At this time, the two guards kneeling on the ground finally had time to carefully observe the benefactor who had saved their young mistress.
When the black-haired guard saw Asuka's cold face and the Zanpakuto with its unique Spiritual Pressure fluctuations at his waist...
His eyes widened, and he stood up excitedly.
"You... you... are that..."
He stretched out a trembling hand, pointing at Asuka. "The one who shattered the Negacion with a single strike at Sokyoku Hill... appointed personally by the Soul King's Palace as the Substitute Soul Reaper... Lord Asuka?!"
Hearing this, the bald guard next to him also jerked his head up, speaking in a high-pitched, extremely strange voice. "What?! He's the bald fiend who slashed off half of Aizen's face and is even scarier than Kenpachi Zaraki?!"
Their faces instantly turned pale, and cold sweat poured down.
They had actually drawn their swords against this privileged proxy of the Soul King?!
Thud!
Without any hesitation.
The two Soul Reapers who had just pointed their swords at Asuka slid into a perfect dogeza, kneeling before him.
Their foreheads pressed hard against the ground, even producing a dull thud.
This massive shift in attitude left Rurichiyo and Shinobu staring in disbelief.
"When did I become bald?" Asuka frowned.
"Lord Asuka! Please forgive our blindness! We offended you just now, but please be magnanimous and spare us two fools!"
"My name is Ryusei Kenzaki, you can call me Kenryu, and he is Rusaburo Enkogawa, Enryu! We are the exclusive guards of the Kasumioji Family!"
Kenryu kowtowed while crying profusely, shouting, "Since you are the Substitute Soul Reaper appointed by the Soul King's Palace, you must be a great hero filled with a sense of justice!"
Enryu also shouted, "Please! Lord Asuka! Have mercy, be the bigger person, and don't stoop to our level!"
"Huh?"
Asuka looked at these two bizarre guards kneeling on the ground, not even daring to lift their heads, feeling utterly speechless.
'Just what kind of image do they have of me in their heads...'
Were the Soul Reapers in the Seireitei normally this idle? To spread such outrageous rumors with such vivid detail.
"...Forget it, just get up first." Asuka rubbed his temples helplessly. "I'm not some man-eating demon. I don't just slash people on sight."
Hearing Asuka say this, Kenryu and Enryu felt as if they had been granted amnesty.
The two carefully raised their heads, confirming that this legendary fiend really had no intention of attacking, before helping each other up from the ground.
"Honestly, you two grown men, how is your courage even smaller than mine!"
Rurichiyo Kasumioji, seeing the pathetic state of her two guards, couldn't help but curl her lips in disgust.
She put her hands on her hips, raised her delicate little face, and looked Asuka up and down. "So you're Asuka. I've heard Lord Kumoi mention your name. To think you aren't actually bald..."
"Regardless, thank you for saving me just now!"
She lifted the hem of her complex kimono and bowed to Asuka and Shinobu again. "If it weren't for you, I might have been in real trouble today."
"You're welcome, it was no trouble at all."
Shinobu stepped forward, picked up the bamboo hat with the long veil that had fallen on the ground, and dusted it off for her.
"However, Lady Rurichiyo, since you are the esteemed daughter of the Kasumioji Family, why did you run off to the World of the Living with only two guards?"
Hearing Shinobu's question, Rurichiyo's large eyes suddenly darted away.
Her small hands nervously intertwined, and a guilty blush appeared on her cheeks. The bossy young lady demeanor from just a moment ago vanished instantly.
"Well... um..."
Rurichiyo stammered for a long time, her gaze shifting uncertainly.
She looked at the sky, then at the ground, simply not daring to meet Shinobu's eyes directly.
"...Alright, alright, the truth is... I sneaked out!"
As if making up her mind, she complained in a low voice, "The Seireitei is too boring! Every day is just red tape and strict rules, and I have to study this and that. There isn't even anyone to play with me! I was dying of boredom!"
"So, I had these two bring me to the World of the Living for a breather!" She pouted and pointed at Kenryu and Enryu behind her. "I heard there are lots of fun things and delicious food in the World of the Living... I just wanted to come out and experience it!"
At this point, Rurichiyo suddenly took a step forward and grabbed Shinobu's sleeve.
Her large eyes filled with mist as she pleaded pitifully, "Pretty big sister, and you too, Uncle Asuka... Since you two are good people, please help me all the way!"
"Please... please don't tell Lord Kumoi that I'm in the World of the Living! If my family finds out I sneaked out, they'll definitely drag me back and lock me in confinement!"
"..." Asuka's mouth twitched violently once again.
'I'm clearly still a young man in my prime. How come ever since I arrived in the World of the Living, I'm either being called uncle by delinquents or by little brats like her?'
'Do I really look that old?'
However, even though Rurichiyo's explanation sounded perfectly reasonable—the exact picture of a sheltered young lady suffocated by family rules...
Asuka's gaze did not remain entirely on Rurichiyo.
His sharp spiritual senses noticed something... On the faces of the two guards, Asuka didn't see any of the helplessness or headaches one would expect from dealing with a young lady's capriciousness.
On the contrary, while Rurichiyo was speaking, Kenryu's hands were tightly clenched inside his wide sleeves.
As for Enryu, although his eyes couldn't be seen behind his sunglasses, his tense body made it clear...
...that the situation was absolutely not as simple as this naive little girl claimed.
"So that's how it is. Little Rurichiyo is quite the mischievous child," Shinobu said.
She smiled with understanding and indulgence, reaching out to gently pat Rurichiyo's blonde hair. "Since you're just out to play, we naturally don't have the free time to go snitch on you."
"Don't worry, we won't report this to the Soul Society."
"Really?! That's wonderful! Thank you, pretty big sister!" Rurichiyo jumped up excitedly, hugging Shinobu's arm and cheering happily.
"...Since you've finally made it to the World of the Living, how could you not try the food here?" Asuka suddenly spoke up, pointing to the other end of the street and addressing Shinobu. "Shinobu, earlier when we were at the amusement park, didn't you say you wanted to eat that shop's special cotton candy?"
"Perfect timing. Why don't you take the young lady to buy some to try? I'll stay here and chat with these two brothers about the latest gossip in the Soul Society."
Asuka's suggestion left Shinobu a bit surprised.
Her eyes shifted as she faintly realized something.
He was trying to send Rurichiyo away so he could interrogate the two guards alone...