The Shihōin estate wasn't unguarded, but there were no barriers in place that could prevent someone like Shirō from slipping inside. Of course, this wasn't to say that one of the Four Great Noble Houses couldn't set up such protections. It was simply a matter of pride.
After all, what kind of fool would dare sneak into the residence of a noble clan under the cover of night?
…That said, there was also the consideration of a certain young lady who notoriously disliked using the front door, especially when visiting the Kuchiki household.
And tonight, that lack of precaution happened to work in favor of a certain shameless intruder, who, coincidentally, had likely been corrupted by said young lady in the first place.
In short, Shirō slipped into the Shihōin residence without alerting a single soul.
He reached the door of Yoruichi's private quarters and paused, not from guilt, of course, but because he'd run into a logistical problem: how the hell was he supposed to get in silently?
After all, even under the Wind King Barrier, he couldn't phase through walls.
He'd have to either use the door or climb through the window, and either one would make a sound. And this was Yoruichi. A woman as sharp as a cat, whose senses wouldn't miss even the faintest noise, especially not in her own home.
Shirō began to regret coming so impulsively. He hadn't properly thought this through. He was just about to retreat and regroup when he noticed something strange,
The room was empty. He couldn't sense her reiatsu at all.
"She's not here? Where the hell did that lunatic run off to this late at night?"
Muttering to himself, he suddenly heard footsteps approaching. Startled, Shirō darted into the corner of the hallway. Even if he was invisible, if someone bumped into him, it'd all be over.
Thud!
"Ah?! What was that?"
"I don't know. Are you sure you heard something?"
"You heard it too!"
"Ugh, this is creepy! Stop talking about it!"
(Shirō Emiya: Are there really Shinigami who are scared of ghosts?)
"I swear, every time I come to the young lady's quarters, I get the chills."
(Shirō Emiya: Oh. You're afraid of Yoruichi. That's… understandable.)
"Okay, put the clothes down and let's go. Lady Yoruichi's almost done with her bath."
"Right, right."
After the two maids tiptoed off in a panic, Shirō remained crouched in the corner.
"Heh heh… Bathing, is she? Seems the heavens, no, the Soul King, is on my side tonight. Heh heh… Yoruichi, don't blame me. It's not like I wanted to spy on you or anything. It just so happened that you were bathing when I arrived, that's all~"
Thud!
"Ow!"
Still unfamiliar with the Wind King Barrier's movement mechanics, Shirō smacked straight into the wall again.
The two maids, still within earshot, shrieked and fled. From that night on, a strange rumor would circulate among the Shihōin household:
"Something makes eerie noises in the lady's quarters after dark…"
Behind the Shihōin manor was a large open-air bath, an elegant hot spring, to be precise. This was Yoruichi's preferred bathing spot, and tonight, it happened to be remarkably convenient for a certain stalker.
Shirō landed silently on the tiled edge of the bath like a drifting leaf. Even he had to admire his execution.
"Perfect," he whispered.
But just as he was about to raise his head and glimpse Yoruichi soaking in the spring...
"Shirō?"
Her voice rang out casually, directly into his ears.
Impossible!
A cold sweat broke out across his back.
Everything had been flawless! Even if she'd somehow heard something... how the hell did she know it was him?!
Did she really think he was the only person who would do something like this?
Okay, maybe he was a little suspicious. And maybe he had the track record. But still!
Even if, in her mind, he was a pervert, there was no way she could sense him through the Wind King Barrier. The wind-blended aura should've been perfectly seamless with the environment. That was its whole point!
So... was she bluffing?
Trying to bait him into revealing himself?
Yes, that must be it!
Or... maybe Yoruichi had just randomly started thinking about him while she bathed and said his name aloud by instinct?
He rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
Heh heh... Maybe she was using him as her imaginary companion. Naughty, naughty Yoruichi. If you wanted me so badly, you should've just said so out loud...
As Shirō spiraled into delusions, a chant echoed from beyond the barrier:
"Bakudō #63: Sajō Sabaku!"
Before Shirō could even react, thick serpent-like chains burst through the air, wrapping tightly around him, and the barrier.
"Impossible?!" he shouted again, jolted back to reality.
"Aha, so there was something there!" came Yoruichi's teasing voice. "Shirō~ Little Shirō~"
A black cat leapt from the side and pounced on him, clawing playfully.
At that point, Shirō stopped caring about keeping up appearances and immediately deactivated the barrier.
"You knew it was me, and you still used Bakudō #63?! You couldn't have just used number four, Hainawa?!"
"I wasn't sure that'd be enough to hold you," Yoruichi replied cheerfully. She showed zero remorse. Total dominatrix energy.
Circling him curiously, her golden eyes gleamed.
"What was that technique just now? A new form of Kidō? Or... wait, is that your Zanpakutō's ability?"
Naturally, as a seasoned Shinigami, that was her first assumption.
Shirō pouted but didn't hide it.
"Yeah. It's my Zanpakutō. Now will you let me go already?"
He'd imagined this going so differently. But of course, reality had to step in and ruin his moment.
Yoruichi tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Fascinating ability... actually suits your sneaky personality. Say... have you used this to peep on Little Bee already?"
"Absolutely not!" Shirō snapped. "Don't you frame me! This was my first time! Wait, no! I mean I wasn't even trying to peep! I just came to test out my ability, and you just happened to be bathing, alright?!"
Then, narrowing his eyes, he added, "But seriously... what's going on today? Is the sun rising from the west? You, Yoruichi Shihōin, getting shy for once?"
Yoruichi had reverted into her feline form during the commotion. To Shirō, that was an obvious sign of her being flustered. A shame he hadn't gotten a better view...
"Shy?" Yoruichi tilted her head in mock confusion. "Didn't you say this is what turns you on? So I made sure to give you exactly what you wanted. Enjoy~"
"...$%#&$%@#&, !!!" Shirō sputtered, face burning.
"Alright, enough fooling around. I need to ask: how did you find me? And more importantly, how did you know it was me?" Shirō finally asked. It was a critical question.
Could there be some hidden flaw in the Wind King Barrier that he hadn't discovered?
Surely not.
And judging by Yoruichi's surprise when she actually caught him, it seemed like even she hadn't expected it to work.
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150 P.S = 1 Extra Chapter