Higashino Shuuichi had always believed that his Karin (Resurrección) wasn't particularly strong. Once the enemy understood how it worked, it became easy to counter.
But as a first-encounter kill move, it was practically perfect.
At the very least, the First Generation Captain Entetsu Kumoi hadn't been able to guard against that burst from Higashino Shuuichi.
"You could send me back to Hell."
Entetsu Kumoi stood on the dock, surrounded by crowds coming and going.
"Because there's no need.
"Bringing you back from Hell—judging by the outcome—hasn't been bad for us either."
Higashino Shuuichi stood opposite him, facing the sunlight.
"Us?"
Entetsu Kumoi's gaze slipped past Higashino Shuuichi and fell on Kisaragi Shūsuke and Yushima Ōko behind him.
Both of them looked rather worse for wear.
He didn't believe he had anything to do with a group like Higashino Shuuichi's.
"When it's necessary, I'll tell you. Of course, if Entetsu Kumoi-taichō wants to know ahead of time, it's not impossible either—equal exchange. I respect your principles~"
Higashino Shuuichi smiled.
Like a Western devil…
At this point, Entetsu Kumoi could no longer look at Higashino Shuuichi with the same attitude as before.
Sure, he'd lost because of an information gap—but a loss was a loss.
Besides, who knew what other nasty, hidden tricks this sly young Shinigami still had tucked away?
"I'm not in a hurry."
"Funny. Neither am I."
Higashino Shuuichi looked into the distance.
"But someone out there is definitely in a hurry right now. Entetsu Kumoi-taichō… are you interested in meeting that person together with me?"
"Hoh. I smell a scheme, you crafty young Shinigami. Don't tell me—just because you happened to beat me once, you're thinking of using me as your weapon?"
Entetsu Kumoi stared at Higashino Shuuichi.
Beneath the gentle sunlight—
was Higashino Shuuichi's brilliant smile.
Seven days later.
In another major port city of the island nation—Yokohama City—a tall, long-limbed woman with brown skin arrived at the cargo inspection point, hauling an enormous suitcase.
"Shihōin Yoruichi-san?
"Sorry, but your luggage exceeds our company's maximum allowance for a single passenger by a huge margin, both in volume and weight.
"This can only be checked."
The staff member looked at the item they'd already verified no fewer than three times, and spoke helplessly.
Sure, the woman's skin tone was a bit unusual, but her face and figure were definitely top-tier—still, that wasn't a license to make outrageous requests again and again!
He was just a working man.
Why did she have to make things so hard for him?
"But this item is extremely important to me. If it's checked… I can't feel at ease."
Shihōin Yoruichi lifted her sunglasses slightly off the bridge of her nose.
"Ma'am, what do you want me to say?
"I've already assured you repeatedly that our company's checked-luggage service will not have any issues!
"If you don't trust us, you're welcome to choose a different ferry company!"
"You say that, but the only passenger ferry going to London is yours, isn't it?"
"Exactly! That's why, Shihōin Yoruichi-san, the fact that we aren't price-gouging you is already proof of our sincerity. You can absolutely rest assured and hand this luggage over to us for checking!"
The staff member tried to persuade her earnestly.
But he didn't understand what Shihōin Yoruichi truly needed.
In truth, Shihōin Yoruichi was also troubled. As the Flash Goddess, even if she wanted to carry this Reigai—one that held the power of the First Generation Captain Sakahone Saizō—across the ocean, it shouldn't have been difficult at all. That had been the original Plan C.
But who could've guessed that Kurotsuchi Mayuri—the madman Urahara Kisuke had pushed into the role of successor Twelfth Division taichō—would, without even confirming whether she'd already left the island nation, directly order the Thirteenth Division operatives in the Living World to place the entire country under a reiatsu lockdown?
During this period, for anyone with reiatsu in the island nation: entry was allowed, exit was forbidden.
Unless Shihōin Yoruichi completely suppressed her reiatsu and treated herself like an ordinary human.
She had no choice.
If she didn't want to face the entire Soul Society hunting her down alone, then she could only temporarily act like a normal human in the Living World.
"Actually, it's not that there's no way at all, my beautiful lady. I do have a solution—would you be willing to hear it?"
Just as Shihōin Yoruichi was considering whether to risk it and wait for the next ferry that could leave the island nation, an elegant man slowly approached her—dressed in classic Western attire, a top hat on his head, a gentleman's cane in hand. He removed his hat and bowed politely.
"You are…?"
Shihōin Yoruichi narrowed her eyes. Beneath her sunglasses, her gaze was filled with vigilance.
"I am Musashi Kojirō. A pleasure to meet you, beautiful lady~"
The man extended his right hand in a white glove, bending slightly at the waist.
A Western hand-kiss?
Shihōin Yoruichi vaguely remembered seeing something like it at the West Administration—an etiquette that inspired zero goodwill. So she didn't respond with her hand, and instead asked directly:
"What's your solution?"
"According to the rules of the ferry company that you and I have both chosen, the luggage allowance can change depending on passenger status.
"For example—if it's a married couple, then the luggage allowance is calculated as the combined allowance of both spouses.
"A family is the same: husband and wife plus one child becomes a three-person allowance~"
Musashi Kojirō answered with a smile. Yet as he spoke, his eyes kept scanning Shihōin Yoruichi up and down—lingering a little too long on certain especially prominent areas.
"So I can take it you want me to pretend to be your wife?"
Shihōin Yoruichi didn't like Musashi Kojirō's gaze, but she didn't chase him off either. Instead, she glanced toward the staff member.
"Uh… actually, we do have that rule. And it's not that strict—couples can apply it too."
For some reason, the staff member suddenly felt a chill down his back.
Was it just his imagination?
"Heh. What an interesting rule~"
After receiving confirmation, Shihōin Yoruichi turned back to Musashi Kojirō, smiling without smiling.
"I think so too, beautiful lady~
"Though you may not know this—this ferry we're about to board has another nickname: the Wheel of Venus.
"And Venus, in Western mythology, is the goddess of love~"
Musashi Kojirō's gaze grew even bolder, this time openly fixing on the loose neckline of Shihōin Yoruichi's clothes.
Clearly, he thought he already had her in his pocket.
"Then what are we waiting for? My boyfriend—carry our luggage, and let's go together~"
And Shihōin Yoruichi, just as he expected, stepped forward and lightly hooked one arm around his, while easily lifting the massive suitcase containing the Reigai with her other hand.
Very soon, the two of them boarded the ferry.
They'd originally bought separate tickets and should've had separate suites—but because the company considered them a couple, they "kindly" assigned Shihōin Yoruichi and Musashi Kojirō a single room with a double bed.
Unfortunately, things didn't unfold as smoothly as Musashi Kojirō had imagined.
Or rather—this woman named Shihōin Yoruichi was, after all, a wild stallion.
The two of them sat in the cramped room like that, staring each other down—you glared at me, I glared at you.
The ship departed.
Left port.
Entered the open sea…
As if everything outside had nothing to do with this room.
Only when Shihōin Yoruichi felt herself clearly pass through a reiatsu network with defensive and alerting properties did she finally open her mouth.
"Musashi Kojirō… hmm. A pretty decent name, and very 'common.' But let me ask you something.
"How many names is this for you now?"
"What are you talking about, Shihōin Yoruichi-san? Musashi Kojirō is my name."
Musashi Kojirō said, confused.
"Is it? Then why is it that every time you finish a sentence, your right index finger twitches unconsciously?
"Why does that little habit happen to look exactly like a Shinigami I used to know?
"You might've heard his name too—Higashino Shuuichi~"
Shihōin Yoruichi smiled.
"Hehehe… so I really can't hide anything from you, Yoruichi-taichō. Your powers of observation are as excellent as ever~
"I made just one tiny mistake, and you caught me!"
Musashi Kojirō spread both hands. He didn't deny it—meaning he accepted it.
He was Higashino Shuuichi.
"How did you find me?
"And why did you deliberately approach me like this—disguised?"
Shihōin Yoruichi, seeing her guess was correct, threw two questions at Higashino Shuuichi without hesitation.
"Normally, as former allies, I should answer you, Yoruichi-taichō," Higashino Shuuichi said. "But before I answer those, I need to confirm something first.
"Your stance—or rather, the stance of Urahara Kisuke-taichō behind you—what is it, exactly?
"Only if our positions don't conflict do I have a reason to answer you. Isn't that right?"
Higashino Shuuichi countered with his own question.
"I heard you accepted recruitment from the Tsunayashiro clan, Shuuichi."
If Higashino Shuuichi wouldn't answer her, then Shihōin Yoruichi wouldn't answer him.
But the tone and cadence of her counter-question exposed a piece of her stance to Higashino Shuuichi.
So… not cooperating with the Tsunayashiro clan?
Higashino Shuuichi quietly let out a breath.
He knew it had always been a low-probability event—but if it had been true, it would've been a devastating blow to several plans he'd already laid out.
So there was no doubt:
This was good news.
"Recruitment is an exaggeration," Higashino Shuuichi said. "But I think you understand, Yoruichi-taichō, what the consequences are for secretly taking prohibited items out of Soul Society."
"If I remember correctly," Shihōin Yoruichi replied, "by the time I left Soul Society, your status had returned to 'Soul Society traitor' again, hadn't it?"
Their verbal sparring went back and forth, and for a while, neither side could force the other to yield.
Until Shihōin Yoruichi grew bored and decided she wouldn't waste more time and life like this.
As her reiatsu gathered, arcs of electricity accumulated around her body, scorching the air with a faint burned smell.
Shunkō (Flash War Cry), kai!
Because she was facing Higashino Shuuichi, Shihōin Yoruichi didn't bother hiding anything—she went straight to maximum output.
Faced with this seemingly frenzied Shihōin Yoruichi, Higashino Shuuichi didn't choose to force a direct clash.
(To be precise… Shihōin Yoruichi didn't give him the chance.)
Because although she looked like she was about to fight him to the death—
her first choice was actually to escape the ferry with the Reigai.
Once she was out of the island nation, there was no need to keep entangling herself with the East Administration's Shinigami.
That would be the most meaningless thing in the world.
Shihōin Yoruichi's urgent priority was to bring the Reigai in her hands back to the West Administration successfully.
That was her mission.
And after Higashino Shuuichi watched Shihōin Yoruichi flee with the Reigai, he made no further move. It wasn't that he didn't want to pursue—he simply didn't need to deal with that Reigai at all.
Because less than ten minutes later, Shihōin Yoruichi returned to the exact place she had first left with the Reigai.
Did she get lost?
That would be a truly rare "attribute."
Higashino Shuuichi wished that were the answer.
Unfortunately, it wasn't.
"Why am I back here again?!"
That was the sentence Shihōin Yoruichi repeated the most.
"Do you want to know the answer?" Higashino Shuuichi sat at the edge of the bed, smiling at Shihōin Yoruichi.
Only then did Shihōin Yoruichi realize that what should've been her room on the ferry's second level—where you couldn't see any deck scenery at all—had somehow arrived on the deck itself.
And Higashino Shuuichi was right there within it.
"This world… is fake."
Shihōin Yoruichi's eyes narrowed.
"But that shouldn't be possible. From beginning to end, I was guarding against you."
"Yeah," Higashino Shuuichi replied lightly. "But have you ever considered something, Yoruichi-taichō?
"What if I deliberately let you notice my habitual flaw?"
"…"
"In fact…"
Higashino Shuuichi's smile deepened.
"You only guarded against me~"
//Check out my P@tre0n for 20 extra chapters on all my fanfics //[email protected]/Razeil0810.