While Tsukishima Shūkurō was engaged in his deadly battle with Ichigo Kurosaki and the others, an unexpected participant entered the fray.
[Riruka Dokugamine appeared silently behind Tsukishima, her distinctive toy gun trained on his back. The weapon gleamed with an otherworldly pink energy that seemed to pulse with her heartbeat.]
["Don't move a muscle," Riruka commanded, her voice steady despite the dangerous situation. "One shot from this, and even someone like you won't be getting back up."]
[Tsukishima slowly turned his head, that unsettling smile never leaving his face. "Ah, little Riruka. Still playing with toys, I see. Though I suppose yours are more dangerous than most."]
[Riruka's ability, "Dollhouse," was indeed formidable in its unique way. By shooting her specialized gun at a target, she could shrink and contain even the most powerful opponents within her dollhouse constructs. It was a power that operated on such unconventional principles that even experienced fighters like Tsukishima had to treat it with respect.]
Seeing so many Xcution members arrayed against him, Tsukishima's tactical mind quickly assessed the situation. His smile widened as he realized that continuing this battle would serve no purpose—not when he had much more interesting games planned for the future.
["Well, well," Tsukishima said, lowering his bookmark weapon slightly. "It seems the gang's all here. How... nostalgic. But I'm afraid I must take my leave for now."]
[With casual grace, Tsukishima began to retreat, his movements unhurried despite being surrounded. "Don't worry, my dear friends. We'll have plenty of time to catch up properly very soon. After all..." His eyes gleamed with malicious amusement. "We have so much history together."]
[Before anyone could react, Tsukishima vanished using advanced Bringer Light, leaving only the faint trace of his spiritual pressure lingering in the air.]
The immediate threat had passed, but everyone present knew this was merely a temporary reprieve. Tsukishima Shūkurō was far from finished with his mysterious plans, and his casual confidence suggested he held cards that none of them had yet seen.
[Meanwhile, in a sterile hospital room across the city, Uryū Ishida was slowly regaining consciousness. His injuries from the mysterious attack were extensive, but his determination burned brighter than his physical pain.]
[Orihime Inoue sat beside his bed, her hands glowing with the warm light of her healing abilities. "Ishida-kun, please don't try to move yet. Your injuries are more serious than they appear."]
["Inoue..." Uryū struggled to sit up, his analytical mind already processing what little he remembered of the attack. "What happened to me? And where is Kurosaki? If there are enemies targeting us, he's probably in the most danger."]
[Orihime's expression grew troubled as she continued her healing work. "Kurosaki-kun is... training. There's someone very dangerous after him—someone named Tsukishima Shūkurō. But Kurosaki-kun lost his Shinigami powers, so he's learning something called Fullbring to get stronger."]
["Fullbring?" Uryū's eyes sharpened with interest despite his condition. "I've heard whispers of such abilities among spiritually aware humans, but I thought they were largely theoretical."]
["I need to recover quickly," Uryū declared, trying again to rise from the bed. "Kurosaki fighting alone against unknown enemies... I can't allow that. He'll need backup."]
[Orihime gently but firmly pressed him back down. "Ishida-kun, you're in no condition to fight. Your spiritual energy is completely depleted, and your injuries—"]
["Then heal me faster," Uryū interrupted, his Quincy pride flaring. "Use whatever power you need to. I won't lie here helpless while my friends are in danger."]
At this moment, Riruka Dokugamine arrived at the hospital, having left the rooftop confrontation to seek out additional allies. Her usually confident demeanor was subdued as she approached Orihime.
"Inoue Orihime, right?" Riruka said without preamble. "I'm Riruka, one of the people helping Ichigo train. We need to talk."
Orihime looked up from her healing work, immediately sensing the urgency in the girl's voice. "Is Kurosaki-kun alright? Did something happen?"
"He's... complicated," Riruka replied, choosing her words carefully. "Look, the situation with Tsukishima is way more serious than any of us initially thought. Ichigo's strong, but he's going to need all the help he can get."
I can't keep standing on the sidelines, Orihime thought, her resolve crystallizing. Every time Kurosaki-kun faces danger, I'm either not there or I'm too weak to help meaningfully. Not this time.
For too long, Orihime had been trapped in a painful paradox of her own making. Should she heal Ichigo when he was injured, knowing that her healing would enable him to throw himself into even more dangerous situations? Was helping him recover the same as enabling his self-destructive heroism?
But gradually, through countless battles and near-losses, she had come to understand the truth: her fear of enabling his pain was itself causing him pain. By hesitating to help him, she was forcing him to face dangers while wounded and weakened.
No more hesitation, Orihime decided firmly. Kurosaki-kun fights to protect everyone he cares about. The least I can do is make sure he's strong enough to come home safely.
"Tell me what I need to do," Orihime said, standing up with newfound determination. "I want to help Kurosaki-kun's training. If there's any way I can make him stronger, faster... I'll do it."
Riruka's expression brightened slightly. "That's what I was hoping you'd say. But fair warning—this isn't going to be like the training you're used to. We're talking about Fullbring development in an accelerated digital environment. It's going to be intense."
[The scene shifted to Yukio's digital dimension, where Ichigo found himself in what appeared to be a vast, futuristic training ground. The space had the crisp, defined edges of a video game environment, but the sensations felt completely real.]
["This is incredible," Ichigo marveled, examining his surroundings. "It's like being inside a game, but I can feel everything—the ground, the air, even my own heartbeat."]
[Yukio's voice echoed from hidden speakers throughout the space. "Welcome to my domain, Ichigo Kurosaki. Here, I control the laws of physics, the flow of time, and the rules of engagement. Think of it as the ultimate training simulator."]
[The young Fullbringer appeared before Ichigo as a digital avatar, his real body safely monitoring the system from outside. "In this space, I can accelerate your training process by manipulating the time flow ratio. An hour out there becomes a day in here, if I choose."]
["More importantly," Yukio continued, gesturing to a display that appeared in the air showing Ichigo's current status, "I can quantify your progress. Spiritual pressure levels, technique mastery, physical conditioning—all of it gets tracked and optimized."]
[Ichigo stared at the floating display showing his stats like a video game character. "This is surreal. But if it helps me get strong enough to protect everyone faster, I'll take any advantage I can get."]
Just as Ichigo was beginning to acclimate to the digital training environment, a familiar voice called out from behind him.
"Kurosaki-kun!"
[Ichigo spun around to see Orihime materializing within the digital space, her presence causing the environment to shimmer slightly as Yukio's system adjusted to accommodate an additional participant.]
["Inoue? What are you doing here?" Ichigo's expression mixed relief at seeing her with concern for her safety. "This training is going to be dangerous. You shouldn't—"]
["I should be here," Orihime interrupted firmly, her orange hair catching the artificial light of the digital space. "Kurosaki-kun, I'm tired of watching from the sidelines while you face impossible odds alone. If you're going to get stronger, then I need to get stronger too."]
[Her Shun Shun Rikka fairies materialized around her, their wings glowing brighter than Ichigo had ever seen before. "Besides, someone needs to make sure you don't push yourself so hard that you burn out before the real battle even begins."]
[Ichigo wanted to argue, to insist that she stay somewhere safe, but the determination in her eyes reminded him of his own resolve to protect others. How could he deny her the same right to grow stronger for the sake of those she cared about?]
[Maybe... maybe I don't have to carry everything alone, Ichigo realized. If Inoue is determined to stand beside me, then I should trust her strength instead of trying to shield her from everything.
"Alright," Ichigo said finally, a genuine smile breaking across his face. "Let's get stronger together. But I'm warning you—I don't plan on taking it easy just because you're here."
"I wouldn't want you to," Orihime replied, her own smile radiant with newfound confidence.]
[The training began in earnest, with Ginjō Kūgo serving as their primary sparring partner within the digital environment. His experience and power level made him an ideal opponent to push both Ichigo and Orihime beyond their current limitations.]
["Don't expect me to go easy on either of you," Ginjō warned, his massive Cross of Scaffold gleaming as he prepared for combat. "In this accelerated training space, every moment counts. I'm going to push you harder than you've ever been pushed before."]
[Without further warning, Ginjō launched himself at Orihime, his blade sweeping in a devastating arc designed to test her defensive capabilities under extreme pressure.]
[But instead of the familiar orange shield that everyone expected, something extraordinary happened.]
SANTEN KESSHUN!
["I reject!" Orihime called out, and her Shun Shun Rikka responded with power that shocked everyone present.]
CLANG!!!
[Instead of simply blocking Ginjō's attack, Orihime's shield absorbed the kinetic energy and reflected it back with doubled force. The enhanced Santen Kesshun had evolved beyond mere defense—it had become a weapon capable of turning an opponent's strength against them.]
[Ginjō was hurled backward by his own reflected attack, slamming into the digital environment's wall with tremendous force.]
["Impossible!" Ginjō gasped as he pulled himself from the crater his impact had created. "That wasn't just a shield—that was a complete energy reversal! When did you develop that kind of technique?"]
[Orihime stared at her own hands in amazement, the fairies circling around her with excited chittering. "I... I don't know. It felt like my rejection of the attack became so absolute that reality itself had to reverse the damage."]
[Ichigo watched Orihime's display of evolved power with a mixture of pride and renewed determination.]
["Amazing, Inoue," Ichigo said, his own spiritual pressure beginning to spike in response to her breakthrough. "If you're going to get that much stronger, then I can't let myself fall behind!"]
[His black Fullbring coat began to billow around him with increased intensity as his competitive spirit ignited. The sight of his friend achieving new heights of power served as the perfect motivation for his own growth.]
["Come on then, both of you!" Ginjō called out, his own excitement evident as he prepared for the next round of training. "Let's see just how far you can push these new abilities!"]
[The digital training ground filled with the clash of evolving powers as both Ichigo and Orihime threw themselves into the accelerated development process. Each was driven not just by the need to become stronger individually, but by the desire to stand as equals in the battles to come.]
[Together, Ichigo thought as he watched Orihime's shields dance through the air with newfound versatility, we might actually be able to face whatever Tsukishima has planned.]
[I won't be a burden anymore, Orihime resolved as she witnessed Ichigo's spiritual pressure climbing to new heights. I'll be the shield that lets him fight without fear, and the strength that ensures we both come home.]