Alright.
To put it simply—Senjumaru Shutara had given in to temptation.
It might not match her elegant and noble image, but it was absolutely sothing she would do.
And judging by how smoothly this played out, this wasn’t the first ti.
That’s why neither Masatsuki Aozaki nor Kirio Hikifune looked particularly surprised. Normally, she wouldn’t face any severe punishnt for sothing like this.
At this mont, however, Senjumaru, thoroughly intimidated by Masatsuki’s imposing aura, muttered under her breath:
"Well, it’s only because you were too slow, Masatsuki-chan... I just couldn’t help myself..."
"You two ran off to have fun without , and I had to do sothing to pass the ti..."
"What?" Masatsuki’s eyes narrowed. "So not only did you sneak around, but now you’re trying to shift the bla? You really are a mature adult, huh?"
"...I—I’m sorry! I truly apologize!"
At this point, Senjumaru Shutara looked just like a newlywed wife caught making a mistake.
Under Masatsuki’s stern gaze, the usual dignity of a Zero Division mber had completely vanished.
She didn’t even dare lift her head. With a sharp thud, she bowed deeply at a perfect ninety-degree angle.
Had this happened before Kirio Hikifune joined the Soul King Palace,
Senjumaru might have shown so guilt when caught in the act, but she wouldn’t have looked this pitiful.
However, ever since reuniting with Masatsuki Aozaki, she had co to a rather shocking realization—
This junior had surpassed her in raw strength.
It was absurd.
As a Shinigami, Senjumaru had been empowered by the Soul King’s divine energy.
Yet, sohow, Masatsuki Aozaki—who hadn’t undergone that process—had still managed to surpass her.
It shouldn’t have been possible.
And yet, no matter how she looked at it, the facts were right in front of her.
Both in terms of Reiatsu density and overall spiritual pressure, Masatsuki Aozaki stood above her.
Even Captain-Commander Yamamoto, despite his overwhelming attack power, couldn’t match her in sheer Reiatsu alone.
And yet—Masatsuki Aozaki outclassed even that.
With a helpless sigh, Senjumaru Shutara accepted her fate.
She never imagined there would co a day when she would bow her head before a junior.
Life was unpredictable.
To think that she, Senjumaru Shutara—one of the most brilliant minds in history—would lose to the younger generation.
Was this not exactly what happened when she faced Yamamoto before she joined the Zero Division?
Back then, she had been crushed by her teacher.
Now, she had been surpassed by her student.
What kind of monsters were they?!
Masatsuki Aozaki crossed his arms, his tone firm.
"That said, Senjumaru—you do understand that making a mistake ans you have to accept punishnt, right?"
"Ah, of course! Actually, I was already prepared for this."
Senjumaru blinked up at him innocently.
"So as compensation, I shall present you with a fine garnt. Now, if you would be so kind—please remove your clothes."
...
Masatsuki Aozaki stared at her.
Kirio Hikifune choked on her tea.
Senjumaru Shutara, Zero Division’s Northern Divine General and senior among them, blinked expectantly, waiting for a response.
Technically, as the most senior mber present, she should have been the one receiving the most respect and reverence.
Masatsuki and Kirio should have been treating her like royalty—pampering her, flattering her, treating her with utmost care.
That should have been the case.
But after spending decades living together in Soul Society, Senjumaru Shutara knew full well—
There was no point pretending.
She had already lost every ounce of dignity in front of these two.
At this point, there was no sha left to be had.
So if she was going to be ridiculous—she might as well fully embrace it.
Senjumaru Shutara, now revealing her true feelings toward Masatsuki Aozaki, continued,
"You’ve already seen my craftsmanship, so this should be sufficient as compensation. And as for Kirio’s clothes..."
"Hah... So, in the end, you just want to do nothing while getting us to model for you for free? And you still call yourself a senior?"
"Uu..."
Caught red-handed, Senjumaru Shutara whimpered, hunching her shoulders.
In truth, even if Masatsuki’s Reiatsu surpassed hers, she wasn’t necessarily without a chance in an actual fight.
But to her, who had already embarrassed herself beyond asure, a battle of strength was aningless.
Unless she could completely overpower Masatsuki again, he would just rember this humiliation forever.
But really, there was no point dwelling on it now.
The Soul King’s power had reforged the bodies of Zero Division mbers into Ōken, raising their upper limits—but that was it.
Unless she found another opportunity, surpassing Masatsuki in the future was simply unrealistic.
"...Fine. Let decide your punishnt. And of course, new clothes are non-negotiable."
"You gave a captain’s uniform before."
"This ti, I want a full set of different styles. And Kirio gets one too—after all, that dessert was her work."
"Ah! Yes! Leave it to , I promise you won’t be disappointed."
At the ntion of weaving, Senjumaru’s face instantly brightened, and her usual composure returned.
"Hah... You seem way too happy about this."
Masatsuki Aozaki raised an eyebrow.
"But don’t think that’s enough. You ate my dessert—you have to make it up to ."
As a master chef, Masatsuki knew that dish had a special aning—it wasn’t just food.
It was Kirio’s way of expressing her feelings.
For a chef and a lover separated for years, it was the equivalent of a heartfelt confession.
And according to Kirio, that dish had been made using Gikon.
Not only had she put in a ton of effort, but it also had the effect of temporarily enhancing Reiatsu.
Originally, she had planned to use her own Reiatsu along with Gikon techniques to prepare it.
But there was a catch—this thod required her to accumulate fat in order to store more Reiatsu, aning it would cause weight gain.
For the sake of a certain troubleso man...
Kirio, who had never cared about her figure before, had reluctantly abandoned that idea and found another solution—
Instead of storing Reiatsu in her own body, she infused it directly into the Gikon, only drawing it out when needed.
"H-Huh? But... I don’t know how to cook!"
The usually dignified Senjumaru awkwardly smiled.
She loved good food.
But she much preferred eating it over making it.
Everyone in Zero Division knew—after Kirio’s promotion, she and Senjumaru beca the division’s most famous "well-clothed and well-fed" duo.
Their roles were very clear.
She had no issues handling the "well-clothed" part.
But for the food... that was entirely up to Kirio.
Masatsuki Aozaki stretched lazily, then stood up as if tired.
"Well then, ti to learn. I’m starting from zero too, so let’s learn together."
"...Learning, huh? Hmm, I suppose that is an option."
Senjumaru nodded, her smile returning.
Eating delicious food and getting top-tier models for her designs?
This was a fantastic deal!
A win-win!
Actually, scratch that—she won twice!
As for repaying Masatsuki for the dessert...
If she just learned how to make it herself, that should be enough, right?
It shouldn’t take that long to master one recipe...
"Anyway, let’s call it a night," Kirio clapped her hands, flashing a bright, energetic smile.
"We’ve all been busy all day without a single break—I’m sure we’re exhausted, right?"
Her warm, lively voice carried an unmistakable care, effortlessly washing away the fatigue of the day.
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