Break and Bind

"We must never shed tears. / That is the life form's defeat / And if we give in to the emotions / Then it only becomes proof / Of our inability to control it."


Chapter 7: Emotions Get in the Way

"So what the hell's a sin, cos, and tan?" Urahara heard Anza cry in frustration. He was surprised how well his plan was working. All four Espada plus Anza had sat down straightaway to do homework after arriving back at his shop after school.

"Weren't you paying attention in class?" asked Szayel Aporro silkily.

"I was trying to," she retorted angrily through gritted teeth. "But someone kept glaring at me every freaking second!"

Urahara poked his head into the room just in time to see Anza and Grimmjow have a glaring match.

"What was I supposed to fuckin' do?" the blue-haired Espada retorted angrily. "You seemed okay with those fuckin' hormonal teenage boys all fuckin' over you!"

Anza stood up. "You were just as popular with the fuckin' girls!"

"I don't give a shit about them! I just ignored them — but you… you only fuckin' encouraged it with your fuckin' skirt and shit! FUCKIN' SLUT!"

Her eyes narrowed. "You didn't," she said in a low voice.

He looked at her coldly. "Slut."

Urahara slowly slid out. He did not want to witness this.

He sighed and retreated downstairs, where Renji was training.

"Hihiō Zabimaru!" yelled the redhead and transformed into his Bankai state. He began a series of attacks, but paused when he noticed Urahara.

"Urahara-san?"

"Just thought I'd come to see how your training's going."

Renji shrugged and raised Zabimaru, about to attack, when Szayel Aporro Granz called out,

"My, my. You haven't gotten any stronger since we last fought, Shinigami."

"What did you just say?!"

The pink-haired Espada appeared next to Renji.

"I'm afraid you'll have no chance at defeating Les Railles."

"Say that again…"

"I said… you have no chance at defeating Les Railles."

"Hikōtsu Taihō!"

Szayel Aporro casually leapt out of the way of the Baboon Bone Cannon. "By the way, Urahara, you might want to check on your shop — or what's left of it," he added.

Without another word, Urahara swept away. He hoped Anza — and Grimmjow especially — hadn't figured out yet how to get out of their gigai. It would be so tedious to have to repair a blown-up shop.

Reluctantly, he poked his head out from the trapdoor and peered around. The shop looked intact — and it was silent.

That did not bode well.

Urahara warily crept to the room where he'd left the Espada. There was now a hole punched through the shoji screen and one slide now lay on the ground.

He stepped over the broken screen, making a mental note to ask Tessai to fix it, and looked around.

Ulquiorra and Harribel were still there, dutifully doing homework. The sight was almost comical.

"Anza and Grimmjow left?" Urahara asked them off-handedly.

"Yes," replied Ulquiorra. "Their gigai are in the front of your shop."

Damn. They figured out how to go back to their regular bodies.

Urahara sighed. "Well, I guess I'll go collect them and put them away. Thanks, Ulquiorra."

"Hm."

Urahara stepped over the broken shoji once more and found, true to the pale Espada's words, the Jaegerjaquezes' gigai lying at the front door. Unceremoniously, he picked them up and carried them away.


About two and a half hours later, Urahara heard the front door open and Anza's strange reiatsu flooded the shop.

He went to greet her — and his pace slowed. She was leaning against the wall for support and panting heavily. Her updo was coming down and her hairpin was lopsided. Upon a closer glance, Urahara noticed her left leg had a deep gash in it.

"They — they're… stronger… than — than… I thought…" she gasped.

Urahara frowned and approached her. "Who?" he inquired, though he knew the answer before she said it.

She raised her head and gave him a piercing glare.

"Les Railes."