Chapter 94

In London, Ninny walked down the corridor in a building, heading towards the outside to wind up. Her appearance looked haggard from the lack of sleep.

After she called Shirou, Ninny headed to the central Reverse London to get some tea with Noel. The black-haired girl also looked tired from chasing over a dragon and getting caught in a fight.

They were silent, enjoying the warm and tasty tea while resting on the comfortable couch.

Ninny sighed in relief, finally being able to relax. Noel was in a similar state, taking a deep breath as she sipped the tea.

"I am so done." Ninny said, leaning against the soft chair and closed her eyes. She was tired of running around all the time, especially with those pesky dragons that kept running from her.

"I also finished my task of warning that guy about Snow White, so that's one less thing to do. But this makes me crazy!"

She let out a long sigh, her hands gripping her cup tightly. She continued, "We don't know what we are dealing with. Why those Dark Dragons and Marchen are still a mystery, and we don't have enough information on how they function. Why are the Marchen going to Japan?"

"I don't know. And I don't want to know." Noel shrugged, she sipped her tea and stared at Ninny, "But this situation is not something that we can ignore. We can't just pretend like it doesn't happen and let it pass."

Noel was right. If they did that, their reputation would fall to the ground.

Which meant every Achievement and Pay they would receive in the future would decrease.

For both of them who sought both Achievement and Pay respectively, that was a nightmare come true. So they needed to solve the problem, and soon.

"Will we be asked to go to Japan?" Noel casually asked while sipping her tea, her eyes staring at the blue sky. She looked calm but her tone betrayed her. "I mean, we were the ones who screwed up yesterday."

"Ugh..." Ninny groaned, her face crumpled in displeasure, "Please don't. Just... don't. I contacted that guy because I wanted to avoid that."

"But Japan is beautiful." Noel looked at Ninny, "And we might get Pay if we volunteer ourselves for that task."

That was the point.

A trip to Japan was worth something and it was an opportunity to earn some money. Noel had been eyeing the opportunity for a while, and she would do anything to make sure she could go there.

While it was true they made a mistake that caused one dragon to escape, they had the right to go to the place and deal with it. In a way, it could be seen as an act of taking responsibility. While it wouldn't be enough for them to really make up for their mistake, at least they showed good will.

"I can see why you would think that but..." She trailed off, "You are really thinking of going? Like... for real?"

Ninny didn't really like going out. Not when Wing Bind covers the whole world. Their territory only extended around Europe after all, mainly England and London.

"Well," Noel paused and sipped her tea again, "If it comes down to that, I am going. It's been a long time since I went to Japan."

Noel had been in Japan before and she loved it. The food was good, the people were friendly, the culture was interesting and beautiful, the technology was awesome and advanced, and the money was flowing everywhere. It was like heaven for her.

Also, she had family in Japan so going there would mean a free trip for her. She could visit her family and have fun while making some money by capturing the dragon.

And if the situation got out of control and the Marchen rampaged around the city, Noel could just fly away. Besides, there was also Shirou there. She knew he was powerful, proven by the fact he killed a dragon with one arrow.

She didn't have anything to lose. Even if Noel didn't receive any money for the capture, she would be fine.

On the other hand, Ninny had her reason to refuse.

The girl was not the type who would go overseas without any preparation.

"I can see your point, but... No, nevermind." The blonde-haired girl shook her head, not wanting to say anything more, "I am going home. If you decide to go to Japan, don't forget to contact me."

Ninny stood up and walked out of the shop, leaving Noel behind.

The black-haired girl watched as her companion disappeared into the crowd, her expression was unreadable.

"..."

She was silent for a while. And then she looked at the table that had one empty cup belonging to Ninny and one with half the contents that belonged to her.

"Do I have to pay for her...?"

She looked at the sky.

She didn't know the answer.

***

In Karakura Town, Shirou walked down the street while carrying a box of instant noodles in his arms. The weather was good and the sky was blue.

After he received a call from Ninny yesterday, he was in deep thought. The information that she shared was heavy and troubling.

A dangerous dragon, a Marchen called Snow White was heading to Japan. And then there was also a threat looming in the shadow. The hollow, Arrancar, Aizen and Hogyoku. And now dragons.

Shirou sighed. There was just too much for him to think about.

And worst of all, his deadline was coming closer.

'Focus on one thing at a time.'

So, Shirou decided to put the thought in the back of his mind. He would deal with it later.

For now, he should think about how to deal with this box of instant noodles.

'This was more than what I could eat. Nor my family.'

As someone who cooked and shopped, he couldn't let this go to waste. But then instant noodles weren't healthy so eating them for a while would affect his health. Not to mention that Ichigo wouldn't be happy to see him eat instant noodles again and again.

So he decided to share it with someone. Someone who would appreciate the free meal. He knew the perfect person for this.

"Urahara-san, are you inside?"

He knocked on the door of the shop, waiting for someone to answer.

"Welcome." Ururu said, opening the door.

The girl looked up to see who had knocked. Her eyes widened a bit when she recognized the man standing outside. "Oh, Shirou-san!"

Shirou greeted the girl with a smile. "Hello, Ururu. I have something for you and Urahara-san. I got this from a lottery in a shopping district." He lifted the box. "Do you want it? It's instant noodles."

"Wow." She gasped in surprise. "Instant noodles! I want that!" The young girl replied excitedly.

Ururu was a kind-hearted girl. Despite her age, she worked in Urahara's shop and helped around whenever she could. She had always liked helping others and this gift was a big one for her.

Also, she loved instant noodles. So that's a plus.

She smiled brightly. "Thank you, Shirou-san!" She quickly took the box of noodles from his arms. "Come inside, come inside. Let me give you a cup of tea." Ururu ushered him in. 

"Please, please, have some tea with us. It has been a long time since we had a chat."

Smiling brightly, she pulled Shirou's clothes and brought him into the living room. She sat him on the couch before going into the kitchen and poured a cup of tea. Then she put it in the tray and went back to Shirou.

Shirou accepted it and drank a bit from it. Ururu sat down in front of him.

Somehow her gaze was full of interest as she stared at the boy.

"S-Shirou-san, a-are you going to fight hollow again?"

Shirou nodded and answered with a smile. "Yes."

There was no need to hesitate in answering. If people dear to him were in danger, he would fight without holding back. He would give everything to make sure everyone he loved was safe. That was how he lived. He had promised himself that.

Ururu smiled at him and said nothing else.

She admired the boy. He had a strong heart that wouldn't bend to anyone. A strong heart that would never give up.

She wondered how such a young boy had such a strong will.

They talked about mundane lives and the girl said she wanted to play with Karin and Yuzu. They were the same age, so it made sense for her to be interested in being friends with them.

After some time talking, Shirou stood up.

"Well, I should take my leave."

"Oh." She said in a disappointed tone, "Alright..."

He patted the little girl and smiled gently. "Don't worry. Next time, I will come again. And I will bring you something delicious.

"Really?"

Shirou smiled and nodded.

Promises were to be kept.

Shirou was about to leave but he heard someone approaching.

"Yo." The shopkeeper of the place approached the living room. "What do we have here?"

"Urahara-san, it has been a while."

Urahara looked surprised. "Ah, Shirou-kun! Long time no see. Been a few days since you last visited." He said, "Unfortunately, my investigation has hit a dead end. I can't find any more information about our enemy."

"Oh." He replied, "Well, that's a shame."

He didn't know what to do next, other than wait and prepare.

The ex-Shinigami nodded and looked at the box beside the table, "Oh? You brought us something? Hahaha you don't need to do that."

"It was just something extra." Shirou said.

"Still, thank you." He said with a smile, "Ah, I should give something to you too."

"Hmm? What is it?"

"A chance to get stronger." The shady shopkeeper raised his finger, "You will return to the school tomorrow, right? For summer class?" When the boy nodded, he continued, "There is a chance to get a strong ally to fight beside you, one that can fight the enemy on equal terms."

"Oh?" Shirou looked at him, interested in what he had to say.

He knew he needed to get stronger to fight the incoming battle, especially after that battle against Yammy.

To get stronger faster, he had to make allies with strong people.

"Who are they?"

"That..." Urahara put his index finger on his lips, "...is still a secret. You will know when the time comes. But you can get stronger and have an ally that is worth ten Shinigamis. Or, at least that's what I think."

"Can I trust you on this?"

"You can." The former 12th Division Captain replied. "But remember, you must choose. To go and become stronger, or stay and let your enemy get stronger."