After the war, things returned to the way they had been—or at least, most things. The scars and trauma, however, could never truly be healed.
Ryu, Nel, and Grimmjow secured Harribel's release through an agreement with the surviving Wandenreich forces: in exchange for returning her safely, the Hollows would hold their fire and not strike first.
It did not mean the Hollows' hatred for the Quincy had vanished, nor the centuries-old resentment between Shinigami and Quincy, or between Hollow and Shinigami. But the simple fact that neither side was in any condition to continue fighting was reason enough for a fragile truce.
Harribel returned to the throne as Queen of Hueco Mundo and began researching new technologies to create Arrancar safely and on a larger scale—following in the footsteps of what Aizen had done, but with the goal of civilizing and protecting her people.
Grimmjow remained in Hueco Mundo, ruling over a territory Ryu had negotiated for him with Harribel.
Meanwhile, with Urahara having created stable Gigai for them, Nel and Ryu returned to the Human World.
(—)
Five Years Later
It was an ordinary day at the Kurosaki household. The whole family was gathered together. Misaki stood at the stove cooking, her face lit with a happy smile, while Nel and Orihime helped her in the kitchen.
In the living room, Isshin, Ryu, and Ichigo sat on the sofa.
"I'm telling you—they want to move out of the city!" Isshin said, tears welling in his eyes. "I can't let my girls go so far away from me!"
"What did Mom say about it?" Ryu asked, going straight for the heart of the matter.
"Misaki says it's only natural for them to want independence… but they're only fifteen!" Isshin lamented. "They're still children!"
"And what does that have to do with us?" Ichigo asked. "In case you haven't noticed, I'm busy planning my wedding… and besides, those two can take care of themselves."
Ryu nodded, looking straight at his father.
"You know they're plenty strong," Ryu said. "They could take down a few Adjuchas-level Hollows without breaking a sweat."
"It's not about strength!" Isshin argued with his sons. "It's about them getting tricked or hurt. Those two were raised and protected by Misaki and me… especially after you died, son."
Ryu sighed. He knew his father would use that card eventually. He'd been expecting it.
"So what is it you want us to do?" Ryu asked.
"Don't fall for it, you idiot," Ichigo said, facepalming.
Isshin beamed and held out a stack of papers for Ryu to sign.
"You graduated college this year," Isshin said with a proud grin. "What good is a degree if you don't have a job to go with it?"
"No way," Ryu growled.
"Yes!" Nel cheered, throwing her arms around him and snatching the paper. "A teacher… that sounds wonderful! And I can work at the city hospital too!"
It was true—with Urahara and Uryū's help, Nel had gone through medical school. They'd forged perfect documents for her: a Japanese woman of mixed heritage, born and raised in Japan.
"Nel…" Ryu sighed.
"See? My future daughter-in-law likes the idea!" Isshin declared. "It's settled then!"
"But how am I supposed to teach at a high school?" Ryu groaned, catching Ichigo smirking. "You little—"
Ichigo stuck his tongue out at him. Before they could start bickering, Isshin spoke again.
"The principal at Kuon Academy is an old friend of Urahara and Yoruichi," he said with a mischievous, boyish grin. "She's already agreed to hire you."
"Ugh… you old rascal," Ryu muttered, defeated.
(—)
Sona Sitri stared down at the file on her desk with a frown. It was the application for the school's new Biology teacher.
She'd run every background check she could find, and nothing stood out: a simple family—father, mother, two sets of twin boys. Nothing out of the ordinary. Yet something about the file left her uneasy.
"Tsubaki… why is the new teacher the older brother of the two transfer students arriving today?" she asked, irritable.
"According to the records, it was a direct recommendation from the principal herself," Tsubaki replied with a sigh, glancing over at Sona. "I've looked into everything. Nothing supernatural or unusual came up—aside from the fact that Ryu Kurosaki is married to a doctor with a German first and last name."
"Any connection to the Norse?" Sona asked, looking up with hope.
"None. Her documents state she was born and raised in Japan," Tsubaki said, pointing to the papers on Sona's desk.
"There's nothing for it. We'll just have to keep a close eye on our new teacher," Sona sighed.
(—)
Nel drove the car down the road—they'd decided to bring it along rather than leave it sitting at home, unused. Karin and Yuzu sat in the back, both clearly annoyed.
"I still can't believe they dragged you two into this," Karin said, crossing her arms. "They should trust us!"
"Dad's just worried," Ryu said, glancing back at them. "He and Mom have been overprotective ever since… everything that happened to me. And you two have never really been out on your own."
"But—" Yuzu started, but she knew it was true.
Ryu smiled warmly at them.
"Listen—so long as you stay out of trouble and don't get involved with people I don't approve of… I won't meddle in your lives," he promised. "And your curfew? It's moving back—from six PM to ten."
Both girls beamed. They could stay out later!
"But don't be late," Nel added with a playful smile. "Or it goes right back to six."
Their smiles dropped instantly.
(—)
The first day of class was more eventful than expected. Whispers rippled through the room—students gossiping about the mysterious new teacher, what he looked like, whether he was handsome… and about the two new transfer students arriving that day.
When Ryu walked in, the room fell silent. He scanned the class, and one student in particular caught his eye—a redhead. He could sense a powerful spiritual pressure radiating from her—at least Adjuchas-level in sheer density. But it was unlike anything he'd felt before. Not Hollow, not Shinigami, not Quincy. Something entirely new. He made a mental note to look into it later.
"Good afternoon. I'm Ryu Kurosaki, your new Biology teacher," he said, standing at the front of the room. "Today will just be introductions and basics."
The class passed quickly. A few eager students asked personal questions, which he answered briefly—he was there to teach biology, not share his life story.
After class, he stopped by the principal's office. The moment he stepped inside, he felt it—a powerful spiritual pressure, far beyond what any ordinary human should possess. Weak for a Vasto Lorde, perhaps… but undeniably immense. And it felt human… mixed with something else.
A Fullbringer.
He opened the door. The principal sat behind her desk, looking straight at him.
"You must be Ryu Kurosaki," she said with a faint, knowing smile. "How do you like your class so far?"
"They seem like good students," Ryu replied, smiling back. "And you must be Principal Yogazawa?"
"Please—call me Yuki," she said warmly. "A friend of Urahara's is a friend of mine… even if he happens to be a Hollow."
Ah, Ryu realized. She let her pressure leak on purpose. She was testing me.
"Of course, Yuki-sensei," Ryu said, his smile sharpening. "And for the record? I'm far stronger than your average Vasto Lorde. A little display of power doesn't scare me."
"I know," Yuki replied, crossing her legs comfortably. "Ryujin. The Hollow King. The strongest Hollow ever recorded. Son of a Shinigami and a Quincy who was infected by a Hollow."
"Urahara really does talk too much," Ryu muttered, cursing the candy-store owner under his breath.
"He always has," Yuki agreed.
"Speaking of things I've noticed… there are some strange signatures among my students," Ryu said, leaning forward. "Especially a red-haired girl. What is she?"
"Well… it appears they're Devils," Yuki said, watching his reaction. "I'm just as surprised as you are. It seems they've been here all along, living in the shadows. Not some forgotten experiment by Sōsuke Aizen."
Ryu fell silent. It made sense—Hollows, Shinigami, and Quincy had always been so insular, so isolated from one another. It was entirely possible that something else had existed right under their noses, unnoticed all this time.
(—)
Later, walking through the halls, Ryu spotted a small group of boys huddled together, staring intently toward the girls' locker room. He bit back a sigh and marched over, furious.
"What do you three think you're doing?" he asked, stepping up behind them.
He looked at one of the boys—a messy-haired young man—and felt it. A spiritual pressure similar to the Devils he'd sensed in class, but far weaker… and yet, something deep inside him flared with a power that rivaled his own. Ryu's eyes widened.
"S-Sensei—" one of them started to speak, but Ryu silenced him with a glare that could have frozen a rampaging Hollow.
"All three of you. Detention. With me," he said, his voice low and heavy. "And don't even think about skipping it."
(—)
Elsewhere, in the depths of the school's Occult Research Club…
"Well, well… it seems Issei-kun has run afoul of the new teacher," Akeno Himejima said with a soft, amused smile.
"I saw," Rias Gremory replied, watching through the window. She suppressed a giggle as she saw her servant—the boy who had saved her from an arranged marriage with a Devil of the Phenex Clan—trembling in fear under the teacher's gaze.
(—)
Somewhere else, in a place of deep shadow…
"Everything is prepared, my Lord," a robed figure said, bowing low. "The Sacred Swords have been stolen."
"Well done," the voice echoed. "Soon… the war will begin."