Shinigami the Unforgiven, Chapter Sixteen: Isane's Great Crisis. As soon as the door opened, the cold wind outside clashed with the chilly air inside.
The indoor light fell directly onto the doorway, illuminating three women wrapped in cotton-padded coats.
There is no sunshine here all year round, and the air temperature is very low. If you don't wear a down jacket, you risk freezing to death on the road.
The main reason why Shiraishi and the others could go without clothes was that the house had a heating system that could provide warmth.
"Wow, it's so warm! This house looks scary on the outside, but it actually has heating inside."
The petite girl tugged at the collar of her down jacket and stepped inside. She could already feel the heat of the jacket and wanted to unzip it.
winter.
The tall girl tapped her on the head, signaling her to maintain a fierce image, and pushed up her square glasses with her other hand, saying, "My name is Rin Kunieda, the queen of the Dark Forest Patrol."
I have received intelligence about you; it says there is a glowing Void walking in the forest, causing great panic among the residents.
Shiraishi looked at Rukia. Wasn't this supposed to be a no-man's land?
Rukia looked equally bewildered, and stood up, saying, "Sorry, last time I came here, it was a deserted area, so I didn't pay much attention."
"Since Unohana arrived in the Dark Forest, and subsequently the Shinigami moved in, the population here has been steadily increasing."
As soon as Rin Kunieda finished speaking, Shiraishi grabbed her arm and exclaimed excitedly, "Where is she?"
"Ouch, that hurts! What are you doing?!"
Rin Kunieda abruptly shook her hand, her tone full of displeasure.
Shiraishi released his grip, took a step back, and said, "Excuse me, I was just too excited. May I ask where Unohana?"
Rin Kunieda frowned slightly, a hint of doubt in her eyes, and asked, "Lady Unohana has already left the Dark Forest. What do you want with her?"
Shiraishi didn't answer. His Spiritual Sense expanded outwards, detecting a Reiatsu four kilometers to the west. " Rukia, you go with them. I'll go ahead."
After saying that, he disappeared from there. In his haste, he lost his bearings and ran past the mark.
He turned around, slowed down, and leaped onto the tree branch, his heart filled with excitement.
Before long, he saw a mountain peak about 100 meters high, the top of which had been artificially flattened to facilitate the construction of houses.
Specks of light rose from various parts of the building, Shiraishi, guided by Reiatsu, leaped to a window and pushed it open.
It has a strong herbal scent.
A huge medicine cabinet stood against the wall, and a man carrying a lamp checked the stock of medicinal herbs.
Under the orange light, the woman's face was soft, her short, light purple hair covered her ears, and two braids hung down her right shoulder.
She was tall and slender, wearing a light gray down jacket, light purple thermal stockings, and knee-high boots.
" Isane ~"
Shiraishi called out.
Isane Kotetsu subconsciously looked out the window, where the light illuminated a familiar face. Her expression gradually brightened with surprise, and she was about to speak.
Shiraishi hugged her tightly, crying out in a sweet voice, " Isane ~ I missed you so much!"
"Um, that..."
Isane Kotetsu's voice became stammering, trying to get him to let go first.
Shiraishi hugged him tighter, her face swaying from side to side; the down jacket was very soft.
She's softer.
The fair cheeks quickly heated up, eventually burning completely and emitting white smoke.
Unable to process the problem, the person fainted.
The light is about to go out.
Shiraishi caught the person with one hand and the lamp with the other to prevent a fire.
"What happen?"
The door was suddenly pushed open, and a Red-Hair man with blue markings between his brows rushed in. Seeing the scene inside, he exclaimed in surprise, " Captain Shiraishi! You're finally back! What happened to Lieutenant Kotetsu?"
Shiraishi, holding Isane Kotetsu, said seriously, "She seems to have fainted from a fever due to overwork. Where is her bedroom?"
Renji Abarai hurriedly said, "Her bedroom is the first room in the north corridor. I'll have someone treat her."
"No need, I have experience. You just need to keep an eye on the outside."
Shiraishi flatly refused, "Don't let anyone disturb us."
"Good."
Renji Abarai, unsuspecting, turned around and told the others to let Isane Kotetsu get some rest.
Shiraishi carried the person to the room, which was simply furnished and didn't resemble a girl's bedroom at all.
The bed was covered with blankets and pillows folded like tofu. He put the person down, then used the Steel Tempest to leave, returning with a cold towel and a basin of hot water.
First, apply a cold towel to her forehead to lower her temperature, then help her take off her boots.
Unable to resist his curiosity, Shiraishi took a sniff. It smelled slightly sweaty, but not foul.
With a rip, the stockings were torn. Isane Kotetsu snapped out of her daze and sat up abruptly, saying, "No, Captain Shiraishi, we can't do that!"
The towel fell from my forehead onto my thigh, the cold making my thigh shiver.
"What are you thinking? I'm just washing your feet."
Shiraishi said with a serious expression, "You've been pushing yourself too hard at work lately, which is making you mentally exhausted. You need to relax."
Isane Kotetsu was stunned for a moment, then his face turned bright red again. It turned out he had misunderstood.
She quickly lay down and covered her face with a towel; it was so embarrassing.
Come to think of it, compared to Captain Unohana, I am really too ordinary and have no appeal whatsoever.
Hmm, Isane Kotetsu's toes curled slightly. He had a feeling that Captain Shiraishi's foot-washing technique was a little different from his own.
The fingers slip between the toes, the fingertips gently scraping the sides of the toes with a very light touch.
The warm water temperature combined with this delicate technique gave Isane Kotetsu another strange idea.
But that must be an illusion.
" Isane, how have you been lately?"
As Shiraishi spoke, he carefully wiped her feet. They were beautiful; all ten toes were as white as snow, and the insteps were like a block of tofu.
The toenails looked like they had been groomed; they were very neat and beautiful.
"I was really nervous when I first got separated from Captain Unohana, but thankfully she found me again and brought me to the Dark Forest."
Isane Kotetsu started talking about this, her guard down and she began to talk at length, "Sunlight can't reach here, and Utsuke doesn't really like coming here, so it started to get a bit deserted. But with Captain Unohana's efforts, more and more people are coming."
Many Shinigami gathered there, including Renji Abarai, Marechiyo Ōmaeda, Captain Soi Fon, and others...
Captain Shiraishi, haven't you finished washing your feet yet?
Her voice trembled slightly, and her calves grew warm.
This method of washing is unheard of.
Shiraishi gently pressed her calf and said seriously, "I'm massaging your calf muscles, relax."
"Oh."
Isane Kotetsu breathed a sigh of relief. Oh, it was just a massage. Then there's no problem.
Shiraishi continued, changing the subject, "I'm truly sorry, I couldn't stop Aizen in Hueco Mundo, leading to this dire situation."
"This isn't Captain Shiraishi's fault; it's all because Aizen is too cunning and used tricks to keep you trapped in Hueco Mundo for so long."
Taking advantage of the situation, Shiraishi asked, "Have you missed me during this time?"
Isane Kotetsu hurriedly said, "Hey, Captain Unohana misses you a lot."
" Isane, I miss you so much."