One week later, Soul King Palace, Hōōden...
That morning, sunlight streamed through the window as Senjumaru Shutara opened her eyes and stretched.
She went about her usual routine, freshening up while anticipating the delicious breakfast Masatsuki Aozaki would have prepared. However, when she entered the living room, she found the dining table completely empty.
"Huh? Masatsuki Aozaki didn't make breakfast?" she muttered to herself in surprise.
Curious, she walked into the kitchen to see what had happened. As soon as she stepped inside, she saw Kirio Hikifune busily preparing food.
Kirio's movements were smooth and practiced, as if she had done this countless times before. Lately, her daily schedule had become quite fixed—she would always appear in the dining room around eight in the morning. As for exactly how early she arrived, Senjumaru wasn't sure, since she was usually the last one to wake up.
Still, no matter how much time Masatsuki Aozaki spent learning how to forge Zanpakutō, he always returned in time to prepare all three meals for the day. Yet today, he was nowhere to be seen, and instead, Kirio was the one cooking breakfast.
Ever since Masatsuki Aozaki arrived at the Soul King Palace, Senjumaru had rarely seen Kirio cook herself.
Noticing Senjumaru's stunned expression, Kirio kept her usual bright smile and casually said, "Masatsuki's training is almost finished. He hasn't returned since last night."
"Wait... does that mean he already mastered forging a Zanpakutō? That fast?!"
Kirio nodded with a smile.
Senjumaru knew Masatsuki had been spending the past few days studying Zanpakutō forging, but it still caught her off guard. For him, this must have been such an important task that he even skipped making breakfast—something he never neglected before.
That idiot! she grumbled inwardly.
He still hasn't even gotten my answer to his confession, and now he can't even be bothered to make breakfast for me?
Men really are pigs!
Suppressing her frustration, Senjumaru stepped forward to help Kirio.
The breakfast Kirio had prepared was simple—just some basic Western-style food like bread and hot dogs. Senjumaru, showcasing her own skill, cracked two eggs and had Kirio fry them into golden omelets. With a steaming cup of milk on the side, the two women had a well-prepared meal.
The dining room was unusually quiet without the man at the center of their attention.
With only the two of them present, they ate in silence, taking small bites as a peaceful stillness filled the space...
That is, until Kirio finished her meal early and returned to her room, leaving Senjumaru alone at the table.
The composed smile she usually wore, befitting her seniority, slowly faded. A hint of melancholy crept into her expression.
Letting out a soft sigh, she sat there, feeling a deep sense of helplessness.
These past days, she'd been like this—her mood weighed down, no matter how much she tried to act the same as always in front of Masatsuki Aozaki and Kirio Hikifune.
But they had already seen through it all.
Her thoughts were a tangled mess.
Since that day, Masatsuki had never brought up his confession again. Yet, those words were burned into her heart, impossible to forget.
Even though his behavior hadn't changed, Senjumaru couldn't stop herself from replaying that moment over and over—every word, every sentence, etched into her mind.
"What on earth am I supposed to do!?"
She murmured softly, her voice laced with confusion and uncertainty.
...
Meanwhile, on the other side of the Soul King Palace, the one responsible for all of this—Masatsuki Aozaki—was grinning from ear to ear.
He held up a plain-looking katana and gave it a few test swings.
"A Zanpakutō—I forged it!"
"Well done, Masatsuki-chan! I knew you could do it!"
Ōetsu Nimaiya pumped his fist excitedly, looking even more thrilled than Masatsuki himself.
"You can take this blade back and cultivate it properly, though I can't say for sure if it will develop a sword spirit."
Masatsuki raised an eyebrow.
"So you're saying... the sword I forged might not have a spirit?"
No sword spirit?
Wouldn't that mean all his training in forging was pointless?
He had spent so much time and effort learning the craft precisely for the sake of creating sword spirits!
Masatsuki was momentarily stunned. If, after everything, his Zanpakutō ended up without a spirit, then all of his hard work would have been for nothing!
Ōetsu Nimaiya gave a slight nod.
"That possibility exists, but I can't give you a definite answer."
"After all, you're the second person after me to successfully forge a Zanpakutō."
"Before I ascended to the Soul King Palace, I taught others as well, but none of them were able to master the technique."
"If you have time, you could ask the monk. He has the ability to see the names of all things in the Three Worlds."
"Once an Asauchi is in a Shinigami's hands, he can discern the name of the Zanpakutō."
"If he can see the name of your sword, then you'll have your answer, won't you?"
"If..." Masatsuki muttered to himself.
He had caught the uncertainty in Ōetsu Nimaiya's words.
"Did you get all that, Masatsuki-chan?"
Ōetsu waved a hand in front of Masatsuki's face, a knowing smile on his lips.
Masatsuki nodded, though a hint of reluctance flickered in his eyes.
To be honest, he really didn't want to go seek out that monk.
"Even you, the 'God of the Sword'..."
Ōetsu waved dismissively.
"Don't underestimate that monk. I may be the one who forges the swords, but when it comes to their names, that's his domain."
"Sure, I made his Zanpakutō too, but you should have learned this at Shin'ō Academy—Zanpakutō are an extension of their wielders."
"His Zanpakutō's abilities have nothing to do with me. They're just a manifestation of his own power."
"Put simply, his authority surpasses mine, even as the 'God of the Sword' who created the Zanpakutō."
"So when it comes to names, he's the one you should be asking, not me."
Masatsuki stood in silence, gripping the Asauchi tightly, his gaze fixed in the distance as if deep in thought.
Ōetsu remained by his side, quietly observing.
His expression was unreadable, his eyes hidden behind his signature sunglasses, making it impossible to tell what he was thinking.
He simply waited.
After a brief pause, Masatsuki suddenly scratched his head, his movements casual. Then, as if coming to a decision, he spoke up.
"Alright, I'll ask him when I get the chance. But before that... shouldn't we be celebrating? I finally learned how to forge a Zanpakutō! I haven't even had a proper look around Hōōden yet!"
Ōetsu blinked in surprise, then quickly grinned.
"You're right—we should celebrate!"
Hearing that, Ōetsu burst into laughter.
He slung an arm around Masatsuki's shoulder, his voice booming with excitement.
"We really are on the same wavelength! I've already got everything set up—Party! Party! Let's go!"
His laughter was full of enthusiasm as the two of them strode toward the grand palace, ready to indulge in a well-earned celebration.
Their figures gradually disappeared beyond the palace gates, leaving only a gentle breeze in their wake.
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
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