The Zero Division Descends (Three)
A gentle light flickered in Kirio Hikifune's eyes, the kind of tenderness an elder shows to a younger person. She spoke softly, her voice gentle and melodious, like a spring breeze caressing a lake. "It's been a long time, Shinji."
She paused, her gaze sweeping across the crowd as if searching for something. Then she asked, "A rare opportunity, why don't I see Hiyori? Didn't that girl come with you?"
"What do you mean, 'long time no see'?! Who are you?" Shinji Hirako covered his head, his expression changing from aggrieved to confused.
He scrutinized the plump woman before him, trying to find some familiar traces on her face. Her smile, her tone of voice, the way she called his name—all of these things gave him a strange sense of warmth. But he just couldn't remember when he had ever met such a woman.
His mind raced, searching every corner of his memory. Suddenly, a name popped into his head, startling him.
"Um... Hiyori?" Shinji Hirako blurted out instinctively, but then realized something was off. Hiyori was Hiyori, and the woman in front of her was the woman in front of her—what was their relationship?
"What are you talking about? Have you forgotten?" Kirio Hikifune said with a smile, his voice carrying a hint of reproach and a touch of expectation. "It's me! Kirio Hikifune! Kirio Hikifune! You haven't really forgotten me, have you?"
"You... you're Kirio Hikifune- san?" Shinji Hirako's eyes widened suddenly, his mouth agape as if he could fit an egg in it. His face was filled with shock, so intense that his body trembled slightly. He couldn't believe his eyes, couldn't believe that the plump woman before him was the same slender, beautiful Kirio Hikifune from back then.
He remembered Kirio Hikifune —the woman who had once served as the Captain of the Twelfth Division, the pioneer who had been researching soul technology before the establishment of the Research and Development Institute, and the female Soul Reaper known for her beauty and wisdom in the Gotei 13. But the woman in front of him, apart from that familiar smile and tone, showed absolutely no trace of the woman from back then.
"You've changed..." Shinji Hirako murmured, his voice filled with an indescribable complexity. "Changed for the better... Huh? This isn't something that can be summed up with just saying 'changed'! Who are you, anyway?"
He circled Kirio Hikifune, his gaze sweeping over her plump figure, his face filled with disbelief. How could the once slender and beautiful Kirio Hikifune have become like this? What on earth happened?
Upon hearing Hikifune Maki Shinji Hirako's words, a blush of embarrassment appeared on Hikifune Masaki's face. She reached out and gently patted her round belly, a gesture that carried a sense of frankness and self-deprecation.
She laughed, her voice tinged with a hint of coquettishness, "Shinji, you're so mean! I haven't changed that much! I've just... just gained a little weight. And isn't that more auspicious?"
As she spoke, her gaze suddenly became somewhat unfocused, as if she were recalling something. Then, she suddenly patted her stomach and let out a groan. "Ah... I'm hungry!!"
The sudden and loud wail startled everyone present. This member of the Zero Division, this former technological pioneer, now resembled an ordinary, hungry middle-aged woman, completely lacking the demeanor of a master. This contrast made many people unable to help but show expressions of both amusement and exasperation.
While Shinji Hirako was still reeling from Kirio Hikifune's transformation, Tenjirō Kirinji strode off in another direction. His target was clear— Retsu Unohana.
The "Hot Spring Demon" approached Unohana, tilting his head and scrutinizing the Fourth Division Captain with a critical eye. He still had that long toothpick dangling from his mouth, swaying it leisurely. His hands were on his hips, his posture casual and arrogant, completely disregarding one of the most fearsome swordsmen in the Gotei 13.
"Unohana, long time no see!" Tenjirō Kirinji said, his voice carrying the casualness of an old friend's greeting, but also a hint of provocation. "How are you doing? Have you been making good use of those healing techniques I taught you back then? I heard you've been doing quite well in the Fourth Division these past few years. You haven't forgotten all my teachings, have you?"
Retsu Unohana kept her head down, her expression calm and serene. Her hands were folded in front of her, her posture elegant and composed, as if the person standing before her was not someone who was provoking her, but merely an ordinary visitor.
She said softly, her voice gentle and calm. "Of course. I have always kept in mind what you taught me, and I continue to apply and improve it in practice."
Her response was appropriate and tactful, expressing both respect for Tenjirō Kirinji and demonstrating her professionalism and confidence. However, Tenjirō Kirinji was clearly not satisfied with such a bland answer.
He tilted his head, his gaze sharpening, and a mocking smile curled at the corner of his mouth.
He continued, his voice deliberately exaggerated. "As far as I know, it was that brat named Liu Hao who treated the injured this time, using Bankai. You don't seem to have been of much help! The dignified Fourth Division Captain, the most skilled healer among the Gotei 13, has had his limelight stolen by a junior—that's not a good look!"
The moment those words were spoken, the atmosphere became tense. All eyes turned to Retsu Unohana, eager to see how the usually gentle and elegant Captain would respond to such a provocation. Some even instinctively took a step back, as if sensing something bad was about to happen.
Retsu Unohana kept her head down, her expression unchanged. But those who knew her well knew that the calmer she was, the more dangerous she was. Her fingers twitched slightly, a movement so subtle it was almost imperceptible, yet it sent a chill down the Isane Kotetsu standing beside her.
Just as the atmosphere was about to become tense, a large hand reached out and put its arm around Tenjirō Kirinji's shoulder.