"That's right, Captain! Our operation plan is to lure the Sword Beasts out by having a banquet. Then we, who are well-prepared, will take the opportunity to capture them in one go!" Rangiku said seriously.
"You... what is the basis for this?!" Toshiro was so angry he had lines all over his forehead.
"Of course there's a basis!" Before Rangiku could speak, Senbonzakura said matter-of-factly, "We thought the Sword Beasts probably like banquets. After all, the villains previously disrupted the flower-viewing banquet held at the Kuchiki estate. Therefore, we deduced that Sword Beasts like banquets. So if we hold another banquet..."
"Is that the only basis?!" Toshiro couldn't help but interrupt.
"Huh? Isn't that basis enough?" Senbonzakura asked, puzzled.
"Are you... serious?" Toshiro looked at Senbonzakura with utter speechlessness.
"My, my. Byakuya is clearly quite a smart person. I never expected his Zanpakuto to be an idiot." Toshiro looked at Senbonzakura with an expression usually reserved for the disabled.
"Rukia."
Toshiro felt he simply couldn't communicate with a Zanpakuto with brain issues like Senbonzakura, so he called out to Rukia, who was standing there awkwardly.
"Ah... yes! Captain Hitsugaya, I'm here!" Rukia shuddered, stood up straight, and tried hard to look serious.
"Rangiku and Senbonzakura and the others being unreliable is one thing, but why didn't you stop them?" Toshiro couldn't help but ask.
"This... this... Isn't this method, holding a banquet, not so bad?" Rukia said, her body stiff, cold sweat pouring down, using a monotone voice.
Toshiro didn't speak upon hearing Rukia's answer. He just looked at her expressionlessly.
"Okay, okay, I confess. Earlier, because we really had no good way to lure out the Sword Beast, Lieutenant Matsumoto proposed this operation plan of holding a banquet."
"Although I thought the plan was unreliable, Sode no Shirayuki and Senbonzakura strongly approved and insisted on doing it."
"I thought, since we had no other way, we might as well give it a try. After all, the Sword Beasts did attack during our banquet before. Maybe there really is some connection between Sword Beasts and banquets?" Rukia finally chose to confess and, in a fit of desperation, explained the whole story.
"You..."
Toshiro pointed at Rukia, not knowing what to say to her.
"Ahhh! So embarrassing!! Thinking about it now, I must have been possessed to agree to such a stupid plan!!!"
Rukia suddenly covered her face and screamed.
At this moment, Rangiku, who was guzzling sake nearby, suddenly burped, her face bright red, and drunkenly said, "This... this is wonderful... being able to... openly hold a banquet... under the guise of a mission... so happy..."
Hearing Rangiku's words, Toshiro's face immediately darkened.
It seemed Rangiku hadn't thought about the mission at all. She was simply using it as an excuse to hold a banquet.
Seeing Toshiro so angry he looked about to jump, Rukia couldn't help but cautiously ask, "Captain Hitsugaya, should we stop the banquet?"
"Whew..." Toshiro took a deep breath, temporarily suppressing his anger.
"Forget about stopping the banquet. Everyone has indeed been working hard these past few days, so it's fine to relax a bit now." Toshiro waved his hand.
The entire Soul Society had been busy these past few days, and the 10th Division was no exception. Although Toshiro had relaxed at the Kuchiki estate's flower-viewing banquet today, the 10th Division members hadn't had a good rest yet.
Toshiro had originally planned to find an opportunity for the 10th Division members to relax. Rangiku and the others holding a banquet now actually saved him the trouble.
"Ara ara, how lively. I'll join the banquet too."
A blue light suddenly shone beside Toshiro, condensing into Hyorinmaru's figure.
"Hyorinmaru?" Toshiro couldn't help but be a little surprised. He didn't expect Hyorinmaru, with her cold personality, to be interested in something as lively as a banquet.
"Well, being alone is still too boring. Seeing how lively you all are, I couldn't help but want to join in." Hyorinmaru sat down at an empty table without any ceremony.
"Sode no Shirayuki, pour me a drink." Hyorinmaru said to Sode no Shirayuki beside her.
"Yes, Hyorinmaru-sama. It's my honor." Sode no Shirayuki immediately respectfully picked up a sake bowl, preparing to pour for Hyorinmaru.
"Wait. Drinking from such a large bowl is too crude, just like that woman Matsumoto. Change it to a small cup for me." Hyorinmaru ordered without hesitation, as if facing her own maid.
And Sode no Shirayuki, as if stepping into the role of a maid, became even more respectful and obediently changed to an exquisite ceramic sake cup without any complaint.
"Mm, although it's not some divine nectar, it's barely palatable." Hyorinmaru took a small sip and savored it.
"Come, Toshiro, you try it too." Hyorinmaru suddenly pulled Toshiro down beside her, then intimately put her arm around his shoulder and brought the cup she had drunk from to his lips.
Toshiro, without thinking much, took a sip.
"Hmm? This sake is surprisingly quite good. Rangiku must have prepared it, right? That woman never shortchanges herself. I remember she had a lot of good sake stored away." Toshiro said.
However, Toshiro didn't notice Momo, who had been quietly sitting nearby, suddenly explode: "Shiro-chan! How could you do that... ki...ss?"
"What's wrong, Momo?" Toshiro, completely unaware of the issue, asked puzzledly.
"I... I mean... that cup was used by Hyorinmaru. If Shiro-chan wants to drink, it's better to change cups. It's not very hygienic... and... you're too close. Although Hyorinmaru is Shiro-chan's Zanpakuto, she is also a woman... you should be more mindful of appearances..." Momo said weakly, her head down.
"Oh my, what does it matter? Didn't you say it yourself? I am Toshiro's Zanpakuto. Since that's the case, isn't it better for Toshiro and me to be 'intimate'?" Hyorinmaru drank the remaining sake from the cup, deliberately touching the same spot Toshiro's lips had touched, and looked at Momo provocatively.
"How... how can you do that?! You're just a mere Zanpakuto, yet you act so proud? I am Shiro-chan's... lover!" Momo's face flushed red with anger.
"Just a mere Zanpakuto? Hmph, remember, a Zanpakuto is born with its Shinigami and dies with them. It is the Shinigami's closest partner. Can a shallow relationship like 'lover' compare to that?" Hyorinmaru also said coldly.
"What did you say..."
Seeing Momo and Hyorinmaru suddenly arguing, Toshiro was momentarily stunned, 'What's going on? How did it suddenly become like this?'
'Wait, is this... a love rivalry scene?'