Hmm, hmm... Should I say that we've finally met?
Aside from his orange hair and the fact that he's been able to see ghosts since childhood—and is currently acting as a Substitute Soul Reaper—he's a perfectly ordinary high school boy.
He is our protagonist, possessing a natural disposition for straight-man retorts, destined to birth famous quotes like "What... the..." and "Chad's spiritual pressure... it disappeared."
Charging into the battlefield, he used that momentum to slam his Zanpakuto down, attacking Abarai-kun. However, even with the element of surprise, that level of skill wouldn't work.
"A Shihakusho...?! You bastard, what Squad are you from?! No, it doesn't matter what Squad... Get lost! We've been entrusted with this matter!!"
Although he dodged the attack with ease, Abarai-kun seemed slightly surprised by the sudden intruder.
He was wearing a Shihakusho—meaning the opponent was a Soul Reaper.
He likely thought that either someone dispatched to this district in Rukia-san's place had attacked him, or perhaps a Soul Reaper operating outside our framework had come to execute Rukia-san.
If it were the latter, he would stop them by force. That is probably what he was thinking.
"Wait, what the hell is with that gigantic Zanpakuto of yours...?!"
"What? So it really is big. I thought it was pretty huge compared to Rukia's... but I've never had anyone else to compare it to until now!"
When Abarai-kun voiced his thought as if just noticing it, Ichigo muttered in return, sounding surprised but also slightly boastful.
And then—
"...Pfft... Kuh...!"
"Hm?"
"...Pfft! Ahahahaha!! N-No good!! I can't hold it in!!"
—The almost serious atmosphere vanished instantly with Abarai-kun's roar of laughter.
"A-Are you seriously a Soul Reaper?! Lugging around a stupidly huge Zanpakuto like that!! Even if you're trying to bluff, there are better ways to do it!! M-My stomach hurts!! Hee-hee!!"
"W-What the hell... What's so funny?!"
"What, you ask?! You ask 'what'?! Are you seriously saying that?!"
Ichigo raised a suspicious voice at the sight of Abarai-kun rolling around laughing.
Watching this, I felt a little relieved.
"I'm glad, Abarai-kun."
"Huh?"
"I was thinking that if you had panicked upon seeing his Zanpakuto, I'd have to make you restart from the Academy all over again."
"Wait! Sensei, please spare me!! I noticed it right away!! I mean, you drilled it into me, didn't you, Sensei!"
The laughter from moments ago vanished.
He panicked and tried to smooth things over.
No, no, since you noticed it properly, I wouldn't actually do that.
"Huh? What's this 'Sensei' stuff?! Did you come with a teacher?! Is today a field trip or something, damn it!!"
"It's not a field trip!! And you bastard, you don't know Sensei?! Are you that much of a newbie, damn it!!"
Just as I thought that, Ichigo threw in a retort.
Really, this kid has sharp retorts.
That aside.
"And Rukia-san?"
"Y-Yes!"
"That Zanpakuto... did you not teach him?"
"W-Well, you see, Sensei!! I thought Ichigo was only a temporary collaborator until I recovered my powers, so I didn't think it was necessary to tell him that much! Or rather, I thought speaking about such things might violate regulations even for a collaborator...! So... how should I put it..."
She lined up her reasons, but her voice trailed off more and more.
Now then, let's review.
A Zanpakuto changes size depending on the owner's spiritual pressure.
So, if someone with powerful spiritual pressure holds a Zanpakuto, it can become a massive object the size of one's body, just like Ichigo's is now.
Yes, it can.
However, if you take that to its extreme, the sword would become as huge as a house or a building, making it unwieldy.
Therefore, Soul Reapers basically control their spiritual pressure to adjust the sword to an easy-to-handle size. At that time, they also adjust the density.
Even if it looks like a normal-sized katana, it's hard and extremely sharp! And easy to handle! That is the ideal Zanpakuto.
Based on that, let's look at Ichigo's Zanpakuto again.
It is certainly big. Very... big...
'Yaranai ka? (Shall we do it?)'
...
However, it's just big; the density is completely hollow.
Have you ever seen those large swords made of vinyl or toy hammers at festivals? The impression is exactly like that.
It looks huge and impactful, but the inside is empty.
If a properly educated Soul Reaper were to probe the spiritual pressure just a little, they would immediately understand that what he's holding is a papier-mâché tiger—impressive only in appearance.
It was precisely because he realized this that Abarai-kun couldn't hold back his laughter.
Rukia-san seemed to understand it too... but if she thought he was only a temporary collaborator, it makes sense she didn't teach him training methods or how to handle spiritual pressure.
Above all, I also question the wisdom of chatting casually about such things, and considering the situation, there is room for extenuation. I'll let her off without remedial lessons.
"What, does Rukia call you Sensei too? Wait, you sounded like a student making excuses for forgetting homework just now."
"Shut up, Ichigo!! This concerns you too!!"
"You're quite close with that Soul Reaper, aren't you, Rukia-san? Could it be that he is the human to whom you transferred your powers?"
" "Wh-...?!" "
Well, it was obvious, but when I said it out loud just in case, the two of them gasped.
"Y-Yes..."
"Heh, so this guy is... I see. Then that pathetic Zanpakuto makes sense."
"Pathetic... you said...? What the hell does that mean!!"
"I'm saying it's pathetic because you don't even understand that much!!"
"Now, now, Abarai-kun. No fighting."
I stepped forward to check everyone while soothing the two who had started a tongue-lashing battle that was, in a sense, perfectly in sync.
"I missed the perfect opportunity, but let me introduce myself. I am the Captain of the 4th Division of the Gotei 13, Yukawa. This child is the Lieutenant of the 6th Division, Abarai Renji-kun. Nice to meet you, Kurosaki Ichigo-kun. And Ishida Uryu-kun, who is collapsed over there."
"Oh, yeah..."
"Gh... Who would want to meet... a Soul Reaper..."
Ishida-kun is quite stubborn even though he can't stand up yet.
"The reason we came is to arrest Rukia-san. And to reclaim Rukia-san's power held by you, Kurosaki-kun."
"Arrest...?! What does that mean!!"
"It's as you heard. She committed a grave sin. Transferring Soul Reaper powers to a human... Therefore, it has been decided that she will be taken back to Soul Society and executed."
"Executed... you said..."
Ichigo's face turned aghast.
"W-Wait! It's my fault that Rukia lost her Soul Reaper powers! There was no other choice!! If needed, I'll go to Soul Society to testify!! If you're going to punish someone, take me instead!! So, isn't there something you can do?!"
Oh my, how desperate.
He's willing to testify that Rukia-san is innocent and that her actions were due to unavoidable circumstances.
"I'd like to respect that sentiment, but it's already been decided. Besides, retrieving Rukia-san's Soul Reaper powers from you is also our mission."
"Then, then if I return the Soul Reaper powers to Rukia, will she be innocent?!"
"Hmm..."
Return the Soul Reaper powers, huh...
"Do you know how to do that?"
"Eh?! Well... uh... How do we do it, Rukia?"
"Don't ask me! You utter fool!!"
...He just said it on the spur of the moment.
Well, I'll give him credit for his spirit, at least...
"Rukia-san. How did you transfer your powers to him?"
"That was... I thrust my Zanpakuto into Ichigo and poured my Soul Reaper powers into him..."
"That's it!! Then I just have to pour the Soul Reaper powers back in the same way... How do I pour it? I have no clue how to do it..."
His eyes lit up upon hearing the answer, but his face clouded over in an instant.
"...Do you know Kido?"
"Kido...? ...Ah! That magic-like stuff Rukia uses sometimes?!"
"The knack for casting high-level Kido is the closest method to doing it... Can you use Kido? Can you infuse spiritual pressure?"
"Kido... How do I use that?"
Oh dear, just as I thought.
He excels at physical combat using a sword, but he's hopeless at everything else.
He became a Soul Reaper irregularly, so this is to be expected at this stage.
"Unfortunately, we aren't that free. Waiting for you to learn to use Kido, train until you can manipulate high-level Kido, and then pour the power back into Rukia-san... The higher-ups aren't patient enough to wait for that."
"Wha... H-Hey wait! Then—"
"...Sensei... That's enough..."
Ichigo tried to say something more, but a voice rang out, interrupting him.
"Renji?!"
"In short, because this guy existed, Rukia has been made a felon... If this guy hadn't done anything unnecessary, this commotion wouldn't have happened... Right?"
Rukia-san shivered involuntarily at the tone of voice resonating from the depths of the earth.
After all, Abarai-kun's words were mixed with strong, intense regret, sorrow, and anger.
"Then, you! I'll kill you at least!! I'll take back the power you stole from Rukia no matter what!! And you can just die and keep apologizing forever!!"
"Stop it! Renji!! Ichigo is...!!"
"Dammit! I'm still talking to this person!!"
Abarai-kun drew his Zanpakuto and swung it as if surrendering himself to rage, attacking Ichigo.
His emotions were too high, making his swordsmanship crude and reliant on brute force, lacking its usual precision. But even so, it was too heavy a burden for the current Ichigo to handle.
He tried desperately to block, but couldn't keep up, and sword wounds gradually increased on his body.
"Talk?! Don't spout cheeky crap when you don't know anything!!"
"Why?! You won't know unless you try!!"
"I do know! The decisions of Central 46 are absolute!! No matter what you do, it will all end in vain!!"
"Just because of that, you think I can nod and say 'Yes, is that so'?!"
Oh?
Did Abarai-kun's words anger him? Or did he awaken? Either way, Ichigo's spiritual pressure rose slightly.
He tried to switch from defense to offense with the momentum of his increased strength, but his timing was a massive failure.
"Idiot! It's obvious!!"
"Guaaaaaahh!!"
The sword, slashed upward in a counter, cut across Ichigo's body in a reverse kesa cut.
Taking such an attack, he naturally collapsed.
He managed to prevent himself from falling completely by using his Zanpakuto as a cane, but he was now in a state close to being covered in wounds.
"If you could do something about it, I would have done something from the start. If there's anything you can do, it's to die quickly and return the power to Rukia."
"...Don't... mess..."
"Huh?"
"Don't mess with me!!"
It must have been painful, but forcibly suppressing it, he moved his body and unleashed a strike while still in a sitting posture.
That attack just now... he mimicked Abarai-kun's counter from earlier, didn't he? After all, the movement was completely different from his others.
"Tch... You...!"
Abarai-kun should have reacted and dodged, but he couldn't avoid it completely and it grazed his arm. The damage was likely negligible, but blood seeped out thinly, and noticing it, he grimaced.
"Aren't you guys Rukia's comrades?! How can you do something like leaving Rukia to die!!"
Ichigo's spiritual pressure is rising again.
Striking in the next instant with an attack that definitely shouldn't have reached before...
Is this what they call protagonist correction? Really, it's annoying...
"Comrades?! Leaving her to die?! Bring it on!! What do you know!! I'll return this blow ten thousand times over!!"
His killing intent swelled to a level incomparable to before.
It seems the words just now poured oil on the fire.
He's on the verge of exploding; it's the limit.
"Okay, that's enough. Switch out, Abarai-kun."
"Wh-...?!"
"Wha...-t...!!"
I moved in front of Abarai-kun without a pause, grabbing his shoulder to stop his movement.
If I didn't, this child looked like he was going to kill Ichigo in his rage.
"Why, Sensei! I can still do this!"
"But you were cut, weren't you?"
"An injury like this isn't even a scratch! It was a fluke, like being bitten by a mosquito!!"
"If your opponent had held Kira-kun's Zanpakuto, that fluke would have turned the tables on you, you know?"
"Th... That is..."
At those words alone, he cooled down rapidly.
As expected of a peer, he seems to know well how troublesome Kira-kun can be.
"And one more thing. I believe Abarai Renji is a powerhouse who would be counted among the top even within the Gotei 13. A lucky hit is absolutely impossible."
"Thank you... very much...?"
"In that case, landing that blow was due to ability."
"That's stupid!! There's no way a newbie Soul Reaper could become that strong..."
It happens, you see... I can't say it, though.
"From what I saw, he hasn't even properly conversed with his Zanpakuto, let alone learned its name. Yet such a newbie Soul Reaper cut Abarai Renji, even if it was just a scratch. This is a little beyond the ordinary."
"B-But...!!"
"And one more thing. If you were a squad member of the 4th Division, I wouldn't be this overprotective. But you belong to the 6th Division, and I am borrowing you from Captain Kuchiki. I let someone like you get injured, even if it's just a scratch. This is my fault, and I cannot let you push yourself any further."
"...Kuh! Understood!"
Although I am acting as an agent, I accepted the mission, and Abarai-kun is in the position of a "collaborator from another squad."
Since Ichigo is an unknown opponent at this point, I cannot let a subordinate push themselves too hard.
"So, player change. Since Abarai-kun was injured, although it is regrettable, I will also take up my sword. But before that, may I ask one thing?"
"..."
I asked in a friendly manner, but the response was silence.
"I've been disliked, haven't I? Well, fine. Does the family name 'Shiba' ring a bell for you?"
"Shiba...? What's that...?"
"Hmm... Then... how about the name 'Isshin'?"
"!! W-Why...?"
Oh my, what a incredibly easy-to-understand reaction.
"Sensei...? Isshin Shiba... Could it be...!?"
"Didn't you two think so, Rukia-san and Abarai-kun? That he looks like Kaien-san."
"Kaien... Ah! Right, that's it! Now that you mention it, definitely!! Rukia, what about you?! You're in the same 13th Division, aren't you?!"
"..."
Asked by him, Rukia-san squeezed out her voice with a bitter expression.
"From the first time I saw him, I thought they were alike... But I told myself it was just a resemblance... No, perhaps I was just telling myself that... Deep down, I realized it, but maybe I was just pretending not to see..."
"Isshin and Kaien... Impossible, that can't be possible... But... looking at this guy..."
"H-Hey! Who is Kaien?! You say he looks like me, what is that?! Rukia! What does this mean?!"
All three are confused in their own ways.
It might be a little entertaining to watch. I'd like to keep watching like this forever, but—I can't do that.
"I'm curious about the details, but that's a separate conversation for now. I will carry out the mission. Prepare yourself."
"...Tch..."
When I showed a little motivation, he clicked his tongue softly.
"Is it hard to fight a woman?"
"...Yeah, to be honest."
Well, I suppose so.
I'm fully motivated, though.
After all, this is probably the only timing I can act arrogant against the protagonist, right? In that case, I have to bring out the "strong character" vibe as much as possible right now!
Since we're in the Human World, it's okay to do this much, right...?
"But that doesn't mean you'll go easy on me, right?"
"Oh, that's unexpected."
"I-Idiot! Ichigo!! Run!! You absolutely cannot fight Sensei—"
Signaled by Rukia-san's scream, I dashed out.
Using Shunpo, I instantly circled behind Ichigo.
Simultaneously drawing my sword like an Iai draw, I aimed for his vital points—the Hakusui and Saketsu.
It seems that neither Rukia-san and the others watching nearby, nor Ichigo who was being targeted, realized that I had moved yet.
"—Win—"
"Wha—"
The Soul Reaper power Rukia-san held... Ah, it's here.
I thrust my Zanpakuto twice into the targeted spots.
The attack, hindered by no one, was sucked in and destroyed his body.
At this timing, he finally seemed to realize that I had disappeared from in front of him.
Ichigo began to raise a voice of surprise.
"—t—"
"Can't—"
Now, the final touch.
Using Kaido, I completely heal Ichigo's wounded body—excluding the Hakusui and Saketsu.
I stabbed him myself, and I was careful to stab him in a way that would be easy to heal. Healing this takes only an instant.
I'll also treat the injury Abarai-kun inflicted as a bonus.
And as for the opponent...
Has he not felt the pain of being stabbed yet? His tone of voice remains the same, still in the middle of raising a voice of surprise.
Rukia-san's warning words haven't finished being spoken completely yet either.
" "—?!!" "
The two finished their words.
But placed upon them were emotions of clear astonishment.
『Eeeeextremely difficult to understand, so allow Yours Truly to explain! Before Lord Rukia could finish speaking, My Lord moved, stabbed Lord Ichigo, and healed his injuries. Lord Ichigo realized My Lord had vanished and started to voice "Wha-?!", and by the time Lord Rukia finished speaking, everything was already complete! That is why the end of "You absolutely cannot win—?!" sounded surprised! Because by the time they realized it, it was already over!!』
Doing it felt like being in a slow-motion world.
『My, oh my, fast, so fast. Anyone other than Yours Truly would have missed it!!』
Since I've already finished sheathing my sword, to an ignorant observer, it would just look like I moved behind Ichigo.
Now then... shall I say the rest of the line?
"I'm going this easy on you, yet you don't seem to think so... It's unexpected."
Having said that, I wonder if he can hear me or not.
Even if the stab wound is healed, the shock doesn't disappear. Ichigo slowly falls forward.
He doesn't seem to have fainted, but surely he is confused, not understanding what happened. Even if he heard me, he probably won't remember.
"Easy... with that...? I managed to follow it with my eyes, but..."
"S-Sensei... What did you do just now...?"
Judging by the reactions, Abarai-kun saw it, but Rukia-san didn't understand.
"I destroyed his Saketsu and Hakusui. Ah, of course, I healed the wounds, so his life is not in danger."
"In... that single instant..."
"You even performed treatment..."
"The objective is to return Rukia-san's powers, not to kill. He can no longer use spiritual power, and Rukia-san's power will return. Since he has lost his spiritual power, he won't be involved anymore... As a compromise, isn't this about right?"
...Come to think of it, Byakuya did something like this, didn't he?
I don't think he performed treatment, but this much service is fine, right?
"Now then, Rukia-san. I think this will be your separation from this child in this life... What will you do? Is there anything you want to convey at the end?"
"I-Is it alright?!"
"Well, just this much. Abarai-kun might dislike it, though..."
"Wait...!! Why me!!"
"Th-Then..."
Rukia-san turned her gaze toward the fallen Ichigo.
"Ichigo... These few months spent with you weren't bad... But, this is enough... It is enough. You were merely involved because our interests coincided, after all... I have no obligation to be saved by you... So, from tomorrow on, live as a normal human... Forget everything about me... okay..."
Keeping her face down is likely to prevent the other party from seeing her expression.
What she voiced contained the utmost kindness and clumsy consideration she could muster to prevent him from getting involved.
"Now, let's go home."
I open the Senkaimon, and—
—I've finished the treatment. I leave the rest to you.
I don't voice it, simply moving my lips to convey the message.
"What are you doing... Sensei...?"
"Don't worry about it. Come, let's go."
Taking Rukia-san, we pass through the gate.
This is the best I can do right now.
So!
I'm really counting on you for the rest!
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+50 chapters) patre0n.c0m/talecrafter]