The Price of Freedom

"When did Tatsuki become so strong?"

Ichigo Kurosaki was completely baffled. This red-haired Soul Reaper's Spiritual Pressure was unmistakable, and even comparable to his own.

He was knocked down by Tatsuki with just one punch and can't even get up?

At this moment, Ichigo Kurosaki rediscovered his fear of Tatsuki Arisawa.

When did I become so amazing?

Tatsuki clenched and Dōsan still says he's far from being as good as me.

"Okay, okay... Hmm? It doesn't hurt at all."

Renji, lying on the ground, sensed something was wrong, but the punch hadn't really hurt him, even though he was now just an empty shell with near -Captain-level Spiritual Pressure.

However, like Dōsan, he Spiritual Pressure to modify his spirit body. Even if his spirit body hasn't undergone any special training, Abarai's body is far superior to that of an ordinary Soul Reaper.

Renji stood there and let Tatsuki hit him, Tatsuki probably wouldn't even be able to break through his defense.

"Lieutenant Abarai!"

Are you alright?

The Sixth Division Soul Reaper, who had been defeated by Ichigo, were extremely worried, but their condition was much worse than Renji's.

"You guys run..." Renji wanted to suggest bringing people to rescue him, but then thought it would be too embarrassing to say that. "Don't worry about me!"

They don't care about you at all!

Hearing Renji say that, his comrades breathed a sigh of relief, opened the Senkaimon, and ran back.

Given the personalities of Kurosaki and the other main characters, they naturally wouldn't stop them or try to kill them.

That's it, I'm all alone now.

Abarai regretted why he had acted so pretentiously.

However, Ichigo didn't pay any attention to him at all.

"Tatsuki, you are...?" Ichigo was very curious, but didn't know how to say it.

"This was given to me by Hanyū-kun."

"Hanyū-kun?"

Kurosaki looked puzzled, but Uryū Ishida suddenly realized, "As expected, Hanyū is no ordinary person."

Hanyū?

Is it Mr. Dōsan Hanyū?

Do they know Lord Hanyū?

Is that Mr. Dōsan Hanyū, who is on friendly terms with their academy's dean, from the Shiba Clan, one of the Four Great Noble Clans?

No, that's not right. These guys are definitely wanted criminals from Soul Society. Lord Hanyū must have been fooled by them.

"Yes, he's here."

Moonlight bathed the path, and Dōsan stepped onto it, carrying a wooden sword on his back, like a moon goddess.

"Whoosh."

This somewhat bizarre sight startled Tatsuki and the others. When they came to their senses, they noticed that the red-haired Soul Reaper had already gotten up and rushed towards Dōsan Hanyū.

He wants to take Mr. Hanyū hostage?

This is outrageous!

Although Tatsuki Arisawa's Spiritual Pressure is far weaker than Abarai's, under Dōsan's training, she has already begun to be considered a Soul Reaper.

For example, she can use Shunpo.

For example, she is skilled in hand -Hakuda.

Before the red-haired Soul Reaper could get close, Tatsuki's punch had already sent him flying.

Renji's body spun 720° in mid-air, landing face-first on the floor.

Tatsuki, like a dog begging for praise, stood in Dōsan's arms and rubbed his nose against him.

Dōsan Hanyū looked at the fallen Renji with some confusion, his tone uncertain, "You are, Abarai-kun, right?"

"Finally, we escaped!"

... Rukia, dressed in her pajamas, raised her hands and celebrated her freedom in the moonlight.

Although Ichigo Kurosaki, hasn't shown her any malice these past few days, Rukia is still very scared.

Because the Rukia now is not the Ichigo Rukia Kuchiki who changed his fate.

Rukia was genuinely afraid that Ichigo would discover that she had impersonated her friend, so she ran away multiple times.

My wish finally came true today.

Freedom lies on the other side of the door!

Stepping through this door, I... I met a man.

He was a handsome young man wearing a white haori, very much in the style of the Seireitei.

The handsome young man had a frosty face, his hair Kenseikan, and he was draped in a silver -Ginpakukazahana no Uzuginu.

This looks like aristocratic attire!

Although she's not very sociable, Rukia does know some very basic things.

This person must be a noble from Soul Society.

You must greet nobles when you encounter them, otherwise they might bully your classmates without any mercy.

Rukia her hand, gave a very friendly smile, and then brushed past the nobleman, saying, "Hello!"

Freedom, freedom.

So, where am I going next?

What are you doing?

Why are they all like this?

Byakuya Kuchiki, who was nearly driven mad by Renji Abarai, encountered the even stranger Rukia Kuchiki.

Doesn't she know what she's done?

They actually greeted me very politely, and then brushed past me.

One or two people are either crazy, or the world is crazy.

"Rukia Kuchiki, do you know how big a mistake you've made?"

Here we go again.

My name is Rukia, not Rukia Kuchiki!

But Rukia dared not argue with these guys; the cool guy in front of her was clearly more ruthless than the blond guy from before.

If he finds out that she isn't the Rukia Kuchiki he remembers, something might go wrong.

Let's just appease them for now; at worst, we'll just give in to these eccentrics.

"Yes, that's right."

How dare you have this attitude?

Do you know what kind of inner struggle I went through before I came into this World of the Living?

Rukia seems completely unconcerned; is she truly unafraid of death?

No, that's not right.

Rukia probably doesn't want to drag her friend into this mess.

Byakuya Kuchiki, who fully understood Rukia's feelings at that moment, nodded to himself, but his words remained cold.

Let's go.

Walk?

Didn't we go back to this wardrobe?

Rukia felt a small surge of surprise.

Where are we going?

"Seireitei." Byakuya had barely finished replying when he wanted to slap his own face. He was definitely going back to Soul Society. Rukia wanted to know exactly where she would be imprisoned.

"In the dungeons belonging to the Central 46 Chambers of the Seireitei."

Rukia was initially excited upon hearing the word Seireitei), thinking that she was finally going home and could finally return to school.

But the second half of the sentence, something about the Central 46 Chambers's dungeon, left Rukia bewildered.

Who am I? Where am I? What crime have I committed?

Fortunately, Byakuya Kuchiki didn't give Rukia any more room to overthink.

"Rukia Kuchiki has illegally transferred her Spiritual Pressure to a human; the Central 46 has sentenced her to death!"

?

Is this the price of freedom?

I want to go back to the closet!