Chapter 38: Yoruichi: This Shunpo Has the Style of My Younger Days
"What just happened…"
Rukia's heart shook.
After Renji had thrown her aside, she had only just breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Orihime restrain herself. But then Ichigo stepped in, and everything he said and did sent her emotions into complete turmoil.
Renji was already on the verge of defeat.
Yet Rukia knew things were far from over.
Because her older brother still had not moved.
As long as Byakuya took a single step, then even that blond kid, even Kurosaki Ichigo who had grown at an absurd pace and surpassed a Vice Captain in only a few months, would still not be a match.
So when Ichigo and Renji clashed again, Rukia did not look at them.
She looked up at Byakuya.
If he was going to intervene, it could only be now.
Her guess was correct.
But what happened next was something she could not comprehend at all.
In fact, even Byakuya himself was staring at the young man beside him in quiet disbelief.
"What technique did you just use?"
He had appeared without the slightest warning.
There had not been so much as a footstep until he revealed himself.
While most eyes had been locked on Renji and the blond boy below, and some lapse in attention was possible, this was still not an effect achievable with Shunpo or any ordinary movement technique.
It looked more like some kind of spatial transfer.
But a mere Spiritual Arts Academy student, no matter how gifted, should not have access to a profound and taboo technique like that.
Only Ichigo, Hachihara, and Rindo Yu could vaguely guess what had happened.
Shimiya Takeru had used his self awakened special ability, a stealth technique called Translucent Dragon Scales, to slip in and seize the opening.
"A trick not worth mentioning."
Takeru's tone was flat, his expression calm. His gaze never left Byakuya.
The surge of colliding spiritual pressures had already faded, but the air still hummed faintly, proof that the clash was not truly over.
The muscles in Takeru's arm were taut, his fingers locked like iron around Byakuya's wrist. A faint tremor ran along his forearm.
Byakuya was in the same state.
The veins beneath his sleeve stood out, and the rooftop under his feet had begun to crack.
Yet no matter how much strength he poured into his grip, the blade refused to clear the sheath.
Even one centimeter of distance was a luxury he could not obtain.
That undeniable disparity in raw physical strength was something Byakuya could not ignore.
"Indeed. A petty trick like that alone cannot stop me from drawing my Zanpakuto."
His voice remained composed, but there was a hardened edge underneath.
"Compared to your little technique, your wrist strength is more commendable."
"But if I so choose, there are countless ways to overcome mere brute force."
"To rely on that is naive. Let go and step back now, and I can spare that boy's life for the time being."
Perhaps even Ichigo and the others had never noticed.
Takeru almost never smiled.
That was why the grin on his face now felt so unsettling.
"What a coincidence. I would actually like to see Brother Kurosaki get into trouble, so I am not letting go."
Silence fell like a curtain.
Rukia swallowed involuntarily, nerves stretched to the breaking point.
Cold sweat slid down her cheek, and just as she opened her mouth to shout for them to stop, a drop of sweat slipped from her chin.
Plop.
The instant it hit the concrete, Byakuya vanished.
The sound of his footsteps was so faint that even most Shinigami could not catch it. His figure was a blur even more elusive than his steps, racing through the night as if he was running along the axis of time itself.
Faster than wind. Faster than sound.
Faster even than thought.
Rukia and Orihime were one thing, but even Hachihara, Rindo Yu, and Renji were as if frozen in time for a heartbeat.
By the time they managed to process what was happening, the situation had already changed.
"?!"
"!"
"Wh…"
Their reactions were all different, but every face held the same emotion.
Horror.
Especially Renji, who was closest.
Despite being right there, he did not understand what had happened any better than the others.
He could only stare dumbly as Ichigo held his Zanpakuto to Byakuya's shoulder.
Byakuya was still in the posture of drawing his blade.
His hand was still fixed on the hilt.
And Takeru was still clamped onto his wrist, pressing down with unyielding force.
No, there was one change.
This time, the blade had come out, but only halfway.
"This stance… Was he trying to use Senka?"
Renji had not seen the movement clearly, but he knew Byakuya too well not to guess his intention.
Senka.
A special Shunpo with a twist, a sudden rotation and high speed burst to move behind the opponent and strike their Saketsu and Hakusui.
Byakuya's personal killing technique.
There was no record of it ever failing.
Renji had never dared to imagine himself withstanding it. At best, he thought he might someday be able to vaguely track the second thrust.
Yet right now, Byakuya could not even complete the technique.
No.
Even if he had executed it, he probably would not have accomplished anything.
Because Renji had not seen the full motion of Ichigo turning or raising his Zanpakuto.
Obviously, Ichigo could react.
Not only react, but also stop himself at the last instant.
He had not taken the opening to slice Byakuya's throat.
Rukia's scalp tingled.
For a moment she felt as if the Human World and Soul Society were no longer on the same timeline.
Otherwise, how could she explain such drastic change in the two boys she had only performed a soul burial on a few months ago?
Their raw strength could barely be explained by "talent" and "potential," but Shunpo and swordplay like this could not be trained up in months.
At this rate, it would not be strange if these two became Captains before she ever reached Vice Captain.
"Yo. You offering your neck up for me to cut?"
Just as Rukia feared, Ichigo was overflowing with confidence.
He did not see the so called Captain, no, the so called Captain of the Sixth Division, as someone he needed to look up to.
"…It seems I underestimated you two."
Byakuya lowered his eyes slightly, hiding the shock that had flickered there.
These two boys.
One could react to his Senka.
The other could keep up with his Shunpo.
To him, the latter was even more astounding.
A Spiritual Arts Academy student whose Shunpo could compete with his own, which he had polished since childhood against the Flash Goddess herself.
"A month ago, I probably would not have been able to react in time."
Ichigo met his gaze without backing down.
"But I have already experienced faster, stranger swordsmanship, and I got beaten black and blue for it. It would be ridiculous not to improve after that."
"So even if Shimiya had not stepped in, you still would not have been able to hurt me. From where I am standing, you did not underestimate us. You overestimated yourself."
"Do not say it like that, Brother Kurosaki. There is a saying, you know. Flowers can bloom again, but youth never returns."
Takeru spoke lazily, tone unhurried, and reached over on his own to guide Byakuya's Zanpakuto back into its sheath.
Click.
The sound of steel returning to wood made Rukia and the others shiver.
The motion was surprisingly smooth.
Because this time, Byakuya chose not to resist.
"In my opinion, Captain Kuchiki still has plenty of youthful spirit."
Takeru withdrew his hand.
"You could have forced your way out with spiritual pressure, but you insisted on testing raw strength and Shunpo against us. I should thank you for that much."
"To teach students like you a lesson, especially when you have just gone through an intense battle, drained over half your spiritual power, and are in poor condition, there is no need to go that far."
Byakuya's tone was cold, his mood clearly soured.
"It is not just that, is it?"
Takeru flexed his fingers, rubbing his sore wrist.
"Captain Kuchiki never saw us as enemies. After all, you and Vice Captain Abarai are the advance team Soul Society sent to rescue us."
"So none of your spiritual pressures were restricted."
"In a situation like that, if you went all out and then reported back that you had accidentally slaughtered the targets you were sent to save, it would be hard to explain."
Byakuya did not answer, which was an answer in itself.
"What?"
Ichigo, who had been listening with a blank expression, finally reacted.
"Wait… They are here to save us?"
"Why else would they come to the World of the Living, you idiot."
Renji snorted, wiping away the last of his nosebleed.
"I thought you came to arrest people. And who are you calling an idiot, you red haired orangutan? If you are not satisfied, we can go another round. I will beat you with a different method this time."
"Why you…"
Renji shook with anger, but had no comeback.
"Even if we are an advance rescue team…"
Byakuya cut in, his gaze sliding back to Rukia.
"If we encounter a criminal in the process, there is no reason to ignore it."
"Acting against a Shinigami from another division without a formal directive is against the rules."
Takeru rotated his wrist and spoke in a mild tone.
"As far as I know, that kind of privilege belongs only to the Onmitsukido."
"…"
"That…"
Byakuya fell silent. Renji's eyes lit up for a moment, then quickly turned worried again.
What Takeru said was true, but a formal directive was only a matter of time.
Everyone present understood that.
"Big Brother, I will return with you."
Rukia suddenly stepped forward.
Anyone could see she was forcing herself to sound cold.
"In exchange, please spare Inoue. She is just a half trained Substitute Shinigami. If you leave her alone, she will be targeted by Hollows again and die in some fight sooner or later."
"Miss Kuchiki…"
Orihime's eyes filled with tears.
"Inoue, do not say anything."
Rukia did not look back.
"I am the one who committed a crime. You are not an accomplice. You are a victim."
Her voice was firm, but when she faced Byakuya, her tone softened, a hint of pleading slipping through.
"So in exchange for my voluntary surrender, I ask you to grant this one request."
"You…"
Ichigo moved like he wanted to say something, but Takeru shook his head.
The rest of Ichigo's words died in his throat.
"Captain."
Renji stared at Byakuya nervously, hoping he would agree.
As long as Rukia did not resist and returned to Soul Society as a voluntary surrender, then with her attitude toward admitting guilt, there was a chance Central 46 would be lenient.
After all, no matter what, Rukia was still a member of the Kuchiki clan.
There was no way Byakuya had not thought of that.
Byakuya said nothing. Instead, his eyes slipped toward the massive Zanpakuto resting on his shoulder.
"Boy, how long do you intend to keep your sword there?"
"Huh? Ah, sorry… I forgot."
Ichigo scratched his cheek in embarrassment and lowered Zangetsu, slinging it back on his shoulder.
"Open the Senkaimon, Renji."
Byakuya turned away, his response given through action rather than words.
"Oh, right."
Renji's face lit up, then fell again as he glanced at his broken Zanpakuto. He shot Ichigo a dark glare, then hurried to Byakuya's side and drove the remains of his blade into the air, activating the pre adjusted Senkaimon.
"Rukia. Come."
"…Understood."
The tight knot in Rukia's chest finally loosened. She turned to Orihime, her expression complicated but her smile gentle.
"It is farewell for now. Take care of yourself. Do not act recklessly when you encounter Hollows."
"If you do that… we might be able to meet again someday."
"Mhm… mhm…!"
Orihime nodded desperately, tears streaming down her cheeks.
She was terrified for Rukia and hated seeing another important person leave.
But anything she said now would change nothing. In fact, this outcome was already the best she could hope for.
Just like with her brother.
All she could do was let Rukia leave with some peace of mind.
Soon, the Senkaimon closed.
Rukia's silhouette disappeared completely.
"…Did you not say you were here to support us? How did you just slip away on your own?"
Ichigo muttered, as if trying to lighten the mood.
"We are probably supposed to regroup with the others and go back through the original Senkaimon," Hachihara said as she hopped down from the concrete pipe.
"So we should get moving too."
Takeru made the decision for their four person group.
"Yeah."
Ichigo nodded slightly.
"Are you and Kurosaki kun also going back to Soul Society?"
"Yes. Will you be alright going home alone?"
"Of course I will. Do not forget, I am a Substitute Shinigami. Whether it is Hollows or bad guys, there is nothing to be afraid of."
Faced with Orihime forcing a smile through her tears, Takeru offered no comment.
"Idiot, he was not talking about that."
Ichigo rubbed his forehead, then gave up explaining.
"Whatever. As long as you stay like this, there is nothing to worry about. By the way, Inoue, I wanted to ask you something."
"What is it?"
"Do you know a guy named Sado Yasutora?"
"Ah? I have some impression of him."
"How has he been lately?"
Thinking about how sad Orihime looked, Ichigo could not help but worry about his best friend's state too.
"Sado… He only came at the beginning of the school year, then dropped out not long after."
"What? Dropped out?"
"Yes." Orihime nodded firmly.
"Tatsuki said he joined some strange group, and then he just never showed up again."
"…I see. Thanks for telling me."
Ichigo drew in a long breath.
"If you can, help me look into him a bit. Next time I come to the World of the Living, let me know what you find."
"That is fine."
Orihime hesitated, then added, "I also have a request."
"You want us to help Kuchiki Rukia, right?"
Takeru cut in casually.
Orihime lowered her head, and Ichigo knew he had hit the mark.
"Honestly, even if you did not ask, I would want to help."
Ichigo sighed.
"But there is only so much we can do. We cannot just break into a prison and drag her out, you know?"
"Eh?! There is no need to go that far!"
Orihime flailed her arms in a panic.
"Relax. Shimiya said it already."
Ichigo clapped a hand on Takeru's shoulder.
"That girl probably will not die. I trust her judgment. She also said that as long as you live well, there will be a chance to meet again."
"It is more convenient to reunite in Soul Society after death anyway. That might have been her original thought."
Takeru mused aloud.
"Hey!"
Ichigo saw Orihime's expression starting to waver and quickly threw out another anchor.
"Inoue, do not listen to this guy. If you die, Tatsuki will cry herself unconscious."
"…Yeah."
The wavering look on Orihime's face vanished, replaced by deep disappointment at Takeru and a small, quiet warmth at the mention of her friend.
She still had Tatsuki.
She was not alone.
"Alright, time for us to move. Shihoin is probably getting impatient. I promised him he could get off duty early."
Takeru stretched lazily and sighed.
"It really does not feel good to trick an idiot."
Ichigo, Hachihara, and Rindo Yu all looked at him with undisguised contempt.
He sounded like that, yet did not feel the slightest bit of guilt.
"Goodbye, everyone!"
Orihime waved both hands energetically through her remaining tears as Takeru and the other three shot into the night sky.
Not far away, a black cat perched on top of a telephone pole, silently watching until Orihime also left the scene.
Tonight's farce had finally come to an end.
"But still, those kids are something else."
The black cat's golden eyes narrowed thoughtfully.
"Especially Shimiya Takeru. Not only is he crafty, his strength is hard to gauge."
"His Shunpo is already far above Byakuya's in his youth. And on top of that, he looks oddly familiar. He even has a bit of my old style. That is way too strange."
She could not figure it out, could not pin down the source of that elusive unease.
It was a feeling close to what she had experienced with Aizen.
The black cat gave her head a shake and leapt down, padding off toward the Urahara Shop.
The farce might be over.
But there were still far too many things that did not add up.
And mysteries like that were never really her specialty.
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