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"Chad…"
"Orihime…"
"Please don't look at me like that. I swear I don't know anything!!!"Under his friends' stunned and suspicious stares, Kurosaki Ichigo was completely lost.
About half an hour earlier—
It had been lunchtime at school.Like always, he'd grabbed food, then headed up to the rooftop with Sado Yasutora and Inoue Orihime to chat and unwind.
But—
They had barely stepped onto the rooftop when that strange transparent screen suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
Then the video started playing.
At first, driven by curiosity, Ichigo actually thought it was kind of interesting.
But who could've guessed—
As soon as the previous character segment ended…his face showed up on screen!
That was just insane.
"Huh? You really didn't know anything about this?" Chad asked, half skeptical.
"Obviously not. Why would I lie to you?"
Ichigo rolled his eyes helplessly.
Sure, he'd admit he tended to do impulsive stuff—Skipping class,getting into fights with street punks,even throwing hands with his old man, Kurosaki Isshin…
But still!
Ichigo was positive he had never used a sword in his life.And absolutely never, ever had he stood on some random hill he'd never been to, swinging a huge blade at some weirdo in strange clothes like in the video.
"But still…"Chad met his eyes, hesitating. "Those scenes look way too real. Like they actually happened. How do we explain that?"
At this point in time—
Rukia Kuchiki had not yet appeared in Karakura.Which meant Chad hadn't awakened his Fullbring.Just like Ichigo, he had zero spiritual pressure — just a normal human.
He knew nothing about Soul Reapers, zanpakuto, any of it.
But the instant he saw Senbonzakura's cherry blossom storm, or the blood-red sword beam from Tensa Zangetsu, his soul trembled uncontrollably.
The immersion was terrifying.As if he were actually standing on that hillside watching it unfold.
Too bizarre to accept.
Ichigo rubbed his forehead, shaking his head. "Honestly, I'm just as confused as you are. I really wanna know which bastard thought this prank was funny."
With that,he clenched his fist and swung at the screen.
But right before touching it, his hand simply phased straight through.
All three of them froze, hair standing on end.
"It's… not solid? It's actually intangible?" Orihime yelped, covering her mouth. Something this high-tech felt like it belonged in sci-fi.
"A thing that pops out of thin air and isn't even real… that's just terrifying…"
Without realizing it,Ichigo's back was already cold with sweat.
This mysterious screen was beyond anything he understood — completely shattering his sense of reality.
"What do we do now?"Chad asked, anxiety written all over his face.
The longer he stared at the screen, the more uneasy he felt.
"Either we report it right away… or we keep watching. What do you guys think?"
To Chad's surprise,Ichigo calmed down quickly.After a brief shock, that panic faded from his expression.
His back was still cold,a sheen of sweat gathered along his brow —but the sight of himself wielding Tensa Zangetsu stirred a deep curiosity inside him.If anything, he wanted to see more.
Chad hesitated, staring at the screen.
He frowned, thought about it for a few seconds, then nodded."Honestly, this thing definitely isn't a good sign. But yeah… I wanna keep watching too."
He felt the same as Ichigo.
No matter how creepy the screen was,seeing Ichigo transformed into some kind of black-robed warrior tugged at something inside him.He wanted answers.
"Orihime, what about you?" Ichigo asked, gently. "If you're scared, you can head back first."
"No…"
To Ichigo's surprise, Orihime shook her head immediately. "I want to stay. I'm curious too!"
She was timid by nature…but after seeing Ichigo swinging that huge blade so confidently in the video, she couldn't help wanting to see more.
"Alright then. Let's stay. Let's figure out what's going on."
Ichigo nodded, then shifted topics. "By the way… that black sword I was holding. What even is that?"
For some reason—the moment he saw Tensa Zangetsu,a strange sense of familiarity washed over him.
Like that jet-black blade had been with him for a long, long time.
"Wait…"
Ichigo's question triggered something in Chad's memory. He stiffened, then said, "Just now… I think the you in the video said the word 'Soul Reaper' with hostility. Does that mean that emotionless guy you were fighting was really a Soul Reaper?"
Chad's expression twisted.
In his mind, "Soul Reapers" were supposed to be terrifying figures with skull faces, black cloaks, and giant scythes.
That image was deeply rooted.
But the guy in the video looked completely human —even a bit handsome.More like a refined, beautiful noble than anything resembling death.
Seriously…was the Soul Reaper world this competitive now?
"Soul Reaper, huh…"
Ichigo whispered the unfamiliar word.
He frowned, thought it over, then shook his head."Chad, you're overthinking it. Soul Reapers are just urban legends. I doubt they're real."
"And besides, if I can fight one with the same kind of sword… that would mean I'm a Soul Reaper too, right?"
Chad shook his head."Don't jump to conclusions. Even if you're not one now, the future is never certain."
"…Hold on. You think these scenes are from the future?"Ichigo's eyes lit up instantly.
Thinking back—the version of himself in the video, wearing that sleek black outfit…he looked way cooler than usual.
Becoming a Soul Reaper didn't sound so bad.
Seeing Ichigo's excited expression, Chad sighed."I only said maybe. Don't get too hyped yet. We still don't know anything."
"O-oh, I agree," Orihime nodded. "We should just keep watching. Maybe the next parts will explain everything."
"Yeah. You're right…"
Ichigo clenched his fists, eyes firm."I don't think this is a coincidence. There's gotta be more coming."
Scene shift.
Seireitei — Sixth Division barracks.
Inside the captain's office, silence hung so heavy that even a falling needle would've echoed.
"Captain… these scenes have to be fake, right?"Renji Abarai's voice trembled beneath his red spiky hair as he looked toward the figure seated at the low desk.
Long black hair. Kenseikan hairpieces. A silver scarf.As captain of Squad Six, Kuchiki Byakuya should have been calmly working through paperwork.
But right now, he sat frozen, staring silently at the floating screen.
The face that was normally cold and poised—was now dark as still water.
Just like everywhere else—the same transparent screen had appeared inside Squad Six.
And as captain, Byakuya had watched every second of it.
"..."
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