Chapter 053: I Won't Shortchange You
Soifon's temperament had always been unpredictable. Matsushita Yusuke turned the affection meter problem over for a while and eventually set it down without resolution.
If he couldn't farm her, he couldn't. Some things were better left alone.
With that shelved, he turned his attention to the rest of what he'd been meaning to check.
[Zanpakuto Ability Panel]
[Physical: 13]
[Elemental: 4]
[Kido: 13]
[Biological: 7]
[Rule: 4]
He had to give credit where it was due.
Last night's New Year's battle had not been wasted.
On the strength of defeating Aizen Sosuke, the Kido-type Zanpakuto score had broken through 10.
Which meant another appearance design stage had unlocked.
And this time, he had a clear idea of what he wanted.
He made the design decision quickly, and as the shape settled in his mind, the Zanpakuto in his hand shifted again.
It became more slender. More contained.
In terms of the overall silhouette, the main change was that it had been extended and narrowed. The rest of the form wasn't dramatically different from what it had been before.
The significant change was concentrated at the tail end of the blade.
A ribbon-like extension, roughly a meter in length, reached out from the pommel, designed to wrap around the right hand that held it.
Matsushita Yusuke was pleased with this.
The ribbon was the connection point he needed. A Kido-type Zanpakuto's real value wouldn't come from the blade itself but from what the blade enabled, and having something that created a continuous link between the weapon and the hand was exactly the kind of structural support that would let that potential develop properly.
He was genuinely looking forward to where this branch was going to go.
Kido-type Zanpakuto had one of the highest variance ranges of any category. The ceiling was Aizen Sosuke level: complete sensory illusion, making others experience whatever you chose. But even the lower end of the category had real personality to it. Hirako Shinji's inverted perception was a reliable first-encounter trap. Kyoraku Shunsui's version turned combat into something that worked by rules only children remembered.
The full category was genuinely unpredictable in the best possible way.
Appearance decided. The ability direction had been broadly mapped out as well. With any luck, once everything settled, the Zanpakuto would converge toward something close to the ideal form he had in mind.
That was everything for this year.
Done. Packing it in.
Matsushita Yusuke waved a hand with quiet satisfaction, shifted the blade back to its standard form, and settled it at his hip.
He looked over at the clock.
He'd only sat down to quickly review the year's gains and do a brief accounting. Somehow an entire morning had gone by.
Time never went where you expected.
He checked his stomach — a little hollow — stood up slowly, and decided to head to the cafeteria for lunch.
He had barely pushed the door open when he found someone standing in the corridor outside, holding a paper document, checking it against door numbers while drifting slightly from side to side.
"...?"
Why was Soifon here?
She looked up before he could say anything.
Their eyes met.
She crossed the remaining distance without hesitating and stopped in front of him.
Arms crossed. A short exhale through her nose. And an expression that was doing its best impression of someone who was here against their will and would like everyone to know it.
"You live somewhere this shabby?"
"If you're going to make blanket statements, maybe read the room first. Everyone else in this building hasn't done anything to you."
So.
The actual point.
"What are you here for?"
Soifon's mouth pressed into a brief uncomfortable line, as if the subject itself was slightly aggravating. She turned her head aside and said, with an energy somewhere between reluctant and annoyed:
"Yoruichi-sama is hosting a gathering tomorrow evening. Kishinoshin asked me to come and invite you."
Oh. Another social event.
New Year's was like that.
Soul Society ran on feudal structure in most things, but it sat squarely within the same cultural calendar that took year-end gatherings seriously. No matter how formal or rigid a person was the rest of the year, at this time of year almost everyone made the effort to relax and enjoy the short quiet before things resumed.
If the serious people were making the effort, someone like Yoruichi Shihoin hosting a proper gathering was the most natural thing imaginable.
No reason to decline.
"I'm fine with it."
"Then come with me."
Soifon turned on her heel and made a brisk come-along gesture back over her shoulder without looking at him.
"...For what?"
She stopped. Turned halfway around. One hand on her hip, and an expression that was caught somewhere between exasperated and reluctantly responsible.
Matsushita Yusuke clearly heard her click her tongue.
"Are you planning to show up to Yoruichi-sama's gathering in that? I know people like you don't think about appearances. But if you actually turn up looking like that, it's not your reputation on the line. It's hers."
So.
"Come with me. I'm taking you to get something decent to wear."
Direct. No room for negotiation.
Matsushita Yusuke stood where he was, blinked, and thought it over for a moment.
"Can the expenses be covered?"
The very upright posture of Soifon's retreating back went slightly rigid.
When she looked back, the exasperation had acquired an additional layer.
"I'll pay! Get over here!"
She was so easy to farm.
The place Soifon led him to was tucked away in a quieter part of Seireitei. From the outside it looked like a distinctly old kimono shop.
Once inside, the difference became immediately clear.
Matsushita Yusuke looked at the price tags and felt his eyes make an involuntary attempt to leave his head.
"Soifon. Soifon."
She was going through the garments with a considering expression. She looked up, eyebrows drawn together.
"What."
"Is this place a scam? Or does the owner not know how to count? Why does every single item have two extra zeros?"
"Lower your voice. This is a kimono shop for the nobility. Nobody here thinks about the price. The point is to look appropriate and present yourself correctly."
The volume had apparently been too loud.
Everyone else in the shop was now looking in their direction.
Soifon had never had the thickest skin when it came to public embarrassment. Being stared at by an entire shop was the kind of thing that got through her defenses faster than most combat techniques could.
Her face went visibly red.
She closed the distance between them in two steps, reached out with her right hand, and grabbed his face.
She pinched his mouth into an O shape, held it there, and said with great precision:
"I'll pick something. Starting now, you are going to be quiet. Say one more word and I will kill you."
She was close enough that he could catch the faint clean smell of soapwort.
The operational clothing she wore every single day was all the same cut and color. Running around in that all day should have produced a certain kind of result.
So she was particular about hygiene. Noted.
"Understood."
"Good. You behave, and I won't shortchange you."
She held his gaze one more second with a warning look, then released his face.
He stood where he was and blinked.
Wait.
Won't shortchange me?
Was there a bonus CG in this?