"You can even control the weather?!" Karin was shocked upon hearing Toshiro's explanation.
"Well, of course. It is the Strongest Ice-type Zanpakuto, known as the 'King of Ice and Snow' after all. Being able to control the weather is just a basic ability." Toshiro said with a light, airy expression, brushing off his clothes as if it were nothing special.
"Ehh... that's amazing, though... But since you can do that, why not just make it snow and fulfill Yosuke's wish so he can move on to the other world?" Karin asked.
"Well, that's what I plan to do. But if Yosuke finds peace and goes to the Soul Society, Grandma Haru will go back to living alone, lonely and sad. So, I thought... even if it's just for a few more days, I'd let Yosuke stay with Grandma Haru a little longer..." Toshiro sighed.
"Yeah..."
Hearing Toshiro's words, Karin also fell silent, her expression somber.
"Hey, Toshiro. If Yosuke finds peace and goes to the other world... I'll come visit Grandma Haru often. I'll try my best so she doesn't feel lonely."
After a moment of silence, Karin suddenly spoke up.
"Then... thank you for that..." Toshiro smiled.
"Toshiro-chan, Karin-chan, Yosuke! Lunch is ready! Come and try my cooking!"
After Toshiro and Karin had been chatting for a while, Grandma Haru came out to call them for the meal.
Since the ingredients were insufficient the day before and she couldn't have them stay for dinner, Grandma Haru had specifically prepared in advance today and bought plenty of ingredients.
"Thank you for the trouble, Grandma Haru... Hmm?"
Toshiro thanked Grandma Haru, then suddenly noticed that her Reiatsu seemed weaker than yesterday.
'Is it my imagination? No, it definitely seems weaker. Is Grandma Haru sick...?'
Although Grandma Haru was human, she did have Reiatsu. Anyone with Reiryoku produces Reiatsu, and a weakening of Reiatsu indicates a weakening of the body. Similarly, a weakening body also causes Reiatsu to decline.
Although Grandma Haru's Reiatsu was so low it was almost imperceptible, and any increase or decrease was hard to notice, Toshiro's keen sensory abilities could still detect it.
'Sigh... I suppose Grandma Haru really is getting older...'
Toshiro didn't think much of it, simply attributing the decline in Grandma Haru's Reiatsu to a normal process.
For an elderly person, as their lifespan ends, the decline of their body is perfectly normal. And it's also perfectly normal for a weakening body to cause a decline in Reiatsu.
Besides, Toshiro had noticed Grandma Haru wasn't in the best health when he met her yesterday. She was just a little worse off today.
'Sigh... At this rate, Grandma Haru probably only has a few years left...'
'Seriously... I guess I've gotten too used to being a Shinigami. I never even considered things like human birth, aging, sickness, and death...'
And so, Toshiro's days went on. During the day, he would patrol Karakura Town, then get dragged off by Karin to play.
Around mealtime, they would go to Grandma Haru's house for food. Finally, at night, he would return to Orihime's house and train diligently.
…
Days passed in the blink of an eye.
Grandma Haru's House.
Yosuke was playing alone in the yard. Grandma Haru was cooking in the kitchen. Toshiro and Karin were sitting on the veranda chatting, as usual.
"Seriously, those middle schoolers are so annoying. Even though we've beaten them so many times, they still keep pestering us for matches..." Karin complained to Toshiro.
"Hmph. You're one to talk about being annoyed. Don't come to me with this stuff again. Sure, crushing noobs can be relaxing sometimes, but constantly beating up a bunch of rookies is still very annoying..." Toshiro said, looking equally displeased.
After being defeated by Toshiro, Karin, and their team, the middle schoolers hadn't given up. They kept coming to the practice field, pestering them for rematches.
Because of Toshiro, the middle schoolers lost every single rematch without question. But they didn't give up. They lost repeatedly, fought repeatedly, and lost repeatedly again, like unkillable cockroaches.
Although they still hadn't won a single game, they had successfully managed to annoy Toshiro, Karin, and the others to no end.
"Come to think of it... Grandma Haru is slow today. Isn't lunch ready yet? Maybe I should go check on her, Toshiro?" Karin suddenly said.
They had been talking for a long time. Normally, Grandma Haru would have finished cooking by now, but there was still no sign of her.
"She hasn't finished cooking after all this time, and there's no sound from the kitchen... Could something have happened to Grandma Haru?!"
Toshiro exclaimed in surprise.
Thinking this, Toshiro immediately used his sensory abilities to check the kitchen. His expression drastically changed.
"Oh no! Something's happened to Grandma Haru!!"
Toshiro shouted and immediately ran towards the kitchen. Karin followed without hesitation.
At the same time, Yosuke in the yard seemed to sense something too. Panicked, he tried to run towards the kitchen like Toshiro.
But after only two steps, he suddenly stopped, clutching his chest in pain.
The Chain of Fate on his chest was being eroded at an unbelievable speed.
"...Roar..."
The kitchen.
Grandma Haru was lying on the ground, also looking pained.
"Grandma! Grandma!!" Karin cried out in panic.
Toshiro crouched beside Grandma Haru, carefully checking her condition.
"Her Reiatsu is dropping at a dangerously fast rate! What is going on...?!"
Toshiro suddenly felt Yosuke's Reiatsu outside beginning to transform into a Hollow's, and there was a trace of Grandma Haru's Reiatsu mixed in.
"Has Grandma Haru been using her own Reiatsu to prevent Yosuke from becoming a Hollow?!" Combining the current situation, Toshiro immediately guessed the truth.
The decline in Grandma Haru's Reiatsu wasn't due to old age or illness, but because she had been suppressing Yosuke's Hollowfication, consuming a large amount of her own Reiatsu.
That was the real reason for her weakening health. Toshiro had previously assumed she was just getting older, forgetting that those with more Reiryoku also have stronger constitutions.
Grandma Haru's Reiryoku, while not comparable to a Shinigami or Hollow, was considerable for a human. Even at her age, she should have been healthier than other elderly people.
"Ugh aaaaah—!!"
Yosuke's pained cry suddenly came from the yard, snapping Toshiro back to reality.
"Yosuke!"
Temporarily setting aside Grandma Haru's condition, Toshiro hurried to the yard. The priority now was to stop Yosuke from becoming a Hollow.
"Yosuke! Calm down!" Seeing Yosuke transforming into a Hollow, Toshiro shouted and immediately charged towards him.
Boom!
Just as Toshiro was about to touch Yosuke, a powerful Reiatsu suddenly erupted from the boy. A strong gust of wind kicked up dust from the ground, shrouding Toshiro and Yosuke from view, preventing Karin, who had run over, from seeing what was happening inside.