Chapter 120: Shutara: "???"
"Oh ho, even though it's your first meeting, you two already get along so well."
Kirio brought over a tray and placed it between the three of them.
On the tray were all sorts of exquisite pastries.
For a fleeting moment, Satoru felt as if he had traveled back in time, sitting in a café.
"Come on, Master, Captain, try my latest creations!"
Kirio looked at Satoru with expectant eyes.
Satoru, meanwhile, turned his curious gaze toward Shutara.
"Can a piece of clothing even eat?"
Shutara scoffed.
"Brat, don't compare the 'Heavenly Garments' I sew to ordinary clothes."
"With my power imbued into them, 'Heavenly Garments' can possess all sorts of abilities."
"Like this one right now—it can be remotely controlled over vast distances and share the five senses to a great extent."
"Just like this..."
As she spoke, she picked up a small cookie and placed it near the collar of the garment.
With that motion, the cookie dissolved into particles of reishi, vanishing without a trace.
"...And I can perceive about seventy percent of the texture and flavor of the food."
"See? Quite marvelous, isn't it?"
Watching Shutara's demonstration, Satoru's eyes widened in surprise.
Then, with excitement, he asked, "Can this be mass-produced?"
Wasn't Shutara's technology exactly what netizens dreamed of—a "phone that could taste food"?
Who would've thought that before his transmigration, he never got to see such tech, but after crossing over, he actually encountered it?
Shutara frowned in displeasure.
"What do you take Heavenly Garments for? Bestowing abilities upon them is no easy feat."
Satoru instantly deflated with disappointment.
Seeing his reaction, Shutara's blood pressure spiked.
This brat—did he even understand the concept of respecting one's elders?
But the next second, she suddenly froze.
Then, under the watchful eyes of Satoru and Kirio, Shutara picked up another pastry in surprise and placed it near her collar.
As the reishi light scattered, she couldn't help but turn to Kirio Hikifune.
"...Kirio, did you make this?"
"Yep! I worked hard under Master's guidance!"
Kirio lifted her chin proudly and draped her hands over Satoru's shoulders from behind.
Shutara couldn't help but glance sideways.
As Kirio's former captain, she had some understanding of her ex-subordinate's training methods.
Kirio's cultivation involved infusing the spiritual energy she created into her cooking, then consuming it to grow stronger.
The more delicious the food, the more energy she absorbed, and the stronger she became.
Because spiritual energy and ingredients were difficult to blend, Kirio had always struggled to make truly tasty dishes.
At the very least, the last time Shutara visited, Kirio's cooking had still been rather mediocre.
On top of that, the "Heavenly Garment" dulled some of the food's flavor, so the meal she had last time had been… less than satisfying.
This time, the pastries made by Kirio far surpassed her previous works in both appearance and taste.
Even after being diminished somewhat by the Heavenly Garment, they could still be called "delicious"!
If this culinary standard was maintained, Kirio's strength had likely increased exponentially.
Her promotion to the Zero Division might come even sooner than expected.
Thinking this, Senjumaru couldn't help but feel a little excited.
"Not bad at all, Satoru," she praised.
Satoru blinked in confusion. "Who's that?"
Senjumaru: "???"
Up in the Soul King Palace, Senjumaru's true body took a deep breath, veins visibly pulsing on her pale forehead.
"You little brat," she gritted her teeth, "you seem to lack proper respect for this member of the Zero Division."
Satoru munched on a macaron while asking curiously, "Zero Division?"
"That's the Royal Guard we mentioned before," Kirio Hikifune explained. "Only those with strength, loyalty, and who've left their mark on Soul Society's history are qualified to join this highest order."
"Oh... sounds pretty impressive," Satoru nodded slightly.
"Hey, Kirio," Senjumaru warned.
While the Zero Division wasn't exactly top secret, Satoru wasn't a captain yet—it wasn't good for him to know too much.
Kirio laughed. "Don't worry, Captain. With master's talent, joining the Zero Division is just a matter of time. Consider this a preview."
"Oh?" Senjumaru became intrigued.
She knew Kirio's capabilities well. If Kirio spoke so highly of him, this Satoru must truly be remarkable.
She cleared her throat. "Well, if you're going to join eventually, showing me some respect now would be a wise choice. When you ascend in a few hundred years, I might give you preferential treatment~"
Satoru asked curiously, "Are you strong?"
"Of course," Senjumaru Shutara said proudly. "Enhanced by the Soul King's power, I surpass any captain. The top fighters you know are mere children before me."
Satoru seemed surprised. "What about compared to my teacher?"
"Your teacher?"
"Yeah, Captain-Commander Yamamoto."
"..."
Senjumaru Shutara's controlled kimono froze midair.
She stuttered several times, as if wanting to say something, but ultimately remained silent.
After a few seconds, she muttered, "Y-Yamamoto is... well, he is the Captain-Commander... That's different from regular captains! Not that I'm afraid of him—just showing respect to my former superior... Definitely not afraid!"
Seeing Senjumaru's sudden loss of confidence, Satoru didn't need her answer to guess the outcome.
Noticing Satoru's immediate disinterest, Senjumaru gritted her teeth in frustration.
After some thought, she suddenly chuckled. "Say, Satoru, would you like a Heavenly Garment?"
Satoru glanced at her. "Like the remote eating one?"
"Hmph, don't underestimate me. I can create all kinds of abilities if I wish."
Hearing this, Satoru pondered for a moment before an idea struck him.
"Then... could you design clothing that completely blocks spiritual pressure and sound?"
"W-well, of course I can."
In a certain detached palace of the Soul King's realm, Senjumaru Shutara slightly furrowed her brows.
Blocking spiritual pressure wasn't particularly difficult.
But adding soundproofing capabilities made things considerably more challenging.
Especially since, to truly showcase her skills, temporary garments wouldn't suffice—she needed to create something with long-lasting enchantments.
This would likely require dipping into her precious material reserves.
The thought made her wince slightly.
After some consideration, she "looked" toward Satoru.
"While I can certainly create it, what can you offer in return?"
Satoru blinked. "Didn't you volunteer to do this?"
"...While technically true, you can't expect me to work completely for free."
Hearing this, Satoru adopted a thoughtful expression.
After a few seconds, as if making a painful decision, he took a deep breath:
"If the outfit is good enough, I'll take your granddaughter as my ○-wife."
Senjumaru: "????"
If not for the extensive paperwork required for Royal Guard members to descend to Soul Society, she would have stormed down immediately to strangle this brat!