Hello everybody. I'm Azurestoryteller. I've been a fanfic writer since 2015, mostly specializing in High School DxD fics. Wow, can't believe I've been here for a decade now.

That aside, since I've been in a Bleach mood lately, I decided to write something for it. I've been a Bleach fan ever since I hit High School but I was never in the mood to try writing for it till now.

I'm actually not sure how serious I am about this story. I've just been stuck in a rut for a long while now and I'm trying to get my creative spark back. I've been burnt out writing my own original novels IRL and I'm burnt out writing my High School DxD stories too.

Rather than using pre-existing characters, I decided to use OCs as the main characters so you've been warned. I want to experiment with new plots, characters, and personalities, thus I am here. I've had the urge to try out writing characters I'm not used to writing and I'm trying to write in my current style since I haven't had any luck in finding any Agents to pick up my debut novel. Since I've got nobody I can trust to look at my work, I'm making due with fanfiction to see how my writing style hits right now.

I mean, this was also the reason why I started writing Fanfics in the first place too. I wanted to develop my writing skills through real people and reviews rather than spending money on a degree.

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I'll see you all again whenever I'm able to get anything out.

Date of posting: 1/7/25

Chapter 1

Repeating Circumstances

Yusuke Manabe. That was not a common name in Brixton, London. He was 18, so for the past 12 years, Yusuke had to deal with people making fun of his name and staring at him because they got tongue-tied trying to pronounce it. 'You Suck, Eh?' was a popular one.

Why was he in London? His family had moved here 3 years ago. He never heard too much come out of their mouths since they both passed away 12 years ago. That left his aunt and uncle to raise him. That was until a year ago when they both passed away.

Yusuke didn't understand how they could've when they were so healthy and young. Everyone he consulted had no idea how or what killed them. When they both passed away, Yusuke felt as if he'd lost a fragment of his world. It chipped away at the thought of him calling Brixton, home. It was hard to call any place home when there was no attachment to it.

As for why he was recounting his history in melancholy, it was because it was Graduation Day. He was finally free of the bonds of Secondary School. Everyone was at the school auditorium receiving their awards as parents and guardians clapped. Well, not everyone, actually. Yusuke was one of the many who had nobody to come see him graduate.

He tried not to let it get to him since he'd had a year to move on. He would just get his diploma and go.

Once ceremony was over, he casually made his way out of the building.

"See ya, Yusuke. Make sure to call sometimes." Several students waved at him as he left.

It was mood-lightening to give one last regard to his school friends on his way home. Then he was met with a sight that had sadly gotten used to. He saw parents walking around with their children. Many were laughing and showing off. Others were as grim as could be like they were in a courthouse. Yusuke shrugged off the mixed atmosphere and went to work.

He had a job making deliveries that paid quite well for part-time, although the workday could be arduous. It helped that his loads weren't as heavy since he was only 18 so he had to use smaller vehicles.

From noon to sunset, Yusuke ran around delivering packages to nearby residences and drove his small vehicle to farther places around the city. He was glad that the work was simple, at least.

After a long day of school and work marking the beginning of Summer Break, he just wanted to relax when he got home.

He trekked through the streets and reflected. This monotonous lifestyle was tranquil yet Yusuke felt like something was missing. He didn't have any major complaints about his life but something just wasn't making him happy.

He looked around and saw people with things he didn't have. What was the word? Ah, yes, normalcy. Yusuke was anything but normal but he wanted to taste it again. That thought reminded him just how out of reach that would be for him.

"Hey, Dad. Mom and I are waiting to pick you up at the station." Someone spoke into their phone as he passed by.

"Hey, son. Your mom and I will be waiting to pick you up. We'll stop by and eat somewhere before we go home too."

Yusuke tuned out their conversations and pressed on home.

Once he opened the door to his 2-story house, he simply just walked in. There was no call from anyone else in the house, no one to tell that he was home, no one to greet him. It was a literal cold dead silence.

It was only natural. He'd been living in the care of his aunt and uncle up until a year before. Their deaths left him alone since he had no other relatives. The only thing of value that he had left was this house, paid for and handed down to him. Still, he only had himself to blame. It was his choice to stay here instead of going back to Japan.

Yet, Yusuke had no time to dwell on his past today. He had guests incoming in a few minutes. They were the owners of the house, to be exact.

Yusuke inspected his appearance in the mirror. His navy eyes were rather unusual but he'd learned to live with them. He tidied his silky black hair and fixed his clothes before answering the door.

"Well, hello there." A blonde man was standing behind the threshold, wearing a Bahamas shirt and shorts. He was accompanied by a dark-skinned woman with golden eyes and purple hair.

"Urahara. Yoruichi. Come on in." Yusuke made way for them to enter his modest house.

"Looks nice. Kisuke, why can't you keep your shop as tidy as Yusuke's place?" Yoruichi elbowed the blonde man.

"Well, I am a busy man." Kisuke chuckled as he took a seat in the Living Room.

Yusuke immediately set out green tea and snacks for the 2 adults.

"You look good." Kisuke's goofy smirk turned warm, likewise with Yoruichi.

"It's been a bit rough but I'm getting by. Anyways, I was surprised when you said you were coming by for a visit. What's up?" Yusuke asked.

"I just wanted to check up on a friend." Urahara shrugged.

Yusuke knew better than to take him at face value. Nothing was ever simple with Urahara.

The next hour was spent with Urahara and Yoruichi helping to check with Yusuke's finances and talking over his future plans; much like how any concerned adult would talk to a teen.

"So, with the pleasantries out of the way, I wanna move on to more serious issues." Urahara closed his iconic fan and set down a device on the table.

The device was in the shape of a pentagon with a katana over a skull.

"This is for you. I've made a new breakthrough in my Gigai research. Now, you don't need to have a mod soul or anything else taking over your body to access your powers. You certainly won't need someone to hit you anymore, either." Urahara grinned whilst brandishing his cane.

Yusuke just stared at the badge. He'd seen something like this before.

"This isn't from Soul Society, is it?" He looked at the duo.

"Not at all. I understand your misgivings about Soul Society, so I created that independently. I promise, no one's gonna spy on you." Urahara unfolded his fan, hiding part of his face.

Yusuke remembered one of his parents' longest-running teachings: never trust the Soul Society's higher-ups. The Head Captain and anyone above them were to always be regarded with suspicion.

"This is just in case troublesome things come your way." Yoruichi interceded.

Yusuke knew what she was implying. What killed his parents could come after him too.

"So, anything else happen here? London is such a long way from Japan so I'm not much up to speed here." Urahara asked.

"Well, you know about the so-called Dragons but the Wing Binders take care of them. As for Hollows, there're some Soul Reapers here too but it's rare to see them. Aside from that, everything's quiet and peaceful." Yusuke replied.

"I see. And your training?" Yoruichi was the one to question him this time.

"I keep up with it." Yusuke half-lied. He honestly wasn't that fond of using his powers. As a result, he trained his basics but he never went all-out with his training. He didn't push his boundaries like many would. He honestly loathed the supernatural parts of his life and sometimes, he didn't even know why. It felt like a blur at times.

"I see. In that case, everything seems to be running well here." Urahara and Yoruichi made for the door.

"Urahara…" Yusuke called out to them. "Is it true that there's a treaty?"

"Indeed. Shunsui doesn't always loop me in, but that's what the consensus is. Soul Society, Hueco Mundo, and the Wandenreich have agreed to cease hostilities. Conditions have yet to be determined."

"Yusuke, are you still looking for answers?" Yoruichi asked. The look in her eyes was of disapproval.

"..."

"You still want revenge?" Urahara added.

"I don't know." Yusuke knew that anyone would say 'yes' if it was about the murder of their parents. Yet, he couldn't muster up the motivation to just say it. Some part of him just couldn't get a rise even if he wanted to.

"Well, I still haven't found anything, I'm afraid. For now, I'll be attending to some personal business so we need to be leaving now. I'll visit again tomorrow." Urahara merrily left with his partner.

The moment they exited Yusuke's house, the adults began dipping into more serious matters.

"Dragons, huh. Certainly more noticeable than Hollows. I hope things don't escalate over here like it did with us 12 years ago." Yoruichi folded her arms.

"You're not still mad at them, are you?" Urahara looked back at her playfully. He already knew the answer.

"Where the hell were they when Yhwach came?"

"The East and West branches of Soul Society have been out of touch for centuries. It's only natural there'd be a wall between them. Besides, I'm sure they had their own problems too." Urahara merrily spun his cane as he left with Yoruichi for their own matters.

Once Urahara and Yoruichi left, Yusuke stored the Soul Reaper Badge in a drawer. The less he thought about it, the better. He went to go wash his face with cold water. He never did like reminders of his parents.

Yes, he was the son of 2 Soul Reaper deserters. His father, Makoto Manabe, and his mother, Natsuko Hanasaki, were former members of the 12th Division and 13th Division of the 13 Court Guard. Yusuke's father had told him many times that they'd left because of the corruption they saw in Soul Society. He recalled his father telling him how he and his mother were left to go on the run for 3 years until they were able to work out a deal with Soul Society. That was until they were killed and Soul Society did nothing to help find the culprits.

The trail had gone cold for years, even when his aunt and uncle tried to find answers. Yusuke, being a boy and not having anywhere the level of technical skill that they did at the time, could only watch. Now, he was left with nothing to work with and was forced to rely on Urahara for help.

Despite his genius intellect, Urahara had nothing to go on since the ones who murdered Yusuke's parents left nothing behind. His aunt and uncle didn't even know how to get into the lab that remained in Karakura Town.

Yusuke tightly gripped the sink. His emotions were running like the faucet in front of him. He wanted to get angry but just couldn't. It was vexing. Nothing can be explained. That was something he wound up telling himself a lot.

'Just let it go, Yusuke. You've got one free weekend left before your job kicks into overdrive.'

He decided to eat out that night to distract himself. Despite his misgivings, Yusuke brought along the Badge Urahara gave him. Who knew if he would need it.

He entered a nearby Indian Restaurant he loved. Their Lamb Vindaloo was exquisite. Too bad, the food didn't taste as good as usual. All these reminders of his past had drained the flavor from the food.

"Something wrong?" A young waitress walked over. Her dark caramel-brown hair's shadow hung over him as she set his plates down. She looked at him with her golden-brown eyes and smiled.

"No, it's nothing, Katherine. Just don't feel so good." Yusuke returned the expression but his eyes failed to be as enthusiastic.

"Wanna talk about it?" Katherine asked.

Yusuke knew it was a one-way ticket to a psych-evaluation to talk about Soul-Society related issues.

"No, I really am okay. I'm just tired." Yusuke refuted her again.

"Well, our shop's always here if you need it. You're my dad's favorite customer." Katherine gestured toward the older man behind the front desk.

"Hi, Rahul." Yusuke waved back at the man.

"Noted. Thank you."

Yusuke ordered an extra serving to go after finishing his meal and was on his way home.

To his annoyance, his soon-to-be former bullies were wandering the streets. Yusuke had little patience for them nor did he have the desire to fight. It was another session of being a punching bag. He set his bag of food aside and kept walking.

"Hey, it's You-Suck-Eh. Got money this time?" One of the delinquents hooked an arm around his shoulders.

"No. Sorry." Yusuke passively said as he braced himself.

"I'm getting really tired of you not having money. It makes the world spin. Don't have it?" The Head Delinquent, who sported rings on his fingers delivered a punch into his gut. "You pay with your body."

Yusuke said nothing as the thugs kept punching and kicking him. It went on for minutes until the sound of footsteps came closer. He found it amusing that they ran as soon as witnesses neared every time.

"Better have something next time." The Head Delinquent stomped on his face.

It was a good thing his physiology was stronger than humans. Their hits stung but he'd had worse before. Yusuke got up and dusted himself off. As much as he wanted to fight back, he always knew that something worse could follow. It was too much of a hassle to deal with.

He stared at the night sky to unwind for a bit. There was a full moon tonight. The skies were clear and there was a cool breeze passing by. He certainly relished these nights. He'd grown tired of all the cloudy skies in London. Yusuke soon realized that there was something odd. There was an overabundance of stars in the sky. No…now that he studied them closely, they were moving.

'I didn't eat rotten vindaloo, did I?' Yusuke had no answers for the phenomenon.

He turned in the direction from where the stars were coming from. It was then that he felt it. He could sense something sinister in the distance. It was a cold itchy sensation riding up his spine. Then, he felt something else. There was a warmer feeling smoothing up and down his face like a gentle hand.

Yusuke recognized the first presence as that of a Hollow's. They weren't as numerous as in Japan but there were still many. That second presence was unfamiliar to him.

He initially had the urge to act but stopped himself. He'd told himself that he wanted to avoid using his powers. He couldn't use them. The last time he did, Yusuke still had nightmares about it. It was undeniable that it was better to try and live normally.

He knew that there were some Soul Reapers stationed nearby. This matter was best left to them. They hadn't sensed him yet so it was best not to alert them now.

Unfortunately, trouble still came his way. Yusuke could feel the presences getting closer. The Hollow was advancing on him like a ravenous cheetah chasing a wounded gazelle. He clutched his Badge as he turned around.

The Hollow was a 3-legged creature with bladed arms and numerous spikes popping out its back. It leered at him with its yellow eyes, its mouth exposed to chomp down on him.

'Shit!' Yusuke cursed. It was already too close.

Just before it could bite, a blue ray of spirit energy pierced through its head like a laser. Yusuke was perplexed. It didn't look like any sort of Kido he'd seen before. He looked past the disintegrating Hollow and saw a young woman standing there.

He felt his emotions shift to alertness. She was wounded, her clothes soaked with blood. There were gashes across her right shoulder, left side, and both of her legs. Red liquid trailed down her face and she panted with such exhaustion that Yusuke reckoned she was probably at the end of her rope. He recognized her as a Quincy for she had a bow of Spirit Particles in her hands.

She glared at him with her sapphire-blue eye. Her other one was obscured by her black bangs. Her expression weakened but her eyes continued to look fierce.

"Damned bitch! Where are you?!" Another voice was bellowing from even further away. It was another Hollow.

It leered at him, opening its mouth to shoot something at him. The Young Lady before him jumped in the way, blasting through it with an arrow of Spirit Particles that not only destroyed the attack but obliterated the Hollow.

Once the fight was over, the Lady fell over from her injuries.

"Hey, hang in there!" Yusuke's first idea was to take her to a hospital once he felt her pulse. She was alive but wouldn't be for long if she didn't get any help. He stopped himself just then. He remembered that human doctors wouldn't be able to heal wounds dealt by Hollows fully. He needed to give her first aid.

As much as he disliked his past, he still kept tabs on everything. He wasn't sure what would happen if the Soul Reapers found her. There was still bad blood between the two factions, after all.

'A real man pays back the favors he owes, Yusuke. If someone saves you, you pay it forward.' His uncle's words still stuck in his mind, like a lamppost that lit up whenever he wanted to do something like run away. This time, he felt compelled to listen.

He lifted the young woman into his arms and began using Flash Step to speed back home. As much as he tried to distance himself from his past, he couldn't ignore this woman.

Once he was home, he did his best to heal her with what his family had taught him. He focused his hands over her wounds and produced a green aura around them. He could see the gashes closing as he continued his work. If he kept this up then perhaps she would be fine.

"Huh?" The young woman weakly looked at Yusuke.

"It's okay. You're safe now." Yusuke didn't truly know if that was the case but what else could he say to a wounded patient?

"Where am I?" She murmured.

"London, England." Yusuke knew that was a dumb response but this young lady merely sighed in contentment.

"I see. Thank you."

"I should be thanking you. You saved me." Yusuke retorted with a small grin.

"May I know your name?"

"Uh, Yusuke Manabe. Pleased to meet you."

"I'm Ingrid Gewalt. I guess you're not regular, are you? I saw what you did earlier." Ingrid's face quickly shifted, likely from internal logic. "Are you a Soul Reaper?"

Technically, he was. However, his heritage was odd so the safe answer was…

"Kinda. It's complicated. Anyways, what's a Quincy doing in London?"

The moment he mentioned the term, Ingrid's expression hardened. She tried to move but winced and slumped backward.

"Hey, I'm not done treating you yet!" Yusuke scolded her.

"And I'm gonna assume you won't do anything to me!" She sarcastically growled.

"If I was gonna do something to you, I would've already. Besides, I don't even like Soul Society. As far as we're concerned, neither party exists." Yusuke huffed. He hoped that last part would remain true.

Ingrid didn't let down her guard.

"Now, are you gonna let me heal you or are you gonna put an arrow through my head?" Yusuke returned a daring glare.

Ingrid sighed in defeat. Both parties knew she was in no shape to fight.

"Thank you. Now, I promise I won't do anything." Yusuke resumed her healing procedure but kept an eye on her hands. Quincies could form their weapons within the blink of an eye. One opening and she could paint the walls with his brains.

"What did you mean about your heritage being complicated?" Ingrid asked.

Yusuke knew there were real sickos in the Spiritual world, i.e., the infamous Mayuri Kurotsuchi. He didn't relish the idea of letting his info being out there. He remained tightlipped.

"Aren't you going to answer a woman's request? Gentlemen shouldn't do that." Ingrid raised a brow.

"And I put your question to you? How do I trust you too?" Yusuke returned the same expression.

"Let me retort. And I quote: 'If I was gonna do something to you, I would've done it already.' That Hollow had you dead-to-rights and I could've let him finish the job."

Ingrid's response was pretty solid. Yusuke relented.

"My dad was a former spirit-sensitive human. He met my mom one day and this led to that and he wound up becoming a Soul Reaper like her." Yusuke looked at the picture of the young couple he kept in his Living Room.

"What Divisions were they in?" Ingrid's expression became uncertain again.

"Division 12 for my dad. Division 13 for my mom." The moment Yusuke mentioned Division 12, Ingrid paled.

She tried to get up but flinched from her wounds yet again.

"Hey!" Yusuke tried to keep her steady.

"I'm not letting you carve me up onto a petri dish." Ingrid snarled.

"Like I said, I've got nothing to do with those people! You can even leave after I'm done healing you!"

"I'm afraid that's not a good idea, either!" A cheery voice burst through Yusuke's front door. It was Urahara.

"K-Kisuke!" Yusuke was appalled by the lack of manners from the usually polite man.

"Apologies. I was in the neighborhood and overheard the commotion. I'm Kisuke Urahara, pleased to meet you." Urahara bowed toward Ingrid.

"U-Urahara?" Ingrid stuttered. She then glanced at Yoruichi and grit her teeth in distress.

Clearly, she knew who the two newcomers were. She paled and shrank away from the three other people in the room.

"H-Hey, now! You're starting to bleed again!" Yusuke frowned.

"Stay away." Ingrid tried to form a bow from Spirit Particles. The moment the Particles began to appear in her hands, they burst apart like a balloon. She tried to summon her weapon numerous times but nothing succeeded.

"Now, now, my dear, we mean you no harm. In fact, I'm here to see if I can help." Urahara smiled reassuringly like usual.

"We've got a shaky truce as is. We're not trying to break it." Yoruichi crossed her arms confidently.

It took a few minutes before Ingrid relented, allowing Yusuke to resume healing her.

"Now then, allow me to clarify that while Yoruichi and I are loose allies of Soul Society, we're not directly working for them. I'm just a guy that loves peace so I do what I've gotta to preserve it. That means maintaining good relations between all 4 spiritual races." Urahara waved his fan jovially.

"People can lie." Ingrid retorted.

"But they can also tell the truth." Urahara cheekily responded.

"So, what should we do?" Yusuke asked.

Urahara folded his fan and dropped his jovial demeanor again.

"It'd be best if the young lady here lied low for a while. You're in no shape to fight or run very far. What would you do if a disgruntled Soul Reapr found you? Not all Soul Reapers are as forgiving as Head Captain Shunsui or us. Some would try to harm you, Young Miss."

"You're not worried I'll start another war? What if I'm a spy?" Ingrid smirked.

"No way. If you were a troublemaker, you'd have let that Hollow bite Yusuke's head off. As far as you knew, he was just some random guy in the street. You could've shot him dead and left before we even got here." Urahara began laughing.

"Thanks for the confidence." Yusuke deadpanned.

"So, what brings you here, Young Lady?" Urahara asked.

"…" Ingrid looked away.

"You're running away, aren't you?" Yoruichi asked. The question was abrupt but Ingrid's reaction all but confirmed it.

She retained her silence but even her quiet stance answered for her. It answered for the entire hour Yusuke spent healing her.

"There, all finished. Your wounds are closed but your pain and fatigue isn't something I can help. If you were in the hands of someone competent, then maybe you'd be in better shape." Yusuke began bandaging her stomach and arms for her.

"Ms Gewalt, would you mind if I ran a test on you?" Urahara asked.

's eyes widened like saucers. The scientist noticed this.

"Is something the matter?"

"You were in Division 12, weren't you?"

"I was." Urahara grew a bittersweet smile. "I see you've heard of us."

"One of you is infamous. A monster that likes odd fashion." Ingrid leered at Kisuke.

"I assure you that while Kurotsuchi and I share a love of science, we don't share the same principles. If you wish, you can shoot me if I so much as clear my throat the wrong way." Urahara waited patiently before she nodded in agreement.

Urahara took a sample of her Spiritual Pressure into some sort of device attached to a test tube.

"As I thought…the reason why you can't form a weapon is because of the Hollow contamination." Urahara mused. He stared at the black Spiritual Pressure swirling in his sample.

"Mind explaining?" Yusuke asked.

"Hollow Spiritual Pressure is like poison to Quincies. Their relationship is even more contrasting to each other than ours is. At least Soul Reapers can adapt to Hollow Spiritual Power, like the Visoreds and Arrancar. Quincies can't adapt to them at all. I'm guessing that the Hollows that Ingrid fought had a special ability that's hampering her ability to control Spirit Particles or perhaps she ran into something more potent."

"Can you cure her?" Yusuke asked.

"Unfortunately not. The only treatment I can think of is to wait for it to go away since this Hollow taint isn't alive. Still, I'll be sure to work on something extra just to be safe after I've administered some antibodies to her. That way, there'll be no corruption."

"Any other problems?" Yusuke asked.

"None. Thankfully, her case isn't as bad as any previous ones I've seen." Urahara smiled reassuringly yet again.

"With all the first aid finished, Yusuke, could you follow me? I wanna talk about something in private." Urahara gestured to another room.

"So? What's up?" Yusuke asked in the other room.

"There's no way a Quincy would just be out and about in London exterminating Hollows when they could've gone to Japan for that. Also, the surviving Quincies have lost much of their fighting power after Yhwach was defeated. It would make no sense to keep a reserve force for a plan as grand as his. You said she was wounded but judging by her caliber, she's got Spiritual Pressure at captain-level. Yet, she was badly wounded. I doubt common Hollows could do that." Urahara put a hand on Yusuke's shoulder. "Yusuke, I'm not one to always go off gut-feeling but I feel like that young lady is hiding something. For now, I think it's best to keep an eye on her until we learn more."

"Alright. So, what do you want me to do? Spy on her?"

"No way. I know stealth isn't your forte. I was going to ask what you planned to do with her?" Urahara asked.

Yusuke had to think about this. What did he want do with Ingrid? He just knew that she needed help. If she had nowhere to go…if she still needed help…

"She did save my life. Maybe I would've survived but she still took the shot to protect me. I can't just let her wander around while she's still weak. It doesn't sit right with me." Yusuke exhaled. As much as he was reluctant to house her, he had a code of honor to uphold. Damn his bleeding heart.

Urahara grinned.

"Then that settles it. It looks like you've got a new housemate. To be frank, having her travel around with Yoruichi and me would've attracted unwanted attention. I'll see to it that certain precautions are made while Yoruichi and I are still here."

When the two men returned inside, they found Yoruichi wrapping a bandage around Ingrid as if mummifying her.

"What the hell?!" Yusuke gasped.

"Relax. I was just helping the girl bandage her indecent parts. Your wrapping needs work." Yoruichi grinned mischievously. "Were you hoping for a peek?"

Ingrid merely looked coy at the joke done at her expense.

"I was raised better than that." Yusuke growled.

"So, what now? I'm a prisoner?" Ingrid calmly asked.

"Not at all. If anything, I think it's best you lay low here. Yusuke's not on any known radars. I can attest to this since no one's found him yet. He's the best person to help you. And you need help, don't you think?" Yoruichi replied.

Ingrid stared outside, as if planning an escape route. She was as still as a statue before she sighed in defeat.

"Alright. I'll accept your good will. What can I do in exchange?"

"That's Yusuke's decision." Urahara excitedly looked at him.

"Just don't destroy anything." Yusuke pleaded. He still remembered the scene of carnage she'd left behind in the city.

"Deal." Ingrid quickly nodded.

"If that's all, then we'll be leaving now. Do call us if there's any trouble." Urahara waved as he and his partner left for their hotel.

Once again, the two engaged in conversation as they walked away.

"Are you sure sticking a Quincy and a Soul Reaper in a box was a good idea? Sounds like a powder keg waiting to pop." Yoruichi sternly glared at Urahara.

"Yusuke's already stepped a toe into this black lake. He's going to be dragged down to the depths, whether or not he wants to. I'd like to help him get back on his feet. You saw how he was this morning. He's even more different than how I remember him 2 years ago. Besides, I think it's time he learned to take on responsibility for his decisions; past and present." Urahara then stopped walking to stare at the moon. "What's your read on the girl?"

"She's not on the list that the remaining Quincies gave us. Her Spiritual Pressure is as pure as Quincies come. The wounds she got weren't done by Soul Reapers. It was a weird mix of Hollow and some other energy. Other than that, she didn't do anything that stood out and she kept silent the whole time I tried to get something out of her. The only real thing we can do is wait and see. Still…you sure you wanna endanger the son of your former assistants?"

"Yusuke's rusty but he's by no means helpless. Besides, I intend to stick around a bit longer to assert some answers of my own. There's more to all this than we know and I know that prying information out of Ingrid might make things worse. There is such a thing as self-fulfilling prophecies, after all." Urahara's voice was calm as always but the look in his eyes told Yoruichi just how uncertain he was.

"You're using Yusuke as bait?"

"Not bait. I'm hoping this'll help him." Urahara turned back toward Yoruichi. "I can't exactly do things the same way I did with Ichigo or Chad. Yusuke tends to run more than they did."

"A sly teacher as always. I'm surprised anyone you've ever mentored survived." She finally cracked a smile.

"How mean. I always look out for my students." The enigmatic man chuckled. He then looked at the sky again.

"What's got you grinning?" Yoruichi joined in on the smirking.

"It's funny, isn't it? This is exactly how Ichigo and Rukia met. The Moon's full just like that night. I wonder if their fates will be any different."

Yusuke was now faced with an issue outside of having a dangerous stranger in his house.

"Uh, I don't have any women's outfits, so these are the comfiest clothes I've got for you. We'll try to sort something out tomorrow." Yusuke handed Ingrid a bundle of comfy clothes.

He blushed as he studied the state of her clothing. Ingrid's skirt wasn't very long and her injuries had left her abdomen exposed along with her open plentiful cleavage. A young man like him had no idea where to look.

Yusuke waited for a response but she just gazed at him. He couldn't see her entire face since her left eye was covered by her hair but he assumed she was staring.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"Y-Yeah." Ingrid finally stopped looking at him after 5 minutes. She surprised him when she smiled.

Before, she peered at him as if he were an approaching predator but her stance had relaxed considerably…or she was lulling him into a false sense of security.

"The bathroom's down the hall, second door to your right." Yusuke said as he went to the Kitchen. He figured she was hungry so it was a good idea to warm up some food.

Common sense told him not to leave her unsupervised but he didn't keep his valuables in easy places, not that he had many, anyways.

By the time she got out of the shower, Yusuke had prepared the table.

"Uh…" Ingrid trailed off.

"Sorry. I should've asked if you were allergic to anything. You hungry?" Yusuke asked.

Ingrid shook her head but that only incensed her stomach. It growled like a tiger at her for lying. Yusuke could've sworn some silverware moved from the force of her stomach's sounds. Her face turned redder than peppers as she sat down with a nod.

Yusuke hoped she wouldn't mind the dinner spread. He'd laid out his takeout from the Indian restaurant as well as whipped up a few sides to eat.

Once the two began dining, Yusuke began asking new questions.

"So, ground rules: no wild parties, no bringing strangers home, no stealing, no killing, no drugs, and don't cause trouble." Yusuke passively spoke.

"T-That's it?" Ingrid look flabbergasted.

"Pretty much." Yusuke gobbled down a spoonful of vindaloo.

"I don't get it. Why are you being so nice to me? I'm a stranger. Our people have bad blood. I could be hunted right now. I could be lying. How can you trust me so easily?" Ingrid asked. She didn't sound angry or accusational, just confused.

"Because you needed help. As much as I like to leave people to deal with their own issues…I guess it didn't sit well with me to just leave you there to die. I make it a rule for myself to try and repay my debts, after all."

Ingrid went silent and resumed eating, satisfied with his reply.

"So, are you willing to finally explain why you were in that situation?" Yusuke asked. "You could at least tell me that much."

Ingrid stared at her glass of water before speaking.

"I'm considered a traitor to the Quincies. You know how 12 years ago, there was a huge war between Soul Society and the Wandenreich?"

Yusuke nodded to confirm.

"Well, my family didn't join in. My ancestors initially joined Yhwach because we lost loved ones to Hollows. When we learned the truth about Yhwach's goals, we defected. We went into hiding until he hit us with the Auswahlen, That helped his loyalists find my family and hunt us down. I've been on the run ever since." Ingrid bitterly smiled.

"And the rest of your family?" Yusuke asked.

"All gone. Hunted down by Yhwach's loyalists."

"I see. I'm sorry to hear that." Yusuke knew from Urahara that the Auswahlen tended to kill the unlucky Quincy who weren't strong enough to survive it. It was an abrupt end that was cruel to the victims.

"What about you? Tell me more of your story."

"Well, parents were dead by the time I turned 5. My aunt and uncle died when I was 16. I've been living like this ever since. Luckily, my family did well thanks to their work in the Human Realm. They paid off this house so I'd at least have a home. As for relatives, I don't have any. The closest thing I've got is Urahara and his gang."

"How is it that you know him? From what I heard, he's a big player in Soul Society's circle."

"My dad was one of his assistants. He visited a few times to see how we were doing after he found out about my parents leaving Soul Society. We've been friends ever since. He was actually my mentor alongside my aunt and uncle toward the end of their years." Yusuke chuckled as he recalled fond memories.

"I'm sorry to hear all that too." Ingrid replied.

An awkward silence crept into the room, one that lasted till the end of dinner.

"I have a spare bedroom. It's the door just past the bathroom." Yusuke pointed at said door.

"Thank you, Yusuke. Good night." She quickly entered said room.

That left Yusuke to his own agenda. He went to his basement. It was simple; it had shelves lined up obscuring much of the view. It was honestly like a small warehouse. He walked past the shelves of supplies and to a hidden corner of the room. He put his hand on a knob on the wall. It was inconspicuous and common amongst these types of houses, easy for his family's hidden secret.

A door opened on the side of the wall, revealing a rocky wasteland with blue skies behind it. Yusuke always wondered why Urahara was so fond of such designs. He was personally fonder of plains and lakes but the scientist said there were too many environmental hazards. He reckoned Urahara was just messing with him again.

Regardless, Yusuke had one purpose tonight: training. Previous events had proven to him that he needed to be prepared in case trouble came knocking at his door. For all he knew, Ingrid could also be trouble. He had to make sure he could defend himself at the least.

Yusuke pressed the Soul Reaper badge to his chest. He felt himself jolt, as if someone had tackled him. He turned around and expected to see his body there but froze to be as stiff as a statue. He looked at himself. He was wearing a shihakusho, the uniform of all Soul Reapers, and yet his body was nowhere to be found.

Yusuke was about to panic until he found a note attached to his Badge.

By the way, I advanced the Badge. Instead of detaching your soul from your body, your entire body is converted into that of a Soul Reaper's. . P.S. If you die as a Soul Reaper, you die period. No body left behind. !

Yusuke breathed a sigh of relief. He thought he'd killed himself. He just ignored Urahara's trolling faces.

He got into a stance and drew his Zanpakuto as quickly as he could whilst attacking. He managed to split a rock cleanly in two. He wasn't as rusty as he'd expected but was still far from his younger years.

He inspected his blade. It was glistening-clean. The handguard still resembled the shape of a curved, 4-pronged pinwheel that formed a circle. Yusuke tightened his hold on the black hilt.

Next was the true test.

He called upon his weapon to awaken.

"Defy, Ransha (The Rebellious One)." The Zanpakuto did nothing.

There was no aura, no sound, not even a sensation. It was ironic. The moment he got what he wanted before, it wasn't what he needed now.

"Ransha…are we ever gonna get away from all this?" Yusuke's question was met with only silence.

Man…kanji is so hard to get right. I've just started learning hiragana and I jumped to kanji for this chapter and I was more lost than a fish in space. I was also debating whether or not to use the romaji or English words for the names and techniques I plan to use. I tried it with the English and it just didn't sound right. However, I'm sure I mistranslated the Japanese too…So, not sure what to do.

If anyone has legitimate tips, please let me know.