SEVENTH ARC
THE LOST AGENT
Chapter Four - Book of the End
THE WORLD OF THE LIVING - THE MORNING AFTER ICHIGO'S TRAINING WITH TATSUKI
Shūkurō Tsukishima leans back on the couch and sketches in his notebook, applying delicate contours with a pencil. He rounds out his doodle with two kind eyes.
"She's very pretty," his mother remarks, peeking over his shoulder while polishing a plate.
"Now, now, mother," Tsukishima sighs while adding some shading to his illustration. "It's isn't polite to snoop."
"Who is she?" his mother asks. "Have you made a lady friend, Shūkurō?"
"Oops," Tsukishima smirks impishly. "I was planning on telling you."
"Well, it's about time you met a nice girl," his mother says. "When will I meet her?"
"She's currently out of town," Tsukishima replies.
"Well, when she comes back, you'll have to bring her home for dinner," his mother smiles, returning to the kitchen. "I'm looking forward to meeting the young lady!"
Tsukishima nods, applying the final touches to his sketch of Orihime Inoue.
"You're going to love her, mother."
SOUL SOCIETY - OCCURRING CONCURRENTLY
THIRTEENTH DIVISION BARRACKS
Jūshirō Ukitake sits crosslegged beneath a tree, serenely inhaling and exhaling. His illness has progressed since his injury during the White Invasion, but the fresh air has been good for him. He focuses on the rustling of leaves, listening to them crinkle as they sway in the breeze.
His breath catches in his throat and he begins to lightly cough, then breaks into a violent hacking. Rukia Kuchiki bounds over the hillside to meet him.
"Captain, are you alright?!" she cries out apprehensively, reaching her superior and kneeling down to inspect him.
"It's okay, Rukia," the captain wheezes, wiping black bile from his mouth with a sleeve. "I'm fine, thank you."
Rukia looks worriedly at him. His coughing fits have become more frequent. If it was worse than a passing cough, and I wasn't already arriving, what would have happened to you? she wonders.
"I promise you I'm okay, Rukia," Ukitake insists, patting the ground beside him. "I summoned you for a reason. Please sit."
Rukia plunks down. She surveys the lush greenery, the crinkling leaves, and glances at her superior.
"Are we… meditating, Captain?" she asks.
Ukitake shakes his head, looking at her with a smile.
"This was the spot," he reflects. "The very spot where I told Kaien he was promoted to Lieutenant."
Rukia's expression turns pensive. She nearly forgets to breathe while listening.
"He initially turned it down," Ukitake softly chuckles. "Said he had not yet earned the rank. Always so modest. He saw himself in you. I see it, too; you are so much alike. Compassionate, dutiful, and without ego. He would have been very proud today."
"Why today, Captain?" Rukia mumbles, her violet eyes glistening.
"Because today, at this spot, I am offering you the position of Lieutenant," Ukitake replies. "Unless you want to turn it down, too?"
Rukia is speechless for a beat, then lunges forward to embrace Ukitake. The captain is startled at first, then smiles and pats her on the back. Remembering decorum, Rukia breaks from the hug and bolts up to give a formal bow.
"It would be my honor, Captain!" she shouts.
SIXTH DIVISION BARRACKS
Byakuya Kuchiki unhurriedly walks down a hallway, heading for a training session. He turns a corner and sees Rukia awaiting him.
"Captain Ukitake made me his lieutenant," Rukia blushes, glancing at her feet before summoning the guile to meet her brother's gaze.
"We were already informed of the decision yesterday," Byakuya replies, his tone unreadable. "Congratulations."
He continues on his way, striding past Rukia. She hesitates, then calls after him.
"I was unseated until today," she points out.
Byakuya halts his stride once more, glancing back at her placidly. He stares at her for a beat, then turns and continues on. They had never spoken before about his lobbying efforts to keep from being seated. Now that conversation is moot: her promotion wouldn't have been possible without his express permission.
"Thank you, brother," Rukia whispers.
XCUTION HEADQUARTERS (IN THE BACK OF THE VAN) - THAT NIGHT
"You two seem to be getting along better," Jackie remarks while observing Ichigo and Tatsuki. "Hashed out your differences?"
"We're on the same page now, no need to make a thing of it," Tatsuki says, nose upturned.
"How lovely," Jackie smiles, leaning back in her barstool. "I do love when hearts reunite. Bonds grow so cold with distance. Together, they radiate heat."
Is Jackie hitting on me… or Tatsuki? Ichigo wonders. Or the both of us at the same time? He doesn't get to ponder long before Ginjō bursts through a door, followed by Riruka.
"Alright, on to business!" the XCution leader declares. "You made great progress last night, Ichigo. We're right on schedule."
"There's a schedule?" Ichigo queries. "You didn't mention that before."
"There's a lot I haven't mentioned yet, like the favor we need from you," Ginjō replies. "The reason why we wanted to cultivate your Fullbring in the first place? Well, now that we know you can even develop one, I figure it's time to bring you into the loop. Do you want a drink, first?"
"Do you keep forgetting we're only seventeen?" Tatsuki saucily retorts, arms crossed.
"Hm?" Ginjō murmurs, genuinely taken aback. "I started throwing down when I was only fourteen. Anyways, here's the deal: we got a heist coming up, and we need your assistance."
"A heist?" Ichigo repeats, incredulous. "I figured you guys for shady, but I didn't know you were criminals."
"It's not like that, Ichigo," Chad interjects from the couch. "You know Tatsuki and I wouldn't throw in on our lot with hoodlums."
"That's right — your friends' got taste," Ginjō grins. "We're not knocking over some bank. We're stealing back what's rightfully ours. Does the name Adoka Tozaki mean anything to you?"
"Never heard of him," Ichigo shakes his head.
"He's an 'businessman' posted up in Naruki City," Ginjō elaborates. "Runs a 'cyber security' firm, which means that city authorities really have no idea what he's up to. His business is just a front for his real trade: he's a high-end dealer in the black market for Fullbringer totems."
"What?!" Ichigo exclaims. "There's a market for totems? How many Fullbringers are out there?"
"Thousands," Ginjō replies with a sigh, fingering the Saltire Cross necklaced around his throat. "We're a hot commodity, you know. Our abilities are highly valued by governments, militias, narcotics traffickers. Anyone who needs good soldiers: the American NAVY Seals, Israeli Mossad, British MI6 –"
"Hear, hear!" Jackie cheers before throwing back a shot. She gives Ichigo a wink. "I was in Her Majesty's service for six years."
"And you never let us forget it," Riruka retorts, munching on a cupcake.
"Fullbringers make for good muscle," Ginjō continues. "In both high and low circles, there's a hefty dollar value attached to our totems."
"Why?" Ichigo interjects. "I thought totems were unique to each Fullbringer?"
"You're thinking too much like a Shinigami," Ginjō replies. "Totems ain't Zanpakutō. Even if their specific power is non-transferable, it's still full of Reikyō that can be extracted. Talented Fullbringers have the ability to draw Reikyō from other sources to supplant their own strength. So, in this miserable world of ours, there are a lot of high-powered people whose agents hunt and kill Fullbringers so they can collect their totems and sell them to the highest bidder."
"And this Tozaki is one of these dealers?" Ichigo asks.
"Correct," Ginjō says, an unbridled hatred burning in his eyes. "Tozaki is one of the biggest players in the market. What's more, his collection includes totems from our friends."
Ichigo is taken aback. He scans the room, studying each XCution member.
Each of you… lost someone? he realizes.
"That's what I meant when I said we are hunted, Ichigo," Ginjō laments. "We've each lost someone close to us because of Adoka's greed. That bastard keeps their totems like trophies. Making things right is what brought us together: we wanna take back what belonged to our fallen comrades, before he sells them off. Now, if you wanna –"
"I'm in, Ginjō," Ichigo interrupts, his eyes burning with determination. "Whatever you need."
URAHARA SHOP - OCCURRING CONCURRENTLY
"Eh?" Urahara calls from his room, drowsily picking up his hat. "Who is it?"
"It's Karin!" Jinta yells from the register. The red-haired tyke turns his attention back to the Kurosaki sister. "How's Yuzu doing?"
"Just fine without you," Karin retorts. "Move on, little man."
Jinta turns scarlet and stomps back into the shop's private quarters, Urahara emerging in his place at the register.
"Ah, Karin," the shopkeeper grins, hat in hand. "What brings you –"
"Cut the crap, Urahara," Karin interrupts. "I know Ichigo came here the other night. Cat's out of the bag."
"… Yeah," Urahara sighs, running a hand through his tousled hair before donning his cap. "He gave me a piece of his mind."
"Got regrets?" Karin asks with edge.
"Regrets about helping you out?" Urahara replies. "Nah. Do I have regrets about how I've generally treated your brother? Well… want some tea?"
"So long as it's not caffeinated," Karin says coolly. "It's a school night."
Urahara pours herbal tea into two mugs for himself and Karin. He takes his cup and sips.
"So what brings you in tonight?" he asks. "Wanna strategize an apology gift for Ichigo?"
"No," Karin replies. "I'm not worried about his approval. I'm worried about him, generally."
"How come?"
"You don't already know?" Karin presses, slightly annoyed. "I thought you kept tabs on everyone and everything?"
"Y'know… I spent a century trying to foil Aizen," Urahara muses. "Now that he's been dealt with… I guess I've checked out a little. Can you blame me?"
"Well, Ichigo's been acting weird," Karin continues. "He keeps disappearing at night and has that same secretive vibe he had two years ago. I think he's hiding something."
"Interesting," Urahara murmurs.
"I was wondering… if you still think it's impossible for him to regain his Shinigami powers?" Karin asks.
"I never said it was impossible," Urahara replies. "I said it wasn't in the cards."
FLASHBACK
KARAKURA TOWN – 12 MONTHS AGO
It has been only five months since the White Invasion and international interest in Karakura Town has yet to subside. Students hold books over their faces as they exit from Karakura High School, a litany of international television crews shouting questions at them.
"Do you have a response to accusations that the Japanese government was conducting experiments on your town?" a journalist asks.
"Was it alien life trying to make contact?" another queries.
"What are the mole men's demands?!" Baba Taguchi yells over the din.
Karin and Yuzu run hand-in-hand past the throng of press, making their way out onto the street. They giggle over the ridiculousness of it all.
"Mole men?" Yuzu laughs. "That's a new one."
Karin's chuckle trails off when she sees a girl running down the adjacent street. She recognizes her: it is the ghost of the slain girl she met in the aftermath of the White Invasion. Karin breaks from Yuzu to pursue the Plus.
"Karin, where are you going?" Yuzu asks meekly, watching her sister chasing after nothing.
Karin dashes across the sidewalk, spotting the Plus darting into an alleyway.
"Wait!" Karin calls after her. "Come back!"
She turns a corner and phases through Zennosuke Kurumadani. The Shinigami patrolman does a double-take, recognizing her.
"You again?" Zennosuke grumbles. "What are you doing chasing after a Plus, girl?"
"Why is she still hanging around, Shinigami?" Karin barks back. "She's gonna Hollowfy if she stays in the World of the Living much longer."
"How do you… ?" Zennosuke stammers, shocked by the human girl's savvy about spirits. "Who told you about that?"
"My brother's former mod soul is a fountain of knowledge," Karin answers, arms crossed. "Why have you failed in your duty to patrol Karakura Town? That poor girl has been running around for months now, and you still haven't sent her to Soul Society?"
"She's scrappy!" Zennosuke protests. "Besides, I'm busy spending most of my time looking after your brother. That's become a full-time job, you know!"
"What?" Karin whispers, taken aback. "Why are you busy looking after Ichigo?"
KUROSAKI HOUSEHOLD
"Bon a petit!" Orihime Inoue announces, laying down a pot of stew before the Kurosaki family.
"I can't wait!" Isshin grins, rubbing his hands together. "Smells… interesting, Inoue!"
"Just keep an open mind," Ichigo warns his siblings with a nervous blush.
The Kurosakis ladle the stew into their bowls, each taking a slurp and turning green from the bizarre flavoring.
"What do you think?" Orihime asks sunnily.
"It's… um, inventive!" Isshin answers, his mouth puckered.
"Honestly, it tastes like gar– ouch1" Karin begins, only to feel her father kick her beneath the table. "… I mean it takes like gourmet, Inoue."
"Yay!" Orihime beams, waving her hands in excitement. "I've gotten mixed feedback about my cooking before, so I'm thrilled you like it! The first of many meals."
"Yaaaaaay…?" Yuzu chimes in halfheartedly, struggling to keep the stew down.
"What about Hollows, Karin-chan?" Orihime asks while polishing a plate, realizing that Ichigo's little sister only volunteered to help with dishes so she could question her.
"The Shinigami patrolman told me that Hollows are constantly tailing Ichigo," Karin whispers, careful not to be overheard by her family from the other room. "Is that true?"
"Um…" Orihime stalls, reticent to answer. "Well… they do seem to like him."
"Orihime, level with me," Karin mutters. "Is my brother in danger?"
"… Hollows follow us around, yes," Orihime sighs, dipping a bowl into the frothy sink. "Ishida-kun and Zennosuke are always there to deal with them, though. Ichigo doesn't know."
"He doesn't know?!" Karin hisses incredulously.
"Please don't tell him," Orihime pleads, her voice growing sombre. "Your brother is still adjusting to a life without Shinigami powers. If you tell him that others are protecting him… it'd only make him sad."
"Ah, Miss Kurosaki!" Urahara greets Karin with singsong cheerfulness. "Will it be the usual today? I can have Jinta collect the precise groceries you need –"
"We need to talk," Karin interrupts, pointing to the back door. "In your basement."
"Well… that is a conundrum," Urahara whistles, sitting back in his lawn chair amid the rocky wasteland of his shop's cellar. "It stands to reason that Hollows would target Ichigo. Aizen was like a deity to them."
"He can't just walk around defenseless," Karin asserts, elbows akimbo. "Can you restore his Shinigami powers?"
"… No," Urahara answers. "That isn't in the cards."
"Well, then how about making me a Shingami?" Karin suggests. "I'm his sister. I should be as good a candidate as any."
"Excuse me?" Urahara bolts upright in his seat.
"Not a terrible idea," Yoruichi Shihōin remarks from an adjacent boulder, sizing Karin up with a smile. "They're both children of Shiba Isshin."
"Shiba?" Karin repeats, confused.
"It's a long story," Yoruichi shrugs. "One I trust your father will fill you in on when the time is right."
"We'll get back to that…" Karin frowns. "Can you make me a Shinigami just like you did for Ichigo, Urahara?"
"A human can only gain Shinigami powers when a Shinigami shares a portion of their own Reiryoku with them – a gift that can be rescinded anytime." Urahara explains.
"Is that what Rukia did for Ichigo?" Karin asks.
"Yes, but your brother lost that power," Urahara continues. "I was only able to awaken his innate Shinigami abilities because he wasn't fully human to begin with…"
We glimpse back to when Ichigo underwent the 'Shattered Shaft' ritual in order to storm Soul Society and rescue Rukia from execution. Tessai cuts Ichigo's Chain of Fate with an axe, and the Strawberry struggles within the pit as his chain gradually deteriorates. Before he fully Hollowfies, Zangetsu contacts him and awakens his Zanpakutō.
"A Shinigami attains a Zanpakutō by imprinting themselves on an Asauchi," Urahara continues. "Your brother couldn't imprint on an Asauchi as a human, but I had a hunch that he had a dormant Zanpakutō spirit that would gift him with one of their own making. So I baited the spirit to show itself by putting Ichigo through accelerated Hollowfication –"
"You did what?!" Karin shouts. "The hell is wrong with you?"
"Urahara believed that Ichigo's innate Zanpakutō spirit would intercede and manifest his inherited Shinigami powers before he transformed into a Hollow," Yoruichi interjects. "It was the only way. But even with that in mind, cutting his Chain of Fate was reckless."
"It was a gamble, but it worked out," Urahara concludes with a bashful grin, fanning himself.
"Well then gamble on me!" Karin pleads.
Urahara snaps his fan shut, scrutinizing her for a beat.
"You're sure that's what you want?" he asks.
Karin nods.
Karin's Plus form stares bemusedly at her lifeless physical body.
"So… are you gonna cut it?" she asks, flicking a finger over her Chain of Fate.
"No, that won't be necessary," Urahara replies, approaching with a glowing prong. "I learned a lot from your brother's ritual, and concluded that your Zanpakutō spirit only needs to believe you are in danger of Hollowfying to spring into action. I've developed this nifty tool here to simulate the sensation. Now… brace yourself."
Urahara presses the prong to Karin's Chain of Fate – it crackles like a cattle prod. Karin goes into shock, a needling tremor coursing throughout her spiritual body. It feels like electrocution. A low, gravelly voice echoes in her mind: Say my name!
"Shingetsu!" Karin cries out. She erupts in a burst of unleashed Reiatsu.
Karin is clad in Shihakushō, her Zanpakutō drawn. She stands before the Plus girl, having cornered her.
"I'm not ready to go," the Plus begs, on her knees. "I still need to say goodbye to my Mom."
"She can't hear you, no matter how many times you try," Karin sighs. "If you continue lingering here for her, you will become a monster – and possibly hurt her. Is that what you want?"
The Plus' eyes widen, a tear streaking down her cheek. She shakes her head.
"What do you want to tell her?" Karin asks. "I'll pass along the message. I swear it."
"Please tell her… I'm sorry for yelling at her that morning," the Plus sniffles. "Tell her… that she was the best mommy, and that I love her."
"I will," Karin smiles. "You ready?"
The Plus nods. Karin presses her Zanpakutō forward and watches the girl ebb away, passing on to Soul Society.
THE PRESENT
URAHARA SHOP
"What do you mean it's not in the cards?" Karin asks Urahara.
"I already told you: a human can only attain Shinigami powers when a Shinigami lends them their Reiryoku," Urahara replies evasively.
"But we're not strictly human, right?" Karin presses.
"That's true," Urahara sighs. "In the event that a Shinigami loses all connection to their spiritual ability, there is one way to resuscitate that bond: to infuse them with an enormous amount of Reiryoku. It can't be borrowed – it must be fully given away."
"That doesn't sound so hard," Karin bristles.
"It would require donations from all of Soul Society's strongest warriors to be effective," Urahara concludes. "That's already been shot down."
FLASHBACK - 17 MONTHS AGO
SOUL SOCIETY - FIRST DIVISION BARRACKS
Captain-Commander Shigekuni Yamamoto stands in his office, gazing out in contemplation at the Seiretei.
"I'm not sure you heard me clearly," Urahara presses. "It would only require a small contribution from each –"
"My answer is no, Kisuke," Yamamoto says flatly.
"So… you aren't rejecting my offer because of feasibility, but on the merits?" Urahara asks, eyes narrowed.
"In light of the boy's lineage… it would be best that he does not regain his Shinigami powers," Yamamoto replies somberly.
"His lineage?" Urahara grits. "Aizen would have reached the Royal Realm if it weren't for him."
"I will entertain no further entreaties on the matter," Yamamoto concludes.
THE PRESENT
URAHARA SHOP
"So Soul Society won't pitch in?" Karin frowns. "What else can get the job done?"
"Without multiple donors, Ichigo would need a Captain-level Shinigami to give him all of their Reiryoku," Urahara answers. "They'd be trading away their own power to reawaken his, a one to one swap. Like I said, it's not in the cards."
- XCUTION HEADQUARTERS (IN THE BACK OF THE VAN) -
OCCURRING CONCURRENTLY
"So how do we get the totems back from this Adoka Tozaki?" Ichigo asks.
"Oh my," Jackie coos. "I knew I had a good feeling about you."
"Adoka's gonna be a tough nut to crack," Ginjō explains, sitting back on a leather sofa. "He keeps his totems in his office, which is a friggin' fortress. We already cased his mansion in the countryside…"
We glimpse the XCution van pulling up beside a thicketed area, shielded by trees as the crew surveys Adoka's mansion, which resides secluded within a forest. It's a lavish six-story structure with hot pink roofing.
"He actually has a pretty chic sense of style," Tatsuki grumbles begrudgingly while spying on the manor through binoculars. "It's kinda cute…"
"… And Riruka infiltrated the place, posing as a maid," Ginjō continues. "She was able to smuggle blueprints of Adoka's office building."
Ichigo looks at Riruka. With her everyday outfit, it's not a stretch to imagine her as a credible housekeeper.
We glimpse Tozaki Adoka in his manor, lighting up a cigar and sitting back in his armchair. Portly and sullen, he wears what remains of his balding, clover hair slicked back. His stogie wags between his swollen lips as he puffs away, plucking up a whiskey tumbler and shaking it.
"Hey, sweet-cheeks – top me off," he orders.
Riruka, supremely annoyed, plays along and sashays over to the industrialist, plucking up his glass and managing a thin smile before stomping off to pour him another.
Tatsuki witnesses the interaction, her binoculars peering through the mansion's wide windows
"I'm surprised Riruka didn't smash the glass over his head," she mumbles. "U-uuuuu-gly dude, too."
"Thanks to the schematics, we understand the layout of Adoka's lair," Ginjō explains. "His cyber plant is located in Naruki City, and it has more security measures than a virgin's garters."
"Lewd!" Riruka wretches in disgust.
"But very illustrative," Jackie purrs.
"Adoka hunts Fullbringers, so he expects Fullbringers to hunt him in return," Ginjō continues. "He keeps his totems inside a near-impenetrable vault that only he can open. And he only opens it for interested buyers. So we impersonated one of the most notorious Fullbringers in the black market: codename Dākumūn."
"Whose that?" Ichigo asks.
"Bad news," Jackie sighs. "An exceptionally powerful Fullbringer who specializes in collecting heads, selling his talents to the highest bidder. He's managed to completely hide his identity; the man is practically a ghost."
"Invoking the name got a meeting with Adoka, but there's a catch," Ginjō adds. "The only thing that can identify Dākumūn is his off-the-charts power. We've learned that Adoka plans on verifying the buyer's Reikyõ output with a meter."
"He… can measure Reikyō?" Ichigo mumbles surprisedly.
"Well yeah, it's not entirely unlike measuring radiation," Ginjō replies. "You can assess anything if you know what you're looking for. The problem is that none of us are gonna hit the number needed to convince Adoka he's doing business with the real deal. We're betting that you'll have the output we need."
"Wait…" Ichigo catches on. "You want me to impersonate an international assassin?"
"Dākumūn's only been active for a couple of years, and nobody knows how old he is," Riruka notes. "Max out that meter, and Adoka will believe that even a teenager like you could be the genuine article, doll-face."
Ichigo breaks into a sweat as he contemplates the amount of deception he's being asked to pull off. I've never acted before in my life, he thinks.
"And that's just step one," Ginjō continues. "The bastard also uses a failsafe security system that locks down the building like a prison. We'll need to de-active it if we want to make a clean getaway."
"That's where we come in," Jackie grins. "Got it all figured out. The only missing piece is you, Ichigo. We need you to become a powerful stud, darling."
"The meeting is scheduled to occur in four days' time," Giriko chimes in. "You have until then to harness your Fullbring and cultivate enough Reikyō to be persuasive."
"If you wanna walk away, you're free to do so," Ginjō concludes, observing Ichigo's nervous expression.
Ichigo gulps. He looks to Chad, Tatsuki, and back to Ginjō.
"You've brought me this far," he concludes. "Let's go all the way."
SOUL SOCIETY - OCCURRING CONCURRENTLY
THIRTEENTH DIVISION BARRACKS
"Cheers!" Renji Abarai grins, clinking glasses of sake with Rukia, Rangiku Matsumoto, Tetsuzaemon Iba, Isane Kotetsu, and Marechiyo Ōmaeda. They all throw back their shots and gasp from the sting in their throats. Unlike the Visoreds, this crew hasn't tasted proper sake from the World of the Living, and the Soul Society variety gets them liquored up swiftly.
Ōmaeda coughs and pounds his chest, savoring the burn. Isane involuntarily burps, drawing eyes from around the table. She blushes scarlet, then gives a demure wave of her hand – "'Scuse me."
The party erupts with laughter, Rukia the most effusive of them all. She's in a very good mood.
"Another toast!" Ōmaeda roars, plucking up the bottle and pouring another round. "To Rukia, for rising in the ranks. Well deserved!"
"I already said that," Renji protests with a raised brow.
"But not with the proper bravado!" Ōmaeda cries out with a guttural flourish, eyes wide as he cackles. "Cheers!"
They throw back another shot, Isane nearly going cross-eyed as the booze hits her hard. Rukia smiles warmly at her new peers, feeling profound contentment. Rangiku had cajoled her into inviting fellow lieutenants over to celebrate, and she's glad she acquiesced. Ukitake, thoughtful as ever, granted her full permission to cut loose for the evening.
The group falls silent when the quarter's shōji slides open. Hiyori Sarugaki and Lisa Yadōmaru peek their heads through the gap.
"We heard you were celebrating," Lisa says, staring everyone down.
"You wanna join in?" Rangiku asks.
"Oh yes," Hiyori replies eagerly.
"We're already low on sake," Tetsuzaemon points out.
"We accounted for that," Lisa adds. She and Hiyori brandish four bottles they had smuggled from their barracks' cellars.
"Then come on in!" Rangiku squeals excitedly.
Hiyori and Lisa scooch seamlessly into the group, plunking down their bottles and popping one open.
"So, you went from being Soul Society's Enemy Number One to a lieutenant in the space of two years?" Hiyori remarks to Rukia, pouring her a glass. "Ain't that some whiplash."
The other lieutenants blush at Hiyori's bluntness. Rukia's execution and the parts they each played in it are still fresh in their memory.
"Aizen deceived Soul Society," Rukia muses, taking a light sip of her drink. "They only condemned me because of his machinations."
"Woof, been there," Lisa remarks before taking a swig, immediately pouring herself another full glass.
"Well, I hold no ill will toward my comrades," Rukia concludes, casting Renji a warm look. He smiles back, clinking glasses with her.
The shõji parts once again, Izuru Kira peering in.
"Sorry we're late," the Third Division Lieutenant announces. "Shūhei needed some convincing."
He enters, followed by a sullen Shūhei Hisagi. The group regards the Ninth Division Lieutenant with fascination, aware of his latest extracurricular activities.
"How about you sit here," Kira suggests, plunking Hisagi right down beside Rangiku. Hisagi blushes: it's an ill-kept secret that he has a crush on her.
"Down in the dumps, Shūhei?" Tetsuzaemon asks.
"He's dispirited today," Kira answers. "His detective work hit a wall."
"Oh yes, your investigation?" Rangiku chimes in, nudging Hisagi. "It's been the talk of the Gotei. What happened?"
Hisagi looks around at the curious stares from his peers. He sighs.
"I had a lead, but it went cold thanks to the Tsunayashiro Tenrai-chō."
"Tokinada?" Hiyori grumbles. "Kensei said he's a total prick."
"Saraguki-san!" Isane cries out, aghast. "You're talking about the leader of a Shisonka House."
"Doesn't mean he's not a prick," Lisa pushes back, pouring herself yet another drink.
"His behavior is… not becoming of a Tenrai-chō," Hisagi admits.
"Did he make you perform your Shikai?" Kira asks.
"He did, yeah," Hisagi replies, taken aback. "How'd you know?"
"He made me do the same thing," Kira admits. "My family's a vassal of Tsunayashiro House. He requested I visit him after I was promoted to lieutenant. It was… well, he is difficult company."
"He's popular in the World of the Living, for what it's worth," Rangiku remarks before taking a sip of sake.
"What do you mean?" Hisagi asks.
"Oh, whoops," Rangiku puts a hand to her mouth. "That was the sake talking."
"Come on, Rangiku, dish the – hiccup – dirt," Isane presses.
"Well… this was about ten years ago," Rangiku elaborates, not needing more prompting. "SDRI detected a concentration of Hollow activity in a remote area in the World of the Living, and I was sent to investigate. It was an island full of… very strange people."
We see Rangiku ten years beforehand, stepping down onto a small island capped by a dormant volcano. She makes her way through the jungle greenery until she comes upon a village. A congregation of humans are all aligned in what looks like ceremonial prayer, illuminated by torchlight and chanting out into the night sky.
"There was this village — looked like a cult, honestly — and they were conducting some sort of ritual prayer," Rangiku recounts.
Rangiku sees two Hollows encroaching, attracted to some mysterious force the crowd is exuding. She unsheathes her Zanpakutō and launches at the beasts, taking them out with little fuss. As the Hollows disintegrate, she returns her attention to the congregation.
"When I made out what they were saying, I almost couldn't believe my ears," Rangiku continues. "They were calling out to 'Tsunayashiro Tokinada,' chanting his name as if he were their deity."
The lieutenants all listen intently, struggling to comprehend how humans could possibly be aware of the Tenrai-chō.
"But their leader was what really surprised me," Rangiku adds, furrowing her brow as she remembers that unforgettable visage.
Rangiku looks past the small army of acolytes and sees their high priestess, kneeling on a platform and leading the chant. Only a young teenager, raven hair draping along her porcelain skin, she cries out fervently to Tokinada. She has a cloth wrapped around her eyes.
"She was a young girl, practically a kid," Rangiku shares. "And… she was blind."
XCUTION HEADQUARTERS - OCCURRING CONCURRENTLY
INSIDE THE FISH TANK
Jackie Tristan stomps her ratty boots into the shoal, wriggling them in the mud. She is clad in armor, her neck wreathed with a white scarf and head capped by a black hat, with a veil along the brim shrouding half her face. Ichigo watches nonplussed, his body frocked with the scrawling black of his own Fullbring.
"What are you doing there, Jackie?" he asks.
"Don't be impatient, darling," Jackie coos, lifting up her foot. It's dripping dirty. "I just needed to scuff my boots up a bit."
She slams her foot back down into the muck, sending forth a fissure in the ground. Ichigo yelps as he sidesteps the tremor, astonished by the force it must have taken to do that. In a spring of Bringer-Light, Jackie is beside him, whirling a kick that crunches into his arm and sends him somersaulting across the shoals.
"There's an ouchie!" Riruka chuckles from above. She looms over the two miniaturized combatants like a colossus, watching Ichigo take his licks with amusement.
"Sparring with Jackie was definitely the most painful part of my training," Chad recalls, the very memory putting a soreness in his ribs.
"Jackie has the fastest Bringer Light among us, and she packs the biggest punch, too," Ginjō muses, leaning against a pillar. "You'll need to hone your Fullbring further if you don't want to get completely walloped, Ichigo…"
Jackie flips through the air, plunging down and smashing her boots back into the shoals. The shallow water pulses in one booming concentric circle, sending Ichigo springing up. Jackie launches up to meet him, spinning forward in a somersault and connecting her heel into his chest. He gasps, feeling the air punched out him, and shoots down into the ground with a splash.
"Tatsuki and Yasutora are still mere pups," Jackie purrs while levitating down, her boots slamming into the shoals like anvils. "You're getting a taste of what battling a fully matured Fullbringer is like. Do try and keep up."
Ichigo hocks a wad of spit and rises to his feet, focusing his Reikyō to generate a smoky black blade in his hand. He looks at Jackie with incredulity.
"You're telling me that your Fullbring totem is just a pair of crummy boots?" he asks.
"Oh, you mean my Dirty Boots?" Jackie replies, digging her heels deeper into the mud. "As you know, totems are objects that have a certain sentimental value. Tell me, what's the nicest thing you've ever owned?"
Ichigo draws a blank, never having considered the question before.
"Uh… well, I… ?"
"The answer doesn't jump out at you because your needs have been met all your life," Jackie continues with a thin smile. "No shame in that, darling. You deserve to be looked after. However, my brother and I were decidedly not taken care of back in The Big Smoke. Our parents were born poor and died poor at a young age, leaving us to fend for ourselves, getting by on the cheapest bare necessities. Until one day, my brother gifted me with an absolutely divine pair of designer kicks."
We see a younger Jackie Tristan, 16-years-old, wide-eyed as she opens a gift box. She takes out a pair of knee-highs, her eyes widening with delight. She looks to her brother, beaming at him.
"Even with my destitute wardrobe, I felt like a goddess strutting around in these boots," Jackie recalls fondly. "I only wore them for special occasions, mind you, and cleaned them fastidiously. Kept them tip-top pristine. I never did ask him where he got the money for such a luxurious purchase. That was answered soon enough, when we were walking down the street and a thug with a bad haircut strode right up to us and shot my brother in the face. He had turned to being a corner boy for drug traffickers, you see, and skimmed some profits. And there were my boots, stained with his brains."
Ichigo is speechless, his Fullbring contracting around him as he takes in the tale.
"No amount of polish would ever make them clean again," Jackie concludes. "Nowadays, they thrive on getting dirty."
Jackie bounds forward once more, launching a kick that Ichigo attempts — and fails — to block.
Ginjō spies on Ichigo being tossed around, his eyes narrowing. He looks over at Tatsuki and Chad, who are observing the training with grim seriousness.
"Riruka, fetch the Shiver Timber box," he orders.
"Huh?" Riruka looks at him incredulously. "What for?"
"Just do it."
Ichigo sighs with relief as Giriko's Tanshin no Tokei hastens the natural healing of his bruises. He slumps back with an exhale into a plush armchair.
"So that didn't go great," he sighs.
"Jackie creamed me the first couple of times, too," Tatsuki tells him reassuringly.
"Are you implying that I wouldn't wipe the floor with you currently?" Jackie asks with mock indignation before shooting Tatsuki a sly wink.
"We only have a couple days before I need to be stronger than all of you, right?" Ichigo asks, his wounds fully healed and Giriko's spell dissipating. "Maybe we should go again before calling it a night?"
"Change of plan!" Ginjō announces, patting an aged wood-panel box situated on the table. "Here's your next stop."
"The Shiver Timber?" Tatsuki asks skeptically, eyeing the shrunken bar. "How's that a good training ground?"
"Just get in the damn box," Ginjō grumbles, handing the password to Ichigo. "Chad and Tatsuki, you too. Everyone get in there. Except you, Jackie and Giriko."
Ichigo, Chad, and Tatsuki look at the XCution leader with apprehension, then down at the note.
"Yo-ho-ho and a packet of gum!" they call out in unison, following with a "Pop!" They morph into a blob of green light and shoot down into the miniature.
Ichigo rubs his head while getting his bearings, looking around to see the buckaneer-themed bar. He flinches when Riruka pops a bottle of champagne.
"This is a party," Riruka declares with zero enthusiasm. "I will be your server tonight… Enjoy."
"What?!" Ichigo shouts.
Another beam of light shoots down after them, morphing into Ginjō. He gives a cheeky grin.
"I figured you all could use a night to cut loose," he discloses, striding over to the bar and pouring four shots of sake.
"We're all underage, Ginjō-san," Chad says hesitantly.
"Do I need to punch you in the balls to remind you that you have them, Chad?" Ginjō grumbles back, turning around and shoving a shot into the Gigante's hands. "You're all under adult supervision tonight, so stop worrying and have a little fun."
"It's a school night and already close to 11pm," Tatsuki protests. "You expect us to party with you all night?"
"It'll only take 10 minutes," Ginjō retorts, handing Tatsuki a shot. "Giriko's casting one of his spells on this box right now, as we speak. Time in here will move a whole lot slower than outside. You'll still get your nine hours of sleep, don't you worry."
"Ginjō… wouldn't the rest of tonight be better spent training?" Ichigo asks nervously. "I'm not ready yet –"
"– And you're not gonna be ready until you loosen up," Ginjō counters, handing him the third shot. "Consider this a part of your training. No more objections; they're all moot anyway. Giriko's spell comes with a condition: nobody can get out of here until you're all drunk."
"Ginjō, you are a terrible influence!" Tatsuki cries out indignantly. "Alright, well… one drink."
Ichigo, Chad, and Tatsuki unenthusiastically clink their glasses and throw them back. Ichigo's mouth puckers from the burn of the liquor, his eyes widening as the sensation hits.
FIVE DRINKS LATER
Ichigo and Tatsuki giggle between sips of champagne as they watch Chad and Ginjō stalemating at arm wrestling.
"Come…. on…" Ginjō grits, sweat beading down his brow as the muscles of his bicep strain.
Chad is stone-faced, eyes focused intently as he struggles to swerve Ginjō's arm onto the table. His nostrils flare, exaggeratedly letting out steam like an angry bull. Suddenly, his arm hardens into Brazo Derecha de Gigante, turning the tide immediately. Ginjō yelps as his arm not only lands onto the table, but smashes through it. He flips from his chair and tumbles across the floor, eliciting a burst of laughter from Ichigo and Tatsuki.
"Hey, that was a cheap shot!" Ginjō cries out, jumping up and nursing his smarting arm. "That's exactly what I like to see, Chad. Well done!"
Tatsuki leans forward in her chair, nearly teetering while gazing at Ginjō's forearm. He had pulled up his sleeve for the arm wrestle, and the hint of flesh reveals a blood-red 'X' etched below his wrist.
"Ginjō, when'd you get that tattoo?" Tatsuki asks wide-eyed, sipping champagne through a straw.
"Oh, this?" Ginjō remarks, gazing down at the mark. It looks less like a tattoo than a branding. "I… hmmm. I actually don't remember. Bwahahahaha!"
The XCution leader nearly falls over in laughter, plucking up a bottle of sake and taking a swig.
"I think you might be imbibing too often, Ginjō-san," Chad remarks before woozily throwing back his sixth shot of sake.
J ackie flips through television channels from the couch, looking over enviously at the Shiver Timber box, hearing the miniaturized commotion happening within. A Nagabari no Tokei (Long Hand of the Clock) enchantment swirls around the dollhouse, stretching out the party's duration.
"I hardly see how libations will help prime Ichigo," she wryly comments to Giriko.
"I sincerely doubt that even Master Kūgo believes it will be conducive to training," Giriko offers, solitarily playing chess against himself. "I believe he is merely exorcising stress the only way he knows how."
"Well, it would have been nice to have gotten an invitation," Jackie murmurs, continuing to press away at the controller.
"He explicitly forbade us from participating," Giriko notes.
"Oddly crotchety of him, wasn't it?" Jackie sighs.
"My concern goes beyond his rudeness," Giriko continues. "He has been cagier around the two of us as of late."
"What are you trying to say, Kutzusawa?" Jackie asks.
"I fear… that he is beginning to suspect that something is amiss," Giriko concludes.
NINE DRINKS IN
Chad and Tatsuki are slumped together on parallel barstools, struggling to maintain consciousness as they nurse their glasses of champagne. Riruka is playing a pretty melody on the piano, shooting an annoyed glare at everyone while they have all the fun.
"Alright, yer turns to… pour," Ichigo slurs, resting his chin in hand while sharing a bottle of sake with Ginjō.
"You trying to outdrink me, Ichigo?" the XCution leader asks, pouring another round. "That might be the one area you'll never surpass me in."
Ichigo chuckles, then hiccups. His slanted grin tries to turn serious as he takes up his glass, waving it around.
"There's one thing I - hiccup - keep wonderin' about," he broaches. "I, blergh, I know your face from somewhere, Ginjō. Did we ever meet before?"
Ginjō raises a brow, searching his memory.
"Coming up empty, kid," he putters, ruminative as he takes a sip. "I hear you got a girlfriend. That true?"
"Yup," Ichigo nods, eyes hooded as he struggles to maintain focus on the conversation. "She's pretty great. Ball o' sunshine. Makes me – hiccup — smile."
"You care about her?" Ginjō queries. "She's not just some high school fling?"
Ichigo shakes his head, then realizes he meant to nod.
"No… I mean yes! No, she's not just a fling. Yes, I care about her."
Ginjō pounds a fist against his chest, right where the heart is.
"You gotta let her know that," he advises. "Never take her for granted. Never take anyone who cares about you for granted, got it? That just might be the most important advice I ever give you."
"Do you have somebody like that?" Ichigo asks, his chin nearly sliding off from his palm as he teeters back on forth on the table.
"I did once," Ginjō sighs, somberly fingering the Saltire Cross necklaced around his neck. "Long time ago. The same Hollow that infected me took her life."
"I'm sorry," Ichigo replies, brow crinkling with sympathy.
"Funny how death takes everything from us," Ginjō muses. "Everything that makes us who we are gets flushed when we pass onto Soul Society. Even if she and I met again in the next life, we wouldn't remember each other… Ain't that a bitch?"
Ichigo considers this and feels his buzz begin to curdle. He grows green in the face and turns to puke. Riruka leaps beside him, catching all of his sick with a bucket.
"There there, doll-face, just let it out," she says concernedly before giving Ginjō a cross glare. "Well, you really succeeded in loosening him up, didn't you?"
"Eh, he'll be fine," Ginjō waves her off, rising from the table and stumbling over to the piano. He absentmindedly roves his hand over the keyboard, pressing down on one of the white keys. The piano sounds out a low, ominous note.
SOUL SOCIETY - THE NEXT MORNING
TENSHIHEISŌBAN - THE SHIHŌIN MANOR
Tokinada Tsunayashiro sits atop a gem-encrusted litter, four masked attendants carrying the platform by its two horizontal poles built from bamboo. The Tenrai-chō cools himself with his personal hand fan, a purple ogi with the Kanji phrase Hatsune ("First Child") embroidered onto it with golden thread. Flanked by the Shikōtai guards Sugai Komamura and Baiyori Magonyo, the royal litter approaches Tenshiheisōban ("House of Godly Gears"), the Shihōin Family manor.
Built into the hollowed-out face of a mountain in the northwest Seiretei, Tenshiheisōban is a fifteen-story hirayamjiro castle with pearly white roofing and onyx facing. Masked attendants at the manor's entrance bow before Tokinada's incoming litter.
"Welcome, Tsunayashiro Tenrai-chō," the head servant greets. "We did not expect you today."
"Your duty is not to anticipate a Tenrai-chō's whims, but to accommodate them," Tokinada replies from his lavish perch. "I found myself implacably bored this morning and decided that a conversation with dear Yūshirō is in order."
"The Shihōin Tenrai-chō is currently being tutored, Your Majesty."
"I see no issue with my sitting in on his lesson," Tokinada grins, stepping off from his litter and plopping down onto the sacred ground. "Perhaps I will learn something, too."
The head servant gives an acquiescing nod, leading Tokinada and his two Shikōtai guards into the manor. One of the Shihōin attendants watches the Tenrai-chō with suspicious eyes, making a mental note of his arrival.
"And so the dispute between the West Rukongai District 49 and 50 was resolved by Decree 833, which granted Rukongai sectors discretion to reject immigration from an outer district…" a wizened lecturer dryly recounts from a crinkled text, adding corresponding notes to a canvas he has perched on a subframe.
Yūshirō Sakimune Shihōin, the Tenrai-chō of the Shihōin Shisonka, eagerly scrawls down notes on a parchment while listening to his instructor. Only 62-years-old, he looks like a young teenager by human standards. Dark-skinned, lithe in frame, and handsome with his aureate eyes, he bears an uncanny resemblance to his elder sister, Yoruichi. However, he has never met her: she had betrayed the Gotei and was exiled four decades before he was even born. Following the revelations of Aizen's treachery and the events of the White Invasion, Yoruichi's name has been cleared amongst the Gotei 13, but she remains a taboo subject in the House of Shihōin.
Sitting in a corner of the chamber is Hinashi Yokio, a translucently pallid and rail-thin Shinigami clad in a bronze cuirass and capped with a helm usurped by a spike. He is the lone Shikōtai guard to the Shihōin family, tasked with protecting Yūshirō's life. He sits in a meditative posture, eyes vigilantly scanning the room.
Yūshirō shoots up his hand to ask a question. Being the only student, it isn't hard for him to get his instructor's attention.
"Yes, Tenrai-chō?" the ancient-looking tutor halts his lecture.
"Yessir!" Yūshirō excitedly nods. "I'm trying to understand how Decree #833 helped the West Rukongai when it merely kept District 50's criminals stuck in District 50? That doesn't sound like a lasting peace to me."
"Well, your majesty, the ruling reflected Central 46's stance that a Rukongai district with closer proximity to the Seiretei will always retain greater privileges than those who reside farther out," the lecturer replies. "That is the…"
A loud, performative yawn sounds out from the chamber entrance, breaking the tutor's train of thought. Yūshirō looks back and sees a welcome face.
"Oh hello, Tokinada!" the young Shihōin Tenrai-chō shouts excitedly.
"My dear Yūshirō, why in heavens do you submit yourself to these ramblings?" Tokinada yawns again, striding down the lecture hall's steps. His flowing Shihakushō gives him the appearance of a descending wraith. He turns his attention to the lecturer.
"And you; why do you dare waste Yūshirō's education on such trivial matters?" Tokinada asks. "Why bore him with Central 46's long history of placating Rukongai filth?"
"Because it is vital that a Tenrai-chō understands Soul Society's law, Your Majesty," the tutor answers nervously.
"Why yes, I suppose that's true," Tokinada replies. "But what of our law? The Shisonka law? I suggest you leave us so that I may educate the lad on the only law that matters."
The flustered tutor hurriedly collects his scrolls and makes his leave. Yokio rises to his full height, giving Sugai and Magonyo a nod.
"Come, Yūshirō," Tokinada smiles. "Let us walk together. There is much to discuss."
Tokinada and Yūshirō stride through the open corridors of Tenshiheisōban's central garden, followed silently by Sugai, Magonyo, and Yokio.
"Irritating, isn't it?" Tokinada remarks, gesturing back to their Shikōtai guards. "To be shadowed by Shinigami during our every waking moment? How arcane that we are left defenseless, deprived of Zanpakutō."
"Father once told me that we do have Zanpakutō awaiting us," Yūshirō offers. "The most powerful ever created – forged in the Royal Realm itself!"
"Ah yes, that old story," Tokinada grins. "The four Tenkettō Zanpakutō, our ancestral Shinken. I can attest to their existence."
"That's why we don't have our own Zanpakutō, right?" Yūshirō asks. "So that we are able wield the Shinken come the hour of Soul Society's greatest need?"
"A supposed day of reckoning that may never arrive," Tokinada retorts. "That is the fable they'd like you to believe, dear Yūshirō. Promising Reiō's favorite children that they are prophesied saviors is a comforting myth."
"What do you mean, Tokinada?" Yūshirō asks, halting his stride.
"Much has been kept from you, my boy," Tokinada says, reaching down to touch the young Tenrai-chō's shoulder. "If your father had lived to this day, then perhaps he would have already dispelled the fairytales they filled your head with as a child. I regret that the task has fallen upon me: Our ancestors surrendered their Tenkettō Zanpakutō not in preparation for a future threat, but to defuse the threat the swords themselves posed. So long as the four families were physically mighty, the specter of civil war loomed. They mutually agreed to disarm and vest military power into lesser souls. This birthed the necessity of the Gotei."
Yūshirō's golden irises shimmer, gazing up in awe at Tokinada. Sheltered his entire life, he has come to view the elder Tenrai-chō as the only person who respects him enough to share hard truths.
"You and I have been rendered toothless because those who came before us did not trust themselves with power," Tokinada continues. "Central 46 and the Gotei would have us believe that we are merely ornamental figures, trotted out to commence ceremonies or settle trivial disputes. But we are so much more than that, Yūshirō: the Reiō speaks through us, and our whims are his command. The Shinigami who rule in our stead want us defenseless because they fear our strength."
"Our strength?" Yūshirō repeats, trying to understand. "What is our strength, Tokinada?"
The Tsunayashiro Tenrai-chō smirks, leading his peer for another lap around the garden.
"I will give you an example, my boy: Can you recall the realms for me?" Tokinada asks.
"Um, well… there is Soul Society, Hueco Mundo, the Land of Beasts, and the World of the Living?" Yūshirō recounts.
"Yes, but they are not all that exist," Tokinada replies. "Those are only the realms connected to the Cycle of Souls. They were but four kernels amongst countless seeds planted by Reiō himself. Many of those seeds went unnourished and never took proper shape, growing into desolate worlds disconnected from the Cycle altogether."
"The Valley of Screams?" Yūshirō pipes up excitedly.
"Very good, Yūshirō," Tokinada continues with a glimmer in his eye. "The Valley of Screams: those pockets of void that litter the Senkaimon. But there is one of these disconnected realms that grew into something truly unique. A prison called Hell, where the wicked are ejected from the Cycle altogether and left to languish in eternal despair."
We see five tiers of a forsaken dimension, beginning with an outer layer of white blocks suspended in the air, below which reside water lilies comprised of stone sitting atop an infinite expanse of water. Below this tier is a barren landscape of craters veined with yellow magma. Descending down reveals a fourth level of a white desert made from powdered bone fragments, a glowing waterfall of magma pouring from a looming cliffside. We travel below this layer to the lowermost chamber: a blacken wasteland glowing with geysers and veins of red lava, skeletal behemoths roaming aimlessly. There is one enormous column of volcanic rock, within it countless souls screaming up at the indifferent sky as they writhe amongst each other in agonizing pain. They are gated within by a grate built from bone, their bodies manacled in chains that slither viciously throughout their bodies.
"Five layers of an impregnable prison caging the damned as they endure infinite, unbearable torture," Tokinada recalls with delight. "There is no hope for reprieve, only suffering. All the inmates can do is reflect on the sins that brought them there."
The Tenrai-chō looks down and sees Yūshirō's horrified expression.
"There, there, Yūshirō," Tokinada coos, giving the boy a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "There is no reason for you to fear Hell."
"There's isn't?" Yūshirō asks shakily, trying not imagine what an eternity of torture must be like.
"No," Tokinada answers. "Hell is not a punishment for the likes of us. It is a tool. We are the ones who send sinners there."
"We do?" Yūshirō marvels. "But… what sins did they commit?"
Tokinada grins.
"My boy, sins are whatever we decide them to be."
THE WORLD OF THE LIVING - OCCURRING CONCURRENTLY
KUROSAKI HOUSE
Ichigo stirs awake, head throbbing and clammy skin coated in sweat. Ouch, he thinks, groggily rubbing a hand through his bedhead. What happened last night?
The hazy memories of drinking with Ginjō and the others return to him, prompting a sigh. Thanks a lot, Ginjō.
"Had one too many last night?" Isshin asks disapprovingly from the doorway.
Ichigo, startled, looks up at his father. His nonplussed look turns into a frown.
"Can't you knock before barging in?"
"You hadn't come down for breakfast," Isshin replies. "If you get your ass in gear, you just might make it to school on time. So, did you tie one off last night? I can tell just looking at you."
Ichigo shifts uncomfortably beneath the sheets. He feels embarrassed.
"Don't look so ashamed," Isshin grunts. "You're a man now; you can do what you want so long as you be mindful of the consequences. I'm not gonna reprimand you for something like drinking…"
Isshin steps in and closes the door behind him, his eyes narrowing.
"Care to share what else you've been doing, lately?"
"What's it to you?" Ichigo grumbles, climbing out of his bed and opening his closet to fetch an outfit. "We're a family full of secrets, aren't we?"
He agitatedly wrests a jacket from the coat hanger, turning to give his father dagger eyes.
"Have you ever grilled Karin about what she's up to?" he asks. "Or are you gonna pretend you don't know?"
Isshin returns the frown.
"She's a woman now, she can make her own choices," he counters. "I don't tell my kids what to do with their lives. I thought you would have gotten that by now."
"You're a real Father of the Year," Ichigo grimaces.
"Do you think your life is so expendable that you alone should face danger?" Isshin sighs. "We're Kurosakis; bravery is in our nature."
"I wouldn't know anything about that," Ichigo says, plucking up a pair of pants. "I don't really know anything about you, after all. I need to change, do you mind?"
Isshin studies his son for a beat, then acquiesces. He leaves the room so Ichigo can get dressed.
SOUL SOCIETY - OCCURRING CONCURRENTLY
NINTH DIVISION BARRACKS - TRAINING FIELD
"Absolutely not!" Kensei Muguruma barks at Hisagi, submerging a trainee beneath pond water. "You're out of your mind if you think I'd green-light something like that!"
"What's your objection?" Hisagi asks perturbedly, a pocket-watch in hand. "The Captain-Commander gave me broad discretion to investigate –"
"– He said you could digging around in Tōsen's dirt, not go poking around in a friggin' Tenrai-chō's affairs." Kensei interrupts ruefully. "Are you familiar with the word 'treason'? Hold on a sec –"
Kensei feels the grunt he's submerged tapping out. He releases his hold, the Shinigami springing up from the pond greedily sucking in air.
"How long?" Kensei asks.
"Two minutes and twenty seconds," Hisagi replies, looking at the pocket-watch.
"That's a rookie number!" Kensei roars at the grunt. "I want you sucking it in for four minutes same time next week, got it?! Take a lap. Next!"
Kensei smacks the grunt on the back and ushers in another, unceremoniously dunking him into the pond.
"As I was saying – I'm not granting you permission to venture into the World of the Living to sniff out innuendo about one of the most powerful people in Soul Society."
Hisagi glowers while the watch ticks away. "You're not the least bit curious to learn why an island of humans worship him?"
"You bet yer ass I'm curious," Kensei replies. "But it's none of our business. No good could come from sifting through a Tenrai-chō's dirty laundry."
"Why… would you go through his laundry?" Hisagi stammers, genuinely confused.
"It's a human expression, Shūhei," Kensei grits. "Dammit, all of you are such a drag. My point is that you're not going to that island. End of conversation."
"Aww, where's the fun in that?" a lackadaisical voice calls out. Kensei and Shūhei look up and see Captain Shunsui Kyōraku approaching, tipping his straw hat back to reveal a cheeky grin.
"Kyōraku?" Kensei says surprisedly. "What brings you here?"
"Nanao-chan told me a ve-eee-ry interesting story she overheard last night at the shindig," Shunsui recalls. "Something about an isle of Shinigami-worshipping humans?"
"Lieutenant Ise wasn't at the party last night," Hisagi recalls, taken aback. "How did she…?"
"Oh, she chickened out of attending at the last second and hung around in the hallway," Shunsui sighs. "Nanao-chan's very introverted, y'know? Anyways, I figured I'd visit this island, and I was wondering if you two wanna come along?"
"Really?" Hisagi asks excitedly.
"I already forbid Shūhei from going," Kensei frowns. "It's a detour that falls outside of his investigation's purview."
"Oh, this wouldn't be a part of any investigation," Shunsui hand-waves with a sheepish smile. "I just wanna go out of curiosity, stretch my legs a bit. Don't you wanna take a quick sojourn, Captain Muguruma?"
Kensei stares Shunsui down for a beat. "Fine," he sighs. "This is gonna be strictly off the record. Got that, Shū– oh, whoops."
The captain realizes that the submerged grunt has been tapping out for a while already. He removes his hand, the rookie springing up gasping for breath.
"Sorry, kid," Kensei murmurs apologetically, giving the near-drowned Shinigami a pat on the shoulder. "You get top marks, okay? Go take a nap."
THE WORLD OF THE LIVING - THAT AFTERNOON
KARAKURA HIGH SCHOOL
The whole classroom looks awkwardly at Ichigo while he loudly snores, chin in hand and having drifted off to sleep. A contracting and inflating bubble has sprouted from his nostril as he snores away.
"Mr. Kurosaki!" the teacher shouts agitatedly.
Ichigo's eyes snap open and his chin slides off from his palm, slamming onto the desk. He nurses his stinging jaw while his classmates snicker.
"I'll be seeing you after class, Mr. Kurosaki," the instructor chides before resuming his lecture.
"Psst, Ichigo, you look terrible," Keigo whispers concernedly.
"Thanks," Ichigo grumbles back, slinking deeper into his chair and trying to focus.
"What were you doing last night?"
"It's none of your business," Ichigo drowsily retorts.
Keigo turns crimson with mortification, realizing he's been cut out of the loop.
"How could you ice out your best friend, huh?" he frenziedly bemoans, trying to keep his voice down. "And after I covered for you with your job the other night?!"
"Yes, a little bit of gratitude would have been nice," Mizuiro chimes in, giving Ichigo a rueful look. "Sad to see you so secretive again, Ichigo."
Ichigo lets out a flustered exhale, struggling to get comfortable while his body aches. He looks over to Tatsuki, who looks ghostly pale, clammy with sweat, but chipper all the same. She's maniacally chewing on a piece of gum, nearly humming to herself as she strains to focus on the lesson plan.
MEGUMURENRI: THE KUCHIKI MANOR - OCCURRING CONCURRENTLY
Ginrei Kuchiki dabs his paintbrush into a swath of amethyst and indigo, and brings the mixture up to the canvas. He is painting a collage of Hydrangea flowers. Listless for decades after retiring from the Gotei to assume the role of Tenrai-chō, he has discovered an indispensable outlet through artistry.
The shōji slides open, an attendant peeking inside.
"Your majesty, the Ise Tenrai-chō is on the premises," the servant announces. "She demands an audience –"
The attendant is knocked aside by Kōbucha Ise, the Tenrai-chō of Ise House. Prim and sinewy, her dusky hair striped with gray and eyes a smoldering black, she swats her hand-fan across the attendant's face.
"I never demand!" Kōbucha hisses, making her way into Ginrei's quarters. "I graciously request – with the expectation that it will be granted. On your way, you are not needed here."
The attendant stomps off while Kōbucha is joined by her Shikōtai guard, Nisaki Rurisa. A burly and tall woman with short-cropped auburn hair and charcoal eyes, she is clad in a barn-red cuirass, her helm punctuated with a shortened approximation of Addax horns.
"You haven't gotten any more skillful after all these years," Kōbucha says derisively while peeking at Ginrei's painting. "Set your doodle aside – we have important matters to discuss."
"Kōbucha, I wish you would preempt your visits with a word of warning," Ginrei sighs.
A figure emerges from behind a curtain in the corner of the room: Kōga Kuchiki, Ginrei's Shikōtai guard. Unlike the rest of the Shisonka bodyguards, Kōga does not wear samurai armor. He is instead clad in standard Shihakushō garb with a lengthy red scarf draped around his neck. Black of hair with a red-dyed ponytail fastened by a kenseikan to signify his surrender of ancestral claim, he is a strikingly handsome young Shinigami. He gives a nod to Rurisa, who returns the gesture.
"Tokinada paid Yūshirō a visit yet again this morning," Kōbucha announces, dramatically fanning herself with indignation.
"How did you learn of this?" Ginrei asks, setting his paintbrush down.
"I have my sources," Kōbucha replies evasively. She frowns when Ginrei gives her a disapproving look.
"Oh Kōbucha, you've planted spies in the Shihōin House?" Ginrei laments. "Your deviousness is getting out of hand."
"My deviousness may save us yet!" Kōbucha retorts, making herself at home and flopping down onto the plush seat reserved for Ginrei. "Who knows what silly ideas Tokinada is putting into that boy's head? Yūshirō is an impressionable child – imagine him being a deferring vote in favor of Tokinada's opinion whenever we make a ruling?"
Ginrei sighs, recognizing the threat. The Shihōin family took their daughter Yoruichi's treason as a sign that they had been too lenient with their children. They compensated by insulating Yūshirō throughout his upbringing. He became the docile heir they desired, but their method also made him impressionable.
"Tokinada is within his rights to spend time with the boy," Ginrei reasons. "You have the same right to visit him, too."
"Why would I?" Kōbucha snaps back. "He's only sixty years old, a child who knows nothing. I can't imagine more boring company. Whether or not I have tea time with the brat is not the problem. Should Tokinada be allowed to sink his claws into him, the power of the Shisonka will be tilted in his favor."
"Perhaps," Ginrei muses. "Or perhaps you and I can guide them both. They are young, Kōbucha. They still have time to mature into their roles."
Kōbucha shoots Ginrei an incredulous glare.
"Perhaps the biggest threat to the Shisonka isn't Tokinada, but doddering old fools and their good intentions," she says venomously. "Good day, Ginrei."
Ise storms out, followed by Rurisa. Ginrei sighs, plucking up his paintbrush but feeling no desire to continue with his collage today.
"Kōga… what do you think?" he asks his Shikōtai guard.
Kōga Kuchiki paces around the room, his jade eyes alight with irritation.
"The Ise Tenrai-chō's paranoia may be justified, but I think the greatest threat to the Shisonka will come within this very House – if Byakuya has his way," he grits. "Attempting to hand off your legacy to that Rukongai welp is an insult."
Ginrei furrows his brow, feeling profoundly conflicted.
"Byakuya is dedicated to the prosperity of the Kuchiki name, and he sees promise in Rukia," the Tenrai-chō counters. "I know that he would not jeopardize –"
"– He is blinded by the memory of Hisana," Kōga boldly interjects. "He has convinced himself that elevating that girl will honor his dead wife. His judgment has been corrupted by sentiment."
Ginrei fumbles with his paintbrush, then sets it down. He meekly strides across the room and rests in his chair.
"I know he is your grandson, Your Majesty, but his request will be the undoing of this House," Kōga adds. "Tokinada is a rightful inheritor of the Tsunayashiro throne – it was Reiō's will that he assume power. What will the Reiō think when Kuchiki House insults him by offering up Rukongai trash as his vassal?"
THE WORLD OF THE LIVING - SAIKUROPUSUA ISLE
The lush greenery in the Isle of Saikuropusua doesn't even rustle when the Senkaimon opens. Out steps Shunsui, Kensei, and Hisagi. The three Shinigami gaze at their surroundings. They are ensconced within a humid jungle, a swollen volcano looming above.
"Well, we're here," Kensei remarks. "So where are the crazies?"
"Shh," Shunsui hushes, holding up a finger for silence. "Listen."
Hisagi and Kensei train their ears, hearing the pulsating beat of drumming in the far distance.
"Follow the music, that's my motto," Shunsui grins, striding forth through the greenery.
"This is strictly off the record, got it?" Kensei warns Hisagi with an annoyed glare.
Hisagi gulps and follows the two captains into the brush.
The trio make their way until they come upon a cliffside, gazing down at a village of straw huts. It looks thoroughly antiquated, resembling the Seiretei more than it does the 21st Century World of the Living. Nearly a hundred humans are congregated in the village square, kneeling in prayer before a scaffold.
Atop the platform stand two men intensely drumming sheepskin barrels. Kneeling between them is a young woman, her black hair a lopsided cut with a fringe of gray along the bangs. She wears a sleeve of cloth around her eyes. Her name is Aura Michibane.
"Blessed be us, members of the Tengokuyoken!" Michibane cries out, her voice soft but carrying throughout the valley. "Know ye that death gives way to renewal, but clinging to mortal concerns breeds disfiguration. Cleanse yourselves of petty grievance, and prepare for a seat within the Seiretei. Hail Tenrai-chō Tsunayashrio!"
"Hail Tenrai-chō Tsunayashiro!" the crowd chants, their voices echoing throughout the island.
"This is some weird shit," Kensei remarks.
"Let's take a closer look," Shunsui advises, giving his comrades an incorrigible nod.
Shunsui, Kensei, and Hisagi stride amongst the Tengokuyoken faithful, inspecting the prostrate believers.
"It's a mixture of young and old," Shunsui observes while studying their faces. "They've been recruiting."
"I promise you an afterlife of not just peace, but prosperity!" Michibane continues to proselytize.
"Have you noticed it, yet?" Kensei remarks.
"What do you mean, Captain?" Hisagi asks, carefully stepping over the congregates.
"The way they tremble," Kensei observes. "They're all terrified of that woman."
Hisagi gazes down at the worshippers, noticing the pronounced quivering of their musculature. They are quaking in fear.
"Oh…" Michibane coos from her perch, reaching her hands out into the air, as if grappling with a phantom presence. She cocks her head.
Hisagi halts, sensing that he is being scrutinized.
"Captain," he whispers, nudging Kensei. "I think… she sees us."
"Pretty sure she's blind, Shūhei," Kensei retorts.
"No, look – she knows we're here," Hisagi asserts, sweat beading down his brow.
Shunsui looks up at Michibane, watching as her fingers curl. He can detect her scrutiny, too. He looks around, clocking the nervous looks from several of the Tengokuyoken worshippers. They can see him.
"How strange," the Eighth Division Captain remarks. "Maybe the head cultist isn't completely full of it?"
KARAKURA TOWN
Tatsuki sighs with relief as she begins her walk home from school. Keeping it together all day with a hangover proved to be an arduous ordeal.
"Hello, Arisawa," Chad greets, dovetailing to join her on the stroll home. "Where's Ichigo?"
"He fell asleep in class," Tatsuki recalls with amusement. "Now he's getting a talking to. Last night really did a number on him. I feel like I got hit by a truck, myself."
"Oh?" Chad says softly, surprised. "I felt fine this morning."
"That's because you're a tank, big guy," Tatsuki playfully punches him in the arm. "Pretty weird of Ginjō to insist we drink, wasn't it?"
They turn a corner, entering into a shortcut alleyway.
"Yes," Chad nods. "Something's been off about him ever since we began training Ichigo."
"What do you mean?" Tatsuki asks, halting her stride.
"You haven't noticed it?" Chad says, gazing down at her. "Ever since Ichigo agreed to join XCution, Ginjō hasn't seemed like himself. The edges feel sanded away. I always sensed a great anger in him. Now all I see in him is… sadness."
Tatsuki ponders this for a beat, her train of thought interrupted by the revving of engines. She sees an outstretched hand wielding a pipe swinging behind Chad's head.
"Chad, behind you!" she cries out.
Yasutora whips around to meet his attacker, raising his arms to shield his face. The motorcyclist rips past him, swinging the pipe with blunt force. It smashes against Chad's forearms, bending into a twisted horseshoe.
Tatsuki watches the motorcycle roar down the alleyway to join a small army of punks blocking the entrance, their shirts emblazoned with that familiar skeletal hawk insignia.
Bōnhōku! Tatsuki realizes, turning back to the other end of the alley, only to see more gang members awaiting them from that passageway. They're surrounded on both sides, cornered in the alley. Tatsuki instinctively reaches for the knapsack around her waist, only to remember she's not wearing it. I left Ringo at home! she thinks in a panic. I can't access my Fullbring without him!
"Arisawa, get behind me" Chad advises, grimly assessing the forces ambushing them. There are at least two dozen Bōnhōku streaming in from both sides, four of them situated on motorcycles. They rev their engines threateningly.
Moe Shishigawara emerges from the pack, hands on hips and a cocksure grin on his face.
"You thought you could mess with the Bōnhōku and get away with it?" he grins. "Time to pay your dues, chump change! I'm gonna deliver you to Tsukishima-sama myself."
"I remember that guy from the Shiver Timber," Tatsuki murmurs to Chad. "I kicked a plank up into his balls."
"I can understand why he'd hold a grudge about that," Chad says, his eyes trained on the Bōnhōku lieutenant. "He's not ordinary; I sense Reikyō coming from him. He's like us."
"Wait, seriously?!" Tatsuki pipes up incredulously.
"Charge!" Shishigawara roars, thrusting both of his arms up into the air. The Bōnhōku begin dashing forward from both directions, armed with an assortment of chains, baseball bats, and pipes.
A motorcycle breaks ahead of the charging crowd and bears down on Chad and Tatsuki. Chad's right arm hardens into Brazo Derecha de Gigante and outstretches to welcome incoming chopper. The motorcyclist yelps with surprise as his vehicle smashes against Chad's palm, the tires kicking up smoke as they impotently try to spin forward. Yasutora glares at the stunned Bōnhōku and swings his left fist, knocking the punk right off his perch. He tosses the motorcycle aside and barrels forward into the throng of foot soldiers.
Tatsuki turns and sees a motorcycle rushing at her from the other direction, with a backseat passenger brandishing a chunky pipe. Summoning her courage, she makes a dash towards the rider and leaps up over him, catching the pipe-wielding passenger with a kick to the chin. The goon falls back and skids across the concrete, his weapon rolling along the ground. The driver makes a sharp swerve, turning back around to charge at Tatsuki again. He hits the gas and roars forward.
Tatsuki runs in the other direction, snatching up the pipe. She sprints several yards, then turns back around to await the bulldozing dirt bike. She braces herself, as if playing a game of chicken. The rider goes full steam ahead, willing to run her over. The motorcycle comes within four feet of her when she hops aside, shoving the metal pipe crookedly into the spokes of the front wheel as it whirrs by. The Bōnhōku rider screams as his ride flips forward, landing with a crash.
" You are throwing away your future if you don't shape up, young man!" the teacher continues berating Ichigo. "I've talked to your past teachers – they told me you were very bright and can't account for your drop in performance. Now, if there is trouble at home…"
Ichigo sits in his chair with an annoyed glare, just trying to bear through the lecture. Suddenly, he feels a familiar twinge.
What was that? he thinks, feeling some pulsating, nervous energy in the far distance. His Shinigami badge throbs within his backpack, sounding off like an alarm. It's Chad… he's using his Fullbring. But why?
Ichigo shoots up from his desk, grabbing his bag and storming out of the classroom.
"Mr. Kurosaki, get back here or I will slap you with a week's worth of detention!" the teacher yells after him.
"I'll see you then!" Ichigo calls back.
Chad swings his armored right arm around, smashing a swath of Bōnhōku gangs members off their feet. One punk swings a chain from behind – it wraps around Chad's wrist. The Gigante looks at the tether, then to the smug gang member trying to pull his arm back like an ill-considered game of tug-of-war. With the slightest exertion, Chad yanks the chain back, launching its handler towards him. He swings his unarmored first, his knuckles cracking deep into the assailant's jaw.
Shishigawara watches as his forces get swiftly mowed down. He coolly strides forward, his brow furrowed in determination as he slowly unravels the bandages encasing his right hand. The gauze gives way to a gleaming brass knuckle, bejeweled with three consecutive 7s. He picks up his step, breathing heavily as he hypes himself up.
Yasutora sees the Bōnhōku pack leader sprinting towards him. He swerves to meet the challenge, his left arm hardening into the sleek red and white texture of Brazo Izquierda del Diablo.
"You don't get to make a fool out of me!" Shishigawara cries out, leaping up at Chad and bringing his fist down like a hammer.
Chad thrusts up a punch to meet Shishigawara's strike. Their fists connect, sounding out a sonic boom that prompts the ground to subtly quake.
Chad grunts, his body going into shock as the coating around his knuckles begins to crack. Brazo Izquierda del Diablo shatters, revealing Chad's dislocated arm within, completely knocked out from its socket. The limb swings down and sways limply by his side.
The Bōnhōku all freeze, looking on in stunned silence. Tatsuki turns to the commotion, her breath catching in her throat when she sees Chad falling to his knees in pain.
"Jackpot!" Shishigawara cries out triumphantly, beaming with pride. Without missing a beat, he grabs Chad by the scruff of his shirt to hold him still and swings again, striking the Gigante square across the face. Chad rockets back against the wall, smashing through the brick and disappearing in a heap of rubble.
Shishigawara cackles and turns his attention to a horrified Tatsuki. He giddily strides towards her, roving his arm to work out the tension.
"Yeah, I'm a badass just like you, only I'm badass-er," he grins, brandishing his blinged-out fist. "You like my Fullbring, Jakkupoggenkotsu (Jackpot Knuckle)? It gives me a 99 percent chance of landing a jackpot with every punch. You can't even get those kind of odds in Macau."
He halts within a yard of Tatsuki and dramatically cracks his knuckles. They emit a loud, crunchy pop.
"When I didn't land a jackpot on you the other night, guess what the chances of that happening were?" he grits, eyeing Tatsuki with disdain. "One in a hundred."
We glimpse back to the ambush at the Shiver Timber, when Shishigawara leapt up and connected a hit against Tatsuki's face. It was completely ineffectual, the punch hardly registering. She responded by kicking at the floor beneath her, a loose plank swinging up to hit Shishigawara right in the groin.
Tatsuki stands petrified now, unable to defend herself against this supernatural power. She's screwed.
"You're one helluva lucky woman," Shishigawara bristles. You feelin' lucky now?!"
Tatsuki flinches as Shishi launches forward, thrusting his fist at her like a battering ram. The knuckles are within inches of her, only to swipe at air.
Shishigawara awkwardly stumbles forward, blinking in confusion. "Where the hell'd she go?" he wonders.
He turns around to see Ichigo Kurosaki, his body encased in the black fire of his Fullbring, holding Tatsuki by his side.
"Where's Chad?" Ichigo asks her, not taking his eyes off of Shishigawara.
"That guy knocked him into the building," Tatsuki answers with a gulp, nodding to the hole in the adjacent wall. "He's strong, Ichigo. Be careful."
Ichigo's face scrunches up with fury, his hand conjuring a black, smoldering blade. The confidence drains from Shishigawara's face as he regards the sword.
"Uh… who are you?" the Bōnhōku lieutenant mumbles, frightened.
"I'm the guy whose gonna smash you into a wall just like you did to Chad," Ichigo grits, pointing his wispy blade at the now-quivering grunt.
"Oh, don't go crushing Shishi, now," a velvety voice sounds out from the rooftop above.
Shishigawara's eyes widen with relief. He looks up, a smile spreading across his face. Ichigo and Tatsuki follow his eye-line, spotting Shūkurō Tsukishima spying on them from above.
Who is that? Ichigo wonders.
Tsukishima pinches the bookmark peeking up from his copy of Confessions of a Mask and slides it out with a flourish. He tosses the book over his shoulder.
"I just finished reading it, anyway," he grins, outstretching his arm. There is a flare of green luminescence and the bookmark unfurls into a tasseled katana. He nimbly steps off from the ledge and glides down, landing softly between Ichigo and Shishigawara with a supple pulse of green light beneath his feet.
He can use Bringer-Light? Tatsuki observes with surprise.
"Oh ho ho ho, you're really gonna get it, now!" Shishigawara crows at Ichigo. "Tsukishima-sama is crazy strong! He's the most awesome guy there is – absolutely invincible! You're gonna regret the –"
"– I recall ordering you not to engage with XCution, Shishi," Tsukishima says softly, casting cold eyes back at his subordinate. "What do you call this?"
Shishi turns blue in the face, nervously prostrating himself in a bow.
"Tsukishima-sama, I value your honor over my own life!" he shouts. "As your underling, I could not let an insult to your Bōnhōku go unanswered! I took it upon myself to defeat your enemies, knowing full well that you may execute me as punishment! I would do it again, sir!"
The corners of Tsukishima's lips turn up a degree. He looks over to the dozen Bōnhōku members who are still conscious.
"All of you, disperse!" the bookish young man orders. "Get back to the hideout."
He watches as the grunts all turn tail and run away, not needing any more encouragement to get the hell out of dodge. Tsukishima turns his attention back to the trembling Shishigawara.
"I will think of a suitable punishment for you later, after I clean up your mess," he concludes.
"You're the leader of the Bōnhōku?" Tatsuki calls out, glaring at the interloper with suspicion.
"Sort of," Tsukishima replies, flitting his eyes to her with a sly expression. "I'm giving it a try, just to see if I like it."
"Your 'underling' hurt my friend," Ichigo says contemptuously, staring Tsukishima down. "You're both going to pay for that."
"I will point out that it was your two friends here who cast the first stone," Tsukishima chuckles. "Along with that snooping Quincy…"
"Uryū…?" Ichigo grits. "Were you the one who cut him?!"
Tsukishima cocks his head, his beady eyes shining mischievously.
"What do you think?"
Ichigo lunges forward and locks blades with Tsukishima in a dazzling flash of Reikyō. The two swordsmen struggle at a standstill, their noses nearly touching.
"Oh dear…" Tsukishima taunts as he feels out the intensity of Ichigo's sword. "This Fullbring hasn't matured yet. You're behind schedule."
Tsukishima shoves Ichigo back a step and launches up into the air with a spring of Bringer-Light, beckoning the Strawberry to follow. Ichigo, rage in his eyes, bounds up after him, a concentric pulse booming beneath his feet.
Ichigo just used Bringer-Light?! Tatsuki thinks, watching in awe. But we haven't taught him how to do that, yet. He just instinctually figured it out?!
Tsukishima leaps back against the face of the adjacent building, springing away to dodge Ichigo's slash. The Fullbring's smoldering edge slices across the bricks with shattering force. Ichigo swerves around, his heel touching on the crumbling wall, and launches himself after Tsukishima again with a ring of green light in his wake.
Tsukishima doesn't try to dodge this time, parrying Ichigo's swipes with finesse as they leap back and forth along the alley's opposing walls, crumbling the structures with the reverberations of their strikes. Ichigo thrusts his blade forward, only for Tsukishima to dissipate in a blur. The Bōnhōku leader reappears behind Ichigo, slamming the butt of his katana between the Strawberry's shoulder blades. Ichigo gasps and plummets down, crashing into the concrete. His Fullbring melts away into black wisps, the Shinigami Substitute badge rolling out from his limp grasp. It spins before him before clattering to a stop.
Tsukishima touches down before his felled opponent. He turns the badge over the with tip of his katana, inspecting the totem.
"You still haven't unlocked the power you had once upon a time," Shūkurō observes. "That's worris– gulch."
Tsukishima chokes as the arm of Chad's Brazo Derecha de Gigante wraps around his throat, yanking him back.
"Chad, get away from him!" Tatsuki warns. "He's dangerous!"
Chad, his body scored with cuts and left arm swinging limply like a brittle leaf, grits his teeth as he tries to drag Tsukishima away from Ichigo. The Strawberry stirs back to consciousness, looking up to see his friend coming to his aide.
Tsukishima gurgles as the musculature of Chad's armored arm tightens around his neck, squeezing the air out of him. He shoves back his elbow into Chad's ribs, repeating the strike until the wounded Gigante's strength gives up. Chad releases his grip, stumbling back and clutching at his bruised ribs. Tsukishima turns to confront him, nursing his throat.
"Ah… what the hell," Tsukishima decides, swinging his sword. The blade phases through Chad's torso like a phantom slice.
"CHAD!" Ichigo screams, believing his friend cut down.
Chad blinks in confusion, his right arm grasping his chest. He's completely unharmed from the swing. He looks up at Tsukishima with a stunned expression, as if recognizing him anew. Ichigo and Tatsuki watch in uneasy silence, completely perplexed by what just happened.
"I think we've had enough fun for today," Tsukishima announces, his voice hoarse. He looks to Shishigawara. "We're leaving."
"Yessir!" Shishigawara exclaims sheepishly, running up to rejoin his sensei's side. They stride away a few yards before Tsukishima halts, looking back at Chad.
"Coming, Yasutora?"
Chad nods and trudges towards them.
"What are you doing?!" Tatsuki shouts, running up to him and grabbing his shoulder. "Chad, stay with –"
Chad brushes her off, the aggressive gesture surprising her. Tatsuki looks up at him in shock, her eyes wide and wet.
"Chad?"
"I did what I came here to do; make sure that Tsukishima and Ichigo didn't kill each other." Chad replies somberly. "I have to go, now."
"What are you saying, Chad?" Ichigo asks nervously, struggling up into a kneeling position. "You sound like… you're his ally?"
Chad looks at Ichigo for a long, melancholy beat.
"… I owe him my life," the Gigante answers. "Tsukishima-san was there to help me realize my power. He lead the charge to rescue Rukia from execution and saved Karakura Town from Aizen. Do not ask me to choose between you, Ichigo. Because if that is the choice, then I choose him."
"What?" Ichigo whispers, the color draining from his face. He sits in dumbfounded horror, watching as his best friend turns from him and joins Tsukishima and Shishigawara. The three figures walk to the end of the alleyway and turn the corner, disappearing from view.
"I… I don't understand," Tatsuki mumbles, tears streaming down her cheeks. She and Ichigo are perfectly still, both of them feeling completely hollowed out. Empty.
The silence is broken when the XCution van peels into the alleyway and drives up. The side door slides open, Jackie and Riruka sticking their heads out.
"What the hell happened here?" Riruka asks, surveying the unconscious gang members strewn across the ground.
Giriko exits from the driver side, running up to Ichigo.
"Who did this to you?!" he asks, face alight with concern. "Where's Yasutora?"
Ichigo numbly gazes off at the other end of the alley, unable to form the words. Ginjō grips his chin and cranes his face to meet his eyes.
"Ichigo," Ginjō says urgently. "You need to tell me everything that happened."
SAIKUROPUSUA ISLE
It is now night, and the congregates have retreated back into their hovels. Aura Michibane sits in her quarters, a room constructed from bamboo and illuminated by candlelight. She combs her hair while simultaneously jotting down notes in a diary. Behind her is a bookcase crammed taut with journals. Her scribbling ceases when Shunsui, Kensei, and Hisagi phase into the room.
Michibane sets her quill down while continuing to comb her hair. The three Shinigami remain still, watching her with suspicion. To their surprise, the candles strewn across the chamber gradually dim and extinguish until only one remains lit beside Michibane. Illuminated like a Rembrandt painting, she grins as her comb scrapes through a crunchy cluster in her tresses.
"Good evening, gentlemen," she coos.
Shunsui shoots an impressed look to Kensei, who responds with a frown. He doesn't like being proven wrong.
"So you can sense us?" Kensei murmurs. "Big whoop."
"Your skepticism is adorable, Muguruma Kensei," Michibane replies with a soft smile. "From what I can tell, skepticism is all that defines you."
Kensei blanches. How does she know my name? he wonders.
"What my comrade is trying to say is that you are not the first human to detect Shinigami," Shunsui finesses, hands in pockets. "That said, it's a remarkable gift. I didn't quite catch your name?"
"Michibane Aura," she answers. "Pleasure to finally meet you, Kyōraku Shunsui."
Shunsui raises his brows. What an odd girl, he thinks. "How do you know who we are?"
"I knew you the moment you set foot on my island," Michibane replies. "I would refer to you as captains, but I am not a Shinigami, am I?"
"Did someone give you intel on us?" Kensei asks, hands on hips.
"No," Michibane chuckles softly. "I already know you intimately. I need no further context than your very presence."
What the hell is this woman? Hisagi wonders.
"I am merely a human, Hisagi Shūhei," Michibane answers, stroking the comb through her hair with sensual relish.
Shunsui and Kensei, having not heard a peep from Hisagi since they entered the room, look to him quizzically. The lieutenant is pale as a sheet: he can't account for how Michibane knew his thoughts.
"Don't be modest," Shunsui suggests, turning his attention back to the blind woman. "You must be exceptional if you already know so much about Shinigami. You also must be exceptional if you can write while… being unable to see?"
"How observant of you," Michibane brightens, plucking up her journal and brandishing it. "I cannot make use of my eyes – that's true. But I possess a far greater sight."
Shunsui looks back at the ream of journals arrayed behind Michibane, making a mental note of them. Kensei huffs with annoyance, having had enough with the woman's coyness.
"Look, we appreciate your… appreciation of Soul Society," Kensei says. "But we'd really like to know who told you –"
"– It is not a matter of appreciation," Michibane interjects. "What I exercise is profound understanding. That is why my Tengokuyoken follow me: because I see what no other human can – the life beyond death."
"That's not an answer," Kensei grits. "I've seen a lot of weird shit, sweetheart, but I haven't seen a human guess at Soul Society's existence based on a hunch."
"Stop questioning how and begin wondering why, Muguruma Kensei," Michibane replies. "I have been blessed with visions of the afterlife, and I share my findings with my disciples. That is the greatest gift a shepherd can bestow upon her flock. Don't you wish you had the foresight to prepare your subordinate for her end?"
Kensei's eyes narrow.
"You loved Kuna Mashiro like a sister, didn't you?" Michibane inquires. "But… that's not quite accurate, is it? After all, who in their right mind would feel such impure thoughts towards their sister?"
Kensei turns pink with fury, grasping the hilt of Tachikaze. Shunsui claps a hand over his, followed by a discouraging head shake.
"We came here merely to ask you questions," Shunsui tells Michibane. "There's no reason to provoke us."
"And how would I provoke you, Kyōraku Shunsui?" Michibane muses, savoring her every syllable. "The freshest wound is the shame you feel for impaling your comrade, Ukitake Jūshirō. You never intended to harm him, of course, but he has never been the same since, has he?"
Shunsui's jaw clenches tight.
"But that's not what truly ails you," Michibane murmurs, leaning forward and propping her elbows upon the table. "No, that is but a drop in the sorrow you wallow in. How burdened you are beneath the surface, Kyōraku Shunsui. Regret crushes you with the weight of the sea. How terrible that you blame yourself for Kada's death. You never asked to be a witness of his demise…"
Kensei and Hisagi look to Shunsui, whose expression is very much out of character: absolutely infuriated.
"Perhaps we should make our leave," the Eighth Division Captain suggests through gritted teeth.
"You can't leave just yet," Michibane protests with a demure smile. "Shūhei has yet to ask his question. How it burns within him – he won't be able to sleep without posing it."
Shunsui and Kensei look to Hisagi, who indeed has a question.
"Has Tokinada made contact with you?" the lieutenant asks, ignoring the irate glare from his captain.
Michibane runs the comb through her hair one last time, then sets it down.
"How dare you not grant him his proper title," she seethes. "Has Tenrai-chō Tsunayashiro spoken to me? An insolent question, begetting a condescending answer. He has not, yet I hear him through my foresight. His vision is mine, and together we see a more prosperous Soul Society."
"You sound like you're in love with him," Hisagi observes.
"Love?" Michibane spits back, insulted. "What an infantile way to describe respect. I expect nothing less from a subordinate who clings to the convenient fiction of Tōsen Kaname."
Hisagi blanches, completely unnerved by the accusation.
"Do you really believe you can justify your lingering idolization of him?" Michibane gleefully presses. "Have you deluded yourself into believing that you will have a restful night once you have dissected his madness? His death is not what haunts you; it is your deep-seated belief that the traitor who molded you must have been a good man. Isn't that right?"
"I thank you for your time, Michibane Aura," Shunsui concludes. "You have been a most unpleasant encounter. Goodnight!"
The three Shinigami trudge into the jungle, the Tengokuyoken village looming behind them.
"I coulda lopped her mouthy head right from her shoulders if you hadn't stopped me, Kyōraku," Kensei grits. "That she-devil had it coming."
"It would have been a messy affair," Shunsui laments. "She's no ordinary human."
"No shit!" Kensei barks back.
"You misunderstand me; that woman had immense power emanating from her," Shunsui clarifies.
"What power?" Kensei asks, confused. "I didn't sense any Reiatsu –"
"It wasn't Reiatsu I was worried about," Shunsui interrupts. "Her Reikyō was as radiant as a sunrise."
"Reikyō?" Hisagi repeats, unfamiliar with the term.
"That woman is a Fullbringer," Shunsui replies. "And by far the most powerful I've ever encountered."
KARAKURA TOWN - OCCURRING CONCURRENTLY
The XCution van careens through the back alleys of Karakura Town, zipping along at dangerous speed.
"Ginjō, darling, will you please come to a stop?" Jackie advises from the passenger seat.
Ginjō swerves behind a dumpster and kills the ignition, sitting back flustered. He looks behind him, gazing at Ichigo, Tatsuki, and Riruka through the slot.
"He said his name was Tsukishima, huh?" he asks.
"Yes," Tatsuki nods. "That name mean anything to you?"
Ginjō punches the steering wheel, the van bleating a loud honk. He sighs, trying to regain his composure.
"Back to headquarters," he orders, referring to the dollhouse bolted in the trunk. "Now."
Giriko leans over Ichigo, casting a Tanshin no Tokei condition to spur his recovery. The Strawberry's eyes are sunken and focused, hanging on Ginjō's every syllable.
"His name is Tsukishima Shūkurō," Ginjō recounts, leaning from couch and visibly shaken. "A couple years back, he ran with a gang of Fullbringer mercenaries led by a particularly ruthless master. They hunted and killed their own kind so they could sell off the totems. When his master was killed, he went into hiding, waiting to enact his revenge. He is why we take all these precautions to avoid exposure."
"He's why you keep your hideout in the back of a car?" Ichigo queries. "What's he got against you?"
Ginjō looks up to meet Ichigo's gaze.
"I'm the one who killed his master," he answers.
"What did he do to Chad, Ginjō?" Tatsuki asks, her brow wrinkled with anxiety. "We saw Tsukishima's sword pass right through him, and then suddenly he was on his side. It was like mind control."
"Tsukishima doesn't force anyone to do his bidding," Ginjō explains, his voice nearly quavering. "That's what makes him so terrifying. His Fullbring is called Honmatsu (Book of the End). If he so chooses, his blade will not cut a target, but instead pass through them. In that one instant, he can 'comprehend' all of his victim's memories, and insert himself wherever he pleases. In Chad's mind, everything Ichigo accomplished was actually done by Tsukishima. He has rewritten Chad's memory to convince him that his friendship with you, Ichigo, is his friendship with him."
Ichigo's fists tighten, his jaw set tight. Tatsuki looks at Ginjō with an expression of profound terror.
"He can convince anyone he is their best friend, their mentor, even their family," Ginjō continues. "If he gets to any one of us, he could tear XCution apart from within."
There is a long, pregnant silence in the lounge. Giriko and Jackie brood while Riruka squeezes icing onto a tray of cupcakes she stress-baked.
"If he's in Karakura Town, then he's come here for us," Ginjō concludes.
He gets up from the couch and paces around, thinking deeply. He fishes out his phone, flips it open, types out a text and sends.
"Who did you just contact, darling?" Jackie asks.
"Our intermediary with Adoka," Ginjō replies. "I told him to move up the sale to tomorrow."
"WHAT?!" Riruka exclaims, dropping her fresh cupcakes. The tray clatters onto the floor, the confections splattering. "We had three extra nights of training and you just reduced them to one, dumbass!"
"We have to act immediately," Ginjō grits. "The sooner we stay in Karakura Town, the more time we give Tsukishima to make his move. Tomorrow we get the totems and then we disappear. Leave Japan entirely."
"What about Chad?" Tatsuki protests.
"Tsukishima only turned him to get to us," Ginjō reasons. "We're all he's after: when he realizes we've gone, he'll get bored and release Chad. Engaging him directly is too dangerous."
"But wait, Ginjō, the whole plan hinges on me being able to convince Adoka I'm Dākumūn, right?" Ichigo pipes up nervously. "How am I supposed to do that as I am now?"
Ginjō shoots Ichigo an incredulous look.
"You can't," he replies. "Which is why we need to fully awaken your Fullbring tonight."
Tsukishima slots his key into the door and opens it. He, Chad, and Shishigawara stumble into his home. There is a bowl of soba noodles on the kitchen table.
"Shūkurō?" Tsukishima's mother calls from the other room. She enters the main hallway, surprised to see guests.
"Oh, you've brought home friends! I wish you'd told me beforehand; I would have made dinner for all of you."
"I'll cook dinner for everyone, mother," Tsukishima smiles. "My treat."
The bookish lad turns to Shishigawara with cold eyes.
"Shishi, help Yasutora pop his arm back into place. It's the least you can do for our new friend."
SOUL SOCIETY - ONE HOUR LATER
THE GREAT SPIRITS LIBRARY - UKITAKE'S OFFICE
Ukitake shifts uncomfortably in his wheelchair, giving a concerned look to Hisagi and Shunsui across his desk. Captain Sajin Komamura is also present, pacing nervously around the office.
"Do you know the name of this island?" Ukitake asks.
"Saikuropusua," Shunsi recalls. "Saikuropusua Isle. I made a discrete inquiry with SDRI, and they said it's had some unusually high Hollow activity over the years."
"This is an uncomfortable situation, Shūhei," Ukitake laments. "You say that your captain forbade you from including this venture in your report?"
"He said it was off the record, Captain," Hisagi answers nervously. "I figured that even if I couldn't file it formally in writing, I could at least tell you myself."
"I'm not here to hijack Shūhei's investigation, but I figured he could use me to back up his account," Shunsui adds.
"You should not have gone there," Komamura shakes his head, continuing to pace around. "You were not given permission to investigate the Tsunayashiro Tenrai-chō."
"But Captain Komamura, what if he's inextricably linked to Tōsen's betrayal?" Hisagi poses, braving through his fears of speaking out of turn.
"You have no proof of that, Shūhei," Ukitake gently chides. "The connection you've established between them is tenuous at best. As for this Fullbringer: it is best that we leave her be."
"But sir!" Hisagi presses, prompting a rueful look from Shunsui. "Forgive me for shouting, Captain, but what we saw on that island seemed dangerous."
"They are humans, Hisagi," Ukitake counters. "Even if they wished Soul Society ill — which by the sounds of it they do not — they have no means of entering our realm and they pose no direct threat to the Balance of Souls. We have no cause to interfere."
"Everything I have seen about the Tenrai-chō is nefarious, Captain Ukitake," Hisagi continues, his hunch overriding his prudence. "This cult that worships his name, the destruction of Kakyō's records, the slaying of his entire family –"
"What are you implying, Shūhei?" Komamura asks irritably.
"Isn't it convenient that he was the sole survivor?" Hisagi questions, his voice rising. "An entire Shisonka line purged, ridding him of any threats to his seat of power?"
"Careful now, Shūhei," Shunsui tut-tuts with his characteristically laidback tone. "This is not public knowledge, but we already know who was responsible for assassinating the Tsunayashiro family. It was a revenge plot orchestrated by a disgruntled brother. He believed he had claim to head the Tsunayashiro House and felt cheated. Tokinada was the primary target; he merely survived because he was the most guarded among them."
"That is highly classified information, Kyōraku," Komamura frowns, his golden eyes shining with indignation. "Not even lieutenants are allowed to know that."
"Well then, let's pretend I didn't say anything," Shunsui laughs, blushing mischievously. "I just don't want him investigating dead ends."
"If you do not drop your interest in the Tenrai-chō, Shūhei, then I'm afraid your investigation will be closed altogether," Ukitake warns. "If anyone outside of this room found out you were making inquiries into Tokinada, you would be severely reprimanded."
Hisagi bites his lip until it draws blood. He can't contain his frustration.
"Why… why are we protecting him?!" he shouts, unable to keep it in. "I don't care if he's royalty. If he's broken the law, then –"
"– He is Soul Society's law, Shūhei!" Komamura snaps, inadvertently baring his fangs in a snarl.
Hisagi falls silent, gazing at Komamura with eyes full of hurt. He's never seen this side of the captain before.
"I am living proof of what happens when Shinigami cross the Shisonka!" Komamura continues to bellow, pointing to his Lycan appearance.
Ukitake and Shunsui look at their fellow captain sympathetically, both of them reflecting on one of the uglier chapters in the Seiretei's history. Komamura sees the emotion in Hisagi's eyes and softens.
"Please, Shūhei," the wolf sighs. "We are trying to help you."
There is an awkward silence as Hisagi tries to collect himself.
"We will begin again tomorrow, when you can investigate new leads," Ukitake concludes with a wistful smile. "We will not discuss the Tenrai-chō again, but I will request SDRI to monitor this Saikuropusua Isle going forward. Return to your barracks, Lieutenant Hisagi."
Hisagi nods resignedly and leaves. Komamura, looking ashamed of himself, also departs, leaving Ukitake and Shunsui in awkward silence.
"He's a good egg, that Shūhei," Shunsui smiles. "Reminds me of us back in the day."
"That's what will get him into trouble," Ukitake worries. "It was my own idealism that created this mess."
Shunsui casts his friend a suspicious look.
"Do you still wonder what really happened?" he asks. "When you were forced to shutter the Fullbring Division?"
Ukitake's ponders the question, his eyes glassy with regret.
Hisagi trudges out through the entrance of the Great Spirits Library, feeling completely defeated. None of this sits right with him.
If we're all bound to serve someone like that, then what good is our Law? he wonders.
"Oh, Lieutenant Hisagi!" Hanatarō Yamada greets sweetly, carrying a stack of books.
"Oh, hello, Hanatarō," Hisagi replies respectfully, caught off guard.
The two Shinigami stand awkwardly before the tower's entrance, smiling politely at each other.
"I was just returning some healing manuals I checked out," Hanatarō explains, motioning down to his collection of tomes. "Can never study too much, you know?"
"Very true," Hisagi smiles, genuinely this time. "Angling to become Lieutenant someday?"
"Oh, me?" Hanatarō blushes. "I wouldn't go that far. Lieutenant Kotetsu would be a hard act to follow. But if I can be the best co-third seat I can be, that'd be worth all the effort."
Hisagi reflects on this for a beat, recalling something.
"You know, I met you brother the other day," he shares. "Seinosuke? He didn't seem to share your attitude."
Hanatarō turns pale. He averts his eyes, staring sensitively at the ground.
"Oh, I haven't seen my brother in a while," he admits. "Not since he left the Gotei."
"Oh, I'm sorry," Hisagi says. "Well, for what it's worth, he seemed happy to serve under the Tsunayashiro Tenrai-chō."
"That's what he always wanted," Hanatarō reflects. "To be closer to political power. He told me he'd rather be remembered in history as a Tenrai-chō's servant than as a captain's lackey."
Something clicks in Hisagi's mind. He gasps, seizing upon a new idea.
"Are you okay, Lieutenant?" Hanatarō asks.
"I'm great," Hisagi mumbles, mentally mapping out his next move. "Thank you, Hanatarō!"
The lieutenant turns and runs back into the library, leaving Hanatarō completely baffled.
"Um… you're welcome?"
Hisagi dashes through the hallways of the Great Library, grabbing the first clerk he sees.
"I need you to take me to a particular archive," he says urgently. "Where do you keep records on servants to nobility?"
WORLD OF THE LIVING - OCCURRING CONCURRENTLY
XCUTION HEADQUARTERS
Ichigo pants, a deep slash carved into his shoulder and another gash running along his brow. His Fullbring flickers around him, curling swaths of black. He is in a perfectly blank surrounding, everything around him a pristine white.
Ginjō stands before him, his enormous broadsword in hand. He's barely broken a sweat.
"I had Riruka knock up this dollhouse as a final training ground for Tatsuki," the XCution leader muses. "Free of frills. No distractions, just two opponents battling to the death."
"To the death?" Ichigo repeats, breathing heavily. "My life's on the line, huh?"
"If you can't play the role tomorrow, I don't get my friends' totems back," Ginjō grits. "I'd sooner push you to the brink of death than accept that."
"You expect me to put my life on the line when you won't even lift a finger to help Chad?" Ichigo counters. "Are you that scared of Tsukishima?"
Ginjō cocks an eyebrow, gripping the elongated guard of his sword with both hands.
"If I can avoid Tsukishima, I will," he says, readying to pounce. "You think I'd risk my crew?!"
He bounds forward, swinging his heavy sword down. Ichigo parries meekly, struggling to keep up with his successive strikes.
"You're fighting like a loser!" Ginjō cries out, hacking away at Ichigo's shadowy blade with aggressive disdain. "And it's not just because your power's still pathetic! You lost your warrior spirit along with your Shinigami powers, didn't you?! Is that who you are at the end of the day, Ichigo? A child who folds when he's dealt a bum hand?!"
Ichigo roars back, his wispy armor flaring as he strikes at Ginjō's blade with enough force to knock him back a yard.
"Are you someone who abandons your friends when things get perilous, Ginjō?" Ichigo challenges. "Chad's a member of XCution just like the others. He promised to help you. Are you going to turn your back on him?"
Ginjō's temple pulses as he heaves his broadsword back, charging it with a current of heavy Reikyō. He swings forward, a curtain of lime-hued energy surging towards Ichigo. The Strawberry braces himself and charges ahead into the onslaught, the attack igniting in a catastrophic boom. He leaps from the smoke, bloodied and charred, and swings at Ginjō, who meets his strike. They glare at each other, swords trembling in a battle of wills.
"You talk a big game about protecting your own, but you're still willing to leave a man behind," Ichigo grits, steely determination in his eyes. "I thought you had honor, Ginjō!"
The XCution leader, provoked, exerts his power and pushes Ichigo back. He plunges his massive blade down, the point spearing into Ichigo's foot. The Strawberry screams in agony, nearing his limit. He thrusts up his sword in retaliation, only for Ginjō to catch the edge in his hand. The black katana hisses as it grinds against flesh.
"You're one to talk," Ginjō seethes. "After you lost control over your destiny, you turned your back on your family and friends. I brought Chad and Tatsuki back to you. Before me, you retreated into yourself, content to go through life a coward. Is that honorable, Ichigo?! Is that what makes a man?!"
Ichigo writhes in fury and pain, raging against Ginjō's confrontational scorn.
"I'm not a coward!" he yellls.
"Prove it!" Ginjō barks back.
Ichigo lets out a primal scream, his armor illuminating with white light. The luminescence reflects off Ginjō's eyes. Suddenly, both combatants are bathed in a pulse of energy, the dollhouse trembling around them.
Ichigo falls to his knees, his armor transformed. The shadow has cohered into a solid, bone-white skeletal suit laid over black, a guard cross-hatched from his cheeks to the bridge of his nose. His sword has transformed too, taking on the rigid form of a machete, it's guard the Substitute Shinigami badge itself. Ichigo looks up at Ginjō, who smiles down at him. The Xcution leader releases the edge of the blade, his palm dripping with blood.
"Sorry for the harsh words; it was the only way," Ginjō admits. "You've done good, kid."
Ichigo inspects himself, feeling the familiar intensity of his power returning. It's like being hugged by an old friend.
"You persuaded me, by the way," Ginjō adds. "Help me reclaim my friends' totems, and I promise you I will help get Chad back. I swear… on my honor."
"Is there anything I can make for you boys?" Tsukishima's mother asks the trio. "Dessert, maybe?"
"We're fine, mother," Tsukishima sighs, patting his stomach. "Thank you."
"Ichigo…" Chad murmurs to himself, drawing Tsukishima and Shishigawara's gazes. "I don't know what got into him today. I'm sorry he attacked you, Tsukishima-san."
"It's fine, Yasutora," Tsukishima waves him off. "He's always been the jealous type. Go get some rest on the couch. We have a big day tomorrow."
Chad nods and leaves the kitchen. Shishigawara sets his plate aside, staring solemnly at his master.
"I'm ready to face the consequences for my actions today, sensei," he declares. "I understand if you want to take my life tonight. It would be an honor to be killed by you."
Tsukishima, dabbing a napkin to his lips, looks at Shishigawara with confusion. After an awkward beat, he remembers.
"Ah yes, your punishment," he recalls. "Alright, well… do the dishes to atone, Shishi."
He slides out of his chair and gives Shishigawara a pat on the back, slinking off to read. Shishigawara watches him leave, completely dumbfounded.
"Well, that was dramatic," Riruka remarks, watching as Giriko applies another time condition to hasten Ichigo's healing.
"We got the job done," Ginjō replies. "We now have everything we need to pull this off. Go home and get some sleep, Ichigo. We need you rested for tomorrow."
Jackie looks to Tatsuki, detecting her nervousness.
"Don't worry, darling," she says in a soothing tone, patting the girl's shoulder. "We've already rehearsed what we need to do. You'll be smashing tomorrow."
Tatsuki smiles, giving a newly confident nod.
Ichigo looks more animated than he's been in a long time, his eyes wide as he takes in all the stimuli flooding into him.
"I feel… damn good," he smiles.
"As you should, Master Kurosaki," Giriko affirms. "You have matured your Fullbring – with that comes a return to your full spiritual awareness. You are now as attuned to all of the spiritual residue surrounding us as you were before."
"Alright, time to drive you both home," Riruka announces.
"I want to walk, if that's alright," Ichigo requests.
Ichigo strides down the streets of Karakura Town with renewed vigor, only six blocks from his house. He feels a familiar sensation – a twinge of manageable dread. Halting in his tracks, he looks to his left, spying a Hollow trudging a block over. Twenty feet in height and sporting a demonic mask, the beast lets out a low growl as it aimlessly wanders for souls to feed upon.
Ichigo smiles, reaching into his back pocket and grasping his Shinigami Badge. The ribbed musculature of his Fullbring wraps around him, his body emanating crackling Reikyō.
The Hollow rears its head in his direction, its massive jaw parting to salivate.
"I am the Substitute Shinigami of Karakura Town," Ichigo whispers to himself, feeling his lust for battle reigniting. "You're in my jurisdiction, Hollow."
The beast starts stomping towards him, outstretching its claws. Ichigo leaps up in a graceful pulse of Bringer-Light, grasping the hilt of the sword strapped to his back. He draws his blade and cleanly bisects the Hollow, landing behind it as it dissipates into fine particles.
Seized with a rush that he has not felt in nearly two years, Ichigo beams at the edge of his sword. His machete contracts back into a badge, his armor evaporating along with it. Satisfied, he turns and continues his way home.
Karin watches her brother stride down the street from a rooftop. Clad in her Shinigami Shihakushō, she is shocked after watching her supposedly powerless brother take down the Hollow she had been tailing.
"What have you been up to, big brother?"