"Wha—at?!!"
That low growl was like a spark dropped into a boiling vat of oil, instantly igniting all the pent-up emotions in the girl's heart! The girl standing before him, dressed in luxurious attire that could not hide her current agitation, stared at him with wide, disbelieving eyes.
A flush of shame and immense grievance, like the finest rouge, climbed rapidly from her delicate neck, instantly staining her cheeks and exquisite ears—like two gorgeous, dripping flowers adorned with thorns.
She pointed a finger at her own nose with all her might, her voice rising an octave due to the sheer impact of her emotions, bordering on cracking:
"Me!!! Kuroki!! Hiroki!!! You... you..."
The word "bastard" that was about to escape her lips was forced back down by her tightly clenched teeth; the Lower-ranking noble upbringing etched into her bones made her endure even the coarsest words in her extreme anger.
"...You can't even... even recognize your own younger sister?!!"
The sound was not loud, but it carried the impact of a thunderclap, instantly causing the surrounding air to stagnate. Even some nobles leaving in the distance cast curious or startled glances.
"Huh???"
He felt as if he had been struck by lightning, his mind going completely blank. His mouth hung open instinctively, revealing a classic expression of utter bewilderment.
Those three words—"Kuroki Rin"? This name, buried under thick layers of time and dust, now acted like a rusted key, suddenly jamming into the long-sealed gates of his deep memories!
Fragments of almost forgotten images surged wildly: a little girl who always stood timidly behind him, reaching out with thin, small hands to tightly grab his hem, calling him "Brother" in a voice as soft as a mosquito but filled with immense reliance... The blurry outlines shook violently, struggling through layers of fog, and finally merged vividly and painfully with the graceful, fire-eyed girl in front of him, whose anger was barely concealed by her formal attire!
"Hmph!" After confirming that Hiroki hadn't completely lost his memory, the girl let out a heavy snort from her nose, filled with endless grievance and strong accusation. She snapped her head to the side, deliberately refusing to look at him anymore.
Her shoulders trembled slightly, her anger yet to subside. However, the fact that Hiroki had finally recognized her seemed to act like a small valve, allowing a trace of imperceptible satisfaction and relief to leak out from her tense emotions—at least he remembered!
He remembered! Yes, he did indeed have such a sister named Kuroki Rin!
It's just that... ever since he transmigrated, he had been living in the Shihōin Clan and had completely forgotten that the original host even had a sister.
From the moment he became Shihōin Hiroki, the prefix "Kuroki Clan" had been comfortably "severed" from his mental map.
Decades of time had passed! Not once had he taken the initiative to return to that Kuroki Clan main residence—a place deep in an alley in South Rukongai that had blurred into a gray outline in his mind!
His nominal father—the Head of the Kuroki Clan—would personally visit the unattainable Shihōin main residence with great respect whenever there was some important matter he couldn't resolve on his own (mostly to ask for resources from this "successful" son).
And Hiroki himself? He was perfectly content to stay in the Shihōin Clan's palace-like mansion, living a secluded and carefree life, avoiding all troubles (ninety percent of the reason being his extreme aversion to hassle).
Thinking back carefully, the resources he had allocated to the Kuroki Clan over the years using his authority as Acting Head were indeed quite substantial—various materials, rare Soul Stones, recommendation slots for the Shino Academy, and even secret medicines to enhance the spiritual potential of lower-ranking Shinigami... although these resources were precious in the eyes of many Lower-ranking nobles.
For Hiroki, however, these were just a drop in the bucket.
This wealth was enough to allow a Lower-ranking noble family, originally struggling in the lower-middle tiers, to live a comfortable and prosperous life far exceeding their peers.
Looking at his sister's snow-white skin, bright features, and her exquisite, expensive embroidered formal wear... it indeed confirmed that his father's reports about the family being "well taken care of" by him were not lies.
The effect of this "lavish upbringing" was directly presented in Rin's person.
Looking at her pouting yet stubborn profile—a face that had shed its childhood innocence and begun to reveal a young woman's grace—Hiroki's heart was suddenly nudged by a sense of familiarity that spanned the torrent of time.
Almost instinctively, with a trace of impulse to regain some long-lost intimacy, he raised his hand and reached toward the top of Rin's meticulously styled head, adorned with an exquisite hairpin—just as he had occasionally done in his deep memories when that little sprout timidly called him brother, wanting to rub that small head.
*Slap!*
A crisp slapping sound rang out.
Rin's hand was like a swift white ribbon; with speed and force far exceeding Hiroki's expectations, she neatly slapped his hand away.
Her movements were clean and decisive, carrying undisguised resistance and a trace of protective alertness.
"What are you doing?"
Rin whipped her head back, her brows furrowed. Her beautiful eyes stared straight at Hiroki with clear questioning and annoyance, while she instinctively raised her hand to protect her finely styled bun.
"Uh..." Hiroki's hand felt slightly numb from the slap. He was a bit stunned, followed by a deeper sense of sheepishness. "A head... head pat," he tried to explain, his voice carrying a bit of daze after being "attacked."
"Tsk!" Rin let out an unceremonious snort from her nose, and a roll of her eyes followed immediately. Her posture was like a small cat whose territory had been offended.
"Pat your own! Don't you see how old I am?! Still doing head pats!" Her tone was full of disdain and impatience for such "childish tricks."
"...Oh, I see..." Hiroki sheepishly lowered his hand and rubbed the slightly reddened back of it, so embarrassed that his toes curled involuntarily inside his boots.
He gave two dry coughs, trying to change the subject to save some face.
"True, you've grown so tall... almost catching up to your brother... it's just that your appearance has changed too much,"
His gaze carefully scanned Rin's youthful face; she was indeed a different person from the thin, small shadow in his memories.
"...Your brother didn't recognize you for a moment. Sorry about that."
He tried his best to plaster a "sincere" apologetic expression on his face, even though the immense awkwardness of "forgetting he had a sister" still lingered deep in his heart.
To salvage his image as an older brother, he paused and tried to make his expression softer, adding: "Actually... in my eyes, you're still as cute as when you were little."
These words carried a clear "coaxing a child" intent; perhaps Hiroki subconsciously still wanted to maintain the image of that blurry little girl.
However, instead of achieving the desired effect, these words were like ice cubes dropped into a hot oil pan—
"Che—!" The flush that had just faded from Rin's face surged back instantly, but this time it was from anger, like a sunset burning through the horizon.
Her voice suddenly rose, filled with sarcasm. "What nonsense are you talking! 'As cute as when I was little'? Then why were you as blind as a bat and didn't recognize me?! Still saying 'Hello? Do I know you?' Hmph!"
She almost gritted her teeth as she repeated Hiroki's cold politeness from when they first met. Her expression looked as if Hiroki had committed the most unforgivable sin in the world.
Hiroki was choked by her rapid-fire questioning into another fit of violent dry coughing: "Cough, cough, cough..." He felt like he was about to be stifled by this girl's sharp tongue.
No, he couldn't keep wallowing in this swamp of awkwardness.
He hurriedly changed the subject again, trying to move to a more practical level: "So... how did you get here by yourself? Where's the old man? Why didn't he come with you? I mean, doesn't he usually come to see me?"
At the mention of their father, the raging fire on Rin's face seemed to be doused by a small basin of cold water. Although the flames weren't extinguished, her aura noticeably softened.
Her eyes softened involuntarily, but the corners of her small, exquisite lips tightened instinctively, revealing a trace of imperceptible worry. She fretfully toyed with the beautiful sleeves of her kimono, her voice dropping a few degrees with a hint of helplessness:
"Hmph! He... he's not feeling very well. His old back and leg problems flared up, and he's having trouble even getting out of bed today. But for an occasion like this, especially the funeral of the previous head of the Kuchiki Clan, Father said... as a family like ours, the Kuroki Clan absolutely cannot be absent."
She looked up and stole a quick glance toward the lonely figure of Kuchiki Byakuya on the platform and the direction of his grandfather's coffin, her tone gaining a sense of understanding and responsibility. "He is the clan head, so he had to come. Since he really couldn't get up, I had to come in his stead."
Following her gaze, Hiroki also scanned the desolate remains of the funeral in the distance and the nobles of various expressions who had yet to disperse. Tsunayashiro Tokishirabe's figure was still moving and socializing like a ghost not far away.
"I see," he replied indifferently, though his heart remained unruffled. This wasn't surprising.
His cheap old man was indeed getting on in years. In his memory, his father's spiritual power was mediocre. When Hiroki left home years ago, that man had already been stuck at the spiritual pressure of a Seat Officer for many years; he was destined to be nothing more than a Seat Officer his entire life.
One could even say his strength was inferior to the Kuroki Hiroki of back then, who hadn't yet married into the Shihōin Clan and was still working hard at the Shino Academy.
Hiroki sneered inwardly with the indifference of one in a superior position. Any random guard from the Shihōin Clan possessed strength far exceeding that of the Kuroki Clan.
The cold hierarchy of the Soul Society was like a fence forged of solid steel within noble circles; it was a natural chasm that Lower-ranking nobles like the Kuroki Clan could hardly cross even after several generations.
However, having said that, the Kuroki Clan wasn't truly left with nothing. At least... His gaze fell back onto Rin's profile. Her formal attire shimmered with a soft luster under the sunlight, making the girl's skin appear even fairer and more delicate.
But those tightly pursed lips and the stubbornness showing between her brows reminded Hiroki of himself in his youth.
In a sense, Kuroki Masanori, that cheap old man, had raised a pair of children who weren't bad at all. His son Hiroki was exceptionally gifted, so outstanding that he caused the two great clans, Kuchiki and Shihōin, to wrestle for the right to have him "marry in." Ultimately, the Shihōin Clan suppressed the Kuroki Clan by promising an astronomical amount of resources.
Looking at Rin now, she had clearly inherited some good genes as well. He had heard that Rin's talent in Zanjutsu was quite striking among her peers. With the resources from the Shihōin Clan for her cultivation, it wasn't impossible for her to push for the rank of Vice-Captain in the future.
Though her spiritual pressure didn't feel very strong right now, she was still young. There was certainly considerable room for growth as she matured.
Don't underestimate the potential of just two Lieutenant-level figures; in the entire circle of Lower-ranking nobles in the Soul Society, this was definitely something worth boasting about for several generations.
Information gathered by the Shihōin Clan surfaced in Hiroki's mind.
For Lower-ranking nobles like the Kuroki Clan, it was very difficult to produce a Lieutenant-level figure even across several generations. It was common for no Lieutenant-level talent to appear for two or even three generations.
While potential was just potential—and cases of early death or failure to realize it were everywhere—it was still hope nonetheless.
Hiroki cast this cold analysis to the back of his mind. His gaze returned to Rin's earlobe, which was still slightly red from anger and grievance. A trace of playful brotherly emotion replaced his previous awkwardness.
"Alright," he said, his tone lightening with a hint of unquestionable authority. "If the old man isn't feeling well, he should just stay home and lie down. Don't be angry anymore."
He paused, looking at Rin's still-pouting little face, and added, "Anyway, if you're bored in the future or if something really happens, come find me at the Shihōin Clan anytime. Remember this clearly: the Shihōin Clan is mine! No one will dare stop you. If anyone dares to give you an attitude, just tell your brother."
Rin gave another disdainful snort and stubbornly turned her head away, but Hiroki keenly caught her tightly pursed lips quietly curving up into a tiny arc, like a ray of sunlight piercing through a crack in the clouds. "Che."
She drew out her tone with a bit of tsundere pride. "I don't want to come looking for you, you busy man!"
Seeing this, Hiroki couldn't help but burst into laughter.
He reached out, but this time he didn't touch her head. Instead, he gave her shoulder a generous pat—the little girl who used to tug at his hem had grown into a vibrant young woman with a straight back, and the sensation was quite different.
Just then, a slight commotion came from outside the courtyard, drawing their attention.
Hiroki's carriage had arrived.
It was meticulously crafted from precious jet-black sandalwood. The carriage body was wide and sturdy, its deep, dark wood symbolizing a majesty passed down for a thousand years. The Shihōin butterfly crest painted on the walls was exquisite beyond compare, every vein of the butterfly wings flowing with the luster of mithril under the sun—low-key yet impossible to ignore.
As the heavy gold-encrusted hubs rolled over the stone steps in front of the Kuchiki residence, they made a steady, rhythmic rumbling sound, splashing up bits of mud that symbolized power.
The two magnificent spirit steeds pulling the carriage were snow-white without a single stray hair. They were draped in harnesses inlaid with steel armor, exhaling hot breaths filled with reishi sparks.
The mere presence of the stationary carriage carried a silent aura of pressure, instantly making the yet-to-disperse majesty of the Kuchiki Clan seem somewhat dull and overshadowed.
"Let's go." Hiroki jerked his chin toward his carriage team, his manner casual yet naturally noble.
"Do you have anything else to do today? If not, why not come over to my place for a bit? The tea and snacks there are quite good." He issued an invitation that was not merely a polite formality.
Rin's eyes instantly lit up, like stars being ignited in the dark night.
What little reserve the noble girl had was instantly swept away by her intense curiosity and the allure of the "Shihōin Main Residence."
That was the core residence of the Shihōin Clan, the head of the Four Great Noble Clans! An existence countless people looked up to! She nodded vigorously without hesitation, her voice carrying a lighthearted expectation.
"Okay!"
The group began walking toward the carriage.
The guards standing on both sides immediately moved with efficiency. Uchiha Izumi—as Hiroki's trusted captain of the personal guard—gave a slight gesture without needing words. The four following Uchiha elites moved like the most precise machinery, silently but effectively clearing any possible obstacles from the path while maintaining a vigilant formation, their gazes scanning every possible corner.
The maid Tamaki Chizuru showed the efficiency of a professional maid. She had already produced a small insulated food box and a set of exquisite teacups from somewhere, walking quickly beside Hiroki to prepare for service inside the carriage.
Hiroki's travels represented the face of the Shihōin Clan, so the pomp was naturally no sham. In addition to Izumi and the four Uchiha elite personal guards, there were at least eight formidable guards from the Shihōin main family lined up in front of and behind the carriage.
This should have been the style of the previous head, Shihōin Yoruichi. However, after inheriting the position, that unconventional former head who valued speed and freedom never cared for such things.
She would only curl her lip, thinking it a waste of time. In her words: "In the time it takes to mess around with that, I could have reached the place using Shunpo long ago. Why sit in a carriage!"
Led by Hiroki, Kuroki Rin followed him toward the carriage that exuded pressure and luxury, almost in a daze. Chizuru had already stepped ahead to open the thick agarwood door inlaid with intricate patterns for the guest.
When Rin carefully lifted her foot to step onto the glittering golden boarding ladder carved with butterfly patterns and truly entered the carriage, she was momentarily stunned. The scene inside was far more shocking than it appeared from the outside.
Rin froze the moment she stepped in, her eyes filled with wonder as she looked around. "Wow! This carriage is so luxurious!"
Hiroki leaned back comfortably against the cushions and said nonchalantly, "Hmm, it's passable."
The interior space of the carriage was exceptionally spacious, comparable to an elegantly furnished small reception room.
The thick, deep purple Soul Beast fur carpet felt as soft as treading on clouds, absorbing all ambient noise.
The wide high-back seats on both sides (distinct from ordinary Japanese-style carriages) were made of top-tier fur covering a rare, warm soft jade, making them incredibly comfortable to the touch.
An exquisite white jade incense burner was fixed to a small side table, drifting out wisps of elegant sandalwood incense that had a mind-calming effect, the smoke swirling like a fairyland.
The edges of every carriage window were carved from solid pieces of thousand-year-old spirit jade. The window frames were made of red sandalwood inlaid with complex geometric patterns of star-patterned mithril. Even looking through the expensive, almost completely transparent glass windows, the scenery outside was given a hazy filter.
Several luminous pearl Soul Stones were embedded in the corners, emitting a soft glow to ensure the lighting was always just right.