The woods were dark, far removed from the brilliance of the Steel Shell City. The dense foliage shattered the starlight and moonlight, casting dappled shadows onto the fallen leaves on the ground.
This is the mountaintop.
If Kūkaku Shiba looks north, he can still see the stars dotting the ground in the distance, colorful and varying in height, which set off the buildings standing in the darkness.
"I just wanted to avoid Ichigo Yuzu, why did you bring me here?"
Her eyes widened, trying to intimidate someone into not making any rash moves. They were having so much fun; how could they just leave? "We haven't seen the fireworks yet!"
"You can see the fireworks from here too, and the view is better than over there."
Shiraishi casually replied, tossing the plush bear onto a tree branch where it hung, "It's all your fault, Kūkaku, for putting on that smug, coy expression. It almost made me explode."
Kūkaku Shiba was quite pleased with her charm, knowing she couldn't avoid it, so she crossed her arms and further seduced him, saying, "You're the one who's thinking the wrong thing; I didn't mean it that way."
"Fine, it's all my fault. Who told me to have impure thoughts and set my sights on a respectable woman like you?"
Shiraishi revealed a villainous, sinister smile as he approached, his body shrouded in darkness.
All movements were shrouded in darkness, becoming impossible to see.
The yukata is similar in appearance to a kimono, but it is much more convenient than a kimono, without the layers of a nesting doll.
If a person loosens their belt, their defense will drop from 100% to a few percent. It's not that they have no defensive capabilities at all, but it's practically the same as opening a door to face an enemy.
Despite complaining that Kūkaku Shiba always acts recklessly, he actually cooperates with his actions quite well at the beginning.
Taking a shower beforehand was a wise move; she knew this guy was the type to easily wander into the woods halfway through the journey.
Chirp.
A firework rose from the distant city, and before it exploded, one after another rose into the sky.
As she watched the fireworks explode in the night sky, creating a dazzling array of colors, a sudden clarity appeared in her hazy eyes.
We're finally inside!
Onii-chan, look! I won that doll!
"Yes, well done, my Yuzu."
"The fireworks were so beautiful!"
The fireworks never stopped, as if trying to throw all the treasures accumulated over decades into the sky.
Multicolored lights replaced the stars and moon, adorning the night sky and illuminating the woods.
Part of it flows down the calf, then paints the five toenails with vibrant colors.
The iridescent light, resembling that of manicures, floats on the bulging latissimus dorsi muscles of the back, like an airplane malfunctioning at night, rising and falling erratically.
A gentle evening breeze carried a beautiful symphony of sounds, drifting towards the mountains and fading as it approached the city.
The fireworks display in the Steel Shell City lasted for less than half an hour before it ended.
The enthusiasm in the forest wasn't fleeting; it remained consistently high.
It's late at night.
As the Shinigami Festival drew to a close, the drunken people were unable to get up, while those who were still sober walked back in twos and threes.
"Onii-chan"
Yuzu nestled on Ichigo Kurosaki's shoulder, talking in her sleep, her little hands wrapped tightly around his neck, "Hehe."
She let out a smile, though she didn't know what she was dreaming about.
Ichigo Kurosaki looked at Karin, who was still walking on the ground. "Can you walk? If you're sleepy, I can carry you back."
"Idiot, you idiot, Ichigo- nii, I'm not Yuzu; I've stayed up past midnight before."
Karin blushed as she recalled being held in someone's arms and retorted, then raised her chin to show that she had grown up.
I'm not afraid of staying up all night.
"It's midnight! You shouldn't stay up so late in the future; it's bad for your health."
Ichigo Kurosaki told her to go to bed early, as it's not good for a child's health to sleep so late.
"So verbose!"
Karin pouted, carrying her guitar case on her back, and jumped forward, seemingly to vent her anger, deliberately stepping on his shadow.
Ichigo Kurosaki smiled and carried Yuzu home on his back.
The Dark Forest was destroyed by Grimmjow's attack, and the original inhabitants moved to a safe haven built by Kisuke Urahara.
Safety is guaranteed there, but inconvenience in daily life is also an unavoidable issue.
After defeating Aizen, the Shinigami began transferring those people from the base, distributing them to twenty-five Steel Shell City within a few hours.
The future requires people to work together, and no one will complain about having too many people.
After all, the human population is far too small compared to the vast world, and even the mayors have to plan to bring together those scattered villages.
Without attacks from the Arrancar or threats from the Void, people could live in groups without restraint as before, making the emergence of large cities inevitable.
The Kurosaki Family was settled by Sora Inoue in a house west of Zuellni, with a separate two-story Western-style house and a small courtyard.
They did not choose to live in the Divine Realm.
Masaki Kurosaki is in poor health and cannot live in places with excessively high concentrations of Reishi.
The concentration of Reishi in the Divine Realm is three times that of the World of the Living.
Someone like Ichigo Kurosaki would naturally not care, and might even wish for a high concentration of Reishi, as that would make even breathing more comfortable.
However, this comfort is only for the strong; if one is too weak, one will feel the dense Reishi gradually suffocating them.
Masaki Kurosaki dared to move there, it's probably because she was preparing for her death that very day.
Faced with such danger, even if the Divine Realm were paradise, the Kurosaki father and son would not choose to move there.
Ichigo Kurosaki walked to his front door and pushed open the side door.
Karin ran ahead, raised her hand, turned the doorknob, and let him walk directly into the house.
The living room lights were still on. Isshin, sitting upright on the sofa, scolded, "Too slow, Ichigo! You're past your usual time to come home!"
The fireworks display ended at 9:30, how come you came back at 11?
" Yuzu is asleep, don't wake her up with so much noise."
Ichigo Kurosaki answered casually, then, recalling the Reiatsu he felt around nine o'clock, asked, "Has Kūkaku- chan returned yet?"
Isshin spread his hands and said, " Ganju also asked me if she had come here."
I'm guessing she's definitely on a date with Shiraishi. They haven't seen each other for so many years, hehehe~
"Didn't Inoue's older brother say that no one is allowed to disturb Mr. Shiraishi's rest?"
Ichigo Kurosaki was surprised. He had originally planned to invite Shiraishi to the Shinigami Festival, but Sora Inoue repeatedly told him not to disturb him, emphasizing that it was Shiraishi's order, so he gave up the idea.
"Fool, no matter the time, a man will never be angry if his beloved woman comes to visit."
With Isshin arms crossed, Isshin wore a smile only a mature man could understand, saying, "You're all still young, it's normal that you don't understand those things. Go to sleep, and be quiet, don't wake Masaki."
"Oh"
Ichigo Kurosaki felt that his father's smile was even more lewd than usual, and he was puzzled. He planned to ask his Kūkaku and Mr. Shiraishi what they were doing the next day.
As a result, he never had that opportunity.
The two may have gone on a world tour.
He disappeared in the early evening of August and had not returned by 11:30 a. m. on August 15.
"Really? That's a real headache."
Sora Inoue let out a soft breath, his face showing some distress.
Regarding the name of the calendar, we need to consult Shiraishi's opinion; we can't just ignore his thoughts and randomly choose a character.
In that case, a good thing could turn into a bad thing.
They wanted to use their fame as a reward, to ensure that Shiraishi's actions would be remembered in the annals of history.
Many Shinigami contributed to this war, and many sacrificed their lives, but it is impossible to record them all.
To be precise, they would record every name, but future generations would most likely not have the patience to peruse those lists of the fallen; they would only remember one thing.
Aizen was killed by Shiraishi.
Therefore, creating a new calendar using Shiraishi's name, rather than continuing the Collapsed Calendar and the Gregorian Calendar, held special significance for them.
This symbolizes the beginning of a new chapter in human history.
At the same time, the first nation in human history to encompass all of humanity, the Human Alliance Nation, will be born.
Unfortunately, at this crucial moment, the name of the calendar cannot be determined, which means the establishment date is being postponed.
"I'm sorry, Nii-san,"
Orihime Inoue looked somewhat apologetic and bowed, saying, " Kurosaki- kun said he hasn't seen Miss Kūkaku yet, and there's no news from the Divine Realm, uh, it should be called Soul Society now."
Captain Soi Fon, with a fierce expression, said, "Contact Shiraishi news about her."
"Hey, this isn't your fault. I should have asked beforehand."
Sora Inoue sighed. He had thought there was still plenty of time, so he didn't ask Shiraishi before he went to sleep.
Unexpectedly, that person vanished without a word.
This has caused a lot of follow-up work, and it's difficult for everyone to confirm anything.
Sora Inoue, considering the questions from the other mayors and scholars, felt a headache coming on. He rubbed his forehead and asked, "How is the repair of the Steel Shell City progressing?"
" Tatsuki sent word that the repairs are 80% complete, and we believe it will be able to restart in a few days."
Orihime Inoue answered truthfully.
After helping to heal the wounded soldiers who had fought in the war, she declined Retsu Unohana's invitation to join the Fourth Division and chose to return to her brother's side to continue working as the mayor's secretary.
For her, Zuellni was her true home; the rest of the world was merely scenery along life's journey, seemingly colorful and beautiful.
But it never truly belonged to her.
Orihime Inoue felt that she was not suited for a dramatic life, but rather for rowing a small boat on a calm lake.
"Spend time with Nii-san, then marry Kurosaki- kun, have a child... No, a dozen or so is too many."
Orihime Inoue quickly shook her head.
Sora Inoue was used to his sister's peculiar thought process. Without asking a dozen questions, he tapped his fingers on the table, "We need to determine the area we're going to as soon as possible."
The future looks bright; this is a consensus among everyone.
The question is simply how to make one's city and its inhabitants even brighter within the light of day.
This is a question that mayors should consider.
The Shinigami are busy establishing the Soul Society and have made it clear that they will not interfere in human affairs, seemingly wanting to fade from human view once again.
Let time slowly wash everything away, and let the events of this year be relegated to myths and legends.
It's good for the future, but not so friendly in the present. Without a strong authority, it's not easy for a loose Human Alliance to come up with a concrete solution.
He was still pondering a solution when the door suddenly opened. "Mayor Inoue, Mr. Shiraishi has returned to Zuellni."