"Urahara Kisuke, you're looking even gloomier than usual. What's going on? Any word from Soul Society? Or something new about Aizen?"
"Unfortunately, no updates. Aizen's made no moves recently. Yoruichi's been keeping tabs on him. So far, he's lying low. Though... he was recently attacked. By a human."
"A human?"
"Yes. A rather absurd one, at that. But before we dive into that, what brings you here?"
"Has a new Shinigami arrived in Karakura Town? Ichigo came home tonight reeking of spiritual energy. If someone new is around, why didn't you tell me?"
Kurosaki Isshin's tone sharpened as he spoke. Urahara Kisuke fell silent for a moment.
"There haven't been any official replacements. The Shinigami stationed in Karakura is still the same. However... a human has recently undergone a transformation into a Shinigami. Maybe he crossed paths with your son."
"He just became a Shinigami in the past few days?" Isshin frowned, visibly skeptical. "It's that easy now?"
"Don't look at me like that. You know I haven't broken the rules in a while. The truth is, this guy's unusually powerful. I couldn't stop him even if I wanted to. He outright said that unless Yoruichi and I could beat him, we might as well help him become a Shinigami."
"…Are we talking about the same person?"
"I'm just saying it's possible," Kisuke said with a shrug. "His name is Su Xiuyu. Preliminary checks say he's harmless, but... his spiritual pressure is monstrous. His techniques are bizarre too."
Isshin sighed. The vague explanation didn't ease his concern, but as a father, his instincts refused to settle.
"Kisuke, I hope you're right. But if Su Xiuyu ever does turn against Ichigo... even if I regain my powers, I doubt I'd stand a chance."
"Exactly why you shouldn't worry too much," Kisuke said calmly.
Isshin gave a reluctant nod, then turned and walked away, retracing his steps into the night.
---
As Ichigo Kurosaki pushed open the door to his room, he froze.
A girl in a black kimono stood before him.
"Hey! Who the hell are you? What are you doing in my room?!"
Before Rukia could react, Ichigo instinctively kicked her across the room.
"Ow—! You can see me?" Rukia gasped in shock from the floor.
"What are you talking about?! You barge into my room and you're the one asking if I can see you?"
"The Binding Spell—Bakudō #1: Sai!"
Invisible forces wrapped around Ichigo's arms and slammed him to the ground.
"Hey! What's going on?!" Ichigo shouted, struggling.
"Stay still. Don't interfere."
As Ichigo lay restrained, wide-eyed, an old man's ghost appeared in the room. Rukia walked up to him and pressed the hilt of her Zanpakutō against his forehead. The spirit's form shimmered—and then peacefully faded away.
"What… what just happened to that old man?"
"I sent his soul to the Soul Society. He's safe now."
"…Who are you?"
"Rukia Kuchiki. I'm a Shinigami. We guide lost souls and eliminate Hollows—corrupted spirits that feed on the living."
"Hollows? What the hell is that?"
Rukia spent a few minutes explaining the basics—Soul Society, the role of Shinigami, the threat of Hollows, and the balance between worlds.
"And just so you know," she added, "there's another Hollow nearby. A strong one."
Before she could elaborate, her expression darkened. "Wait… that spiritual pressure… Damn it! How did I miss something this massive?!"
Just then, Ichigo felt the floor tremble beneath him.
"Brother—?" Yuzu's voice echoed weakly from the hallway before she collapsed upon seeing Ichigo.
"Yuzu!" Ichigo roared. Strength surged through his body, and with sheer will, he shattered the bindings.
"Yuzu, wake up!" he cried, catching her just before a massive explosion rocked the house. Dust and debris filled the air. Holding her close, Ichigo leapt from the second-floor window to safety.
"Karen—!" He spotted his other sister lying injured in the yard.
"They're still alive! Their souls are intact—take them and run!" Rukia shouted, facing the oncoming monster.
A grotesque creature, nearly three meters tall, emerged from the smoke—a Hollow, mask gleaming, spiritual pressure crushing.
"Why are you just standing there?! GO!" Rukia yelled.
The Hollow lunged. Rukia moved to intercept but wasn't fast enough—its fangs tore into her shoulder. Blood sprayed into the air.
"Run! Humans can't defeat Hollows! I'll hold it off as long as I can!"
She could barely stand. Her strength had been fading for days, and now it was slipping through her fingers like sand.
Still, her earlier attack had damaged the Hollow's mask. It hesitated.
"I'm not leaving!" Ichigo shouted. "There's got to be something I can do!"
"There is. If you become a Shinigami… you can fight it."
"Tell me what to do!"
"Come here!"
Without hesitation, Rukia drove her Zanpakutō into Ichigo's chest. She meant to transfer only part of her power—but something unexpected happened. He absorbed all of it.
A shockwave pulsed outward. Dust spiraled into the sky. And from it emerged Ichigo Kurosaki, clad in a black Shihakushō, his spiritual pressure exploding like a tidal wave.
The Hollow lunged again.
Ichigo met it head-on. One swipe severed its arm. A second slash tore through a leg.
"This is what you get for threatening my family!" he roared.
With one final strike, Ichigo cleaved the Hollow in half. The battlefield fell silent.
He stood, panting, staring at his blade. "I… I beat it?"
"Yes…" Rukia murmured faintly before collapsing to the ground.
In the wreckage of the house, only Ichigo remained standing. His sisters lay unconscious beside Rukia, who had lost her powers entirely.
From a distance, Kurosaki Isshin watched it all unfold, hidden in the shadows.
"The kid's finally stepped up. He's begun protecting what matters most," he murmured.
For now, he would stay silent. His powers had yet to return, and Ichigo had enough to deal with already.
--------------
High above Karakura Town, Su Xiuyu quietly observed the aftermath of the battle at the Kurosaki household. From his vantage point, he merely watched—silent and distant. Perhaps because he hadn't interfered in the unfolding events, the encounter between Kurosaki Ichigo and Rukia Kuchiki had played out almost exactly as it had in the original timeline.
By the time Ichigo began clearing up the damage at home, Rukia had already regained consciousness and slipped away unnoticed.
Seizing the opportunity, Su Xiuyu followed her. When they reached a secluded alley, he struck—knocking Rukia unconscious in a swift, precise motion. He then transported her to a temporary dimension, a pocket space created for this exact contingency.
But once she was secured… Su Xiuyu stood frozen.
He knew Urahara Kisuke had hidden the Hōgyoku inside Rukia's body—but how exactly was he supposed to extract it?
"I can't just cut her open," he muttered, grimacing at the thought. For all his planning, he hadn't thought this far ahead.
With a sigh, he admitted to himself, "This was impulsive... I caught her, but I have no idea what to do now."
After pacing for several minutes, he made his decision.
"Forget it. Let her go. If I can't get the Hōgyoku myself, I'll just borrow Aizen's hand. He'll eventually extract it—I'll just make sure I'm there when he does."
Su Xiuyu wasn't interested in killing Rukia. He bore no grudge against her, and besides, if she died, locating the Hōgyoku afterward would become infinitely more complicated.
---
When Rukia awoke, she found herself lying in a modest hotel room. Her mind was hazy, and her memories of the previous night were fragmented. She assumed she must have blacked out from her injuries during the Hollow attack.
The next morning, Ichigo Kurosaki went to school as usual. But to his surprise, the Shinigami who had vanished the night before was suddenly sitting in class—now disguised as his classmate, Rukia Kuchiki.
Naturally, once the bell rang, he pulled her aside.
"What the hell is going on? Why are you here? Are you seriously posing as a student now?" Ichigo's tone was a mix of confusion and irritation.
Rukia looked unfazed. "When I transferred my Shinigami powers to you last night, you absorbed all of them. I didn't expect that. Right now, I'm completely powerless. Until I recover, you'll have to take over my duties."
Ichigo didn't hesitate. "Nope. I refuse."
"What?"
"I'm just a high school student, okay? I didn't ask for this—fighting monsters, risking my life. I want nothing to do with it."
Rukia didn't bother arguing. Instead, she pulled out a strange glove and slapped it onto Ichigo's chest.
In a flash, his soul separated from his body.
"Wha—?! Dammit, not again!"
Rukia grabbed his now-spectral form and dragged him away.
Soon, they arrived near a quiet street where a young boy's spirit was being chased by a grotesque, spider-shaped Hollow.
"You can stand there and watch him die if you want," Rukia said coldly. "If you do nothing, that Hollow will devour his soul."
"I'm not going to let that happen!" Ichigo growled.
As the Hollow lunged, Ichigo dashed forward, severing its limbs with two clean slashes. The creature dissolved into spirit particles, and Ichigo knelt beside the terrified boy.
Gently, he used the hilt of his blade to press a seal into the boy's forehead. The spirit vanished, now safely en route to Soul Society.
Rukia watched him carefully. "So, what's it going to be? Will you accept this responsibility, or keep pretending you're just a normal student?"
Ichigo exhaled slowly. "I don't know what the future holds. But I do know this—I can't just stand by and let people die. Not anymore."
In just two days, Ichigo's entire worldview had been shattered and rebuilt. At fifteen years old, he was still just a kid... but some truths demanded action.
---
Later that afternoon, Orihime Inoue and Tatsuki Arisawa stopped by the market after school. With bags full of ingredients, they headed to Orihime's home, where they prepared dinner together.
Orihime's cooking was surprisingly skilled—technically.
"Tatsuki-chan, what do you think?" Orihime asked, setting a colorful plate on the table.
"Well… you're good at cooking, I'll give you that," Tatsuki said, poking at the odd-looking dish. "But your taste is totally weird. These combinations are just… wild."
"I think it's normal," Orihime said with a straight face.
"You're hopeless," Tatsuki sighed. She knew better than to argue. Orihime's culinary choices might be strange, but they were harmless.
As they ate, Orihime suddenly leaned forward with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "So… have you heard from that guy at the school gate? The handsome one?"
Tatsuki groaned. "Ugh, don't remind me. I was acting on impulse, okay? Yeah, he's good-looking—but he's ice cold. Barely responds. Says he's always 'training' or 'practicing swordsmanship.' His hands were full of calluses, so I believe it."
That guy, of course, was Su Xiuyu.
Despite her embarrassment, Tatsuki had reached out a few times. And Su Xiuyu? He really was busy—sparring with Urahara Kisuke in secret, trying to refine his techniques.
What Tatsuki saw as disinterest was actually dedication. Still, the miscommunication lingered.
---
Suddenly, a thunderous crash shattered the peaceful evening.
A hole exploded through the wall of Orihime's apartment. An invisible force slashed through the room—one of its tentacles grazing Orihime's shoulder before whipping toward Tatsuki.
Neither girl could see what attacked them—but they both felt it.
"Orihime!" Tatsuki shouted.
Orihime's eyes glazed over, her body limp from the spiritual pressure.
"Someone help us!" Tatsuki managed to gasp into a voice message before the creature grabbed her with its unseen appendage.
The Hollow let out a distorted roar.
They couldn't see it. They couldn't dodge. They couldn't even scream.
But they weren't alone.
A burst of energy split the air.
"Hado #1: Sho!"
A small shockwave blasted the Hollow from behind. It disintegrated in an instant.
Su Xiuyu landed lightly in the ruins of the apartment, sword drawn, spiritual pressure humming around him.
He immediately knelt beside the unconscious girls and began healing them using the Palm Sage Technique, a method far beyond standard Kido.
Orihime was the first to stir.
As her vision cleared, the first thing she saw was Su Xiuyu's face—calm, focused, beautiful. Her cheeks flushed.
"…You?" she whispered.
"I'm Su Xiuyu," he said gently. "I came after getting Tatsuki's message."
To prove it, he opened Line on his phone, showing the alert on screen.
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