Chapter 200 Seventeen Months
"Big brother! Wake up already!"
"It's already morning!"
In the Kurosaki Clinic, Kurosaki Ichigo—who had been sleeping soundly—suddenly heard his sister Yuzu's voice calling from downstairs, urging him to rise and eat breakfast.
Rubbing his disheveled hair, Kurosaki Ichigo's haggard face lifted from his pillow as he sat upright in bed. At this moment, Ichigo kept his head lowered, lost in contemplation. Glancing at the wall clock, he noticed it was already past seven o'clock. Remembering that today marked the day his sisters would begin attending their new school, Ichigo didn't dare linger in bed any longer. He prepared to head downstairs for breakfast.
Arriving in the living room, Kurosaki Ichigo observed Yuzu and Karin, who had donned their new uniforms for entering junior high school. After greeting them briefly, he quickly finished his meal, grabbed his backpack, shouted "I'm heading to class!" and departed from the house.
Witnessing Kurosaki Ichigo's demeanor, Yuzu and Karin exchanged meaningful glances, then sighed in unison.
"Brother Ichigo has been in this condition for such a long time!"
Yuzu listlessly picked at the rice in her bowl as she addressed Karin.
"Yeah. It's been ongoing since the beginning of winter last year!"
Karin glanced at the two spirits hovering beside her, glared at them briefly, then spoke to Yuzu.
"Has it truly been seventeen months?"
Kurosaki Ichigo, walking alone through the streets, looked up toward the sky. He recalled that after the battle with Aizen concluded, he'd lost his Shinigami powers within a single week. Although Rukia Kuchiki had come at the final moment to bid him farewell, Ichigo still carried profound pain within his heart.
Thinking thus, he—who had originally intended to proceed to school—suddenly reversed direction and began walking toward the opposite end of the street.
At this moment, within the Urahara Shop, Urahara Kisuke—wrapped in a thick quilt—regarded the orange-haired youth standing before him.
"Have you truly considered this thoroughly, Kurosaki?"
Like Yamamoto Genryūsai, Urahara Kisuke—who had received Fiander's special attention—also suffered from the erosion of frigid spiritual energy. He frequently experienced chills and weakness. Only by comprehending the source of his opponent's strength could he properly arrange future countermeasures.
"I'm truly sorry, Manager Urahara. I'm genuinely concerned about Inoue's safety!"
Hearing what Kurosaki Ichigo expressed, Urahara Kisuke felt profoundly uncomfortable. Although after that incident, he'd also requested that Soul Society dispatch numerous personnel to Hueco Mundo to investigate news regarding Inoue Orihime, every single Shinigami who'd traveled to Hueco Mundo had, without exception, failed to return.
Because of Fiander's unique existence, Yamamoto Genryūsai had forbidden any captain from setting foot in Hueco Mundo. In the absence of suitable combat power, Soul Society had ultimately abandoned this matter entirely.
"I should be the one apologizing, Kurosaki!"
Urahara Kisuke lowered his head, his expression darkening considerably. Ever since Tessai Tsukabishi had vanished, Urahara Kisuke suspected that Tessai had likely met with misfortune. Yet to this day, there had been no abnormal activity from Hueco Mundo whatsoever. Not only that—even regarding any intelligence from Hueco Mundo, whether from Soul Society or himself, both remained utterly at a loss.
Unable to discern the other party's purpose, ignorant of their whereabouts, devoid of any actionable intelligence—this situation of confrontation between opposing forces truly prevented anyone from maintaining optimism. Although he couldn't comprehend what objective that Arrancar pursued, why he hadn't eliminated Urahara himself or eradicated the Shinigami of Gotei 13, instead choosing to release them—what exactly was Fiander attempting to accomplish?
Returning his thoughts to Kurosaki Ichigo once more, Urahara Kisuke rubbed his forehead and sighed toward the youth. "Originally, I had promised to assist you with this matter. However... I misspoke."
As he spoke, Urahara Kisuke bowed his head apologetically toward Kurosaki Ichigo.
Witnessing Urahara Kisuke's demeanor, Kurosaki Ichigo felt unable to bear it. He forced a smile and responded: "This matter bears no connection to you, Manager Urahara. I simply wanted to inquire about news regarding Inoue. Please excuse my departure..."
After stating this, Kurosaki Ichigo rose to his feet, offered a respectful bow to Urahara Kisuke, then slowly exited the room. Closing the shoji door behind him, he departed from the Urahara Shop.
At this moment, the sky appeared clear and cloudless. Although morning had only just arrived, the sunlight falling upon him felt extraordinarily warm. Yet... Ichigo experienced only profound unease. He recalled the image of Inoue lying upon the dome's zenith, life fading from her form—that picture remained engraved within his mind. Although time had passed, that scene lingered like a nightmare, haunting Kurosaki Ichigo's heart relentlessly.
Inoue, are you safe? Kurosaki Ichigo gazed upward toward the skies, his face extraordinarily pale.
Before realizing it, he'd already reached a park. Inadvertently, he seemed to glimpse a familiar figure rushing toward the wooded area.
"That silhouette... could it be Karin?"
Recalling his younger sister's appearance that morning—eating breakfast while wearing her new uniform—Ichigo startled. At this moment, both Karin and Yuzu should be traveling along their route to school. Why would his younger sister appear in such a secluded location?
Although he couldn't confirm with certainty that the figure belonged to Karin, Ichigo didn't dare treat the matter lightly. After that incident, Ichigo had grown increasingly concerned about those surrounding him, attaching tremendous importance to their safety. Although he'd lost his Shinigami power, the muscle memory within his body remained unchanged.
With this consideration, Ichigo followed the figure quietly. Passing through the fitness equipment scattered throughout the park and crossing through lush forest growth, Kurosaki Ichigo trailed behind carefully, ensuring the other party wouldn't detect his presence.
Finally, near a lake's edge, the figure halted. Ichigo concealed himself behind a thick tree trunk and observed intently.
Suddenly, the entire lake's surface trembled. The ground began shaking violently. Based on Ichigo's experience, something had to be concealed within the lake itself.
As expected, after a brief moment, the lake's surface erupted with tremendous splashes. Silver-toned water slapped against the grass bordering the shore.
"It's a Hollow!"
Although invisible to his current perception, precisely because of this limitation, Kurosaki Ichigo stated with absolute certainty within his heart. Seeing that the figure he'd been following still stood at the lakeside, completely motionless, Ichigo became alarmed. Worried the other party would sustain injuries, he prepared to rush forward. But he discovered the ponytailed girl in the student uniform had leaped backward, then crouched halfway to the ground.
BOOM!
At that instant, the location where the girl had stood moments before suddenly exploded. An enormous crater appeared in the earth. Soon, lake water spread outward, submerging the depression. The ground became pitted and uneven, resembling a swamp.
"Is this truly the extent of your ability?"
At this moment, the girl suddenly spoke. Then she grasped at empty air, and a white blade materialized within her grip.
Hearing that familiar voice, Ichigo immediately looked more closely from his vantage point. Sure enough, that face belonged to his younger sister—Kurosaki Karin.
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