Only after the two figures had vanished did everyone finally turn their attention back toward Kurosaki Ichigo and his companions.
Orihime knelt quietly among the injured, Shun Shun Rikka glowing softly as she healed wounds one after another. Ichigo, however, stood off to the side, his head lowered, lips pressed in silence.
"Ichigo…" Rukia stepped forward, uncertain of what had happened, her expression heavy with concern.
"Sorry, Rukia… Amamiya…" Ichigo forced a crooked smile, his voice faint. "I didn't think our reunion would be like this… you seeing me in such a pathetic state."
It was a reunion, but joy never reached his heart.
"Hmph. What's this? Ichigo, don't tell me you've really become such a weakling." Ikkaku Madarame, his body already recovered, strode over with his usual bluntness. His eyes narrowed with disdain.
Ichigo said nothing. His silence hung heavier than anger.
"Tch. Hard to believe the guy who once defeated me—and even stood against my Captain—has turned into this sorry sight." Ikkaku clicked his tongue.
"…What do you know," Ichigo muttered under his breath.
"Hah? Say that again?"
"I said—what do you know about me?!" Ichigo suddenly shouted, his voice raw. "You think I don't want to fight seriously?! You think I don't want to protect everyone?! I do! I do—but… but…"
"But the Hollow inside you is about to break loose, isn't it?" Amamiya Miyako's calm voice cut through, completing Ichigo's words for him.
Ichigo's eyes shot open in shock. "Eh?! How… how do you know that?"
"Ichigo…" Rukia's eyes softened as she walked up to him. "So that's what's been weighing on you all this time? You… baka!"
Before Ichigo could react, Rukia's foot slammed into his face with a sharp thud, launching him backward.
"Oi, what the hell, Rukia?!" Ichigo scrambled up, face red with both anger and bruising. "Who greets someone with a flying kick right after reuniting?!"
Before he could regain his balance, Amamiya Miyako grabbed both of Ichigo's arms from behind, holding him in place.
"Oi, Amamiya! Let go!" Ichigo thrashed, only to receive a flurry of Rukia's sharp slaps across his cheek.
"Damn it! You two must've planned this!" His face was already swollen, yet he couldn't muster the will to strike back—only shout helplessly.
"This pitiful attitude… is this really the Ichigo I know?" Rukia glared at him, her voice cutting. "If you're scared of the Hollow inside you, then stop whining and get stronger! Why are you being so wishy-washy?!"
Amamiya shook his head. "Enough, Rukia. Ichigo's not weak—he's just… lost."
He released Ichigo at last and stepped in front of him. His voice carried a steady weight. "Ichigo, let me clear away your doubts."
"Someone must have approached you already… claiming they could help you control the Hollow inside, right?"
Ichigo blinked, his confusion plain. "Eh? How do you know that? Yeah… someone did. He called himself a Visored, but it sounded fishy as hell."
"They're not suspicious." Amamiya's tone was firm. "In fact, right now… they're the best allies you could ask for."
He continued, "Remember what Aizen said before he left? That the so-called 'rebellion' of the Captains a hundred years ago… was his doing."
"Yeah, I remember that. But what's it got to do with the Visored?" Ichigo asked, puzzled.
"What was the name of the one who came to see you?" Amamiya pressed.
"Huh? He said his name was Hirako Shinji."
The moment the name fell, Hitsugaya Tōshirō's eyes widened. "Hirako… Shinji?"
"You know him, Tōshirō?" Ichigo asked.
"…Hirako Shinji was the Captain of the Fifth Division… before Aizen." Hitsugaya's voice carried an edge of tension. "A hundred years ago, he and others were victims of Aizen's Hollowfication experiments. Forced into becoming half-Shinigami, half-Hollow… they had no choice but to defect from the Soul Society."
"What?!" Ichigo's eyes widened. "That guy… was a Captain?"
"And not just any Captain," Hitsugaya continued, "but of the Fifth Division—the very Division Aizen later commanded. Hirako and his comrades became the first Visored because of those twisted experiments. Although Urahara Kisuke managed to save them from losing themselves completely, Aizen's schemes left them exiled."
"I never thought Hirako and the others carried such a past…" Ichigo muttered, stunned.
"That's why I told you, Ichigo." Amamiya's voice was steady, yet kind. "Trust them. Learn from them. With their help, you can finally master the Hollow within and turn that curse into strength. You won't have to be tormented by it anymore."
Ichigo stood in silence for a long moment. Then he bowed deeply, his voice steady at last. "I'm sorry… for worrying you all."
"Hmph. About time you pulled yourself together," Ikkaku grumbled, though a faint smirk tugged at his lips.
"Oh my, I actually thought that gloomy face of yours was pretty cute," Rangiku teased with a light laugh, her fan tapping her chin playfully.
"No way," Yumichika Ayasegawa shook his head with a delicate sigh. "It was completely unrefined. Not beautiful at all."
Ichigo let out a small breath and turned toward his friends. "Thank you, Rukia. And you too, Amamiya. You both knocked some sense into me… and cleared away the fog in my heart." He gave a small but genuine smile.
"Heh, Ichigo, you should thank me more than anyone," Miyako said with a grin. "That idiot Rukia only knows how to solve things with her fists. I'm the one who actually showed you the path forward."
"What was that?!" Rukia shouted, stomping down on Miyako's foot. "Don't talk like I didn't do anything! I tried just as hard to help Ichigo!" Her brows furrowed as she glared at him. "And another thing! How did you know about Hirako and the Visoreds?! Why didn't you tell me?!" She clenched her fists, cheeks puffed out in anger. "How much did you and Kisuke-san keep hidden from me back then?!"
"Ah—ow ow ow! Rukia, forgive me already!" Miyako cried, clutching his foot and wincing in pain. "Look, I'm telling you everything now, aren't I?!"
Ichigo chuckled softly as he watched the two bicker like children. Despite everything, he felt lucky to have friends like them by his side. He walked over to where Inoue Orihime and Sado Yasutora stood, his expression softening as he looked at Orihime.
"Inoue, how's Chad? Is he okay now?"
Orihime nodded with a gentle smile. "Yes, his arm has been healed. I made sure of it."
"I see… that's a relief." Ichigo's eyes softened, but then hardened with determination. "Inoue, I'm sorry. Next time, I'll definitely protect you all!" His voice carried a firm resolve.
Orihime blinked, her heart skipping at his words. She wished he had said "protect you" instead of "protect you all," but seeing him return to his usual self filled her with warmth nonetheless.
"Mm!" She nodded brightly.
'Rukia-san, Amamiya-kun… truly, thank you,' Orihime thought as she glanced at the two still quarreling a short distance away. Her lips curved into a quiet smile.
Tōshirō Hitsugaya, who had been watching the noisy group with increasing exasperation, twitched at the corner of his mouth, a vein showing faintly on his forehead. With a small sigh, he turned on his heel.
"Captain, where are you going?" Rangiku called after him.
"To find a place to stay," Hitsugaya answered bluntly. "We're going to be in Karakura Town for quite a while. You haven't forgotten that, have you?"
Everyone froze. Then slowly, one by one, they turned their heads toward Ichigo.
"H-Hey, wait a second!" Ichigo shouted, pointing at himself in disbelief. "Don't tell me you're all planning to stay at my house?! My place doesn't have that many rooms!"
"Tch. So we have to find our own lodgings?" Ikkaku said with clear annoyance.
"Then maybe I'll stay at Orihime-chan's house instead," Rangiku teased, draping herself over Orihime's shoulder with a mischievous smile.
"E-Eh?! Rangiku-san?!" Orihime squeaked, flustered by the sudden suggestion.
Miyako only gave a small chuckle at their antics. Unlike the others, he already knew where he needed to go—and it wasn't a place anyone else could follow.
"Captain Hitsugaya," Miyako said suddenly, his tone shifting to something serious. "Let's go to Ichigo's house for a proper talk. There's something you all need to know… about Aizen's true purpose."
At the sound of that name, Ichigo's breath caught in his throat. His mind flashed back to the chilling figure who had betrayed the Soul Society so effortlessly.
"Aizen…" Ichigo whispered, his face darkening.
"Yes," Miyako replied firmly. "He's the reason we've come to the World of the Living."
As his words faded, Miyako turned his gaze toward the shadowed trees nearby, his eyes narrowing in thought.
Unbeknownst to the others, Ishida Uryū, who had been watching quietly from the forest, adjusted his glasses and turned away. Without a word, he disappeared into the distance.
"Amamiya," Hitsugaya said sharply, his eyes narrowing as he followed Miyako's line of sight. "Who was that just now? Someone was watching us."
Miyako shook his head lightly, his expression calm. "Don't worry, Captain Hitsugaya. He's Ichigo's ally. A close friend."
"Is that so…" Hitsugaya muttered, his frown deep but accepting the answer for now.