Naraku Sora froze in place, staring blankly at the flawless face inches from his own. His mind short-circuited for a moment, going completely blank.
Having been in this world for so long, this was the first time he had been this close to a woman who felt so unfamiliar yet somehow familiar.
Especially since she was so beautiful.
Her flawless cheeks seemed to exhaust all the magnificence of the world, possessing a charm mixed with solemnity, and eyes filled with confidence.
A confidence that allowed no refusal.
To the side, Nishikawa was dumbfounded.
Strictly speaking, Shutara Senjumaru hadn't been part of the True Central Prison for as long as he had.
From the moment she joined until now, this high-ranking Warden had always given the impression of being an ice-cold beauty.
Serious in her work, unsmiling.
But what was he seeing now?
Shutara Senjumaru was repeatedly trying to recruit a young newcomer who had just been imprisoned, going so far as to lower her status as a Warden.
In a sense, this could be considered seduction.
Was the gap between people really this big?
Nishikawa carefully glanced at the stiff-faced Naraku Sora, then tried hard to recall his own appearance in the past.
'Forget it, better not think about it.'
'Looks don't prove anything; in the Soul Society, you have to rely on strength.'
'Wait, doesn't this kid already seem as strong as me?'
Recalling Naraku Sora's performance when escorting the Adjuchas earlier, Nishikawa suddenly snapped awake.
'So, no matter how I look at it, I'm inferior to a new Soul Reaper who just graduated from the Academy?'
'Is this the reason Lord Shutara looks at him differently?'
Naraku didn't have time to pay attention to Nishikawa, who was letting his imagination run wild on the side.
He couldn't figure out what Shutara Senjumaru was plotting.
'Is she really just craving my body?'
Considering he didn't know Shutara Senjumaru's personality, Naraku Sora decided it was better to play it steady. Staying by her side felt a bit too dangerous.
"Apologies, Lord Warden, but I don't think I'm suited for desk work."
Shutara Senjumaru raised her slender eyebrows slightly. The amusement in her eyes didn't fade as she slowly spoke:
"The reason?"
Rejecting the Warden's kindness yet again... Nishikawa felt he couldn't help this kid anymore.
It was time to prepare a VIP seat in Muken Hell.
"To be honest," Naraku Sora said with a serious face, "I actually had another purpose for joining the True Central Prison."
"If it were just desk work, I could have joined the Gotei 13, the Kidō Corps, or even the Onmitsukidō."
"But those places cannot realize my ideal!"
Looking at the righteous appearance of the young man before her, a trace of confusion flashed across Shutara Senjumaru's face.
"Ideal?"
"Correct," Naraku Sora declared with a booming voice. "To prevent the destruction of the Seireitei, to protect the peace of the Soul Society, fighting crime starts with me!"
Shutara Senjumaru fell silent.
Judging by the sincere look in Naraku Sora's eyes, it wasn't hard to tell that what he just said came from the heart.
However.
This was the first time she had seen someone join the True Central Prison to protect the Soul Society.
Normally speaking, shouldn't one join the Gotei 13 for that?
After all, protection was their duty.
The True Central Prison was only responsible for catching people.
'Is this kid mistaken about something?'
Shutara Senjumaru's gaze became somewhat complex.
However, she was obviously different from a certain pedantic old man who only knew how to roast sweet potatoes.
As a high-tech researcher deeply involved in various fields, if she couldn't accept new things and keep up with the times, she would have been eliminated by others hundreds of years ago.
The corners of Senjumaru's mouth lifted as she praised:
"Very good, very energetic."
"The True Central Prison lacks young people full of drive like you."
"However..."
Naraku Sora pricked up his ears.
The smile on Shutara Senjumaru's face took on a teasing quality as she asked softly:
"Do you know how Central 46 usually deals with those Soul Reapers infected with Hollow characteristics?"
The moment those words fell, Naraku Sora froze instantly.
He stared in astonishment at those smiling eyes, his expression becoming extremely stiff.
For a split second, Naraku Sora felt his brain completely crash, turning into a blank sheet.
All his plans for acting later, his philosophy of lying low, his peak of life...
At this moment, none of it mattered.
His most guarded secret had been exposed in a single sentence. He simply didn't dare to imagine what would happen next.
Locked up in Muken Hell?
Or beaten to his knees by her, then dealt with strictly as a Hollow?
"Brat, you seem surprised."
Shutara Senjumaru wore an expression as if she had discovered a novel toy, her gentle tone filled with undisguised teasing.
This time, it was the little pony getting ruthlessly toyed with by the heavy cart.
"You should know."
"Except for the lowest level, Muken Hell, nothing that happens in the other seven layers escapes my sight."
Shutara Senjumaru used the most relaxed tone to say words that made one's scalp numb.
"I quite liked your performance during the transport."
"But I am somewhat dissatisfied with your mouth full of lies."
Nishikawa looked bewildered, completely failing to understand the meaning of these words.
On the other hand, Naraku Sora gradually calmed down and gave a dry, awkward laugh:
"Lord Shutara, I've thought about it carefully. Actually, desk work is quite nice too."
"We are all working for the stability of the Soul Society; there is no distinction between high and low in work."
He had to admit, he was a bit panicked when the secret was first revealed.
After all, in the Soul Society, a Hollowfied Soul Reaper was a heresy not allowed to exist.
Once discovered, a trip to the Sōkyoku Hill was inevitable.
Naraku Sora didn't think his current self could withstand the Kikōō.
But on second thought.
If Shutara Senjumaru were truly the type who couldn't tolerate a grain of sand in her eye, she should have acted directly the moment he exposed his Hollow characteristics.
But not only did she not do that, she used a vague and ambiguous attitude to test and recruit him.
Although he wasn't quite sure of Shutara Senjumaru's goal.
Judging by the current situation, he was still very safe.
Hearing this, the smile on Shutara Senjumaru's face showed a bit more satisfaction.
Facts proved that no one could behave too calmly when their secret was held over them.
Moreover, this kid wasn't completely stupid.
He could hear the other layer of meaning contained in her words.
"I never force others."
"It's not forced at all; these are words from the bottom of my heart," Naraku Sora said with a face full of righteousness.
The tacit exchange between the two left Nishikawa confused, completely unable to figure out what had just happened.
But the outcome was good, at least.
"In that case, report to the laboratory tomorrow."
Shutara Senjumaru said softly, "I still have some matters to attend to."
Laboratory?
Naraku Sora noticed the blind spot.
'Am I being treated as a guinea pig?!'