“…Huh?”
In a secluded corner of the school, it was currently noon.
The weather in early June was already sweltering; under the scorching sunlight, the very air seemed to warp and shimmer.
“What did you say?” Ichigo asked, incredulous.
“You want me to help you?
What exactly is your job then?”
“I…” Rukia was suddenly at a loss for words, a slight blush creeping onto her face.
“Due to certain special circumstances, I have lost the vast majority of my Shinigami powers.
I am currently unable to carry out my duties.”
“And how does that affect me?” Ichigo crossed his arms.
“Can’t you just tell the Soul Society to send a different Shinigami?
Does it have to be you?”
“I…
I have my reasons!”
“You’re…
being completely unreasonable,” Ichigo said, frowning with a hint of impatience.
“I have my own life to lead.
Why on earth should I help someone like you?”
“But…
right now, you’re the only one capable of eliminating Hollows.”
“…”
“You know that Karakura Town is a Spirit-Dense Land; the probability of Hollows appearing here is much higher than in other cities,” Rukia said with a solemn expression.
“If there isn’t a Shinigami to handle them, many innocent souls will lose their lives!”
“Even with all that, can’t you just give the Soul Society an honest report?”
“…I have my reasons,” Rukia said slowly.
“Of course, you can refuse.
I will carry out my duties as a Shinigami on my own, even if it costs me my life.”
“You…”
“Just help her…
Kurosaki-kun…” A weak voice drifted from the window behind them, and a brownish-blonde head poked out.
“Kuchiki-san is already in this state…
yet she’s still thinking about completing her work.
It’s so pitiful…”
“You…
don’t let your sympathy run wild like that, Orihime!”
The window swung open, revealing a sweet-looking girl with long brownish-blonde hair.
She wore a mischievous grin and playfully stuck out her tongue.
“Hehe!” Wearing a six-petaled flower hairpin, his friend Orihime Inoue giggled.
“I’ve been caught!”
“Idiot Orihime!” Beside her, a girl with short dark blue hair and a tomboyish look—their classmate and childhood friend, Tatsuki Arisawa—scolded her.
“If you hadn’t spoken, Ichigo wouldn’t have noticed us!”
A large, well-built friend with brown skin, Yasutora Sado, stepped forward.
“Ichigo definitely noticed us long ago.”
“Exactly, exactly!” Mizuiro Kojima and Keigo Asano also popped their heads out.
“A freak like Ichigo definitely knew we were eavesdropping!”
“You guys…” Ichigo clenched his fists, his lips twitching uncontrollably.
“Are you all really that bored?!
Huh?!”
“what…?”
Just as Rukia had mentioned, she had lost most of her power.
She hadn’t noticed it while they were in the classroom, but now that they were standing before her, she sensed it clearly.
All five of them actually possessed spiritual power!
This was clearly abnormal.
Even if Karakura Town was a Spirit-Dense Land, it shouldn’t logically be possible for so many humans with spiritual power to appear simultaneously—and all of them were friends of this monster…
*Beep beep beep—*
“Hmm?”
A sharp sound interrupted the banter.
Everyone’s gaze shifted to Rukia, who pulled a device similar to a cell phone from her pocket.
“A Hollow…
it’s close!
Fast!
It’s right nearby!
It’s about to appear!”
*Thump—*
A dull sound echoed in their ears, causing everyone to frown.
In the next second, the space not far away seemed to be torn open, revealing a massive black void.
“ROAAR—!!”
A giant monster, entirely cyan with a white mask resembling a monkey and standing three to four meters tall, suddenly leaped out of the void, letting out a deafening roar.
“A Garganta?!
How?!
How could an ordinary Hollow like this enter the living world through a Garganta?!”
“What’s a Garganta?” Ichigo asked, then looked at the Hollow.
“This guy…
is actually pretty weak.”
“Don’t underestimate the enemy!” Rukia warned seriously.
“I know you’re strong, but compared to a Hollow, a Shinigami’s spiritual body is very fragile.
If you’re careless…”
*Swish—*
A flash of blue light appeared as a single blue arrow of light streaked forward.
In the next instant, countless light arrows manifested, raining down upon the Hollow like an overwhelming tide.
“What is this?!
KAA—!!”
Before it could even let out its final breath, the Hollow was swallowed by the barrage of light, leaving not a single scrap behind.
“Kuchiki-san is absolutely right.” Looking up, a slender figure stood by the second-floor window.
“Don’t be careless, Ichigo.
Things like Hollows should simply be eliminated with long-range attacks.”
“You are…?!”
Leaping down, he landed effortlessly from the second floor.
With blue, center-parted short hair, a lean frame, and wearing glasses, Ichigo’s cousin, Uryū Ishida, made his stylish entrance.
“This is Uryū Ishida, my cousin.” Ichigo didn’t want to say much about this flashy guy.
“As you can see, he’s a Quincy.”
“A Quincy…
isn’t that a race that went extinct long ago?!”
“Most of the things in history textbooks are arbitrarily edited,” Uryū Ishida said, pushing up his glasses.
“Don’t you understand such a simple truth, Shinigami?”
“…” Rukia took a step back, scanning the group.
She lamented, “As I thought…
there isn’t a single normal person around this freak…”
“Well, by traditional standards, I guess we aren’t exactly normal,” Ichigo said, scratching his head.
“But birds of a feather flock together.
I think it’s perfectly normal.”
“Normal within your own limited understanding, right?” Rukia narrowed her eyes.
“So, do you accept it or not?
The work of a Shinigami.”
“…Fine.
Until your replacement arrives, I’ll reluctantly lend you a hand.”
“…Total tsundere!” Tatsuki’s lips twitched as she couldn’t resist commenting.
“You were planning to do it from the start and were already fired up, you jerk!”
“Who…
who’s a tsundere?!
Who’s fired up?!
Tatsuki, say that again, I dare you!”
“Tatsuki, don’t expose him…
it’ll be awkward if he’s called out,” Orihime whispered, tugging at Tatsuki’s sleeve with a serious expression.
“Just be like me and pretend you didn’t notice!”
“You guys…
don’t go too far…!!”
“Having a free punching bag that you don’t have to worry about accidentally killing…
you’ve been itching to try this, haven’t you, Ichigo?” Mizuiro added bluntly.
“Yeah, yeah, Ichigo is just a violence nut!” Keigo Asano added, speaking from experience.
“I’ll always help you, Ichigo,” Chad said, his simple words carrying a firm conviction.
“Well, if you’re too slow, I won’t leave any Hollows for you.”
“…THAT’S ENOUGH!!!”