"You mean just like that?" Gin wondered. "No heroic act, no trying to save the damsel in distress? You're a lot more interesting than I thought you'd be."
Silas took distinct notice of what Gin had said: "a lot more interesting" than he thought. It was like Gin had expected him to fight back. More so it was right of Silas to believe he was being monitored. Rather than acknowledge the comment, in a resolute tone, he looked at Rukia and said, "What are you waiting for? Get lost already... Soul Reaper."
Those words finally cut her heart. The face she made was a clear indication that she didn't understand what Silas was trying to do. The two-month journey the two had together might have been fulfilling for her, but it was a complete blur to Silas. He couldn't emotionally feel what she had felt.
When it finally reached her that she was indeed nothing more than a Soul Reaper, she lowered her head and accepted her fate. "Was what you told me just a complete lie?"
"I never lie…"
"Then why are you—"
"Why am I what? I said get lost."
Rukia held back her tears. She then slowly walked over to the captains' side while Uryū berated Silas for not trying to protect her. Somewhere deep down, Silas believed Rukia thought he would stop her. Yet he remained silent. He was only thinking about Uryū's beratement.
'Silly little Quincy. Did you get that attached to her, too? And here I thought you hated Soul Reapers.'
As Rukia was walking away, Silas noticed a tear drop to the ground. Byakuya returned his weapon to its scabbard when she finally made it to their side. Gin had a disappointed look, having wished for some action to unfold. He turned around and pointed the tip of his sword in the space in front of him. The blade then disappeared as he twisted the handle to cause a Japanese shoji to appear. This was the Senkaimon, a dimensional gate that would lead to the Soul Society.
Black butterflies flew out of the gate as the door's opened. The last thing Silas saw was Rukia sorrowfully glance back just as the doors closed.
"You okay,?" Uryū asked Silas. He coughed up another mouthful of blood, still feeling the effects of relinquishing Rukia's powers. "Come on, let's get you some medical—"
"Wait…" Silas interrupted. The two heard footsteps approaching. It was none other than Kisuke coming to greet them.
"Long time no see, Mr. Kurosaki!" he happily said. "You look like you could use some help."
"Isn't that the guy we met that one night?" Uryū asked. Just like in the original story, Kisuke arrived right on time.
"Perhaps you could use a lending hand to gain your powers back and save Ms. Kuchiki."
Cold, hard rain suddenly fell from the sky, reflecting Silas's indifferent attitude. "Back off, Kisuke… You think I need your help to regain my powers?"
Kisuke became serious, lowering his hat to say, "Now's not the time to be acting tough. I admit, you're a pretty perceptive fellow, Ichigo, but what can you do on your own?"
"Ten days…"
"What?"
"I only need less than ten days, and I'll be ready to enter the Soul Society."
"Oh! And just how're ya gonna do that?" Kisuke suspiciously wondered.
"None of your business, Soul Reaper…" In a flash, Kisuke appeared directly in front of Silas, resting the blade of a sword right on his neck.
"Ya know, Ichigo... I don't like it when you think you know everything. But if you wanna act all high and mighty, I'll give you five days to prove yourself. Once that time's up and you fail to bring in some results, I don't wanna see this hard-nosed attitude anymore."
Uryū was shocked at Kisuke's speed. What impressed him more was Silas's demeanor—lax, unmoved by the threat.
"Fine… Five days is more than enough time."
Kisuke retracted his sword and sheathed it inside a cane. He then turned around to walk away, jovially saying, "See ya soon then, Ichigo!"
• • •
At the hilltop where Silas and Uryū trained, the two were seen walking along the path.
"It's just like you said a couple weeks ago: members from the Soul Society would likely come to take Rukia away," Uryū announced, adjusting his glasses. "You could have told me you were going to let them."
"If I had, your acting wouldn't have been authentic… Use your head, Uryū. How do you think those two managed to find us in the first place?"
"Because the great Ichigo doesn't know how to hide his spiritual pressure?" Uryū comically answered.
"And if I had done that?"
Uryū was lost for words, thinking he had finally outsmarted Silas. A few moments were spent explaining to the Quincy about how all the events that unfolded these past couple of months were not a coincidence. There was the fact that Rukia just so happened to meet him, only for a Hollow to attack him the same night. Then there was the likes of Kisuke always showing up when you least expected. Uryū finally began to understand that whoever Rukia was, someone from within the Soul Society wanted something from her.
"Will you accompany me there to go save her before it's too late?" Silas asked.
It was a question he already knew Uryū would say yes to. "I will, but how are you going to restore your powers, and how are we going to enter the Soul—"
"Kisuke Urahara…"
It didn't take long for someone as bright as Uryū to understand: Kisuke had a Senkaimon!
Uryū was left speechless at how Silas had darn near thought of everything. Yet there was still one thing bothering him, and it was his powerlessness.
"That's where you come in," Silas said with a smirk. After seeing Gin arrive, both in their captain's uniforms, it dawned on Silas that this world wasn't like what he thought it was. The designs of the characters, the scenes being filled that were never expanded upon—all of it was someone else's world. And if that were the case, then he was willing to test out a theory.
"Uryū, would you like to know how I know so much about Quincies? It's because I am a Quincy…"
Silas didn't spend much time explaining Misaki's birthright. But the main reason he was revealing this crucial information so lightly was because he needed Uryū to do something for him. He was going to have him infect him with his Quincy powers!1
1 Bleach Brave Souls anyone?