April 2nd, 2001
Ryuuto and Momoe were sitting in a park, school having just let out not too long ago. The first and most important step for Ryuuto to truly become a Quincy was to learn how to absorb reishi, something Momoe could not do.
"Imagine as if reishi is merely air and you're trying to suck it in through your nose." Momoe instructed, a small notebook in her hand.
Taking a deep breath through his nose, Ryuuto cupped his hands together as a cyan sphere slowly began to form. As the orb slowly took shape, it began to vibrate faster and faster before suddenly dissipating back into the air.
Ryuuto would let out a sigh of defeat before laying back in the grass.
"It's ok. That's much better than I can do." Momoe attempted to reassure him.
"I gotta figure out how to use this stuff and fast if we're gonna fight Hollows all day."
"Couldn't you just use those guns you conjured from before? Those looked like they were really effective." Momoe asked, tilting her head to the side.
"Nope. I can't use them anymore. Stuff like that is a last resort thing." Ryuuto couldn't possibly explain the fact he has some relevant knowledge of things yet to come and his abilities pull from that knowledge, at least he couldn't justify trying to explain it. It's probably better to just leave it as is for now.
"Well you're still a far length away from stepping in my house so we need to keep training." Momoe flipped through the small notebook, looking for something. Due to her near inability to draw on reishi, she had taken in notes from her siblings and cousins who could. Of course each of them had their own approach but maybe one would work for Ryuuto. "Ok this one is from big brother Shin."
"You have a lot of siblings. I don't even think I heard of half of the ones you mentioned."
"You can thank my father for that."
"Not sure I want to just incase they're the very overprotective type."
Over the next few days, Momoe instructed Ryuuto. Their sessions would remain fruitless, Ryuuto still unable to properly draw in reishi. Despite the fact they never included Kazuki into this, he didn't seem to mind as he had his own business to take care of... whatever that meant.
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April 11th, 2001.
Once again, Ryuuto and Momoe found themselves alone in the park. It had been 45 minutes since they started but it felt as it progress was being made. A breakthrough could happen any second now.
Standing under a tree's shade, Ryuuto closed his eyes and pressed his palms together as if he was praying. He then began to focus on his surroundings, feeling the particles of reishi that were all around him.
"Kaaaaaaaahhhhhhh..." Ryuuto slowly exhale as he pulled his hands away from one another. In that open, reishi had condensed into a tangible form. As he continued to pull his hands away, he made them curve so that the reishi construct could resemble a bow. Once something resembling a compact bow was formed, Ryuuto quickly grabbed on to it.
The two remained in silence to see if the bow would still remain after Ryuuto grabbed on to it.
Miraculously, it did.
Unable to control their excitement, the two began to cheer. It was as if they had just won millions upon millions of dollars. In the middle of their celebration, they noticed they were drawing a lot of unwanted attention from people who couldn't even see Souls let alone reishi. Realizing they were causing a scene they instantly decided to stop, Ryuuto even letting out an awkward cough.
Once they were no longer the center of attention, Momoe took out her phone and made a call."
"Hello? Father? I want to bring someone to you and the elders. A Quincy, one who I created just as the king of old did. ...N-No I'm serious! The ritual worked and- ...Yes. I'll bring him to you tomorrow." Momoe would sigh, hanging up before facing Ryuuto.
Ryuuto was too caught up in celebrating within his mind to pay attention to the conversation.
["Ok maybe there's a way I can enhance my training too. ...My memory power might have something to do with it."]
"Ryuuto." Momoe spoke up. "I need to ask you something."
"Hm? What's up?" Ryuuto spun the mini Helig Bogen in his hand as if it were a pistol.
"I need you to meet my family so I can show them what I've done with you."
"I'm finally getting to meet your family? Seriously?" In all of Ryuuto's newly created memories, not once could he remember even seeing Momoe's house let alone going inside. A maid or butler would always pick her up from school in place of her actual parents. Maybe this could be a good thing. Maybe there he has a chance to connect with Uryu since he and Momoe are both Quincies.
"Yes but I need to warn you, they're very strict and have high standards for you being a newly created Quincy. Especially since I'm the one who made you a Quincy."
"Right. I'm guessing they aren't exactly keen on an outsider joining in all of a sudden." Ryuuto lowered the mini Helig Bogen to his side. "When does he want to meet?"
"Tomorrow. He, my siblings, and the elders will evaluate you and your worth as a Quincy." Momoe visibly seemed more gloomy about the situation, brushing hair away from her eyes.
"Gotcha. I'll knock your family off their feet." Ryuuto gave a confident smile and a thumbs up.
Momoe tried her best not to laugh given the gravity of the situation, but she couldn't help but let a chuckle escape. "Try not to give grandma a heart attack, please."
"I promise." Ryuuto replied.
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April 11th, 2001; Adachi Household (7:30 PM)
Ryuuto paced about his room, trying to think of a way to improve his abilities. If he went as he was now, it'd be a disaster for him and Momoe. There has to be something, something that can make his training go faster. He then remembered his ability to conjure memories. If he could copy abilities then maybe he could copy an entire person.
If he was just someone who had better control of reishi, maybe it would speed up his training or at least make him look adequate. But now the troubling part: Who should he copy?
Uryu Ishida would be the safest option but he didn't feel like wasting even one version on training. Every single Sternritter was out of the question given how powerful they are along with their recoil effect probably being worse than Starrk's guns. There has to be someone... Someone competent enough but not overly strong.
"Got it." Ryuuto snapped his fingers, his clothes suddenly glowing bright and changing.
Ryuuto's outfit now reflected that of Soken Ishida, Uryu's grandfather.
"With this on I should..." Ryuuto held his hands out, having a much easier time gathering reishi compared to the past 9 days. It was a feeling akin to the confidence in wearing a fancy outfit or walking outside with a new haircut.
All there was left to do was practice a little more and wait for the big moment.
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April 12, 2001; Karakura High School
Ryuuto, Momoe, and Kazuki stood outside talking to each other. However it was more like Ryuuto and Momoe were hostages to one of Kazuki's unusual and probably made up stories.
"And the dude with the scar, yanks me by the ear like this." Kazuki grabbed his own ear and yanked upward, standing on his tip toes while making a horrified expression.
Ryuuto and Momoe chuckled at Kazuki's expression, even if the story was made up Kazuki's range of expression was enough to make up for it.
A Mercedes-Benz G500 would pull up to the school, stopping by the trio. A maid exited the driver's side of the van. Her skin was pale as if she never stepped into the sun before, her eyes a dull gray, and her hair in a short black bob.
"Mistress Nishitani, I've been tasked with escorting you and your friend to the manor." The maid spoke in a monotone voice, her face devoid of expression.
"Oh, hi Shoko." Momoe waved to the maid.
She was... new. Ryuuto couldn't remember seeing her at all. All of the servants who picked Momoe up from school in the past were well in the 40s to 60s. Despite Shoko's ghastly appearance, she definitely seemed closer in age to the three than the rest.
Kazuki on the other hand, was left without words.
"Well I guess we need to go now, Ryuuto." Momoe would walk to the car as Shoko opened the door for her.
"Wait- You're going to Momoe's house? And without me?!" Kazuki grabbed Ryuuto by the collar, shaking him around.
"K-Kazuki calm down! I'll explain as much as I can later." Ryuuto tried to calm Kazuki down, getting dizzier and dizzier the more he was shaken.
Kazuki stopped shaking Ryuuto, dusting him off. "You better tell me what her place is like."
Ryuuto approached the car, Shoko quickly moving in front of him before holding out some sort of cloth to him.
"As per orders and customs, I ask than you blindfold yourself. If not, I shall be forced to apply it myself."
Looking down at the blindfold, Ryuuto sighed before picking it up and putting it on. Then he made his way into the car before Shoko closed the door.
"Hey- uh... Shoko, right?" Kazuki spoke up, trying to get her attention.
"Yes?"
"Are you... Are you going to be picking up Momoe from school more often now?"
"If I am ordered to and permitted, then yes." With that, she gets back in the car before driving off from the school.
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April 12, 2001; Nishitani Mansion
It had taken around 40 minutes or so for them to arrive at the mansion located in Karakura's outskirts. It was a massive building that resembled more of an European castle than an actual mansion. Surrounded by lots of forest, large stone towers, and even guards standing outside.
Shoko exited the car, opening the door for Ryuuto and Momoe. The still blindfolded Ryuuto was guided inside by Momoe with Shoko leading the pair to the living room.
"Shoko, you may remove the man's blindfold." A deep voice spoke, prompting Shoko to undo the blindfold on Ryuuto.
Once he vision was cleared, he was greeted by several figures staring at him. Most of them were elderly men and women but two in particular stuck out: A man who towered over the rest with black hair slicked back and an elderly short woman with silver hair in a wheel chair. He could infer that the man was Momoe's father but what about the one in the wheelchair? The spiritual pressure in the room was suffocating enough, those two emitting the most of it from what he could tell.
"Leave us, Shoko." The man commanded, the maid quickly bowing before walking away. Once she was gone, all attention was on Ryuuto and Momoe.
"Not since the days of Der König des Lichts has the power to share been invoked." The old woman spoke, her gaze on Ryuuto. She slowly redirected that gaze to Momoe. "Dearest granddaughter, do you understand what kind of power you wield?"
"I do not, grandmother." Momoe responded.
"Mother, I can understand your eagerness but I think you're being too hasty. We do not even know if the boy is adequate as a Quincy." Momoe's father kept a cold, unfeeling glare on Ryuuto. "Therefore I say we witness the boy's capabilities first hand."
"Forgive for speaking out of turn but does that mean we need to duel?"
"No. I could kill you with a mere thought, we shall be invoking a ritual used in the Nishitani Family for generations."
"Father, surely you can't mean-" Momoe's eyes wideneded in shock.
"We shall conduct... Dämonenfest."