"Has it... has it been destroyed?"
In the ruins of the fake Karakura Town, the Soul Reapers stood paralyzed. The remnants of the beautiful, grotesque monster that had been their comrade had dissolved into spirit particles and vanished—a "miracle" triggered by the cry of a heartbroken boy. It was an ending that felt like a page from a legend.
Amidst the silence, the voice of Captain Retsu Unohana of Squad 4 broke the spell. She had been monitoring the situation with clinical precision.
"She has a pulse. Hinamori is safe."
The Soul Reapers snapped out of their daze. As the meaning of her words sank in, a wave of relief and cheers erupted.
"She's alive! Momo is safe!"
They looked toward the girl. Despite the betrayal and the grand conspiracy of the root of all evil, they had finally reclaimed their tragic comrade from the clutches of the enemy.
Clap... clap... clap...
The celebration was cut short by the sound of rhythmic applause. it was a sound filled with mockery and irony.
"Congratulations, everyone. And allow me to thank you. Thanks to your efforts, my plan has succeeded beyond my wildest expectations."
There was only one man who could speak such words. The root of all evil stood there, wearing a terrifyingly satisfied smile.
Sosuke Aizen.
"You bastard...!"
"Good grief. It seems not a single one of you understands the magnitude of the feat you've achieved, nor the value of the miracle you just witnessed—the greatest since the creation of the world."
Aizen sighed, looking at the battered heroes who were raising their blades in fury. "Gospel for the barbaric, I suppose." His provocation reignited the fire in the hearts of the exhausted Captains.
But just as they prepared to charge, a black shadow descended from the sky.
"AIZEN!"
It was Ichigo Kurosaki, the Substitute Soul Reaper. His shoulders shook with a mixture of battle-lust and pure rage. Aizen turned toward the savior of the three worlds, his smile deepening.
"It's been a while, young traveler. I owe you a special word of thanks."
"You... my friends, my town, Hinamori... how could you!?"
Ichigo was livid. Rukia, Orihime, everyone in Karakura Town—every bit of suffering his loved ones had endured led back to this man. Though his friends were safe for now, Aizen's malice still swirled around them. Ichigo gripped Tensa Zangetsu, ready to challenge the Demon King—not for revenge, but to prevent further tragedy.
Aizen let out a knowing chuckle.
"I see. It seems you truly do feel a sense of debt toward that girl's actions."
"—Exactly as we intended."
When those words reached Ichigo's brain, his first reaction was confusion.
"What are you talking about?"
"Didn't you hear me, Ichigo Kurosaki? I said your feelings for her... are entirely manufactured."
Ichigo frowned, the logic escaping him. But Aizen's follow-up was even more nonsensical, filling Ichigo's head with questions.
"Ah, forgive me. I was unclear."
"—I told you that everything that makes you you... was orchestrated."
Aizen wore a chilling smile. After a brief silence, Ichigo managed to voice his confusion.
"...Huh?"
"You look stunned. Understandable." Aizen narrowed his eyes with feigned pity. "All the weak in this world live by misidentifying 'convenient facts' as 'truth.' They have no other way to survive."
"You... what are you..."
"And when they are confronted with the actual truth, their instincts force them to reject it. Just as you are doing now."
Aizen paused, naturally drawing everyone's focus.
"But even if that is the only self-defense the weak possess... I cannot allow you to remain that way, Ichigo Kurosaki."
Suddenly, a massive torrent of Spiritual Pressure erupted from Aizen. It wasn't the mindless, crushing weight of the Hinamori-monster; it was a focused, transcendent violence that swallowed Ichigo and the others whole.
"That's right, young traveler. The hero of the Goddess. The inevitable miracle. You must not be a weakling who looks away from the truth and calls it a lie. That would be a blasphemy against the 'destiny' you carry—an unpardonable negligence."
Ichigo recoiled, but his mind was snared by Aizen's words. It was a warning he had heard before—from the person who had vanished into the world of Zangetsu.
—Destiny is something you're better off carrying than fighting.
A chill ran down his spine.
"What's wrong? You defeated Ulquiorra and touched the awakened Momo without hesitation. Surely you aren't frightened by this level of Spiritual Pressure?"
"Wait...! You... what the hell do you know!?"
The destiny I carry. The awakened Hinamori. Everything about me being manufactured. Aizen's ominous words, combined with his terrifying power, made Ichigo's soul tremble with fear.
Aizen watched the hesitant youth, his shoulders slumping in disappointment. But then—
"I think that's quite enough, Aizen."
An elegant, old-fashioned female voice echoed across the battlefield. It was one of Ichigo's mentors—someone who hadn't used her male cat voice in quite some time.
"Yoruichi!"
"Lady Yoruichi!!" Soi Fon's shout drowned out Ichigo's as she practically wagged her tail at her master's arrival. Ichigo was baffled by the small woman's boldness in the face of such overwhelming power, but Aizen merely stood there, his smile unchanged.
Ichigo focused on the newcomer, ignoring the noisy reunion between master and student.
"Yoruichi, what's with those heavy-looking things on your arms and legs?"
"Hm? Oh, these—"
"They're my top recommendation! Specially designed gauntlets and greaves for Yoruichi!"
"Hey!"
Kisuke Urahara cut in. Ichigo took a step back from his first mentor, annoyed by the man's sudden shift from serious brooding to technical geekery. Ichigo didn't understand even ten percent of the technical jargon Urahara was spewing, and he wondered if it was really a good idea to explain their gear right in front of the target.
Finally, the long-winded explanation ended. Urahara glanced at Ichigo before turning back to Yoruichi with a serious expression.
"Yoruichi, are you sure about the timing?"
"Don't ask me, ask the beard. He was throwing a fit about how 'the dad's big moment is protecting his son,' so I didn't have much choice but to bring him along."
Ichigo's brain, sharpened by the combat, felt a sudden sense of déjà vu at her words.
"The beard...?"
It was a random, unconnected group of people. Or it should have been. But when Yoruichi mentioned a father protecting his son, a specific face popped into Ichigo's mind.
And then.
"Yo, Aizen. I hear you've been taking care of my idiot son, my wonderful daughter-in-law, my best student, and my ditzy former Lieutenant. Right?"
Following behind Yoruichi, the man with the exact same annoying face Ichigo had pictured stepped into view.
Wait. Hold on. Why the hell are you here?
Ichigo's brain was on the verge of crashing. He managed to force out the words.
"Dad...?"
It was him. His dad. His annoying, occasionally cool, completely-devoid-of-spiritual-power, ordinary dad.
And yet, there he stood, right in the middle of a hellish Spiritual Pressure that would have vaporized a normal human or even a Hollow, wearing an awkward, sheepish grin.
"Hey, Ichigo! You've gotten a bit stronger! That's my boy, the son of me and Masaki!"
"Don't 'hey' me! What is with... that outfit...?"
Ichigo reflexively retorted to his father's usual antics, but his eyes were fixed on his clothes. Even his confused brain could recognize it. The black robes he was wearing were the ones only a Soul Reaper could wear—a Shihakusho.
"Who is he? And is that a Captain's coat?"
"Wait. I don't recognize the beard, but that unrefined Spiritual Pressure... it feels familiar."
"Captain Soi Fon, at least try to remember your former colleague's face. It's only been twenty years..."
"Hehe, it's a nostalgic face indeed."
The surrounding Soul Reapers were just as confused as Ichigo, though a few were smiling—even if those smiles were tinged with dark emotions.
"It's been a long time. As a member of the Kyoraku family, I have a lot to say about your family home... but I'm just glad you're safe, Isshin."
"Ah, it's been a while, Captain Kyoraku. I just ran into my former Lieutenant, Rangiku Matsumoto, on the way here, and she gave me an earful of complaints. I'd appreciate it if you'd go easy on me... just kidding."
"Oh, no. I'm truly glad you're safe. I assume that means we don't need to hold back, then?"
"Wait—what!? No, Captain Unohana, please. Hahaha... ahaha..."
"Hehe."
"Haha... ha... help..."
The bearded father turned pale under the terrifying smile of the female Captain.
Yep. This pathetic guy is definitely my dad, Isshin Kurosaki.
But just as Ichigo was about to demand an explanation, the Demon King moved.
"Gin, come."
The atmosphere tightened once more.
"You called?"
"Order is essential. Watch over him until he learns the truth about himself from his father's lips."
Aizen gave his orders to his slit-eyed lieutenant, Gin Ichimaru. Ichigo and Isshin stood on guard.
"In the meantime, I..."
Aizen turned his back on the youth and released a burst of Spiritual Pressure that sent Urahara and the other Soul Reapers flying.
"I think I'll go play with the flies over there."
Leaving Gin behind, the absolute predator began his massacre of the weak. Even after subduing and then discarding the monster-like Momo, Aizen was still an unstoppable force. One by one, Ichigo's allies were brought to their knees.
Ichigo tried to help, but a flash of light intercepted him.
"Now, now, Ichigo. You're over here."
"Gin! Agh!!"
"Ichigo!"
Ichigo barely managed to block with Tensa Zangetsu, but the strike from Gin's extending blade sent him and Isshin flying, separating them from Urahara and the others.
"I'm really sorry, Momo. What am I supposed to do now...?"
Gin watched the two vanish into the distant rubble, his shoulders slumping. His quiet mumble went unheard, melting into the ruins of the fake Karakura Town.
***
"Gah... damn it, that fox-eyed bastard...!"
Ichigo stood up, rubbing his aching limbs after being blown back by Gin's Shinso. It was exactly like their last fight, but the Spiritual Pressure behind it was on another level. In that brief clash, Ichigo felt like he'd sensed a flicker of emotion from Gin that hadn't been there before. He braced for a follow-up.
But it didn't come.
"What's with him? Is he even trying to fight?"
Frowning, Ichigo tried to rush back to his struggling allies, but Isshin stopped him.
"Wait. Urahara and the others will be fine. That guy is a joker, but his brain is top-notch. He's had a hundred and ten years to prepare; he won't go down that easily."
"Are you serious!? That bucket-hat guy just made everything ten times worse! Komamura said the world was going to end!"
Ichigo was indignant at his father's blind trust in the suspicious shopkeeper. It was pure luck that Toshiro had snapped out of it; if he hadn't, Hinamori might never have returned to normal. The thought was chilling.
Isshin, however, just looked at him with an exasperated expression.
"Are you an idiot? You think a monster like that would just vanish or be purified just because someone screamed?
"Wait... you were watching?"
"Of course. This is my town, isn't it? And for Urahara's sake, I'll tell you: that was the effect of a technique he gave Toshiro beforehand. I mean, sure, Toshiro's heartfelt 'Momo!' helped, but still. Hehe."
Ichigo was a bit put off by his father's playful teasing of the young Captain, and by his high praise for Urahara.
"Uh..."
"Hey, what's with that 'my dad got scammed by a shady salesman' look!? He explained the whole technique to me! That's why I actually understand what's going on, unlike you!"
"Whatever you say..."
Urahara had created a monster with a power level many times greater than Ulquiorra's. Ichigo's trust in the man was currently at rock bottom.
Isshin launched a counter-attack.
"And what about you? 'Hearts and souls are connected,' 'If you scream, your voice will reach her'... you've gotten quite sentimental, haven't you?"
"Hey! You were watching that part too!?"
"Bwahaha! I'm going to tell your mom, Yuzu, Karin, and Rukia when we get home!"
"I will literally kill you if you do that!"
The two bickered like they always did. It was their usual family dynamic, but Ichigo felt a small sense of happiness—and a hint of loneliness—at being able to act this way without hiding his secret as a Substitute Soul Reaper.
"You... aren't going to ask anything, are you, Ichigo?"
His father asked the question anyway. Ichigo took a breath and gave the answer he had prepared.
"If I ask, are you going to answer?"
"..."
A guilty silence. Isshin had his own burdens. Ichigo, understanding his father's struggle at least a little, recited the embarrassing words his "cool" partner had once said.
"Well... this is your problem, isn't it? I don't have the right to demand an answer..."
"Ichigo..."
"So—"
So, I'll wait.
"When you feel like talking... when you decide you're ready to tell me... then tell me."
Until then, I'll wait.
"...Yeah."
Ichigo felt those were the right words.
"What do you know? You've learned how to talk like a real man while I wasn't looking."
"Shut up. I'm just quoting someone."
Ichigo scratched his head, embarrassed. He just remembered that when someone said those words to him, it made him feel a bit better. There was no point in adding more meaning than that. Still, thanks to those words, there was no awkwardness between him and his only remaining parent. Perhaps he owed that "someone" another debt.
The father and son shared a grin. Ichigo believed that when the time was right, his father would tell him everything.
"Now, what is this? Isn't that Rukia's line?"
A sharp Kyoto accent cut through their moment. Gin Ichimaru's voice sounded slightly annoyed, tinged with a hint of sadism.
"Huh? How the hell do you know that—"
The Kurosakis were irritated that he was interfering again. But then, Ichigo froze.
Wait. What did he just say?
"Yeah... how the hell do you know that?"
A cold sweat ran down Ichigo's spine. It was impossible. The only people present when Rukia said that were himself, Rukia, and Kon. There was no way this man could know.
But Gin continued, ignoring Ichigo's shock.
"My, my. Forgive me, Captain Shiba."
"Gin, you bastard...!" Isshin growled.
"Captain Aizen ordered me to watch over your son to make sure he learns the things he 'needs' to know."
His flippant, disrespectful attitude made Ichigo flare up. "I told you I wasn't asking! Keep your mouth shut! Answer my question—how do you know what Rukia said!?"
"How scary. You don't need to make that face. Even if you're angry, the truth won't change."
The slit-eyed lieutenant didn't miss the turmoil in Ichigo's heart. He chuckled. "Honestly, you've probably already realized it, haven't you?"
"Realized what!?"
"Remember what I told you when we first met?"
The man Ichigo had been trying to forget, Gin Ichimaru, wore a terrifying smile that looked like his mouth was being torn open.
"We..."
"—We've known all about you since long before you were even born."
***
10 Advanced Chapters Available on my Patreon!
https://patreon.com/Well_being