Well well. Look what we have here. A new chapter by the 3rd dragneel. Yes, I am here to update this unique story, which I am still shocked to see so many readers for. Still, I can't really complain and have to say thanks to all of you.
Now, I know a LOT of people are wondering what the actual hell I was thinking, having Hakumen from Blazblue appear. Here's the thing: I thought about this before this story was even typed up. I know there are magic threats, but there was something I thought of in regards to people who serve only the Pope and who better to represent religious justice than the white samurai of Blazblue, whose design is kickass.
I know people will think I'm just a lazy bastard and I probably am, but I have a plan. I just hope you guys will like it.
But enough about Hakumen. ONTO THE REVIEWS!
AnimeA55Kicker: That is true. As a fan of Bleach, even I have to admit that is an annoying cliche. However, that does happen in other anime, not just Bleach. Not saying you're not wrong cause you hit the money, bud.
SolSparada369: Yup, one of my favorite characters. I have a plan for him, so don't worry. Yeah, being a Shonen protagonist will get the attention of most people. That's a fact. But yeah, the blade isn't meant for fighting, mostly for defense. But yeah, I like the omake idea, so I'll see if I can put it in.
Matemeo3: Yeah, the Fullbring arc isn't that strong in terms of canon, but I do have ideas. Mostly dumb ones, I will confess. Yeah, I thought of Hakumen for a while, so expect a lot of changes. I mean there's the occasional filler or two, but things won't slow down too much… at least after this chapter.
JayU19: I'm not trying to make you mad. I have a plan for Hakumen, just put some faith in me.
Dragon Rider 66: Yeah, I will focus more on Europe and the alliance in later chapters so they won't feel needless. I have an interesting plan for the Fullbring powers that won't necessarily feel wasted like in canon cause let's be honest: the designs look cool as hell. I know about Misaki… no way am I fucking changing that cause that girl needs a happy ending with Touma.
Guest: Yeah, you make some good points about Xcution's plan. But in this story, they will have more of a role.
TheFallenGeneral: Yup. I want Hakumen to feel unique to this story.
Guest number 2: Maybe in the future, I will make a Blazblue crossover. All depends on how I feel.
Guest number 3: Cause I'm a big Fairy Tail fan and had no creativity, hence why I chose the 3rd dragneel.
To recap: After the robbery, Ichigo was treated for his injuries and formally introduced to the third ranked level five Mikoto Misaka and her roommate Kuroko Shirai, who questioned the function of his new sword. Although he himself didn't know how it worked, he did explain why he was in Academy City. Once he was discharged, he went home to rest while his father spoke with Inca about something rather personal. Little did Ichigo know, there were forces outside of his control, plotting something that may involve him.
Now, let's see how Ichigo's second day in Academy City will hold… hopefully, he will survive.
To say Ichigo slept rather poorly would be an understatement.
Despite how soft and comfy his bed was, it was a bit hard to sleep, especially when he would turn and accidentally lay on his bruise. Granted, he was no stranger to pain. Still, it didn't mean he was alright with feeling it.
Letting out a small yawn, Ichigo sat up from his bed, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Morning, Ichigo!" Opening his eyes, the first thing Ichigo saw was Ririn, who stood at the door with a smile.
"Morning." Ichigo replied back as he stood up, stretching his back. He placed a hand on his stomach, slightly wincing at the pain. "Well, at least it isn't as bad as yesterday." Getting over his grogginess, Ichigo went to change out of his pajamas and into a fresh set of clothes. As he exited his room, he was surprised to see Isshin already at the table, reading a newspaper while eating toast.
"It's about time you woke up, son. Seriously, this is the first day at your new job and you decide to sleep in." Isshin said without looking at Ichigo, a disappointed tone in his voice.
"If you remember, I got hit by one of those Espers yesterday. So, I'm sorry if I feel a little tired." Ichigo replied with an annoyed tone as he sat down. He was mildly surprised to see a full set of breakfast waiting for him: eggs, a strip of bacon, some toast and even some dark coffee. "You went shopping?"
"Don't act so surprised. It's not like I was gonna let starve on your first day." Isshin asked, this time, putting his newspaper down. "Plus, I did make you and your sisters breakfast when you were a kid, remember?"
"Yeah." Ichigo did indeed remember. It was back when his mom was still alive. They'd all gather around the table: Isshin would make breakfast, Yuzu and Karin would fight, but Masaki would just sit there with a smile…
No, he couldn't focus on that. This was a new day and he had to focus on that. So, Ichigo sat down and started eating his breakfast, enjoying the taste.
"So, you'll be leaving today?" Ichigo couldn't help but ask, noticing his dad's suitcase on the side.
"Yup. Can't really leave Yuzu and Karin alone forever. Who knows how sad they'd be if they never saw their daddy?" Isshin replied dramatically, imagining his daughters crying in joy while hugging him. Ichigo merely rolled his eyes at his old man's expression. "I hope you behave yourself while here, Ichigo. You're on your own, so that means all the duties Yuzu had at home will fall to you. That means cooking and cleaning for yourselves, not to mention keeping up with your work and eventually, your schoolwork."
"I figured as much." Ichigo said rhetorically while drinking his coffee. "Still… thanks for bringing me here." Isshin raised a brow at Ichigo before he felt his lips twitch up a bit. As much as they argued, Ichigo and Isshin still cared for one another. Once he finished his breakfast, Ichigo walked Isshin to his door, ready to say his farewell. "So… tell Karin and Yuzu I'm doing fine. But, don't tell them about-"
"About how their big brother got sucker punched? I'm sure they'd be shocked if you didn't get in trouble." Isshin teased while nudging his son. But then, he gave Ichigo a small smile. "I'm proud of you though, son. I know your life hasn't been easy, but I think you have a real chance to be yourself here. But don't forget, we're always a phone call away."
"I know. Thanks, dad." Ichigo said, giving his old man a small, but genuine smile.
"I could drive you to work, you know." Isshin offered, though Ichigo shook his head.
"Thanks, but I'd rather walk. I just want to take things slow today." Ichigo explained, getting a nod from Isshin.
"Your loss, son. Just don't get fired, cause I won't be giving you more than this." Reaching into his pocket, Isshin pulled out an envelope, giving it to Ichigo. "Those are in case you need to buy food or something. Don't you dare spend it on just manga."
"Funny." Ichigo said dryly, but he pocketed the envelope anyways. The two gave each other one last look before giving a brief hug.
"Until we meet again, Ichigo." Isshin said as he picked up his suitcase and prepared to leave. However, he stopped and turned to Ichigo with a grin. "Oh, and make sure you find yourself a nice girl. I bet there's a lot of cuties-"
*SLAM*
Isshin wasn't allowed to finish as Ichigo slammed the door closed.
"I knew he was gonna say some stupid shit like that!" Ichigo told himself with an annoyed glare. Just as they were having a moment, Isshin had to ruin it by being himself. That was one thing Ichigo was definitely not going to miss. Letting out a sigh, Ichigo ran a hand down his face before he looked at his phone. "Damn. I better get going."
"Can I come with you one day? It gets boring without you here." Ririn said with a frown. She had Ichigo's manga and even the tv, but that wasn't enough to keep her entertained.
"Sorry. I'd rather not go to work and have anyone find a stuffed doll in my bag." Ichigo told her as he got his bag ready. "But who knows? Maybe I'll change my mind one day. See ya." With that, Ichigo left his apartment, ready to tackle his new job.
'Sometime later'
"Well don't you look nice, mister Kurosaki?" Kagura told Ichigo with her ever so present smile as she looked at his new attire. Given his new job, it was only natural he'd be given a new set of clothes to wear. A white button down shit, a blue vest, matching pants and a tie were all that were needed to show that Ichigo was ready to serve.
"It's not a bad fit." Ichigo commented as he looked at his new clothes. They were a bit fancier than what he usually wore, but he wasn't complaining. At least he wasn't going to do random jobs everyday. Sometimes, having a simple job to do everyday was good to have. "So, what do you want me to do?"
"All I want you to do today is help customers to their tables. Mami!" Kagura called out to one of her employees.
"You called, miss?" A female voice called out while walking up to Kagura and Ichigo. The latter of the two turned around to see who was speaking, yet he seemed to be a bit surprised. The female was rather pretty, even to someone as dense as Ichigo. Her long brown hair was braided in two ponytails and her blue eyes had a sense of innocence to them. She wore a female hostess outfit that hugged her slender figure.
"Mister Kurosaki, this is one of our newer employees, Mami Ichinose. You'll be shadowing her for the day to get an understanding of how to work here." Kagura explained as the younger hostess bowed her head.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Kurosaki. I hope we can get to know each other." Mami told Ichigo before flashing him a smile.
"Yeah. Same here." Ichigo told her while rubbing the back of his neck. It made sense that he would be asked to shadow someone. Having a cute girl with him didn't sound that bad.
"I'll leave you two alone then. Good luck~" With that, Kagura went to her office, leaving her employees alone.
"So, what do we do first?" Ichigo couldn't help but ask.
"Well, we first do the most important thing when working at a restaurant." Mami told him in a serious tone as she walked over to the door. She grabbed the sign before turning it. "Flipping the 'We're Open' sign."
"Oh…" Ichigo felt slightly embarrassed for not figuring out such a basic rule. Mami just giggled at this.
"Don't worry. It took me three weeks to remember that. Just keep that in mind, kay?" She asked in a teasing tone before she stood behind the stand. "Our job is to wait here and greet the guests. Remember to always make them feel welcome. And put on a smile. I'm sure you have a handsome one."
With that, Ichigo's training to be a host began. He made sure to memorize everything Mami would tell him: from bringing guests to their tables to checking on their orders. She even advised him to participate in small talk to make them feel at home, which would take some getting used to since he had trouble with that. After about two hours, Mami decided to give Ichigo a test trial.
"Alright, it's your turn. Just try to do what I did and you'll be set." Mami encouraged Ichigo with a smile.
"Right." Sighing a bit, Ichigo took his position behind the stand, fixing his shirt a bit. He could hear the doors open, which meant some guests were here. "Welcome to Joseph's Coffee and Family-"
"No way!" The oranged haired young adult blinked as he heard the guest yell in front of him. He lifted his head and found Kazari Uiharu and Ruiko Saten staring at him, with the latter of the two looking at Ichigo with wide eyes.
"Saten, you shouldn't point. It's rude." Uiharu scolded her friend, who continued to point at Ichigo.
"But it IS him, Uiharu! He's the one who jumped in to fight those guys yesterday. Though, I never expected him to work here of all places." Saten said with a smile. Ichigo and Mami looked at the two young girls in confusion.
"Umm, Kurosaki? Do you know these two?" Mami questioned curiously.
"No. Never met them in my life." Ichigo responded with a frown. They mentioned what he did yesterday, and he would rather not have his employer or co-workers finding out about it. It might give them some doubts about having him work there. "Anyways, would you like a table for two?"
"No. We have some friends coming later, but we can take a table if you have one." Uiharu answered politely. Ichigo nodded and gestured them to a nearby table while taking some menus with him. Once the two girls sat down, Ichigo took out his notepad and pen.
"So, how many friends are coming to join you?" Ichigo asked as professionally as possible. He looked over to see Mami give him a nod of approval.
"Just two. Though, we don't know when they'll be here." Uiharu said as Ichigo handed them four menus.
"Can I start you off with a drink?" Ichigo questioned as he prepared to write on his menu.
"So, why'd you jump in to fight? It didn't look like you had any powers to fight with other than that sword? And speaking of that sword, what's it made of? It must be strong if it can take a blow from that big guy." Saten began questioning while looking at Ichigo with curious eyes. Ichigo didn't feel like answering her questions, especially since he was still being watched by Mami.
"I'll be right back." As if god was smiling down on him, Mami excused herself from her observation. Once she had walked away, Ichigo let out a sigh before looking at Saten.
"I'm sorry, but could you NOT ask about yesterday in front of anyone? I just started working here and I'd rather not be fired because I got in a fight." Ichigo explained to her with a serious tone, much to the girls' surprise. They didn't know that he just started to work in their hangout, so it made sense he would want to keep his heroics a secret.
"Oh… I'm sorry. I didn't know." Saten said with a somewhat guilty tone. Ichigo noticed this and sighed yet again while scratching the side of his head.
"Look, I just jumped in because someone was in trouble and I'm not the type of guy who'd let anything bad happen to a kid. As for any powers, I don't have any. And my sword's a present from a friend outside of Academy City. Is that good enough for you?" Ichigo explained fully while raising a brow. The least he could do was explain his reasoning.
"A level zero? That's rather reckless, even if you had that weapon." Uiharu couldn't help but say with a deep frown.
"It happened and everyone was able to go home. Not much to say about that." Ichigo said with a nonchalant shrug. Uiharu still had a frown on her face, though her friend got back her smile.
"By the way, we never introduced ourselves. I'm Ruiko Saten and this is my friend, Kazari Uiharu. What's your name?" Saten asked Ichigo with a tilt of her friend.
"Ichigo. Ichigo Kurosaki. I'm just moved to Academy City, so the whole Esper thing is still new to me." Ichigo replied honestly.
"Oh, I didn't know that. How are you liking the city, mister Kurosaki?" Uiharu asked with a curious tone.
"Just Ichigo's fine. Mr. makes me sound old." Ichigo told her with a light smirk. "But… it's definitely an improvement to Karakura Town."
"Wait, you're from Karakura?!" Saten asked while slamming her hands on the table with wide eyes, getting looks from the customers. Both Ichigo and Uiharu gave her a look, making her chuckle sheepishly. "Sorry. But seriously, Karakura? That place is famous for having some supernatural events."
"Yeah… it's not a bad place to live." Ichigo told her, making sure not to go overboard with anything supernatural.
"I wish I could go visit Karakura." Saten sighed happily while resting her chin on her hands.
"If you couldn't tell, Saten loves everything that involves the supernatural." Uiharu explained to Ichigo with a smile. "She's also a fan of urban legends, which is what we wanted to tell our friends when they come here."
"Well, that's good. It's nice to hang out with your friends." Ichigo told her, briefly remembering all his friends at Karakura. "So, can I get you something to drink?"
In the back, Mami was watching them talk with a smile on her face. Truth be told, she only walked away to give Ichigo the freedom to interact with the customers without having to worry about his peers watching him. Well… she still was, but not like a hawk stalking its prey.
'Let's hope you can get used to it, Kurosaki.' She thought as she went to go serve the next few guests.
'Not too far from Joseph's'
"Sissy, talk to me~"
"Not after what you did."
"But someone like you shouldn't wear such childish under-"
"DON'T YOU DARE FINISH THAT SENTENCE!"
Near Joseph's Coffee and Family Restaurant were two familiar Espers, with one being a level five. They didn't have class today, so they thought they would meet their friends at their usual place for a quick lunch.
The reason they were late? Well, a certain teleporter got in trouble for switching a certain level five's underwear with more… interesting ones, which led to a little fight that eventually led to a scolding by their dorm manager.
Overall, they were behind schedule.
"You're giving me my underwear back the minute we get home." Mikoto told her roommate with an annoyed tone.
"Okay. But you really should consider what I offered. It works for a young and beautiful lady such as yourself." Kuroko reasoned with a dreamy smile as her mind began to wander.
"That barely covers anything! You might be willing to wear something like that, but I'm not!" Mikoto yelled as she began to walk a bit faster, with Kuroko doing the same. The two didn't say anything for a full minute as they walked across the street. However, her thoughts soon took over and she decided to speak. "Do you think that guy was telling the truth about his sword?"
"Are you talking about that person with the orange hair?" Kuroko questioned with a raised brow. Why would her sissy be interested in such a roguish character? 'No, she can't be interested in THOSE types! She's too high class to be!'
"Yeah." Mikoto replied as she looked up at the sky. "There's something about him that just… I don't know… interests me? I mean he jumped in without hesitating to save that kid. Plus, even after taking a hit to the stomach, he still got up." She then closed one of her eyes with a thoughtful expression. "He's not a normal guy."
"I'll say. What kind of person dyes their hair orange? It's immature for someone his age." Kuroko scoffed.
"Maybe. Still… I wouldn't mind getting to know more about him." Mikoto spoke up, much to Kuroko's horror.
"No… so it is true… YOU'RE INTO BAD BOYS!" Kuroko shouted while pointing accusingly at Mikoto, who turned to her in shock.
"W-What?!" She asked with wide eyes. How did Kuroko ever reach that conclusion?! All she said was that Ichigo was interesting! That's all!
"The way you spoke about him, the look in your eyes! It's clear that you've fallen for that ruffian!" Kuroko yelled rather dramatically, getting looks from everyone.
"Kuroko, people are staring." Mikoto whispered, feeling rather embarrassed with what was going on.
"But as the Ace of Tokiwadai, you shouldn't be interested in someone like him! It's unlady like of you! And if you happen to date this person, you could end up like him!" Kuroko continued to rant. She could see it now: Mikoto would have dyed hair, piercings all over her face, her grades would fall and she would eventually join a gang while driving a motorcycle! Actually, that last part sounds rather interesting to Kuroko, but that wasn't the point.
"That's enough, Kuroko…" The Ace of Tokiwadai lowered her head, her bangs emitting some blue sparks to show her growing irritation. It was bad enough that she was being accused of liking a guy she just met, it was another if her roommate started making assumptions. However, Kuroko kept going on and on about all the terrible things Mikoto could get into, making her growl in annoyance. "SHUT UP ALREADY!" Without thinking it, Mikoto unleashed a bolt of lightning randomly in the air, shorting out several electronics in the area… including a nearby transformer.
'Back at Joseph's'
"No, I didn't dye it." Ichigo said bluntly as he handed his customers their drinks.
"But it's rather strange for someone to have such a color when they're born." Uiharu said as she began sipping her tea.
"Unless your parents have orange hair, I don't think it makes sense you would have it. Come on, you can tell us if you dyed it. Maybe because of a bet?" Saten questioned with a teasing smile. She was a curious girl, so no one could blame her for wanting to know the truth behind Ichigo's hair color.
"No, I didn't. It's just-"
Before Ichigo could finish, all the lights in Joseph's suddenly turned off, much to the shock of everyone inside.
"Huh? What happened?"
"The lights went out, obviously."
"A power outage?"
Multiple customers began to voice out their concerns, trying to make sense of what was going on. Ichigo took the chance to look out the window, noticing some of the traffic lights were turned off.
"What the hell happened?" Ichigo muttered to himself in confusion.
"Please, everyone stay calm." Kagura came out of her office to reassure her customers. One of her employees walked up and whispered something to her, making her sigh. "I'm so sorry to say this, but since all our power is off, we'll have to temporarily close until further notice. If anyone is waiting for their meals, I will issue a full refund. Again, I'm so sorry." Ichigo could hear many of the customers groaning in disappointment at the news, though it was unavoidable.
"Awww, I guess we have to tell Misaka and Shirai to not come here." Saten sighed while resting her head on the table.
"Hang on, Misaka and Shirai?" Ichigo said as he turned to the girls in surprise. Were they talking about the girls he met yesterday? The timing of them seeing everything yesterday matched up. However, before he could ask them, he felt a hand on his shoulder.
"Mister Kurosaki, why don't you take your break now?" Kagura suggested.
"Are you sure? I can stay and help you out if you want." Ichigo offered politely. This was his first day, so he felt rather bad leaving right in the middle of a blackout.
"Oh, it's fine. Think of it as your lunch break." Kagura replied with a warm smile. As much as Ichigo wanted to argue with her, the tone of her voice had a sense of finality.
"Alright. If you say so, boss." Ichigo finally agreed with a nod. His boss smiled a bit more before she left to attend the other customers. The orange haired worker then looked at Uiharu and Saten with a small frown. "Sorry about this."
"Oh no, it's fine, Kurosaki. You didn't do anything." Uiharu told him with a reassuring wave of her hand before she and Saten stood up. She then gave Ichigo a bow. "It was nice to meet you."
"Yeah. I hope we'll see each other again later." Saten added as she also gave him a bow. Ichigo felt his lips twitch up a bit before he escorted them out.
Despite being younger than him, he had to admit, it was nice to have a nice conversation with them… even though some of their questions were a bit personal.
'A few minutes later'
"Okay, since I would usually work for eight hours, I get thirty minutes for lunch. But since the power's out, I guess my break's a little longer." Having changed out of his work clothes, Ichigo decided to walk around to find something interesting to do. He was a little hungry, so for now, he would look for something to eat.
Only the problem was that many of the restaurants and fast food places nearby were also experiencing a blackout.
'God, it feels like I'm cursed with rotten luck or something.' Ichigo thought with an annoyed sigh. He continued to look for something to do, yet there didn't seem to be anything open. At this point, he might as well just head back to-
"Ummm, does anything look familiar to you? Any landmarks or something?"
"Landmarks… well, there was a crosswalk in front of it, I think." Ichigo was brought out of his thoughts when he heard a conversation to his left. Turning his head, he noticed two people were talking, a male teenager and a woman.
The teen looked maybe a year younger than him with spiky black hair that looked somewhat similar to his own hair and matching colored eyes. He wore a white button down shirt with an orange shirt underneath, dark pants, and gray sneakers.
The woman looked to be about the teenager's height, with long, wavy brown hair and matching colored eyes. She wore a long sleeved white shirt, a dark colored skirt, black leggings and brown shoes.
"That's not really a landmark. There's kind of a lot of them here." The teenager said tiredly while rubbing the back of his neck. It was clear that he was kind of getting tired of not getting a clear answer, yet he did his best not to seem too irritated. "I'm not sure how to help now…"
"Hey, is there a problem?" Ichigo spoke up, getting their attention. As they looked to him, Ichigo could see that the woman had bags under her eyes. She must have been working on something for a while if she had that many bags.
"Yes, actually. I'm looking for my car, but I can't exactly remember where I parked it." The woman explained with a smile.
"You aren't busy, are you? I don't wanna make you do something you don't need to." The teenager asked curiously as Ichigo walked up to them.
"It's fine. I'm on my break, so I have time." Ichigo replied with a shrug, making the other teenager smile.
"Great. Then, I'll leave you to it." The teenager said with a relieved sigh, making Ichigo raise a brow.
"Aren't you going to help?" Ichigo asked as the other teenager chuckled nervously.
"See, I have somewhere important to be now, so I really don't have time to help out. And since you said you've got time, then it makes it easier for me." The teenager explained.
"Then why even try to help if you don't have time? It doesn't make sense." Ichigo told him bluntly. As they were talking, the woman began to fan herself due to the heat, fixing her collar so she could get some air.
"Come on, can you do me this favor just this once?" The teenager practically begged Ichigo.
"Look pal, I don't even-"
"Wow, it sure is hot out, don't you think?" Both teens stopped talking as they turned to the woman.
Only now… they wish they hadn't.
Due to how hot she was getting, the woman, without any hesitation, unbuttoned her white shirt, showing off her pink bra and rather sizable chest.
"What the hell are you doing?!" Ichigo shouted with a hint of red on his face, shocked by such boldness. The other teenager was no different as he looked away with a small blush.
"I've been walking around in the blazing sun for quite awhile now. I'm dripping in sweat, so I had to take off my shirt." The woman explained while wiping her forehead. It was clear that she had no problem stripping in public, though the same can't be said for the guys. Growling a bit, Ichigo marched over to them before looking at the teenager.
"Seriously, do you know who she is? You never said she was an exhibisionist." Ichigo demanded with a glare.
"How was I supposed to know?! I just met her a few minutes ago!" The teenager reasoned before he walked past Ichigo and grabbed the woman's shirt. "Anyways, lady, would you please put your shirt back on?"
*Gasp*
A girlish gasp caught their attention as two school girls looked at the trio in horror, though their attention was focused on the male teen. "That woman's being assaulted!"
"Is he ripping off her clothes?!"
"I think he is! And his friend's watching!" Both Ichigo and the other male teen widened their eyes, realizing what those girls were implying.
"Hang on, it's not like that!" Ichigo tried to explain before the other teen did something he didn't expect.
He threw the woman's shirt on Ichigo's shoulder and ran off.
"YOU GOT IT ALL WRONG!" Was all that he shouted before he ran off. The strawberry stood there for a few seconds before realizing what happened and glared at the teen running off.
"Hey, jackass! Don't leave me with her!" Ichigo shouted as he prepared to run after the teen.
"Excuse me." He stopped once the woman spoke up, giving him a blank stare. "If you're going after him, can you at least give me back my shirt?" Ichigo turned back to her, then looked at her shirt before his face heated up some more. Not to mention the fact that there were several students giving him a look that just added to his embarrassment.
Yup, his break took a massive detour.
'Some time later'
Ichigo let out a groan as he leaned back on his chair, trying to ease the headache that he could feel coming. Currently, he was seated at a table in front of a store called Seventh Mist, waiting for the woman, who was currently standing in front of a vending machine. Luckily, the stores in the area weren't affected by the blackout, which meant if he wanted to, he could get a bite to eat. But, since a certain jackass left him with a female exhibitionist, his options were limited.
'I swear if I find that guy, I'll give him a piece of my mind. Who the hell runs off before explaining what happened? And why the hell would those girls think I was just watching him tear her clothes off?! Academy City's just giving me a headache.' Ichigo thought as another groan escaped his lips. He then opened an eye towards the woman. 'And why the hell is she okay with stripping in public?' He had never really found anyone like her… besides Yoruichi, who would 'forget' to wear her clothes from time to time just to tease poor Ichigo. At least Yourichi's teasing made some sense to a degree. This woman, on the other hand, just did it because she was feeling hot. He then let out another sigh while running a hand on his face. "Oh well. It's not like I can judge her for being different."
"Who's different? Are you talking about me?" Ichigo removed his hand from his face as he saw the woman standing in front of him, holding two cans in her hands.
"Oh, sorry. I didn't mean it like that." Ichigo apologized before the woman placed one of the cans in front of him, making him raise a brow.
"Think of it as a thank you for helping me out today." The woman explained before she sat down across from him. Ichigo nodded and grabbed the can, though recoiled a bit due to how hot it was.
"Curry soup?" Ichigo said while reading the can.
Most people don't realize this, but when it's hot, a warm drink is better for you." The woman explained with a smile. "Also, curry contains special spices that help to relieve the fatigue and rejuvenate the body."
"Really? Well, I haven't had lunch yet, so thanks." Ichigo told her before opening the can and drinking the contents. It was spicy, but it was a free drink. Plus, Ichigo did like spicy food from time to time. "By the way, I don't know your name." The woman gave him a curious look as she too drank her curry soup.
"Harumi Kiyama. I'm a researcher." The woman now known as Kiyama introduced herself.
"I'm Ichigo Kurosaki and I'm new to Academy City." Ichigo replied with a nod, catching Kiyama's interest.
"Really? How long have you been here?" Kiyama asked.
"Just a day. It's a lot different than where I'm from, especially with the technology and Espers." Ichigo admitted while scratching the back of his head.
"That's to be expected. The technology here is said to be a few years above everyone else, even America. Though, with so much advancements in technology, Academy City is the target of many outside of its walls." Kiyama said almost grimly, though she noticed Ichigo giving her a look. "Sorry. I tend to look at things from a logical perspective. Maybe because of all the time I spend doing research."
"What kinds of things do you research, if you don't mind me asking?" Ichigo asked with a raised brow. Since his break has pretty much been taken over by this woman, he might as well know more about her.
"I'm a cerebro physiologist." Kiyama said rather professionally. "My primary area of study is A.I.M diffusion fields. Do you know of them?"
"Kind of. A family friend told my dad, who told me. It's a wave that Espers let out from their body that affects the area around them and that it's invisible to the naked eye, right?" Ichigo asked, hoping he was right.
"That's right. Your friend did their research." Kiyama told him with a smile as she crossed her legs. "I'm especially interested in discovering ways to harness and apply that power."
"Huh, is that right? So I take it you know about Esper abilities, right?" Ichigo asked, getting a nod from Kiyama. "There's something I've been meaning to ask someone and I think you might be able to help me. Can anyone have Esper powers or do only a certain amount of people have them? And can they choose what kind of power they can have?"
"Well, aren't you a curious one, Kurosaki?" Kiyama teasingly said with a small smirk. "But to answer your question: it depends on the person." She placed her elbow on the table and leaned in a bit. "See, a person would normally discover their powers at a young age and would have to work hard to develop it. However, once a person reaches a certain age without discovering an ability, then the chances of ever getting one disappears. That is why we have a level system and those without Esper abilities are referred to as Level Zeroes."
"That makes sense." Ichigo hummed while putting a hand on his chin, taking in all this information. "So, can you tell me how levels work?"
"Sure." Kiyama agreed while holding out a finger. "Level Ones are those who discover their abilities, so of course, they're the ones who struggle the most with their abilities. Then there are Level Twos, who can use their powers, but still struggle to control it. Level Threes have more control, but have limits to their abilities, same as with Level Fours."
"And Level Fives are the strongest and can use their powers as much as they want?" Ichigo finished, recalling what he learned yesterday.
"To an extent, though the Level Fives in Academy City are among the strongest. However, unlike the other levels, there are only seven of them in total." Kiyama explained as she drank more of her curry. "Not to mention how many abilities there are. You can say you'd want to find a lightning ability, but there are many variations of that. Do you want an ability to manipulate electricity, or would you like to absorb it?"
"I never really thought about that. Thanks for telling me." Ichigo thanked her genuinely. At least he was able to learn more about Espers from an actual researcher rather than Kisuke and his damn riddles. "So, do you think you can remember anything else about your car? Not that I don't like this little talk, but I do have to get back to work soon."
"Hmmm…" Kiyama hummed to herself, trying to recall where her car was. "I believe it's-"
*Splat*
She was unable to finish as a little kid ran over and accidentally dropped their ice cream on her skirt. "Oops! Sorry, miss!" The kid apologized as he got up. He didn't mean to drop his ice cream on her. He was just running to eat it with his friend.
"Oh, it's no trouble It'll be easy to wash this off." Kiyama told him as she stood up… and began unzipping her skirt. Both the young boy and his friend blushed at the woman's boldness while ichigo stood up.
"Seriously?! Even in front of kids?!" Ichigo asked her before he walked up and moved the kids away from Kiyama, giving them some Yen. "Here. Go buy yourself another ice cream."
"Oh, ummmm… o-okay." Giving him a grateful nod, the boy and his friend ran off, still blushing out of embarrassment. Ichigo ran a hand on his face before he turned to glare at Kiyama.
"What? I have to clean my skirt somehow." Kiyama reasoned calmly.
All this got was a sweatdrop and a small tick mark from Ichigo.
'One hour later'
The search for Harumi Kiyama's car was not easy. Given how little Kiyama could remember where the vehicle was, they were basically going in blind. Not to mention Ichigo had to wait for Kiyama to clean her skirt because of the ice cream.
'I swear, she doesn't have any shame like Rangiku… or Yoruichi.' Ichigo thought as he remembered the antics of the two female Soul Reapers.
'Urahara Shop'
"Achoo!" Yoruichi suddenly sneezed into her bowl of milk, making it spray on the floor. She had reverted back to her cat form just to relax, yet now, her milk was ruined.
"Getting a cold?" Kisuke teasingly said as he put down his newspaper, looking at his old friend.
"Of course not." Yoruichi told him with a frown.
"Then what was-"
"I will cut you." Yoruichi raised her claws threateningly, a deep glare on her face. Even in her cat form, she would still bring the pain to anyone who deserved it.
"Okay, okay. I'm just saying." Kisuke said before he went back to reading the paper, chuckling at the comic on it. "Ahhh, those Peanuts. Always a classic."
'Back with Ichigo'
"Are you alright? You've been sighing quite a bit lately." Kiyama asked Ichigo, noticing the tired look on his face.
"Yeah. I'm fine." Ichigo replied as he shoved a hand in his pocket. They passed another street, hoping to find the building Kiyama's car was in. "Does this look familiar?"
"Not really. We might be going the wrong way." Kiyama told him, making him facepalm a bit.
"Then let's go back." Ichigo said with a clearly irritated tone as he prepared to turn around.
"What the hell's this?! This is all you got?!"
"I-I barely got paid today. What did you-OOF!" Ichigo and Kiyama stopped walking when they heard the sound of someone falling to the ground from a nearby alleyway. Without hesitation, Ichigo rushed towards it to see what was going on, which Kiyama followed suit.
In the middle of the alleyway were four people, all teenage boys. However from the way it looked, three of them were ganging up on the fourth one. All of them were dressed in a white button up shirt, grey pants and sneakers, much like the spiky haired teen from before. The one being beat up looked to have glasses and a pair of headphones. He was currently slouched against the wall, holding his stomach.
"Who said you can talk back? Maybe we need to teach you a lesson." One of the guys suggested as his friends chuckled in amusement. Ichigo narrowed his eyes at the events while Kiyama stared with an unreadable expression.
'It looks like no one's here to help, as usual.' Kiyama thought with a hint of sadness. She of all people knew how it felt to be taken down and not have anyone to help you get back up. It was just how things were: the strong dominate and the weak are stomped on like bugs. However, she was surprised when Ichigo handed her his bag.
"Hold this, please." Ichigo asked her with a rather deep scowl. From the way he looked, it was clear that this wasn't his first time dealing with bullies. Without saying a word, Kiyama grabbed his bag while the orange haired teen walked forward.
"The hell are you even listening to? I bet it's some trash band." One of the guys said as he picked the glasses wearing teen up by his collar. "Maybe we can sell it for some cash. What do you say?"
"No… don't…" The glasses-wearing teen begged. They took all his Yen already, but his headphones were too far. He needed it to use THAT.
"HEY!" However, before the thugs were allowed to continue, Ichigo called them, standing in place.
"Huh? Who's this jackass?" A thug with red hair tied in a ponytail asked with an annoyed glare. He and the boys were just having fun, yet this guy decided to step in?
"I'm the jackass who wants to know what you're doing. But from the looks of it, I can get the gist of it." Ichigo told them, his scowl increasing. "So here's what's going to happen: you three are gonna take you asses out and go home before something bad happens." The three thugs stared at him like he had a second head while their victim looked on in shock.
"Why the hell do you care, carrot top?" The third thug questioned rudely.
"Do I need a reason to help someone?" Ichigo asked rhetorically while raising a brow before a sighed. "Whatever. I'll give you to the count of five."
"And if you finish?" The three thugs moved away from their victim and started marching up to Ichigo.
"Then I kick your asses." Was all Ichigo said with a calm tone. The three thugs gave each other a knowing smirk as they started sizing up Ichigo.
"Well… start the countdown." The lead thug said seriously. Ichigo just looked at them with his scowl before he opened his mouth.
"One…" Ichigo barely said one word as he moved his head back to dodge a punch.
*SMACK*
"AAAHHHH!" The lead thug fell on the ground, holding his face in pain. The other two looked in shock at Ichigo, who retracted his fist with a bored expression.
"Two…"
"You son of a bitch!" Getting over their shock, the other two thugs prepared to attack Ichigo. However, he merely stepped back before kicking one of them to the wall. The third thug attempted to kick Ichigo, only for his leg to be caught.
"Three…" With a rather bored expression, Ichigo pulled the third thug's leg, making him come close enough so Ichigo would slug him on the face. The force from the punch was enough to break a tooth or two as the thug fell on the ground.
"D-Damn you!" The first thug, standing back on his feet, glared hatefully at Ichigo before he wildly charged forward.
However, a second later, he found himself pinned on the ground, with Ichigo twisting his right arm.
"OWOWOWOW! LET GO, YOU BASTARD!"
"Four…" Ichigo either didn't hear him or simply ignored him as he began to twist the arm even more, making the man grit his teeth in pain. "So, you gonna stop and go now? If not, I'll break your arm."
"Screw… YOU!" The thug yelled, only for Ichigo to tighten his grip on his arm. "AHHHH, OKAY OKAY!"
"What was that? I didn't hear you." Ichigo mockingly said, giving him a look.
"We'll leave, dammit! Just let go!" The thug yelled, though it sounded like he was begging.
"And you better stop picking on that guy from now on. Because if I hear you do it again, I WON'T go as easy as I was right now. Got it?" Ichigo ordered in a serious tone, getting a grumble from the thug before he twisted his arm to get a rapid nod. "Good." Satisfied, Ichigo let go of the man's arm, allowing him to stand up. The three thugs, having been wounded and their pride shattered, hobbled away, but not before giving Ichigo one last glare. Letting out a sigh, Ichigo walked over to the bully victim, who stared at him with wide eyes. "You okay?"
"You… you helped me… you actually stopped them…" The teen said, as if in a trance.
"Yeah, I did. Though, I doubt those jackasses will actually listen. So, you better be careful from now on." Ichigo told him before offering a hand, to which the teen hesitantly grabbed before he stood back up. Ichigo noticed his wallet was on the ground and picked it up, dusting it off. "I'm guessing they wanted your money."
"For weeks…" The glasses-wearing teen told Ichigo rather bitterly as he took his wallet back. "Every time they saw me, they'd just gang up and demand Yen. If I didn't have a lot, they'd just beat me up. Every week, I need to put on new bandages just to hide the bruises."
"Then why didn't you tell anyone about this? I'm sure Judgement or someone would hear you out." Ichigo suggested, though this only seemed to annoy the teen.
"Like Judgement would give a damn." The teen said almost hatefully, making Ichigo raise a brow. Judging by his expression, he had a rather bitter disdain for Judgement. Though, Ichigo didn't know about Judgement that much anyways. He shook his head before giving Ichigo a bow. "Thank you for helping me. I appreciate it."
"It's no trouble. Not like I could let guys like them pick on anyone." Ichigo said with a wave of his hand before he began to walk away. "Take care, alright? And make sure to get help in case those guys come back."
"Sure… I'll do that." The teen said as he watched Ichigo walk off with Kiyama, who handed him back his bag.
"That was rather reckless, Kurosaki." Kiyama told him, though Ichigo didn't seem to care.
"Eh, someone had to step in." Ichigo replied with a shrug before he started walking off. Kiyama just looked at him for a moment before following him.
'Some time later'
"Thank you for helping me find my car." Kiyama told Ichigo with a smile as she sat inside her blue car. It took some time, but the two were FINALLY able to find where she parked, though it turns out it wasn't that far from Seventh Mist. Ichigo wanted to complain about this, especially since the sun was starting to set, but that would just be a waste of time.
"No problem. Though, it'd be hard to miss a car like this." Ichigo admitted, surprised to see such a car owned by a researcher like Kiyama. "Stay safe, alright?"
"You too. Are you sure you don't need a ride home?" Kiyama told him, to which ichigo shook his head as he began to walk away. However, before starting the engine, Kiyama decided to speak her mind. "I think I understand what kind of person you are, Kurosaki."
"Huh?" Ichigo turned back to her in surprise. What did she mean by that?
"This may be the researcher in me, but talking to you today gave me insight into your character." Kiyama explained calmly. "On the outside, one might think you're just a cliche punk who enjoys getting in fights and scowling at everyone they see. Though, I guess that last part might not be untrue."
"Hey." Ichigo gave her a scowl, though he quickly realized what he was doing and stopped it.
"However…" She raised a finger to emphasize her point. "Deep down, you're a considerate person. You could have simply left me alone when that boy left, but you chose to spend the day helping me. In addition to that, when I was taking off my skirt in front of those children, you acted quickly to move them away, which suggests a more brotherly side to you. And when you saw that other boy being bullied, you willingly stepped in to help, even when most people would have just looked the other way." She then gave him a somewhat warm smile. "In the end, I would say you're a good person, Ichigo Kurosaki. There aren't that many of those nowadays."
"I just do what I have to." Ichigo said honestly, proving Kiyama's point even more. "Anyways, I have to get going."
"Take care." With that, Kiyama turned on her care and drove out of the parking lot, with Ichigo giving her a wave.
"She really needs to remember where she parks her car from now on." Ichigo told himself with a sigh as he began to walk off. Today wasn't a complete waste of time. He did meet Kazari and Ruiko, learned more about Espers from Kiyama and even helped someone from getting mugged. Overall, it was one of his better days. However, his thoughts lingered on the spiky haired teen earlier. "Still, the next time I see that jackass, I'll give him a piece of my mind."
*Crack*
"NNNNNNOOOOOOO!" Ichigo's eyes widened as he heard someone's panicked scream. He ran around the corner, ready to jump in to help.
However… it seemed his help was unneeded.
"They all broke… a week's worth of breakfast, just gone. This is awful." Sitting on the ground, a look of horror on his face and with some food on the ground, was none other than the spiky-haired teen from earlier.
"YOU?!" Ichigo yelled in shock, getting the teen's attention as he turned to him.
"Oh, hey carrot top." The teenager said casually, having gotten over his depression for a moment. However, his words got a tick mark from Ichigo.
"I'm not 'carrot top,' you jackass! And this is why you ran off before?!" Ichigo questioned in an annoyed tone, pointing at the groceries on the ground.
"You know, for a student as poor as I am, getting groceries while they're on sale is a matter of life and death!" The teenager reasoned before showing Ichigo an egg carton… though all of them were cracked and yoke began spilling out of it. "I waited two hours to get everything and now my eggs are ruined!"
"That still doesn't give you the right to leave someone with an exhibitionist who has no problems stripping in front of kids!" Ichigo yelled at him with a glare.
"Wait, in front of kids?" The teen asked, his anger turned to confusion. Ichigo let out a tired sigh before he leaned against the pole next to him.
"So… why'd you help Harumi out?" Ichigo asked calmly. He might have been annoyed with what happened, but he wanted to know the reason behind the teen's involvement at least.
"I guess… I just felt like I needed to." The teen said as he sat cross legged to get comfortable. He looked at the sky. "It's just that whenever I see someone who needs help, I feel like it's my duty to give them a hand. Getting a kid's cat out of a tree, helping an old lady cross the street, whatever someone needs. So, when I saw that woman was looking around, I felt like stepping in, even if that meant I would be late for the sale." He then let out a chuckle as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Guess that doesn't make a lot of sense, huh?"
"Actually, I know how you feel." Ichigo admitted, giving the teen a small smirk. "I guess you and I aren't that different." The teen gave him a surprised look. He never expected to actually be compared to someone else, especially from a guy who looked like he was part of a gang. "What's your name?"
"Kamijo. Touma Kamijo." The teen introduced himself.
"Ichigo Kurosaki. Nice to meet you." Ichigo offered him a hand, which Touma stood up and shook. "You a student?"
"Yeah. I'm a freshman in high school. You too?" Touma asked curiously, getting a nod from Ichigo.
"Senior year. I just transferred not too long ago." Ichigo told him with a shrug.
"Isn't it kind of late to transfer during your last year of high school?" Touma couldn't help but ask.
"Probably." Ichigo simply said with a shrug before he looked up, admiring the sunset. Touma said nothing as he also looked up.
"That's a pretty nice sunset, huh?" Touma confessed. Even if his life was full of bad luck, it was moments like this that made him appreciate life.
"Yeah, it is." Ichigo commented with a nod. 'Hang on. Sunset… sunset… sunset…' Slowly, Ichigo's eyes widened in horror. "Oh, crap."
"What?" Touma asked with a raised brow. Ichigo said nothing as he took out his phone and checked the time.
It was 5:39 PM.
"CRAP! I'M LATE!" Ichigo yelled, making Touma jump back in surprise. "I have to get back to work!" Without saying anything else, Ichigo began to run off. But not before he looked back at Touma. "See you later, Touma!"
"Wait, Kuro-" Touma wasn't allowed to finish as Ichigo ran off as fast as he could. The spiky haired teen merely shook his head as he gathered his groceries. To think such a rather punkish-looking guy would just talk to him so casually and even call him by his first name, even when they JUST met. It was just so surprising. "What a weird strawberry." Touma said began to left.
Overall, Ichigo's second day in Academy City was okay at best.
Jesus, I didn't think this damn chapter would be so long. But, it shows that I want things to get going and to get rid of any pointless filler. Plus, I did want to set up for the Level Upper arc, which was actually a pretty interesting arc to start with for Railgun.
As you saw, I did have to switch a lot of canon stuff, which I'm pretty sure everyone here will hate me for. But, at the same time, I have a plan for these changes and they will affect the story. Mikoto Misaka will still meet Harumi Kiyama and will learn about Child Errors, but… I have a little twist with it.
I know people were looking forward to Ichigo meeting Touma and while this chapter only gives us a little glimpse, I will expand upon their interactions since in a way, they are similar. Plus, Ichigo was able to learn more about Espers from Kiyama and even helped a certain person, who will have a role in the next chapter. So for now, please wait and see how everything unfolds.
Follow, Fav, Review and PM for anything. But, please be respectful. I know I'm a terrible writer, but I am still human.
Next time: A Certain Bombing.