"Bang bang bang…"
"Pa pa pa…"
"Boom boom boom…"
The Kurosaki father and son brawled furiously, while Cole watched speechlessly.
"What kind of monster physiques are these!?"
Never mind Ichigo—even Kurosaki Isshin, whom he had smashed into a wall, had fully recovered in less than three minutes.
Were even Shinigami gigai this durable?
"Cole-nii, you're the last person who should be saying that."
Kurosaki Karin, sitting at the table eating, gave him a dead-fish-eyed stare.
"You're the first person I've ever seen slap someone into a wall with one hand."
Cole came back to his senses and said, "I can't help it. I fight monsters every day. If I wasn't strong, I'd be dead by now!"
Karin shook her head. "There you go again with your nonsense. If there really were monsters, why can't I see them?"
She, like Cole and Ichigo, could see souls. But she had never once seen the so-called monsters.
Your dad's a captain of the Seireitei. Of course you can't see them… Cole mocked silently in his heart.
Yuzu, seeing them bicker, giggled and handed Cole a bowl of rice.
"Cole-nii, come eat first. Dad and Ichigo will probably keep fighting for a while. The food will get cold."
"Yuzu, you're the only one who cares about me."
Cole patted her head warmly, making the middle schooler blush.
After finishing dinner, Cole stretched lazily, glanced at the still-fighting father and son, and turned to the sisters.
"By the way, I just remembered something."
"What is it?"
Both Yuzu and Karin looked at him.
"You two should sleep with me tonight," Cole said seriously.
He remembered from the anime that in the plan for Ichigo to become a Shinigami, Yuzu and Karin were injured.
Though he knew they'd be fine, he couldn't bear the thought of the sisters being put in danger after living with them for five years.
With his current combat power, even if he couldn't defeat the Hollow from the original story, he could at least hold it off for a few minutes.
But when the girls heard this, their faces turned scarlet.
"Cole-nii, that's not really appropriate, is it?"
"Cole-nii, don't tell me you want to flirt with us sisters?"
Even Ichigo and Isshin were stunned, stopping mid-fight and rushing over in alarm.
"Cole, you want to flirt with my sisters!?"
"Cole, I don't mind if you date my daughters, but don't you think they're too young!?"
Cole's face darkened with black lines. He rushed forward and joined the fight with them, grinding his teeth.
"What thoughts could I possibly have about middle schoolers!!"
...
Night soon fell.
Cole sat on the sofa with his legs crossed, bored, watching TV.
"By my count, it should be about time…"
He thought to himself.
"Bang!"
A sound came from Ichigo's room.
Cole grew alert instantly, knowing Rukia must have arrived. Next, the Hollow would follow.
"Where will it come from? The living room? The kitchen? Or the sisters' room?"
As he remained on guard, his expression suddenly shifted when he heard noises from the sisters' bedroom. He hurried over in long strides.
"So it really is from here!?"
"Boom!"
He kicked the door open.
Inside, he saw the frightened Yuzu and Karin, and the wall splitting apart.
"Cole-nii!!"
Karin shouted in relief, quickly pointing to the cracks spreading across the wall.
"Cole-nii, a monster! Just like the ones you said. It smashed the wall with one punch—it's coming in!"
"I know!"
Cole nodded. Through the cracks, he could already see the Hollow's pale mask.
Turning back, he ordered firmly: "Don't just stand there. Put on your jackets and get behind me."
Unlike in the original story, the sisters were only in their underclothes.
Their faces burned red as they hurriedly threw jackets over themselves.
"Boom!!!"
The wall burst apart, revealing the grotesque Hollow. It fixed its greedy gaze on the three of them, roaring thunderously.
The sisters froze in terror, staring blankly at the Hollow.
They couldn't believe the monsters Cole had fought were this terrifying, so fearsome that just looking at it chilled them to the bone.
"Cole-nii!"
Tears welled in their eyes as they looked at him.
But Cole had no time to spare them a glance. He stared coldly at the invading Hollow and hurled his fist forward.
"Get… out!!!"
"Bang!"
The Hollow staggered back, halting briefly, before roaring in rage and slamming a massive claw down at him.
Cole didn't back down. He threw punch after punch, like they were free.
"Bang! Bang! Bang…"
"Cole-nii!"
The sisters cried as they saw his arms covered in blood.
"What are you still standing there for!?"
Without looking back, Cole fought the Hollow head-on while shouting:
"Go get Ichigo! Then stay with Isshin-san. If it gets dangerous, run. Don't worry about us!"
Crying, the sisters nodded and ran to Ichigo's room, pounding desperately on the door.
"Big brother, hurry! Cole-nii is fighting a monster to protect us, and he's badly hurt!"
The door slid open with a bang.
But instead of Ichigo, a petite girl in a Shihakushou stepped out.
In their stunned gazes, she looked toward Cole's room with fury.
"It's already this close!?"
Without hesitation, she drew her Zanpakutō and rushed toward the sisters' room.
Immediately after, Ichigo crawled out too—but awkwardly, with his arms pinned behind his back, wriggling like a worm.
Grinding his teeth, he struggled forward, his expression resolute as he told his sisters:
"Yuzu, Karin, don't worry. Find a place to hide. Leave the rest to me."
The sisters froze. Then, realizing the scene, Yuzu burst into tears.
"Cole-nii is hurt, Ichigo-nii has turned into a worm, Dad, Dad, what do we do? Cole-nii is going to be killed by the monster…"
......…
......…
(End of Chapter)
[Check Out My P@treon For 20+ Extra Chapters On All My Fanfics!!] [[email protected]/Draumel]
[Thank You For Your Support!]