Facing his mother's expectant gaze, Ishida Uryū hesitated only a moment before answering in a low voice.
"…I understand."
The tension in Kanae Ishida's shoulders eased at once. Relief softened her expression, and a faint smile touched her lips. She had been worried he would stubbornly refuse, just as Ryūken often did when he set his mind on something.
Yet before she could speak again, Uryū continued.
"But before that," he said, lifting the book he had been holding, "there's something I want to ask you, Mother."
Kanae's eyes followed the motion, settling on the worn cover in his small hands.
"Are we… Quincies?"
The words were spoken carefully, as though he were testing their weight.
The book he held was not thick, nor particularly old, but its contents were unmistakable. It recorded a condensed history of the Quincy race—brief descriptions of their origins, their methods, and their long conflict with Hollows and Shinigami alike. After fully mastering the language, Uryū had begun combing through the Ishida family library with a clear purpose, searching for any trace of information connected to Quincies.
He had not expected to find anything so directly relevant.
The fact that such a book still existed here told him something important: Ryūken Ishida, despite everything, had not completely severed himself from the Quincy legacy.
Kanae looked at the cover for a long moment. She remembered this book well. It was one of the few texts that spoke plainly—though briefly—about Quincies, Hollows, and Shinigami. She had assumed it would remain untouched, buried among medical journals and historical records.
She had not expected her five-year-old son to find it.
Nor to understand it.
"Why do you think that?" she asked gently, her tone calm, measured.
Since marrying Ryūken and giving birth to Uryū, Ryūken Ishida had made a firm decision. He no longer clung to the pride of pure-blood Quincies, nor did he wish for his descendants to walk that path. If anything, he hoped Uryū would grow up as an ordinary human—safe, uninvolved, untouched by the dangers tied to Quincy blood.
Kanae shared that wish.
That was why she did not answer immediately.
"It's written here," Uryū said, opening the book and pointing to a passage he had already memorized. "Quincies are a special group of humans who eliminate Hollows—evil spirits formed from corrupted human souls."
He looked up at her, his expression unusually serious for a child his age.
"Ordinary people can't see souls. They can't see Hollows either. But I've been able to see wandering spirits since I was very young."
Kanae's fingers tightened slightly at her side.
"And the last time we went out together," Uryū continued, "I heard something. A roar—deep, distorted. It wasn't human. Father left immediately after that."
His gaze never wavered.
"He went to deal with a Hollow, didn't he?"
The silence that followed was heavy.
Uryū had known for a long time that something about him was different. The wandering souls of Karakura Town were not invisible to him. He saw them clearly—figures drifting through the streets, lingering near places of regret, fading slowly as time passed.
That meant his spiritual perception was already far beyond that of an ordinary human.
High-spec spiritual medium.
The term surfaced naturally in his mind, accompanied by another name he had not yet spoken aloud.
Kurosaki Ichigo.
The reason he spent so much time in the library was not because he loved books for their own sake. It was because knowledge was the only weapon available to him now.
And today, he had finally found proof.
Kanae let out a quiet, resigned breath.
"I didn't expect you to notice all that," she admitted softly.
She had not realized he remembered the Hollow's presence from that outing. More than that, she had not expected his spiritual perception to awaken so early. Even among Quincies, such sensitivity at this age was rare.
Her son was observant. Disturbingly so.
Without denying it further, Kanae took Uryū's hand and guided him out of the underground library, the chill air giving way to the warmer, quieter halls above.
"Yes," she said at last. "The Ishida family is a clan of Quincies. Humans with the ability to sense, absorb, and manipulate reishi."
She paused, choosing her words carefully.
"There is an energy that exists throughout this world—reishi. It fills the air, invisible to ordinary people. Quincies can draw it in, shape it, and use it to create weapons. With those weapons, we eliminate Hollows."
Her voice lowered slightly.
"Hollows are twisted souls. Once human… now something else."
Uryū listened intently, absorbing every word.
Her straightforward explanation surprised him. In his previous life—no, in the other version of this world—Ryūken had despised speaking of Quincy matters. He had buried them beneath anger and silence.
Kanae stopped walking.
"If I had a choice," she said quietly, "I wouldn't want to tell you any of this, Uryū."
He looked up at her, but did not interrupt.
"The moment you can see spirits, it means the Quincy power within you has begun to awaken," she continued. "And when that power awakens, it means your soul is stronger than that of a normal human."
Her hand tightened around his.
"A stronger soul attracts Hollows."
That was the truth she feared most.
The Quincy race was not glorious. It was not safe. From ancient times, Quincies had been hunted—not only by Shinigami, but by Hollows themselves. Their powerful souls made them ideal prey. Countless Quincies had been devoured before they ever learned to fight back.
The power they possessed was both weapon and curse.
"So…" Uryū said slowly, voicing the unspoken conclusion, "I'll be in danger."
Kanae shook her head at once. "No. Not while your father and grandfather are here."
Her words were firm, reassuring—but beneath them, unease stirred.
She was not afraid of immediate danger. The Ishida family was strong. As the last remaining pure-blood Quincy household, they had more than enough means to protect a child.
What troubled her was something deeper.
Kanae herself was a mixed-blood Quincy. She remembered the moment her own powers had awakened—the gradual shift from an ordinary human who saw nothing, to someone who could perceive souls and reishi alike.
But that awakening had come late.
Much later than this.
The only person she knew who had awakened as early as Uryū was Ryūken himself.
As a child, Ryūken had begun Quincy training early, his pure-blood lineage manifesting with frightening clarity. Kanae, serving as his attendant at the time, had stood beside him powerless and unseen.
Their son, by all logic, should not have followed that pattern.
Uryū's bloodline was diluted.
And yet…
Her thoughts drifted back to the day he was born. To the decision she had made. To the power she had used without hesitation.
Is this… because of that?
Before she could dwell further, a small voice broke her thoughts.
"Mother?"
Kanae looked down, startled, and met her son's concerned gaze.
She forced a smile and squeezed his hand gently. "Don't worry. Your father and I will protect you."
She knelt in front of him, meeting him at eye level.
"As for Quincy matters," she added softly, "it's enough for you to read about them. You don't need to involve yourself any further."
Uryū understood immediately.
She was not lying—but she was holding something back. She had no intention of teaching him how to use Quincy powers. Nor did she want Ryūken or Sōken to do so.
From her perspective, ignorance was safety.
From his…
It was a death sentence.
Four years.
That was all that remained until the ritual.
The Auswählen.
The selection enacted by the King of the Quincies—Yhwach—would strip power from all impure-blood Quincies, condemning them to slow, inevitable death.
Uryū's future self survived.
He knew that.
But survival had come at a price.
From the memories of another life, from fragments of a story he had once watched, he knew the truth: the Ishida Uryū of that time had not been spared. His power had been taken. He had collapsed in the rain, helpless.
The reason he lived…
Was because his mother had taken his place.
Kanae Ishida had died for him.
Uryū's fingers curled tightly.
He could remain silent. He could allow events to unfold as they once had.
But he would not.
Not again.
Not after being given a second life. Not after finally knowing what it meant to be loved.
He stopped walking and turned back, gripping his mother's hand with surprising strength.
"Mother," he said, his voice steady despite the storm inside him, "I want to learn."
Kanae blinked. "Uryū…?"
"I want to learn Quincy abilities."
The words fell between them, heavy and resolute.
"I don't want to just read about them. I don't want to pretend I don't know."
He looked up at her, eyes clear, unwavering.
"I want to protect myself."
And though he did not say it aloud, the truth burned behind his gaze.
I want to protect you.
---
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