Bab 313: Chapter 313: I Took It
"Did you enjoy your meal, young man?"
The newcomer was the captain of the 8th Division, Shunsui Kyōraku.
With his stubbled face and lazy smile, he exuded the charm of a middle-aged uncle. Removing his straw hat, he revealed medium-length brown wavy hair tied into a ponytail, adorned with two decorative hairpins, and a pink haori with floral patterns.
He seemed like a lazy and flamboyant guy who somehow wasn't annoying.
Behind him stood the tall, muscular captain of the 9th Division, Kensei Muguruma, whose stern expression could easily scare children.
Also present was the 3rd Division captain, Rōjūrō "Rose" Otoribashi, a tall, slender man with wavy blonde hair, purple eyes, and an aristocratic demeanor reminiscent of a medieval English gentleman. With a side-parted fringe and a small tied-off section at the ends, he looked more like an artist than a fierce captain.
As H'el turned to look at them, Rose gave a graceful, somewhat feminine smile.
Three captain-level figures had arrived.
How many squads does the Gotei 13 have?
Thirteen.
Sending out a quarter of their captain-level strength was significant.
This clearly demonstrated the importance the Soul Society placed on the appearance of the Hell Gate here.
Such an event had never happened before, shocking the Soul Society profoundly.
If the Hell Gate hadn't vanished so quickly, even the Head Captain and the Royal Guard might have intervened.
In the area where the gate had appeared, members of the Punishment Force and the 3rd Division were still tirelessly searching for any information.
Seeing the captains, Gin gathered the dishes and left, giving them space.
H'el let out a satisfied burp and responded to Kyōraku:
"It was alright."
He then reclined lazily on the tatami mat, not bothering to digest his food actively, feeling like a relaxed fish basking in the sun.
In H'el's eyes, these captains weren't particularly dangerous. He wasn't worried that they would harm him, Gin, Rangiku, or the others.
From Aizen's reaction to the Hell Gate, H'el already knew what they wanted to understand.
Kyōraku Shunsui, seeing H'el, felt as if he was leisurely watching cherry blossoms fall while sipping sake on a rooftop.
He suddenly sensed that this child might share many topics of interest with him.
Shunsui smiled and, along with Kensei Muguruma and Rōjūrō Otoribashi, approached H'el and sat down.
He sat slightly askew, lacking proper decorum. If it weren't for the fact that H'el was still a child, making it inappropriate to drink, he would have taken out a jug of sake to share in the cool, comfortable weather.
Shunsui relaxed, sitting comfortably for a while, enjoying the cool breeze blowing in through the opened camphor wood door, as if he and H'el were two old friends, relishing the tranquility.
Even the impatient Kensei Muguruma couldn't help but squirm in his seat before Shunsui leisurely said, "The weather is wonderful, the breeze feels like a woman's gentle hand brushing your face, truly comforting."
"Yes," H'el replied, his eyes half-closed, lounging on the tatami mat, completely relaxed, feeling incredibly comfortable.
In this serene setting, Shunsui couldn't resist any longer.
He took a jug of sake from his waist, opened it, and the rich aroma filled the room. Then, he pulled out two small sake cups from his robe, and as he poured into one, he lazily asked, "Would you like a cup, young man? It would be a waste not to drink in such a moment."
"No, I don't like drinking," H'el replied.
"Why not? Sake is a good thing," Shunsui asked, puzzled.
"I guess I don't like the fuzzy feeling," H'el said.
"A pity," Shunsui said, regretfully stopping his pour into the second cup. From this, he realized that despite H'el's childlike appearance, he wasn't truly a child.
At the very least, his aversion to the fuzzy feeling of intoxication indicated that he always maintained absolute clarity.
He was a clear-headed, frighteningly rational person.
Someone who, with this clarity and rationality, could master Shikai just by touching an Asauchi—such talent and ability were terrifying.
At least, Shunsui had never met anyone like him.
Kensei Muguruma couldn't hold back any longer. He sprang up from his seat, angrily exclaiming, "Enough! Don't give alcohol to a child, and don't drink in front of one!"
With a stern and angry expression, Kensei snatched Kyōraku Shunsui's sake jug, sealed it to stop the aroma from spreading, and grabbed the cup from Shunsui's hand. He said firmly, "Captain of the 8th Division, let's get to the point. Don't set a bad example for the child."
"Ah!... Ah?" Shunsui was taken aback.
He had deliberately left his vice-captain Lisa behind to avoid her stopping his leisurely drinking. He didn't expect Kensei, who had a lot of affection for children, to be unable to tolerate his actions and stop him.
"This is difficult. I wanted to relax with the kid for a bit," Shunsui lamented, scratching his stomach in disappointment. He said reluctantly, "Since that's the case, I'll trouble you, little brother, to answer some questions. When we get back to the Seireitei, during our break, let's go for some barbecue and admire the cherry blossoms. How about that?"
"Sure. I need to go to the Seireitei anyway to study and understand the essence of spiritual particles. Taking a break from intense studying to relax and enjoy the flowers with you would be nice," H'el nodded in response. "Go ahead and ask."
"Oh!" Shunsui was slightly surprised. This child's demeanor was far more composed and calm than what any child could typically exhibit.
He had interacted with Gin Ichimaru and Rangiku Matsumoto before.
Rangiku was much like any young girl who had survived a harsh environment, showing a mixture of wariness and maturity beyond her years.
Gin, on the other hand, behaved like an adult—extraordinarily clever, insightful, and extremely wary, able to deceive even grown-ups with his facade.
However, despite their maturity due to limited experiences, they were still fundamentally children.
But H'el, from the moment Shunsui laid eyes on him, he couldn't consider him a child. This kid seemed like an ancient being who had lived for hundreds of years.
"Let's start with how you came across Ichirō Unahara's Asauchi," Shunsui said with a smile. "What happened the last time you saw Ichirō Unahara?"
"What do you mean 'came across'? I killed him and took it."
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