Chapter 367: The Priest's Joy
"Hohoho!"
"Everyone, eat and drink up!"
In the Lying Pig Palace, Satoru raised his wine cup and let out a hearty laugh.
"Oh ho!!"
Ōetsu, Kirinji, and the Priest all cheered along.
Kirio Hikifune directed the divine soldiers to bring out dish after dish.
Senjumaru Shutara sat on the other side of the dining table, watching the men across from her speechlessly.
The scene before her made her want to complain.
Wasn't that Kirinji supposed to be at odds with Satoru? Why did their relationship suddenly improve during the nightly routine banquets?
And the big Priest... although usually a bit airheaded, ever since Satoru came up, he'd clearly been letting himself go even more.
Shouldn't the leader of the Zero Division maintain some dignity?
When these guys gathered together, it always felt like the entire Zero Division had turned into idiots.
As a member herself, she felt her own worth diminishing by association.
While she was sighing internally, Satoru had somehow appeared beside her.
"Auntie Robe Spirit, what are you thinking about all alone here?"
"Our Zero Division rarely gathers like this—how can you drink melancholy wine by yourself?"
"Be merry! Be joyful!"
"Old Ōetsu! Bring more wine!"
At Satoru's shout, Ōetsu laughed heartily, made a grasping motion through the air, and pulled a wine jar from afar to land on the table.
Wine flew out from the jar, perfectly filling each person's wine bowl.
Satoru picked up his bowl and gestured to Senjumaru.
Senjumaru's eye twitched.
Since when was it "our Zero Division"?
When did you brat join the division? I never heard about it!
Despite her exasperation, she still picked up her wine bowl, shook her head with an amused smile, and drank with the others.
As the drinking reached its peak, Satoru took off his upper garment and personally went to cook a few large dishes.
The Priest and the others showed excited expressions.
Ever since Satoru first came up, they'd been curious why Kirio Hikifune called a junior "Master."
After asking Kirio Hikifune, they were surprised to learn that this "Valley King," who mastered countless tempting cooking methods, had actually learned many dishes from Satoru.
Since then, the Zero Division members had always looked forward to Satoru's cooking.
Today, with this rare opportunity, of course they had to savor it thoroughly!
Thinking of Satoru's dishes, Senjumaru unconsciously shuddered.
While the three men happily drank, waiting for the food, she casually stood up and went to the kitchen.
From a distance, she watched Satoru cooking.
She saw Satoru spread his hands, releasing flame-attribute Reiatsu that converged into a large fireball not far in front of him.
Inside the fireball, a white circular object tumbled and rotated—unidentifiable.
Watching this bizarre scene, she couldn't help but swallow hard.
Suddenly, Satoru, who was cooking, turned his head and looked at her.
"Hey, Auntie Robe Spirit, interested in cooking?"
"Come on in, I'll teach you."
Seeing Satoru's eerie smile, Senjumaru instinctively took two steps back.
"N-no, that's alright... I was just looking around."
If it were over a hundred years ago, when she had just met Satoru, she would have entered with a smile, curious to see what tricks this kid could pull.
But after witnessing Satoru's performance over the past few days, she felt a bit Hollow inside.
On the first day, he fought fiercely against Tenjirō Kirinji.
After that, he rested for three days.
On the fourth day, he broke through Kirio Hikifune's Life Prison.
He rested for one day.
On the sixth day, he effortlessly defeated her, who had the home advantage and had woven an extravagant hunting ground, with an overwhelming force.
It was no exaggeration to say that if the Zero Division were short on members now, this guy could immediately rise up based on his combat prowess alone.
Although she usually appeared calm and collected, as if everything was under control, that was merely the demeanor she naturally developed after becoming a strong individual.
At her core, Senjumaru Shutara was still a somewhat introverted homebody.
Back in the Seireitei, when she served as the captain of the Twelfth Division, she established the division's foundation on technology.
Even now, many related fields in the Seireitei still use the research results she developed back then.
For example, the "Shutara Index," which indicates the level of danger, was derived from the Reiatsu sensing device she designed back in the day.
Facing this version of Satoru, she had no desire to be alone with him and turned to leave.
But before she could take two steps, Senjumaru Shutara felt a gust of wind at her back.
Turning around in alarm, she saw that Satoru had somehow appeared behind her.
"Hehehe, it's too late to run now... Come in quietly!"
"Waaah! No!"
"Come with me!"
Dragging the wailing Senjumaru Shutara along, Satoru returned to the kitchen.
He then handed her a ladle and put her in charge of watching the pot.
Staring at the bubbling broth in front of her, Senjumaru Shutara fell into deep thought.
...
...
"Hehehehe, the main course is here!"
Satoru carried a plate back to the hall.
Seeing what he had brought, the seated individuals showed expressions of surprise.
On the large plate was an enormous white sphere.
The sphere was massive, larger than a human head.
Following behind Satoru, Senjumaru Shutara also walked over.
Each of her skeletal hands held an identical plate.
"Kid Mikami, what is this?"
Looking at the large sphere Satoru placed on the table, Kirinji showed a curious expression.
It appeared to be a sphere formed by rice grains stuck together.
Was it a giant rice ball?
Under the curious gazes of everyone, Satoru chuckled proudly.
He raised his hand and gave the sphere a light tap from a distance.
With a crisp sound, the sphere shattered, revealing its contents.
"Oh ho..."
Ōetsu lifted his sunglasses, revealing a surprised look.
It turned out the white sphere was just a shell, hollow inside.
Beneath the sphere was a filling of broth made with shrimp, beef, scallops, vegetables, and other ingredients.
"This dish is called 'Blossoming Crispy Rice,' a legendary recipe that has been lost to time!"
"If we were in the real world, making an authentic Blossoming Crispy Rice would require special spherical iron cookware, making it extremely difficult."
"However, for Shinigami who can use Reiatsu to manipulate objects from a distance, the difficulty of this dish is greatly reduced."
"Everyone, dig in quickly before it gets cold!"
Hearing this, the Priest and others, who had been waiting impatiently, immediately grabbed bowls, scooped up the broken crispy rice and broth, and brought them to their mouths.
The moment the dish entered their mouths, everyone froze in unison.
Then, they let out hearty shouts one after another, their clothes bursting open to reveal their robust bodies.
Witnessing this scene, Senjumaru Shutara showed a pleased expression.
This was the moment she had been waiting for!
The stimulating sensation of Satoru's Gigai cuisine was no joke!
...
...
After eating and drinking their fill, everyone returned to their respective homes.
The Priest, Kirinji, and Ōetsu all praised Satoru's clothes-bursting cuisine profusely.
As for Senjumaru Shutara, she became even more determined never to casually eat anything Satoru prepared.
Returning to the Kirin Hall, Satoru sat cross-legged on the bed.
Opening the small package he had brought from the Seireitei earlier, he took out a potion and drank it in one gulp.
This potion was none other than the Superhuman Drug prepared for him by Aizen.
Considering there was no Tōshirō in the Soul King Palace, Aizen had diluted the Superhuman Drug six hundred times to prevent Satoru from overclocking too high and burning himself out.
After drinking the Superhuman Drug, Satoru entered his spiritual world.
Before him, the figure of Kirinji Tenjirō manifested.
Previously, his battle with Kirinji Tenjirō could have actually been decided much sooner.
The reason it dragged on for a whole day was to fully comprehend the latter's complete abilities.
Now, it was time for some enjoyable simulated combat!
Under Satoru's gaze, Kirinji Tenjirō grabbed his Tenpijirou and charged forward with a roar.
This time, he didn't use Risō Jakumetsu but instead directly swung his fist and rushed forward.
Amidst the explosive sounds of raging Reiatsu, Kirinji Tenjirō fought fiercely for less than three minutes before being sent flying high into the air and slamming hard onto the ground.
His entire body was covered with depressions from being bombarded by multiple force impacts.
More than half his bones were broken, his entire body twisted into a grotesque posture, clearly devoid of any signs of life.
Meanwhile, Satoru was covered in wounds of varying depths, as if he had just been fished out of a pool of blood.
As the first simulation ended, Satoru revealed a look of pure exhilaration.
With a single thought, the scene refreshed.
Kirinji Tenjirō reappeared.
And all the wounds on Satoru's body vanished without a trace.
The two charged at each other once more...
...
...
As dawn broke, two figures stood facing each other across the Ōmotesandō.
"Yo! A battle of fate, the end of progress!"
"Nimaiya Ōetsu, I'll shatter your unbeaten record and steal your shine!"
Ōetsu waved his hands, showcasing his rap to Satoru.
Satoru responded with a cold sneer:
"Vaping? I only puff on ○ke 5!"
"Nimaiya, you can't block my path!"
"Yo!"
Watching the two engage in their rap battle, the Priest wore a complicated expression.
He silently resolved that, even without that incident, he would never invite Satoru into the Zero Division.
Just imagining Satoru and Ōetsu gathering every day for rap battles made him feel as frustrated as if he'd been kicked by Komamura...
As the rap battle concluded, Satoru drew Risō Jakumetsu.
Ōetsu, meanwhile, glanced behind him.
There stood a row of beautiful women with distinct styles, exuding a decadent, hedonistic aura.
Scanning the group, Ōetsu nodded to one of them:
"Come on, baby! Let's you and I be the first to teach this kid a lesson!"
At Ōetsu's command, the girl transformed into a streak of light, flying into his hand and becoming a Zanpakutō.
Watching this scene, Satoru gritted his teeth tightly.
"Envious! So envious!"
"Fighting with a harem squad—this is the pinnacle of being a Shinigami!"
"Old man Ōetsu, prepare yourself! Today, I'll send you to the afterlife and take over your Palace of the Wind King!"
"Hoho, if you can do it, then come and try, little Satoru!"
Ōetsu raised his Zanpakutō, which flashed and transformed into a long lightning whip.
The two charged at each other simultaneously, engaging in a fierce clash.
Initially, seeing Ōetsu with so many Zanpakutō, Satoru had assumed his combat style would be similar to Enrakyōten—a relatively weak main body relying entirely on stacking various Zanpakutō's miraculous abilities.
Unexpectedly, Ōetsu's own strength far exceeded imagination.
Wielding the lightning whip, Ōetsu seemed to transform into a storm of lightning, his figure flipping and darting across the battlefield, launching all-around assaults on Satoru from unimaginable angles.
The Soul King's blessing granted him an exceptionally resilient body, capable of movements ordinary Shinigami wouldn't dare attempt.
But just as Ōetsu thought he had control of the battlefield, Satoru suddenly flung out two swords.
Gripping the chains attached to the twin blades, Satoru spun violently in place.
The blades of Risō Jakumetsu whirled with roaring blue flames.
Satoru's Hell Windmill!!
Facing the agile Ōetsu, Satoru opted for a full-screen area attack!
Ōetsu, wielding the lightning whip, barely defended against a few strikes before decisively abandoning his agile approach.
With a wave of his hand, another girl transformed into a Zanpakutō and flew into his grasp.
As the Zanpakutō released, Satoru's spinning suddenly stiffened.
The weight of the entire area seemed to multiply countless times over!
Watching Satoru slow down, Ōetsu grinned widely:
"Little Satoru, the name of my blade is Sky Anchor!"
"After release, she absorbs Reishi from the surrounding air, creating a powerful gravity field that only affects enemies!"
"In Seireitei, her strength isn't particularly remarkable, let alone in places like Rukongai or the Living World."
"But in the Soul King Palace, where Reishi density is extremely high—so concentrated it's almost liquefied—Sky Anchor's power receives an epic enhancement!"
"Even someone as powerful as you cannot escape defeat under her pressure!"
As he spoke, his other hand holding the lightning whip rose high, swinging toward Satoru with a triumphant grin.
Crack!!
Under Ōetsu's astonished gaze, Satoru raised his hand and caught the whip mid-swing.
Meeting the latter's stunned look, Satoru grinned widely.
"Gravity field... truly a decent ability."
"However, before me, gravity of this level isn't enough to crush anyone."
"Victory can be achieved through pure strength alone!"
With a loud shout, his arm erupted with unimaginable power, yanking Ōetsu entirely toward him!
Fullbring!
Innate Physique!!
Feeling the terrifying monstrous strength transmitted through the lightning whip, Ōetsu couldn't help but feel as exasperated as if he'd been tricked by Komamura.
In all his years, this was the first time he'd encountered such overwhelming, irresistible power!
Not far away, the Priest, who had been observing the battle all along, found his breathing quickening slightly.
He rose to his feet unconsciously, his eyes fixed intently on Satoru.
"Good, very good."
He grinned, revealing a deeply gratified smile.
Watching the Priest's reaction, the other members of the Zero Division exchanged subtly complex expressions.
Why are you so happy just because Satoru gained the upper hand?
Recalling the Priest's various preferential treatments toward Satoru and his clearly different attitude compared to other captains, they couldn't help but entertain strange speculations...