Chapter 15
Ichigo understood what Uryuu said, that someone should distract Inoue for a certain amount of time. And like all times, the know-it-all was right. After separating from the Quincy, he—along with Urahara-san, Yoruichi-san, and Chad—arrived behind the Shiba Residence. The whole building, including the cannon, was encased within Inoue's signature shield.
Concentrating for a few seconds, Ichigo was able to identify two distinct points of origin by which the golden dome was erected. 'This is not Santen Kesshun,' he observed. 'The shield is probably Soten Kisshun.'
Although Inoue has long been able to reshape the originally triangular Santen Kesshun shield into a dome to provide a multidirectional protection, and it can easily be confused with the actual dome-like Soten Kisshun, it still brought about a few questions like…
'Why use the healing shield in the first place to contain people?'
'I thought that Inoue only has Tsubaki as the last one remaining? Why is it that Shun-o and Ayame are here?'
"Ichigo?" Chad probed, walking near him. "What's wrong?"
"This is Soten Kisshun," Ichigo admitted, still mulling over the question. "Why would Inoue-" he paused, finally arriving at the answer. There was that time when they were still at war with the Arrancars! "The Soten Kisshun's secondary ability is to contain whatever is inside the shield. I've experienced it before when Inoue was healing me…At that time, Kenpachi was fighting against that Nnoitra guy…Inoue tried to help Yachiru. I tried to run after her but when I made contact with the inside of the shield, I was rebounded by a great force."
"In short, it means that this dome would not permit exit unless Inoue chooses to?" Urahara-san came forward, examining the shield. "If it's strong on the inside, does that mean that it's weak on the outside?"
Ichigo remembered how a simple noncommittal kick from Kenpachi shattered Soten Kisshun before. "I guess…"
Ichigo took out Zangetsu—the larger blade—since the smaller blade housing his Quincy abilities has not yet regenerated. He swung the blade until it struck the golden energy.
Clang! The dome creaked and reverberated, but it did not break. Instead, a certain energy washed over them, and in a blink of an eye, the shield was not in front of them anymore.
"What just happened?" Yoruichi-san asked, looking around. "Oh, shit. We're now inside the shield."
"That's impossible!" Ichigo gasped.
"I haven't seen Inoue do this before," Chad observed.
"I think that's our answer," Urahara-san offered. "This is not Inoue's doing."
'That's the answer, alright,' Ichigo agreed in his mind, shaking his head. That would explain why Shun-o and Ayame are here.
"Isshin! Masaki! Kūkaku!" Yoruichi-san called out, walking around the side of the building towards the facade. "Where are you?!"
"In here!" came the response of the current head of the Shiba Clan.
"Let's go," Ichigo followed Yoruichi-san.
.
.
.
Ichigo slammed his fists against the barrier that encased him, the golden-hued transparent wall humming with an unyielding force that defied his every attempt to break it. Ichigo's hands bruised as each attempt to break the barrier resulted in a force that pushes him back. His eyes darted wildly across the battlefield, searching for a way out, his mind refusing to accept that he was stuck here, unable to help.
Beyond the barrier, chaos unfolded. Inoue stood before Uryuu, her voice sharp, almost cruel, as she taunted Uryuu with his family. Ichigo's brow furrowed in confusion and growing horror. This was not the Inoue he knew. The kind, gentle girl who healed wounds and hearts alike—this was not her.
"You can shoot your arrow…right about here," Inoue gestured towards her chest. "I think you're quite well-aware already where your arrow should strike."
Ichigo clenched his jaw. "Inoue…what the hell are you doing?" he muttered.
"Inoue!" Uryuu's voice wavered. "Please stop this. If you're angry at me, there's no need to target those who are innocent…Please…"
Ichigo's knuckles turned white as his fists curled tighter. "Dammit, Ishida, just stop her! Don't let her do this!"
"I will even lower down my Reiatsu so that your arrow will pierce my heart," Inoue said, her tone dripping with malice.
"Inoue!" Uryuu barked, flicking his hand to summon flechettes that encircled her. "Stop, or I will detonate this."
Ichigo's eyes widened. "What the hell are you doing, Ishida?! That's Inoue!"
When the explosion rocked the area, Ichigo's heart sank. Smoke obscured his view, but as it cleared, Inoue stood untouched. Relief washed over him—only to be replaced with dread when she raised her hand, releasing a golden light that sprouted wings from her back.
"Rokuten Hishun," she whispered.
Ichigo's breath hitched. 'That form…'
The battle intensified. Uryuu attacked with everything he had, his flechettes and arrows were relentless, but Inoue countered with precision and terrifying strength. Each of her moves was calculated, cold, and uncharacteristically brutal. Ichigo could hardly believe what he was seeing.
"This isn't her," Ichigo whispered, gripping the barrier. "This can't be her…"
"Kurosaki," Urahara-san's voice echoed from behind him. "We know. This isn't her…I'm sorry."
Ichigo nodded without turning around.
When Uryuu faltered, Ichigo's anger turned to worry. He had always seen Ishida as a rival, a stubborn fool at times, but right now, he felt a pang of sympathy. Uryuu was fighting for his life and his parents against someone he treats as a sister.
The turning point came when Inoue's voice hesitated. "I-Ishida-k-kun…" she stammered, her body trembling.
Ichigo's heart leapt. "Inoue… come on, you can fight this!" he shouted, pounding against the barrier with renewed desperation, despite the pain from the resulting force.
Chad's voice boomed from behind. "You've got this, Inoue. Don't let that thing win!"
Ganju joined in, "Yeah! Don't let some weirdo control you!"
The people behind Ichigo—Kukakū, his dad, his mom, Urahara-san, and Yoruichi-san—chimed in from the sidelines, their voices steady and supportive.
"You're stronger than this," Kukakū said firmly.
"Inoue, focus. You've overcome worse," Yoruichi added.
"You can do it, Inoue-san," Masaki's voice was calm but filled with conviction. Hearing his mom cheer for Inoue brought some form of feeling in Ichigo's chest.
SHATTER! The golden dome encasing the Shiba Residence also splintered into fragments, freeing them.
Ichigo's stomach churned when Inoue shouted back at the voice controlling her. Her anguish was palpable, her fight against the entity controlling her both physical and emotional. And then—"Ishida-obaa-san! Kurosaki-obaa-san! Now!"
Ichigo's eyes narrowed. "What?!" His heart raced as he saw Uryuu's mother Katagiri-obaa-san encased Inoue in a golden-colored Blut Vene: Anhaben , while his own mother, Masaki, moved with eerie precision, as if they were possessed.
Something was wrong. Horribly wrong.
"Stop!" Ichigo screamed, flash-stepping as best as he could. His father, Isshin, tried to intercept Masaki, but she was faster, deadlier. Her Heilig Pfeil pierced the air with devastating power.
"No!" Ichigo roared, his voice cracking as he desperately chased the arrow. He swung Zangetsu with all his might, but the projectile was unstoppable. It struck Inoue square in the chest.
Suddenly, Ichigo could not hear anything
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
The force sent her flying. "Inoue!" Ichigo screamed, his legs moving before his mind could catch up. He reached her in an instant, cradling her limp body as the battlefield grew eerily silent.
Her wings had vanished, her energy dimmed to a fragile flicker. Ichigo knelt, his arms trembling as he held her close. His breath came in ragged gasps, and his vision blurred with unshed tears.
He could not find the voice to speak, could not find the words to express what exactly he was currently feeling.
Anguish
Guilt
Fury
SNAP! CRACK! SHATTER!
The sound of something breaking—no, shattering—rang out, sharp and final, as Ichigo watched as the Blut Vene: Anhaben that initially trapped Inoue fractured like fragile glass, spilling an almost blinding light into the storm-darkened air. His muscles tensed, every instinct screaming at him to move, to fight, to do something.
But he could not. He cannot move. He cannot leave Inoue alone. Not again. Not again.
A crack of lightning illuminated the chaos, tearing jagged across the sky, followed by a deafening thunderclap. The light that spilled from the shattered barrier began to twist and take form—human in shape but distinctly other.
"Insolence!"
The voice hit him like a physical blow, sharp and cold and dripping with fury. The figure that emerged—a woman made of pure, searing light—hovered over them, her form shifting and terrible. Ichigo's heart hammered in his chest, his breath shallow and erratic. Her hair, impossibly long, moved like it was alive, coiling and unfurling in rhythm with the storm. Her face was indistinct, but her eyes…those eyes burned brighter than anything he had ever seen. They pierced straight through him.
Wind whipped against his skin, tearing at his clothes as her wings—four massive wings—exploded from her back. The force of it drove him back a step, but he barely noticed. He was operating on autopilot now, his body reacting to protect Inoue without any conscious thought. His arms tightened around her limp form as the woman of light shot into the sky, trailing an arc of brilliance that eventually faded into the churning storm clouds above.
Then, silence. Not the peaceful kind—this was the aftermath of something catastrophic.
Ichigo did not move. His legs felt like they were rooted to the ground, and his mind was a haze of fragmented images. The Soten Kisshun. His mother. His father. The Shiba Residence. Uryuu. Chad. Uryuu screaming something he could not hear. Inoue. The Blut Vene: Anhaben . The golden arrow. The light.
A voice broke through the static in his head.
"Inoue!"
It was Uryuu, rushing toward them, his face pale with panic. Ichigo's gaze followed him mechanically, but his grip on Orihime never loosened. Her body was limp, her warmth the only thing grounding him in that moment.
She stirred weakly in his arms. "A-A-re you okay, Ishida-kun?" Her voice was faint, trembling but familiar. Comforting, even now.
Ichigo's breath hitched.
Why is she apologizing?
"I-I'm s-sorry…" she whispered, her eyes half-closed but still filled with that unshakable kindness.
Uryuu fell to his knees beside them, his voice shaking as he tried to respond. "I'm sorry too…I—I'm so sorry…" His words blurred together, but Ichigo was not listening anymore.
He could not.
His arms tightened instinctively around Orihime, as if letting go would make her disappear. He could not shake the sight of her being struck by his mother's arrow. The memory of Inoue and Uryuu's vicious battle. The sight of that… that thing breaking free. Every second replayed on an endless loop in his head, drowning out everything else.
His jaw clenched. His throat burned.
He did not cry. He did not speak. He just cradled her closer, his body trembling as the weight of it all crashed down on him.
"K-Kuros-saki…kun," Inoue said weakly. "I-I'm so sorry…that y-you h-had to s-see that…I'm so sorry. I'm sorry."
Her palm gently reached for his cheek. It was warm. It was comforting. He nuzzled closer to her tender caress.
"It's okay. It's okay. It's okay," Ichigo repeated, his voice cracking. "It's okay. You're okay. Ishida's okay. I'm okay..."
June 23, 2003
8:32 AM
"Hey, Inoue?"
"Inoue, are you there?"
A voice called out to Orihime Inoue, further waking her up from the recesses of her slumber. Her senses were greeted by the sight of light reflected upon a wooden ceiling, the feeling of warmth that spread out in the air, and the yummy scent of various foods as they were being cooked. It was morning, she thought.
"Y-Yes?" she answered, finding her voice hoarse. She cleared her throat to make it sure that the person around her knew that she was, in no way, sick. She answered again, propping herself up from her bed, "I'm awake."
She glanced around to see Ishida-kun looking at her with worry.
"Are you okay?" Ishida-kun was the first to speak. He was holding some sort of metal tray. "Do you need me to get you something? Food? Water? Medicine? Candy?"
Orihime felt a prick in her eyes. Seeing Ishida-kun made her remember everything that happened, everything that she did to him. "I…I'm sorry, Ishida-kun. I'm sorry for doing those things to you and your family. I never meant to…I didn't know what came over me…but I caused you great pain. If I can meet your parents...please…please. I would like to apologize to them too, and beg for forgiveness."
Orihime saw Ishida-kun's eyes flicker for a moment, before it watered. He shook his head, chuckling. "No. It should be me who should apologize to you. I'm sorry, and thank you. Thank you for bringing back my mother to me. Thank you for fighting against that thing for my sake."
Orihime was rendered speechless, unable to respond. What is she to do now? How can Ishida-kun forgive her so easily? Should he not be angry at her? Does she not deserve punishment for what she did to him? What she did is unforgivable.
"Don't, Inoue…" Ishida-kun interrupted her. He had a small yet genuine smile in his expression as he stopped by the door. "Please. Please don't apologize anymore. I'm feeling even more guilty than it already is."
'Oh,' Orihime paused for a moment, recognizing that they probably felt the same thing…that every apology just incurred feelings of shame. But, what can she do?
'Honesty,' Orihime realized. "Ishida-kun…wait…"
"Yes?" Ishida-kun cocked an eyebrow.
"What I said…" Orihime hesitated. "What I said before…I did resent you…for doing those things...for not telling us…for acting on your own. We're your friends…I thought you trusted us more than that. I'm sorry for not having faith in you. I'm sorry for not understanding you. I'm sorry for..."
"Inoue," Ishida-kun said again, his eyes gentle. "It's okay. I understand. And I'm sorry for not saying anything. I should have explained to you…all of you. So, can we call it even?"
Orihime nodded, trying to stand up and hug one of her bestest friends. "Yes. Thank y-"
"Inoue, wait!" Ishida-kun dropped his metal plate. Clang!
Orihime's body immediately moved sideways, feeling no strength from her legs. The world suddenly tilted as she felt the familiar sensation of falling to the floor.
Bang! Orihime hit her shoulder against the stone floor. Her head raced with adrenaline, unable to comprehend what was happening. What? How? Why?
"Owiiee," she whined, pain coursing from the parts of her body that hit the floor. She tried slowly sitting up, but her body refused to budge an inch. "Ishida-kun…I don't think I can move."
"WHAT'S HAPPENING?!" A voice hollered after a few seconds. "Ishida, you bastard! If Inoue-"
"Kurosaki-kun?" Orihime felt warmth travel to her cheeks. Is she fully clothed? What is she wearing? She has yet to brush her hair or her teeth!
"Inoue!" Kurosaki-kun exclaimed, running towards her. Then, he gathered her in his arms and pressed her against his chest.
He
Gathered
Her
In
His
Arms
.
.
.
His
Big
Strong
Manly
Arms
.
.
.
And
Pressed
Her
Against
His
Chest
.
.
.
His
Well
Defined
Bulging
Chest
.
.
.
'KYAAAHHH!' Orihime internalized as she was carried by the most handsome, most amazing prince….errr…by Kurosaki-kun. "Wait! Wait! Wait, Kurosaki-kun!"
Orihime promptly covered her face with her hands. If she was with high fever or not, she cannot guess…because either way, with the manner of how Kurosaki-kun carried her like a bride…she might as well be.
.
.
.
A bride
Bride (noun): A woman who has recently married or is soon to be married.
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.
.
"P-P-Please…p-p-put m-me d-d-down," Orihime stuttered. Embarrassed, she buried her face in the first place she could think of…the crook of Kurosaki-kun's neck.
.
.
.
His
Thiccc
Strong
Neck
.
.
.
'Oh, God. He smells so good,' she mused before realizing what she just did. Panicking, Orihime immediately stammered her apologies. "I-I-I'm d-d-deeply s-sorry, K-K-Kurosaki- dono… "
Orihime felt a chuckle rumble from Kurosaki-kun's chest, and she looked up to see his amused expression. He was looking at her with the most gentle gaze, that it made all of her thoughts disappear.
"It's alright, Inoue," Kurosaki-kun smiled contentedly. "You can lean more if you want. I don't mind."
And like a thermometer, Orihime could just imagine that her temperature went up a few more degrees. "T-Thank you, K-Kurosaki-kun. Always."
Clap. Clap. Clap.
"Okay, enough of this," an amused voice commented. "Kurosaki-san, why don't you put our Inoue down on the wheelchair and stop feeling her up."
"U-Urahara-san! I-I'm not f-feeling her u-up!" Kurosaki-kun exclaimed in surprise, his cheeks flushed. He began walking towards the said wheelchair and slowly placed her in the contraption.
"T-That's right, U-Urahara-s-san. Kurosaki-kun is just helping me," Orihime defended the orange-haired Shinigami.
"Okay," Urahara-san responded nonchalantly but his smiling expression was too beaming . "If you both say so! Come on, Ichibe is waiting for us."
It was only then that Orihime fully registered everything that surrounded her. She was in a very unfamiliar place. The room did not look like those of the Kuchiki Manor.
She glanced at an open window. The sky was bright—too bright—like that time wherein they first entered the Royal Palace. However, the central tower where she and Kurosaki-kun fought Yhwach was also visible. Every structure was also covered with ice. This is Wahrwelt—the former Royal Palace.
"Let's go, Inoue," Kurosaki-kun was behind her. He pushed the wheelchair and they moved to the hallway. "This is the time for us to get some answers."