Chapter 239: What Is Talent?
Snap.
The wolf fell from the tree and immediately stopped breathing.
Crash!
Snow from the tree showered down, burying the wolf beneath it.
Talk about efficiency—it even saved the trouble of digging a grave, Satoru mused distractedly.
Snapping back to reality, he turned his gaze to the orange-haired girl.
At that moment, even she seemed surprised.
She knew she was stronger than most children, but she hadn't expected her strength to be this immense.
Before she could figure out what was happening, two more wolves charged at her simultaneously.
The girl was so tense she nearly forgot to breathe.
Gripping her wooden stick, she swung it with all her might—
Thud!!
Just like before, the moment she swung the stick, her power surged abruptly.
The wolf she struck let out a pained howl as it was sent flying sideways.
By sheer chance, it collided with the other wolf, and the two tumbled together before landing nearby.
Witnessing the girl's ferocity, the rest of the pack hesitated.
Wolves always hunted with the goal of maximizing gains.
If the enemy proved too powerful, the fight wouldn't be worth the risk.
Injuring a limb for a few bites of meat could mean never eating again.
After a brief deliberation, the pack resolved to make one final attempt!
Three wolves slowly stepped forward, encircling the girl.
Though the large tree shielded her back, the other directions remained perilous.
The girl swallowed hard, focusing intently as she awaited the wolves' attack.
A few seconds later, the three wolves sprang into action.
Unlike the previous synchronized assault, this time, their movements were slightly staggered.
The first wolf was struck by the girl's stick and sent flying.
The second wolf ducked low, evading the blow, and simultaneously whipped its iron-like tail across the girl's arm.
A sharp pain drained the color from her face, slowing her movements.
Seizing the opportunity, the third wolf lunged, jaws wide open, aiming for her neck!
Staring at the fang-filled maw closing in, the girl's expression turned to despair.
Thud!!
To her astonishment, the lunging wolf suddenly collided with an invisible wall.
Having thrown itself forward with full force and no restraint, the impact sent the wolf flying backward, landing heavily in the snow.
Amid the wolf's agonized cries, a figure descended from above, landing between her and the pack.
The wolves fixed wary eyes on the suddenly appearing Satoru.
From this man, they sensed a dangerous aura.
Within seconds, the alpha wolf made a decisive call.
"Grr! Woof!"
At the alpha's command, every wolf still able to run turned and fled.
Watching the retreating figures, Satoru felt a flicker of admiration.
As expected of creatures living in the Soul Society—their ability to assess danger was impressive.
Turning around, he looked at the girl leaning against the tree.
Originally, he had planned to rescue her and leave immediately.
But… the power she had wielded earlier had caught his attention.
Each time she unleashed her strength, a peculiar ripple emanated from her.
Even as a captain-level expert, he found that ripple somewhat unsettling.
Perhaps influenced by Aizen and the others, Satoru had developed a habit of investigating anything he didn't understand.
"Hello, I'm Satoru Mikami, a Shinigami."
"I saw you fighting those wolves earlier—it was quite impressive."
"After fighting those wolves, you must be hungry... Perfect, I live alone, and my house is quite spacious. You can come to my place to rest, stay as long as you want, no problem."
Upon hearing Satoru's words, the girl instinctively showed a wary expression.
No child raised in Rukongai was naive.
Although Satoru had just saved her and she was grateful, his clearly suspicious proposal made her feel uneasy.
She forced a smile, tugging at the corners of her mouth.
"Thank you for the invitation, but I have things to do, so..."
Satoru waved his hand. "Don't worry, I'm not a bad person."
"I often help homeless people in Rukongai. If you don't want to come, that's fine. But if you do, I can take you to a restaurant for some good food!"
"Hmm..."
Hearing this, the girl couldn't help but feel tempted.
To be honest, she was starving.
She had come into the mountains specifically to find food.
Unexpectedly, instead of finding food, she had been chased by wolves.
After being pursued and fighting, she was dizzy with hunger.
After thinking for a few seconds, she nodded.
"Alright, I'll go with you!"
She made up her mind: she would eat his food first, then immediately run off!
Satoru nodded with satisfaction.
...
...
In the restaurant, the girl stared wide-eyed, unable to believe the scene before her.
Half an hour ago, Satoru had brought her to the town and into the restaurant to eat.
Because she was so hungry, she had devoured three bowls of rice in one go and even cautiously ate some dishes, risking his anger.
She thought she had eaten a lot.
But this guy named Satoru had been eating like a madman since he sat down.
In just half an hour, a stack of bowls and plates had piled up beside him.
The entire restaurant was bustling, desperately cooking and serving him food.
Watching Satoru's hearty eating, the girl couldn't help but swallow.
Her appetite was stirred up again.
Do all Shinigami eat this much?
As if sensing her gaze, Satoru looked at her.
"What's wrong? Don't like the food? If not, order something else, and I'll finish this plate for you."
The girl instinctively shook her head. "No, I'll eat this..."
Satoru gave an "oh" and didn't mind.
He raised his hand. "Boss, bring her three more bowls of rice!"
The girl didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
Still, even though he was a strange guy, he didn't seem like a bad person.
Full and satisfied, Satoru let out a long breath, looking content.
He opened his mouth to speak but suddenly remembered something.
"Oh, right, I still don't know your name."
"Calling you 'girl' is fine, but it feels like I'm talking to my little Suì-Fēng... So, let's introduce ourselves."
Hearing this, the girl quickly nodded.
"Um... My name is Rangiku, Matsumoto Rangiku."
"?"
Satoru froze for a moment.
Matsumoto Rangiku?
The future vice-captain of the 10th Division?
He never expected that by randomly picking up a kid, he'd stumbled upon a key plot character.
He instinctively glanced at a certain part of the girl's body.
Sure enough, though she was still young, she already had considerable proportions.
No wonder she would grow to such levels in the future.
However, if his memory served him right, Matsumoto Rangiku had never demonstrated such a significant enhancement of her arm strength before, had she?
Was this some kind of plot development?
After pondering for a moment, he decided to first confirm the timeline.
"Rangiku, do you know a boy named Ichimaru Gin?"