Chapter 362: Above Me
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.