chapter 312

Chapter 312:

– Layla –

I lay on my back on the grass, staring up at the clear blue sky. My head rested on a surprisingly comfortable pair of thighs. Unohana was giving me a lap pillow, though the thousand-year-old shinigami wasn’t entirely pleased with me at the moment.

That probably had something to do with the fact that, about an hour ago, I’d casually dropped the bombshell that I had a harem with ten other lovers and four children. Subtlety wasn’t exactly my strong suit.

“Your family and world seem lovely,” Unohana said, gazing down at my face. Her smile didn’t quite reach her eyes, but I could tell she was at least making an effort.

That was something.

I let out a pleasant sigh as her fingers threaded through my black hair, her touch was soothing as she massaged my scalp. “Yeah… I haven’t had a situation where any of the women have gotten into big fights yet,” I explained. “We all get along pretty well. That might also be because we kind of all have sex together...”

I felt her fingers pause for just a second before resuming. There was a brief silence, broken by a few amused “ara aras” and even an “oh my” that made me smirk.

“You have quite an exciting life,” Unohana said, her voice tinged with something almost wistful. Then she added, “I’ve spent the past thousand years mostly in the same place here in the Soul Society. I’ve never really explored anywhere. I’ve barely spent more than a few months in total in the land of the living.”

I tilted my head slightly to look up at her. “That’s probably for the best. Earth has kind of sucked for humans for all but, like, the past couple hundred years anyway. It especially wasn’t great for women,” I pointed out.

Unohana nodded thoughtfully at that. “The Soul Society doesn’t really have that problem,” she explained. “Here, everything is determined by how much spiritual energy a person has. Gender means nothing in the face of power like that.”

Unohana continued massaging my scalp as we talked. Her fingers moved in steady, practiced circles, and I couldn’t help but sink further into her lap. It was almost enough to make me forget she wasn’t entirely thrilled with me right now.

“What is your world like?” she asked, her voice soft but curious. “Would I even fit in there?”

I opened one eye to glance up at her, smirking a little. “Of course you would,” I said. “My world’s a crazy place. Heroes and villains constantly popping up, fighting in the streets, or trying to save the day. You could fit in anywhere you wanted. Go out and fight crime if that’s your thing, or open a clinic or hospital and put out miracle cures all day long. You’d have people lining up around the block.”

Unohana’s fingers paused for a moment, and I caught a flicker of thought crossing her face before she resumed the massage. “That sounds… like a lot.”

“It is,” I admitted with a chuckle. “But it’s got its perks. My sister Gabriel and my niece Asia, they’re almost as revered as I am. They go to entire hospitals and heal everyone inside every few days…" I kept telling her more and more about “Earth Marvel DxD.”

[We’re gonna need to come up with a better name for it…]

…

…I woke up what felt like a few hours later, still resting my head on Unohana’s lap. I guessed I must have fallen asleep at some point. Smiling up at her, I felt a flicker of peace, but it didn’t last long. My smile faded as I noticed we weren’t alone anymore.

“Good, you’re awake,” Unohana said softly, her fingers still idly combing through my hair. “You have visitors.”

Sitting up, I blinked in confusion as several members of Squad 11 stood nearby, looking uncharacteristically nervous.

My gaze drifted downward, and that’s when I saw it.

A body.

Kenpachi Zaraki’s body, lying motionless on the ground. His chest was completely caved in, and he wasn’t breathing.

“Shit,” I muttered under my breath. I realized in that moment that I had killed him with that punch earlier—the one that sent him flying right out of the Soul Society.

The Squad 11 members began begging me all at once, their voices overlapping in frantic desperation.

“Please, bring him back!”

“We’re sorry for whatever he did! He always causes problems, but he doesn’t deserve this!”

“Captain Zaraki’s the heart of Squad 11! We need him!”

I glanced over at Unohana, who let out a long sigh. “I didn’t waste my life training up that big lug just for him to end up dead from a single punch,” she said. “Bring him back please.”

I nodded. “Yeah, yeah, I got it. Don’t worry.” Standing up, I walked over to Kenpachi’s body, pulling back my foot. “Wake up, you lazy bastard,” I muttered before kicking him hard in the side of the head. His body rag-dolled through the air, though nowhere near as far as when I punched him earlier. He crashed into a nearby wall, the impact causing it to crumble into a pile of rubble. “And Layla scores…” I muttered to myself, giggling playfully as the Squad 11 members all looked at me in horror for what I just did.

Kenpachi started pulling himself out of the rubble, looking completely fine but visibly disoriented. “Oi, what the hell happened?” he demanded, rubbing his head. “The last thing I remember was meeting the old fart and all those other stuffy Captains…”

“You died, genius,” I said, crossing my arms.

Kenpachi frowned, processing that for a moment. Then he let out a low growl. “...Died? Just like that? Damn it, that’s pathetic.” He stood up fully, brushing off the dust and cracking his neck. “Next time, it’ll be different. Me and Yachiru—I mean, Nozarashi—won’t lose so easily.”

I smirked. “You’d better train hard, then. Because I haven’t hit my power cap yet either.”

His grin widened, sharp and eager. “Good. I wouldn’t want it any other way.”

Unohana sighed behind me. “You two are going to destroy the Soul Society one day,” she muttered, though there was a faint smile on her lips as she shook her head.

“Been there, done that. It was an easy fix.” I waved my hand flippantly. “Anyways–”

I suddenly froze as a strange sensation washed over me. It felt like something was calling out to me, faint but insistent. It wasn’t just a sound or a feeling—it was more, like it was connected to me and yet entirely separate at the same time.

“What’s wrong?” Unohana asked, noticing my reaction.

I closed my eyes, tracing back the source of whatever was calling out. The pull was unmistakable, and after a moment, I realized where it was coming from. My eyes shot open, excitement lighting up inside me. “It’s my zanpakutō!” I said, grinning. “The sword guy fixed it for me. It’s calling out to me!”

Zaraki let out a scoff. “Then what the hell are you standing around here for? Go get it already. Maybe then we can have a proper kendo match when you get back. You might be strong, but I’d bet my ass you have no idea how to wield a katana just from the way you stand.”

I pouted. That wasn’t… not true. But I wasn’t about to give him the satisfaction of admitting it. Deciding not to dwell on Zaraki’s jab, I quickly opened a portal. My zanpakutō was calling out to me, and I wasn’t about to wait any longer to get my hands on it!

Stepping through the portal, I emerged onto a floating island in the sky. The place was very nice and swanky.

[Did you forget you weren’t allowed up here?]

I paused mid-step, the voice of the system echoing in my head. “Woops,” I muttered. “Oh well, I’m already here...” I pushed forward. My zanpakutō’s call grew stronger with every step, and I couldn’t help but feel a giddy excitement building in my chest. This was going to be good!

"Hmmm… I don’t remember you being allowed up here...” A woman’s voice called out, sharp and clear.

Looking up, I saw a stunning Japanese woman dressed in a traditional kimono, standing gracefully at the top of the stairs.

“Oh? Hey there… um, what was your name again?” I asked.

“How rude,” she said, her tone clipped and formal. “I am Senjumaru Shutara, and you are trespassing in the territory of the great Soul King. Leave at once, Layla of the Fallen. You have no business here.” There was an edge of defensiveness in her voice, but I could also detect a faint hint of nervousness.

Yeah, the members of Squad Zero were afraid of me. They knew that if I could one-hit Yhwach, I could do the same to each of them without breaking a sweat.

“I just came here to grab my zanpakutō, and then I’ll leave,” I said casually.

Senjumaru’s expression tightened. Clearly, she didn’t like my answer. “Leave now,” she repeated, her voice firm.

I pouted, stomping my foot playfully. “I don’t wanna! I came all this way, and I’m not leaving without my sword!” When in doubt, always whine until you get what you want! Only suckers take no for an answer.

[Very mature of you…]

I ignored the system’s sarcasm. But before Senjumaru could say anything else, her body suddenly tensed. Her head turned sharply towards the massive floating palace in the distance, sitting on its own isolated island.

“The Soul King…” she said nervously, her voice dropping like she hated what she was about to say. “He would like to speak with you… personally… after you acquire your zanpakutō first.”

I grinned cheekily, pointing a finger at her. “See? That wasn’t so hard, was it! I knew we could all be friends if we tried.”

“Doubtful,” she muttered with a tired sigh, turning on her heel. “Follow me. I will escort you to Ōetsu Nimaiya’s domain.”

“Lead the way, Miss Senjumaru,” I said, falling into step behind her, unable to resist the smirk tugging at my lips.

Senjumaru led me through the floating palace with the kind of silent efficiency that screamed she didn’t want to talk to me.

I didn’t mind.

My zanpakutō was calling out to me, and I was too focused to care about her icy attitude. Finally, we arrived at an intricately designed courtyard where the creator of all zanpakutō, Ōetsu Nimaiya, stood waiting.

Beside him was none other than Ichigo Kurosaki, who, for some reason, was holding two swords instead of one. When his eyes landed on me, he visibly blanched.

“What is she doing up here!?” he asked, pointing at me like I was some kind of thing that offended him.

“She is here to retrieve her zanpakutō,” Senjumaru explained calmly, as if she weren’t still annoyed with me.

Ichigo blinked a few times before recovering, his face splitting into a grin. “So, you got a new sword too, huh? Check this out!” He held up his two blades proudly. “My two awesome new zanpakutō. You won’t be able to beat me so easily now!”

I couldn’t help but smirk. “That’s what Kenpachi said, and I still killed him in one punch.”

Ichigo’s grin faltered, and his eyes widened. “The hell!? He’s dead…?”

I waved him off dismissively. “It’s fine. He got better.”

Ichigo sputtered, clearly struggling to process that information. “What do you mean ‘he got better’? That’s not how—wait, how did you even—”

Ignoring the barrage of questions he threw at me, I turned my attention to Ōetsu Nimaiya. “So,” I said, placing my hands on my hips. “Where’s my zanpakutō?”

Ōetsu cringed slightly before gesturing for me to follow. “Right this way,” he said, his voice a bit strained.

I wasn’t expecting that kind of reaction. “What’s with the face?” I asked, quirking an eyebrow.

He avoided my gaze. “You’ll know it when you see it.”

Instead of leading me into his workshop, like I expected, he brought me to… his house? I blinked, glancing around the modest structure as I stepped inside. Politeness won out, and I slipped off my shoes before following him further in. He led me through a simple but cozy space until we reached the kitchen.

Sitting at the table, snacking on crackers, was an absolutely adorable little girl. She couldn’t have been older than seven or eight. She wore a white kimono, just a shade paler than her skin, and had long white hair cascading down her back. Her gray eyes lit up when she noticed me, and I couldn’t miss the fluffy white angel wings sprouting from her back.

“Momma! I knew you’d come!” she cried, crumbs flying out of her mouth as she bolted out of her chair and latched onto the bottom of my shirt in a tight hug.

“Mama?” I muttered, looking down at her in surprise. “I guess I’ve got another one...”

[Heh. Leave it to you to have a zanpakutō that is literally just an angel.]

“Not just any angel,” I said quietly, examining her closely. Despite her small size and only having two wings, she radiated an overwhelming power. It wasn’t spiritual energy exactly—it felt more… conceptual.

The girl finally let go of my shirt and smiled up at me. “Hello, little one. What’s your name?” I asked her.

She didn’t answer right away. Instead, she grinned cheekily at me before a flash of white light engulfed the room. When it faded, she was gone. In her place was a brilliant katana, practically glowing as it hovered in the air. I reached out instinctively, grabbing the hilt. It felt unbelievably soft, almost like holding feathers themselves, but I knew the blade was impossibly sharp. More than that… it was powerful.

“Tenshi no Sābā,” I said, her name coming to me instinctively. Angelic Sever. The blade’s power was as beautiful as it was terrifying. It could sever bonds… on a conceptual level.

[Holy shit!!! ASDFGH!!!! Its power is absolutely horrifying! You absolutely can never, ever tell people what this blade can do! In fact, don’t freaking use it ever!]

'Why are you freaking out?' I asked the system in my head.

[That blade of yours can permanently sever a gamer system from its host! You’ve never met other gamers because you’ve stuck to your multiverse, but remember when i told you most of them are pieces of shit with massive egos? If they find out you can take their powers, they’ll all declare war on you!]

I rolled my eyes. “I’ll be careful...”

[You better be!]

With a wave of my hand, I used Creation of All Things to manifest a sheath for the blade. “Ten-chan,” I said, deciding on her nickname.

Ōetsu was watching me critically, arms crossed. “Tenshi no Sābā, huh? The only zanpakutō I never made myself. What’s it do?”

I stuck my tongue out at him. “It’s a secret.”

“Ah, man. Now you’ve got me really curious.”

“Too bad,” I said, sliding Ten-chan into her new sheath. “I’ve got a meeting with the Soul King now.”

Ōetsu’s expression shifted, replaced by something much more serious. “So you do... I’m sure Senjumaru is waiting to escort you. A word of advice, the Soul King is probably not going to be what you’re expecting, but he’s very important. Don’t you dare harm him!”

I rolled my eyes. “It’s not like I was even planning on meeting him. I’m sure everything will be fine...” With that, I headed back outside…

…

A half hour later…

“Puchi!”

…Everything was not fine.

The Soul King had definitely not been what I'd been expecting. Not that it mattered in the end because he was now very much dead.

My new Zanpakutō, Tenshi no sābā, was currently impaling him through the heart. The palace around us started violently shaking as the Soul King’s connection to his realm, along with the entire world, was severed with his death.

[Welp, that happened…]

XXX