Fate's First Encounter

Isshin Shiba watched helplessly as the White, like a black lightning bolt, hurtled straight towards the blonde girl. His heart nearly leaped out of his throat, and he screamed at the top of his lungs, "Wait—!"

However, the White completely ignored his shouts. Its movements were astonishingly fast, and its remaining blade arm drew a deadly trajectory in the air, like a beast pouncing on its prey, aiming straight for Masaki Kurosaki's throat.

Masaki Kurosaki remained surprisingly calm. She stood still, continuously firing Reishi arrows. The pale blue light arrows rained down on the White, drawing countless graceful arcs in the rain.

But White's movements were too agile. Its body twisted, flipped, and leaped in the air like a true ghost, precisely dodging every Reishi arrow. The arrows grazed its body, shot into the night sky, and disappeared into the rain.

Seeing this, Masaki Kurosaki stopped firing. She took a deep breath, then did something that left everyone speechless—

She extended her right hand, fingers spread, palm facing the White, her posture elegant and composed, as if inviting a guest from afar.

Isshin Shiba widened in disbelief. He screamed at the top of his lungs, "Idiot! What are you doing?!"

Before the words were even finished, the White, like a black meteorite, crashed straight into Masaki Kurosaki's arms. It opened its mouth full of fangs and bit down hard on Masaki Kurosaki's shoulder.

Blood seeped out instantly. It was the Quincy's "Blut Vene," a bloodline ability used for defense, but even the Blut Vene was torn open by White's terrifying bite force, and blood flowed down her shoulder, staining her combat suit red.

At this critical moment, a smile appeared on Masaki Kurosaki's lips. That smile held a triumphant smugness, a victorious joy, and an indescribable determination. "Very well... I finally caught you."

Her left hand suddenly grabbed White's head, gripping the hideous mask tightly. In an instant, her right hand conjured a small Reishi Bow, the bowstring was drawn taut, and a Reishi arrow, shining with dazzling light, was aimed at White's neck.

"Call out--!"

An arrow was shot.

The arrow carried the purest power of the Quincy, and at such close range, nothing could stop it. Like a beam of light, it pierced through the White neck and emerged from the other side, leaving behind a cloud of black blood mist.

White's body trembled violently, letting out a shrill scream.

But something even more terrible happened.

The Hollow Hole in its chest, blocked by the white substance, suddenly began to expand violently. The white substance wriggled and struggled like a living thing, and finally expanded backward as if it were about to explode at any moment.

Masaki Kurosaki froze. She stared at the monster in her arms that was about to explode, momentarily forgetting to react.

Just then, a figure appeared before her like a ghost.

It was Isshin Shiba.

No one knows how he managed to cross such a vast distance in that instant. Perhaps it was a burst of potential unleashed in a moment of crisis, or perhaps it was driven by some kind of instinct. But whatever the reason, he arrived.

He grabbed White and, with his last ounce of strength, whispered, "Bakudo #81, Dankū!"

A transparent barrier instantly unfolded in front of Masaki Kurosaki, separating him and White from Masaki Kurosaki.

The next second--

"Boom--!"

A violent explosion rang out. The power of the explosion was so great that the surrounding buildings trembled and the rain curtain was shattered. The shockwave spread in all directions, destroying everything in its path.

Smoke and dust filled the air, obscuring everything.

As the smoke and dust slowly dissipated and vision cleared again, Masaki Kurosaki saw Isshin Shiba lying on the ground, covered in wounds. His Shihakusho was almost in pieces, his body was covered with shocking scars, and he exuded a heartbreakingly weak aura.

Masaki Kurosaki rushed forward in a panic and knelt beside him. "Are you... are you alright?!"

Isshin Shiba pain, his voice filled with agony, yet also with a unique optimism. "Ugh... it hurts so much... I'm sorry, you saved me... Me, a captain, being saved by a girl... how embarrassing..."

Masaki Kurosaki's eyes welled up with tears. She looked at him, her voice trembling slightly, "No, that's not true... I was the one who was saved... If you hadn't protected me in the end, you wouldn't have been so badly injured..."

Upon hearing this, Isshin Shiba chuckled. His smile held a mixture of relief, contentment, and an indescribable tenderness. "Then... we're even, right?"

Masaki Kurosaki paused for a moment, then nodded vigorously. "I'll treat you!"

Isshin Shiba at her, a hint of curiosity flashing in his eyes. "Who are you?"

Masaki Kurosaki hesitated for a moment. For a Soul Reaper captain, the identity of Quincy might elicit some unnecessary reactions. But she ultimately decided to be honest. "I am... Masaki Kurosaki. A Quincy."

Isshin Shiba's eyes lit up. He smiled honestly, a smile devoid of wariness or hostility, only pure curiosity and friendliness. "So you're Quincy... This is the first time I've ever seen Quincy person!"

From the shadows in the distance, Liu Ziyun took it all in. He looked at the man lying in the rubble, covered in wounds yet still joking around, and thought to himself, speechless: [This guy... is he really that carefree? Wasn't he just ambushed? Why is he still thinking about picking up girls? Sigh... never mind, I'd better keep an eye on those three.]

He raised his head, his gaze piercing through the rain, landing on the three figures suspended in the sky.

Sōsuke Aizen, Kaname Tōsen, and Gin Ichimaru.

The three stood there quietly, looking down at the outcome of the battle. Their figures were somewhat blurred in the rain, but Liu Ziyun could clearly sense their presence. It was a new type of sensory device that he had specially obtained from Kisuke Urahara, capable of capturing any hidden Reiatsu fluctuations.

What... do they want to do?

Liu Ziyun nervously at the three figures. He could sense that Kaname Tōsen's body twitched slightly, as if he wanted to make a move. But Aizen gently raised his hand and stopped him.

The three people were silent for a moment, then turned and disappeared into the night sky.

Liu Ziyun a long sigh of relief, leaning against the wall as if he were completely exhausted.

[Phew... They're finally gone...]

He wiped away non-existent cold sweat from his forehead, then looked at the two people still joking around in the distance, a complex emotion welling up inside him.

[Now... let's see how the gears of fate turn.]