chapter 311
Chapter 311:
– Layla –
I woke up the next morning and stretched, letting out a satisfied yawn. Artemis and Natasha were still pressed up against me, their bare bodies warm and soft against mine. Last night had been... memorable and very passionate.
Wait... Morning!?
“Shit,” I whispered, carefully slipping out of bed. I’d only meant to be gone for a couple of hours, but somehow, I’d managed to spend the whole damn night. I didn’t regret it, of course, but I hope nothing happened while I was gone.
I tiptoed into the bathroom and closed the door quietly. Turning on the shower, I waited for the water to heat before stepping in. The steam quickly filled the space as I let the water wash over me. I grabbed the shampoo, working it into my long black hair. I took my time, making sure to clean myself thoroughly. Nothing beat a steamy shower after a long, wild night of steamy sex.
When the water finally ran cold, I turned it off and grabbed a towel—the last clean one, of course. I dried off and made a mental note to stop slacking on laundry. Hestia usually handled it, but with her off in Asgard, I’d let things pile up. She was incredible at keeping everything in the home running smoothly, and I missed her already...
I snapped my fingers and conjured a pair of black jeans and a snug white tank top. The jeans fit perfectly, and the tank top left very little to the imagination—just how I liked it. “If you’ve got it, flaunt it,” I said, winking at my reflection in the mirror.
Running my hands through my damp hair, I stepped back into the bedroom. At some point, Natasha had scooted closer to Artemis, and now their naked bodies were pressed up against each other. I smirked, pulling out my phone and snapping a few pictures for myself. This scene was definitely worth remembering.
I headed into the kitchen to grab something quick to eat. Just because I didn’t technically need food didn’t mean I didn’t want it.
Inside, Carol was leaning against the counter, sipping a mug of coffee. "Who would've thought a stoic woman like Natasha was such a screamer," she teased, smirking over her mug.
I smirked right back. If she wanted to play that game, I wasn’t about to let her win. “Says the woman who wasn’t much different during our first time,” I shot back.
Her cheeks turned pink, and she set the mug down, reaching for a plate stacked high with waffles. “Figured you’d all be hungry after hours... and hours... and hours,” she said flatly, sliding the plate toward me.
I felt the heat rise to my face and grabbed a plate, piling it high with waffles before drowning them in syrup. “Thanks,” I muttered, digging in. The waffles were perfect, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.
Carol leaned against the counter, watching me as I ate. “I was helping out with some demolitions yesterday,” she said after a moment. “A lot of buildings got fused together or just collapsed when the two Earths merged. Most of them are too unstable to fix.”
I swallowed a bite of waffle and looked up. “How bad is it?”
“Almost half the city has to come down,” Carol said with a frown. “And a lot of people are going to be homeless.”
I put my fork down and thought about it. “I might have a way to fix that,” I said, leaning back in my chair. “I had a spar with this ridiculously powerful guy in the other universe. The aftershocks from our fight caused a lot of damage, but I was able to reverse it using my reality powers.”
Carol raised an eyebrow. “You’re using the Infinity Stones’ powers that casually? Layla, you’re the first being to ever fuse with three stones. You need to be careful.”
I waved her off. “I’ll be fine. I’m built different...” At least I am now, I didn’t used to be able to handle so much power so easily but I’ve come a long way.
She rolled her eyes but didn’t push it further. I leaned forward, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear before pressing my lips to hers.
When I pulled back, she was blushing again. “Your lips are all sticky with syrup,” she pouted.
I laughed, picking up my fork again. “That’s what you get for teasing me.”
…
Carol and I floated high above New York, the city’s chaos stretched out beneath us. She had her arms crossed, giving me a look that practically screamed she thought I was about to do something reckless.
“You’re about to do something crazy, aren’t you?” she asked.
I smirked. “Can’t really argue with that.”
Before she could respond, a glowing orange portal opened next to us. The Ancient One stepped through, her robes flowing as the wind caught her. She waved a hand, summoning an orange platform under her feet before gravity had the chance to drag her down.
“Well, this is unexpected,” I said, raising an eyebrow. “Hey there, Ancient One. Long time no see.”
She wasn’t interested in small talk. “I still can’t see your future,” she said. “But I can see the world’s, and I wanted to witness whatever crazy thing you’re about to unleash personally.”
Carol let out a short laugh. “That’s exactly what I said earlier.”
They both turned to me, clearly impatient.
“Fine,” I said with a shrug. I closed my eyes and reached inward, pulling at the threads of power coursing through me. Mind and Power merged, spreading my awareness across the entire planet. I felt every crack, every broken building, every single piece of this new, fractured Earth. Then I pulled on Reality, letting it blend with the other two. The world began to shift under my will.
The damage from the merge was staggering. Cities were crushed together, roads twisted into uselessness, dams on the verge of collapse—or already gone. It was a mess on a planetary scale. I wasn’t just going to fix it. I was going to erase every sign of it, all at once.
“Oh my…” the Ancient One murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.
Carol stared as the changes started below us. “This is unbelievable…”
New York began to rebuild itself. Buildings untangled and stood tall again, streets smoothed out, and the city realigned.
The people nearby were shielded as I worked, protected from the overwhelming energy I was pouring into this. I wasn’t about to let anyone get hurt while I was fixing this mess.
And it wasn’t just New York. Across the globe, cities were repairing themselves. Skyscrapers stood tall again, bridges reformed, and even entire landscapes reshaped back to how they were meant to be. I wasn’t asking permission. I was rewriting reality, and the world would just have to deal with it.
When I finally opened my eyes, the process was complete. The majority of the major damage everywhere was fixed. “Done,” I said, brushing off my hands like I’d just finished some minor chore.
The Ancient One stared at me like I’d just rewritten the rules of existence—which, to be fair, I kind of had. Carol shook her head, letting out a breath she’d been holding.
[You didn’t even have a quest for that, but here you go!]
{For fixing your home world, you have received +10 levels!}
[Layla of the Fallen]
[Title: Sixteen Winged Angel, High Goddess of Angels, Death’s Favored, Soul Queen.]
[Supreme Goddess 3 / 8: Merged with Mind Stone, Power Stone, Reality Stone]
[Level: 133]
[Sacred Gears: Purger of Darkness, Orb of Infinity]
[HP: 12,450,000]
[MP: 0 / 706,253,120]
[Faith Energy: 2,500,789,520]
[Vigor: 1,245,000]
[Strength: 3,072,758]
[Intelligence: 70,625,312]
[Luck: 128,145]
[Available Free Stat Points: 30000]
Woah… that was a close one! I’d just burned through all my MP in one go, and on top of that, I’d drained over a billion Faith Energy. Good thing I had plenty of the latter to spare, or I would’ve failed and knocked myself out with a mind down.
As I steadied myself, I felt all my shadow clones across the world vanish, even the one in Asgard. That wasn’t something I knew could happen, but apparently, hitting zero MP took them all out at once. Great. I sighed and quickly used some Faith Energy to create another shadow clone, sending it back to Asgard before anyone there—my daughters included—started freaking out about why my clone had suddenly popped.
Carol floated nearby, arms crossed and looking half-annoyed, half-impressed. “People are going to lose their freaking minds over what you just did, Layla.”
I twirled a strand of my hair between my fingers and whistled innocently. “I’m sure it won’t be that big of a deal.”
The Ancient One gave me a flat look. “You just saved countless lives and probably saved the world hundreds of trillions of dollars in economic recovery. The planet was on the verge of a recession, and you single-handedly stopped it.”
“Well, when you put it like that…” I trailed off with a smirk, brushing imaginary dust off my shoulders.
[You’re probably going to get a lot more Faith Energy for the next few months, at the very least, from all the extra prayers coming your way.]
At least there’s that. And I don’t even have to deal with all the prayers. That’s Michael’s job!
[Poor guy… You need to start paying him more]
I don't pay him at all. Except in hugs!
I gave Carol a quick kiss, my lips brushing against hers as I pulled her close for a second. “Don’t miss me too much,” I teased, flashing her a grin. She rolled her eyes but smiled back. Turning to the Ancient One, I gave her a small nod. “Always a pleasure,” I said.
She didn’t respond, just raised an eyebrow like she was trying to decide if I was the greatest thing to ever exist or the biggest pain in her ass. Probably both.
With a wave of my hand, I opened a portal to the Bleach universe. I glanced back at Carol and the Ancient One. “You’ve got it from here,” I said, stepping toward the portal. “I’m leaving the fallout to someone else. You know, the clean-up crew.”
Carol snorted. “There are going to be so many questions! And you’re just going to leave the world on read? You’re shameless…”
“You love me for it,” I shot back, winking before stepping through the portal.
As I walked into the other universe, the portal closing behind me, I let out a sigh of relief. Sure, I loved the praise, the accolades, and the ego boost that came with saving the world. But the thought of sitting through yet another multi-million-man parade in my honor? Hard pass.
…
I stepped out of the portal and into the Squad Four barracks, immediately sensing that something was off. The medics—normally busy, focused, and calm—were wandering around with heavy expressions. Some of them looked like they’d been crying. A pit formed in my stomach as I walked up to a group of them.
“What’s going on?” I asked, glancing around. “Did the Quincy attack again? Nothing looks destroyed.”
One of the female Soul Reapers shook her head, tears streaking her face. “No… it’s not that…” she choked out.
“Then what is it?”
“Captain Unohana… she’s… she’s dead!” The words tumbled out before she broke down entirely, sobbing as her squadmates gently led her away.
I stood there, stunned. Unohana? Dead? How? My mind raced, trying to piece together how tat could have happened.
Now that I had the Soul Queen title, my aura didn’t overwhelm spiritually sensitive beings unless I wanted it to. I quickly spread my senses out, searching for Isane, Unohana’s lieutenant. I found her a couple of buildings over and didn’t waste time.
In a blur, I appeared inside.
What I saw made me gasp. Isane stood over a table, tears streaming down her face. On the table lay Unohana’s body, peaceful as if she were asleep. But there was no life in her at all.
[It’s so weird that literal spirits can die in this universe…]
‘Not the time, System!’ I snapped internally. ‘...Sorry.’
[It’s okay…]
“What happened, Isane?” I asked. Her red-rimmed eyes met mine, and she trembled as she spoke.
“Captain Unohana was tasked with helping Captain Zaraki Kenpachi unlock his true powers and learn the name of his zanpakutō,” Isane explained shakily.
“And that called for her to die?” I said, my voice rising. “What the fuck? Did Yamamoto order this? Because I’m about to go kick that old man’s ass.”
“Please don’t!” Isane pleaded. “The captain… she wanted to do this herself. She said she was finally correcting her life’s greatest sin. A thousand years ago, Captain Unohana was not a kind person. She was… a killer, and she spent her life atoning for those sins. This was her final act of redemption.”
I scoffed loudly. “That’s bullshit. Dying doesn’t fix anything.”
“Are you going to bring her back?” Isane asked hesitantly. She handed me a sealed letter. “The captain left this for me. She said she didn’t want to be brought back. She’s finally at peace.”
I didn’t even bother opening it. The letter burst into flames in my fingers. “If she wants to tell me something, she can do it herself.” I placed my hand on Unohana’s forehead, pouring energy into her lifeless body.
Seconds later, her eyes shot open. She moved so fast I barely saw her fist coming at me, but I caught it easily. Her naked body sat up as the sheets slid off, and her eyes were sharp, deadly—those of a killer.
“Nice punch,” I said with a cheeky grin. “Welcome back to the land of the living. Well, technically the dead, but you get it.”
She blinked, her expression softening as she took in her surroundings. Glancing down, she flushed and quickly grabbed the sheet to cover herself.
“I asked not to be brought back,” she said, her voice calm but firm. “My life of atonement as a shinigami was over.”
“Well, tough shit,” I said, crossing my arms. “Looks like you’ll have to find a new purpose now.”
She sat in silence for a moment as Isane and I waited. Finally, she let out a tired sigh. “So be it. I will find a new purpose from now on...” she wanted a couple minutes alone to think and get dressed so I told Isane that I would be back in a few moments.
…I was pissed!
My wings carried me through the air toward Squad One’s barracks, each beat fueled by my seething rage. By the time I landed, I wasn’t in the mood for politeness. I marched straight inside, ignoring the shocked faces of the shinigami who spotted me. A few of them had the nerve to try and block my way. One glare from me was all it took to make them back off, their hands falling to their sides as they scrambled out of my path.
I didn’t bother knocking. My foot slammed into the double doors, sending them flying open as I barged into the captains’ meeting. All eyes turned to me—every single captain in the room, along with Kisuke Urahara and Yoruichi, who were sitting off to the side. The head captain, always so composed, visibly tensed as I stormed past the line of powerful shinigami and came to a halt in front of Zaraki Kenpachi.
“You killed Unohana,” I said, my voice low and dangerous. My hands were clenched into fists at my sides.
Zaraki grinned down at me, unbothered by my presence. “Heh… yeah, I did. What are you gonna do about it, beautiful? I’ll have you know I’m a lot stronger now that me and Nozarashi are—”
Wham!
My fist connected with his gut before he could finish. He didn’t even have time to react. His body folded like a piece of paper, and a sonic boom exploded through the meeting room. Zaraki was blasted backward, his momentum so powerful that he tore through the wooden and stone walls like they were nothing.
I shook out my hand, flexing my fingers. That was the first time I’d ever punched someone without holding back.
“I think his body flew all the way to the Rukongai,” one of the captains muttered.
I scoffed, flipping my hair over my shoulder as I turned and walked back toward the doors. “Unohana is alive again,” I said, glancing over my shoulder at the stunned captains. “If I accidentally killed Zaraki with that punch, bring his body to me later, and I’ll bring him back too.”
Without another word, I left the way I came, my wings unfurling as I launched into the sky. Let them deal with the mess. I’d made my point.
…
I made it back to the barracks and found Isane in the tea room, locked in what looked like a desperate argument with Unohana. Isane kept pushing the captain’s uniform toward her, practically begging her to take it back. Unohana, as calm as ever, sipped her tea and shook her head.
“I’m not interested,” Unohana said firmly. “I’ll help in the war against the Quincy, but once it’s over, I’m done with being a shinigami. I’ve already repaid the Soul Society with my life. The next couple thousand years of my existence should be up to me.”
Isane looked like she was about to cry, but Unohana didn’t seem fazed. Instead, she stood, walked over to me, and—before I could say a word—wrapped her arm around mine.
I blinked, completely caught off guard. I’d been picking up vibes that she was only teasing me whenever she flirted back. Now, though, her actions said otherwise.
“I’ve been single for over a thousand years,” Unohana said, leaning into me and hugging my arm tighter against her chest. “I figured it’s about time I give love a try.”
My brain short-circuited for a moment. Was this really happening?
“You’re going to take responsibility for bringing me back to life, aren’t you, Layla? You’re the one who told me to find my own purpose,” she said with a calm, almost amused smile.
“Errr… yeah,” I stammered, my face heating up. “I wouldn’t mind going on a few dates with you, but we should probably take things slow. And, uh… I should also mention something before we start anything…” I hesitated, then blurted out, “I kind of, sort of… already have a harem.”
From across the room, Isane let out a loud choking sound, coughing on air like I’d just sucker-punched her.
Unohana’s grip on my arm tightened significantly, and her smile became noticeably sharper. “Ara, what was that…?” she asked, her voice deceptively soft.
XXX