"It's terrifying…"
Urahara Kisuke clutched his side, cold sweat beading along his spine.
"Has the current Gotei 13 really produced a captain this powerful?"
"You don't need to worry about that," Akira said, his voice flat—almost bored. "It's not that the Gotei 13 grew stronger. It's just that I'm exceptionally strong."
"I see…" Urahara's eyes narrowed behind his striped hat, but he gave a slow nod. "Even so—I won't let you kill Kurosaki Ichigo."
His confidence wasn't unfounded. Karakura Town was far from defenseless. Ishida Ryūken—Uryū's father—was a Quincy of staggering caliber. And then there was Kurosaki Isshin, Ichigo's father, whose very existence defied the boundaries between Shinigami and human.
And they weren't the only ones. Yoruichi Shihōin, former commander of the Onmitsukidō, and Tessai Tsukabishi, ex-Captain of the Kidō Corps—both lived just beyond the shop's back door. They wouldn't stand by and watch a battle escalate unchecked.
"It seems you have a death wish," Akira said coldly, his voice slicing through the air like winter wind. The pressure radiating from him made even the ambient reishi tremble.
"Wait!"
Rukia Kuchiki darted between them, arms outstretched. "Aki—please. Let's end this here. I'll go back with you."
Akira's gaze settled on her for a long moment before he let out a quiet, humorless chuckle.
"Fine. But don't go acting like I'm some grand villain."
"I never said you were," Rukia shot back, rolling her eyes. "You're just paranoid enough to assume I did."
Akira exhaled through his nose and turned to Byakuya Kuchiki.
"Open the Senkaimon. We're returning to Soul Society."
Ichigo, who'd been frozen in place until now, surged forward—only for Urahara's hand to clamp down on his shoulder like an iron vice.
"Let go of me!" Ichigo growled, twisting against the grip.
"Calm down!" Urahara's voice cut through the panic, sharp and unyielding. "You heard Rukia. Don't throw away the chance she just gave you."
"If you stay alive," Urahara continued, quieter now, "you'll have a shot at saving her later. But if you charge in like this—you'll die before you take two steps."
The words struck deeper than any blade. Ichigo stilled, fists trembling at his sides. All he could do was watch, helpless, as Akira, Rukia, and Byakuya stepped through the shimmering gateway of the Senkaimon—and vanished into the light.
"Go home," Urahara said, finally releasing him. "Think this through."
Ichigo didn't argue. He stood there in silence, the weight of his own powerlessness pressing down like stone.
Because now that his rage had cooled, the truth was painfully clear—
The gap between him and Akira wasn't just wide. It was chasmal. He hadn't stood a chance.
And if Rukia was telling the truth… there were twelve other captains in Soul Society—each potentially as monstrous as Akira.
Noticing Ichigo's hollow expression, Urahara offered something rare: genuine reassurance.
"Don't be so discouraged. Even among captains… Akira is an outlier."
Ichigo let out a slow, ragged breath. "Even so… I couldn't even challenge one captain."
"That's why I told you to train," Urahara said, his tone shifting—lighter now, edged with that familiar, cryptic smirk.
"Because soon… I'll teach you how to awaken your true Shinigami powers."
"…Eh?" Ichigo blinked, momentarily startled out of his gloom.
Urahara offered no further explanation—just a tip of his hat as he turned away.
And with nothing but those words echoing in his mind, Ichigo walked home, the burden of what lay ahead settling heavily on his shoulders.
Ishida Uryū departed with a somber expression. He had always viewed the Shinigami with suspicion—some even as enemies—but the raw, overwhelming power radiating from that man, Captain Akira, had left him with an unfamiliar sense of dread. Not just fear… but powerlessness.
"That was dangerously close," Uryū muttered under his breath. "I almost stepped in."
Once Uryū was out of sight, a black cat dropped silently from the eaves above Urahara Kisuke's shop. In a blur of motion, it shifted into the tall, dark-skinned form of Shihōin Yoruichi.
"Even you're on edge about this Akira?" Urahara asked, tipping his striped hat slightly.
Yoruichi's golden eyes narrowed. "You still don't see the full picture. He's risen too fast for anyone to keep track—but I've heard what he's done in Soul Society."
Urahara raised an eyebrow. "And that is…?"
"He bested Byakuya Kuchiki and Kenpachi Zaraki—in succession, and without sustaining a single wound."
Urahara's playful demeanor vanished. "What?"
Nearby, perched atop a telephone pole with his tattered haori fluttering in the wind, Kurosaki Isshin stood frozen in his Shinigami form, utterly stunned.
"Stop making that ridiculous face," Ishida Ryūken said dryly from the adjacent rooftop. "It's painful to watch."
"You say that because you don't know them," Isshin shot back, still reeling. "Byakuya's Kido mastery and Senbonzakura… Kenpachi's raw combat insanity—they're two of the most terrifying captains in Soul Society! And this new Sixth Division captain took them both down… unscathed?"
Ryūken didn't answer immediately. Like Isshin, he'd felt the Reiatsu—an oppressive, unfamiliar pressure that rolled through Karakura like a storm front. That kind of spiritual signature couldn't be ignored. They hadn't come out of curiosity. They'd come because ignoring it would've been foolish.
And now, Akira had drawn eyes far beyond Karakura. Captains. Exiles. Former royalty. Even Central 46 would be watching.
His presence in the World of the Living hadn't just stirred the pot—it had lit the fuse.
---
Meanwhile, back in the Seireitei, Akira strode through the towering gates of the First Division, Rukia Kuchiki at his side. Waiting for them stood ten members of the Onmitsukidō's Punishment Force—silent, clad in black, their presence unmistakable.
"Captain Akira," their leader said with a respectful bow. "We appreciate your efforts in retrieving the fugitive. Please hand over Rukia Kuchiki to our custody."
Akira gave a slow nod—but before releasing her, he placed a steady hand on Rukia's shoulder.
"Don't be afraid," he said, voice low but firm. "I told you before: I will protect you. Just hold on a little longer."
Rukia offered a faint, bitter smile. "Your kindness means more than you know… but this is Central 46's decree. Even a captain cannot overturn their judgment."
She was right—technically. Within the Gotei 13, a captain wielded immense authority… but Central 46 held absolute judicial power. To defy them was to invite execution.
Yet Akira's gaze never wavered.
"Then let them judge," he said. "But know this—I keep my promises. Even if I have to stand alone against the entire Seireitei."