Page 26
Next to him, there was a black hedgehog-headed Shinigami who was obviously from the 11th Division. He had a scabbard on his waist, but he still carried his unsheathed Zanpakutō on his shoulder, looking like he was ready to chop people at any time. He laughed and slapped the red-haired Shinigami's shoulder.
"Don't worry, Asido. We are not new anymore and we know what to do! Besides, no matter what the mission is, as long as we kill all the enemies, there will be no danger!"
The red-haired Grim Reaper rubbed his aching shoulder, but he didn't feel angry. When he just graduated, he first joined the 11th Division, and then transferred to the 13th Division for some reasons. He was already used to the way the muscle-heads in the 11th Division expressed "closeness", and knew that this guy had no ill intentions.
At one side, there was a female Grim Reaper with strange bangs covering one eye. Her gloomy eyes kept scanning the corners around her, as if a few ghosts would jump out from those dark places at any time. She kept biting the nail of her left thumb and couldn't help cursing anxiously.
"I don't know where those damn Hollows came from, but there are so many of them. It's been a long time since such a large group of Hollows has formed in the world. Damn it, damn it, why did such a trouble fall on my head!"
This dark look, as if she would take out a villain and prick someone with needles to curse others at any time, made the two men from the 11th Squadron grimace as if they had a toothache, and they quietly moved a little further away from her.
However, a young man wearing an armband on his right upper arm with bird-like patterns engraved on it seemed to be a bit thick-skinned. He didn't care at all about the gloomy expression of the female Grim Reaper. He smiled and took over her words and explained.
"I heard that there was an extraordinary genius wandering around, and the Voids from all over were attracted by his aura and gathered together. Generally speaking, it should be considered an accident. At least we don't have to worry that the big shots above deliberately pushed us out to die."
"Oh, Youren, you are still so well-informed, you are worthy of being a noble lord!"
The black hedgehog-head didn't care about any conspiracy at all, and immediately put his arm around Asido's shoulder and started to make a fuss. The boy called Youren was obviously very familiar with this reckless man from the 11th Division, and he didn't get angry when he heard it. He glanced at him lightly and patted the package on his back.
"Ibuki, I'm in charge of the food for this mission. Be careful, you're the only one in the team whose dinner has more vegetables than meat."
For the reckless men of the 11th Squadron who couldn't live without meat and wine, the threat of having no meat for dinner was much more terrifying than "I'll kill you". The black hedgehog-headed man immediately clasped his hands together, showing an expression begging for mercy.
Youren then revealed a satisfied smile, and in order to avoid misunderstandings from other temporary team members who were not familiar with him, he quickly made a simple self-introduction with a smile.
“Like that idiot said, I am indeed a noble, a member of the Queyou clan, but in the final analysis, an ordinary member of the lower nobles should not be considered a noble.
"Like me, not only do I have to go on dangerous missions with everyone, but I am also the one who cooks the best among you. A true noble lord would not do something as 'belittling' as cooking himself."
As he spoke, Youren smiled modestly, nodded slightly to a few unfamiliar temporary team members, and then summarized his self-introduction.
"Anyway, I don't even consider myself a noble, so you guys don't need to care about me. Just treat me as an ordinary death god."
Just when several people thought that this was a young man who was so gentle that he was easy to bully, Youren's smile suddenly became sharper and he spoke again in an almost threatening tone.
"Oh, I forgot to tell you, everyone. I am a staunch fan of spicy food. I can accept a range of flavors from extra spicy to slightly spicy, but I will never and cannot make boring food without spiciness! If any of you can't eat spicy food, please go chew on rocks and don't come to complain to me."
The huge contrast between the before and after performance made several Shinigami who were not familiar with You Ren stunned for a moment. The Hedgehog-head who had been waiting for this scene nearby suddenly laughed out loud.
"Hahahaha, I knew it! Asido, look at these people's expressions. They're so funny. I was saying that Youren's bad habit is really good for comedy!"
Even Asido, who was worried about this mission, couldn't help but grin. Yuto's obsession with spicy food was well-known among his classmates. His Zanpakutō had a good healing effect, and he could even easily reconnect severed limbs. During the graduation examination, he helped many injured classmates.
With such Zanpakutō abilities, he naturally received an invitation from the 4th Division (Medical Division) as soon as he graduated. The vice-captain of the 4th Division promised to give him a seat as an officer if he joined. However, Yuto decisively rejected the invitation from the 4th Division because he heard that "patients should maintain a light diet and avoid spicy food during the recovery period of their injuries." He instead joined the 3rd Division, surprising all his classmates.
Several dazed reapers came to their senses from the Hedgehog-Head's laughter, and they all felt a little strange. They were all reapers of commoner origin, and whether they dared to show it or not, they all had some aversion to the high and mighty nobles in their hearts, especially those arrogant nobles, who made them feel disgusted from the bottom of their hearts.
But how can I describe this Youren? He is both aristocratic and arrogant, but his arrogance is so peculiar that even though he is blatantly threatening everyone, people feel more of a dilemma than anger.
Even the gloomy female Grim Reaper couldn't help but twitch her lips a few times, as if she was almost unable to hold back her laughter. She patted her face lightly before adjusting her expression, skipping the question of whether the dinner was spicy or not and starting to ask about the previous topic.
"What happened to the genius who attracted a group of hollows? Do we have to wait for him in the real world until he dies of old age?"
"Ah, don't worry about this problem. I heard that a Shinigami stationed in the human world has explained the interests to him. In order not to continue to implicate innocent people, he has voluntarily asked the Shinigami to send him to the Soul Society. We just need to eliminate the group of Hollows that have gathered now, and we should be able to complete the mission."
Without discussing the taste of the food, Youren returned to his gentle and somewhat bullying self and explained with a smile.
Hearing this, the several Death Gods present felt a lot more relaxed. Although the mission of the Death Gods is to fight against the Voids, and they have long been prepared to die in battle one day, but if they have to guard a guy who constantly draws in the Voids for decades, fighting all the time, it is really too torturous even for them.
Seeing that everyone was much more relaxed and all necessary preparations had been completed, Asido, the leader of this temporary team, clapped his hands, drew everyone's attention to himself, and waved his hands vigorously.
"Subjugation team, set off!"
ps: The second update will be in the evening, please vote and collect
Chapter 58: Encirclement
"Youren! Did you secretly put more chili in my dish again? I clearly told you to order it slightly spicy! Slightly spicy! Why is it still so spicy!"
Youmei put down the water cup angrily, panting and glaring at the innocent-looking Youren. She had been strangling Xu Qun for several days in a row and had no time to take care of her own hygiene. Her image had changed from a "gloomy woman" to a "sloppy tramp".
Especially the strange bangs covering her eyes, which were now greasy and sticky, making her look more "cool" than her other equally sloppy companions, as if she had been wandering for a long time.
Youren didn't care about Youmei's anger at all. He ate the red food in his bowl slowly and rolled his eyes at the other person.
"Youmei, that's enough. You slam the table every time you eat. The food I prepare for you is always slightly spicy. It's because you can't handle spicy food. As a friend who wants to go out for a big meal with me when we get back, you need to practice more."
They had been fighting side by side for many days. In order to avoid being ambushed by the virtual group, they had been eating and living together these days. They had quickly become familiar with each other and were already used to Youmei banging the table while eating.
Just like Youren said, Youmei really can't eat spicy food, and it's like there's some switch inside her body. She's usually gloomy and her words seem to have a hollow echo, but as soon as she eats spicy food, her temper immediately becomes extremely irritable.
Slamming the table and swearing was considered light. During dinner the day before yesterday, Youmei even challenged Youren to a fight. However, as a member of the 4th Division (Medical Division), she certainly could not beat Youren, who was from the Combat Division. After just a few moves, she was held under Youren's armpit and taken back.
According to the punishment rules set before the fight, Youmei gritted her teeth and ate three mouthfuls of the food in Youren's bowl. The frighteningly red food successfully made Youmei maintain a bad temper that could explode at any moment until the next day.
Seeing that Youmei didn't learn her lesson and slammed the table at the actor again, everyone was eating and watching the show, with no intention of stopping it.
After so many days, everyone has realized that these two are a pair of bickering lovers. Youmei seems to have some feelings for Youren, and Youren seems to feel the same way. Therefore, when they quarrel, everyone treats them as a bickering between a quasi-couple.
While eating and watching the show, several Death Gods who couldn't eat spicy food couldn't help but frown slightly, thinking that today's dinner seemed to be a little spicier than usual, and looked at Youren with suspicion.
Could it be that this guy, who looks gentle on the surface but is actually full of evil, is planning to increase the spiciness of every meal a little bit and quietly turn them all into spicy food lovers?
I always feel that this is something this kid can do.
In the temporary camp, although the twelve Grim Reapers were slovenly, the atmosphere was full of joy. The Hedgehog-Head's extremely piercing laughter would burst out from time to time, causing the surrounding birds to fly in panic.
Gradually, the night became darker, and everyone who had finished dinner yawned and prepared to go to bed.
"Youren, it's your turn to keep watch today, so don't fall asleep!"
"Hey, Youren-kun, I'm looking forward to your breakfast."
"Here's the blanket for you. Keep warm at night."
"Youren, you have never been on a long-term mission before. Today should be your first night watch. Do you want a big sister to accompany you~"
……
Everyone teased Youren for a few words. They had either been rushing on the road to track or fighting with the void during the day. Finally, they fell into a deep sleep. Youren's gentle eyes slowly swept over everyone one by one, jumped onto a thick branch, took out a snack bag from his arms, took out homemade spicy snacks and started to kill time.
The continuous spicy food in the past few days, as well as the spicy snacks that the guests would take out from time to time to eat, had made everyone numb to the slightest spiciness. Even though the snacks had a slightly spicy scent, everyone under the tree still slept soundly, even those who were most afraid of spicy food did not move at all.
Youren smiled with satisfaction, took out another small bag from his arms, squeezed it hard, crushed the contents inside, and then hung the small bag on the treetop next to him.
Suddenly, a slightly spicy smell emanated and drifted away with the night wind. Youmei turned over under the tree, but still showed no signs of waking up. Youren ate snacks leisurely and began to wait patiently.
Gradually, the moon, which was close to a full moon, had moved to the center of the sky. The weather was good today, with no clouds in the sky. The person sitting on the tree branch could clearly see in the moonlight that a group of shadowy figures in the distance were slowly approaching this side.
With a silent smile, Youren raised his hand and lightly flicked the small bag beside him, further stimulating the spicy smell. Suddenly, the group of virtual beings in the distance became slightly agitated and began to approach even more impatiently.
After patiently estimating the distance and waiting for a moment, Youren slowly threw the small bag far away, drawing his Zanpakutō and letting out an urgent roar.
"Everyone wake up! There's a group of Hollows approaching!"
The roar covered up the sound of the small bag falling to the ground. Everyone immediately turned over and got up, drawing their Zanpakuto at the first opportunity to observe the surrounding situation.
"What's going on? Why are there so many Hollows!?"
"There are Hollows in the east! There are Hollows in the west too! We are no longer able to survive! Hollows are approaching from all directions. We are surrounded!"
"What a joke! Since when did the brainless Hollows start to cooperate? Shouldn't they devour each other when they get together?!"
At this time, Youren also jumped down from the tree and stood with everyone else to form a defensive formation, speaking quickly and anxiously.
"That group of Hollows sneaked up on us and revealed their whereabouts only when they got very close. This is not something that ordinary Hollows can do! Asido, I suspect there is a large Hollow commanding us in secret, maybe even a mid-level large Hollow. We must break out as soon as possible!"
Daxu!
Intermediate level Daxu!
Yachucas!!
After hearing Yu Ren's guess, everyone felt as if someone was strangling their necks. Their breathing suddenly stagnated and a strong feeling of fear surged into their hearts. Even the battle-crazed Hedgehog-Head couldn't help but tremble involuntarily in the hand holding his Zanpakutō.
"Yes, break out! We must break out!"
"Even if there's no Great Hollow, we'll definitely suffer casualties if we're trapped by so many Hollows! I also agree to break out!"
"Ashido, stop hesitating and make a decision quickly!"
For a moment, everyone couldn't help but shout. The team leader Asido took a deep breath, quickly looked around, and shouted.
"The encirclement in this direction is weak, everyone follow me and don't fall behind! Ibuki, you will be the rear guard, don't let us get ambushed from behind!"
Everyone moved quickly. The Hedgehog-Head guy roared, turned around and rushed to the end of the team to cover everyone. Youren guarded the right side of the team. Although there was a trace of fear on his face that could not be concealed, he still forced himself to remain calm and whispered to comfort Youmei who was protected in the center of the team.
"Don't be afraid Youmei, we will definitely get out of here."
In the moonlight, the bird family crest on the armlet on Youren’s right arm gleamed with a faint metallic cold light.
The Suzu family is a group of lower-ranking nobles who have served the Saito family for generations.
Seven days ago, he was chosen by the next head of the Saito family, Saito Yorimichi, and became Saito Yorimichi's "bodyguard".
ps: Here is the second update, please vote and collect.
Chapter 59 Hatred
"Ibuki, hold on! We'll be out soon!"
Asido struggled hard to chop down the Hollow in front of him, and at the same time did not forget to shout loudly to boost the morale of his companions. The hedgehog-head who was in charge of the rear had already released his Zanpakutō, and his Death Hagi had been torn to tatters. His exposed body was covered with wounds of varying sizes.
"Asido, just go ahead without worrying about it! Don't worry about me!"
Wiping the mixture of sweat and blood on his face, the hedgehog-headed Ibuki responded to Asido in a hoarse voice. The fierce battle completely aroused the ruthlessness of the 11th Division in his bones. The pain from the wounds on his body made his fighting spirit even stronger.
However, the high fighting spirit could not make up for the loss of physical strength after all. After responding to Asido, the hedgehog-head gasped violently for a few times, and obvious fatigue appeared on his face.
At the front of the team, Asido's condition was much better than Spurr. Although his Death Suit had become tattered, he did not have many wounds on his body. Once injured, Youmei in the center of the team would immediately use Kaido to heal him, ensuring that he, the "arrow" who was under the greatest pressure, would not fall.
Yuto fired a fireball from his palm, repelling the Hollow that was approaching the flank, and approached Asido with rapid breathing, lowering his voice slightly so that the team members behind him would not hear.
"Ashido, I have treated Ibuki three times. My Zanpakutō can only repair wounds, not restore his strength. Can he still hold on?"
Once Ibuki falls, the team's rear will be attacked by a group of Hollows, and the team will probably suffer serious damage in an instant.
Asido naturally shared Yuto's concerns. He and Ibuki often sparred in Soul Society, and he knew very well that Ibuki should have reached his limit at this moment.
With a hint of anxiety in his eyes, Asido gritted his teeth and quickly made a decision.
"Yuto, go to the back and help Ibuki share the pressure. Tetsuya will take Yuto's position and guard the team's flank!"
Youren nodded, immediately turned around and rushed to the back of the team, leaving only one sentence: "Youmei, protect yourself!".