'But where is the necklace now?' Toshiro reached out to touch his chest… sure enough, it wasn't there.
Although it had originally been worn on his chest, this was no longer his original body.
Just as Toshiro was deep in thought, he suddenly felt a surge of cool energy flowing into his mind, instantly making him feel refreshed, clear-headed, and sharp.
Not only were his thoughts clearer, but the pain in his head also diminished significantly.
Toshiro closed his eyes and calmly focused on the source of the cool energy, only to discover an image appearing in his mind: within a sea of gray chaos, a blue ice bead floated, emitting rays of blue light.
When Toshiro opened his eyes again, an additional piece of information had appeared in his mind.
On Earth, in the world of Toshiro's previous life, the gods, demons, and monsters from myths and legends actually existed. However, several centuries ago, a great calamity struck the world, causing countless gods and demons to perish.
During that great calamity, an ice dragon was severely wounded. It left behind its own dragon pearl as an inheritance before dying.
And that dragon pearl was the one on Toshiro's necklace.
'A dragon pearl, huh? Sounds pretty impressive. I wonder if it can grant wishes or something?' Toshiro thought this cheat was quite good… much better than those systems that would obliterate the owner at the drop of a hat.
'But how do I use it? It doesn't seem to have given me any overpowered technique?'
Just as Toshiro was puzzled, another piece of information came through: 'The method of use is...'
'Hey, hey, moshi moshi, Dragon Pearl-san, what's next?'
No matter how much Toshiro called out, the dragon pearl's response remained: "The method of use is..."
Toshiro's mouth twitched, and he couldn't help but think of a line from [Ultraman Tiga]: "The method to revive the giant is..."
Next, Toshiro tried all sorts of methods, but none of them worked.
'Whatever. I, Hitsugaya Toshiro, am destined to become a Captain of the Gotei 13. I'll figure out the solution sooner or later,' Toshiro said with inexplicable confidence.
"For now, I should rest and recover as soon as possible."
Before long, Toshiro closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep.
The next day, the sun was high in the sky.
Having slept for nearly a full day, Toshiro finally woke up. Feeling refreshed, he got up and stretched, his joints cracking. The pain in his head had completely disappeared.
"Shiro-chan, you're up. You must be hungry, right? Grandma is cooking, it'll be ready soon," Momo said as she walked in.
"Didn't I tell you not to call me Shiro-chan?" Toshiro frowned.
"Then I'll call you Toshiro-chan," Momo said, patting Toshiro's head.
"Can't you just call me by my name properly? And don't pat my head," Toshiro said helplessly.
"Then let's make a deal. In a few days, I'll be taking the entrance exam for Shin'o Academy. If I pass, I can become a student there, and after graduation, I can become a Shinigami. If you, Shiro-chan, can also enroll in the same place as me in the future, then I'll call you by your name," Momo said.
'Entrance exam… so it's already that time. That means, according to the original plot, in a few years, I would also enter Shin'o Academy after being persuaded by Matsumoto Rangiku and then become a Shinigami.'
"By the way, Hinamori, do you have a mirror? Can I borrow it?" Toshiro asked, touching the bandage on his head.
"Sure, I do. What's wrong? Has Shiro-chan started caring about his appearance now? Hehe," She said, pulling out a small mirror from her person.
Even though she had no pockets, who knows where she pulled it from.
Toshiro unwrapped the bandage on his head and looked in the mirror, finding that the wound was almost gone.
"Shiro-chan, what are you doing? Don't just unwrap it... Huh? How did the wound heal so quickly?"
Before Momo could stop Toshiro from removing the bandage, she noticed that his wound had almost completely recovered.
"It must be because of the medicine I gathered," Momo nodded with certainty.
"Toshiro, it's time to eat. And Momo, don't go home… eat here with us," Grandma called from the kitchen.
Grandmother, Momo, and Toshiro sat together at the table for the meal. The dishes were Toshiro's favorites: sweet simmered beans and fried eggs with radish.
At the table, Toshiro and Momo ate while bickering noisily, with Grandmother advising them on the side. The atmosphere was warm and joyful. For a moment, Toshiro felt that continuing such a life wouldn't be bad at all.
"Toshiro, I'll go gather more herbs from the mountain later. With one more application of the medicine, your wound should be completely healed," Momo said after the meal.
"Yeah. Thanks, Hinamori." Although the wound would slowly heal even without another application, Toshiro didn't refuse Momo's kindness.
"Oh? To hear words of gratitude from Toshiro… that's rare," Momo teased with a smile.
"Tch, geez. I shouldn't have thanked you," Toshiro said, his brow twitching.
"Alright, I'll head out now," Momo said, waving to Toshiro before walking out.
"So, what should I do next?"
Momo went to gather herbs, Grandma was washing the dishes, leaving Toshiro alone with nothing to do.
"Ah, my friends are few, and my harem is nonexistent," Toshiro sighed.
After thinking for a moment, Toshiro decided to go out for a stroll to get a better understanding of his surroundings.
Although he had the previous Toshiro's memories in his mind, Toshiro still wanted to see things for himself.
"Grandma, I'd like to go out for a walk," Toshiro said as he walked into the kitchen, where Grandma was washing dishes.
Grandma said worriedly, "Toshiro, is your wound alright?"
Toshiro brushed aside his hair. "Grandmother, look… the wound has already healed. It won't be a problem."
"Then go ahead, but come back early," Grandma said after examining it carefully.
"Yeah, I know. I'll head out then," Toshiro replied.
Toshiro looked down at the plain dark blue clothes he was wearing, went back to his room, and changed into a green yukata embroidered with bamboo. Then he headed outside.
Toshiro walked along the streets of 1st District. At a glance, the area was filled with one- or two-story wooden houses.
Buildings taller than two stories were rare, but they were arranged in an orderly yet varied manner. The streets were clean, with stalls and shops selling all kinds of goods.
Although the passersby were dressed simply, none wore patched clothes. However, they all cast peculiar glances at Toshiro… either fearful or disgusted.
Even Akira and Ayumi, who lived next door and were friends with Momo, took one look at him before turning and running away in fright.
Although Toshiro wasn't entirely satisfied with his height and appearance, objectively speaking, he was indeed a cute shota. Some women with particular tastes might even become obsessed. So why were the people around him afraid of him?
Toshiro had heard the people around him privately discussing his hair, eyes, and cold personality.
Although silver hair and emerald green eyes were indeed rare, this was the world of an anime… what strange hair and eye colors didn't exist here?
As for his cold personality… come on, it's not like it's bothering any of them, so why be afraid?
"Oh no, a Hollow has appeared! Everyone, run!" Just as Toshiro was walking, someone up ahead suddenly shouted. Then the crowd scattered in a panic, with people fleeing in all directions.
Toshiro pushed through the crowd and grabbed the clothes of the person who had just shouted. "Hey, where's the Hollow?"
That person didn't want to answer at first, but under the glare of Toshiro's emerald green eyes, he couldn't help but shiver. "In... in the mountains to the north."
"What! That's bad… Hinamori went to gather herbs there." The mountain to the north wasn't very large, and Momo could very likely encounter the Hollow while gathering herbs inside.