Blood (Chapter 1)

[OmegusXIII]

Play Bloodborne Music: "Omen"

We have no form, therefore we fear it.

And because we are formless, we revere it.

Thus, we are slain.
​

The moon was full, and it shines down upon a small town known as Karakura. There were many houses and apartments as far as the eye could see. There were also bridges over a large river. But deep within the city, someone watches from a rooftop of one of the buildings. He is a tall and lean-built man with a purple eye, pale-skin and shoulder-length white hair. He wears a sleeveless white shirt, though his right arm has a sleeve, albeit torn at the end in places. The upper half of his head is swathed in black bandages, and he has an accompanying black sash strapped to his waist. He also has rusted chains located on his wrists, his chest, and around his neck. Two of these chains appear to be connected deeper than his shirt. Tufts of white hair can be seen protruding from a fold in his bandages.

He glances down at the people on the streets as the full moon shines down on him from above. His expression turns somewhat nostalgic, as if experiencing a memory.

"I'd almost forgotten… how it felt to be alive." He says to himself. He looks at his wrists, seeing the small-linked chains rattle as he examines it. He traces his hand down along the chain, going further down. Upon his touch, a thick red, ethereal chain appeared, as if connected to his physical chains. The man scowls at this before he hears yelling in the distance. No. Crying…

He looks down to see two men, one of them carrying a crying child away like she was a bag while the other sifted through a wallet. She has small brown hair, tied in two pigtails, wearing a beautiful red dress. She is crying her eyes out, practically begging to be saved. The stranger sneers at the scene and instantly vanishes.

"Quit your crying, kid! Your momma deserved it for not paying what she's owed." The thug carrying her shouts with no ounce of remorse. Right then, the other thug closed the wallet.

"Not enough. She probably wasted it on that brat's dress." He suspects. Then, he begins to have a nasty idea. The girl twinges tearfully, and rightfully so. "How much do you think we'll get back if we took it off her?"

"NOOOO! LET ME GO! LET ME GO!" The child squeals with panic, tears flowing out of her ruby eyes. The other thug prepares to remove the dress, having an awfully eager look on him.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." The men flinch from his words, and the girl, still trembling, is barely able to make out the man who called out to them through her tears. "Let her go."

"Stay outta this, you punk." The thug carrying the child replies. "It's none of your business."

"I'm not asking." He responds with a fierce glare in his only eye uncovered.

"What, are you trying to play hero, or something?" The thug questions, pulling out a gun on him.

"Hero?" He asks, tilting his head in puzzlement, only to grin. "No, not quite. Heroes don't kill, right?" The thugs immediately sensed a crushing presence. The air around them suddenly became suffocating, as if something made them forget how to breathe. The thug has incredible difficulty aiming, the pressure making it hard to even pull the trigger. Seconds later, the stranger vanishes, only to reappear and slice off his hands, forcing him to drop the weapon, and they fall to their knees as the pressure intensifies. They are mustering all the energy they could just to look up from such sheer intensity. In the process, the girl they captured was also caught in the pressure, falling hard to the floor.

The stranger sees this and immediately cancels it. The young girl gasps hard, realizing she is freed from their grasp, and immediately rushes back into the apartment they came out of. However, the thugs also notice it, too. And they tried to go after her.

"Hey! Come back here, you brat!" The thug shouts. But the stranger isn't giving him an inch. He immediately materializes a black sword with a zigzag design at the center of the blade. Right away, he swings his curved sword and impales it right through the back of the thug's head! The thug next to him is horrified, his eyes nearly bulging out, watching his partner gurgle and choke from the fatal blow. He realized too late the incredible amount of danger he's in. He is no hero. He is a predator. And they're the ones being hunted.

Frantically, he gets up on his feet, trying to run to the apartment. But the stranger lifts his curved sword up and throws it right at his back, running him through just as he got to the door. The stab was so clean, its tip went through the glass door. The stranger grasps his hand on an ethereal chain, revealing red links connecting his chain to his sword. The stranger pulls on said chain, dragging the sword back and taking the thug along with it as he is catapulted straight back. The stranger grasps the sword's hilt and the back of his collar. The stranger forcefully removes the blade, making him groan and gasp in pain as blood spills out from his wound.

"W… Why…?! What the Hell are you…?!" The thug asks with great agony.

"As far as you're concerned, I'm a dead man." He answers smoothly. "And guess what? So are you." The stranger flicks his black blade behind him, summoning a portal behind him. It is a dark red and fiery atmosphere, one of great foreboding of agony and torture unlike any other. The stranger turns the thug's direction over to the portal, where he sees it with his own eyes. His trembling increases the longer he stares into the abyss, and before long, he screams in complete panic himself.

"NOOOOOO! PLEASE! DON'T DO THIS! PLEASE! LET ME GO! LET ME GOOO!" Alas, his pleas went unanswered as the stranger chucks him into the rift as the thug screams at the top of his lungs with all the hollow regrets and boundless fear that he is filled with in the span of ten seconds. The rift closes as his screams echo in the night. The stranger has a cold look in his eye. "Good riddance."

The stranger looks to the apartment entrance, where he sees a bloodied fracture on the doorway caused by his sword. The blood drips around the hole and downwards to the ground. The stranger contemplates looking inside, only to feel a pressure far in the distance. A presence not unlike his own.

"Well, now…" he says to himself, turning his head to gaze at the full moon above. "Isn't that interesting?"

And so, the Sword of Fate fell…
​

---

BLOOD

1: The Sinner & The Reaper

End Bloodborne Music: "Omen"
​

The next day, Ichigo and Nebaru were walking home together by themselves. Ichigo is the one with orange-colored hair in a spiky style with brown eyes to go with it. He is dressed in the same gray uniform with red streaks on the sleeves and shoulders. Nebaru has blue eyes with black hair in a side-swept long bangs style, with a black tank top under his school uniform whereas Ichigo has a blue shirt underneath it. They'd actually known each other since they were kids through Tatsuki. Back then, he always used to cry whenever Tatsuki beat him in karate practice. And Nebaru would always lend a hand on the lessons. That's partly why Ichigo is able to handle his own today, especially in a situation like this.

"You got a death wish, punks? Nobody jumps one of my boys for no reason and lives to tell about it." The gang leader, Little Yama, threatens. But the threat didn't bother Ichigo nor Nebaru one bit. In fact, Ichigo chuckled. "That's all you've gotta say?" Little Yama tries to punch Ichigo, only for him to counter casually with the raise of his leg, kicking him in the face! After he collapses, Ichigo stomps his foot in his back repeatedly as his posse watches in shock.

"Little Yama's down! We gotta help him!" One gang member said.

"Are you crazy?" The second questioned with doubts.

"No way I'm taking on that psycho." The third said, just as terrified.

"Then we'll just jump the other guy and make him stop! That'll work, right?" He suggests. But Nebaru glares at him with his eyes, immediately making them reconsider.

"What's that?" Nebaru asks, making them flinch. Right then, Ichigo finished stomping Yama's head into the pavement.

"Now, listen up, you pond scum!" Ichigo calls out. "Do you see that?" Ichigo gestures to a tipped-over vase of flowers on the street. They all nod in fear.

"Good. Now what do you think it is?" Nebaru asks next, keeping his scowl as he points his finger toward the guy in the middle.

"Wait, you're talking to me?" He asks, trembling.

"Yes, you. Now answer the damn question." Nebaru demands.

"Uh, I guess somebody left those flowers for some kid who got killed here?" He nervously replied.

"Bingo." Nebaru nods. Suddenly, as if at a speed faster than light, Nebaru elbows him in the gut before bringing him low with a sledgehammer, using both hands to hit him in the head.

"Now, the next question. That vase over there. Why is it lying on its side?" Ichigo asks coldly.

"I guess one of us knocked it over when we were skateboarding through here. We didn't—!" The third gang member tried to answer, only for Ichigo to knock the remainder away with a sweeping kick across their chests!

"You guys catch on fast. Now go and apologize, or else the next time, the flowers will be for you!" Ichigo snaps, making the gang scream in panic as they run away, "We're sorry! We're sorry!" With Little Yama's gang gone and out of sight, Ichigo picked the vase back up and set it back near the lamppost. "There. That oughta keep those punks from showing their ugly faces around here." That said, Nebaru isn't in quite a good mood. He simply scoffed as he leaned against the wall. "Sorry about that. I'll swing by and bring you some new flowers tomorrow."

"Who are you talking to-?" Nebaru asks for a moment before remembering his "ability". He is told that Ichigo has the power to see spirits as easily as people. But Nebaru isn't one to believe that as he'd never seen one in his life. "Oh. Right. The spirit."

"Hey, it ain't my fault you can't see." Ichigo tells him with a shrug.

"My eyes work just fine, Ichigo." Nebaru counters. But where Nebaru only sees an empty space, Ichigo sees a young girl with brown hair in long pigtails, dressed in a red and white striped shirt and shorts, along with a chain over where her heart is.

"Thank you for coming to my defense. Now, I'll finally be able to rest peacefully." The girl spirit tells Ichigo.

"No problem." Ichigo tells her with a soft smile. "After all, you deserve to rest in peace." Ichigo and Nebaru walk away, just as she vanishes slowly. Nebaru turns his head behind him for a moment, feeling as though he felt something watching him. But as quickly as that feeling came, it left. He sighs before walking away to catch up to Ichigo as the sun goes down.

"You know, I can't understand this." Nebaru tells him.

"What? I just want them to rest in peace. What's hard to understand about that?" Ichigo asks nonchalantly.

"That I get, for better or worse." Nebaru admits. "But what I can't understand is why you'd rather help dead people over the ones who are alive." Ichigo stops walking as he has a perplexed look on his face.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ichigo asks, taking offense to his words.

"Come on, Ichigo. Think for a second." Nebaru tells him with a raised eyebrow. "Even if I could see spirits like you, just giving them peace is only a bandaid solution at best. It doesn't erase the whole problem, the fact that too many people are dying. Shouldn't we be trying to prevent that instead of just giving them peace after the fact?"

"Don't you think I want to?" Ichigo asks with a scowl of his own. "After all, I've got my own work cut out for me."

"And how exactly have you done that? What about that girl's mother who is fighting for her life? Don't you think she needs more help than they do?!" Nebaru asks with crossed arms, his voice raising at the last question making Ichigo twitch his eyes.

"HOW THE HELL AM I SUPPOSED TO HELP?! MY OWN FATHER WON'T LET ME!" Ichigo shouts, stunting Nebaru. This forces him to realize he overstepped and softens his look. "Sorry, Ichigo. That came out harsher than I meant it."

"Yeah. Same." Ichigo simply responds quietly, coming to the same realization himself. But he wasn't wrong. As of late, he hadn't interacted with them much beyond routine, especially not Isshin, his father, but that's normal, given how he is. Still, Ichigo couldn't argue. He sighs as his eyes look down. Like it or not, he's right. Even so… "I just… I feel so useless…"

Things certainly won't get better just by helping the dead. Of course he still would. But the living need help just as badly, too. But the problem is, how is he supposed to help? How can he help? Nebaru can plainly see the worries on his face. Even now, he didn't know the answer any more than he did. If it were that simple, neither of them would've lost the people who mattered to them. And they wouldn't feel anywhere near as useless as they do now.

Nebaru sighs himself before continuing, "Anyway, let's get to the clinic. Your family's waiting." Nebaru tells him before he walks forward.

"Easy for you to say. You don't see the dead pestering you at home every day…" Ichigo grumbles to himself. In a way, Ichigo considers Nebaru blessed that he can't see them like he could. While Ichigo can help them find peace, some of them just want to fly around him and annoy him, whether he likes it or not. Little did Ichigo know, however, that someone on the rooftop was glancing at him and Nebaru. It was someone dressed in a black cloak, and a half-red half-white mask to completely cover his appearance. And his arms were exposed, with the sleeves rolled up to a degree. He stares at the duo with interest, his emerald eyes peering at them through the mask.

---

A little later at night, Ichigo and Nebaru arrive at the clinic run by the former's family. On the side of it was a gated doorway.

"Pretty convenient that you live right next to the place your dad works." Nebaru tells him.

"If by 'convenient', you mean 'ironic'." Ichigo tells him flatly. He hasn't been a fan of his father's antics, especially if it involved sneak attacks. And the fact that ghosts tend to follow him around like flies doesn't exactly make it better, either. That said, it made him wonder how the girl is doing after all she went through that night.

"Do you know how the girl's doing, Ichigo?" Nebaru asks gently. Ichigo is confused for a moment, especially when Tatsuki told the others at school about doctor-patient confidentiality. But then again, he didn't work there.

"Oh. Well, her mother's banged up pretty bad, but my dad and my sisters patched her up. She's resting for now." Ichigo tells him. "As for the kid… well, you'll see." Ichigo and Nebaru walk together through the gate that leads to the house on the other side. Ichigo is the first one to open the door as he and Nebaru walk inside the house.

"I'm home." Ichigo says aloud, only to get blindsided by his father, Isshin Kurosaki, with a kick to the face! Ichigo collapses on his back to the floor as Nebaru watches in shock.

"Hey! What the hell was that about?!" Nebaru shouts, only to get ambushed himself with a chop to the neck! Nebaru wheezes heavily as Isshin crosses his arms.

"You let your guard down. Always stay alert when you enter a room and you're late for dinner again." Isshin advises as Nebaru glances up at him.

"Okay, fine. But why'd you have to assault me, too…?!" Nebaru asks, struggling to get his voice back after having nearly lost it.

"Because you're trespassing. My son never brings his friends over to this house, so what reason did I have to think he'd make an exception?" Isshin tells him bluntly.

"Hey, he just wanted to check on the girl who's staying with us, alright?!" Ichigo snaps back. "Besides, is that any way to welcome your own son after he just risked his life to help a spirit find peace?!"

"Silence!" Isshin shouts. "Oh, so it's the ghost's fault now, is it? I suppose it was ghosts that left your room a mess! When are you gonna show some discipline?!" As Isshin scolds Ichigo, Nebaru recovers from the surprise beatdown he got and sees three girls sitting at a wooden table: Yuzu, Karin, and the mother's daughter who barely survived last night's attempt on her life.

Yuzu Kurosaki is the older sister of the two (though younger than Ichigo by several years). She has short light blonde hair with short bangs hanging over the right side of her forehead. She also wears a red strawberry hair clip on the left side of her head. Her eyes are dark brown and appear much softer than her sister, Karin's. Yuzu is wearing a yellow hooded sweatshirt, and an apron, most likely from cooking. As for Karin, she has dark grey eyes and black hair that is straight and cropped to hang around her face, just above her shoulders. Her eyes are large and dark, and she is wearing a dark blue shirt with black sleeves and red lining on her collar and the tops of her shoulder, along with black shorts.

As for the girl sitting at the table, she and Yuzu could only watch as Isshin and Ichigo fight each other while Karin casually eats her bowl of rice.

"Just because you see ghosts and I don't– whoooooooooooooah– doesn't make you boss of this household!" Isshin finishes as he continues his bout with Ichigo.

"Hey, stop the fighting, you two!" Yuzu calls out to them. "I just convinced Shiruki to eat with us, and this is the last thing she needs right now! Come over here and eat your dinner!" That said, Shiruki hasn't touched a single thing on her plate. She wasn't in the mood after what she had to go through. How could she be?

"Let 'em fight. More rice for me." Karin says dispassionately.

"That's not very nice, Karin." Yuzu grumbles.

"Hey, guys. Sorry if I'm intruding." Nebaru says behind Karin as he walks up to the table. "But is it alright if I eat here?" Karin turns around to see him, along with Shiruki and Yuzu.

"Hey, Nebaru!" Yuzu says with a warm smile. "Of course it's okay. I saved an extra plate for you."

"No way, you seriously considered me?" Nebaru asks in interest.

"I figured you might be worried about Shiruki, so I made sure to make you something, too." Yuzu tells him with a grin.

"Shiruki?" Nebaru asks curiously.

"Uh-huh. That's her name." Yuzu adds. "It means Silky. Like her dress."

"You're practically an open book. You can't help worrying over people other than yourself." Karin tells him.

"Oh. I see." Nebaru says with a shrug as he sits down at the table next to Karin to eat his food. He looks up at Shiruki, who is sitting next to Yuzu with an anxious look on her face. "Hey." He tells her with a slight raise of his hand. Shiruki doesn't say anything and she huddles a little closer to Yuzu with a shy expression.

"Oh, it's okay, Shiruki." Yuzu assures her. "Nebaru's a good man." Shiruki still remains unconvinced seeing his dour expression and holds her head down. Nebaru has a confused look on his face for a fleeting moment, but he figured out why she reacted the way she did. He glances at the girl, who peeks her eye out from Yuzu's sleeve, as if being careful about looking from a corner. He hangs his face down from seeing her so down.

"Still pretty traumatized, huh?" Nebaru says softly. "Can't say I blame you. No one should have to go through what you did." Just as he takes a bite into his bowl of rice, Isshin pops his head out mid combat.

"Hey, Shiruki! If you need any cheering up, just let me–!" Unfortunately for him, it gave Ichigo a window to land a blow on Isshin that catapulted him to the wall like a skipping stone.

"I gotta tell you, dad! For any normal, healthy high school kid, a 7:00 curfew is totally uncool!" Ichigo shouts as he points his finger at him, unaware that a blue flame is manifesting next to him. But Karin, who had her eyes closed, sensed it right away.

"Ichigo, speaking of uncool, you've got another one." Karin says flatly. When Ichigo turns his head, he sees a ghost of a man in work clothes, along with the chain on his heart.

"How long have you been there?" Ichigo asks. "Take a hike, will ya?! You damn pest!" Ichigo growls. Nebaru looks at him confused.

"What, is that a fly, or something?" Nebaru wonders.

"Might as well be a fly! It won't leave me alone!" Ichigo shouts.
​

"I'm so done…" Karin says flatly. "Poor Ichigo. Dad or ghosts, it's always something."

Shiruki, however, stares at the ghost as it zigzags around Ichigo.

"Why is that ghost flying around?" Shiruki asks, a little anxious.

"Hold on. You can see that?" Karin asks, intrigued.

"Uh-huh." She nods.

"That's really cool, Shiruki." Yuzu adds with a smile.

"See what?" Nebaru asks with a raised eyebrow.

"Really? You mean you still can't see that?" Karin asks with a frown.

"Well… I can sense their presence sometimes, but that's about it." Nebaru explains.

"Eh, probably for the best that you can't see them. They'd drive you crazy." Karin adds.

"I think she's lucky to be able to see ghosts." Yuzu adds with a grin. "It's like they're neighbors that only we can see." Shiruki's face softens, beginning to smile a little at the thought.

"I don't see what the big deal is with ghosts. I don't even believe in them." Karin says with an expressionless look. Yuzu gasps at her reply.

"Karin, I don't get how you can say something like that. Don't you have the power to see spirits, too?" Yuzu asks her aloud.

"I'm in permanent denial. Just seeing them doesn't make me believe in them." Karin explains. Yuzu and Shiruki stare at her, unable to process how it made any sense. And the ghost behind them felt a little butt-hurt at her comment.

"Brr. That's really cold…" The ghost whined.

"Like my dinner…" Ichigo groans.

"What do you mean?" Nebaru asks. "It's pretty fresh to me." Ichigo looks at his rice bowl again, and he sees that it is fresh. His expression changed right away. After the day he's had, it was a great thing to come home to in spite of his father's "lessons".

"Huh? Hey, wait a minute, it is fresh!" Ichigo says in surprise before he scarfs down as much of his meal as he could. "Yuzu, how long ago did you finish making this?"

"Just five minutes before you got home." Yuzu explains.

"Why wait that long?" Nebaru asks. "Aren't you home basically all day?"

"I've got homework, too." Yuzu says with a pout. "And besides, I've been visiting Mr. Ishida for training, too."

"Hold on, training?" Ichigo asks in interest just as he finishes eating and swallowing his food.

"Training for what–?" Nebaru asks before suddenly…

"YOU DROPPED YOUR GUARD AGAIN!" Isshin shouts, attacking Ichigo with a low blow to his ankles. Ichigo is caught completely off guard as Isshin pulls his leg up and slammed him onto the floor, holding his head down on the ground with his leg, only for Ichigo to rise up and knock him off and aim for a punch, only for father and son to punch each other in their faces! The two were motionless for a moment. "Gotcha…!" Isshin groaned as he suddenly fell to the floor. "No charge for the lesson…"

"Wow, you sure got a way with kids, don't you?" Karin asks him flatly.

"Me?! What did I do?!" Isshin panics.

"Right… Well, is the clinic open?" Nebaru asks the sisters.

"Hmm? Well, technically no, but her mom is still sleeping in the waiting room to recover." Yuzu explains. "Why do you ask?"

"Just figured she might be hungry, too, is all." Nebaru answers.

"But Yuzu just said she's still sleeping. How can she eat?" Karin asks with a raised eyebrow.

"Just a hunch." Nebaru tells her. "Thanks, Yuzu." He picks up his plate of food and looks at Shiruki. "Do you wanna check on her, Shiruki?" Shiruki glances at him, unsure of what he just heard.

"Now, hold on a minute! Visiting hours aren't open, and I say–!" Isshin shouts, getting his second wind as he lunges toward Nebaru this time! Suddenly, Nebaru punches him with a backwards hand before slamming him down on his noggin with his fist, sending him to the ground, leaving Yuzu, Shiruki, and even Karin in awe. "...that's okay. Here's the key…" Nebaru sees the key to the clinic in his shaking hand before Nebaru holds his hand out under it, and Isshin drops it into his palm.

"That's for assaulting me, and your own son." Nebaru tells him, glancing toward him. He isn't typically a vengeful person, but it felt good to lay one into him for once. "So? What do you say?" Shiruki glances at him before nodding to him. Right away, she hops off her chair and walks over to him.

"Wait, Shiruki! You didn't even touch your plate!" Yuzu tells her as the girl went close to Nebaru.

"Don't worry. I'll make sure she eats some." Nebaru assures as he takes Shiruki's plate to help her load. "We'll be right back." Nebaru and Shiruki walk out the room together as Yuzu, Karin, and Ichigo look on. After a few seconds, Ichigo finishes his drink and exhales. "You know what, I'm going with them, too. Thanks for the dinner, Yuzu." Ichigo leaves the kitchen next, heading for his room. However, Yuzu noticed immediately that his plate was still on the table.

"But Ichigo! You have to put your dishes in the dishwasher first!" Yuzu pipes up, making Ichigo freeze as a cold swear appears on his face.

"Oh. Right…" Ichigo realized nervously.

---

In one of the Kurosaki Clinic's hospital rooms, Nebaru slowly opened the door to walk inside. In the room, Shiruki's mother was laying in the bed. She has a small cloth bandaged to the right side of her face, directly over her eye. There were also cuts on both her arms tended to with myriad similar cloths, and on her right leg. And her white dress is bloodied and torn in places, with her hair scattered about like she had a bad hair day. Nebaru looks at her condition and gasps at the sight of her in shock. How could such heartless people be allowed to do this? Fortunately, they paid for it, but it didn't make the sight any pleasant. Shiruki sees her mother's condition as well, and she starts to let tears out of her eyes, her voice trembling. Nebaru got the hint right away.

"That's her, isn't it?" Nebaru asks. Shiruki answers with a meek "Mm-hmm…," and Nebaru walks forward, holding onto the plates of food Yuzu made. He sets his down next on a small tray near the hospital bed. Shiruki is about to do the same with hers, but Nebaru cuts her off gently.

"Hold it." Nebaru speaks gently, making her turn his head to him. He shakes his head gently. "You gotta eat, too."

"But mommy needs it more." Shiruki tells him.

"Well, I think your mom would want you to eat, too. So you can both be at your best. Right?" Nebaru tells her with a softer, gentle smile on his face. Shiruki hadn't seen him smile like that, so it helped her open up a little. Still, she can't help worrying over her mother. Nebaru gently pats her on the head to comfort her.

"Don't worry about it. Your mom's gonna wake up soon, okay? Count on it." Nebaru tells her with as confident a smile as he could manage. And it was just enough for Shiruki to believe in it. She smiled a bit herself and she hugged him tightly, burying her face against his shirt. Nebaru hugs her back as he glances back at her mother. "Like I could even say that…" Just then, the door opens up, and Nebaru turns his head to see Ichigo walk inside.

"Hey." Ichigo tells him.

"Hey." Nebaru replies likewise as Ichigo walks inside and sits down on the chair adjacent to his. He glances at Shiruki's mother as the monitor beeps steadily. Just seeing her in that condition irritated him. It told him he didn't do enough. That he is no help to anyone.

"Is this it? Is waiting seriously all we can do?" Ichigo says to himself with a dismal expression.

"Honestly… I'm wondering the same." Nebaru replies, sadly looking at Shiruki's mother, as pissed off as he is that he couldn't do anything to help her.

---

In the house, Isshin has recovered from Ichigo's retaliation and Nebaru's consecutive counterattack that followed afterward.

"I don't get it! What am I doing wrong?!" Isshin asks as he rubs his head.

"You want me to start with physical assault?" Karin asks with a glare.

"It's not your fault, dad. Ichigo's just kinda having a rough time right now." Yuzu tells him.

"Yeah. He said he's seeing more spirits lately than ever before. And with what happened to her mom, odds are good she'd be one of them soon." Karin tells him flatout.

"What?! Why would he talk about these things with you two instead of coming to his own dad?! It doesn't make sense!" Isshin asks in a flabbergasted expression.

"Sure it does." Karin counters. "For one thing, you're over 40. And for another, emotionally, you're still at a preschool level, dad. Admit it." But the trouble was, he couldn't. He cried as he went towards a large poster of his wife, Masaki. She had long flowing light blonde hair with brown eyes, as well as rosy red lips.

"Oh, my dear wife!" Isshin cries out. "Maybe it's because they're hitting puberty, but our daughters are being so cold to me…! What do I do?! What do I do?!"

"Well, for starters, you might wanna take down that poster." Karin suggested coldly.

"And besides, Dad, you haven't been letting Ichigo help out as much as you used to lately." Yuzu adds with a scolding look on her face.

"Yeah, if anything, you've been making him feel useless." Karin adds with crossed arms. Isshin pauses for a moment. And in that moment, Isshin seemed like he was taking it all in. Could they be right? He has a hard time seeing Ichigo be depressed, especially with the constant "lessons" he gives him. But if his daughters noticed it, then they have to be onto something.

"No. You think?" Isshin asks in complete puzzlement. "I don't pester my son with his own stuff, but you think that's true?" Yuzu and Karin nod simultaneously to answer him.

"Think about it, Dad. What happened to mom that day on June 17th. Don't you think it would've affected him the most out of everyone?" Karin asks him. "He was the last one of us who saw her alive."

While Karin is driving the point home, Yuzu begins to wonder something as she stares at the poster. Karin notices her curiosity getting the better of her. "Huh? What is it?"

Play Jujutsu Kaisen 0 Music: "Hesitate"
​

"Well, I've just thought of something that doesn't make any sense. Something I can't figure out." Yuzu says aloud.

"Really? What's that?" Karin wonders.

"If we're able to see spirits… how come we couldn't see mom's spirit?" Yuzu ponders.

This got Karin thinking about it herself. If she were simply killed, Masaki would hang around them. She would argue that her mom passed on peacefully that day, but she couldn't have passed on without at least being able to say goodbye to them, right? But she didn't.

"You know… that's actually a good question..." Karin tells her, having suspicion building up inside her the longer she stares at the poster. As for Isshin, he holds his head down reverently, his usual goofy expression turning dismally serious.

"How could I tell them? Even I don't know how it works… For all I know, that damned Hollow must have gotten to you. And even if it didn't… something had to have happened. Otherwise… Otherwise…!"

"Are you okay, dad?" Yuzu asks with concern, getting his attention. Isshin looks to his two daughters, realizing that he is still wearing a dour expression. "You're making a really sad face."

"Come to think of it, I don't think we've seen that look on you since Mom…" Karin adds, but right at that moment, the house phone rang aloud, making the daughters and Isshin take notice right away. And right to the quick, Isshin got to the phone, if only to avoid the topic of what really happened to Masaki.

Pause Jujutsu Kaisen 0 Music: "Hesitate (1:07)"
​

"Hello, there!" Isshin says aloud into the phone. "This is the Kurosaki clinic! What's the emergency?" Isshin says with a faux confident tone. But the voice speaking behind it immediately changes his mood.

"I'll tell you what the emergency is. Where is my son?"

Isshin's face went into a big smile.

"Tseng, buddy!" Isshin says, as if he's heard the voice of an old friend. "Nice to hear from you again."

On the other end of the phone was Tseng Shiratochi. He is dressed in a gray gi with a black belt around it. He also has an Oicho topknot hairstyle for his black hair. He is currently in his meditation room with a phone in his hand, standing on the wood floor.

"It was only several days ago." Tseng says on the phone.

"And it's several days too long!" Isshin says on his end. "Listen, I know you're calling about your kid, but don't worry. He's safe with Ichigo."

"That's exactly the problem, Isshin…" Tseng says with a scowl. "Under normal conditions, I would allow it… IF HE HAD THE NERVE TO TELL ME FIRSTHAND BEFORE GOING THERE!" Tseng's furious outburst made Isshin panic as the shrill scream pierced through his eardrums, making him fall backwards. After crashing with a mighty thud, Isshin's legs twitched. All the while, Tseng continues barking into the phone, with Yuzu and even Karin looking anxious about his temper. "You put my son on the phone right now! I don't care if he's asleep; you will put him on the phone! He needs to know his father is expecting him to come home!" Rather than let him continue to go ballistic, Yuzu cautiously goes to the phone while Karin tries to stop her from getting close to it.

"Wait, Yuzu, I wouldn't–!" Karin tried to warn but it was too late. She puts the phone near her head cautiously.

"Uh, excuse me? Mr. Shiratochi?" Yuzu asks anxiously. The second Tseng heard Yuzu's voice, he paused and acknowledged his temper, lowering it to spare Yuzu his wrath. However, he also believes it may be part of Isshin's ploy for that very purpose.

"Yuzu? What is this, Isshin? You really think hiding behind one of your precious angels is going to keep you safe from me? Well, think again!"

"N-No, Mr. Shiratochi!" Yuzu squeals, trying to diffuse his temper. "Nebaru's just downstairs with our patient!"

Play Bleach Music: "Nothing can be Explained (Instrumental Version)"
​

"Hold on. Patient?" Tseng asks curiously.

"Yeah. A lady got attacked last night, and we asked for his help in taking care of her. So please don't be mad." Yuzu explains, though it is partially a fib. She hadn't asked him; he insisted on doing it himself. But she hoped it would be enough to quell his rage. After a moment, Tseng takes a moment to consider, putting his pointer and thumb on his chin.

"Hmm… Very well." He finally says after a moment. Yuzu sighs in relief before he continues. "In hindsight, I should've known. He refuses to do nothing when people are hurt. No different than your brother, I assume."

"N-No. Ichigo always takes care of us. But dad hasn't been letting him help out like he used to. We told him the same thing, even." Yuzu adds.

"Really laying it on thick, huh, Yuzu?" Karin adds with a raised eyebrow.

"Anyway, he can't go straight back just yet. It's past curfew." Yuzu continues.

"I see… So he's actually being serious about responsibility." Tseng says gently.

"Hmm? You mean dad?" Yuzu asks with a puzzled look.

"Well, never mind then." Tseng says with a softer, more understanding tone than earlier. "Tell my son he is allowed to stay for the night. But ONLY for the night. After that, I expect him to go straight home after school tomorrow. Can you pass this on to him?"

"Uh-huh. Thank you, Mr. Shiratochi!" Yuzu says gratefully before ending the call. After which, she sighs heavily, like she'd just calmed down after seeing something scary. As for Karin, she is absolutely surprised how she is able to calm down a raging bull like Tseng.

"How did you do that, Yuzu?" Karin asks in astonishment.

"Honestly, I wasn't thinking too much when I tried to calm him down." Yuzu admits with a sheepish laugh. Karin ends up having an expressionless look on her face.

"Right. Why would you?" Karin asks blankly, making Yuzu pout at her. Then, her face softens a bit into a smile. "Still… that was really brave of you."

"It was?" Yuzu asks, surprised, yet happy that Karin is complementing her.

Back at his meditation room, Tseng opens a sliding door, and he allows the full moon's light to shine upon him. On the wall adjacent to it is a black bo staff, leaning against it. He turns his head to a small picture of him and a woman beside him. She has blue beady eyes and long flowing black hair, in addition to a pink kimono dress. Her skin complexion was the same as his, a tan color, and his hazel colored eyes are shown as well. They were both smiling in the picture, a memory of their fond time together. It was his wife, and Nebaru's mother. He smiles before sighing heavily.

"He gets this from you, you know, Himari." Tseng tells the picture, as if it somehow connected him to her. "He has a good heart." Tseng turns back to the night sky with a soft look of worry as thunder rolls in. He sees a cascade of black clouds moving up ahead. "And yet I worry. How long can a heart like his… survive in a world as cruel as this?"

End Bleach Music: "Nothing can be Explained (Instrumental Version)"
​

---

THE NEXT DAY
​

The stranger from a couple nights' past is on top of another rooftop, watching the dark clouds roll in as well with thunder booming in the air. His black sword is near his side, covered in dry blood that is barely visible in the blackness. His right hand clenches tightly on the hilt as his only eye unhidden by the black garb around his head narrows, as if focusing on a target. Within his eyesight he sees a gigantic creature with a skull-like mask and a hole in its chest. The creature vanishes into ash, as though it has expired, the glow on its eyes fading away. The stranger composes himself and sighs to himself, but before he could move along, a sword is held near his back.

"And just what do you think you're doing here, Sinner?"

The stranger pauses for a moment and shifts his head around to see someone behind him. Her name is Rukia Kuchiki. Short and petite, Rukia has light skin and big purple eyes. Her hair is black, reaching her shoulders, with several strands of hair always hanging between her eyes. She is also wearing a black robe known as a shihakushō. And her weapon, known as a Zanpakuto, is a normal katana with a rectangular tsuba with a vaguely flame-like pattern on the long sides and a curved line on the short sides, inward-curved corners with curved slits above and below the blade, and a series of curved lines embossed on either side of the blade. It has a reddish-brown hilt. The Sinner's eye lowers and has a coy smile on his lips.

"I'd ask you the same thing… Soul Reaper." He replies. Rukia narrows her eyes in response.

"That doesn't answer my question." Rukia tells him with an edge in her voice. But the Sinner couldn't care less about her question, at least not at the moment. He turns his head back around and looks down.

"I'm out doing cleanup. Same as you." He answers calmly.

"Don't give me that. Sinners are not assigned the duties of a Soul Reaper. Far from it. They're not even supposed to be out here, period." Rukia calls him out.

"Hey, at least I've done more good for the living than you. It's gotta count for somethin', right?" The Sinner casually replies.

"The fates of the living are not our concern." Rukia sternly reminds him.

"Really? And here I thought you'd care." The Sinner says in a deep, cold tone in spite of his smile. "Now I'm starting to wonder… what Ginrei Kuchiki would think." Almost instantly, Rukia's eyes widened in a split second before lunging her blade forward, only to be blocked by his sword, holding it at bay. He never turned around, but he had his sword held behind him in a way that prevented her Sode no Shorayuki from impaling him.

"How do you know that name?!" Rukia shouts, completely outraged that he, a Sinner, would know the name of her grandfather.

"Well, I'd tell you…" he says with a smile. "But I don't think you're in the right mindset to listen now." Rukia leaps backward, keeping herself on alert before holding her hand out, pulling it back as a spark of lightning surges around her palm.

"Hado Number 33: Sōkatsui!" Rukia shouts before firing her technique at the Sinner. But he keeps his grin as he holds his black blade out in front of it. The Hado strikes the blade, but is instead absorbed by it, sinking into it. Rukia gasps in puzzlement before the white-robed Sinner swings his blade up at the clouds, firing the Hado right into the sky. But in the process, it made a powerful lightning strike that struck a building nearby as a powerful thunder booms in the air!

Rukia and her opponent both notice the chaos it triggered as people outside said building fled for their lives.

"Damn it…" the Sinner says in frustration before flipping his sword to point the blade at the ground and stamp it into the floor of the building, while Rukia immediately vanishes before reappearing to pin him to the ground before he could do it, using a flash step. Her hand is gripped on his arm to keep him from swinging his sword.

"Hold it. You're not going anywhere." Rukia says darkly.

"You sure you wanna hold me up here?" The Sinner says with a cautious glance. "That debris is gonna fall any minute."

"As far as I see it, you're just looking for an excuse to escape. Don't think that will work on me." Rukia warns.

"Look, just let me take responsibility. Is that fair enough for you?" The Sinner adds, keeping his glance.

"I don't trust you for a second. You must be a sinner for a reason, and I'm not going to risk innocent lives just so you could prove it." Rukia scolds, keeping her grip firm. She clearly has no intention of trusting him one bit. However, he wasn't wrong. The debris isn't going to hold. Within seconds, it breaks, threatening to fall upon a young woman who looks up in horror to see it fall on her.

"And here I thought the fates of the living aren't your concern." He tells her before suddenly, the Sinner suddenly vanished underneath her!

"No…!" Rukia gasps in worry, believing he's just using the chaos to escape. But as quickly as the Sinner disappeared, he reappeared from the shadow of the building's insides, leaping out to cleave the debris in two. No sooner has he done so than the woman's life is saved, and he teleports again to reappear at the top of that building, puzzling Rukia. She stands there, dumbfounded that a Sinner would step in for a living soul.

"Hey, Soul Reaper! I'm trying not to attract too much attention around here, so can you please stay out of my way?" The Sinner calls out to Rukia, baffling her once again.

"What?!" Rukia snaps. "You're not even supposed to be in the World of the Living in the first place! Besides, you're the one who caused that disaster!" The Sinner sighs with a roll of his eye.

"Just like a Soul Reaper to be so uptight…" He says to himself. However, that's when he felt a presence, puzzling him. And yet, it was only a flicker compared to what he'd felt the night before. Like someone turned the light on just to turn it off again. And annoyingly so. He looks to the distance, trying to pinpoint it. "Hmm… There it is again… But where…?"

"Hey! Are you even listening?!" Rukia shouts.

"Sorry, can't talk. See you later." The Sinner tells her before leaping away, making her growl through her teeth. However, she paused for a moment when she felt the same spiritual pressure he did. She ceases her ranting altogether and becomes cautious.

"Hold on… That spiritual pressure… is he trying to go after it just like I am…?" Rukia asks in anxious unease. "But why? What does he have to do with all this?"

---

"The incident occurred outside Kotakura Station just after 7:30 a.m. as the morning commute was getting into full swing. Witnesses reported hearing a loud crash and feeling the ground shake beneath their feet. The entire area has been cordoned off. Further details are sketchy…"

The news anchor was reporting at the site of a collapsed building on TV. It was the very site where Rukia and the Sinner just had their battle, however brief it was. Of course, Karin and Yuzu were the only ones in the living room watching it at the time. It was combined with the kitchen and dining area, so there isn't much space for anything else. At that point, Ichigo walks into the room, dressed in his school uniform from the other day.

"Hey." Ichigo tells his sisters as he walks out of the door.

"Good morning, Ichigo." Yuzu greets him with a big smile. She'd already prepared something in the toaster for Ichigo while just finishing up the scrambled eggs and bacon for Nebaru.

"Morning. Where's Dad?" He replies as he goes to a toaster and picks up a small toaster pastry from it.

"Early meeting. Said he'd be late tonight too." Karin tells him.

"Again, huh?" Ichigo replies. It wasn't the first time Isshin was having an early meeting only to work so late.

"And my day is pretty much free since Mr. Ryuken is part of that meeting, too." Yuzu adds.

"Huh?" Ichigo asks. "...Oh, right. Your training. What is it about, by the way?"

"Oh, it's a secret." Yuzu says with a teasing grin as Ichigo takes a bite of his breakfast. Right then, Nebaru walks out the door next with Shiruki following, or rather leading, him. He is dressed in his school uniform, just like Ichigo. He yawns with one hand near his mouth while Shiruki drags his other hand into the kitchen.

"Come on…!" Shiruki tells him eagerly.

"Geez, I'm still waking up. How can you have this much energy after what you've been through?" Nebaru tells her.

"Good morning, Nebaru." Yuzu says with a friendly smile. "Thanks for helping Shiruki out. It's nice that you'd give her something to look forward to while she's waiting."

"No problem. Pretty sure my dad's gonna be ticked when I get back, though…" Nebaru tells her as he takes his plate of scrambled eggs and sits down at the table and begins eating.

"Don't worry. I think he understands what you mean by coming here." Yuzu says empathetically. "I don't think he'll be too hard on you for trying to give a little girl some peace with her mom recovering."

"Yeah. A lot more than I could say for my dad…" Ichigo adds, his eye twitching at the thought.

"Wait, are you jealous or something?" Nebaru asks, catching on to Ichigo's response and seeing his eye twitch.

"Damn right I'm jealous! How come your dad doesn't assault you all day?!" Ichigo shouts.

"Oh, he does. He just does it when it's necessary." Nebaru tells him with crossed arms.

"AT WHAT POINT IS THAT CRAP NECESSARY?!" Ichigo snaps for a moment, making Shiruki anxious. She huddles near Nebaru's leg to hide, puzzling Nebaru in particular.

"Ichigo, settle down! You're scaring Shiruki." Yuzu scolds. "Just because we're used to it doesn't mean she is." Ichigo makes a double take, feeling rather sheepish for exploding the way he did. And he feels even worse just by looking at her frightened, traumatized face. Ichigo sighs in defeat and tries to make it up to Shiruki.

"Hey. I'm sorry I exploded back there." Ichigo says with a regretful tone. "I'll try not to let that happen again." Shiruki doesn't budge too much from Nebaru, but she peeks her head to see the sincerity on his face. That's when she also notices the news on the TV, which also gets Nebaru and Yuzu's attention.

"What's that?" Shiruki asks. Yuzu, Karin, Nebaru, and Ichigo turn their heads to the TV, seeing the news for themselves.

This was not a catastrophe. Explosives experts are reportedly on the scene. And we will, of course, pass along further details…

"Something bad happen?" Yuzu asks as she looks at the news herself as the anchorman continues.

"That's near here…" Ichigo says with a pastry in his mouth.

"What do you think happened here? A bombing attack?" Nebaru asks.

"A freak accident, more like." Karin tells her. "And it gets weirder. Apparently, someone was about to get crushed, but the debris suddenly just broke apart on its own, or so they say." Karin tells him, pointing at the TV as it showed surveillance footage of the very event happening. "This footage has been on loop for a while." As the footage continued to play, however, they noticed that the Sinner was interfering with the debris that would've crushed her. Ichigo's eyes widen when he sees him in the footage. As for Nebaru, he looks at him perplexed.

"What is it?" Nebaru asks.

"There was someone there." Ichigo says with awe.

"Yeah. But where did those chains come from?" Yuzu asks, noticing the chains on his body being two rather than the one.

"What do you mean? Aren't chains like that normal for these spirits?" Karin asks with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah, but he has two." Yuzu points.

"Wait, chains?" Nebaru asks, completely confused about what they're talking about. "Uh-huh. All the spirits have chains on them for some reason." Yuzu adds. If he didn't know better, and he did, he'd assume they were messing with him.

"Probably because they can't let go of something or someone close to them." Karin chimes in with her usual bedside manner.

"Huh…" Nebaru says with a raised eyebrow. He looks at the screen, trying to picture what the Kurosakis usually see. As he leans himself forward, Nebaru begins to see an outline of someone at the scene. And little by little, it's becoming a little clearer. The first clear thing he could see, though, was his face, though partially covered by his black cloth. Nebaru is in complete surprise over him seeing it. Then, the stranger vanished quickly.

"No way…" Nebaru says with awe.

"Hang on, you could see that, too, Nebaru?" Ichigo asks.

"Yeah. Just barely. I can only see his face, though." Nebaru begins to answer, only for…

"I've seen him, too!" Shiruki calls out. This puzzles the four immensely.

"What?" They all ask in unison.

"How did you see the guy?" Nebaru asks in curiosity. As far as he knew, nobody but the Kurosaki kids could see ghosts.

"He's the one who saved me." Shiruki answers.

"Hold on. That guy saved you?" Karin asks in disbelief.

"Uh-huh. Those bad men hurt my mommy and tried to take me away, but that guy stopped them." Shiruki answers. In any normal circumstance, Nebaru would chalk it up to her active imagination, but the fact that the Kurosakis saw it too meant it was no imagination. That man must have taken out those guys and saved her life. In all likelihood, he probably never meant to do the latter in the process. What did that mean? Is the dead striking back against the living? And why…? Before he is allowed to figure it out, his phone rings like an alarm clock. He pulls it out, noticing that it is 8:00 AM. That means he is at risk of being late for school. "Uh, I'll tell you on the way, okay? We gotta make sure we're not late."

"Fine…" Ichigo says with a pout. He hardly saw how school could possibly compare to what he could see, and more importantly what it meant.

"Hey, Yuzu. Thanks for the breakfast. See you later, Shiruki." Nebaru says as he walks out the door with Ichigo following him.

"Bye, Nebaru!" Shiruki says with an eager smile.

"Alright. Have a good day!" Yuzu says with a wave as she sees her brother and his friend off.

---

A short time later, Ichigo and Nebaru walk past the police. They were blocking off an alleyway with yellow tape that said, "Keep Out". Ichigo didn't even look at the general area while Nebaru glanced toward it. There is an area on a building that appeared to be torn up from the inside. And with what he could barely make out on the footage, a spirit was there to save that woman. But what's the story behind all these attacks? There has to be more to this, he believed.

"So, about that guy you saw." Ichigo says to him, catching Nebaru's attention.

"What? You mean you couldn't see him?" Nebaru asks.

"Duh, of course I can. But I'm surprised you could." Ichigo tells him.

"I told you, I only barely saw the guy." Nebaru corrects him. "That doesn't prove I could see ghosts like you could. Besides… I'm getting the feeling that he's at the center of what's been happening all over lately."

"Hold on. You mean like what happened to those debt collector scumbags, like Shiruki mentioned?" Ichigo asked. He is well aware of the story behind Shiruki's mother's condition, and how badly they deserved it, though he wouldn't go that far himself.

"Yeah. If I remember right, the news said one of them looked like his head was split open by a sword. And the other one disappeared, but there was plenty of evidence that suggests he was attacked, too." Nebaru points out. "You don't think… that maybe the dead want revenge against the living?" When he said it aloud, Ichigo's face formed a scowl. As if it'd gotten more dangerous than before.

"If that's true… I don't wanna imagine what could happen to my family." Ichigo tells him. Nebaru, on the other hand, saw no reason to be all that worried.

"Hey, come on, Ichigo." Nebaru says, trying to put a positive spin on it. "It's not like you've done anything to them, right? If anything, I thought you'd be relieved."

"Dunno. Maybe it is a good thing, but…" Ichigo begins. "There's just something off about all this. Like, what if he's responsible for all the attacks, you know?"

"Hmm… you've got a point there, I guess." Nebaru acknowledges as he closes his eyes. "Kinda makes it a problem if it turns out he is responsible, though." At this point, the duo arrive at the same spot they stopped at yesterday to stop Little Yama and his gang from messing around anywhere near it. "Well, if it does turn out that way, promise me you won't take him on alone."

"Huh? What do you mean?" Ichigo asks.

"Come on. Don't act like you don't know. You always charge headfirst, like you can't trust anyone else to do it." Nebaru points out.

"So what? You expect me to sit and do nothing, or what?" Ichigo deflects.

"All I'm saying is you're not alone in this, Ichigo. So don't act like you're the only one who can help." Nebaru suggests.

"You're one to talk. You just barely started to see ghosts." Ichigo reminds him, making Nebaru raise his eyebrow, as if he'd been insulted.

"You just had to bring that up, didn't you?" Nebaru asks, cheesed off by his comment.

"I'm just saying, I don't think you can help much by swinging at the air and not hitting anything." Ichigo advises.

"Oh, right. Like you can hit a ghost in your own home." Nebaru counters, making Ichigo do a double-take.

"Hey!" He shouts, making Nebaru laugh at his reaction. After a moment, though, Ichigo begins to laugh along with him. Once the laughing dies down, Ichigo looks to his friend.

"Okay, you know what? You can hold me to that." Ichigo tells him. "Only so I can prove to you that I don't miss." Nebaru smiles at Ichigo with a nod. It is right at that point that they arrive at the exact spot Little Yama tripped over the flowers for the little girl that died here. Except, that little girl's spirit wasn't around here.

"Hello?" Ichigo calls out, getting no response.

"What is it?" Nebaru asks. "Nobody here after all?"

"She should be here…" Ichigo says in response. Then, he heard something far away. It sounded like a loud roar. Ichigo tensed when that sound reached him. It sounded like a monster…

"Ichigo, what's up?" Nebaru asks. Ichigo didn't give him an answer. Instead, he made a run toward that sound.

"Hey!" Nebaru shouts as he follows his friend.

---

"Listen. Do you hear that sound?" In the epicenter of the event, a woman was asking that to a man nearby her. She heard the same noise Ichigo did. Which was more than the man next to her would say.

"What sound? I don't hear anything except the usual–" He is promptly cut off by a loud explosion! The crowd near the explosion all fled in a panic as the building next to it suddenly got three large claw marks on it from some invisible force. The only ones who aren't running away are Ichigo and Nebaru, the latter of whom is trying to get an answer from him.

"What the hell's up with you, Ichigo?!" Nebaru shouts. Then he begins to notice the crowd running away from the explosion, and most likely the invisible creature. That only further added concern to him toward the situation. Suddenly, the dust from the explosion blows all over the two boys as Ichigo finds himself face to face with a giant monster. It appeared similar to a giant bug, having a white mask with dark red details on it, as well as red eyes piercing through the two eyeholes of it. But most notable is a hole in its chest.

"Whoa. What the hell is that?" Ichigo asks in shock.

"You're asking me? I can barely see the damn thing." Nebaru reminds him. He could see it, but since he could only sense their presence as of yet, it is a blur for him. He did know something was there, and the fact that it caused that much chaos already is something to be worried about.

"Help me!"

Nebaru heard the voice, becoming puzzled as to where it came from. It is close by, but it threw him for a loop. That is, until he felt someone holding onto his hand. Nebaru looks down, her form materializing in his sight as she holds tight onto him.

"Please, help me, mister!" The girl pleads. Nebaru gasps when he begins to see her for himself. Even more surprising is that she had a chain on her body. It reminded him of what Yuzu said to him before.

"All the spirits have chains on them for some reason."

Nebaru couldn't believe his eyes. He is actually seeing the spirit plain as day for the first time. But that's not the only thing he saw: he also saw the large and grotesque monster staring at them! Seeing the monster in front of him, Nebaru got in front of her and stood in between them.

"Don't worry. I've got a technique that's very useful in situations like this." Nebaru tells her.

"You do?" She asks.

"Seriously, you do?" Ichigo asks.

"Yeah. It's simple." Nebaru says with a smirk. He turns around, holds onto the girl's legs just as she puts her arms around him, and they run off. "RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!" Ichigo stares dumbfounded for a moment before he follows suit as the monster pursues them.

"That's your technique?!" Ichigo says, a little butthurt that he got his hopes up. "I thought it was going to be something cool!"

"What did you expect, Ichigo?! I just started to see them for myself!" Nebaru counters.

"What is that thing?" The girl asks.

"I don't know." Ichigo answers.

"And for the record, I don't know any more than he does, either!" Nebaru tells her. But as he did, he tripped on a small divot in the sidewalk. Nebaru fell face first and landed hard, hitting his head as he exclaimed in pain.

"Grr! Darn pothole…!" Nebaru cursed through gritted teeth as the girl tried to get up.

"Come on! We've gotta move!" Ichigo tells them, running to help them up as he holds his hand out. The little girl took it and got up on her feet, but just when she did, the monster got closer to them and leapt right at the trio. But as the creature roared, about to devour them, Ichigo and Nebaru see a small black butterfly flying in front of them. Before they knew it, Rukia jumped in front of the duo, armed with her Zanpakuto. While in the air, she makes a clean slash at the monster's mask, cutting off a lot of its teeth while also making blood spurt out in the process.

But she didn't end her assault there. After landing on the ground, she readies herself in a stance and leaps into the air again while bringing her Zanpakuto up before swinging it down on the monster's mask. After cutting the mask down in half, the rest of the body went along with it, turning into black ash before it dissipated completely from existence. After defeating the creature, Rukia sheathes her Zanpakuto into her scabbard as Ichigo, Nebaru, and the girl watched. With the monster gone, Nebaru, in spite of the shock of what he'd started seeing, walks up to her.

"Hey, uh… thanks for the help back there. What was that thing anyway?" He says to her, getting her attention. Her eyes open up a little for a moment before she walks away, vanishing from sight with her Flash step before events resume to normal.

"Hey, wait!" Nebaru calls out, with Ichigo at a loss himself.

"Hey, hold on!" He adds. Nebaru turns back at him, wondering if they knew each other somehow.

"Ichigo, is that woman a friend of yours or something?" Nebaru asks him.

"I… what? No. I've never seen her before today." He tells her. As the crowd gathers back from where they ran, Rukia keeps a vigil on the duo, surprised that one of them seemed to have noticed her.

"How did he see me? He couldn't have, could he…?" Rukia wonders to herself. Before now, no living human has ever seen her around. That shouldn't be possible. And yet, Nebaru interacted with her, thanking her for saving them as if she is like him. But she's not. So how…? "Just who is he…?" As much as Rukia would like to know, though, her phone rings in her black robe. After pulling it out, she flips it open and sighs. They were her orders. "Well, can't worry about it now. I've got orders to complete."

---

Meanwhile, Shiruki is with Yuzu and Karin. The former is telling Shiruki where everything was in the house while Karin is in deep thought on the couch.

"And if you need to use the bathroom, it's upstairs. And I've set up lunch for you in a baggie in the kitchen, okay?" Yuzu adds as Shiruki nods.

"Thanks, Ms. Yuzu." Shiruki tells her gratefully.

"Sure." Yuzu responds with a kind-hearted smile and turns back to Karin, only to see her gaze focused on the TV. She becomes intrigued by what must be going on in her head. "What's up, Karin?"

"I've been thinking about what you said the other night." Karin tells her. "About mom and why we couldn't see her spirit."

"..Oh. You think he might know?" Yuzu asks.

"Don't know." Karin admits. "But none of the other spirits we've seen carry a sword like that… If there's a chance he might know anything about mom, it's worth taking."

"But Karin, we have school today. Don't you think this can wait until later?" Yuzu suggests to her with concern.

"Oh, yeah…" Karin says with a flat look.

"And you're still not ready yet. Come on, Karin. Let's get you dressed up." Yuzu urges.

"Yuzu, I'm not that much of a kid where I can't get dressed by myself." Karin replies with a grim expression, as though she felt insulted. As the sisters went to the stairs, they didn't notice that the black-cloaked stranger who followed Ichigo and Nebaru home was on the rooftop watching over them. He holds his hand out, a small pillar of fire forming in his palm, only to vanish, as if he was an illusion.

---

Meanwhile, at school, a group of young men and women gathered around the desks, just moments before class starts. Among them is Nebaru. Many of the students were already talking about the events of last night. The news about it spread practically like wildfire that'd scorch a forest 5 times over by now.

"That was insane!" A student named Keigo says aloud. Like all the other male students, he wears a gray jacket uniform with red lines, as well as a red pocket, and gray pants. Underneath his uniform is a white shirt. He also has short brown hair with his bangs going down diagonally along his forehead. And his eyes are brown as well. "I've never been so freaked out."

"Yeah, seriously. It's amazing that no one got hurt." His friend, Mizuiro, replied. His raven hair is in a more neat style compared to Keigo's.

"Yeah. And it's even crazier that that chunk of rock broke on its own before it got to her, huh?" Keigo asks in astonishment. By that point, though, Nebaru is in deep thought. About the guy who saved that woman's life, and the same guy who apparently butchered the debt collectors to save the little girl.

"I doubt it's crazier than those guys who were killed. And they weren't even any good to begin with." A young lady, Tatsuki Arisawa, adds. She is of average height with black hair and brown eyes. Tatsuki is a tomboy, and has a very lean frame. Her hair is short and dark, spiked out at the sides, and in tune with her less than feminine appearance. "Honestly, I feel more bad for the little girl than those jerks."

"Me, too. Maybe I should make her something to help lift her spirits up." Another young lady, Orihime Inoue, offered. She has brown eyes and long, waist-length, burnt orange hair with short bangs framing the top of her forehead. Her most noticeable physical trait is her slender yet very curvaceous figure for a young lady, especially in terms of her large breasts. She wears her hair in bangs tucked behind her ears with hairpins, which she only removes when it's time to sleep. But Tatsuki, knowing from experience how odd her cooking is, wouldn't wish it on anyone.

"Nice thought, but let's not bother her, Orihime." Tatsuki suggests with a nervous smile.

"Well, in any case, we still don't know who killed them or how. Much less about what really happened to that building." On the contrary, he knew firsthand that the guy he barely saw in the footage was the one responsible, especially since Shiruki confirmed it. But if he went and told everyone that, he'd be called crazy. He has an especially dispassionate look toward the circumstances. "Not that I'd honestly care. Personally, I think it's good those scumbags are dead."

"Dude!" Keigo shouts in shock.

"What? So the girl and her mom won't get hurt again." Nebaru explains with a raised eyebrow.

"Still, dude." Keigo sighs, though not entirely comfortable with how he talks the way he does.

"Come on, Keigo. You know Nebaru has a different outlook on life than the rest of us." Tatsuki explains.

"So does Orihime, but you don't see her acting so gloomy!" Keigo retorts pointing to Orihime, making her puzzled.

"Yeah! And she has cute little melons!" A red-headed female student, Chizuru Honsho, adds with a smile. She has long, flowing hair and glasses over her red eyes. She is a proud lesbian at the school. And while it is commendable, what most people can't accept, especially Tatsuki and Nebaru, is her perverted attitude. And the fact that she wanted to grope Orihime's boobs didn't help. Immediately, Nebaru and Tatsuki socked Chizuru in the head in a flash, resulting in her having a big boo-boo on her head with her on the ground.

"Wanna keep that up and see what happens, Chizuru?" Tatsuki warns with a shaking fist while Nebaru keeps his fist clenched as Chizuru rubs her head with a tearful, "Owie…!" Then, Tatsuki counters Keigo's point. "Trust me, Keigo, there's a lot about Orihime you don't know. That's all I'm willing to say."

"If anything, I just hope her mom can recover and that her daughter can be safe." Chad adds. "No child should have to endure this kind of thing so early in their life." His real name is Yasutoro Sado, a giant of a man who appears much older than he actually is. He is a young man of Mexican and Japanese descent. He is dark-skinned with pronounced cheek-bones and has wavy brown hair with bangs that generally hangs over his brown eyes.

Everyone else is in full agreement on that, especially Tatsuki and Nebaru. It is a heavy thing to experience no matter how old you are. Nebaru has a softer look of concern, thinking about his words. Tarsuki notices the look and wonders how deep it was.

"What is it? Something on your mind?" She asks curiously.

"Someone, actually." Nebaru tells her.

"Hmm? Like who?" Tatsuki asks.

"Tatsuki… you saw the news, right? About that boulder that split apart before it crushed that girl? You saw who stopped it, right?" Nebaru asks.

"What are you talking about? Nobody was there." Tatsuki tells him in response. Nebaru realizes right then that she couldn't see ghosts. And that he could… But how? Why did it start now?

"I… never mind. Forget it. I must've been seeing things." Nebaru says to dismiss the topic. Tatsuki's face softens as she hangs her head down.

"Okay…" Tatsuki replies gently. Though she doesn't appear convinced he meant what he said.

---

Much later, at sunset, Nebaru was back at home. It didn't take as long to stop by here as opposed to Ichigo's place. His house is a three-story building with a dark cedar brown door and walls. There are also two windows on the ground floor, as well as a sliding door on the outside of the second floor. And on the third floor is one window. The roof of the house had teal colored tiles. And Nebaru is expecting quite an earful from his father about him going to their place without telling him.

"Hey, dad. I'm back." Nebaru tells him as he heads up to the dark cedar door. "Before you get on my case again, I can explain." After opening the door, he walks inside to look around. The inside of the house upon walking in is a small room that had a mat for shoes, along with two stepping stones and a small bench for resting their feet. There is also a room beyond the wooden sliding door. It had shag carpeting, and on the left upon walking in is a set of stairs.

"Huh… maybe he's upstairs waiting for me…" Nebaru supposes. "Gotta say though, it isn't like him…" Usually, his father would wait near the door. And the moment he opened it, he'd always find him there. But today, something feels off. Nebaru walks up the shag carpeted stairway thinking to himself.

Maybe Yuzu got on his good side like before. No… he'd still be waiting regardless. That means…

Just when he reached the conclusion, however, he found a startling sight. His father appeared to be laying on the ground… and bleeding!

"DAD!" Nebaru shouts.

Play Bleach Music: "Start to Investigate"
​

Nebaru rushes over toward his father, worried to death over what happened to him. He gets down on his knees and looks over him, seeing a hard slash on his back. He also sees something even more troubling. It is a katana with blood on it as well, stabbed into the ground of the floor. Unless he missed his guess about it, he was fighting back, so this can't be a suicide.

"Not you, too…! Dad! Stay with me! Don't die on me!" Nebaru shouts in fear. Immediately, he reaches out to the family phone in the meditation room before immediately dialing the number. "Hello?! My dad needs help! Please! Save him!"

Really? You think they're gonna help out just because you beg?

Nebaru gasps in shock upon hearing an unfamiliar voice. He turns his head around to see the stranger who saved that woman earlier this morning, and the one who saved Shiruki two nights before. But there was something off. He sees the blood on his black sword. It sent off red flags immediately. He grits his teeth and glares at him.

"You…! Tell me." Nebaru demanded. "Are you the one who killed him?" The Sinner is partially puzzled by his question. But a couple seconds later, he answers with a shake of his head, "No. I'm not the one who did this."

"Then why is there blood on your sword?" Nebaru questions with a glare.

"It wasn't his blood. There was someone else attacking him, but I stopped him." The Sinner tells him.

"Well, if you didn't attack him, then who did?" Nebaru questions further, walking towards him.

"Can't tell. Couldn't get a good look under that mask." The Sinner replies, but suddenly, he found himself gripped by his collar.

"That's not an answer!" Nebaru shouts. "If you can't tell me who did it, then I'll have to assume that you're the one who's guilty! So you better tell me who it is, because if you don't, I'm gonna–!"

"That's enough, son!" A familiar voice shouts from behind. Nebaru pauses his words with complete stupefaction. He turns his head around to see his father, standing over… himself? And he has… a chain. It is connected to his dead body. He must be a spirit now.

"What…? Dad…?! He–?" Nebaru stammers, completely at a loss for words.

"Is not the one who attacked me." Tseng interrupts. "If it hadn't been for him, my chain would've snapped off, and I would have been dead."

"I… How are you…?" Nebaru questions.

"So you can see me." Tseng says with crossed arms. "Good. That means you'll understand a little better."

"Understand what?" Nebaru asks. "What the Hell is going on here?!"

"Hey, calm down. One question at a time. Do you mind?" The Sinner asks with his hands raised.

"Son. Sit down." Tseng says sternly in a cold tone. Nebaru got the sense right away that he is dead serious. He was always serious to be frank, but when he uses that tone, he is not to ignore it. No matter the circumstance. Nebaru sits down as he is directed with legs crossed as he sits down as well.

"You want to know what's going on?" Tseng asks with a cold stare. "Then listen to what he has to say. I deserve an explanation as badly as you do. Don't we?" Tseng glances toward the Sinner, who sighs in response before he sits down next, setting his sword deep into the floor as he gets on his knee.

"My name is Kokutō." He introduces. "And I'm a Sinner."

End Bleach Music: "Start to Investigate"
​

---

Meanwhile, Yuzu, Karin, and Shiruki are at the table by themselves. Ichigo is in his room by himself, having already eaten his dinner quickly. The food that Yuzu prepared was a plate of Curry. Yuzu and Karin are almost finished with their seconds. As for Shiruki… it was literally halfway. She'd only eaten half of her first batch of food on the plate. Seeing the amount left over on the plate made Yuzu concerned.

"Are you alright, Shiruki?" Yuzu asks thoughtfully.

"Hmm?" Shiruki replies, puzzled by her question.

"You've barely eaten your food." Yuzu points out softly. Then, the second it left her mouth, she began to realize. "Wait. Are you still worried about your mom?" Shiruki confirms it with a soft, sad, gentle nod. Even Karin could feel for her. She's certainly no stranger to loss herself.

"Poor thing…" Karin says gently.

"I'm saving the rest for mommy." Shiruki tells them. "She's gotta wake up…" Yuzu begins to get teary-eyed just thinking about it. But she pulls herself together, wiping her tears away before taking a breath.

"What if we go with you to visit your mom this time?" Yuzu offers, making Shiruki perk up.

"I don't know, Yuzu. Are you sure you're up for this? You almost cried just a second ago." Karin says, having a bit of concern for her sister.

"I know it hurts. But Shiruki's hurting more than I am. So tonight, I'll suck it up for her if I have to, just like Ichigo." Yuzu tells her boldly, making a similar serious face as Ichigo's, which has Karin snicker at her face. "What…?!"

"Your face…! It looks just like Ichigo!" Karin shouts, unable to hold in her laughter as Yuzu looks at her with a puzzled expression. In turn, it made Shiruki laugh as well herself, as if she hadn't lost her childhood. Yuzu hears the laugh and beams at the little girl.

"Aw, that's more like it!" Yuzu says cheerfully. "Come on. Let's check on your mom." Yuzu says, offering her hand to her. Shiruki holds out her hand to Yuzu, and she holds on to it as the girls leave the table. But first things first… "Hey, Ichigo! We're gonna check on Shiruki's mom again!"

"Alright." Ichigo calls out in reply. He was thinking to himself about the events of today. He has been ever since he saw Rukia appear before him and Nebaru. On top of that, Nebaru could see them more clearly than he had before. He's beginning to wonder if she had anything to do with it.

"Who was she? I can't make any sense of what happened out there today. Maybe she's here to tail that guy who saved that woman's life or something? Their outfits are different though. And anyway, why is it that I'm only seeing them today? For that matter, why can Nebaru see them better now?"

Ichigo couldn't figure out what any of it meant, especially not that man in white. While thinking, he sees a butterfly fly into the room. Wait. How could it do that? The window was closed, wasn't it? And as if that wasn't enough, a black portal opens on the wall near Ichigo's desk! Rukia emerges from said portal and lands on the ground, surprising Ichigo.

"What the hell are you doing here?!" He asks. But Rukia ignores it. Usually, humans aren't able to see her. At the time, she believed he was no exception. She places her hand on her hilt, ready to draw it out. "Ah! Put that thing away! You're not slicing me up!"

Rukia disregards him again and turns her head. She has come here for a powerful Spiritual Pressure, and she has no intention of stopping until she finds it.

"Hey." Ichigo calls out.

"It's getting closer. I feel it." Rukia says to herself. Suddenly, she felt a foot push her to the ground from behind!

"Who are you, and what do you want?!" Ichigo shouts as Rukia collapses on her face to the ground. "If you think you're a burglar, you're not a very good one. For starters, you shouldn't talk to yourself." Rukia didn't give heed to his question, but she is surprised nonetheless. Apparently, he has been seeing her the moment she walked in. The fact that he could is completely alarming to her.

"You kicked me." Rukia replies in shock, her eyes wide as she gazes upon him. "But I can't be seen by ordinary humans. Are you saying you can see me?"

"Well, considering that that was my foot I just planted in your behind, you tell me." Ichigo replies with his hands on his hips, still wanting answers. As Rukia stands up and gets a good look at him, Rukia begins to recognize him more.

"You were the one I saw in town earlier. I remember." Rukia adds.

"Boy, nothing gets by you." Ichigo says, clearly not amused by her response. He begins to get agitated when she places her hand on his chin like he was a puppet.

"How very strange." Rukia comments. "You look normal, but you must be defective in some way."

"I'll show you defective." Ichigo retorts, forcing her hand off of him and trying to get the jump on her, only for her to literally jump on him. Upon landing, she recalled that someone else noticed her, too. This brought his friend into mind. He had noticed her back then, too. And if that's the case, he must have been thanking her for his help. "What about your friend? Is he here?"

"Who needs to know?" Ichigo responds, recovering from his pratfall. "And for that matter, let's start with you. Who are you?"

"You want to know?" She asks before turning to Ichigo. "Then I'll tell you. I'm a Soul Reaper."

---

Back at Nebaru's place, he is in a cross-legged position along with his dad's spirit as Kokutō is in between them himself.

"A Sinner?" Nebaru asks. "And what exactly does that have to do with all that's been happening anyway?"

"Everything." He responds.

"Well, that's not cryptic." Nebaru replies sarcastically. "And what exactly is a Sinner? Are they like bad people who get sent to Hell?"

"You're correct there. But the ones I'm dealing with? They've managed to escape from Hell." Kokutō answers.

"And you. You say you're a Sinner yourself." Tseng interjects. "So if that's true, then what reason did you have exactly for helping me?"

"Helping? You've got it wrong there, gramps." Kokutō answers nonchalantly.

"So you attacked him, then." Nebaru quickly adds with suspicion.

"Nope. Not that either. See, the thing is, I wasn't really helping you." Kokutō adds. "I just don't like those guys. And by definition, people I don't like are my enemies. See, that's pretty much how it goes in Hell."

"And that's another thing." Nebaru adds. "You say you're not responsible, but I have zero proof that you're being honest with us."

"So my word isn't good enough for you?" Tseng adds with resentment, making Nebaru do a double take.

"Dad, I…" Nebaru says, trying to apologize to him.

"Calm down. I know what you meant." Tseng assures him, fishing into his robe. When he did, he pulled out a black and white mask, or pieces of it, rather. It was chipped in places, but it offered evidence.

"Shards?" Nebaru asks.

"A mask. Well, scraps of it, that is." Tseng explains.

"Yep." Kokutō adds. "You see, Sinners aren't usually allowed anywhere outside Hell. So, guys like our attacker wear these to hide their presence. The moment it comes off, the gates of Hell open up for them, and there's no return."

"So it is true." Tseng adds. "I suspected there was a strange reason for that mask."

---

Earlier, just moments before the attack, Tseng was opening up the sliding door to let in the light from the sunset, holding a sword in his hand. But the moment he opened the door, he saw something heading right towards him from the brief shine he could see. Before he knew it…

SLASH!

A black cloaked Sinner slashed through him! He is naturally caught off-guard, but as the Sinner chuckled, believing it was an easy kill, Tseng retaliated with a fierce spin, slicing off a bit of his mask in retaliation. The Sinner was forced to back away to avoid getting his head cut off.

"Nice try!"

He thrusted his hand forward and pushed him to the ground, pushing his spirit form out of his body, connected to a chain as his body collapsed.

"He's also the one who separated my spirit from my body, and he tried to do away with the link, too." Tseng tells him.

"The link?" Nebaru asks.

"Those chains your father has is what's connecting him to his human body. If it were to be severed, he'd turn into a Hollow by encroachment." Kokutō explains.

"Encroachment?" Nebaru asks again with worry. "And what do you mean Hollow?"

"Hollows are monsters that consume other people's souls. Living or dead, it won't matter to them." Kokutō explains. "I'm sure you've met them before, right?" In brief flashes, Nebaru definitely recalled the monster that was chasing them and that girl just recently, and it was done away with by Rukia.

"Yeah. Unfortunately." Nebaru nods.

"And it gets worse." Kokutō continues with a grave expression. "You see, once the Chain of Fate is severed, they can't go back to their human bodies. Little by little, the chains shrink until they eat away at the heart, where the chain resides. The moment it's gone, there are two scenarios, but the most likely one… is Hollowfication."

"So that guy who attacked, he tried to turn my dad into a monster? But why?" Nebaru asks.

In the flashback, Tseng's spirit is having a hard time processing how his spirit body is severed from his human form, noticing the chains on his chest as the Sinner got ready to cut off the link.

"My guess? The leader wants to make an army of Hollows that only he could control." Kokutō theorizes. "And he would've done the same to your dad, too… if I hadn't stepped in, that is."

In a quick flash, Kokutō gets in the way of the attack, his chain blocking the blade from his large greatsword as it glowed red in the process, catching him off guard before swinging at the mask to force him off, taking off a bigger chunk in the process. The Sinner backed away as Kokutō stepped forward.

"You want some more of that?" He asks him. The cloaked Sinner snarls before flash stepping away from him as Kokutō begins to give chase only for Tseng to call out.

"Wait!" He shouts, making him turn his head. "Where do you think you're going?"

"After that guy. That's what you want, right?" Kokutō replies with a dispassionate tone.

"What I want is answers. And we will not pursue until you give us that much, understand?" Tseng tells him.

"Us? …Look, I really don't have the time to–" Kokutō begins, only for Tseng to swing at him, making him react defensively by holding up his chains, blocking the brunt of it before Tseng grabbed the glowing chains and pinned them to the ground with his sword, keeping him pinned.

"My son is going to come and see this. And the moment he does, you're going to tell us everything. And you will not leave out a single detail we need to know. Then, depending on how much of it is true, and only then, we will pursue him." Tseng says with a glare in his eyes. With Kokutō forced to concede, he grew annoyed for a moment. After a moment, though… he begins to smile.

---

"And that's how it all happened up to date. The rest, they say, is history." Kokutō finishes.

"Okay… so those other Sinners. You're saying they're responsible for that Hollow earlier?" Nebaru asks.

"Not entirely. That one you saw came from a realm called Hueco Mundo, a land of Hollows, which we'll talk about later." Kokutō says. "Some time before that, too."

"If that's true, how come I haven't noticed before now?" Nebaru questioned.

"Have you been feeling anything out of the ordinary before today?" Kokutō asks.

"Well, until then, I could only sense the presence of spirits, if that counts for anything." Nebaru replies.

"And you, old man?" Kokutō asks Tseng, who scowls at him for the comment.

"You will refer to me as Tseng." Tseng demands.

"Alright, Tseng." Kokutō corrects himself. "Can you say the same?" Nebaru turns his head to his father, perplexed by what his answer would be.

"Truthfully, I have always been aware of spirits." Tseng answers. "But never like this. Not like Sinners…"

Play Bleach Music: "Monologue"
​

"Ah, so you have been aware. Just not of Sinners. Makes me wonder why you never bothered to teach him about that." Kokutō says nonchalantly and a bit of suspicion.

"Dad… you knew about all this? Why didn't you tell me…?" Nebaru asks, feeling hurt and betrayed that he'd deliberately kept all this from him.

"You honestly believe I didn't want to?" Tseng asks with a solemn bow of his head and a saddened tone. "Almost a decade ago, I wasn't there to protect you, or your sister." Kokutō raises his head hearing this with curiosity, as if something about the answer intrigued him. "I wanted to tell you the danger, but you refused to have anything to do with me. It had been that way for 2 years. You hid that resentment well around your friends, but only for some time until they noticed. And it has only been six years since you've decided to talk to me again, after June 17th. If I had really told you then, when you asked why I wasn't there… would you have believed me?" Nebaru grits his teeth, trying to stay mad at him… but he couldn't.

It was no secret that he and his dad's relationship was complicated. They were happy once, but after his mother's death, they were distant. And because of that, he wasn't around to save his sister when she needed him, especially when he knew of the Hollows. But he wasn't. And he wanted to make it right, but Nebaru wouldn't forgive him. For a good while, he was angry and spiteful. As a result, every time he thought about how his sister died, especially with her last moments being bullied and running away from them, only to be found dead, he was ruthless, even toward Ichigo.

But even then, all Ichigo wanted was to help him. That may have been why Masaki, his mother, had brought him along, to try to get through to him. And all it did was take her away from Ichigo. Nebaru began to realize then, that whatever happened, this anger and hate won't bring them back. It would only take away… he felt especially sorry for Ichigo. And he swore to himself that he'd never make anyone feel worthless ever again.

Ichigo was easy enough. He had someone to relate to, after all. And the last thing he'd want is to let him be miserable and alone. Soon after, he apologized to his dad, feeling ashamed for how he'd treated him when it was likely that he himself was in his position. Little by little, they tried to repair that relationship. But that aside… it made him realize how his father must have grieved for his sister, and for his wayward son…

"No. I don't think I would've accepted that." Nebaru tells him. "Hell, I'm not even sure I accept it right now."

"Not to ruin the father-son moment, but whether you accept it or not, it is reality." Kokutō interjects. "So, if you don't mind, I have some Sinners to find. And I don't feel like being cooped here longer than I need to be." Just then, they heard loud sirens from the ambulance pulling up. And as it turns out, Isshin is among the staff riding in one of the ambulances.

"Everyone, get the gurneys out! There's no telling how bad it is, so let's pick up the pace!" Isshin shouts. Nebaru and Tseng see the commotion outside, with the latter having a faint chuckle.

"If there's one thing to commend him for, it's urgency." Tseng compliments. He then grips his hand on the hilt and removes the blade from Kokutō's chain links. "Go. Do what you need to do." Kokutō simply shrugs with a sigh.

"Like I need you to tell me to do that." He replies. He takes off into the air, leaping from the open door, a sudden rush of air following behind him. As he goes off, however, Nebaru's hand trembles. It has him concerned. If those Sinners attacked him and he barely survived in spirit form putting up a fight, then how much of a chance would Ichigo and the others have? What if they are attacked, too?

"I have to go, too, dad…" Nebaru says, sounding as though his mind was made up, clenching his fist. "Don't get me wrong. As much as I understand why you couldn't tell me, I still need answers. But… if those guys hurt you like this… I don't want to imagine what they could do to my friends…!" Tseng's face softens.

"Son…" Tseng says gently, seeing the pain on his son's face.

"I chose to disregard everyone's pain because I was selfish…! I refused to let anyone help me when I needed them! And Ichigo paid for it with his mom's life! He should never have had to lose her!" Nebaru snaps, remembering all too well how he'd treated Ichigo. A flash of his mind shows how bitter he was to Ichigo in spite of his crying as Tatsuki tries to pull him away. Another flash shows the both of them alone… without Masaki.

"If anyone else dies because I abandoned them, then I'd rather die than live with that dishonor!" Nebaru shouts with tears flowing down his face. He is angry. He is sad. He has a lot of things at this moment. But he will never be one who turns his back on people again. Not ever again. Tseng sees that pain on his face, and he has a soft tear himself. He simply holds his hand out to his shoulder, as if to keep him grounded.

"What's right is right, son." Tseng tells him gently, and with confidence. "You know what you need to do. Now, go."

"What? Dad…" Nebaru says, worried for him.

"I'll be fine. I'm not the one who needs help. The doctors will see to my health, for better or worse…" Tseng says, particularly glancing at Isshin with annoyance. "He could do with some tact, but I'll be fine in his hands. You just focus on the people who need you, and protect them… using what I have taught you." Tseng walks forward, towards the black Bo staff leaning against the wall near the open sliding door. He picks it up, and he holds it out to his son, perplexing him.

"I fear you may not be ready, but… when one stops to think about it, no one ever is ready." Tseng tells him. "This is all I can do to prepare you." Nebaru looks upon the bo staff his father is handing him, and he takes it in his hand, looking upon his face with determination.

"Just… keep fighting, dad. I can't lose you." Nebaru says with worry.

"As if I'd go down that easy. You ought to know better." Tseng says with a smiling scoff, making his son smile back at him. "And one more thing: when attacking Hollows, go for their mask. It is their weakness for a reason. Now, go. You know what you need to do." Nebaru responds with a nod to him.

"Yeah. I do." Nebaru says with a fierce look of determination. Without hesitation, he looks at the distance, where Kokutō has taken off, and he rushes out the sliding door, jumping off the ledge of it to roll into the ground and cushion the landing. He grits his teeth, withstanding the pain from the landing before running down the street. Running down… to Ichigo's house.

"Your mother would be proud… my son." Tseng says with a fond tone in his voice as he watches his son go to the distance.

End Bleach Music: "Monologue"
​

---

Meanwhile, at Ichigo's room, he was just brought up to speed on everything about what is going on, thanks to Rukia. And he is going over it all, if only to validate his skepticism.

"All right. So you are something called a Soul Reaper." Ichigo repeats.

"Mm-hm." Rukia nods.

"And you're telling me that you were sent here on a mission by something called the Soul Society."

"Mm."

"To deal with demons like the one we saw on the street today."

"Mm-hm."

"Which was chasing after that girl's soul."

"Mm-hm."

"That's all believable to me…" so he says. But not half a second later, he flips the table over completely! "Along with flying pigs and the tooth fairy!" Rukia stares at him in shock over his disbelief.

"How dare you?" Rukia asks with an offended tone. "Why wouldn't you believe in Soul Reapers when you just admitted you can see spirits?"

"I've never seen or heard of Soul Reapers before." Ichigo explains. "And frankly, your whole story is just too incredible. I don't believe in anything I can't see."

"Well, you see me, don't you?" Rukia asks, pointing out the flaw in his logic.

"Well, that's true," Ichigo admits, "and I'd agree with the fact that you're not human. But why don't you go play your Soul Reaper game with that guy in white somewhere else? Okay, little brat? Now run along." Ichigo pads her head down as he belittles her. Of course, Rukia was never going to take that sitting down.

"I'm a brat, am I?" Rukia asks with a dark smile on her face. "Bakudō Number One: Sai!" With one motion of her hand, Ichigo's arms suddenly turned against him and went behind him, as if he was handcuffed! He falls over to his knee as Rukia smirks.

"I can't move. What did you do to me?" Ichigo grunts, trying to move, but is unable to.

"Paralysis." Rukia answers with a satisfied grin. "I've used what's called a Kido on you. It's a high-level incantation only we Soul Reapers can cast. It's useless to struggle against it. You're just wasting your energy. I may appear young to you, but I have lived nearly 10 of your lifetimes. I would kill you on the spot for your insults if it were not against my orders. So you, little brat,

be grateful."

"You've got nerve." Ichigo grunts, not liking her attitude one bit.

"And now…" Rukia says, making Ichigo tense up. She drew her Zanpakuto out, as if ready to strike him down. Ichigo closes his eyes, preparing for the worst… only to feel no impact. When he opens his eyes, Ichigo is amazed to find a spirit of the ghost pestering him the day before just next to him. And she struck him with the bottom of her Zanpakuto's hilt.

"It's that ghost from yesterday." Ichigo says in astonishment.

"No. Please don't! I don't want to be sent to Hell!" The ghost pleaded. But Rukia only offered a sincere smile to him.

"You needn't worry, because you are bound for a better place, the Soul Society." Rukia tells him gently with a tone outright different from a moment ago. "There, your soul will be at peace." After removing her hilt, a white mark appeared on the spirit's head. That mark glowed brightly, and the ghost began to feel peaceful, holding his hands together as a blue portal opened underneath him before sinking into it. Once he has, he vanishes, and a black butterfly appears, flying out the window as Ichigo stares in awe.

"Where'd he go? What did you do to him?" Ichigo asks with surprise and awe as Rukia puts her Zanpakuto back in its hilt.

"I sent his spirit to the Soul Society." She tells him. "It's one of the main responsibilities of a Soul Reaper. People here sometimes call it passing on. Now I'll explain to you why I'm here. And I'll use small words, so you can understand it." Rukia puts her hand into her robe and pulls out a drawing pad, where she presents Ichigo with a representation of her explanation in the form of bunnies. The drawings made Ichigo very puzzled.

"There are two types of spirits in this world. The first kind are the normal spirits called Wholes. The ghosts that you see are usually this kind. The second kind are evil spirits known as Hollows. The Hollows attack people, living or dead, in order to devour their souls."

On the Whole side, it is a bunny with red hearts around it having a smiley face. On the Hollow side, there was black with lightning all over the place, and instead of a bunny, it was a bear, though the both of them had less than expressionable faces. "Any questions before I go on?"

"First of all, why do your drawings suck so bad?" Ichigo critiqued. A short moment later, Rukia drew a mustache on Ichigo's face!

"Ah! You'll pay for this." Ichigo threatened.

"Let us continue with our lesson, monsieur." Rukia tells him, juggling the marker with one hand. "There are two main jobs for Soul Reapers. First, to lead Wholes to the Soul Society through Konso, as I just did. Second, to exorcise the Hollows wherever we find them."

---

Meanwhile, Nebaru is rushing through town, holding on to his black bo staff.

"The Hollow with the bug body this afternoon." Ichigo interjects, recalling that monster who chased him, the girl, and Nebaru. "Why was it chasing that girl?

"That I don't know. We have yet to fully understand what motivates the Hollows to do the things they do." Rukia explains.

As Nebaru runs, however, he sees the girl from earlier running for her afterlife. And for good reason. There was a giant fishlike hollow stomping his way towards her. She tripped on the ground again, and the Hollow is ready to eat her.

"No, damn it! Leave her out of this!" Nebaru shouts. But the Hollow stopped before it would pick her up and sniffed through its mask.

"I can smell it. An especially tasty soul." The hollow said to itself. "It's nearby." Suddenly, Nebaru leaps at the Hollow, yelling at the top of his lungs. With a swing of his bo staff, it struck the mask and made the Hollow flinch as it backed away.

"What was that supposed to be?" The Fish Hollow replies as it lays its eyes on Nebaru. He glares at the Hollow with a grunt.

"Why didn't it work?" Nebaru growls to himself.

"I don't know how you can see me. But your spiritual energy is nowhere near what I'm sensing. That said, yours is decent enough to have as a snack before I go." The Fish Hollow smugly replies, reaching his giant hand to Nebaru.

"Really? It's not doing anything?!" Nebaru thinks to himself. "How am I supposed to kill that thing, then?!" Then, in a moment of decisiveness, he had an idea. "Wait… maybe I can't. But she can!" He dodges out of the way as the Hollow tries to squash him. Thinking quickly, Nebaru dodges out of the way before jumping right onto his arm. Running on top of it, he targets the Hollow's mask and smacks it right in its eye socket, making it roar as it backs away. The Hollow glares at Nebaru as he lands on the ground, surprising the spirit girl with awe.

"You know what? Forget you. I don't need the aggravation before my meal. I'll be sure to kill you once I'm done." The Fish Hollow threatens, summoning a black portal behind it before vanishing into it. Nebaru scowls at it. He knows that this isn't over. Not for a second.

"He's gone. So much for that plan… Well, not like I could waste time anyway. I have to get to Ichigo and the others before those guys in cloaks do."

"Thanks for saving me, mister." The girl thanks with a bow of her head.

"Don't thank me just yet." He says.

"Huh?" She replies with confusion.

"And I have a name. It's Nebaru." He introduces. With that, he continues down the road, hoping to get to Ichigo and the others before that monster does…

---

Meanwhile, at the Kurosaki clinic, Yuzu, Karin, and Shiruki were in the room with the little girl's mother. She's still recovering from the attack she suffered from the debt collectors. For her coma to go for this long is concerning to say the least. Shiruki is lifted up by Yuzu so she could lie down on the hospital bed next to her.

"Mommy… I hope you can wake up soon." Shiruki softly and sadly speaks. Then, she suddenly remembers what she heard Yuzu mention yesterday.

"I think he's kinda lucky to be able to see ghosts. They're like neighbors that only we can see."

"Hey, Yuzu?" Shiruki asks.

"Hmm? What is it?" Yuzu responds.

"Do you think you can see mommy's spirit right now?" Shiruki asks with teary eyes. Yuzu and Karin definitely didn't expect her to request that of all things. She looks up, but her mother isn't moving. Nor is there a spirit above her.

"Hmm… No. Can't see her yet." Yuzu tells her with a shake of her head. Shiruki ends up becoming sad at the answer.

"But of course we can't." Karin tells her, puzzling the girl. "That's because she's still alive, right? She's just taking a nap."

"For three days?" Shiruki asks.

"It's called a coma." Karin explains.

"What's a coma?" Shiruki asks with a tilt of her head.

"It's when people end up sleeping for longer than normal, but they're still alive." Karin explains.

"Oh. But when is mommy going to wake up?" Shiruki asks with worry.

"Not so long as I can help it."

The three girls immediately turn their heads with anxious worry. Right away, they see the black/white masked Sinner walking out of the portal, his mask barely intact. He is holding a black greatsword in his arm. They have no clue who that man is, but the one thing they knew right away is that he's dangerous.

"Who are you, you creep?!" Karin asks with a tense, fierce look in her eyes.

"Where you're going, the answer isn't something that's going to matter much longer!" The Sinner tells her with a vicious look in his magenta eyes, sounding all too eager to attack them. His sword rose up, ready to smite them. Shiruki panics with a squeal as Yuzu holds her tight and Karin stands in between them and the attacker, preparing for the blow when suddenly…

CRACK!

Play Bleach Music: "Invasion"
​

Yuzu, Karin, Shiruki, and the Sinner all turn heads to see Nebaru dashing right into the hospital room and slamming his bo staff right into the Sinner's face! The girls watch in awe as Nebaru forces the attacker away from them.

"Nebaru!" Yuzu shouts with surprise.

"Yuzu, Karin, take Shiruki and get as far away as you can, now." Nebaru urges. "I'll hold that punk back as long as I can." At that moment, said punk is rising from the ground, putting a hood over himself to hide his unveiled face with a sneer. His face had a mark over his eyes like a raccoon's mask.

"You're one to talk, charging headfirst like that…!" He snarls.

"But Mr. Nebaru…!" Shiruki pipes up with worry.

"Don't worry. I'm not gonna let that punk hurt your mom." Nebaru assures her. But in spite of the thoughtfulness, Shiruki is still anxious.

"What about you?" She replies.

"Don't worry about me. Just go. While you still can, okay?" Nebaru repeats, his voice getting rougher, but not to a degree where he'd shout at her. The situation is tense enough as it is.

"Don't worry, Shiruki. I'll protect you." Yuzu tells her, picking her up before running off with her as Karin follows her.

"Heh. Amusing, really." He tells Nebaru. "Just what makes you think they'll be safe?"

"The question is, what about you?" Nebaru asks him.

"Eh?"

"Did you really think that you're safe… after what you've done to my father?!" Nebaru shouts, and he suddenly lurches forward, causing the Sinner to swing his massive sword with gusto as he roars.

---

Meanwhile, Ichigo heard the commotion just outside, along with an intense roar.

"What was that?" Ichigo asks with surprise.

"One thing we do know, there is still a second Hollow prowling somewhere nearby." Rukia answers him.

"Then what the hell are you waiting for? Go out and kill it." Ichigo retorts with a tense look.

"I would, but I can't seem to detect its location." Rukia tells him. "Usually, I have no trouble finding a Hollow that's close by. But here, it's as if my senses are being jammed by some powerful force."

What are you, deaf?!" Ichigo shouts. "There's something huge howling out there! That sound has to be a Hollow!"

"Something howling? What do you mean?" Rukia asks in weariness when suddenly, she hears the same noise Ichigo heard, her eyes widening as she gasps. "Now I hear it. Definitely a Hollow."

That's what I've been telling you!" Ichigo interjects.

"There's something else with it, too. No… someone." Rukia says with increased anxiety. Only now is she sensing a Spiritual Pressure alongside the Hollow. And it's… all too familiar. Like the Sinner she intercepted earlier. "No. Could it really be him?" To answer her is the sound of a large crash as Yuzu's screams followed shortly thereafter..

"That's Yuzu!" Ichigo realizes as Rukia heads out by herself. "Hey, wait! Untie me!" Rukia ignores Ichigo while heading out, only to feel a wave of Spiritual Pressure blow at her like a monsoon.

"This spiritual pressure is among the strongest I've ever felt…! How could I not have sensed it earlier?"

---

At the clinic, Nebaru is holding his own against the Sinner, for whatever that's worth. He swings his Bo staff, parrying the thin, yet lengthy handle of his greatsword, which he swings forward, forcing him to duck underneath it. Hoping to take advantage of the momentum, he plans to do a sweep kick to trip him. After tripping him up, he falls backwards, caught completely by surprise. Or so it seemed.

Just as Nebaru moves in to attack, the Sinner did a flip in the air, landing on the wall behind him before promptly launching himself right at Nebaru, blade-first. He is forced to block the blade, being pushed out of the clinic building and immediately feeling the impact of several smashed walls as he is forcibly ejected out to the street.

---

Meanwhile, thanks to him, Yuzu, Karin, and Shiruki have managed to get inside the house for safety.

"Ichigo!" Yuzu calls out as the trio rush upstairs.

"Yuzu!" Ichigo calls out, seeing her look frazzled and worried. "What happened?"

"Ichigo, a cloaked stranger with a giant sword's attacking us!" Yuzu replied.

"And Nebaru's holding him off by himself!" Karin adds.

"Nebaru?!" Ichigo asks, completely shocked that he had become involved. This got Rukia's attention as well.

"She must mean the other boy from earlier. What did he do to get mixed up in this?"

"Ichigo, you've got to save him!" Yuzu tells him with concern.

"Don't worry, I will!" Ichigo tells him, lifting himself up despite his hands being behind his back, surprising Rukia with awe.

"How can he be on his feet when he's under my spell?"

"Hey, Soul Reaper! You've gotta let me go!"

"As if I'd do that! You'll just be in the way!" Rukia protests. But in a situation like this, his sisters didn't agree with that.

"We didn't come here for you to tell us to leave him to die, lady! So whatever you did to Ichigo, fix it now!" Karin shouts. Rukia is puzzled even further.

"Wait. You can see me as well?" Rukia asks in astonishment.

"Yeah, I guess so." Yuzu answers with a nod.

"Seriously?! Can everybody in this town see me today?!" Rukia thinks to herself in shock. Just then, the roar of a Hollow erupted again, only louder.

I've found you!

The whole group in the room is caught off guard when suddenly, a giant hand erupts from the wall in a black portal! Rukia attempts to counter that hand with her Zanpakuto, but despite cutting across its skin, it manages to zip past her, headed straight for Yuzu and Shiruki! Karin saw this right away and pushed them out of the way before it grabbed her instead!

"Karin!" Ichigo and Yuzu shout in unison. Just as quickly as it grabbed her, the hand pulls itself back into the portal, taking Karin with it!

"NO!" Ichigo shouts at the top of his lungs.

---

Outside, Nebaru recovers from the blow he's been dealt, lifting himself up off the ground, only to feel an intense, jagged pain shoot across his chest. He looks down, and to his shock, he sees a deep cut on him, tearing past his shirt as his adversary chuckled.

"Not as strong as you think you are, are you, human?" The Sinner mocked. I don't know how you gave the Hollow trouble, but it doesn't matter now. Look!" He points to the giant Hollow that has appeared next to the Kurosaki clinic. And worse, he has Karin in its clutches!

"Ah! Put me down!" Karin shouts as she squirms around in its palm.

"Karin, no!" Nebaru panics, trying to go to her, only for the pain to intensify like gravity, forcing him onto his knees as he groans while the Sinner is about to go for the kill.

"I have you now!" The Sinner shouts with glee, raising his greatsword high to strike him down. Nebaru grits his teeth and picks up his bo staff to thrust it behind him, hitting him in the gut before turning around to force him away with a swing. But the Sinner jumped back and looked on with a teasing grin as Rukia, Yuzu, and Shiruki got outside with Ichigo barely able to keep up. When he gets out, however, Rukia sees him and has disdain on her face.

"Stay out of it!" She orders.

"Shut up!" Ichigo snaps as he glares at the scene in front of him. He grits his teeth as the Hollow begins to tighten his grip, making Karin scream in pain. Nebaru notices this and glares at the Sinner.

"Make him stop! Now!" Nebaru orders.

"Or what? You're hardly in any condition to make demands out of me, human. You're the one at a disadvantage here." He mocks with a chuckling grin. Ichigo growls as he tries to break out of the spell. But Rukia notices with great concern.

"Stop! The Kido is too strong for a human to break!" Rukia warns. "If you keep trying, you'll only cause damage to your soul!"

"I SAID SHUT UP!" Ichigo shouts at Rukia. "I'm sick of people telling me I'm useless! That there's nothing I can do! If there's someone that needs my help, I will help them! AND I WON'T LET YOU STOP ME!" Ichigo grunts harder and fiercer than ever. Around him, the invisible barrier of Rukia's Kido begins to break. The Soul Reaper, Yuzu, and Karin look on in awe as Ichigo's force of will overpowers the Kido in a blinding light.

What? He's breaking the Kido? That's impossible!

With a mighty roar, Ichigo breaks out of the Kido, moving his arms freely again. And the first thing he did was run right at the creature.

"Wait, Ichigo!" Yuzu shouts.

"Don't do it!" Rukia adds.

The Sinner turns his head to see Ichigo just as he picks up a crutch and holds it like a sword. Karin sees this as well, and she becomes hopeful that he'd help.

"Ichigo! Get Nebaru out of here!" Karin yells to her brother. But just as Ichigo leaps at the Sinner, he blocks his attack with his greatsword.

"Sorry, too late." He teased Ichigo before suddenly…

WHAM!

End Bleach Music: "Invasion"
​

Ichigo is smacked to the ground by the Hollow's open hand.

"Hey!" Nebaru exclaims fearfully, gazing upon the monster's form in front of him.

"I'm going to enjoy devouring your Spiritual Energy." The Fish Hollow says with a hungry look in his skull-like eyes.

"You bastard…!" Nebaru sneers. Then, his wound intensified yet again, making him double over to his once more as he is forced to use his Bo staff as a crutch to hold him in place.

"Don't bother struggling, boy. You're just making this drag on too long." The Sinner mocks again with a disappointed tone as he raises his greatsword.

"Damn it…!" is all Nebaru could say as he closes his eyes, waiting for the end as Karin and Ichigo watch helplessly.

"No!" Karin shouts.

"Nebaru!" Ichigo shouts along with her. But suddenly, the Sinner feels something piercing his chest from behind. He lets out a gasp of air in shock. Upon looking down, he sees a black blade pierced through his chest. Wait. A black blade…?

"What the…?! No! It can't be…!"

But it is. Before he knows it, the sword pulls him up into the air against his will as he screams. The Hollow, Karin, Ichigo, Yuzu, Shiruki, Rukia, and Nebaru look on as the Sinner flies into the air for a brief few seconds before suddenly being slammed down to the ground. In a mighty burst of dust, the blade is pulled out of his chest and straight back to its owner. Within the dust, Kokutō walks out of that dust with a fierce glare at the Hollow.

"Who are you?!" The Hollow demands, caught by surprise by his sudden arrival. "You're not a Soul Reaper!"

"Does it matter really?" Kokutō replies before vanishing and reappearing, only to cut the Hollow's mask, forcing it to let go of Ichigo and Karin as it roars in pain while retreating into the black portal it summoned behind it. As they fell, Kokutō uses his sword to lurch two links of chains right at the both of them. Using those chains, he grabs Ichigo and Karin and pulls them toward him while using a flash step to approach them. When he lands on the ground, he is holding the Kurosaki siblings, one on his shoulder, and the other with his arm. Those who watched it were completely flabbergasted, especially Nebaru.

"Kokutō…" Nebaru says aloud in part relief, part shock.

"You again?" Rukia asks with a scowl. "Funny way of showing up when lives are at stake, considering this is your 'responsibility', or was that all talk from the beginning?"

"Don't misunderstand, Soul Reaper. I only did it because I didn't wanna be distracted by dead weight." Kokutō explains. But his answer easily ticked Ichigo off.

"Hey, I'll show you dead weight!" Ichigo shouts before Kokutō immediately drops him.

"But seeing as you're here… look after her." Kokutō tells her, chucking Karin over to Rukia as she exclaimed before holding onto her.

"Karin, are you okay?!" Yuzu asks immediately as Rukia holds Karin in her arms.

"Yes, I'm fine, Yuzu…!" Karin answers, feeling annoyed by how casually Kokutō chucked her to Rukia like a ragdoll. "It's Ichigo and Nebaru you gotta worry about." Yuzu looks at Ichigo, who sustained a wound from being smacked away so casually, and of course, Nebaru, who had his chest cut by the Sinner's greatsword.

"Oh, yeah, you're right! We'll get the first aid kit real quick! Come on, Shiruki!" Yuzu offers as she and Shiruki head back inside the clinic, though not without the youngest girl having a passing glance at the man in white before following Yuzu inside. While they do, Kokutō turns his attention back to Nebaru, who is barely able to stand even with his Bo staff. He flash steps over to him, surprising him for a moment before helping him up with his arm over his shoulder.

"That must have hurt. You okay?" He asks smoothly. Nebaru grumbles to himself as he sneers at the Sinner.

"Yeah, right. Like you even care what happened." Nebaru says with disbelief. "I thought you said you weren't helping us."

"No, you're right. I'm not." Kokutō shrugs. "But the thing is, I've also told you I don't like these guys. And if lending you a hand happens to piss them off, then so be it."

"Wow. You're a one-in-million friend." Nebaru flatly says with sarcasm.

"I am one of a kind." Kokutō responds with a smirk. "That said, I am impressed that a human held his own against a Jailer for as long as he has."

"Wait, a Jailer? Is that what that guy is?" Nebaru asks in confusion.

"Yup." He bluntly answers. "You see, Jailers are basically Sinners with immense Spiritual Pressure. If they die and go to Hell, their bodies and their powers are drastically altered." Meanwhile, as the Sinner that got blindsided wheezed in shock and pain as he lies on the floor, Kokutō gestures to him with his sword. "This guy right here? He's one of the weaker ones, but he can still be a problem for normal humans. Same goes for the Hollow that ran away. It's likely to come back in the next minute or so, and that's if we're lucky."

"But why?" Ichigo asks, catching Kokutō's attention. "Why go to all this trouble for my friends and family?! It doesn't make any sense!"

"On the contrary, it makes perfect sense." Kokutō replies. "And I'm sure the Soul Reaper knows why, don't you?" Rukia glares at him for a brief moment before nodding.

"It's true." Rukia confirms. "It's seeking a specific soul to eat, one with a much higher concentration of Spiritual Energy. In fact… the Hollow earlier was hungry for that soul, too, not the girl's."

"You mean that spirit that bumped into me earlier? You're saying it wanted Ichigo?" Nebaru asks in worry.

"More accurately… it wanted you and Ichigo." Rukia replies.

"Us?!" The boys replied in unison with shock.

"Yes." She answers. "For some reason, most of your spirit energy was hidden deep within you until now, when you needed it to save your sister. That's why I didn't sense anything unusual about you when I arrived. It also explains why the Hollows haven't come after you. The spirit energy you two have bottled up inside you started to pour out when you made contact with that young girl's ghost. As a result, your souls became exposed. Those two Hollows today detected your souls through that girl. And the Sinners were using that to track you down. Which means… they're really after you."

The news unsettled Karin as well as Ichigo and Nebaru.

"So the vicious attacks on that poor girl were because of me?" Ichigo asks with a fearful look.

"That's one way to look at it." Rukia answers plainly.

"And now both of my sisters could wind up dead, and the whole thing is my fault?" Ichigo asks in tense worry.

"Doubtful." Kokutō interjects, making the boy look at him. "See, it doesn't really matter to the Hollow if you had any spiritual energy or not. It's possible they would've come for you regardless, but that's the stuff they're attracted to. So long as you have Spirit energy, there's no guaranteeing your survival."

"So that's what that thing was doing." Nebaru thought to himself. "It wasn't trying to eat her; it was trying to track down Ichigo. And what it said to me after I stopped it…"

"I don't know how you can see me. But your spirit energy is nowhere near what I'm sensing."

"And this Spirit Energy… if there's a way to use that, then where the hell do I start?"

Kokutō sees the conflict in Nebaru's face, and he begins to suspect what it might be.

"I see. You're trying to figure out how you can use that spirit energy yourself." Kokutō guesses, causing Nebaru's train of thought to pause.

"What's that?" Nebaru asks with a scowl, already getting weary of him.

"Don't mind me. Just thinking out loud." Kokutō casually replies. At that point, Yuzu and Shiruki arrived with the first aid kits. Shiruki is holding it with both hands while Yuzu holds one like a briefcase.

"We're back, everyone! We'll get you all patched up!" Yuzu calls out, going right over to Ichigo and Nebaru. However, Kokutō immediately senses that something is off. As if in reflex, he draws out his sword, and just in time, too. Because the Sinner he trashed ends up unleashing a wave of Spiritual pressure as he stands on his feet again, jolting Yuzu, Karin, and Shiruki, as they fall to the floor, feeling as though gravity is working against them. Ichigo, Nebaru, Rukia, and Kokutō are able to withstand that pressure themselves, but they could definitely feel the change, and see it. He begins to have a skull-like horn of a bull pop out of his head, splattering blood on the ground as he undergoes a painful process.

"What the hell… is this?!" Ichigo responds with strained grunts.

"It's spiritual pressure." Rukia tells him. "The more powerful the spirit energy of an individual, the stronger its effects if they unleash it. And unfortunately, the Jailer's got a lot of it to boot."

"But how?! I thought you killed that guy!" Nebaru replies.

"I did. But there's a drawback when dealing with Sinners." Kokutō tells him. "They can die all they like, but they'll come back to life any number of times."

"Are you serious?!" Nebaru responds rhetorically, gritting his teeth. As if it was bad enough that he is powerful, but to learn that he's immortal? And as if it couldn't get any worse… they hear another howl in the distance. It was the Hollow that Kokutō cut into the mask of, a large gash over one of his eye sockets as proof. "Aw, great. And the bad news keeps on coming!"

"It's back! Get out of here!" Rukia advises, but Ichigo refuses to give in, and neither would Nebaru.

"No!" They respond simultaneously. Their answer perplexes Kokutō. After what they've been through, he'd have thought they'd have enough.

"So, you know the stakes. And yet, you still want to stop them?" Kokutō asks in interest.

"Of course, we do!" Ichigo replies strongly.

"We can't just stand aside when our friends are in danger." Nebaru chimes in. "And besides, if I really do have spirit energy like you say I do, then I have to know how to use it! If I don't, then what use am I to the people who need me?!"

"...Nebaru." Ichigo replies with a soft tone. He understands his pain all too well. It made him wonder. Could he be able to use that for himself, too?

"Well, you can't learn anything if you're dead." Kokutō tells him. He steps forward with his black blade drawn out. Nebaru stares daggers at him, as if he felt insulted. "You wanna know how to use Spirit Energy?" Nebaru's look lets go of its intensity and shows confusion over his words. "Then sit back and watch. I think you can learn a thing or two in the next few minutes." Nebaru is at a loss for words. Taking advantage of that, Kokutō moves forward to the deformed Jailer.

"You… I wasn't expecting a sneak attack." The Jailer says, displeased.

"Well, sorry I couldn't be more accommodating." He replies as he lifts his sword to his shoulder. "I guess I just don't like watching you people have your way."

"YOU BASTARD!" The Jailer snaps, lurching forward at Kokutō with his greatsword in hand, aiming to run him through. But Kokutō counters with a flash step, vanishing before contact. And suddenly, he appears directly underneath him, right from his shadow, stabbing his black blade into his chest! But the Jailer smirks despite his situation. With a motion of his hand, a black portal opens up behind him and shoots a chain, wrapping it around his wrist! Kokutō snarls at this. "Did you really think you're the only one who can control the chains of Hell?" He asks with a satisfied smirk.

Taking advantage of his confusion, the Jailer swings his Greatsword to pummel Kokutō away to the wall before the Jailer pursues him. Nebaru, Ichigo, Yuzu, Karin, Shiruki, and Rukia watch the confrontation before the Hollow roars, ready to strike at them with his giant hand again. But Rukia deflects it with her Zanpakuto, holding it at bay for the time being. As the Hollow staggers, Ichigo moves to step in.

"Stop!" Rukia shouts to him.

"Wait, Ichigo!" Yuzu shouts.

"You can't fight that thing!" Karin shouts. But that didn't matter to Ichigo. Not when his friends and family are in danger.

"Coward! Quit attacking others. If it's my soul you want, come and get it." Ichigo challenges to the Hollow. "Fight me one on one, you ugly bastard!" The Hollow, of course, is all too welcome to the challenge. After all, what could a mere human do to stop it? Its face lurched forward like a giraffe's neck, baring its teeth.

"Oh, no!" Rukia shouts.

"Ichigo!" Yuzu and Karin shout in unison. The problem was, it was moving faster than Ichigo could react. And before he knew it, a big splatter of blood came out. But it wasn't from him. The first one to react was Nebaru, moving forward to try to block it. Despite it, Rukia had beaten him to the punch. She is the one holding it back with her Zanpakuto as the Hollow's tooth dug into her shoulder. She is forced to move her sword into the crevice between its teeth and slash it up, making it fall off as the Hollow roared in pain. All that are present watch in surprise as Rukia collapses to her knees, her blood staining her outfit before falling to her knees.

"Oh, no!" Yuzu calls out.

"Soul Reaper!" Ichigo exclaims in worry. Yuzu and Shiruki scurry to the Soul Reaper with the first aid kit and try to patch up her wounds as the Hollow thrashes around.

"It's okay, ma'am! We'll patch you up!" Yuzu tells her to assure her, but despite her condition, Rukia wouldn't have it.

"No… Just stay out of this…!" Rukia groans as Yuzu wraps a long white bandage over her shoulder.

"But you're hurt pretty bad." Nebaru points out. "Even if you could take out that Hollow, what about that Jailer?" Rukia grits her teeth and glares at Nebaru and Ichigo.

"You are fools…" Rukia replies coldly. "How could you possibly have thought you were any match for a Hollow? Did you really think that everything would be over if you gave them your souls? One soul doesn't satisfy them for long, never mind two. If you don't stop interfering, we're all going to end up as its food!"

As the Hollow howls in pain, Kokutō struggles against the Jailer, who has Kokutō bound by his arms and legs as several portals get him trapped with his black blade on the ground as he chuckles.

"You know, it's kind of funny. Ironic, really." The Jailer says with sadistic satisfaction. "I happen to be capable of sneak attacks, too!" Nebaru looks at the situation, gritting his teeth.

"What exactly do you expect us to do? Let our friends die for nothing? " Nebaru reminds her. "We told you, we're not running away."

What's right is right, son. You know what you need to do.

"How dare you ask us to run and hide when the people we care about are in danger!" Nebaru shouts. As he does, his bo staff begins to flicker with black flame. It is only a small trace of it, but Rukia noticed it. And it puzzled her. "I'm sure Ichigo feels like he's responsible for something beyond his control. But if you seriously think I'm just gonna run like a selfish coward, then I don't know where you get off calling yourself a Soul Reaper." His hand clenches around his bo staff, making the black flames flicker once more. And that flickering only gets stronger as he makes his conviction clear. "As much as you protect the souls of the living, maybe you don't give a damn what the living have to say about how you do things. But the world I fight for… is one where my loved ones don't need protecting! If getting strong enough to make it happen means I have to interfere… then so be it!"

Play Bleach Thousand-Year Blood War Music: "BLEACH TYBW theme"
​

Suddenly, Nebaru's black staff is entirely enveloped in black energy, the top of it bending in a crooked shape as the black energy forms over that and works in tandem alongside it, turning to a black flame in the image of a scythe. Ichigo, Rukia, Yuzu, Karin, and Shiruki became very astonished, with Yuzu, Karin, and Shiruki especially having starry-eyed looks on their faces as if they watched a superhero arrive to save the day. At that moment, the Hollow recovered enough to notice the development itself. In opposition to his last encounter with him before, however, it becomes very eager.

"Ahh! Now that's some decent spirit energy! Maybe now you'll become a worthwhile me–!" Suddenly, Nebaru plants his foot on the mask, stomping against it before jumping off of it to land on the ground in front of the Jailer and Kokutō, who has a surprised look himself, only to smile.

"There it is. That's the pressure I sensed…" Kokutō says to himself.

Right away, Nebaru swings his newly formed black flame scythe, slashing at the chains binding Kokutō. However, they didn't break. Nebaru looks at them in confusion as the Jailer cackles.

"You poor fool! You can't cut through these chains, no matter what weapon you use." The Jailer mocked. But Nebaru didn't look the least bit perturbed. "You see? You never had a chance against me to be–!" Suddenly, Nebaru gut-checked the Jailer with the blunt end of his scythe, making him spit out blood before he swung the scythe at him, grabbing him with the blade before throwing him behind and slamming him to the ground with a heavy thud! As a result, the chains around Kokutō begin to loosen, which the Sinner took advantage of by moving his arms and legs away from them before landing on the ground to see Nebaru for himself with pride.

"You okay?" Nebaru asks him.

"Hmm. Don't you go and pretend that you cared what happened." Kokutō scoffs.

"Hey, at least I'm not calling you dead weight." Nebaru responds with a coy smile. Meanwhile, Rukia, having witnessed this startling transformation, begins to reconsider her position.

"Amazing… he's figured out how to use his spirit energy." Rukia says to herself in awe. But Ichigo… he's a different story. Something about him told her his situation wouldn't be like Nebaru's. Unless… Rukia lifts herself up, crawling over to the lamppost next to her.

"Hey! Take it easy, ma'am!" Yuzu urges.

"I am." Rukia tells her as she leans her back against it and holds onto her Zanpakuto. "I'm too injured to fight. You there." Ichigo glances toward Rukia with a concerned look. "Do you want to save your family?"

"Of course I do. If there's a way, then tell me how." Ichigo tells her.

"It will only be temporary. But… you must become a Soul Reaper yourself." Rukia answers him.

"What?" Ichigo asks in curiosity.

"Become a Soul Reaper? But how?" Karin asks with suspicion.

"You must take my Zanpakuto and run it through to the center of your being, so that I may pour my powers into you." Rukia tells him.

"What?!" Karin asks, her eyes widening in panic and anger. "Are you serious?!" Right then, the Hollow glares at the prey in front of it again, ready to come upon them.

"I can't guarantee that you will live. But if it doesn't work, it won't matter." Rukia tells them.

"Ichigo, you can't seriously be thinking of going through with this!" Karin protests, but the crashing of the Hollow's footsteps reminded them of their situation. Add in the fact that Nebaru is dealing with a Jailer who can't die, and the truth is, what else could they have to lose? Ichigo clenches his hands and has a determined face, just like the one Nebaru has.

"Then give me that blade, Soul Reaper." Ichigo tells her, making Karin incredibly anxious. Still, even she isn't blind to the circumstances.

"Alright fine… but who do you think you are, anyway?" Karin asks.

"My name is Rukia. Rukia Kuchiki." Rukia answers with a soft gaze in her eyes. The Hollow moves forward to them just as Kokutō and Nebaru move forward against the Jailer.

"And my name is… Ichigo Kurosaki!" He introduces as his hands clenched on the Zanpakuto's blade and he thrust it into himself. But instead of stabbing through him, a blinding blue light enveloped the area and blinded the Hollow. In a flash, his arm suddenly became disconnected, and Ichigo appeared on the other side, holding a massive sword in his hand. Lifting it up to his shoulder, Ichigo stares down the Hollow as a powerful spiritual pressure swirls around him. The Jailer also noticed this and became very puzzled.

"What the Hell?!" The Jailer responds. "What's going on?!"

"Hey." Nebaru replies, holding his scythe near his chest, ready to pull him away. "Now's not a good time to be distracted." He swiftly pulls the Jailer away, slamming him to the ground again before he recoils, sliding on the asphalt with his hands raking against it as he snarls at him and Kokutō.

"Alright, then… no more playing around!" The Jailer shouts, using his chains to retrieve his Greatsword from the ground before charging at them. Nebaru simply stands and prepares to engage with his hand underneath the scythe's tip, only for Kokutō to intercept with his chains, using them as a shield before swiping his sword at his mask, forcing the Jailer to back away in fear. As for Rukia, she, Yuzu, Karin, and Shiruki watch in awe.

"How could this have happened?" Rukia asks aloud. I meant to give him only half of my powers, but somehow, he's taken nearly all of it."

"What, do you not know how this works or something?" Karin asks with a raised eyebrow.

"Do you?" Rukia asks with a snappy look as she and Karin glare at each other.

"This ends now!" Ichigo shouts, holding his Zanpakuto out with both hands.

Rukia, Yuzu, Karin, and Shiruki look at the scene ahead of them, and also see Nebaru and Kokutō against the Jailer. Nebaru slashes once against the Jailer before slashing him upwards. Kokutō flash steps into the air and cuts him back down to the ground as the Jailer is forced to use his Greatsword to block their attacks while also shielding his hood. After he landed hard on the ground, Kokutō capped it off by stabbing his black blade into his chest! Rukia watches in complete awe as Yuzu, Karin, and Shiruki watch the fight themselves.

"Whoa, brutal!" Karin replies toward Nebaru and Kokutō's fight.

"Get him, Ichigo!" Yuzu adds.

"You can do it!" Shiruki adds. Rukia, on the other hand, simply stared at the two boys.

"What kind of beings are they? I've never seen humans with spirit energy this strong. That's what was jamming my senses before. I've never heard of a human with enough strength to break the Kido on his own. I have never seen a human who could create a weapon through his own spirit energy. And I have never seen a Soul Reaper wield such a huge Zanpakuto."

Ichigo runs toward the Hollow with his Zanpakuto, dodging its giant foot before swinging it at its leg, cleaving it off swiftly. Losing its balance, the Hollow begins to tilt forward, planning to use its loss of momentum in its favor by squashing Ichigo. But he simply glares at the Hollow.

"You will pay the price for hurting my family, you Hollow scum." Ichigo says with a growl in his voice. "Feel the wrath of my blade!" With a mighty yell, Ichigo roars and swings down his Zanpakuto on the Hollow's mask, leaving Rukia, Yuzu, Karin, and Shiruki in awe as the Kurosaki siblings and the little girl gasp with excitement. The Hollow roars in defeat as its body suddenly disintegrates, vanishing from existence. Nearby, the Jailer witnesses the Hollow's defeat and becomes much alarmed.

Ichigo Kurosaki: 15 Years Old

Hair Color: Orange

Eye Color: Brown

Occupation: High School Student and Soul Reaper

End Bleach Thousand-Year Blood War Music: "BLEACH TYBW theme"
​

"No! You defeated the Hollow?! That should be impossible! No human has ever survived a Hollow!" The Jailer shouts in dismay. But his troubles aren't over yet. Nebaru holds his scythe near the Jailer, making him nervous.

"You know, I'm in a very bad mood today." Nebaru warns him. "So you're gonna answer my questions, whether you want to or not. Who are you people?! And why the Hell are you attacking us?!" Despite his position, though, the Jailer simply glares at him.

"Who wants to know?" The Jailer asks, keeping his scowl. Nebaru growls before forcefully grabbing him and holding him by his collar, shaking off his hood in the process.

"I'm not asking twice, asshole! Tell me what I want to know, now!" Nebaru shouts. But Kokutō didn't think it was a wise call to make.

"Nebaru, stop!" Kokutō warns. But the warning came too late. Before he knew it, the Jailer's chains ended up reappearing on his wrists. Nebaru gasps and immediately releases him before he and Kokutō jump away from him. The Jailer knew what it meant. Of all people, he knew… he was doomed.

"DAMN IT!" He shouts in panic, unable to move as his arms suddenly pull down against his will.

Play Bloodborne Music: "Bloodborne (0:55)"
​

To make matters worse, a powerful wind blows around him and those around him. Yuzu, Karin, and Shiruki huddled together near Rukia as Ichigo, Nebaru, and Kokutō shielded their eyes from the wind blowing against them.

"What's happening?!" Yuzu asks Rukia with fear.

"Don't worry." Rukia tells her. "They're the gates of Hell, but they're opening only for him."

"Huh?!" The girls near Rukia all reacted at once.

"What do you mean the Gates of Hell?!" Ichigo asks in shock.

"That's right! Kokutō told me about it earlier when we first met." Nebaru explains.

"You see, Sinners aren't usually allowed anywhere outside Hell. So, guys like our attacker wear these to hide their presence. The moment it comes off, the gates of Hell open up for them, and there's no return."

"Sinners have to hide their faces. Otherwise, the Gates of Hell will find them and take them back where they came from." Nebaru explains further. As if to validate the point he is making, the Jailer is being tugged by the Chains of Hell around him as he screams in panic. And far beyond the gates, a gigantic blade shaped like a katana emerges from the red mist beyond them, aiming right for the Jailer being pulled towards its path.

"NO! Please, don't take me back! Please!" The Jailer pleaded, but it fell upon deaf ears. There was absolutely nothing the Jailer could do to escape. "Help me! Somebody!" The katana stabbed the Jailer through his back. The Jailer screamed in agony, his wails echoing in the distance before falling limp. His fate is already sealed. The Jailer is taken away through the gates as the large katana takes him through it. Then, as suddenly, as it appeared, the gates closed. And little by little, it begins to crack all over the doors. Rukia holds the girls close to her as Ichigo, Nebaru, and Kokutō watch the Gates of Hell explode into pieces, vanishing from sight. All parties stood there dumbfounded, frightened, and in awe of what they had just witnessed.

"So that's… the Gates of Hell?" Ichigo asks in shock.

"Yeah. It is." Nebaru nodded.

"And trust me… there's a lot more where our friends came from." Kokutō adds, gazing to the horizon where the Gates have appeared.

End Bloodborne Music: "Bloodborne"

Nebaru Shiratochi: 15

Hair Color: Black

Eye Color: Blue

Occupation: High School Student and Fullbringer
​

---

"Ignorance is bliss, a blessing to the ignorant… But in the eyes of the blessed, ignorance itself is their poison."

BLOOD #2: The Siblings' Wish
​