Isshin Kurosaki froze for a brief instant before his instincts took over. In a blur of movement, he rushed to Shigure Gosuke's side and immediately gathered Masaki Kurosaki and Ichigo into his arms.
"Masaki! Ichigo!"
His voice trembled with panic.
"What happened to you two?!"
"Don't scare me like this…"
Back in the Soul Society, Isshin had once served as the Captain of the Tenth Division of the Gotei 13. He had survived countless battles, crossed blades with powerful enemies, and faced death more times than he could remember.
No matter how desperate the situation became, he had always remained calm.
But now, seeing his wife and son unconscious before him, that composure shattered for the first time.
At this moment, he was not a former captain.
He was simply a husband and a father.
Fortunately, Shigure Gosuke was present.
The man who had brought Masaki and Ichigo back safely spoke in a calm voice.
"Relax. They're only unconscious from exhaustion and spiritual shock. They'll wake up soon enough."
Only then did Isshin finally release the breath he had been holding.
Still cradling Masaki with one arm and Ichigo with the other, he turned toward Gosuke.
"Gosuke… what happened here?"
There were too many questions in his mind.
Why was Gosuke in the World of the Living?
Why had he appeared at the exact right moment?
And how had Masaki and Ichigo ended up in such a condition?
Gosuke glanced at him and said evenly,
"You should put them down first. Holding them like that won't help either of them recover."
Isshin quickly came back to his senses.
"Right…"
He carefully carried Masaki and Ichigo upstairs.
The Kurosaki Clinic was small and modest. It was a family-run clinic rather than a true hospital, so there were no medical wards or hospital beds. Still, the second floor served as their home, and there were enough rooms for the family.
Isshin gently laid Masaki and Ichigo on the bed.
After making certain they were breathing steadily, he finally turned back toward Gosuke.
Although he was still deeply worried about them, Gosuke's words had reassured him somewhat.
Now he needed answers.
What exactly had happened to Masaki?
Why had she, of all people, been pushed to such a dangerous state?
Isshin descended the stairs once more and stood before Gosuke.
Gosuke already knew what he wanted to ask, so he spoke first.
"I came to the Human World today to see Kisuke Urahara. Lately, I've had a bad feeling that something troublesome was about to happen."
"On the way there, I sensed a Hollow's spiritual pressure."
"Even if I've retired, I'm still a Shinigami. Ignoring a Hollow attack isn't exactly my style."
"So I followed the reiatsu and arrived just in time to see your son under attack."
His expression darkened slightly.
"That Hollow wasn't ordinary."
"Ichigo lost consciousness after its spiritual pressure directly affected him, and Masaki was forced into close combat while protecting him."
"For a moment… she nearly got swallowed whole."
Isshin's eyes narrowed instantly.
He understood the rest without needing further explanation.
Gosuke had intervened and destroyed the Hollow.
No matter how unusual that creature had been, there was no chance it could survive against someone who once bore the title of Kenpachi.
As for why Gosuke recognized Masaki
That part was simple.
Years ago, Gosuke had known about Isshin and Masaki's relationship. Over the years, he occasionally visited the Human World alongside Urahara, so it was hardly surprising that he knew the two had married and started a family.
Everything made sense logically.
Yet the doubt in Isshin's heart only deepened.
He knew Masaki's strength very well.
As a Quincy of pure blood, her abilities had always been exceptional. Even after giving birth to Ichigo, Karin, and Yuzu, her combat ability should not have fallen to the point where a single Hollow could corner her so completely.
Something was wrong.
Gosuke noticed the unease in Isshin's expression but did not press further.
Instead, he simply said,
"I'll be staying at Urahara Shop for a while. If anything happens, come find me there."
"Even if I'm not around, Kisuke should be able to help. There aren't many things in this world that man can't figure out."
Isshin gave a slow nod.
"I understand."
Gosuke did not linger any longer.
True to his nature, he turned and disappeared almost immediately.
After Gosuke left, silence returned to the clinic.
Isshin remained by the bedside, watching over Masaki and Ichigo.
Not long afterward, Ichigo was the first to wake up.
His eyelids trembled before slowly opening.
"…Dad…"
Isshin immediately leaned closer.
"You're awake. Are you hurt anywhere?"
Ichigo shook his head weakly, though fear still lingered in his eyes.
"The monster…"
"And Mom…"
Fragments of the earlier scene surfaced in his mind the terrifying Hollow, the crushing pressure, and Masaki shielding him.
He hurriedly tried to explain everything.
Isshin gently interrupted him.
"Don't worry. Your mother's safe."
"She is?"
Ichigo blinked.
Even though he still didn't fully understand what had happened, hearing those words alone eased the fear in his chest.
Isshin comforted him for a while before sending him to check on Karin and Yuzu.
Only after Ichigo left did Isshin return to Masaki's side.
Masaki did not remain unconscious for long.
Soon, her eyes slowly opened as well.
Honestly, even she was surprised she had survived.
At the moment she lost consciousness, she had already believed death was inevitable.
She vaguely remembered seeing someone appear before everything went dark, but she had been too exhausted to recognize who it was.
Now, seeing Isshin beside her bed, she immediately asked,
"What happened?"
Isshin answered without hesitation.
"The one who saved you and Ichigo was Gosuke Shigure."
Masaki looked startled.
Isshin continued.
"He was once the Captain of the Eleventh Division of the Gotei 13."
"He's retired now, but he still keeps in contact with Urahara Kisuke."
"This time, he came to the Human World looking for Kisuke. While searching for him, he sensed the Hollow's reiatsu and arrived in time to save you both."
"Since he knew about us already, he brought you back here afterward."
This was the first time Masaki had heard Isshin speak about someone like Gosuke.
A retired Kenpachi.
Just the title alone carried terrifying weight.
Curiosity naturally rose in her heart.
But before she could ask more about Gosuke himself, Isshin voiced the question that had been bothering him all along.
"What exactly happened back there?"
"With your strength, that Hollow shouldn't have pushed you that far."
As soon as those words left his mouth, Masaki's expression changed.
Her face became grave.
"At that moment…"
"My Quincy powers suddenly disappeared."