"What?"
The grotesque Hollow's bone-white mask twisted with amusement as it stomped on Inoue Orihime, laughing.
"Your sister prays to you every day. She must adore her big brother."
"Yet you would watch her die?"
"Disappointing. So disappointing. If you don't come out, I really will crush her to death. Hahaha!"
Orihime clenched her teeth. "Brother, don't come out. This thing will kill you."
Her cry broke into a scream.
"Shut up," the Hollow snarled, mask contorting. "Tell your brother to save you, or I will really stomp you flat."
From where Tachibana Yu stood, he could see Inoue's brother hiding behind the curtain, rage and pain in his eyes as he stared at the monster.
He had no idea why the creature had targeted him, even using his sister to threaten him.
He thought of the young man who often visited and had rebuilt the household shrine. Yu had warned him to let go and pass on, or danger would come for him and Orihime alike.
He had not listened.
And now danger had come to Orihime.
Jaw tight, he abandoned hiding and, instead of running to find Yu, stepped out with a shout.
"I'm here. Let her go."
Seeing him, the towering Hollow did not release Orihime. It leaned toward her, ecstatic.
"See, woman? Because of you, your brother will die. Hahahaha."
"Brother, don't come out," Orihime cried, face twisted with pain.
That scum. Yu's gaze turned icy.
A Hollow could pull a human soul like plucking a thread, yet this one toyed with Orihime's feelings, forcing guilt to fester for life.
At the same time, Yu recognized it as the one from the original timeline that had killed Kurosaki Ichigo's mother, Kurosaki Masaki.
Old hate piled atop new. His fist tightened.
"Hahaha."
"Human, fall into Hollowhood."
"Then kill your sweet sister with your own hands."
The Hollow laughed wildly and reached its furred arm toward Orihime's brother.
"Brother!"
"Orihime."
He looked at her, unwilling to leave her to die.
At that instant, the Hollow lifted its foot from Orihime. Cold light flared in Yu's eyes. He kicked the door in and charged.
"What!"
The Hollow's mask flickered with alarm.
"Yu!"
Orihime and her brother cried out in relief.
Yu did not answer. He flooded his fist with spiritual power that burned like fire and drove it straight at the Hollow.
"Get out."
With a roar, he slammed the monster back several steps.
"Both of you, behind me," he snapped. He had not drawn his zanpakutō first for fear of harming them.
They moved fast. At his shout they stumbled to shelter behind him.
"A human?" The Hollow glared, then greed gleamed in its eyes as it sensed him. "No, that pressure... you're a Soul Reaper."
Yu shielded them and stared the creature down. "And if I am?"
"Hahaha." The Hollow's tongue lolled, licking the pale mask. "A Soul Reaper tastes better than a human."
"Oh? So you've eaten more than one."
"Of course."
With a jerk, the Hollow puppeted the forms of Soul Reapers it had devoured.
Yu's eyes chilled. Among the phantoms he recognized a woman.
"That woman was one too?"
"She was not," the Hollow said, thrilled, glancing at Kurosaki Ichigo's mother. "But she tasted better than a Soul Reaper. And guess what? I wouldn't have eaten her at all. She let me, to protect her child. Hahaha."
Yu's stare went colder still. This thing was beyond saving, a monster that fed on human suffering.
"Pity. We can't chat longer," the Hollow purred, lunging with feverish glee. "A Soul Reaper without a blade. I wonder how you taste. Let me savor you."
A shard of light flashed in Yu's eyes. He set his right hand on his heart and clenched, as if gripping a hilt.
Without drawing the blade, he swung inside his body.
Silver light flooded the room.
RUMBLE RUMBLE RUMBLE!
The roar was deafening.
The television, interior wall, and outer wall split under an eighty meter arc.
The edge kept going, carving for the Hollow's body.
"Impossible."
The creature stared at the unseen sword in disbelief. It had eaten several Reapers and had never seen a blade that vast.
SWISH!
Light flashed. Blood sprayed.
The Hollow screamed. Even as it sprang back, the edge grazed it, nearly bisecting its chest.
"Shame. Almost killed you," Yu said coolly, sweeping the invisible blade again.
BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM!
The house shattered at once. The whole building groaned as if about to collapse.
Terror finally struck the Hollow. It crashed through the wall and fled into the street.
"Stop."
Yu roared and gave chase.
In a heartbeat, the avenue thundered with fresh impacts. Gouges like ravines scored the asphalt.
Bystanders stared, slack-jawed, as if they had seen a ghost.