Whether the distance between West District 5 and West District 4 was long or short depended on the person.
For an ordinary person, it was definitely a long way.
Shiraishi was no ordinary person, so he thought the distance was short. He simply wasn't familiar with the route, which severely limited his speed.
He had to check the landmarks and route on his map from time to time, stopping and starting until around six or seven in the evening.
By then, a river of stars stretched across the sky. On the vast, flat ground, green grass grew thickly, interspersed with a great patch of little red flowers he couldn't name.
It was a scene well suited to a painter, except for a building that spoiled its natural beauty.
Two strange-looking stone statues stood on either side of the house, holding a cloth banner high above them with the name Kūkaku Shiba written on it.
Shiraishi approached the entrance.
"Wait!"
With a shout, two towering figures leaped down from the roof, looking exactly like the stone statues.
They had square faces, comical handlebar mustaches, and round hats. Their clothes resembled those of menial servants from the Qing dynasty, and they were very tall.
Shiraishi, at 185 centimeters, barely reached their shoulders.
"Who are you?" the man on the left asked.
The man on the right continued, "You're dressed pretty strangely."
"I, Koganehiko, and Shiroganehiko won't let you through, no matter what."
"Get lost already!"
The two seemed like a comedy duo, taking turns delivering their lines as their expressions changed.
"Haha, you two are hilarious."
Shiraishi wasn't frightened. Instead, he burst out laughing.
The stern expressions on Koganehiko and Shiroganehiko's faces suddenly crumbled, and they put their heads together to whisper.
"Koganehiko, I think this guy has great taste."
"Exactly. He could actually see the humor we hid in there. He's definitely no ordinary person."
"Then let's let him in."
"Okay."
The two gatekeepers overturned their earlier decision with ease.
As for whether this might put their mistress in danger, they weren't worried in the slightest.
In terms of strength, the two of them together couldn't match a single one of their mistress's fingers.
Being gatekeepers was their hobby; doing odd jobs was their real work.
The tightly shut door opened, revealing a staircase leading underground. Shiroganehiko stayed at the entrance while Koganehiko led Shiraishi down.
The passage was somewhat dim, with a doorway-shaped light shining at the very bottom.
Koganehiko said, "When you meet Lady Kūkaku, make sure you don't do anything rude. If you make her angry, don't expect to leave here on your own two feet."
"Don't worry. I'm always very polite to people."
Shiraishi answered with complete confidence.
At the bottom of the stairs, the glow of firefly vines filled the corridor, and a Japanese-style sliding door stood before them.
"Wait here a moment. I'll go announce you."
Koganehiko spoke quietly. Though he was a man over two meters tall, he seemed strangely timid.
"Is that you, Koganehiko?"
A crisp, metallic voice passed through the sliding door and reached the foot of the stairs.
Koganehiko trembled and hurriedly stood up straight. "Yes, it's me!" he called.
"We have a guest, so what are you still fussing about? Open the door!"
"Yes, right away!" Koganehiko hurried forward and threw the sliding door open, then stepped to its left.
Inside was a very spacious room with little in the way of furnishings.
A painting, a square carpet, a colorful armrest, and four floor cushions bearing black family crests made the room look very empty.
Kūkaku Shiba reclined against the armrest like a gang boss. Turning her head, her pretty face full of curiosity, she asked, "Were you passing by, or did you come specifically to see me?"
"Of course I came specifically to see you."
Shiraishi answered decisively, then quickly dropped to one knee and held out his right hand. "Please marry me, Miss Kūkaku."
"Huh?!" Koganehiko's eyes nearly popped out of his head.
Kūkaku Shiba froze for a moment. It was the first time anyone had said something like that to her, and it didn't feel bad. "Haha, what an interesting guy."
She laughed heartily, dazzling Shiraishi's eyes.
Her waves surged.
To be honest, counting both his previous life and this one, this was the first time Shiraishi had ever seen a beautiful woman dressed so revealingly in person.
Her bright red top was so short that it was more like an oversized halter than a shirt, barely holding in two bowling balls and threatening to let them spill out at any moment.
Her smooth back and shoulders were completely exposed to the cool air.
The beige skirt below was even more outrageous. He had never seen a skirt slit all the way up to the waistband; her raised, bent right leg was almost completely uncovered.
Hey, she's definitely not wearing anything under there!
Shiraishi screamed inwardly. A man's instincts made him wish his gaze could focus into a single point, burn through the skirt, and see for himself.
"You little punk!"
Koganehiko finally reacted and wanted to step forward and beat up this rude fellow.
"Koganehiko, you mustn't be rude to our guest."
Kūkaku Shiba shouted at him.
"Lady Kūkaku, this guy's the one who's being rude!"
"It's not that bad."
She said dismissively, "It's perfectly normal for a man to fall for me when he sees me. This guy just said what he was thinking. There's nothing wrong with that."
At that, Kūkaku Shiba propped her cheek on her hand and looked him up and down with her olive-green eyes. "But I'm not interested in your type of man."
"Miss Kūkaku, don't be so quick to decide."
"Tell me why you're really here."
Kūkaku Shiba cut him off, unwilling to continue the subject.
He could only end the proposal ritual and say, "My name is Shiraishi. As you can see, I'm an aspiring young man with regular features and a passion for fashion.
"Because of my strong sense of justice, I couldn't stand watching a Fifth Seat of the Stealth Force commit evil in West District Three, so I cut him down with one stroke.
"I was forced to set out on a journey of wandering, and I hope to stay with the Shiba Clan for a while until things blow over."
"A Fifth Seat of the Stealth Force..." Kūkaku Shiba murmured.
Koganehiko said, "His name was Hasegawa Taizo. They say he was brutal and had a habit of forcing himself on other men's wives."
"Tch, most Soul Reapers are no good."
Kūkaku Shiba muttered under her breath. She really couldn't understand why her eldest brother had gone off to become a Soul Reaper.
"You can stay as long as you like. I love meddling in troublesome matters."
"Please let me stay for the rest of my life!"
Shiraishi answered excitedly.
Kūkaku Shiba ignored that remark. She looked up toward the door, a smile appearing on her face. "A Reiatsu reading. The Stealth Force is fast."
Shiraishi noticed it too and looked puzzled. "That's impossible. I'm sure I wasn't followed."
"Stay here for now. Let me deal with those annoying guys. Being one of the Five Great Noble Clans does come in handy once in a while."
Kūkaku Shiba rose from her seat, once again ignoring Shiraishi's words as she issued orders on her own.
In a way, the two of them really did get along well.
One liked to chatter away, while the other only listened to what she wanted to hear and answered the questions she wanted to answer.
Anything they didn't want to hear and any questions they didn't want to answer, they simply ignored.
Kūkaku Shiba strode through the sliding door and up the dim staircase. When she reached the entrance, she saw a sight she would never forget for the rest of her life.
A vast, Captain-level Reiatsu erupted outward, out of control!