responsible.
Tier stood in the distance with a concentrated expression on her face.
Before I could comment, two blurs appeared on either side of me.
Both carried swords glowing with Battle Aura as they brought them down toward my position.
Nelliel on one side.
Starrk on the other.
Both wore serious expressions.
“Nice one!” I shouted excitedly.
My hand glowed.
Then, moving too quickly for them to follow, I swung it outward.
A powerful shockwave erupted from my strike.
The water prison shattered instantly.
The gravity field collapsed.
The shockwave continued onward, slamming into Nelliel and Starrk before they could react.
Both managed to raise their swords at the last moment to shield themselves, but it wasn't enough.
They were still launched backward by the sheer force of the attack.
“Wahaha!”
I wiped my hands together before looking around at everyone's exhausted expressions.
“Nice combination, everyone.”
I grinned.
“Why don't we call it a day?”
Riruka and Lilynette were groaning as they tried to untangle themselves after crashing into one another.
Tier’s subordinates lay buried beneath Ayon’s massive form, weak groans escaping them every so often.
Tier herself was sweating lightly in the distance after pouring so much energy into her Abyssal Tide in an attempt to keep me restrained.
Meanwhile, Starrk and Nelliel were both panting slightly from the effort it had taken to avoid being skewered by my Aura Slash.
In response to my suggestion, all I received were weak acknowledgements and grumbled agreements.
Naturally, that only made me laugh harder.
Just as I had promised, once I returned from my trip with Astra, I made good on my word and sparred with Tier.
Normally, that wouldn't have attracted any attention since it was something I had done before.
This time, however, things were a little different.
After Astra declared herself my first wife and openly stated she had no issue with others pursuing me, it had lit a fire under some of the girls.
One thing eventually led to another, and before I knew it, I was sparring with all of them.
Since I was far too strong for any of them individually—or, as Lilynette liked to complain, a cheating monster—I had suggested fighting everyone at once.
And thus, this little tradition was born.
Every other day, we spent most of the morning and occasionally part of the afternoon with a single objective.
The girls would do their absolute best to injure me.
At first, it was a complete disaster.
Everyone got in each other's way.
Their coordination was terrible.
And more often than not, they ended up causing more problems for their allies than for me.
Eventually, though, they learned how to work together properly.
Once they did, their effectiveness increased dramatically.
Of course, that still wasn't enough to actually hurt me.
As Lilynette so eloquently put it, I was a cheater who cheated.
Against anyone else, however, their teamwork would be absolutely terrifying.
The only ones not participating were Astra, who had returned to residing within my soul for most of the day and only came out in the evenings, and Yin and Yang.
The twins were absent because it was their turn to cook.
If memory served me correctly—
“Everyone!”
“Food is ready!”
Right on cue.
As we made our way back inside, Astra suddenly spoke up.
“The war has begun, Caius-sama.”
Her words caused me to stop in place.
The others immediately noticed and looked at me in confusion.
For a brief moment, silence descended.
Then a grin spread across my face.
“…About damn time.”
A laugh escaped me.
Excited.
Eager.
Anticipating what was to come.
“It looks like our stay in this world is finally coming to an end.”