"Rukia, why did you drag us out here?"
Cole yawned, lazily glancing at her.
If she hadn't called him, he would've happily dozed off during math class while passively absorbing reiryoku from the air—math was the perfect sleeping aid.
Rukia's fists clenched, her cheeks burning. "Shut it, you shameless brat! Yesterday I asked Uryu—when you carry someone princess-style, you don't need to support their butt!"
Only after he left had she learned the truth. This brat really had taken advantage of her.
"Uryu?" Cole thought for a moment before realizing she meant that pitiful girl in Urahara's shop.
He coughed and tried to bluff. "Well, everyone's body is different. Like me, when I'm angry, I get really angry."
Rukia glared. She didn't buy it, but finally huffed. "Forget it. I'm not petty. Just promise me one thing, and I'll let it go."
"What thing?" Cole asked curiously.
"You'll act as a Shinigami!" She turned stern, then glanced at Ichigo. "You too!"
Ichigo waved his hands frantically. "Hey, Cole took advantage of you! Let him do it, not me!"
"You two drained my powers yesterday," Rukia snapped. "Now I can't fulfill my duties at all. Of course you both have to help!"
Cole shot Ichigo a look. "This is your fault."
Ichigo: "???"
"And you're coming too!" Rukia added sharply, glaring at Cole.
He grinned. "Sure!"
"…Eh?" She blinked, not expecting him to agree so easily.
Cole laughed. "Getting to work alongside such a pretty girl like Rukia—who wouldn't be happy?"
Her cheeks reddened again. "Idiot brat, do you even realize how old I am?"
"Doesn't matter. I'm a face guy," Cole said, giving a thumbs-up.
She turned away with a huff, but inside, she found herself oddly satisfied. Shameless, yes. But not entirely bad.
——
Three hours later.
BOOM!
A deafening crash split the park in two, a massive rift tearing across the ground.
Panicked pedestrians gasped.
"An earthquake!?"
"What's with that huge crack in the ground?"
"God, the whole park's split apart!"
"Cole!!!"
Rukia stared at the destruction, regretting everything. "Couldn't you use less strength!?"
She'd already been up all night scrubbing memories after his chaos yesterday, erasing the sight of train-length gouges in the city streets. She'd nearly collapsed from exhaustion.
Now this. More memories to clean.
Cole shrugged, hefting his eighty-meter zanpakuto. "Not my fault. With a sword this huge, even if I try to hold back, the tip still wrecks everything."
Rukia gritted her teeth, eyes on that monstrous blade. In all her centuries, she'd never seen such a ridiculous weapon.
She turned to Ichigo. "Forget him. From now on, you handle the fighting. And don't cause this much destruction!"
Ichigo: "???"
Cole sighed, shouldering the massive blade. "It's the sword, not me…"
But if he kept fighting like this, he'd flatten half of Karakura.
Unless… he could learn his zanpakuto's true name. Like Ichigo's Zangetsu, the transformation could change everything.
"…Name, huh." He muttered thoughtfully, then waved at them. "Rukia, Ichigo, you two stay busy here. I'm heading to Orihime's place."
"Orihime?" Rukia frowned.
Ichigo groaned. "Our classmate. Blonde girl."
"Ah…" Rukia remembered. Orihime was hard to miss—with that body, what high schooler wouldn't stand out? Her molars ground together. "Damn pervy brat…"
——
Cole leapt across rooftops in Shinigami form, racing straight for Orihime's home.
"Let's hope her brother listened to my warning…"
Landing lightly, he slipped inside without hesitation.
The instant he entered, his expression hardened.
Reiatsu cloaked his body, fists clenching as he advanced toward the innermost room.
"Too late… the Hollow's already here."
Though the house looked normal, his sensing told the truth—the oppressive aura of a Hollow saturated the space.
Just like in the original events. Orihime's brother might already be ensnared—hunted, corrupted… perhaps even transformed into a Hollow.
He pressed against her bedroom door.
From inside came a chilling, taunting voice.
"Heh, heh, heh…"
"Human, won't you come out?"
"Your sister's about to die. Don't you want to protect her?"
He knows I'm here? Cole tensed—then realized. No, the voice wasn't speaking to him.
He nudged the door open a crack.
Through it, he saw a grotesque Hollow, its body covered in green fur, mask pale as death.
And beneath its claws—Inoue Orihime's soul, torn from her body, writhing in agony.
......…
......…
(End of Chapter)
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