"I'll see you all later," Ichigo murmured with a somber expression as he slipped out of the house, intending to go to Soul Society without knowing if he would return alive or not. "Make sure everyone stays safe while I'm gone, Ren."
Although Ichigo knew the strength of his younger twin brother, he had no intention of taking him along to Soul Society. He hadn't even informed him about his departure or plans; he only told their father that he was going on a trip with friends now that the summer vacation had started.
"Idiot," a teasing voice rang in Ichigo's ears as he saw Ren leaning against a nearby lamppost. "I got tired of waiting for you."
"Ren…" Ichigo murmured in surprise, staring at his twin, who had become increasingly handsome since acquiring Shinigami powers.
At first, the two had been nearly identical; the only differences were height, hair color, and eye color. Their facial features were indistinguishable, almost as if they were clones. But now, Ren had silver hair that shimmered like moonlight, a pair of beautiful crystalline blue eyes behind his blindfold, and even his facial features had subtly changed, making him far more attractive than before.
[A/N: He's essentially a teenage version of Gojo Satoru.]
Ichigo had to admit that he felt a pang of jealousy over Ren's new appearance. He had already been handsome, but now it was like he had stepped out of another world.
"What are you doing out this early in the morning?" Ichigo pushed away unnecessary thoughts and focused on his brother. He had just received a message from Urahara summoning him to the shop and had no intention of telling anyone or bringing anyone along, so he decided to play the fool.
"I'm trying to accompany my foolish twin," Ren said with a faint smile. "I can't allow you to go to Soul Society alone without me watching your back." The sense of responsibility Ichigo felt had always been strong, and he found this nearly rebellious side of his brother strangely endearing.
"This isn't the time for jokes, Ren," Ichigo murmured, averting his gaze, though his voice was less sharp than he intended, tinged with suppressed relief.
"And it's not the time to act like a tragic hero in some old play," Ren said lightly as he crossed the road toward him. "You're not alone, Ichigo. Never have been, never will be."
Ichigo turned to look at his brother again, holding a long, silent gaze, exchanging countless unspoken words. He knew Ren would not back down. That stubbornness was part of him, as much as it was part of Ichigo himself.
"Urahara-san might not approve of this," Ichigo said finally, grasping at excuses that no longer convinced even himself.
"Don't worry. That shady man will be more than happy for me to go," Ren replied casually, his eyes landing on Amagi standing respectfully in the shadows behind him, unnoticed even by Ichigo. "I'll leave the task of handling the Hollows and protecting my family to you."
"Leave it to me, Ren-sama," Amagi said calmly, bowing slightly to Ichigo. "It's an honor to meet you, Ichigo-sama. My name is Amagi, and I am a Modified Soul serving Ren-sama."
"Modified Soul…" Ichigo murmured, unable to compare the beautiful woman in a maid outfit before him to anyone other than Kon, that foolish little burnt lion who had somehow been a friend. Thinking about the contrast, Ichigo felt a twinge of unfairness—while he was stuck with a foolish lion, Ren had a beautiful, alluring maid by his side.
"Are you sure Soul Society is dangerous enough that we might not return alive?" Ichigo shook his head to dismiss unnecessary thoughts and asked seriously.
"I know the dangers of Soul Society better than you do," Ren said, staring at Ichigo with a rare seriousness on a usually playful or cold face.
"…." The two stared at each other for a long moment.
Sigh~ "Alright, but make sure your safety comes first," Ichigo said in resignation. Stubbornness seemed to run in the Kurosaki family's genes, but that didn't mean he would allow his younger brother to risk his life for his own selfishness.
"Alright, alright. Let's go then; everyone's waiting," Ren said with a light smile, starting toward Urahara's shop.
"…." Ichigo watched Ren for a moment, then let out a tired sigh and followed his brother, acknowledging that he was right—it wasn't proper to make others wait.
Amagi silently bowed toward the two, praying for their safe return in her heart. Despite knowing Ren's strength, she could only feel concern for them.
_
Urahara Shop
The twins arrived silently in front of the shop, seeing Urahara standing outside while Sado Yasutora, known as Chad, sat nearby.
Nearby, a black cat lazily stretched on the wall. Its eyes gleamed at the sight of Ren, and it leapt onto his shoulder, affectionately brushing his face.
"You've arrived just in time, Ichigo-san, Ren-san," Urahara smiled with the same annoying grin that made one want to punch him.
"Where are Tatsuki and Inoue?" Ren ignored Urahara and spoke to the cat on his shoulder, causing Ichigo to stare in bewilderment.
"They are girls, so they went to shower and get ready before departure," the cat replied in a surprisingly masculine, sharp voice.
"The cat… spoke?!" Ichigo exclaimed, stepping back slightly in disbelief at Yoruichi.
"Oh, you're still new to this, aren't you?" Yoruichi said, smiling slyly as she stretched on Ren's shoulder, as if it needed no explanation.
"Looks like you'll need to redefine the word 'cat,'" Ren remarked lightly, pushing Yoruichi's face away slightly with his finger. "At least try not to tease your twin too much, Nee-san."
"Unlike you, your twin's reactions are too entertaining," Yoruichi said playfully in her cat form, raising a claw toward Ichigo. "Call me Yoruichi; I'll be your guide in Soul Society, as well as something of a teacher to your twin brother."
"Teacher?" Ichigo raised an eyebrow, staring at Ren as if part of the picture had suddenly become clear. "When exactly did this happen?"
"She helped me establish a proper foundation for handling battles," Ren replied nonchalantly, stroking Yoruichi's head.
"He doesn't like to brag," Yoruichi said, licking her claw. "But I can say… he's never been a bad student."
"How interesting to hear that a student who sleeps and skips classes is actually a great student," a new, lively voice rang out as Tatsuki appeared with Inoue beside her.
"What perfect timing," Ichigo murmured, turning to them and noticing the small bag on each of their shoulders. "Are you on some sort of field trip?"
Ichigo couldn't help but smile at how his companions seemed completely unaware of the danger awaiting them.
"As Kurosaki's big brother says," a new voice rang out, revealing Ishida in slightly funny white clothes, adjusting his glasses.
"Ishida!? You're coming too?" Ichigo raised an eyebrow in surprise, not expecting him to join them.
"Sort of. I'm here to repay a debt I owe," Ishida said coldly, hating to admit it, though he had been saved by Ichigo previously from Gillian, who had been lured by Ichigo's bait.
"Alright, now that everyone's here, shall we depart? The Senkaimon is ready," Urahara said, breaking the silence, turning the atmosphere from playful to serious.
"…." Everyone exchanged serious glances before following Urahara to the shop's basement, where the Senkaimon awaited activation.
...
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