"Ichigo!"
Sado Yasutora's deep voice cut through the silence, heavy with concern.
"Is it really impossible to use Bankai?" Renji asked, disbelief flashing across his face.
"Kurosaki, what's going on?" Uryū adjusted his glasses, his tone sharp with doubt.
"Classmate Kurosaki…" Orihime's soft voice trembled as she looked at Ichigo, her eyes filled with worry.
Ichigo clenched Zangetsu tightly, confusion written across his face. "Mr. Urahara, Mr. Shiraha—what's going on? When I was in Soul Society, I could use Bankai without a problem. Why can't I use it now?"
Urahara closed his fan with a flick, his expression calm but serious. "You're a Substitute Shinigami, Ichigo. You might have used Bankai in the Soul Society, but here in the human world, where Reishi concentration is low, it isn't so simple. The idea that you can call upon it at will—especially outside of crisis—is naïve. Losing access to it now is natural."
"So that's how it is…" Ichigo's shoulders sagged. He sheathed Zangetsu and lowered his head, the weight of disappointment pressing down.
"Don't let it get to you, Ichigo." Shiraha walked forward, resting a hand on Ichigo's shoulder. His calm voice carried reassurance. "Do you know how long it takes most Shinigami to achieve Bankai? More than ten years. Even for someone as gifted as Kuchiki Byakuya, it took seven or eight. You learned it in a single day. That alone is extraordinary."
Ichigo forced a small smile. "Mr. Shiraha… thanks."
Renji stepped forward, his expression turning serious. "Mr. Urahara, the reason you called us here—does it have anything to do with Captain Aizen?"
Urahara shook his head. "No. This time, it's something else entirely." His voice lowered, and a rare solemnity settled over his features. "Kurosaki, the disturbance caused by the Hōgyoku can't be ignored. I need your help once again… to master your Bankai."
Then, to everyone's shock, Urahara dropped to one knee, bowing his head in what looked like an earnest plea.
Ichigo blinked, startled. "Uh… sure, I guess—"
"Excellent!" Urahara sprang back to his feet with an exaggerated smile. "Then that's settled!"
A black line ran down Ichigo's face. Uryū sighed. "That didn't seem very sincere."
Sado and Orihime both nodded in quiet agreement.
Urahara turned his fan toward Uryū, his eyes glinting. "Ah, Mr. Ishida—congratulations on regaining your Quincy powers. It seems your conversation with Mr. Ryūken went quite well."
Uryū's eyes narrowed slightly. "You… know my father?"
"Of course." Urahara chuckled lightly. "But you really shouldn't refer to your father by name alone. Is there some bad blood?"
"That's none of your business," Uryū said coldly, his tone sharp as steel.
Urahara waved his fan lazily. "Fair enough. I've met Ryūken a few times long ago, but we were never close."
Ichigo frowned. "Wait—you never told us anything about your family, Ishida. What happened?"
Uryū turned away, his voice icy. "Don't concern yourself with my affairs, Kurosaki."
"What? We're partners! Of course I'm concerned!" Ichigo snapped.
"Let it go, Ichigo." Renji placed a hand on his shoulder and shook his head. "He'll talk when he's ready."
Urahara cleared his throat, cutting through the tension. "Anyway… in recent days, several humans in Karakura Town have gone missing. The traces left behind contained abnormal Reiatsu. After studying the evidence, I created those three modified souls you met earlier."
He reached into his sleeve and pulled out a small bottle filled with faintly glowing pink liquid. Inside floated a shimmering spiritual seed. "This spirit seed is something belonging to what's called Soul Hunting."
The room fell silent.
"Wait—when did you go out to investigate?" Yoruichi asked sharply from Shiraha's arms.
"Huh? You didn't notice, Yoruichi-chan? I thought you were watching me." Urahara grinned innocently.
"...So Soul Hunting has already appeared." Shiraha's lips curved into a faint smile. "Interesting."
He knew what it meant. Soul Hunters relied on puppets as their main form of attack—artificial vessels controlled through spiritual resonance. The puppets themselves weren't strong; as long as their controller was defeated, they vanished. Only Kariya Jin, their leader, had reached a level strong enough to contend with Byakuya Kuchiki and Kurosaki Ichigo. The rest were equivalent to low-ranking seated officers, their power strange but not overwhelming.
Ichigo, now back in his body, sat down cross-legged on a futon. "So what exactly is Soul Hunting?"
Urahara's expression turned thoughtful. "Back when I worked at the Shinigami Research and Development Institute, I discovered a spiritual particle similar to this—one that reacted uniquely with the components of human souls. After further investigation, I confirmed the existence of a clan known as the Soul Hunters."
"A clan?" Uryū frowned. "How many are there?"
"Not many," Urahara replied. "They're rare, much like the Quincy. But while Quincy destroy Hollows to protect the balance of souls, Soul Hunters do the opposite—they devour human souls to extend their own lives, turning others' essence into their food."
His tone grew darker as he set the bottle down beside him. "That's the kind of enemy we're dealing with now."
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