CHAPTER 451: CHAPTER 451: JUST GIVE IT A TRY

"Oops, sorry—guess I stacked too many buffs on myself and forgot to turn them off."

Masatsuki Aozaki scratched his head, an apologetic smile tugging at his lips.

Seeing the terrified expression on the girl’s face, he understood he’d gone a little overboard this time.

That said, he hadn’t done it on purpose.

Over the years, he’d become a little too invested in exploring the applications of Creation Force—and in his enthusiasm to craft a dish on par with the legendary chefs of Tōtsuki Academy, he had accidentally given himself an absurdly powerful buff.

Concept infusion—that was one of the many uses of Creation Force.

He usually activated it freely at home, and everyone enjoyed the effects, so he simply forgot to disable it.

"Just give me a sec—I’ll turn it off now."

Masatsuki said with a smile, then looked up at the ceiling as if his mind had momentarily gone blank—completely spaced out.

After a few seconds, he slowly lowered his gaze and turned his attention back to the girl.

He picked up the bowl he had used earlier, carefully scooped out a spoonful of the colorful porridge, gently blew on it, and offered it to her with care.

But the girl didn’t accept it.

She leaned back slightly, her face full of resistance and unease, her body language clearly saying, "I’d rather die than eat that again."

Masatsuki let out a quiet sigh and muttered to himself,

"Turning down my cooking, huh? You have any idea how many people in Seireitei would kill for a taste of something like this?"

As Seireitei’s one and only Special-Class Chef, Masatsuki Aozaki had absolute confidence in his culinary skills.

But hearing Nozomi Kujō flat-out reject the meal he’d so painstakingly prepared—it was a personal blow to his culinary pride.

He was convinced: just one bite would be enough for her to fall in love with the dish.

So, Masatsuki pressed on.

"Trust me. It’s totally safe now—just try a bite."

Nozomi Kujō shook her head firmly and said with conviction,

"Absolutely not. Who in their right mind would eat something that weird!?"

But Masatsuki didn’t give up.

"Come on. You won’t know if it’s weird unless you give it a try."

"No way... mm—it’s good."

Nozomi was still trying to resist.

But before she could say more, Masatsuki suddenly moved, slipping the spoon into her mouth before she could stop him.

Caught off guard, she chewed instinctively, then swallowed.

The move was a little aggressive—but the taste really was incredible. Once it was in her mouth, there was no way she could resist.

More importantly, the strange sensation she had earlier—that uncontrollable power surging inside her—had vanished without a trace.

When Masatsuki Aozaki saw Nozomi Kujō swallow the food without incident, he asked excitedly,

"Well? I told you I wasn’t lying. Now you can get dressed without worrying about what happened earlier."

Nozomi Kujō gave a small nod, acknowledging the taste was indeed good.

But her eyes narrowed with suspicion as she looked at Masatsuki, and she asked curiously,

"It tasted fine... but how did you manage to control something that strange...?"

As she spoke, her gaze fell on Masatsuki’s face—drawing closer and closer.

The man wore a gentle smile and continued feeding her with care. Everything he did seemed thoughtful, free of malice.

Yet Nozomi’s large eyes narrowed slightly as she slowly reached toward the katana placed nearby.

Something felt off.

Nozomi Kujō wasn’t so naïve.

She clearly remembered—she had never had any kind of contact with this man before.

So why was he being so nice to her, when this was practically their first meeting?

Even if he were just a kind-hearted person, no one should be this completely unguarded with a total stranger.

It was all far too unnatural. She hadn’t been in this world for long, but she already understood how dangerous it could be.

So—who exactly was he?

Having already made up her mind, Nozomi hesitated for a moment.

Her first thought went to the impostor captains created by Kagerōza Inaba. But she quickly discarded the idea.

If he really were one of Kagerōza’s subordinates, he would’ve taken her away by now—there’d be no need to play this childish "house" game.

And the real Shinigami captains of Seireitei wouldn’t be wandering around casually wearing a captain’s Haori either.

That left only one possibility—he really was a Gotei 13 captain.

But as she opened her mouth to speak, the "truth" she meant to blurt out was forcefully swallowed back down.

It wasn’t that she was afraid of being wrong.

Nozomi Kujō held a special status. With Kagerōza’s influence potentially spreading even within Seireitei, even Gotei 13 captains couldn’t be trusted entirely.

So what now?

For a split second, she hesitated—but her mouth moved faster than her thoughts, and she took another mouthful of the rainbow porridge.

As she ate, still deep in thought, she asked softly,

"Who are you?"

Masatsuki Aozaki flashed a bright grin, showing perfect white teeth.

"My name is Masatsuki Aozaki."

His voice was full of warmth and energy. With his polished demeanor, even the most flustered girls would hesitate to respond.

But before the last syllable even faded, Nozomi’s eyes flew wide open.

"You’re Masatsuki Aozaki!? The Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13!?"

"That’s me."

Masatsuki grinned and lifted his chin confidently as he saw her expression freeze.

Just as porridge began to slip from the corner of her mouth, he reached out and casually wiped it from her lips with a finger.

Startled by the touch, Nozomi didn’t even have time to chew—she snatched the bowl and downed the rest in one gulp.

Masatsuki didn’t even have time to be impressed by her dedication to not wasting a single grain.

Before he knew it, Nozomi had set the bowl down, wrapped the bedsheet around herself, stepped off the bed, and stood directly in front of him.

"Are you really Masatsuki Aozaki?"

She stared him down, eyes filled with both doubt and anticipation.

Masatsuki gave her a sincere nod.

"Without a doubt."

Under her tense, expectant gaze, Masatsuki turned around, raised his thumb, and pointed behind him.

There, on his back, was a captain’s Haori—the kind that even Senjumaru Shutara could never get quite right.

It was comfortable to wear, sure, but Masatsuki had never claimed to be satisfied with it.

The wedding dress he had made for Senjumaru with his own hands, though? Now that, she had liked quite a bit.

He still remembered that captain’s meeting, held to celebrate the marriage of one of the Five Great Noble Houses. Everyone had gathered.

Senjumaru had finally played the model for once—wearing that wedding dress and putting on a whole fashion show before the captains.

When Nozomi saw the large "一" character on his Haori, her expression visibly relaxed. It was as if a heavy burden had been lifted. Her eyes regained a hint of light.

Then, with a solemn and composed look, she straightened her posture and gave a formal bow to Masatsuki Aozaki.

In a sincere tone, she said,

"Captain-Commander, I have a request. This matter may concern the safety of Seireitei—and possibly all Three Realms."

Under Masatsuki’s gaze, the girl slowly raised her head and began to recount in full the conspiracy between Kagerōza Inaba and the Ryōdoji Family.

She held nothing back, laying out every detail—as though she had already resolved to reveal everything.