Under the moonlight, cherry blossoms fell silently.
Byakuya's gaze was calm as water, resting on his rigidly stiff sister.
"Nii-sama..." Rukia's voice was as faint as a mosquito's hum.
"Kuchiki Rukia."
Renji, standing to the side, put away his playful expression, his demeanor solemn, "By order of the Central 46, we are here to arrest you for illegally transferring Shinigami power to a human and remaining in the world of the living."
He paused, his tone carrying a hint of urgency, "Where is the human who stole your powers? Tell us now, and perhaps we can try to get some leniency for you when we return."
Rukia's body trembled violently.
She slowly raised her head, a flash of resolve in her eyes.
"I don't know." She said, using all her strength to utter these words.
"You…!" Renji's anger flared upon hearing this.
The hilt of his sword slammed heavily into Rukia's abdomen.
"Ugh!"
Rukia let out a pained grunt, her whole body curling up uncontrollably like a shrimp.
The Reiatsu left in her body was already minimal, and she was in a Gigai, utterly unable to resist this blow.
"I'll ask one last time. Where is that human?" Renji's voice was cold as he looked down at Rukia collapsed on the ground.
Rukia gritted her teeth, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth, but she stubbornly turned her head away, offering no reply.
"Seems you won't yield until you see the coffin." Renji's patience finally ran out. He looked toward Byakuya, "Captain?"
Byakuya continued to stare coldly at Rukia but gave no other indication.
Seeing this, Renji's heart sank. He slowly raised his Zanpakuto.
He lifted his Zanpakuto high and swung it down at Rukia!
However, just as the lethal blade was about to strike, the tip of the blade tip reflected a glint of blue light.
Immediately after, a Reishi arrow condensed with a deep blue light shot out from the dark street.
"What?!"
Renji was taken aback, instinctively tilting his head to avoid this sudden attack.
He whipped his head around to look toward the end of the dark street.
Unhurried footsteps were approaching step by step.
A figure in a high school uniform, holding a shopping bag, slowly emerged from the shadows.
Renji narrowed his eyes, resettling his Zanpakuto on his shoulder, scrutinizing this suddenly appearing youth warily.
"You can see us?" His voice held a trace of surprise.
"Two armed men, bullying an unarmed girl."
Uryu didn't directly answer his question. He simply pushed his glasses up his nose, his tone flat but not concealing his disdain.
"This sight makes me very uncomfortable."
Renji was taken aback for a moment upon hearing this, then let out a derisive laugh, "Ha? Who are you, kid?"
"Her classmate."
Uryu's gaze fell on Rukia, who was struggling to get up, then added, "Someone who dislikes Shinigami."
Rukia, clutching her wound, staggered to her feet. Seeing the newcomer, her eyes were full of confusion, "Ishida?! What are you doing here?!"
Uryu raised the plastic bag in his hand, an awkward calm on his face.
"It's just a coincidence. I'm not worried about you. If I really had to say, I just suddenly wanted to go to the 24-hour sewing chain store 'Himawari Sewing' to buy some materials, which is why I'm passing through this area late at night."
"It's absolutely not because I sensed Shinigami's Reiatsu and got worried, nor did I bring a shopping bag from home just to find an excuse."
Black lines appeared on Rukia's forehead, the corner of her mouth twitching uncontrollably, "Has this guy lost his mind..."
"Hey!"
A roar interrupted their bizarre conversation. Renji impatiently swung his sword, instantly severing the plastic bag in Uryuu's hand.
"I'm asking you a question! Who are you?!" Renji pointed his blade at Uryu, his eyes fierce.
"Forget it, doesn't matter if you don't say."
He grinned, showing a mouthful of white teeth, "I'll just kill you first, then deal with her."
"Wait, Renji!"
Seeing this, Rukia quickly stepped in front of Uryu, "This has nothing to do with this guy…"
"What are you talking about? Didn't I just answer?" Uryu interrupted Rukia, gently pushing her behind him, "I'm just Kuchiki-san's classmate."
"That's not an answer at all!" Renji was infuriated by the kid's attitude.
"Ishida Uryu." Uryu closed his eyes, pushed his glasses up again, and when he slowly reopened them, they were filled with sharp fighting spirit, "Yoroshiku." (T/N: It means Nice to meet you, but with a little defiance.)
"Huh?" Renji was taken aback by this sudden introduction, "Why say it now?"
"Even if you are a Shinigami…" Uryu slowly raised his left hand, deep blue Reishi beginning to gather at his fingertips, forming a Reishi bow, "You should at least know who defeated you."
Veins bulged on the back of Renji's sword-holding hand, twisting into an infuriated sneer.
"It's decided." He said, word by word. "I'm going to kill you, brat!"
Ichigo ran between the buildings of Karakura Town. He could sense several unfamiliar Reiatsu not far away.
Behind him, Sasuke and Urahara walked side by side at a seemingly leisurely pace.
"Urahara." Sasuke glanced at the orange-head in front of him, his voice as cold as ever, "Do you think that idiot can handle the people sent by the Soul Society?"
Urahara gently waved the fan in his hand, his eyes under the hat brim flickering with an elusive light.
"No." he answered bluntly, "Although Kurosaki-san has improved rapidly, he's completely outmatched against true elite Shinigami right now."
"This time is just to let him see the gap with his own eyes."
Sasuke's expression grew slightly more solemn, "So you mean you'll intervene later?"
"My, my, how could I?" Urahara's tone returned to its lazy drawl, "I'm just an exiled down-on-his-luck merchant. I wouldn't want to be discovered by those stuffy folks in the Seireitei, so I won't be intervening then."
He changed the subject, half-hiding his face with his fan, looking at Sasuke with interest, "What about you, Sasuke-kun? Your companion is about to be captured. What will you do?"
Sasuke's gaze shifted away from Ichigo. He only uttered three words.
"Not my concern."
The moment his words fell, a violent Reiatsu suddenly soared to its peak.
Renji grinned fiercely, his Zanpakuto dragging on the ground, scraping up blinding sparks. The Reiatsu condensed on the blade was the source of that savagery.
At his feet, Uryu's chest was bleeding. He struggled but couldn't gather a shred of Reiatsu.
Renji walked up to Uryu and raised his sword high, his eyes filled with cruel delight, "Before you die, remember this well…"
"Abarai Renji! That's the name of the man who killed you!"
"Yoroshiku!"
"No!" Rukia let out a piercing cry, trying to step forward, but her body was pinned in place by the Reiatsu.
Renji's blade slashed down!
Suddenly, a massive blade of light swept in from the side without warning, like a crescent moon appearing out of thin air.
"Tch!"
Renji's pupils contracted sharply. His attack on Uryu halted abruptly.
The tip of his foot pushed off the ground hard, his entire body becoming a red blur as he leaped back several meters.
Boom!
The asphalt was split open with a ferocious crack. Dust and rubble shot into the sky.
Amid the billowing dust, a figure slowly emerged.
Dressed in a black Shihakusho, orange hair fluttering in the night wind, a massive Zanpakuto resting on his shoulder.
Renji stared intently at this suddenly appearing guy, his voice low and serious, "Who are you?!"
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