Half an hour later.
In the Seireitei, on the hill behind the Shihōin estate.
A black figure was rapidly using Shunpo. Rushing over like thunder.
She wore a black Spirit-Concealing Cloak over her body. Though currently in its visible state.
It was none other than Yoruichi Shihōin, who'd gone to the Shihōin estate to steal the armament.
At this moment, a faint smile played on her lips.
Although after that incident with Kisuke, she hadn't visited the Shihōin estate's armament vault in over a hundred years, she'd once been the family head after all. She was thoroughly familiar with all the routes and hidden passages.
Moreover, though she wasn't proficient in barrier-type Kidō techniques, she undoubtedly knew the ones used to seal the armaments.
Because for over a hundred years, these techniques hadn't been changed at all.
This fact was also within Yoruichi's expectations.
After all, no family elder could have imagined that this former family head would come here to steal...
Thinking this, the smile on Yoruichi's face deepened.
But the next moment—
When she reached the hilltop and saw the scene before her, the smile on her face was instantly replaced by shock.
Immediately after, her eyeballs nearly popped out.
"Ehhhhhhhh?!!!"
Her strange cry immediately filled the entire hilltop. Naturally reaching Shigure and Soi Fon's ears ahead.
Hearing this voice, Soi Fon's heart immediately jumped. Then her face flushed red all at once. Red all the way to her neck.
The next moment, she suddenly used Shunpo like a fleeing bird. Directly escaping from Shigure's embrace. Instantly opening about ten feet of distance.
Then, blushing, she quickly looked toward Yoruichi. Shouting incoherently:
"Y-Yoruichi-sama! Please don't misunderstand!"
"I... I, this... it's not what you think!!"
She said loudly. Face and ears burning red.
This intense reaction made Yoruichi freeze again.
Then, seeming to understand the situation, a sly smile suddenly appeared on her face.
"Tsk tsk... Soi Fon, I haven't said anything yet, you know?"
"Eh?" Soi Fon froze, still blushing.
Yoruichi walked to Shigure's side while laughing. But her gaze remained on Soi Fon:
"Hehe, what I just saw was just Segawa's hand around your shoulder..."
"That's pretty normal, right? Look, like... this."
Saying this, she also looped her arm around Shigure's shoulder. Then she put on a strange expression:
"I'm not misunderstanding anything. But Soi Fon, did you just... do something behind my back?"
Finishing, she deliberately winked at Soi Fon.
Seeing this, Soi Fon's face flushed even redder. As if water would drip out.
"I... I didn't!"
She clenched her fists. Defending herself somewhat weakly.
Seeing this, Yoruichi's eyes flickered slightly. Then a gentle smile appeared on her face.
The Soi Fon before her no longer had the feeling of a Gotei captain. Instead, she'd returned to that time—to that cute girl who would get embarrassed and show her emotions on her face.
After a moment, Shigure finally spoke with a light laugh:
"Miss Yoruichi, stop teasing her. Let's talk business first."
Hearing this, Yoruichi snapped out of it. She looked deeply at Soi Fon once more, then chuckled.
"True enough."
Saying this, she removed her hand from Shigure's shoulder. Then from her sleeve, she suddenly produced a transparent ring-shaped object.
Shigure immediately focused his gaze on it.
Beside them, though Aning didn't understand, she also opened her eyes wide to examine it carefully.
Soi Fon's mind was currently in chaos. She had no mood to look at this.
Before Shigure could ask, Yoruichi explained with a smile:
"This thing looks like its material is the same as 'diamond' from the World of the Living, right?"
"This is the Heavenly Gift Armament that seals the 'Frostburn Valley' barrier... the Shihōin Ring."
"Here, for you."
Finishing, she directly extended her hand to pass it over. Under the sunlight, rainbow light sparkled brilliantly on it.
Shigure nodded and accepted it without hesitation.
But the instant it touched his hand, his gaze suddenly flickered.
Because the moment he gripped the Shihōin Ring, he suddenly felt a spiritual pressure vibration transmit to his palm. Then immediately disappear.
Seeing this, Yoruichi beside him chuckled lightly:
"Heh, Segawa, you should have noticed it, right? That spiritual pressure impact from the ring?"
"Actually, this kind of artificially created armament can't compare with the Shihōin family's true Heavenly Gift Armaments."
"But because my father wanted it to achieve the perfect effect of a 'divine artifact,' he left behind this slight side effect."
"For someone with weaker spiritual pressure, when touching the Shihōin Ring, even their soul consciousness might be affected."
"But you're definitely fine, right?"
Shigure's spiritual pressure level was undoubtedly the strongest Yoruichi had ever seen. That's why she dared to hand it directly to Shigure without warning.
Shigure nodded and said with a light laugh: "Thank you very much, Miss Yoruichi."
"Ha, it's nothing."
Yoruichi waved her hand dismissively with a laugh. Then she suddenly changed topics:
"But speaking of which, if we fully deploy this barrier here, it's not quite suitable..."
"Mm, why don't we go back to the 2nd Division's training valley?"
"That place would be just the right size."
Hearing this, Shigure didn't hesitate and nodded. He naturally wanted to complete the check-in task as soon as possible.
Immediately after, both of them looked toward Soi Fon.
But Soi Fon had her head lowered. Seemingly pondering something. The expression on her face kept changing.
Shigure chuckled and spoke:
"Soi Fon, time to go. Let's head back to the 2nd Division's training valley."
"Mm... eh?"
Soi Fon reflexively raised her head. But seemed not to know what had happened. After a moment, she hurriedly nodded quickly:
"Ah... oh, let's go!"
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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