But Ichigo Kurosaki watched in horror as the young man completely ignored his warning, standing perfectly still.
"Damn it—I forgot normal people can't even see these things!" Ichigo cursed and sprinted toward them.
But he was just an ordinary human. There was no way he could outrun a Hollow.
No matter how hard he ran, he couldn't stop what was coming.
"Damn you, you monster—come eat me instead!" Ichigo roared.
The Hollow, in a frenzy of excitement, paid him no mind. It kept charging toward the motionless young man.
Ichigo gritted his teeth. All he could do was watch the monster pounce on that youth—watch another life snuffed out before his eyes.
"It's my fault. If I hadn't led this thing here, he wouldn't die!" Guilt twisted in Ichigo's chest.
Boom!
A thunderous impact shook the air.
Ichigo's eyes went wide.
He'd expected the youth to be torn to shreds in an instant. Instead—one punch from the young man, and the monster exploded.
Countless fragments dissolved into nothing in midair, as if none of it had ever happened.
"This... how is this possible?" Ichigo was completely stunned.
Too strong. One punch and that massive monster was gone.
Was that something a human could do?
The young man nearby walked toward him with a smile.
Ichigo tensed. "Who... who are you? Wait—are you even alive?"
Lin Xuan's expression was a little odd.
Because of his intervention, Rukia Kuchiki hadn't met Ichigo in the living world yet—and under Aizen's design, hadn't transferred her Shinigami powers to him.
So right now, Ichigo was still just an ordinary high school student.
"Relax. Technically I'm alive—just like you, I can see certain things others can't," Lin Xuan explained with a smile.
Ichigo visibly relaxed.
Then he remembered what had just happened. "How did you do that?"
"Want to learn?" Lin Xuan's mouth curved. "Want to roll with me? I'll make you strong—and let you control your own fate."
Ichigo almost said yes on instinct—but the words changed at the last second. "No thanks!"
He had zero interest in being anyone's underling. Mostly, he just didn't want trouble.
Just like how he'd always ignored the spirits he could see since childhood—he didn't want to bring unnecessary problems to himself or his family.
Lin Xuan wasn't surprised. "That thing just now was a Hollow—an evil soul that attacks the living and the dead. The higher a soul's reishi concentration, the more they attract them."
"Your soul has a very high concentration. They'll keep coming for you. Do you really think you can keep your family and friends safe from them?"
Ichigo's pupils contracted. His resolve began to waver. "You're telling the truth?"
This time, Lin Xuan didn't answer. He smiled. "When you've made up your mind, come find me."
Then he vanished into thin air.
Ichigo was even more shocked. His doubts only grew stronger.
But he quickly realized something was wrong.
"Hey—you said to come find you! How am I supposed to do that?" Ichigo shouted into the empty street.
The late-night streets were deserted. Only the cold wind answered.
Ichigo sighed, said goodbye to the twin-tailed soul girl beside him, and headed home.
But seeing his family when he got back, his doubts grew heavier.
Maybe he should have agreed. If something happened, at least he'd have the power to protect the people he cared about.
Regret settled in. He didn't want to be anyone's lackey—but maybe there was still a way to learn those abilities.
Creak.
Ichigo opened his bedroom door—and froze.
Sitting in a chair in his room, drinking tea, was the same young man he'd just met.
Lin Xuan looked at Ichigo and smiled. "We meet again."
Ichigo was completely baffled.
What the hell? How did this guy get into my room?
"What are you doing in my room?" Ichigo snapped instinctively.
Lin Xuan waved a hand, signaling he meant no harm. "Just crashing here for the night. No need to freak out."
In the end, Ichigo swallowed his frustration. "Can you really make me stronger?"
Today's Hollow had made him painfully aware of his own weakness.
Just as Lin Xuan said—if something like that happened again, he had no way to fight back.
Ichigo quickly added, "And I'm not calling you boss or anything!"
Lin Xuan found it amusing. He waved a hand. "Fine.
Call me Guild Master Lin, same as the others. From now on, you're a member of the Cross-Dimensional Guild."
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T/N:
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