Inside the old apartment building.
The few people whose powers had been plundered slowly regained consciousness.
Everyone's eyes were dull, and Chad and Orihime looked even worse than the members of Xcution.
After a long silence.
Jackie asked, "What should we do next?"
"What else can we do? Let's go our separate ways. We've all lost our powers. Are we really going to seek revenge on Ginjo?"
Having said that, Yukio was the first to push the door open and leave.
Following him, the rest of the members also left Xcution's base one after another.
Jackie smiled bitterly. "I didn't expect Xcution to end so hastily."
...
Riruka wandered aimlessly through the streets. She didn't know where to go, or rather, she had nowhere to go at all.
After Kugo invited her to join Xcution, Riruka had considered it her home. Everyone there had special abilities just like her, and she wouldn't be isolated there.
After spending a long time together, she had come to regard them as comrades, even the somewhat annoying Yukio.
But this safe haven was destroyed today. Everything was ruined by Kugo.
That man personally built everything Xcution was, and then personally destroyed it.
Kugo's final words, in particular, shattered the last sliver of hope she held in her heart.
It turned out that the reason he took them in and invited them to join Xcution was merely to exploit their powers.
Riruka felt a mix of emotions. "What should I do?"
Just then, raindrops began to fall from the sky, landing on her face.
She looked up.
One drop, two drops... more raindrops hit her face.
The rain grew heavier, but Riruka had no intention of seeking shelter, letting the rain wash over her.
—
At the Nohara house.
It was raining outside, so Shin and the others stayed indoors, lounging on the sofa and watching TV.
Since Kugo had dealt with everyone quickly and there hadn't been a major conflict, Shin was still unaware of what had happened inside the Xcution base.
Knock... Knock...
A muffled knocking sound echoed.
Shin opened the door and found Riruka, completely drenched by the rain.
He quickly pulled her inside and asked, "Riruka, what happened to you?"
Riruka didn't even know how she had ended up there.
"Shin..."
"Wuuuuuu..."
At this moment, the last thread holding her together snapped, and she threw herself into Shin's arms, sobbing uncontrollably.
Shin had no idea what had happened, but Riruka felt like an abandoned kitten. So, he embraced the soaking wet Riruka and gently patted her back.
The two people in the living room reacted differently.
Nel watched the TV as if completely oblivious.
Yoruichi looked at Shin with a half-smile but said nothing.
After crying for a while, Riruka felt much better. She suddenly realized she was being held and quickly pushed Shin away.
As he was pushed away, Shin looked utterly confused.
Riruka's pale face flushed red, and she mumbled, "I... I'm fine now."
Seeing her reaction, Shin knew that she was embarrassed.
"Riruka, go take a shower and change your clothes first."
"I..."
Before Riruka could refuse, Shin gently pushed her toward the bathroom.
"I'll put the clothes outside for you in a moment."
After saying this, Shin closed the bathroom door and returned to the living room.
Yoruichi teased, "Who is this girl? You two seem quite close."
Shin said, "Dokugamine Riruka, a member of Xcution. She was the one who came looking for me last time."
"You've only met once or twice, huh? Shin, you have quite a charm."
Shin felt awkward. "Yoruichi, stop joking for now. Hand me a set of your clothes."
"Tsk tsk."
Yoruichi went back to the bedroom and retrieved a brand new set of pajamas.
After placing the pajamas outside the bathroom, Shin returned to the living room.
"I couldn't feel her Reiatsu just now. Something must have happened to Xcution." He voiced his suspicion.
Yoruichi said, "Let's wait for her to come out. We'll find out then."
A dozen minutes later, Riruka walked out wearing the pajamas, which were slightly too big for her.
Shin pulled her over to sit on the sofa and then asked, "Riruka, how are you feeling now?"
"Much better, thank you."
"Don't mention it."
Shin waved his hand and then asked seriously, "What exactly happened?"
Riruka recounted the events in detail, "Ginjo, he..."
"Ginjo suddenly got so much stronger? There's definitely something suspicious about that."
After listening to her account, Shin felt certain that Kugo was up to something.
He had previously wondered where Kugo got the confidence to target Soul Society. It turned out he had been preparing for a long time.
"Ginjo is likely going to make a move against Soul Society. I'll contact Soi Fon and tell her to be extra vigilant."
With that, Yoruichi left to contact Soi Fon.
Shin comforted her, "Riruka, don't worry. I will help you get your power back."
Riruka shook her head and said, "Since my ability is gone, it's a good chance for me to just be a normal person."
"Fullbring didn't just give me power."
Riruka then talked about being isolated when she was little.
When she was seven, she became infatuated with a young man who was her neighbor. To make him stay with her, she trapped him inside a dollhouse and brought him snacks every day.
But things didn't go as she expected, the young man was terrified of her ability. She released him, but after escaping, he widely publicized her power, leading to her isolation by others.
To Shin, this was just a little girl expressing her affection the wrong way. She thought that if she shared the things she loved most, others would love her too.
He remembered a quote related to Riruka —"Love me bitterly, hate me sweetly."
This fully demonstrated Riruka's contradictory nature.
Her ability allows her to put people she likes inside objects she likes.
But this kind of love was selfish. Looking at the few abilities related to "love" in Bleach—Zommari, Riruka, and PePe—their essence was domination or possession.
So, Shin asked, "Riruka, do you understand now? Why is it that when you shared the things you loved most with someone, they ended up being afraid of and disgusted by you instead?"
Riruka shook her head.
Shin said, "Love is mutual, not one-sided. It's like me liking you, and you liking me, that's what counts as love."
"Who... who likes you!"
"Love requires giving and receiving. This giving isn't just about sharing what you like. Sometimes it might require you to do things you don't like."
"You might not understand what I'm saying right now, but you will understand once you are capable of the giving and receiving I just mentioned."
Saying this, Shin patted Riruka's head.
Riruka slapped his hand away. "Don't treat me like a child."
She didn't understand what Shin had just said, but she kept it in mind.
(End of Chapter)
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