"Little Kensei, I'm taking you to a good place today."
Hakuda training already consumed a lot of stamina, let alone a high-level technique like Ikotsu. After training for half a day, both Kensei and Yoruichi felt utterly hollow, as if they could eat an entire cow.
"It's not another trip to your family's kitchen where I have to serve you, is it?"
Ever since showcasing his Master Chef skills in front of Yoruichi, Kensei was frequently dragged off to cook for her, to the point where her family's servants had started calling him "Head Chef."
"Oh, just come with me." Yoruichi draped herself over Kensei's back, pointing in a direction. "Onward!"
Practicing Ikotsu had truly worn Yoruichi out. She couldn't help it; she wasn't a monster genius like Kensei. The continuous practice had drained her stamina, and she genuinely couldn't move now.
"Hey, don't plaster your sweaty self all over me!"
"Quiet! A beautiful girl's sweat is fragrant, you know?"
Annoyed and embarrassed by Kensei's words, Yoruichi wrapped an arm around his neck, applying just the right amount of pressure—not enough to hurt, but enough to make him uncomfortable.
"Still dare to complain?"
Yoruichi blew a breath into Kensei's ear, her tone teasing and challenging.
Kensei turned his head and took a deep sniff near Yoruichi's neck. After all, practice was the sole criterion for testing truth.
"Hmm, yours is indeed fragrant. But I'd have to personally verify other beautiful girls to confirm if you're right about them."
"Go die, you jerk!"
One was the Captain-Commander's newly acquired genius disciple; the other was the head of the Shihōin family. The two paid no mind to the gazes of the patrolling Soul Reapers on the street, laughing heartily as they dashed towards their destination.
"Isn't this the 12th Division? This is the 'good place' you meant?"
"Quiet! Just follow me."
Hopping off Kensei's back, Yoruichi pulled him inside to a door. She knocked a few times and called out, "Captain Kirio!" A series of clattering noises came from the room, giving the impression of a rather cluttered space.
"Little Yoruichi! You're here!"
Kirio Hikifune fumbled her way out to greet them. The moment the door opened, Kensei was stunned.
Wow, huge... treasure chest!
Even the loose-fitting Shihakushō couldn't conceal Kirio Hikifune's impressive figure. A weighty, undulating presence drew Kensei's gaze. Scientists don't lie; greater mass indeed creates greater gravitational pull.
Thank you, Yoruichi. This is indeed a good place... oof.
Yoruichi naturally noticed where Kensei's gaze had landed. She delivered an elbow jab to his side, making him gasp in pain. Glancing down at her own feet, Yoruichi felt bringing Kensei here today was a mistake.
"This must be the new disciple Teacher Yama recently took on, young Kensei. I heard you even defeated the former 3rd Division Captain, Kishita Hanta, yesterday. Truly astonishing."
Kirio Hikifune patted Kensei's shoulder admiringly, marveling at how incredible young people were these days. Even if Kishita Hanta was the bottom of the barrel among Captains, defeating a Captain's Bankai using only Hakuda was an extraordinary feat. Yoruichi curled her lip, noticing Kensei's gaze drifting again toward the prominent features that moved with Kirio's actions. She subtly tried to position herself between them to block Kensei's line of sight, but unfortunately, as the shortest of the three, she couldn't manage it.
Ahem. "Captain Kirio, didn't you recently research some new dishes? We just trained and used up a lot of stamina, so we came specifically to experience the effects of your cuisine."
The other day, when Yoruici visited, Kirio had talked her ear off about spirit particle-infused cuisine, said to rapidly restore a Soul Reaper's depleted spiritual pressure and stamina—perfect for the two of them, currently running on empty.
Kirio was naturally delighted to have people taste-test her new dishes. This was all valuable experimental data. After bustling around in a room that looked more like a laboratory than a kitchen, Kirio emerged with several plates of exquisite-looking cuisine. Even to the naked eye, these dishes seemed extraordinary.
"You've infused quite a few spirit particles into these, haven't you?"
"Oh? You can sense that, young man?"
Kensei nodded. His sensitivity to spirit particles was never low, and after using Shunkō to fuse Kidō with his body, his sensitivity had increased further. However, Kensei remembered that Kirio Hikifune's cooking would drain her spiritual pressure completely, causing her to become drastically thin, which was why she gained weight to store energy... Judging by her current appearance, she probably hadn't reached the stage where a single meal would completely drain her yet.
Even without the exaggerated effects of the complete version, the restorative effects of Kirio's current cuisine were already impressive. Just a few bites made him feel his spiritual pressure recovering noticeably. If only the taste were a bit better...
"What's wrong, young man? Not to your taste?"
Seeming to notice the hint of regret that inadvertently crossed Kensei's face, Kirio leaned in, blinking as she asked. Watching Kensei shake his head and walk towards her kitchen, Kirio looked questioningly at Yoruichi, who was still devouring her food.
"Oh, it's nothing. You'll understand when little Kensei comes out."
Yoruichi answered Kirio's query vaguely, her mouth full, and continued filling her stomach. She couldn't help it; she'd burned through a lot of energy earlier. Right now, anything that filled her up was fine.
When Kensei finally reappeared, Kirio watched as he brought out various novel dishes and desserts to the table, her eyes widening in surprise.
The Soul Society's technology was quite advanced, yet the quality of daily life felt somewhat lacking. All sorts of kitchenware and seasonings were available, but a truly excellent food culture had never developed.
"Ooh, what are all these? I've never seen or heard of them before! And these... are they desserts from the Living World? But they seem even more refined."
Kirio Hikifune was like Granny Liu entering the Grand View Garden for the first time, constantly exclaiming in wonder. For a food enthusiast like her, this was heaven. She heartily sampled Kensei's cooking, frequently voicing exclamations of "delicious!" Yoruichi, who also wanted to eat, watched the food disappearing at an alarming rate and had to give up on the idea.
"Whew—Young man, you are truly remarkable."
After polishing off all the food Kensei had made, Kirio Hikifune was sincerely impressed. Being highly talented in combat is one thing, but to cook this well too...
"You flatter me, Sister Kirio. If you're interested, we could discuss and learn from each other. I'm also very interested in your method of infusing spirit particles into cuisine."
"Really? Then let's not waste time! Let's start now!"
As expected of someone who became a Captain. This decisive, action-oriented style is no simple matter.
"This kitchen tool works better like this. For ingredient preparation, you should..."
"The trick to infusing spirit particles into food is..."
Yoruichi watched Captain Kirio and Kensei, who had plunged into the kitchen and were now engaged in a lively discussion. There are three people in this room, so why do I feel a bit... superfluous?