In the morning, Rukia Kuchiki woke up from her bed. The sunlight fell across her fair skin, warming her as the heat made a faint sheen of sweat bead on her forehead and stick her hair together in small strands. At some point during her sleep, the thin quilt had slipped to the foot of the bed, and the once smooth sheets were now creased and wrinkled.
"Ah~"
She moaned softly as she stretched her arms and curled her toes tight before extending her legs toward the end of the bed, leaving slight impressions across the fabric.
When she rubbed at her eyes and blinked against the brightness, her view remained hazy but calm with a lingering sense of peace.
Rukia reached to her side instinctively. At some point, the one who had slept alongside her had already left. What remained was the pillow he had used, and she embraced it tightly, pressing her face into it. Her long legs slid free from beneath her pajamas to wrap themselves lightly against the quilt where his warmth still lingered. Breathing in faintly, inhaling the scent he had left behind, she smiled softly to herself.
...
At the site of the Visoreds, Akito Akechi and Kunan Haku had just returned, both carrying boxed meals. They came inside intending to speak but stopped short upon realizing that the atmosphere in the room seemed unusual.
Their attention quickly turned when they saw Hideki Yuta alongside Kurosaki Ichigo stepping into the warehouse. Hirako Shinji's expression shifted the moment he looked up-he hadn't expected this situation.
This was already the second time Hirako Shinji had seen Yuta, but he still knew very little about him. What was clear to him was that Yuta's presence forced him to restrain his usual light and easy manner; seriousness replaced his attitude almost immediately.
Even with such limited interaction, Shinji's instincts told him Yuta was far from ordinary.
But what startled him further was that Yuta had brought Ichigo Kurosaki with him. He himself had tried persuading Ichigo before, but his words had done little. The boy hadn't trusted him, and Ichigo likely saw him as some stranger who appeared out of nowhere.
Now Ichigo walked quietly behind Yuta, following his lead without hesitation. It left Shinji questioning Yuta's identity, and more so, his purpose for coming to them now.
Sarugaki Hiyori opened her mouth to speak, but Shinji lifted his hand across her path and cut her off. His voice came out heavier than usual.
"What do you want with us Visoreds today?"
Yuta's reply carried no hesitation. "What else could I want coming here to the Visoreds?" His eyes moved toward Ichigo briefly before returning forward. "This kid wants to learn how to control his mask. Can you teach him?"
Shinji narrowed his eyes slightly. "I suppose you are also curious about Hollowfication yourself, aren't you? Don't let curiosity drag you into something you'll regret. Hollowfication comes from your inner fear. If you fail to control it, you cease to remain yourself. If that happens, we'll be the ones forced to cut you down."
"You don't need to concern yourself over me," Yuta answered plainly, his expression calm and free of doubt.
"Hey! This is the first time I've seen someone actively wanting Hollowfication!" Sarugaki Hiyori's voice rose. "You do understand, right? Shinigami do everything they can to avoid it. A failed Hollowfication isn't just dangerous; it's a collapse of everything you are."
"But if you want to learn to use Hollowfication, then we'll see if you're even capable," Hiyori said sharply. "Hachigen Ushōda, deploy all five barriers."
"You're saying it too suddenly; it's too late to set them up now," Hachigen replied with warning.
"Fine then," Hiyori muttered.
Her left hand moved to her face as the mask formed over her features.
The moment her Hollow mask stabilized, a surge of power burst outward, spreading across the warehouse like a violent wave.
The pressure startled the others, drawing out immediate shouts.
"Hiyori! What are you doing?!"
"Wait!"
The weight of her spiritual power layered the air thickly as it pressed down into the room.
Yuta watched without shifting his stance, finding her Hollowfication interesting in its own right. Within the next instant Hiyori lunged forward, her fists striking toward him as the energy shattered outward. The force hit the wall behind him and the structure cracked wide open under the roar of the impact.
Hachigen quickly stepped in to raise barriers, the glowing walls of kido overlapping to seal the chaos in. His goal wasn't to stop Hiyori but to keep the destruction contained.
"There's no need for all these setups," Yuta's voice rang through the smoke and dust.
When the air cleared, Yuta had Hiyori gripped tightly by the neck with one hand, lifting her before throwing her down hard. The floor split open beneath the impact, creating a crater where she landed.
Hiyori coughed, looking stricken in disbelief, her Hollow eyes wide with shock. Saliva spilled from her lips as she trembled within the hole in the ground.
Impossible.
How could she be overpowered so easily even while wearing her mask?
She always knew Hollowfication boosted her abilities several times over. With it activated, even most captains couldn't simply dismiss her force outright. Yet Yuta had treated her like a child being tossed aside effortlessly.
Her throat tightened with fear at the realization.
"Now," Yuta said calmly while dusting his hands, "would you say I'm qualified to learn Hollowfication?"
The rest of the Visoreds had no words, all staring at Yuta with quiet shock.
Shinji murmured quietly, his tone even but heavy. "Understood."
He could tell exactly what would have happened if Yuta had pressed further. If Yuta had chosen to kill in that instant, Hiyori would have been utterly destroyed.
Kurosaki Ichigo clenched his fists as he stood to the side. He had already witnessed Yuta's power before, but having to see it again still left his chest pounding with disbelief. The destructive force Yuta displayed every time he acted was beyond what he could imagine.
It was a relief that Yuta stood on their side, Ichigo thought. If he had been an enemy, there would be no hope of resistance.
Shinji exhaled and turned his focus onto Ichigo. "Alright, let's begin."
His instructions shifted toward Ichigo while he gave further orders across the room. "Hachi. Open the double-layered barrier."
Hachigen nodded quickly and pressed his palms together, releasing a mass of spiritual pressure that spread through the area as golden walls rose upward. Two enormous barriers layered together, a smaller one sealed within the larger one.
The barriers were several meters thick, walls layered together like plates of armor. The gap between them worked as an insulating buffer, similar to the double walls in a thermal container, designed to isolate spiritual power from escaping.
The barrier stood as a formidable construct-and within it, Ichigo Kurosaki's training would begin.
PS GOALS: 150 PS= 5-10 extra chapter on an update.
💕💕
READ 45+ ADVANCED CHAPTER AT MY P@TREON! FOR ONLY 10$
at [email protected] /Zaneninjacat
💕💕
💀💀 gimme powerstones!💀💀