"So, is this our final stop for today?"
Rayleigh stood on the northwestern city wall of Orario, facing a red-haired girl across the way who held a longsword.
Alise smiled.
"I know this is where Kaguya and Ryuu train with you every day."
"But you have never been here before."
"I even hinted to Ryuu not to come, but that girl missed my meaning entirely..." Alise muttered under her breath.
She was confident her intentions aligned with Kaguya's, so she would not interfere.
"Did you say something?"
"Ahem, nothing important. Now that I have finally gotten my Zanpakuto, do you really think I could wait until tomorrow to use it given my personality?" Alise's tone carried an inexplicable confidence.
"Is that something to brag about? Sigh, well, it's certainly your style."
Rayleigh said, "But I did not bring my Zanpakuto."
Alise replied, "That's fine. I know your magic is formidable too."
"Alright, I understand."
Seeing that she had no intention of backing down, Rayleigh assumed a fighting stance.
"You announce the start."
"Alright. I will count to three and start... Now!" Rayleigh struck first.
He clasped his hands together, and as he separated them, crimson threads stretched out.
"Bakudō Number Nine: Geki!"
Red light ropes shot out from five directions.
Alise was caught off guard, but her reaction was fast as she swung her sword at the crimson light.
However, the moment her blade struck, she realized the light was flexible.
Following the direction of her strike, the red light rope bent and clung to the blade.
Simultaneously, two of the remaining four crimson threads bound her sword-wielding hands, while the other two coiled around her ankles.
"Ugh, that is unfair!"
"This is strategic guidance," Rayleigh said with a smirk, and began chanting.
He unleashed Bakudō Number Fifteen and Bakudō Number Sixteen in rapid succession.
All struck true to her body!
Alise was immobilized by the binding force, unable to move a finger.
Yet she refused to give up, struggling against her restraints.
"Ugh, it is not over yet!"
Alise's Magic surged.
Rayleigh startled, thinking she was about to use a spell.
He took a step back when he sensed a surge of spiritual pressure erupting from her.
As the creator of the Zanpakuto, he was intimately familiar with this energy.
"Burn, Engetsu!"
Alise called out the name of her Zanpakuto.
Boom!
Flames bloomed like crimson lotuses along the blade.
Gazing at the burning sword in her hand, which resembled a red flower in full bloom, Alise realized it perfectly matched her Adventurer title: Scarlet Harnel.
The flames incinerated the threads of spiritual power, freeing her from her restraints.
She leveled the liberated Engetsu before her.
The fiery glow of the sword eclipsed the blush on her face.
Rayleigh had told her Engetsu would suit her well. Now she understood the deeper meaning.
This realization filled her with joy!
"But cheating is still cheating, and you will have to face the consequences."
Alise charged toward Rayleigh, brandishing the burning sword as Rayleigh cast Hadō Number Four: Byakurai.
Yet Alise did not flinch. She pointed her sword forward, cleaving the White Lightning in two!
"Amazing, Engetsu!" Alise exclaimed.
The next moment, she raised Engetsu high and shouted, "In that case... what will happen now?!"
Gripping the sword with both hands, she swung it down with all her might.
The raging flames coalesced into a massive fireball.
Seeing this, Rayleigh wanted to coolly declare "Danku!" and block the flames.
But reality rarely goes as planned.
He dove toward the staircase, taking cover below.
The colossal torrent of fire surged past, tearing up countless bricks and leaving the city wall in ruins.
"Idiot! You went too far!" Rayleigh yelled from the stairs.
Alise stared in disbelief at the transformed city wall.
She had not imagined the power would be so immense!
She had merely swung the sword with force, yet it had unleashed a devastating blast of fire.
On the bright side, Engetsu was extraordinary, far exceeding her expectations.
The downside? On the very day she had cleared her 100 million debts, she was saddled with the cost of repairing the city wall!
"Noooo!"
Alise collapsed to the ground, on the verge of tears.
'What a disaster.'
Rayleigh shook his head, feeling a pang of sympathy for the girl's misfortune.
...
After sunset...
Alise returned to the Familia.
The girls swarmed her the moment she arrived, peppering her with questions about her date: How did it go? What happened?
Realizing she could not shake them off, Alise recounted the day's events in chronological order.
Finally, when she mentioned accidentally destroying the northwestern city wall and Kaguya immediately sprang to her feet.
"Huh?!"
"Alise, are you sure it was an accident?!"
The red-haired girl lowered her head under the intense scrutiny.
'There is no way around this.'
Though they had not explicitly agreed, the Familia had tacitly decided not to interfere in each other's affairs.
Yet now, Alise had blown up the very place where Kaguya and Rayleigh spent their days together!
It would be easy to suspect her of deliberate sabotage.
"I swear, it was not intentional! I just wanted to test my Zanpakuto..."
"Oh, right! Rayleigh asked me to tell you he wants to continue training with you. If you are willing, meet him at the abandoned church at the same time tomorrow."
"The abandoned church? Hmm... Since he is so eager to get stronger, I suppose I could help him out as a teammate," Gojouno Kaguya said, twirling a strand of her black hair, feigning reluctance.
"Don't act so aloof with me. You should say that to Rayleigh's face—he would be thrilled."
'Hmm.'
"Who would say something like that?" Kaguya's expression stiffened.
But inwardly, she breathed a sigh of relief.
"And this is the Zanpakuto Rayleigh forged for you?" Kaguya glanced at the white longsword at Alise's waist.
"Mhm! It is called Engetsu, and it's a fiery child! I adore it!"
"A Zanpakuto..." Kaguya calculated her savings, now seriously considering Rayleigh's contract.
With a Zanpakuto, Alise would become ridiculously strong after advancing to Level 3.
Though Kaguya was also preparing to level up, at this rate, Alise would leave her in the dust.
'Next time, I will ask Rayleigh what kind of woman he likes... Wait, what am I thinking?!'
'I meant to ask if there is a Zanpakuto suitable for me, of course!'
---
Ngl i thought engetsu has a blue color flame...