Ever since realizing that the world he was in was the Bleach world, Chu Yang had begun to sense strange existences around him—things that hovered somewhere between reality and illusion.
But in truth, this had nothing to do with his cognition at all.
The reason Chu Yang could now see things he hadn't been able to see before was because, after sharing talents with his other "selves," his soul itself had undergone certain changes.
The good news was that he could see them now.
The bad news was that he couldn't always tell whether what he was seeing was a person… or a ghost.
If he hadn't shared memories with his other selves, Chu Yang would probably be on the verge of a mental breakdown by now.
Learning to distinguish souls took time. During this period, Chu Yang had made quite a few embarrassing mistakes. In the eyes of many of his classmates, he had already earned the label of a "weirdo."
Some of Chu Yang's odd behavior also caught the attention of Ichigo Kurosaki, giving Ichigo a strong sense of déjà vu—as if he were looking at his younger self when he had first started seeing spirits.
A week after school started, Chu Yang gradually got used to it. At the very least, he no longer jumped in fright whenever a soul suddenly appeared.
So far, most of the souls he had seen were very gentle. They simply stayed quietly in certain fixed areas, lingering silently in the human world.
Every soul had its own reason for remaining attached to this world, but they were all inevitably heading toward the same ending.
As time passed, even originally gentle souls would gradually become irritable, eventually beginning to harm passersby.
As usual, Chu Yang was walking along the road back to his apartment when, at a corner, he saw the soul of a construction worker wearing a safety helmet suddenly charge toward a moving car, seemingly intending to attack the driver.
Chu Yang silently appeared behind him. A hand wrapped in Haki easily grabbed the construction worker's soul. Like lifting a chick, he hoisted the man into the air.
Haki still worked perfectly fine in this world—something that surprised Chu Yang. Thinking about it carefully, Haki didn't really affect the elemental bodies of Logia users, but rather the rules produced by Devil Fruits themselves.
Powerful Conqueror's Haki could even break certain special Devil Fruit effects.
From that perspective, it wasn't strange at all that Haki could touch souls.
Even while being held in midair, the construction worker uncle continued struggling violently, showing intense aggression.
This was the aftereffect of lingering too long in the human world—he had gradually lost both emotion and reason.
But Chu Yang quickly helped him regain his senses.
Using his palm like a fan, Chu Yang slapped him hard several times, swelling the man's face.
Smack! Smack! Smack!
"Stop hitting me! Little brother, stop hitting me! If you keep going, I'm really going to ascend to heaven for real!"The uncle grabbed Chu Yang's arm and begged bitterly.
"Oh, you're awake now."A trace of regret flashed across Chu Yang's face before he asked, "Uncle, why aren't you going to be reincarnated? Why stay here? Look at you—you were just about to attack a passerby."
The uncle clearly looked like an honest man. Even after dying, he kept apologizing nonstop. It was hard to tell whether he was genuinely remorseful or simply terrified of Chu Yang's slaps.
Chu Yang patted him on the shoulder."Uncle, I don't know what regrets you have, but in your current state, there's nothing you can do anymore. Isn't that right?"
The uncle opened his mouth, then fell silent. Like a deflated balloon, he stood there weakly, eyes hollow.
Chu Yang couldn't stand that expression. If the uncle had bared his teeth at him, Chu Yang wouldn't have felt this bad—he'd have beaten him senseless already.
But the man looked honest no matter how you looked at him, and it was obvious he had died unjustly. It was impossible not to feel sympathy.
Chu Yang sighed."Alright, alright. Tell me—what do you want me to help you with? As long as I can do it, I will."
The uncle suddenly lifted his head, a spark of light returning to his eyes.
The construction worker's name was Motokawa Yosuke. He had worked at a company called Tozawa Construction for nearly fifteen years—a genuine veteran employee.
The road beneath their feet was part of a maintenance project his company had handled half a year ago.
At the time, the boss had rushed the schedule, forcing workers to work overnight. To cut costs, no warning signs or lighting were set up ahead of the construction zone.
Motokawa Yosuke was struck by a speeding car at night and died on the spot.
By law, the owner of Tozawa Construction should have paid compensation to Motokawa's family—but after Motokawa's death, that money never materialized.
As the sole breadwinner of his family, his wife and child lost all financial support after his death. Life had become extremely difficult for them.
Just thinking about what his family had endured over the past six months nearly caused Motokawa to lose control again.
Chu Yang reminded him calmly,"You should actually be strangling your boss instead."
Motokawa lowered his head dejectedly."I thought about it… but if I kill him, my family will completely lose any chance of receiving compensation. They really need that money to survive."
Chu Yang clapped his hands and nodded."Alright then. I'll help you get that money back."
"Thank you, kid."Having personally tasted Chu Yang's fists, Motokawa had absolute faith in his abilities.
Not long after, following the address Motokawa provided, Chu Yang found Tozawa Construction. He politely asked the receptionist, only to learn that Mr. Tozawa was not in the office.
It was around eight in the evening—prime time for neon lights and nightlife. Inside the nightclub, the crowd writhed wildly in the dance floor, thick with the scent of hormones.
Mr. Tozawa was in a private room negotiating business with clients.
Chu Yang's entry into the nightclub didn't go smoothly. His youthful face screamed "minor," and security stopped him at the door.
With no other choice, he dismantled the front door in front of the guards and set it aside.
The guards immediately fell silent.
After all, was a monthly salary of a little over a hundred thousand yen really worth risking their lives?
Using Observation Haki, Chu Yang quickly locked onto Tozawa's private room. Tozawa had just closed a big deal and was preparing to reward himself—planning to play a little "knight and princess" game with the hostess inside.
Right in the middle of things, Chu Yang suddenly appeared behind him and jabbed his lower back hard with a finger.
Tozawa's eyes rolled back, and he passed out instantly.
He would probably never ride anyone again in his life.
When Tozawa finally woke up, he found himself suspended over the middle of a park lake, completely naked, wrapped tightly in branches and vines, swaying precariously.
"Help! Someone help me!"Bare as the day he was born, Tozawa screamed shamelessly. The branches binding him were already loosening—before long, he'd fall into the lake.
The worst part was that he couldn't swim.
If no one saved him, by the next morning he'd be a floating corpse—front-page news.
In his panic, Tozawa spotted a student standing calmly on the shore, staring at him indifferently. Like a drowning man grasping at a straw, he shouted,"Kid, save me!"
The boy didn't respond. Instead, he asked coldly,"Motokawa Yosuke. Do you remember him?"
Hearing the familiar name, Tozawa's expression changed. He stammered,"Motokawa… Yosuke? That's the first time I've heard that name. Forget that—kid, just save me first. Once I'm down, I'll repay you properly!"
Chu Yang looked at him like he was an idiot and sneered,"Are you drunk out of your mind? There are only two of us here. Who do you think tied you up in the trees?"
"You?!"Tozawa glared furiously and cursed. Connecting the dots from Chu Yang mentioning Motokawa, realization dawned on him."You're that bastard Motokawa's family member?! I'm warning you—let me down right now, or I'm calling the police!"
Chu Yang lightly stomped his foot. The branches and vines binding Tozawa immediately loosened, leaving only his feet tied.
With no support, Tozawa plunged headfirst into the lake. Half-submerged, he began thrashing violently.
Judging by his bloated body, Chu Yang figured his lung capacity wasn't great. After counting to thirty seconds, he hauled him back up.
After thirty seconds in the icy water, the naked Tozawa was shivering uncontrollably, teeth chattering, unable to even form a complete plea for mercy.
"So," Chu Yang asked calmly,"when do you plan on giving Motokawa Yosuke's compensation money to his family?"
"Compensation?"Tozawa scoffed."That guy died in an accident. If there's compensation, go ask the insurance company. What does it have to do with me?"
Chu Yang clicked his tongue in amazement."Money over life, huh."
After saying that, Chu Yang manipulated the branches to dunk him back into the lake again, then hauled him up—over and over—like blanching ingredients in a hotpot, giving him a full seven-up, eight-down treatment.
This time, Tozawa was truly terrified. He could clearly feel that the boy in front of him genuinely dared to kill. If he kept being stubborn, he really might die here tonight.
"Please, let me go! I'll pay the compensation right away!" Tozawa begged frantically, his attitude utterly sincere.
Chu Yang smiled in satisfaction, but didn't release him immediately. He continued to "hotpot" him a couple more times. Only after Tozawa was barely clinging to life did Chu Yang put him down on the ground and pass a trace of vitality into his body.
Tozawa sucked in several desperate breaths, the deathly pallor on his face slowly regaining a hint of color.
After taking multiple strolls past the gates of hell, the only thing left in Tozawa's heart toward Chu Yang was fear—pure, unadulterated fear.
This guy was a lunatic. A psycho. A killer.
Before letting Tozawa go, Chu Yang warned him with a warm, gentle smile,"You can choose to call the police. But I'll remind you first—I'm an orphan. No family. No ties whatsoever."
After enduring that kind of torment, how would Tozawa dare call the police?Right now, his mind was filled with one thought only: keep the peace and get this living calamity away from me as fast as possible.
"I won't, absolutely won't! I'll go give the money to Motokawa's family right now!"After blurting that out, Tozawa bolted. Completely naked, he shivered violently in the cold night wind—yet still ran as fast as his legs could carry him!
There were hardly any people in the park at such a late hour, especially near the freezing lake's center. But the moment Tozawa left the park, he immediately felt countless gazes lock onto him.
"There's a pervert here! Everyone run!!"
"Ah! My eyes! My eyes! Everyone close your eyes!"
"Oh God, please give me new eyes! Mine have been defiled!"
"Society really is going downhill, downhill!"
Aside from the shouting and curses, some seasoned aunties and uncles calmly pulled out their phones and started taking photos.
Come tomorrow morning, someone was definitely making the headlines.
Realizing this, Tozawa covered his face and sprinted under the flashing cameras, tears glistening at the corners of his eyes.
"Damn it!!!"
Meanwhile, just as Chu Yang was about to leave the park, he was stopped by someone unexpected.
"So… you were helping that uncle get his compensation?"Ichigo Kurosaki stood on the steps at the park entrance, looking down at Chu Yang.
"You saw all that?" Chu Yang asked in surprise. Living in modern society, he didn't keep Observation Haki active at all times—he hadn't noticed Ichigo nearby.
"I only saw that uncle running out naked. What did you do to him?" Ichigo scratched his head.
"Don't look at me like that. I just soaked him in the lake a bit," Chu Yang waved him off, signaling Ichigo to move aside.
Ichigo stepped aside to make room. After Chu Yang climbed the steps, Ichigo found himself following along unconsciously.
The area where Motokawa Yosuke's soul lingered wasn't far from school, so it wasn't strange that Ichigo had seen him before. He had probably learned from Motokawa that Chu Yang was going to help recover the compensation and came over to check things out.
After all, Chu Yang looked like an ordinary high school student. How was he supposed to demand compensation from a construction company boss? In Ichigo's eyes, Chu Yang would probably get beaten up—so he came to see if he could help.
What Ichigo hadn't expected was that Chu Yang handled the seemingly dangerous Tozawa with ridiculous ease. His curiosity toward Chu Yang grew rapidly.
Ichigo wasn't the type to bottle things up. He couldn't help asking,"When did you start seeing spirits?"
"Since I was a kid," Chu Yang replied casually. His family was all dead anyway—there was no one to verify it.
Ichigo nodded silently. Chu Yang's situation really was similar to his own.
"Do you think that guy will honestly pay the compensation?" Ichigo asked.
Chu Yang stopped and turned to look at him.
"What I mean is," Ichigo explained, "construction company owners usually have ties to local gangs. After what you did to him today, he might not accept it. He could retaliate tomorrow—maybe even go after your family."
"I don't have any family for him to go after," Chu Yang said with a smile, his tone meaningful."Usually, retaliation only happens when you don't go far enough. If you make them truly feel fear, where would they find the courage to retaliate?"
With that, Chu Yang continued walking forward.
Ichigo stood there thinking for a moment… then silently followed behind him.
"That uncle near the school gate—he used to seem off, so I always avoided him. But today he was different. I asked him about it, and he said…"Ichigo's expression turned strange."He said you slapped him a few times, and he woke up."
"…You can touch spirits, can't you?"
Just then, the two of them reached the edge of the park. Chu Yang didn't answer the question and simply kept walking toward home.
"Today's Q&A session is over!"
Hearing Chu Yang's voice, Ichigo froze for a second—then turned and walked off in the opposite direction.
The next day after school, the two of them appeared again near Motokawa Yosuke's home, as if by tacit agreement.
"What a coincidence."
"This is way past coincidence. Are you stalking me?"
"Idiot, don't joke like that. It's not funny."
Bickering back and forth, Chu Yang and Ichigo arrived at a house with a nameplate reading Motokawa. Clearly, both of them were here to confirm whether Motokawa's family had received the compensation.
"Ring the doorbell. Why are you staring at me? Don't you have hands?"
"You did the deed—shouldn't you be the one ringing?"
"Then why did you follow me here? You a stalker?"
"Did you get some kind of professional sarcasm license? Your mouth is seriously annoying!"
"Thanks for the compliment!"
Veins bulged at Ichigo's temples.
After taking several deep breaths, he decided not to argue with Chu Yang and pressed the doorbell himself.
Motokawa's wife came out, her expression wary.Seeing that it was just two students, she visibly relaxed.
Ichigo quickly organized his words and explained their visit, claiming that he was a student who had once received Motokawa Yosuke's help and had come specifically to check on the family.
They chatted for quite a while, exchanging polite concern. Only then did Chu Yang learn that Tozawa had delivered the compensation the previous night.
The amount was several times higher than what the court had ruled—clearly, Tozawa was terrified Chu Yang might find another excuse to retaliate later.
Soon after, the two returned to the road near school, intending to tell Motokawa Yosuke the good news.
But to their surprise, Motokawa wasn't there.
Chu Yang and Ichigo waited for a long time. Even after night fell, that uncle never appeared.
"Maybe he found out before we did and already ascended to heaven?"Ichigo stretched, yawned, his stomach growling. Unable to endure it anymore, he prepared to head home.
Looking at the empty road, Chu Yang frowned deeply. He thought Ichigo's explanation made sense—but in his heart, he had a powerful intuition that Motokawa Yosuke hadn't left.
Recalling how Motokawa had been in a dazed state before—Even showing signs of attacking people—
Chu Yang became increasingly certain that something was wrong.
The construction company!
A flash of insight struck him.
That was likely where Motokawa's obsession was strongest. If he didn't yet know that Tozawa had paid his family, he would definitely go looking for him.
With that thought, Chu Yang immediately sprinted toward the construction company's location.
He didn't care whether Tozawa lived or died.
What he feared was that if Motokawa Yosuke killed someone, he might never be able to return to his former self—losing all reason and emotion forever.
Chu Yang's sudden dash was abrupt. By the time Ichigo reacted, Chu Yang was already far away. Seeing how urgently he ran, Ichigo instinctively sensed that something bad was about to happen.
"Where are you going?! Wait for me!"Ichigo swung his bag around onto his back and took off in pursuit. But no matter how hard he ran, the distance between them only kept growing.
"What the hell?!" Ichigo was stunned. From childhood to now, he had never lost—academics or athletics. This was the first time he'd ever been left in the dust.
After chasing for a while longer, Chu Yang's figure vanished completely from sight. Ichigo had to stop, drenched in sweat and gasping for breath."How is he that fast?! Is he even human? He's a monster!"
"This direction… I remember this is the park from yesterday—no, it's that construction company!"Ichigo's eyes widened in shock as he connected the dots. Without caring about resting anymore, he grit his teeth and sprinted forward again.
"Uncle Yosuke… please don't do anything stupid!"
To reach the construction company faster, Chu Yang took a straight route—cutting through dark alleys and narrow old residential blocks. Few people passed through here, and the streetlights were old and dim. Even leaping across rooftops wouldn't draw attention.
It was like experiencing Fire-Shadow Chu Yang's daily life firsthand.
But what Chu Yang didn't know was…
Ichigo Kurosaki clenched his teeth and actually managed to chase after him.
Just in time, he saw Chu Yang leap up onto a rooftop and vanish from sight.
"What the hell is this guy doing? A ninja? What the—" Ichigo froze on the spot, instinctively blurting out a few curses.
By the time Chu Yang jumped down from the rooftop, he had already arrived in front of the construction company. The two sides were separated by nothing more than a road.
The surroundings were eerily quiet. Apart from the whistling of the cold wind, there wasn't even the sound of a cat. Even at night, this kind of silence was abnormal—enough to make one's skin crawl.
Observation Haki could sense the presence of living beings, but sensing pure souls was still beyond Chu Yang at his current level.
As for Roger's "Voice of All Things," Chu Yang didn't know whether that could do it—his own Observation Haki simply hadn't reached that realm yet.
Chu Yang walked along the silent road toward the construction company, his intuition telling him that Motokawa Yosuke was here.
But it seemed the worst-case scenario had already happened…
The moment Chu Yang approached the construction company, every single window in the building shattered simultaneously. Countless shards of glass rained down from above like a storm.
The fragments clinked and clattered as they struck Chu Yang's body. He had already coated himself in Armament Haki and wasn't injured in the slightest.
At the same time the glass exploded, Chu Yang clearly heard the roar of a monster, his heart sinking instantly.
Chu Yang stomped hard and leapt straight up to the second floor of the building. He didn't see Motokawa Yosuke—only a masked monster with a hollow hole in its chest, holding Tozawa high in the air.
Motokawa Yosuke had turned into a Hollow.
"Sa… save me…" Tozawa had no idea what was happening. He could only cry for help weakly, his voice faint—he had clearly been heavily injured.
"Save your damn breath!" Chu Yang cursed angrily and charged straight at the Hollow. Using brute force, he slammed into Motokawa Yosuke and sent him flying.
Tozawa fell from the air and smashed heavily onto the ground, his mouth filling with blood.
Chu Yang glanced down at him coldly and walked past. This man deserved to die—but not at Motokawa Yosuke's hands.
Spiritual entities were enemies Chu Yang had never encountered before. He had no idea how much actual damage Haki could deal to a soul. He wasn't worried about failing to break through defenses—he was worried that a single punch might kill Motokawa Yosuke outright.
Chu Yang's fists weren't Zanpakutō. They had no power to purify Hollows and send them on. If he beat a Hollow to death, then it was true death—complete annihilation.
So he could only try his best to restrain Motokawa Yosuke using pure martial skill, buying time until the Shinigami responded.
As long as a Hollow appeared in the World of the Living, Soul Society would be alerted immediately. There was no need to worry that Shinigami wouldn't come.
Unless…
A stronger Hollow had appeared nearby at the same time.
Before the Shinigami arrived, Chu Yang had to stop Motokawa Yosuke from rampaging and hurting innocent people. He could only observe the movement of living people with Observation Haki while luring Motokawa Yosuke toward areas with fewer civilians.
Among the combat techniques of Fish-Man Karate were many grappling and restraining methods—perfect for dealing with the current situation.
After turning into a Hollow, Motokawa Yosuke's body was enormous. Every casual attack caused terrifying large-scale destruction.
Even a Hollow that had just transformed was already this strong—it was hard to imagine how powerful the greater Hollows above him must be.
Meanwhile, Ichigo Kurosaki had also reached the vicinity of the construction company.
Whether from the intense running or from seeing the devastated scene around him, Ichigo's entire body trembled slightly.
"What… what the hell happened here?"
In his fifteen years of life, Ichigo had interacted with plenty of spirits—but this was the first time he had ever seen something like this.
"Help… help…"
A weak cry came from within the rubble.
Ichigo followed the sound and found Tozawa buried beneath broken concrete and debris.
Ichigo hurriedly pulled him out and laid him by the roadside, then called an ambulance.
"Hey—did you see a guy wearing the same school uniform as me?" Ichigo asked.
Hearing the question, the barely conscious Tozawa forced his eyes open. The moment he glanced at Ichigo's uniform, his expression changed drastically.
Oh shit—same school as that walking disaster?!
Could this one be another grim reaper too?!
Tozawa pointed toward the direction where Chu Yang and Motokawa Yosuke had disappeared and shouted loudly, "He went that way!"
"Thanks! I've already called an ambulance for you—stay here and don't move!" Ichigo said.
With that, Ichigo took off running, still calling back over his shoulder, "Don't move!"
Tozawa nodded repeatedly—but once Ichigo was far away, he began struggling to crawl across the road.
"Don't move? Are you kidding me? You're obviously with that kid! Planning to rob and kill me—do you think I can't tell? No way in hell I trust you!"
Unable to see souls, Tozawa pinned everything that had happened on Chu Yang—and could only blame Chu Yang.
After all, what normal person would easily believe in the existence of ghosts and gods?
Tozawa crawled forward with all his strength, completely ignoring Ichigo's warning. He was so focused on crawling that he didn't notice the distant headlights.
By the time the roar of an engine reached his ears, it was already too late.
The sky was dark, and all the nearby streetlights had been destroyed.
Everything was pitch-black. The driver couldn't see anything on the road.
Thud—thud.
Two heavy impacts sounded.
The car jolted violently, then continued forward for a short distance before stopping.
The driver got out in a panic, looking around—but all he could see under the moonlight were scattered stones on the road.
Scratching his head, the driver got back into the car, restarting the engine while soothing his family.
"What was that?"
"Probably rocks. There's debris all over the road—it's too dark to see…"
"Why hasn't anyone cleaned this up? It's so dangerous at night!"
"I'll call the city office later."
As the engine roared back to life, the car drove off into the distance.
No one noticed Tozawa, lying in a pool of blood, barely clinging to life.
He lay there, reaching weakly forward with his hand.
With no response coming, despair slowly swallowed him whole.
Suddenly, he thought—
Back then, when Motokawa Yosuke was killed by a car during late-night construction… was he just as desperate as I am now?
That thought froze in his mind.
And then, his consciousness sank into eternal silence.
Ichigo Kurosaki felt like his throat was about to catch fire.
The distance he had run today was almost equivalent to a long marathon—and he had sprinted the entire way.
At last, his persistence paid off.
Just as he was about to give up, Chu Yang finally appeared before him.
And besides him…
There was a huge thing—a monster three or four stories tall, radiating an overwhelming aura of terror.
Ichigo licked his lips, his mouth unbearably dry—not from dehydration, but from watching Chu Yang fighting that giant barehanded.
Especially when he saw Chu Yang punch the monster and send it flying more than ten meters—
Every hair on his body stood on end.
"And here I was worrying about him…" Ichigo took several steps back instinctively. "Looks like I should be worrying about myself instead."
The moment he finished speaking, a car that Motokawa Yosuke had overturned flew past Ichigo and smashed into a streetlight behind him, exploding into a brilliant shower of sparks.
The shockwave sent Ichigo flying. He spun several times in midair before crashing to the ground.
Thud.
Ichigo hit the ground hard, baring his teeth in pain.
Just as he was about to cry out, he realized a massive shadow had engulfed him.
He shuddered and looked up.
The giant monster was staring down at him—wearing a strangely gentle smile.
It lifted its foot…
And stomped down.
Ichigo shut his eyes instinctively, raising his arms in front of his face.
The next second—
The pain he had imagined never came.Instead, there was a light, floating sensation—like he was flying.
When Ichigo opened his eyes, he saw Chu Yang gripping him by the collar, having already leapt onto the rooftop of the neighboring apartment block.
He had countless questions in his head, but he still asked the most important one first.
"Where's Uncle Yosuke?"
Chu Yang jerked his chin toward below, where Motokawa Yosuke—now a Hollow—was rampaging.
"Uncle Yosuke…?" Ichigo looked dazed, muttering to himself. "Why did he turn into this…?"
"You're asking me?" Chu Yang snapped helplessly. "I don't know either. Instead of worrying about that, shouldn't we be thinking about how to deal with him?"
"Deal with him?" Ichigo widened his eyes. "You're not saying you're going to kill Uncle Yosuke, are you?"
Chu Yang rolled his eyes so hard it almost hurt."Are you out of your mind? Killing people is illegal!"
Ichigo fell silent for a moment, then said quietly,"In his current state… the law can't protect him anymore."
ROAR!!
Motokawa Yosuke let out a furious howl and charged straight toward them.
"Not wasting words with you—help if you can, and if you can't, then get the hell out of my way!" Chu Yang barked.
With that, he leapt down.
He dropped straight onto Motokawa Yosuke's head, stomping him violently into the ground.
What can I even do right now?Ichigo hesitated. He had always been confident in his athletic ability, but what was happening below was clearly beyond anything he could take part in.
Confidence was one thing. Suicidal stupidity was another.
At that moment, Ichigo noticed an elderly couple walking toward the area in the distance.
"At this hour, and they're still out for a walk?" he muttered.
As he climbed down from the rooftop, Ichigo hurried over to them, hurriedly lying to turn them away.
"There's construction up ahead. The road's blocked—please take another route!"
Hearing the constant rumbling noises ahead, the couple didn't doubt him and turned back. As they left, the old man complained irritably,
"Kids these days have no manners at all. Construction without even putting up a sign—making us walk all this way."
With no choice, Ichigo bowed repeatedly, apologizing over and over until the couple finally left.
"I've got to keep people from wandering in here," Ichigo thought. "Otherwise, someone's definitely going to get hurt."
He realized this was probably the only way he could help Chu Yang.
So he began patrolling the nearby streets, diverting anyone he encountered. As it grew later, pedestrians gradually disappeared. Only then did Ichigo finally breathe a sigh of relief and turn back toward the battle.
How is he planning to deal with Uncle Yosuke?If this drags on, it'll get dangerous for him too…
As he worried, a sudden chill ran through his heart.
Somehow, he felt that something was approaching.
That sense of dread was even stronger than what Motokawa Yosuke had given him.
At the same time, Chu Yang felt it too.
"No wonder no Shinigami showed up for so long," Chu Yang said calmly, pinning Motokawa Yosuke beneath his foot while staring ahead. "So they really were held up by something else."
"Three… two… one."
BOOM!
The building directly in front of them exploded outward, as if it had been smashed by a speeding train—yet nothing visible occupied the breach.
In Chu Yang's eyes, however, a much larger Hollow stood there, jaws wide open. Drawn by Motokawa Yosuke's presence, it had come to feed.
Some Hollows preferred devouring human souls.Others preferred devouring their own kind.
This one was clearly the latter.
It gazed at Motokawa Yosuke with naked greed—then shifted its attention to Chu Yang, who was standing on him.
Instinct warned it of danger. Fear flickered briefly in its eyes.
But that fear was quickly drowned out by hunger.
It felt that Chu Yang looked even more delicious.
"Finally, one I can go all out against," Chu Yang growled, cracking his knuckles. "I've been holding it in for so damn long!"
After being forced into a restrained battle with Motokawa Yosuke, Chu Yang's frustration had reached its limit—and now a perfect outlet had come knocking.
The massive Hollow charged forward, smashing through buildings along the way.
Chu Yang clenched his fist as Armament Haki coated his body like heavy armor.
The Hollow closed in—instantly reaching him.
Chu Yang raised his hand, preparing to strike.
Then—
A thunderous impact.
A figure suddenly appeared between them.
Chu Yang froze mid-motion.
The newcomer wore a black shihakushō, back facing Chu Yang, blade held forward as she blocked the attack head-on.
She was sent flying.
Chu Yang caught a glimpse of her face as she fell—a short-haired girl with shoulder-length hair.
If nothing went wrong, she had to be Rukia Kuchiki.
She hit the ground, bounced like a spring, and immediately rushed back at the Hollow, chanting under her breath.
She was using Kidō.
Invisible restraints formed from the incantation, binding the Hollow in place and preventing it from attacking Chu Yang.
"There's actually a human here… This was already troublesome, and now it's even worse," Rukia muttered, frowning as she shot Chu Yang a quick glance before refocusing on the Hollow.
She seemed to completely ignore the Hollow that Chu Yang had crushed into the ground.
Chu Yang, meanwhile, stared straight at her without looking away.
Rukia didn't notice—or rather, she didn't care.
There's no way a human can see me anyway, she thought.He's probably just scared stiff by all the destruction.
Just then, another human came running down the street toward them.
"Another one?" Rukia complained under her breath."What are people even doing out this late?"
She prepared herself to protect both humans.
Her Bakudō wouldn't hold a near-evolved Hollow for long, and she had no way to immediately drive these humans away.
Protecting them was her only option.
At the same time, Ichigo finally reached the scene—and froze.
There was another, even bigger Hollow here.
Not Uncle Yosuke.
Ichigo stared at Rukia in confusion and asked,"Uh… who are you?"
Rukia froze.
She turned her head to look at Chu Yang, thinking, He must be talking to him, right?
She stepped aside—
Only to realize the orange-haired boy was staring straight at her, waiting for an answer.
Rukia panicked.
Ichigo tilted his head, glanced at Chu Yang behind her, and asked,"Do you know her? She kind of looks like she's not all there."
Rukia: "..."
Chu Yang replied calmly,"No idea who she is, but she doesn't seem bad. She blocked an attack for me just now."
Rukia whipped her head around, eyes nearly popping out of her skull.
Now she was sure—Both of these humans could see her.
She was about to ask what was going on—
But the Hollow broke free from the Bakudō and lunged at her exposed back.
Damn it!
Hearing the disturbance behind her, Rukia knew it was too late to turn and defend properly.
Crap… I shouldn't have let my guard down listening to these humans.
She braced herself to trade injury for injury and counterattack—
But what happened next was something she never could have imagined.
The human beside her charged forward without hesitation.
"Wait! Don't—!"
She didn't finish the sentence before she saw him raise his fist—
And punch straight through the Hollow's mask.
The mountain-sized Hollow was sent flying, crashing into the distance.
Chu Yang let out an exhilarated shout.
Finally—the frustration in his chest was completely gone.
What kind of power… is that?!
Rukia's pupils shrank violently. In her shock, the Zanpakutō slipped from her hand and clattered to the ground.
When she looked down to pick it up—
She realized there was still another Hollow at her feet.
Motokawa Yosuke's eyes rolled upward—
And met Rukia Kuchiki's gaze.
(End of Chapter)