Chapter 262
The next morning, Toshiro's room.
Beep beep beep...
The sound of an alarm clock rang out.
"Yawn..."
Momo yawned, waking from her sleep, and turned off the alarm.
Still groggy for a moment, Momo suddenly remembered she had been talking with Toshiro the previous night when she grew drowsy and fell asleep without realizing it.
'Which means... this is Toshiro's room... I fell asleep in Toshiro's bed?!' Momo thought, her face turning bright red.
"Ah... ah... I'm sorry, Toshiro! I fell asleep without noticing... Huh?"
"Toshiro? He's not here..."
Momo was about to apologize to Toshiro but found he wasn't in the room.
Then, Momo inadvertently noticed the alarm clock beside her.
"Wow! It's already this late!"
"I slept this long? Toshiro really... If he woke up early, why didn't he wake me?" Momo muttered.
"Hmm?"
Momo suddenly saw a note next to the pillow.
Picking up the note, she read: "Momo, I've gone to the 1st Division for the regular meeting. You rest well."
After reading the note, Momo lay back down on the bed, pulled the covers over her head.
Then, Momo took a deep breath. "Mmm... Toshiro's scent. It's so reassuring!"
After staying under the covers for a bit, Momo sat up again.
"So... what should I do now?" Momo wondered aloud.
According to Yamamoto's orders, all Captains and Lieutenants, unless occupied with urgent matters, were to attend the regular meeting to discuss the intruder situation.
By the order, as a Lieutenant, Momo was also required to attend. However, firstly, Rangiku was already attending. Secondly, Toshiro had asked Momo to remain stationed at the 10th Division. So, Momo hadn't attended previous meetings or regular assemblies.
'Most of the division members are out searching for the intruders. There's not much to station for... Maybe I should go find Toshiro,' Momo thought.
Recently, with various incidents occurring one after another in the Seireitei, Momo felt very uneasy inside. Only by staying by Toshiro's side did she feel calm.
Because of this, Momo made up her mind.
'Let's attend the regular meeting. That way, I can spend more time with Toshiro!' Thinking this, Momo sprang up and ran out the door.
After only two steps outside, Momo suddenly remembered she was still in her nightgown.
Last night, in her haste, she had run to Toshiro's room in her nightgown, so her clothes were still in her own room.
So, Momo hurried back to her room, got dressed, and then ran all the way to the 1st Division, the meeting location.
"I woke up too late. At this rate, I won't make it," Momo thought as she ran.
"I have to take a shortcut!"
So, Momo scaled walls, leaped over rooftops, using Shunpo, rushing towards the 1st Division at full speed.
'Great! I should make it!'
After scaling one wall and seeing the destination close, Momo couldn't help but cheer.
"Huh?"
As she ran, Momo noticed something on the wall to her left. She suddenly stopped and turned to look at the left wall.
Then, she saw a blood-drenched corpse pinned to the East Holy Wall.
"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!" In her terror, Momo instantly screamed.
…
Second Waiting Room.
"What's going on?!"
"Who's screaming?"
"The sound came from the East Holy Wall!!"
All the Lieutenants gathered for the meeting exclaimed.
'This is... Momo's voice!' Kira thought, his heart chilling.
As Momo's good friend, Kira instantly recognized her voice.
"Momo, what's wrong? What happened?!" Kira worried.
Then, Kira immediately ran towards the East Holy Wall.
First Waiting Room.
At this moment, aside from those absent due to other matters, most Captains had gathered here. Toshiro was naturally present.
"Ara ara, why isn't the ever-diligent and responsible Captain Aizen here today?" Gin said, smiling with narrowed eyes.
"Well... perhaps something delayed him," Toshiro said, glancing at Gin, his tone noncommittal.
"No, no. I think Captain Aizen might have worked too hard, fell ill, and thus couldn't come..." Gin said meaningfully.
"Is that so? How would you..."
Before Toshiro could finish, a terrified scream echoed from the distance.
'That's Momo's voice! And it's from the East Holy Wall! Don't tell me...' Toshiro thought, his heart chilling.
Thinking this, Toshiro immediately ran outside.
Whoosh...
Seeing Toshiro run out, Gin chuckled lightly and followed.
East Holy Wall.
Swish!
A figure flashed, and Toshiro instantly appeared here.
Although, distance-wise, the Lieutenants in the Second Waiting Room were closer to the East Holy Wall, Toshiro's full-speed dash brought him here first.
"Toshiro!"
Seeing Toshiro suddenly appear, the terrified Momo immediately reacted, throwing herself into Toshiro's arms.
"Toshiro... you... look... Captain Aizen... he's dead!" Momo trembled all over, pointing behind her with a finger, but her head remained buried in Toshiro's chest, not daring to look back.
Toshiro looked in the direction Momo pointed. The blood-drenched Aizen was pinned to the East Holy Wall by his own Zanpakuto. His miserable state left no doubt he was dead.
"Yeah, I see..." Toshiro gently stroked Momo's head, comforting her softly.
However, the next moment, an icy blue light flashed in Toshiro's eyes. The corpse of Aizen hanging on the East Holy Wall transformed, in Toshiro's sight, into Aizen's Zanpakuto, Kyoka Suigetsu.
At that moment, Kira and the other Lieutenants also ran over.
"Momo! What happe—"
Before Kira could finish asking, he noticed the 'Aizen' pinned to the East Holy Wall.
"What?!" Kira exclaimed, unable to believe his eyes.
The other Lieutenants were also shocked speechless.
"Ara ara, what's everyone doing? What's all the shouting so early in the morning?"
A voice suddenly came. Everyone turned to see Gin walking over unhurriedly, step by step.