"This time, you will not be able to participate in the battle."
"The Tsubaki is your only means of attack. Without it, you no longer have the strength to fight."
Sado Yasutora argued, "Inoue has more important defensive and healing abilities than offensive ones…"
Urahara Kisuke tilted his head slightly, the brim of his striped hat casting a shadow over one eye while the other remained visible, unreadable in its calmness.
"In this operation, Unohana-taichō and the 4th Division will be on the front line. They are more than capable of filling the gap in healing."
"A warrior without power will only hinder the others."
Sado still looked ready to argue further.
However, Inoue Orihime spoke instead. "It's okay, Chad… thank you."
She turned toward Urahara and added softly, "Thank you as well, Urahara-san. I'm glad you told me directly. I'm sorry to trouble you."
---
Orihime ran down the familiar streets of Karakura Town, her legs moving faster than she ever thought possible. Despite her surroundings being so well known, she felt no sense of belonging to them anymore. She didn't know where she was heading; she simply kept running until her body carried her to one destination.
She stopped before a building. It was where Hideki Yuta lived.
Just as Orihime approached, Kuchiki Rukia stepped outside. She had just finished dressing for patrol when she noticed Orihime rushing toward her, face flushed and eyes brimming with tears.
"Inoue!" Rukia's voice softened as she hurried to her, "Come inside and rest. Tell me what happened."
They entered the hall together, and Rukia guided Orihime to the sofa. Orihime sat down, her hands tightly gripping her skirt until the fabric wrinkled, her legs pressed firmly together as she stared down in silence. Rukia prepared tea and placed it in front of her, waiting patiently as Orihime slowly began speaking. When she finished recounting Urahara's words, Rukia froze in disbelief.
"That man actually said such a thing? I will never forgive him for it!" But Orihime only raised her head with a faint smile.
"Maybe it's better this way. My abilities really aren't enough… I can't fight alongside everyone anymore. It feels lonely, but more than loneliness… I don't want to be a burden. If I'll only drag everyone down, I'd rather step aside…"
Rukia leaned forward and held Orihime's hand firmly. "Inoue, you must believe in yourself and your abilities. The world rewards those who make the effort to move forward. What you've trained for will not fail you when the time comes."
"Come on… imagine restoring Tsubaki again," she encouraged her gently.
Orihime removed her hairpins and focused. This time, Tsubaki reappeared before her eyes. Her expression lit up in relief and wonder.
"It worked!" she exclaimed with happiness. "Thank you so much, Kuchiki-san!"
Overcome with gratitude, Orihime embraced her tightly. Rukia awkwardly patted her back, though her composure faltered at the reminder of Orihime's figure pressing against her own. Orihime did not notice the tears forming in Rukia's eyes as she forced a small smile behind her back.
"But you should be thanking Yuta, not me," Rukia admitted quietly. Orihime blinked in confusion as Rukia explained, "It wasn't my own ability that restored your hairpins-it was the power of the Hōgyoku that Yuta created. It has merged with me. Although it is not as powerful as the original, it can still manage things like this."
"Yuta-san…?" Orihime whispered, eyes falling to the tips of her white socks as she curled her toes gently against the floor. The thought of him steadied her heart-he remained as reliable as ever.
---
In the warehouse training ground, the Hollow mask forming on Yuta's face was enough to alarm Hirako Shinji. His eyes widened as he muttered under his breath.
No way… is he seriously trying to Hollowfy here? Has he lost his mind?
It had taken the combined strength of all the Visoreds just to restrain Kurosaki Ichigo during his Hollowfication. If Yuta underwent the same process, who among them could restrain him? Not even their barriers could withstand the force he carried. Ichigo had already crushed Hiyori and tossed her aside like nothing during his transformation. If Yuta lost control here, none of them would survive.
But before Shinji could act further, Yuta reached up and closed his hand over the mask. The Hollow energy dissipated into fragments that scattered into nothingness. Shinji let out the breath he didn't realize he was holding, sweat beading down his forehead as his chest tightened from the tension. He cursed under his breath,
"You dare to Hollowfy here? What are you trying to do… destroy Karakura Town?"
Even Aizen's plans would pale compared to that risk.
He exhaled slowly and called out, "Be careful when you Hollowfy, Yuta…"
Yuta waved a hand dismissively as he turned, already walking away. "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."
Shinji's jaw tightened as his dead-fish eyes scanned the others. "Does that look like someone who knows what he's doing?"
Beside him, Hiyori finally pushed herself upright from where she had been thrown. "You always have that careless tone," she muttered.
Shinji frowned sharply. "What? Careless? This is me being serious!"
---
Yuta returned later to his rented apartment and opened the door to find unexpected guests waiting inside. Kuchiki Rukia and Matsumoto Rangiku sat across from each other, their expressions heavy with determination. When they saw him enter, they exchanged a silent look before standing together.
Yuta blinked in confusion. "What's wrong? Why do you both look so serious?"
Without hesitation, Rangiku and Rukia knelt before him on the tatami floor.
"Please… teach us Bankai," both of them said in unison.
They had thought it through carefully. With three captains defecting under Aizen's lead, only ten remained in the Gotei 13. If Aizen's faction retained three captain-class combatants, that effectively reduced Soul Society's fighting forces further. Zaraki Kenpachi and Kuchiki Byakuya were both incapacitated, leaving them unable to fight. From ten captains, their numbers were reduced to seven-and then further to five capable of fighting on the frontlines. The imbalance was devastating, and the scales tipped heavily in Aizen's favor.
Both Rukia and Rangiku understood this grim reality. Learning Bankai from Yuta was their only hope of filling the gap and giving Soul Society even a chance at victory.
PS GOALS: 150 PS= 5-10 extra chapter on an update.
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