10th Division.
"Momo, do you think we should report what happened earlier to Captain?" After returning to the 10th Division, Rangiku couldn't help but ask Momo.
"Hmm... maybe not. Shiro-chan seems to have gotten drunk at the celebration party. We shouldn't disturb his rest." Momo thought for a moment and shook her head.
"Well, that's true. But it's rare for the Captain to get drunk. Won't he be surprised when he wakes up and finds out we completely resolved the Sword Beast issue?" Rangiku said with a hint of pride.
"Oh, right! Rangiku, everyone's Zanpakuto have returned to their blades. What about Toshiro's Hyorinmaru? She didn't seem to be with the other Zanpakuto fighting the Sword Beast earlier." Momo suddenly remembered Hyorinmaru.
Earlier, after noticing the Zanpakuto's strange behavior, everyone had been closely watching their movements. When the Zanpakuto went to Rukongai to deal with Kirikaze, Momo and the others discussed it and immediately followed.
But during this time, Momo hadn't actually noticed Hyorinmaru's whereabouts.
"I... didn't notice either. Come to think of it, I haven't seen her since the party ended." Rangiku frowned.
"Do you think... she might be with Shiro-chan?" A thought suddenly popped into Momo's head.
Logically, Hyorinmaru was just a Zanpakuto, so she shouldn't have to worry about anything happening between her and Toshiro.
But every time Momo saw how close Hyorinmaru and Toshiro were, she unconsciously felt a deep sense of crisis, as if Hyorinmaru would replace her in her relationship with Toshiro.
"I don't know. Maybe, like the other Zanpakuto, she couldn't maintain her materialization any longer and returned to her blade." Rangiku guessed.
Seeing Momo still looking worried, Rangiku couldn't help but comfort her. "If you're really that concerned, why not just go check Captain's room?"
"Well... maybe not. Shiro-chan is drunk and should be sleeping. It wouldn't be right for me to disturb him at a time like this. Never mind." Momo hesitated for a moment, then ultimately rejected Rangiku's suggestion.
"Well, if you say so. It's getting late anyway. You should go back and rest too." Rangiku said.
"Mm, see you later, Rangiku." After saying goodbye to Rangiku, Momo headed to her own quarters.
Meanwhile, in Toshiro's room.
Toshiro and Hyorinmaru were sleeping soundly, embracing each other.
…
The next day.
Feeling the sunlight streaming through the window, Hyorinmaru was the first to open her eyes and sit up.
"Honestly, morning already?" Hyorinmaru's expression was a little disappointed and reluctant.
After lamenting for a moment, Hyorinmaru looked at Toshiro beside her.
Toshiro lay there quietly, breathing evenly.
The morning sunlight filtering through the screen window fell upon Toshiro's face, making his already smooth, almost baby-like skin appear even fairer. His lips, under the sun's glow, looked even more moist and lustrous, almost like a girl's.
Watching this scene, Hyorinmaru suddenly felt a dryness in her mouth.
"Gulp."
Hyorinmaru suddenly swallowed.
"Toshiro..."
Hyorinmaru murmured, then leaned down and lowered her head...
"Da..."
Toshiro, who had been sleeping soundly, suddenly felt something touch his lips. He let out a soft sound and opened his eyes.
"Hmm... Hyorinmaru? So close..."
Just waking up, his consciousness still fuzzy, Toshiro saw Hyorinmaru very close to him, her face practically pressed against his. He wondered what Hyorinmaru was doing.
"Hmm? Hmm!!"
After a moment of confusion, Toshiro suddenly realized what Hyorinmaru was doing!
"Hey, Hyourinma..."
Toshiro was about to sit up and speak, but Hyorinmaru silenced him and pushed him back down.
Swoosh!
As she pushed Toshiro down, Hyorinmaru grabbed the blanket and pulled it completely over both of them.
"Mmph..."
Toshiro struggled vigorously under the covers.
A long time later, everything returned to calm.
"Haah, haah, haah..."
Toshiro suddenly threw off the blanket, gasping for air.
"...Hyorinmaru... you... I almost... suffocated... you know that?" Toshiro said haltingly.
"How was it? Good, wasn't it?" Hyorinmaru said, hugging Toshiro from behind.
Toshiro glanced back at Hyorinmaru, then fell silent, not directly answering her question.
"...Hyorinmaru, you should know, we're just a Shinigami and his Zanpakuto... we can't..."
"I know, I know..."
Hyorinmaru said it twice, as if not just answering Toshiro, but also reminding herself.
"So... I'm not asking for anything... just this... just this is enough to make me very satisfied..." Hyorinmaru held Toshiro tightly, her expression seemingly both sad and happy as she murmured.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." Toshiro didn't know how to comfort Hyorinmaru, only able to utter pale, powerless words.
"Don't apologize. I was wrong. I shouldn't have forced you. Consider that a morning greeting. Don't worry about it."
Hyorinmaru shook her head.
"Mm." Toshiro nodded silently.
For the remainder of the time, Hyorinmaru simply held Toshiro, not doing anything else unusual.
Toshiro lay peacefully in Hyorinmaru's embrace, silent. They both quietly enjoyed the comfortable atmosphere, as if wishing it could last forever...
Unfortunately, good times always pass, and farewells, when they come, are inevitable.
Glimmering fluorescent light spread out, and Hyorinmaru's body suddenly began to become ethereal and transparent.
"Hyorinmaru!" Toshiro called out, worried.
"Don't worry. I'm fine. My Reiatsu is just depleted, and the influence of Muramasa's power has completely faded. I'm simply returning to my blade." Hyorinmaru explained with a smile.
Toshiro had naturally expected this. But even though he had been mentally prepared, when the moment truly arrived, he still felt a pang of sorrow.
"Well, well, why make that face? I'm just returning to my blade. It's not like we're saying goodbye forever."
Hyorinmaru reached out and smoothed Toshiro's furrowed brow.
"The thought of you not being able to materialize and stay by my side... feels a little lonely." Toshiro smiled bitterly.
"Well, actually, if I really wanted to materialize, I could do it without relying on Muramasa's power. But it would come at a cost, and I couldn't stay for long, so there's no real need." Hyorinmaru said.
"Materialize using your own power? As expected, you have many abilities I don't know about." Toshiro wasn't too surprised.
"Toshiro... if you really miss me in the future... come visit me in your Inner World more often." Hyorinmaru suddenly said, her expression gentle.
"Ah, I will." Toshiro's voice was equally soft.
"Is that so? That's good, that's good..."
Hyorinmaru's body became more and more ethereal, until it completely transformed into particles of light and entered the Zanpakuto beside them.
Looking at the empty room, Toshiro suddenly felt as if a piece of his heart was missing. A feeling of loss washed over him.
Knock, knock, knock...
A sudden knock at the door.
"Shiro-chan, are you awake?" Momo's voice came from outside the door.
Toshiro, however, remained staring blankly at the spot where Hyorinmaru had been, unmoving.
"Hmm? Shiro-chan, are you still asleep? That's too bad. I made you some porridge. I was hoping you'd have it while it's hot." Momo's tone held a hint of disappointment.
"I'll go then, Shiro-chan. You rest a bit more." Hearing no response from the room, Momo outside the door assumed Toshiro was still asleep and prepared to leave.
"No need to go, Momo. I'm already up." Toshiro walked to the door, opened it, and showed Momo a brilliant smile.
"Shiro-chan, you..." Momo suddenly felt that his smile today was exceptionally bright, almost dazzling.