She Will Return

At Yuko's words, Yoshino's pupils trembled slightly, but only for an instant. Soon, Yoshino closed her eyes again and knelt in the corner, looking as though she was willing to accept whatever punishment awaited her.

She had already prepared herself to face death. For a Bavent, there was no Hell after death, nor was there the Soul Society. She would simply vanish completely, like grains of sand scattered by the wind.

But the pain she had expected never came.

Yuko said coldly, "Can't you understand human speech?"

Yoshino raised her hand and moved her lips. "Gett, come back."

She voluntarily withdrew her fire Doll, opened her eyes, and looked up at Yuko. Her gaze flickered slightly, but her tone was firm. "I already told you. I have nothing to tell you."

Yuko narrowed her eyes slightly.

Yoshino showed a relieved expression and closed her eyes again. "You can kill me now."

She thought that if she maintained a firm attitude, Yuko would kill her.

"I told you, too. I'm not interested in helping people commit suicide."

Yoshino froze for a moment, then somewhat weakly used the wall to stand. After examining Yuko and Ichigo's faces twice in turn, she gave a self-mocking laugh, turned around, and dragged her heavy steps toward the alley's exit.

"...Since that's the case, then farewell. Soul Reaper, and you..."

"Where are you going?" Yuko's cool voice came from behind her.

Yoshino stopped and turned her head slightly. "Weren't you unwilling to kill me?"

"I have no intention of killing you, but I never said you could leave." Yuko's calm voice carried a hint of matter-of-fact dominance. "Do you think I went to all that trouble to capture you just to let you go?"

"...It didn't seem like that much trouble to me," Ichigo muttered despite