Chapter 210: Fated Meeting (I)
<span style="font-weight:400">Kazuya engaged in light conversation with Api and Tier regarding Menoly. Api, though harsh, rarely defied his orders. Nheless, he feltpelled to ensure she neither mistreated Menoly with severity nor with too much kindness. They had to treat her normally.
<span style="font-weight:400">Afterwards, he said goodbye to thedies and headed out to Kisuke’s old shop. He gave the vacant shop a thorough examination, finding nothing but remnants of Toshiro, Unohana, and Rangiku’s Reiatsu.
<i><span style="font-weight:400">‘Yup, Unohana took her.’</i>
<span style="font-weight:400">{Let’s go to Momo!}
<span style="font-weight:400">He went to regroup with Shunsui and Nanao at Sung-Sun’s flower shop. Opting not to wait indoors, the pair stood outside the entrance.
<span style="font-weight:400">Nanao’s angry look and the red fingers mark on Shunsui’s face conveyed the whole story — Shunsui got punished for making advances towards thedies inside the shop. Therge hand belonged to M Rose, which was quite fitting reaction from M Rose. Sung-Sun fought her battles with words over her fists.
<span style="font-weight:400">“He’s here…” Nanao greeted him with a smile. “Captain, why do you get into situations where you have to apologize to him?”
<span style="font-weight:400">Merely a week prior, the notion of her Captain apologizing to the notorious charmer of Shino Academy would have seemed far-fetched to Nanao; even stranger was the fact she asked him to do it.
<span style="font-weight:400">Kazuya gave an amused smile. “No need. He already got his just desserts at Rose’s hand.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Just the mark alone told the force and annoyance behind the p; it also showed Shunsui hadn’t gone overboard. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have ended with one p. The fierce lioness would’ve gone to war like she did with Grimmjow.
<span style="font-weight:400">Shunsui rubbed his chin with a genial smile. “Isn’t it a man’s duty topliment every beautiful woman?”
<span style="font-weight:400">{The skirt-chaser of the Gotei 13 is on a different ying field. Partner, level up your game!}
<i><span style="font-weight:400">‘Get off Adderall.’</i>
<span style="font-weight:400">Nanao smacked his back. “That’s enough, Captain!”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Haha.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Laughter ensued among them until the door abruptly slid open with a sharp sound. Momo’s eyes widened upon noticing Kazuya, and she swiftly lunged towards him with arms outstretched.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Kazuya-kun~!”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Not again.” Kazuya resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Being the affectionate man he was, he gently caught Momo in his arms. “Can you stop doing that?”
<span style="font-weight:400">{Momo suffered for you. Console her with love.}
<i><span style="font-weight:400">‘What if I don’t?’</i>
<span style="font-weight:400">{I—I’ll never make an effort to connect with Izumi.}
<i><span style="font-weight:400">‘I got no choice then.’</i>
<span style="font-weight:400">{Maniption sessful, ufufu.}
<span style="font-weight:400">Kazuya ignored Nami’s obvious attempts to get a reaction out of him.
<span style="font-weight:400">“I’m sorry…” Momo whispered, looking up with teary eyes. “I-I couldn’te to help you… The flowerdy knocked me out from behind.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Shunsui crossed his arms, his expression one that of an enlightened fellow. “They both pack a punch. Really they are—”
<span style="font-weight:400">Nanao cut him off with a light jab at Shunsui’s chin. “Stay quiet, Captain.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Kazuya’s gaze returned to Momo, who offered him a look so imploring it seemed she would disregard the entire world until he pardoned her perceived transgression.
<span style="font-weight:400">He pulled her cheek until she began tearing for real. “You little idiot.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“I’m sowwy!”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Wait here. I''ll knock some sense into that arrogant woman.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“No—”
<span style="font-weight:400">Brushing Momo aside, he stormed into the shop, as Yoruichi jumped down from his shoulder. As Momo reached out to follow, the door clicked shut, firmly locked.
<span style="font-weight:400">Nanao grasped Momo’s hand and pulled her away from the shop. “Let him handle it.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Unlike Momo, Nanao knew Kazuya’s deep rtionship with the two women inside the flower shop. And unlike Momo, she knew his true nature as a Hollow. She felt strangely proud of knowing Kazuya’s biggest secret that Momo, his love interest, had yet to learn.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Nanao-san, it’s not their fault…” Momo shook her head. “They wanted to stop me from interfering in a battle beyond my league.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Reflecting on her awakening in the shop, Momo remembered her anger towards the receptionist and the florist. The memory of her futile attempt to fight the florist, Sung-Sun, brought a flush of embarrassment to her cheeks. Sung-Sun had floored her with one move, leaving Momo utterly humiliated.
<i><span style="font-weight:400">‘Dividing his attention to protect you could’ve caused him his life. Learn to know your limits if you want to support him from the bottom of his heart. Sometimes… not rushing head-first into your death is the best option.’</i>
<span style="font-weight:400">It was this lesson that caused Momo to calm down and think about the situation logically. Momo had to acknowledge that the flowerdy was not only stronger physically but also more intelligent and mature.
<span style="font-weight:400">Nanao ced a hand on Momo’s shoulder. “Are you alright?”
<span style="font-weight:400">Momo slowly nodded. “Sorry for spacing out.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Soon, they heard things being thrown around inside the shop, which Momo interpreted as things bing physical between Kazuya and Sung-Sun. Momo wanted to intervene but she had to stay here. After all, she had promised him to never go against his wishes.
<span style="font-weight:400">“It’s not what you think,” Nanao whispered in her ears. “It’s like an argument between friends.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Momo was reminded of her heated argument with Rukia. Choosing to trust Nanao’s words, Momo waited outside the door with a bated breath.
<span style="font-weight:400">Eventually, Kazuya emerged, looking as if he had endured a storm—his appearance disheveled.
<span style="font-weight:400">Nanao’s cheeks flushed upon noticing the love bite marks on his neck. Shunsui''s smirk indicated a simr understanding. The Captain and Vice-Captain duo easily connected the dots with the earlier noises inside the shop. He had been battling Sung-Sun but not in the way Momo anticipated.
<span style="font-weight:400">Unconcerned with his disarrayed state, Momo immediately inquired about his well-being. After pacifying Momo’s worries, he made Shunsui summon the Senkaimon door.
<span style="font-weight:400">Kazuya and hispanions stepped through the Senkaimon, emerging into a vast chamber. Captains of the Gotei 13 were arrayed in disciplined ranks, forming two lines that faced each other in silence.
<span style="font-weight:400">Isshin Shiba, Retsu Unohana, Mayuri Kurotsuchi, Soi Fon, and Jushiro Ukitake stood on the left while Kenpachi Zaraki, Ginrei Kuchiki, Kaname Tosen, Gin Ichimaru, and Saijin Komamura stood on the right.
<span style="font-weight:400">Meanwhile, right in front of him, seated on a tall wooden chair that seemed almost out of ce in its simplicity against the grandeur of the surroundings, was the Captain Commander.
<span style="font-weight:400">Their Senkaimon was intercepted and made to open in the assembly hall of the 1st Squad’s headquarters.
<span style="font-weight:400">Momo leaned towards Kazuya, shivering from the dense Reiatsu enveloping them. “Kazuya-kun, this is… Captain Commander?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Yeah.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Isshin, Ukitake, Ginrei, and Unohana acknowledged Kazuya with either a smile or a polite nod.
<span style="font-weight:400">Soi Fon fixed her intense gaze on Kazuya and the cat sitting on his shoulder.
<span style="font-weight:400">Mayuri only nced at him before going back to counting the lines on the floor’s design.
<span style="font-weight:400">The rest of the captains looked disinterested aside from Saijin. The dog-headed warrior seemed to have smelled the lingering scent ofdies on him.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Shunsui Kyoraku,” Yamamoto called out in a low but intimidating voice and lightly struck his cane on the floor. “I, hereby, seize your captain seat.”